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natashaniezgoda's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as book 1, but that cliffhanger is very intriguing
tessa_talks_books's review
3.0
Aftershock is a suspenseful new novel in the Jessie Teska mystery series by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell.
The novel's suspense is developed so brilliantly that I couldn't put the book down even when I had other things I needed to do. It kept me gripped in its pages, waiting to see what would happen next. The story's earthquake was fitting for the setting and added another level of intrigue and suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jessie Teska is an independent, driven woman who grapples with the many scars' consequences from her childhood. She doesn't care if other people like her, only that she gives her job her all. Unfortunately, that attitude, along with her abruptness and disregard for her choices' possible consequences, made her a character that I found unsympathetic and unable to connect to on any level. She is well-developed on a technical level, but I could not find a connection that I could hold on to that would make me enjoy following her from one mystery to another.
The mystery of who murdered a famous architect comes to an expected conclusion, which surprised me since I wasn't even trying to figure out who did it. There are red herrings and misdirections, but there was just something about the murderer that was like a neon arrow pointing to that character. This did not detract from the suspense, however, so it did not impact my reading experience.
What did impact my reading experience is the social issue presented as a significant theme in the novel. (I think explaining what the theme is could be seen as a spoiler so that I won't name it.) Many aspects of the theme worked well with the story from all angles presented, but the ending stretched my suspended disbelief to where it snapped, and reality came crashing its way into the story. Unfortunately, this reaction made my enjoyment of the story not as great as I expected going into it.
Would I try another book in the series? I would because there are many great qualities to this mystery, but this particular story didn't hold me past the book's closing.
The novel's suspense is developed so brilliantly that I couldn't put the book down even when I had other things I needed to do. It kept me gripped in its pages, waiting to see what would happen next. The story's earthquake was fitting for the setting and added another level of intrigue and suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jessie Teska is an independent, driven woman who grapples with the many scars' consequences from her childhood. She doesn't care if other people like her, only that she gives her job her all. Unfortunately, that attitude, along with her abruptness and disregard for her choices' possible consequences, made her a character that I found unsympathetic and unable to connect to on any level. She is well-developed on a technical level, but I could not find a connection that I could hold on to that would make me enjoy following her from one mystery to another.
The mystery of who murdered a famous architect comes to an expected conclusion, which surprised me since I wasn't even trying to figure out who did it. There are red herrings and misdirections, but there was just something about the murderer that was like a neon arrow pointing to that character. This did not detract from the suspense, however, so it did not impact my reading experience.
What did impact my reading experience is the social issue presented as a significant theme in the novel. (I think explaining what the theme is could be seen as a spoiler so that I won't name it.) Many aspects of the theme worked well with the story from all angles presented, but the ending stretched my suspended disbelief to where it snapped, and reality came crashing its way into the story. Unfortunately, this reaction made my enjoyment of the story not as great as I expected going into it.
Would I try another book in the series? I would because there are many great qualities to this mystery, but this particular story didn't hold me past the book's closing.
quirkycatsfatstacks's review against another edition
4.0
I received a copy of Aftershock in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell are back for the second novel in the Dr. Jessi Teska Mystery series – Aftershock.
Dr. Jessi Teska is no stranger to mysteries. It's all part of the job for her. But when an earthquake hits part of San Francisco, even she isn't fully prepared for what she will see. Or the mysteries that will rise up with the event.
Unsurprisingly, a body has been discovered. At a glance, this would appear to have been an accident. After all, construction sites plus earthquakes usually don't spell out good things. Yet any professional could quickly see how very wrong this initial assessment is.
“Where's all the blood from that crush injury? There's drag marks and damage to the clothing to match.”
Aftershock was a tense and thrilling read – exactly what the description promised it would be! Jessi's investigation is the sort that immediately pulls the reader into the mystery, and doesn't leave them disappointed by the conclusion.
Confession time: I actually didn't read First Cut before diving into this read. Still, I had no trouble following along, proving that this is a highly approachable sequel in this series. Personally, I love it when mystery series do that. Now new fans can be found at any point along the way.
Dr. Jessi Teska is a forensic pathologist – which I actually adore. She makes for a great and fairly unique perspective on the whole procedural crime circuit. Honestly, I almost want to say that we need more like this!
Anyway, moving on. Jessi makes for a perfect protagonist. She's smart (obviously), driven, determined, and no afraid to chase after what she considers to be important. Such as solving a series of murders.
If you like slow-burning mysteries with strong crime procedural elements, then this is the book for you. Aftershock has all of that, and more.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell are back for the second novel in the Dr. Jessi Teska Mystery series – Aftershock.
Dr. Jessi Teska is no stranger to mysteries. It's all part of the job for her. But when an earthquake hits part of San Francisco, even she isn't fully prepared for what she will see. Or the mysteries that will rise up with the event.
