terri90's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
katieb94's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
wrencameron's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bitterindigo's review against another edition
4.0
Hits all the right notes, and nice seeing the evolution in the lives of the characters. I didn't love it quite as much as others, but that's probably just because the 'conspiracy at the highest levels of society' thing just isn't my favourite kind of mystery.
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
First and foremost, a large thank you to P.J. Tracy and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
A much different P.J. Tracy continues to evolve in the series after the death of the elder in the mother-daughter duo. Those who are familiar with the series will notice a higher intensity to the writing and a plot that seeks to delve deeper into the mystery and police procedural genres. After the death of his son a year ago, socialite Gregory Norwood plans to honour him with a private memorial. However, before this takes place, the elder Norwood is found at his home, an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This sends shock waves through the city and travels all the way to the top of the MPD pyramid, after current gubernatorial candidate—and best friend of Norwood—Robert Zeller, requests it be handled with discretion. Enter Homicide Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, who survey the crime scene at the request of their chief, only to discover something out of place that tips the scales towards murder. Meanwhile, Monkeewrench are approached by a member of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, hoping that they can create a specialised piece of software. It would seem that there have been murmurs of an attack within the Twin Cities, but nothing is surfacing with the usual suspects. The FBI has begun to wonder if those no longer on the radar might be developing new and covert means of communication through electronic channels, both legal and on the Dark Net. Members of the team rush to create something and run beta tests, unsure how long they might have before an attack. With the Norwoods mourning two loses in as many years and Minneapolis as a potential hotspot for the next big act of terror, Magozzi and Grace MacBride surely have no time to focus on the imminent arrival of their child. All that being said, babies follow no timetable or schedule, save their own. Tracy provides readers with a stellar exploration of terrorism, politics, and the ties that can bind a family together or tear it apart. A powerful new novel, which series fans will enjoy, even if it is with a heavy heart for the loss of part of this fantastic writing duo.
I am sad to say that I have reached the end of my summer reading binge of P.J. Tracy’s work. I must also offer my sincere condolences that the writing world lost a great member with the death of one half of the P.J. Tracy duo. The series has been well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable, both in writing and audio formats, which helps solidify my admiration for the authors and books in this collection. This novel is again able to mix great mystery with strong characters and deliver a grounded story, one in which the reader will notice new depth and strong story development. The Magozzi/Rolseth banter remains strong, as always, as does the humour that offsets some of the more serious and morbid parts of the narrative. Tracy offers some interesting character development for Magozzi and Grace MacBride, both individually and as a unit, with impending parenthood. How this will change their lives and the characterisation of them has yet to be seen, but one can only hope that a tenth novel will answer some of the questions series fans will surely have on the tips of their proverbial tongues. The rest of the gang (both police and Monkeewrench) continue to dazzle and keep the reader on their toes for a variety of reasons. I was pleased to see a strong narrative and a few plots that developed throughout, keeping the reader guessing as to what might happen at any turn of the page. Using a constantly revolving group of characters, Tracy is able to push the narrative forward in interesting ways and never forces the reader to accept subpar writing or storytelling. I must wonder if the Magozzi/Rolseth storyline will change when they are both fathers and if, perhaps, Tracy will give readers a Rolseth-centred storyline (perhaps involving his family), which might help develop a stronger tie to those people who come up in Gino’s dialogue on occasion. These novels move away from the traditional police procedural and permit P.J. Tracy to entertain the reader with strong storylines, perfect for a vacation or summer binge. As noted above, there was a significant shift in the writing and story presentation, likely the influence of the solo writing that will continue going forward. Might the series take a heavier turn or will the lighter reads resume in subsequent publication?
