Dirt Creek by Haley Scrivenor

 

Dirt Creek by Haley Scrivenor

Rating: Starred Review

Summary: A small town in the outback of Australia is fractured when a young girl on her way home from school with her best friend goes missing. The investigation centers around a group of families interwoven and told from different character point of view.

Comments: A  brilliant crime novel that goes bleak and dark with horrible consequences. It a no win crime novel told from various characters with a nifty ending told from the characters. Highly recommend for those who have read those great out Outback crime novels.

https://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Creek-Novel-Hayley-Scrivenor-ebook/dp/B09CNDX9WK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PHG260VULRSE&keywords=Dirt+creek&qid=1643579208&s=digital-text&sprefix=dirt+creek%2Cdigital-text%2C136&sr=1-1

Rafferty’s Last Case by Larry Millett

Rafferty’s Last Case by Larry Millett

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: Rafferty is in the final stages of life. While almost completing his final case he is viscously stabbed in the back in his apartment. Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson come to town and along with Rafferty’s best friend Thomas and they dig through the investigation of a very corrupt City of St. Paul police and government of three homicides.

Comments: Another wonderful Minnesota crime novelist. I will be back reading Millett for sure. 

https://www.amazon.com/Raffertys-Last-Case-Minnesota-featuring/dp/151791311X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PFAMWMTF00CU&keywords=Rafferty%E2%80%99s+last+case&qid=1643104431&s=books&sprefix=rafferty+s+last+case%2Cstripbooks%2C87&sr=1-1

 

Every Cloak Rolled in Blood by James Lee Burke

 

Every Cloak Rolled in Blood by James Lee Burke

Rating: Stared Review

Summary: Successful writer Aaron Holland Broussard is tangled in emotion of the sudden lose of his daughter. He is haunted by her ghost. When he has his barn door painted with a swastika it sets in motion events that will expose the drug culture on Montana.

Comments: Lots of ghost and goblins. Equal part ghost story and crime novel. Do you talk to the dead? 

https://www.amazon.com/Every-Cloak-Rolled-Holland-Family-ebook/dp/B09JPH6XHJ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2RZMP6X3A3LZ4&keywords=james+lee+burke&qid=1642165735&s=books&sprefix=James+Lee+burke%2Cstripbooks%2C212&sr=1-3

  

I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Erik Rickstad

 

I Am Not Who You Think I Am by Erik Rickstad

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: A teen boy who witnessed his father commit suicide with a shotgun starts to question his father death. The path leads him to many family secrets and his own downfall.

Comments: A peel the onion back suspense novel that has some serious shocks to the system.  A  very compelling read. Highly recommend.

https://www.amazon.com/Am-Not-Who-You-Think-ebook/dp/B0829G7B1V/ref=sr_1_3?crid=SRKA3UJGBQWD&keywords=eric+rickstad&qid=1641209825&s=digital-text&sprefix=Erik+ri%2Cdigital-text%2C84&sr=1-3

Blacktop Wasteland by S. A. Cosby

 

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: A family man who adores his wife and young children is trying to make a go of the family life and leave his past behind. When he looses a contract to take care of a fleet of cars and lead an honest life he chooses to make one last heist to pay a mounting debt. No one was expected to get hurt and the promise of a quick score was to tempting.. 

Comments: The debut novel by Cosby that I regretted reading sooner. Hard core chaotic crime novel of bad or worse decisions to be a good guy. Cosby doesn’t waste time with long drawn out scenes. He gets right to the hard truths and flips the readers pages. Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Blacktop-Wasteland-Novel-Shawn-Cosby-ebook/dp/B07WCYQZ4Y/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1SOL2WOBSCXDV&keywords=blacktop+wasteland&qid=1640876042&s=digital-text&sprefix=Blacktop%2Cdigital-text%2C85&sr=1-1

Shifty’s Boys by Chris Offutt

 

Shifty’s Boys by Chris Offutt

Rating: Starred Review

Summary: The second stunning novel featuring a Mick Hardin who is still recovering from a wound suffered during a IED blast. Set in the rolling hills of Eastern Kentucky where someone might say Hidy to you as a fine greeting. Mick is asked by a local woman who’s son is found dead in an apparent bad drug deal. Th local cops don’t care and Micks gotta find something to do before is return date with the army. 

Comments: The second splendid crime novel with Offutt featuring Mick Hardin and equally important Linda, and super organized character Johnny Boy. Superior dialog places you deep in the Kentucky hills with plenty of scenes starting or ending with song birds. Robbins being the most spectacular North American bird. Since I like a birds this was a great setting for me. Highly highly recommended. I hope to see more Mick Hardin. This is an incredible series. 

Side Note. I once traveled this area and still remember it’s beauty and deep rolling hills and twisting curves. Incredible.

https://smile.amazon.com/Shiftys-Boys-Mick-Hardin-Novels-ebook/dp/B09JV4B6G4/ref=sr_1_10?crid=120XLNAYRFCCN&keywords=chris+offutt+books&qid=1640873499&s=digital-text&sprefix=Chris+offutt%2Cdigital-text%2C128&sr=1-10

2021 Year In Review

 So many great reads this year.

Here’s three that stood out.

William Boyle’s. Shoot The Moonlight Out 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VJLDBL5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Lighting Strike by William Kent Krueger

https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Strike-Novel-OConnor-Mystery-ebook/dp/B08LDWY46J

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

https://www.amazon.com/Harlem-Shuffle-Novel-Colson-Whitehead-ebook/dp/B08QMZC2PM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Harlem+shuffle&qid=1636040976&sr=8-1

Catch Her When She Falls by Allison Buccola

 

Catch Her When She Falls by Allison Buccola

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: A now young adult women starts questioning a murder of her high school friend and the man convicted of the crime. When Micah starts being reminded of the events surrounding the murder she goes down the rabbit hole to explain who really killed her friend Emily. 

Comments: A page turner in the likes of Riley Sager or Denise Mina of peeling back the events of a past crime. Most unique here is Buccola’s debut novel she gives very little away each page. No big surprises until you are well on your way into the bedtime reading. 

https://www.amazon.com/Catch-Her-When-She-Falls-ebook/dp/B093YS9F5S/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Catch+her+when+she+falls&qid=1637066855&s=digital-text&sr=1-3

Shoot The Moonlight Out by William Boyle

 

Shoot The Moonlight Out by William Boyle

Rating: Starred Review 

Summary: Two young teens in Brooklyn are bored and find entertainment by throwing rocks at passing cars. When one boy hits a young girl with a very promising future they kill her. This sets the base for a cast of deep seated set of characters that go off the edge of life trying to justify there lives. 

Comments: Boyle does it again. Novel of 2021. Boyle might be the most talented writer in the last 5 years.  What he does for setting, character development, and mood is brilliant like no other. Any one who enjoys reading needs to read Boyle. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08VJLDBL5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead

 

Harlem Shuffle Colson Whitehead

Rating: Starred Review 

Summary: Ray Carney is a furniture store owner in Harlem 1960’s. He also is a low level criminal who hangs around other low level criminals. Heists and Robberies occur. A couple murders land in Ray’s lap too. Somehow Ray has to navigate the straight world and the criminal world.

Comments: Straight up the best crime novel of 2022. Highly recommended. 

https://www.amazon.com/Harlem-Shuffle-Novel-Colson-Whitehead-ebook/dp/B08QMZC2PM/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Harlem+shuffle&qid=1636040976&sr=8-1