Unsurprisingly, a body has been discovered. At a glance, this would appear to have been an accident. After all, construction sites plus earthquakes usually don't spell out good things. Yet any professional could quickly see how very wrong this initial assessment is.
“Where's all the blood from that crush injury? There's drag marks and damage to the clothing to match.”
Aftershock was a tense and thrilling read – exactly what the description promised it would be! Jessi's investigation is the sort that immediately pulls the reader into the mystery, and doesn't leave them disappointed by the conclusion.
Confession time: I actually didn't read First Cut before diving into this read. Still, I had no trouble following along, proving that this is a highly approachable sequel in this series. Personally, I love it when mystery series do that. Now new fans can be found at any point along the way.
Dr. Jessi Teska is a forensic pathologist – which I actually adore. She makes for a great and fairly unique perspective on the whole procedural crime circuit. Honestly, I almost want to say that we need more like this!
Anyway, moving on. Jessi makes for a perfect protagonist. She's smart (obviously), driven, determined, and no afraid to chase after what she considers to be important. Such as solving a series of murders.
If you like slow-burning mysteries with strong crime procedural elements, then this is the book for you. Aftershock has all of that, and more.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
jbattilochi's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
onceupon_a_bookdream's review
2.0
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
When I was given an option to review an arc of Aftershock by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell I read the synopsis and was quite excited for it. I think in the future I need to pay more attention because if I knew this was a procedural mystery I might have passed.
Unfortunately there was more about this book that I disliked than I enjoyed. While it was well written and the story read smoothly, the most interesting parts to me where the times spent in the actual morgue. That's all I have for you in the positive column.
I don't know if it's because I didn't read the first book, therefore I had no former attachment to Dr. Jessie Teska but she was a very disappointing lead. She was completely work focused and when it came to her personal life I found her selfish and unlikable. Something happens around the 60% mark that made me want to smack her. She handles her romantic relationship immaturely and makes excuses for her own behavior. Whether or not her personal relationship partner was a good match or not didn't excuse her actions.
Onto the main plot line of the story, the mystery aspect. I guess I never fully understood why, as the medical examiner, she was so involved in the investigation process. Besides that I found the mystery of 'who dunnit' underwhelming. When Jessie figures it all out, my reaction was an eye roll.
In the end, Aftershock was just not the book for me.
When I was given an option to review an arc of Aftershock by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell I read the synopsis and was quite excited for it. I think in the future I need to pay more attention because if I knew this was a procedural mystery I might have passed.
Unfortunately there was more about this book that I disliked than I enjoyed. While it was well written and the story read smoothly, the most interesting parts to me where the times spent in the actual morgue. That's all I have for you in the positive column.
I don't know if it's because I didn't read the first book, therefore I had no former attachment to Dr. Jessie Teska but she was a very disappointing lead. She was completely work focused and when it came to her personal life I found her selfish and unlikable. Something happens around the 60% mark that made me want to smack her. She handles her romantic relationship immaturely and makes excuses for her own behavior. Whether or not her personal relationship partner was a good match or not didn't excuse her actions.
Onto the main plot line of the story, the mystery aspect. I guess I never fully understood why, as the medical examiner, she was so involved in the investigation process. Besides that I found the mystery of 'who dunnit' underwhelming. When Jessie figures it all out, my reaction was an eye roll.
In the end, Aftershock was just not the book for me.
infinitysbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
For me this was the perfect sequel. It built off the characters that we met in the first book, kept the same general tone that I loved in the original and just gave me more of it. I really enjoy how this series handles both the investigation storyline along with the interesting family life of the main character.
This one follows Dr. Teska as she investigates the apparent murder of an architect whose body was discovered under a ton of steel pipes at a construction site. To make matters worse San Francisco is hit by an earthquake which inundates the morgue with bodies.
These books are medical thrillers and they have made me want to pick up more of them. The details during the autopsy scenes are not for the faint of heart, just reading the excerpt above can give you an idea. This is the type of thriller were you feel like you're getting an inside look at the bureaucracy involved in the investigation of a murder.
To be fair this was not a perfect book. I really enjoyed the pacing, the characters, the investigation and the plotting. This series is quickly turning into my favourite serial mystery series, but there are still a few problems that I had with it.
First this one is only about 300 pages, which turns out to be perfect for a short read, but I really needed more. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Now on to the real problem that I had (its actually quite minor, but still...)
During this book the main character is in a commited relationship that started in the first book in the series. I was really excited to see these characters together in this book, but throughout the book they barely saw each other. I wish there were a few more scenes where they were able to converse more.
Then about halfway through one character (trying to be vague) does something that ruins this relationship for me. This is the same thing that happened with The Lost Man by Jane Harper, where an event occurred that completely changed the dynamic and we were still expected to empathize with the character. This put me off reading for a bit, as I was really enjoying it, which is why I took almost 2 weeks to finish this 300 page book. I was able to get back on the train for the ending, but I have to take at least 0.5 stars away from what would otherwise have been an amazing continuation. I look forward to reading further with these authors!