Kudos, P.J. Tracy, for another wonderful piece. You continue to show how proud your mother can be in your efforts by keeping the story going. Write and think of her, always!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
A much different P.J. Tracy continues to evolve in the series after the death of the elder in the mother-daughter duo. Those who are familiar with the series will notice a higher intensity to the writing and a plot that seeks to delve deeper into the mystery and police procedural genres. After the death of his son a year ago, socialite Gregory Norwood plans to honour him with a private memorial. However, before this takes place, the elder Norwood is found at his home, an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This sends shock waves through the city and travels all the way to the top of the MPD pyramid, after current gubernatorial candidate—and best friend of Norwood—Robert Zeller, requests it be handled with discretion. Enter Homicide Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, who survey the crime scene at the request of their chief, only to discover something out of place that tips the scales towards murder. Meanwhile, Monkeewrench are approached by a member of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, hoping that they can create a specialised piece of software. It would seem that there have been murmurs of an attack within the Twin Cities, but nothing is surfacing with the usual suspects. The FBI has begun to wonder if those no longer on the radar might be developing new and covert means of communication through electronic channels, both legal and on the Dark Net. Members of the team rush to create something and run beta tests, unsure how long they might have before an attack. With the Norwoods mourning two loses in as many years and Minneapolis as a potential hotspot for the next big act of terror, Magozzi and Grace MacBride surely have no time to focus on the imminent arrival of their child. All that being said, babies follow no timetable or schedule, save their own. Tracy provides readers with a stellar exploration of terrorism, politics, and the ties that can bind a family together or tear it apart. A powerful new novel, which series fans will enjoy, even if it is with a heavy heart for the loss of part of this fantastic writing duo.
I am sad to say that I have reached the end of my summer reading binge of P.J. Tracy’s work. I must also offer my sincere condolences that the writing world lost a great member with the death of one half of the P.J. Tracy duo. The series has been well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable, both in writing and audio formats, which helps solidify my admiration for the authors and books in this collection. This novel is again able to mix great mystery with strong characters and deliver a grounded story, one in which the reader will notice new depth and strong story development. The Magozzi/Rolseth banter remains strong, as always, as does the humour that offsets some of the more serious and morbid parts of the narrative. Tracy offers some interesting character development for Magozzi and Grace MacBride, both individually and as a unit, with impending parenthood. How this will change their lives and the characterisation of them has yet to be seen, but one can only hope that a tenth novel will answer some of the questions series fans will surely have on the tips of their proverbial tongues. The rest of the gang (both police and Monkeewrench) continue to dazzle and keep the reader on their toes for a variety of reasons. I was pleased to see a strong narrative and a few plots that developed throughout, keeping the reader guessing as to what might happen at any turn of the page. Using a constantly revolving group of characters, Tracy is able to push the narrative forward in interesting ways and never forces the reader to accept subpar writing or storytelling. I must wonder if the Magozzi/Rolseth storyline will change when they are both fathers and if, perhaps, Tracy will give readers a Rolseth-centred storyline (perhaps involving his family), which might help develop a stronger tie to those people who come up in Gino’s dialogue on occasion. These novels move away from the traditional police procedural and permit P.J. Tracy to entertain the reader with strong storylines, perfect for a vacation or summer binge. As noted above, there was a significant shift in the writing and story presentation, likely the influence of the solo writing that will continue going forward. Might the series take a heavier turn or will the lighter reads resume in subsequent publication?
Kudos, P.J. Tracy, for another wonderful piece. You continue to show how proud your mother can be in your efforts by keeping the story going. Write and think of her, always!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/248185-a-book-for-all-seasons
jess_reads_books's review against another edition
4.0
Gregory Norwood, a wealthy Minnesota businessman, has been found dead in his home. His body has been found on the one year anniversary of his son’s drug overdose and appears to be a suicide. Detectives Gino and Magozzi are on the case, which from first glance appears to be an open close standard suicide. That is until they realize that Norwood was left-handed and the gun is resting in his right hand.
When another body is found with a connection to Norwood, the detectives believe they have a murderer on the run. But what would cause someone to want to kill Norwood? The investigation begins to reveal that the Norwood family may have been hiding some interesting secrets under the rug. It appears that this is not the first murder to occur in their family history. What happened to make someone decide to kill Gregory Norwood? Can Gino and Magozzi find the killer before they strike again?