4.5
This one follows Dr. Teska as she investigates the apparent murder of an architect whose body was discovered under a ton of steel pipes at a construction site. To make matters worse San Francisco is hit by an earthquake which inundates the morgue with bodies.
These books are medical thrillers and they have made me want to pick up more of them. The details during the autopsy scenes are not for the faint of heart, just reading the excerpt above can give you an idea. This is the type of thriller were you feel like you're getting an inside look at the bureaucracy involved in the investigation of a murder.
To be fair this was not a perfect book. I really enjoyed the pacing, the characters, the investigation and the plotting. This series is quickly turning into my favourite serial mystery series, but there are still a few problems that I had with it.
First this one is only about 300 pages, which turns out to be perfect for a short read, but I really needed more. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Now on to the real problem that I had (its actually quite minor, but still...)
During this book the main character is in a commited relationship that started in the first book in the series. I was really excited to see these characters together in this book, but throughout the book they barely saw each other. I wish there were a few more scenes where they were able to converse more.
Then about halfway through one character (trying to be vague) does something that ruins this relationship for me. This is the same thing that happened with The Lost Man by Jane Harper, where an event occurred that completely changed the dynamic and we were still expected to empathize with the character. This put me off reading for a bit, as I was really enjoying it, which is why I took almost 2 weeks to finish this 300 page book. I was able to get back on the train for the ending, but I have to take at least 0.5 stars away from what would otherwise have been an amazing continuation. I look forward to reading further with these authors!
4.5
libraryjen's review against another edition
3.0
While I really enjoyed the first installment of this series, I found this one didn't measure up to my expectations. The mystery was fine, although I figured out the bad guy before the big reveal, but not nearly as suspenseful as I hoped. The relationship between Jessie and Anup felt far less real to me in this one and I was disappointed in a lot of their choices. The whole thing just never really grabbed my attention, I kept waiting for the suspense to come and it never did. With so many good books out there waiting to be read, I'm not in any hurry to continue this series.
paigeantonacci's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
tessa_talks_books's review against another edition
3.0
Aftershock is a suspenseful new novel in the Jessie Teska mystery series by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell.
The novel's suspense is developed so brilliantly that I couldn't put the book down even when I had other things I needed to do. It kept me gripped in its pages, waiting to see what would happen next. The story's earthquake was fitting for the setting and added another level of intrigue and suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jessie Teska is an independent, driven woman who grapples with the many scars' consequences from her childhood. She doesn't care if other people like her, only that she gives her job her all. Unfortunately, that attitude, along with her abruptness and disregard for her choices' possible consequences, made her a character that I found unsympathetic and unable to connect to on any level. She is well-developed on a technical level, but I could not find a connection that I could hold on to that would make me enjoy following her from one mystery to another.
The mystery of who murdered a famous architect comes to an expected conclusion, which surprised me since I wasn't even trying to figure out who did it. There are red herrings and misdirections, but there was just something about the murderer that was like a neon arrow pointing to that character. This did not detract from the suspense, however, so it did not impact my reading experience.
What did impact my reading experience is the social issue presented as a significant theme in the novel. (I think explaining what the theme is could be seen as a spoiler so that I won't name it.) Many aspects of the theme worked well with the story from all angles presented, but the ending stretched my suspended disbelief to where it snapped, and reality came crashing its way into the story. Unfortunately, this reaction made my enjoyment of the story not as great as I expected going into it.
Would I try another book in the series? I would because there are many great qualities to this mystery, but this particular story didn't hold me past the book's closing.
The novel's suspense is developed so brilliantly that I couldn't put the book down even when I had other things I needed to do. It kept me gripped in its pages, waiting to see what would happen next. The story's earthquake was fitting for the setting and added another level of intrigue and suspense that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jessie Teska is an independent, driven woman who grapples with the many scars' consequences from her childhood. She doesn't care if other people like her, only that she gives her job her all. Unfortunately, that attitude, along with her abruptness and disregard for her choices' possible consequences, made her a character that I found unsympathetic and unable to connect to on any level. She is well-developed on a technical level, but I could not find a connection that I could hold on to that would make me enjoy following her from one mystery to another.
The mystery of who murdered a famous architect comes to an expected conclusion, which surprised me since I wasn't even trying to figure out who did it. There are red herrings and misdirections, but there was just something about the murderer that was like a neon arrow pointing to that character. This did not detract from the suspense, however, so it did not impact my reading experience.
What did impact my reading experience is the social issue presented as a significant theme in the novel. (I think explaining what the theme is could be seen as a spoiler so that I won't name it.) Many aspects of the theme worked well with the story from all angles presented, but the ending stretched my suspended disbelief to where it snapped, and reality came crashing its way into the story. Unfortunately, this reaction made my enjoyment of the story not as great as I expected going into it.
Would I try another book in the series? I would because there are many great qualities to this mystery, but this particular story didn't hold me past the book's closing.