I had such a great reading experience with NOTHING STAYS BURIED last year, that I knew I wanted to request THE GUILTY DEAD. Tracy did not let me down! The book opens with a murder that has been staged as a suicide and each storyline that begins unspooling from here has a connection in some way to the murder victim, Gregory Norwood. The Norwood family has been through the ringer, with a murder holding a family connection in the past, the loss of Trey, the son, last year, and now the death of the father. It seems that each of these deaths has something in common and now along with Detectives Gino and Magozzi, the reader is left to piece together the connections. The chapters are brief and typically contain a cliff hanger of sorts that drives the reader to continue reading, however, the next chapter you read is likely coming from another angle of the book. Before you know it you’ve devoured 100 pages in one sitting. The writing is so fluid that you are easily swept up into the crimes and their outcomes. THE GUILTY DEAD is an addictive, fast-paced crime fiction read that will leave you wanting more from your new or old favorite characters!
A special thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me a free review copy!
When another body is found with a connection to Norwood, the detectives believe they have a murderer on the run. But what would cause someone to want to kill Norwood? The investigation begins to reveal that the Norwood family may have been hiding some interesting secrets under the rug. It appears that this is not the first murder to occur in their family history. What happened to make someone decide to kill Gregory Norwood? Can Gino and Magozzi find the killer before they strike again?
I had such a great reading experience with NOTHING STAYS BURIED last year, that I knew I wanted to request THE GUILTY DEAD. Tracy did not let me down! The book opens with a murder that has been staged as a suicide and each storyline that begins unspooling from here has a connection in some way to the murder victim, Gregory Norwood. The Norwood family has been through the ringer, with a murder holding a family connection in the past, the loss of Trey, the son, last year, and now the death of the father. It seems that each of these deaths has something in common and now along with Detectives Gino and Magozzi, the reader is left to piece together the connections. The chapters are brief and typically contain a cliff hanger of sorts that drives the reader to continue reading, however, the next chapter you read is likely coming from another angle of the book. Before you know it you’ve devoured 100 pages in one sitting. The writing is so fluid that you are easily swept up into the crimes and their outcomes. THE GUILTY DEAD is an addictive, fast-paced crime fiction read that will leave you wanting more from your new or old favorite characters!
A special thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me a free review copy!
deearr's review against another edition
3.0
P. J. Tracy’s “The Guilty Dead” almost reads like it was two different books, or maybe three. Before it settled down, I was half-tempted to stop reading (though in the end, I am glad I continued).
Some of the things that bothered me about the story were small, but ultimately, many small things do add up, beginning with why there were so many characters with names that start with the letter G? We have Grace, Gloria, Gus, Gregory, Gino, Gary, and Gerry. While the chances of reader confusion increases, the odds of this happening in real life must be astronomical.
Proper research should always be completed. If one wishes to write about weapons and is not familiar with them, information is not that hard to find. The authors (P. J. Tracy a pseudonym for writers Patricia Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht) mistakenly called a magazine a clip, and merely checking to make sure a gun has ammunition in the magazine will not make it “hot” and ready to fire. Later on, a character references her “conceal-and-carry permit,” something that does not exist in the state of Minnesota (you can obtain a permit to carry). Small things like this make me wonder what other inaccuracies I may have missed.
What was most bothersome was the writing style employed, as it changed as I continued reading. The initial descriptions in early chapters read like someone had gone through with a thesaurus and substituting the largest word that could be found. While this is not a bad thing, the words began to disappear from the description and worked their way into the characters’ dialogue. It is jarring when all the people begin using words you don’t normally hear in everyday conversation. Somewhere near the middle of the book the style relaxed into normalcy. Why neither the authors nor editors questioned this is a mystery.
Which is too bad, because the storyline is a five-star element. The expected twist is not out of left field, the story makes sense and, in the end, everything ties up neatly. I flew through the last half of the book, completely lost in the story and working with the detectives to decipher the clues and find the truth. What the authors wrote in the later chapters almost made it worth slogging through the beginning ones.
Bottom line: It is worth your time to plow through the opening descriptions and dialogue as well as the research inconsistencies because the plot is good. Characterizations are okay, and we are given enough insight to identify with the main folks. Fans of this series will probably love the book, and for those of us new to the series, it is written as a standalone without references to any major storylines that have gone before. Three-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
Some of the things that bothered me about the story were small, but ultimately, many small things do add up, beginning with why there were so many characters with names that start with the letter G? We have Grace, Gloria, Gus, Gregory, Gino, Gary, and Gerry. While the chances of reader confusion increases, the odds of this happening in real life must be astronomical.
Proper research should always be completed. If one wishes to write about weapons and is not familiar with them, information is not that hard to find. The authors (P. J. Tracy a pseudonym for writers Patricia Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht) mistakenly called a magazine a clip, and merely checking to make sure a gun has ammunition in the magazine will not make it “hot” and ready to fire. Later on, a character references her “conceal-and-carry permit,” something that does not exist in the state of Minnesota (you can obtain a permit to carry). Small things like this make me wonder what other inaccuracies I may have missed.
What was most bothersome was the writing style employed, as it changed as I continued reading. The initial descriptions in early chapters read like someone had gone through with a thesaurus and substituting the largest word that could be found. While this is not a bad thing, the words began to disappear from the description and worked their way into the characters’ dialogue. It is jarring when all the people begin using words you don’t normally hear in everyday conversation. Somewhere near the middle of the book the style relaxed into normalcy. Why neither the authors nor editors questioned this is a mystery.
Which is too bad, because the storyline is a five-star element. The expected twist is not out of left field, the story makes sense and, in the end, everything ties up neatly. I flew through the last half of the book, completely lost in the story and working with the detectives to decipher the clues and find the truth. What the authors wrote in the later chapters almost made it worth slogging through the beginning ones.
Bottom line: It is worth your time to plow through the opening descriptions and dialogue as well as the research inconsistencies because the plot is good. Characterizations are okay, and we are given enough insight to identify with the main folks. Fans of this series will probably love the book, and for those of us new to the series, it is written as a standalone without references to any major storylines that have gone before. Three-and-a-half stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
vkemp's review against another edition
4.0
Grace MacBride is pregnant and days from delivery. Leo Magozzi is walking on air. But when Gregory Norwood is murdered, Leo and his partner, Gino Rolseth, catch the case. It would be so much easier for Norwood to have committed suicide, but when another dead body shows up a local state park, that is tied to the Norwood case, it is apparent there is more going on than meets the eye. Gregory Norwood's son, Trey, overdosed a year ago. Or, did he? And how is this all connected to the murder of a 14-year-old girl in Aspen ten years ago? And the Monkeewrench Crew has uncovered evidence that a terror attack will take place in Minneapolis; the FBI is worried. There is an adrenaline-fueled race to find the murderer and uncover the terror plot before anyone else gets murdered or Minneapolis blows up. I am so glad to see the Crew back in the saddle. After the death of Patricia Lambrecht in 2016, I was afraid we would not see them again. Her daughter, Traci, hopefully, will continue the series.
catmum's review against another edition
5.0
I approached this entry in the Monkeewrench series with a bit of trepidation as it is the first one to be written solely by Tracy Lambrecht since the death of her mother, P.J. I needn't have worried. The transition from writing team to single writer is seamless.
Monkeewrench is working on a new software program that can analyze metadata in a fraction of the time currently needed, and unofficially working with a friend in the FBI, to use this program to zero in on dark web chatter about a possible terrorist attack in Minneapolis. Meanwhile Rolseth and Magozzi are investigating the death of a Minneapolis mover and shaker on the anniversary of his son's death of a heroin overdose. It's obviously a suicide. Except his wife and daughter insist it couldn't have been. And he shot himself using the wrong hand. They soon learn he was sure his son's death was also murder, and not the accidental overdose it had been ruled.
Monkeewrench is working on a new software program that can analyze metadata in a fraction of the time currently needed, and unofficially working with a friend in the FBI, to use this program to zero in on dark web chatter about a possible terrorist attack in Minneapolis. Meanwhile Rolseth and Magozzi are investigating the death of a Minneapolis mover and shaker on the anniversary of his son's death of a heroin overdose. It's obviously a suicide. Except his wife and daughter insist it couldn't have been. And he shot himself using the wrong hand. They soon learn he was sure his son's death was also murder, and not the accidental overdose it had been ruled.