The 5th book (2004) in the Lucas Davenport series is one of the author’s favourites.
Davenport meets his future wife in this one.
It is winter in the remote, dark Wisconsin woods.
But the chill in the local sheriff’s bones has nothing to do with the weather.
The extravagance of the crime is new to him: the murdered man, woman and child; the machete-like knife through the man’s head; the ashes of the fire-consumed house spread over the ice and snow.
In desperation, the sheriff turns for help to the reclusive lawman he’d heard had a cabin up here, and with reluctance Davenport agrees, but it is a decision he will soon have reason to regret.
For this is a kind of criminal new to him, too.
Authorities make a lot of stupid decisions. Disappointing.
First broadcast 2011, it stars Brenda Blethyn as the principal character, Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope.
In January 2024, it was confirmed that the show had been renewed for a fourteenth series, which was later announced to be the show’s last.
Vera is a nearly retired detective chief inspector of the fictional Northumberland & City Police, who is obsessive about her work. She plods along in a dishevelled state but has a calculating mind and despite her irascible personality, she cares deeply about her work and colleagues. …
I really like Paul Kaye as pathologist Dr. Malcolm Donahue. But he’s only in 14 episodes. Dry humour.
Well … all good things must come to an end.
Vera’s final season — the 14th — with Brenda Blethyn aired January 2025. Two episodes considered to be a Special.
If you told me this was written by Stephen King, I’d believe you. As with many King novels, it’s long. Perhaps too long.
The Weller is one of my favourite characters of fiction. A football / weight room jock, he’s the unlikely friend of our protagonist.
Thrilled to find a new author I really admired … I was half way through the book before discovering Scott Carson is a pen name for one of my favourite writers — Michael Koryta.
When a young woman disappears in his small town, the investigation hinges on 16-year-old Marshall Miller’s haunted sighting of her, crying in the back seat of a police car driven by a cop named Maddox.
There’s only one problem: no local cop named Maddox exists.
But the speeding ticket he handed to Marshall certainly does.
Dealing with police and media is heady stuff for a teenager, the son of a single mother, but Marshall is sure he can handle it, until the shocking day when his reliability as a witness implodes.
Now scorned and shamed, he finds unlikely allies as he confronts the ancient secrets behind his small town’s peaceful façade—and learns the truth about his own family.
These are the 2 seasons following the departure of Douglas Henshall as DI Jimmy Perez.
Good. Bye.
Perez was depressing for this viewer.
Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder was a far more interesting and entertaining replacement.
Steven Robertson as DC Sandy Wilson is impressive. Such a nuanced performance. A good man who cares deeply about his family, friends and neighbours. A totally sincere and dedicated co-worker. The ultimate team player.
I really like Alison O’Donnell as DS (later DI) Alison “Tosh” McIntosh. As does everyone.
Finally in charge of Lerwick Police Station. Good on ‘er.
The entire cast is great, of course. This is one of the best shows on British TV.
Season 8
A fast paced murder mystery that had me making notes to keep track of all the characters.
I was quite intrigued with the start of this book. But when she didn’t report rape. And didn’t defend herself in front of the tribunal effectively … I got pissed off. Quit at 43%.
Let’s say you want to write a murder mystery. …
You need some kind of unique hook.
This 2024 novel is unique and fascinating.
Profane, motorcycle riding, smoking, tattooed, pierced, anti-social and damaged …
… Maggie Moore is a surprising genius when it comes to words, a savant able to solve any linguistic puzzle.
The top student in her forensic linguistics class, she’s tapped by local police to use her skills to decipher harrowing notes left by a stalker-turned-rapist—and succeeds brilliantly.
But when the daughter of a local mayor is abducted, Maggie isn’t sure she’s the right person to help the police solve the crime. Given what happened to her best childhood friend, Maggie just might be too close to this one.
Yet she knows the authorities in this rural south-Central Florida town cannot crack the case without her special skill.
Along with her new best friend, a detective Jackson, Maggie begins to analyze the texts, emails, and verbal tics of various suspects . . . and comes to a disturbing conclusion …
This sequence I enjoyed more than the first 6 books.
Lindsay Boxer, Cindy Thomas, Claire Washburn and Jill Bernhardt—stars of 1st to Die, 2nd Chance and 3rd Degree—are the founding members of the Women’s Murder Club.
Yuki Castellano joins the Club in 4th of July. Together, they solve crimes in their home city of San Francisco and often meet up to talk about clues and life, over Mexican food and drinks at Susie’s.
A terrible fire in a wealthy suburban home leaves a married couple dead and Detective Lindsay Boxer and her partner Rich Conklin searching for clues. And after California’s golden boy Michael Campion has been missing for a month, there finally seems to be a lead in his case-a very devastating lead.
As fire after fire consume couples in wealthy, comfortable homes, Lindsay and the Murder Club must race to find the arsonists responsible and get to the bottom of Michael Campion’s disappearance. But suddenly the flames are raging too close to home.
Someone is killing the richest people in the city-and the Women’s Murder Club will pay a high price for hunting him.
At the party of the year, San Francisco’s most glamorous couple is targeted by a killer-and it’s the perfect murder.
While Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile killings, a saintly street preacher is brutally executed. Reporter Cindy Thomas inquires into this neglected case …
During an intimate dinner party, a cat burglar breaks into the home of A-list actor Marcus Dowling. When his wife walks in on the thief, the situation quickly teeters out of control, leaving an empty safe and a lifeless body.
The same night, a woman and her infant child are ruthlessly gunned down in an abandoned garage. The killer hasn’t left a shred of evidence, except for a foreboding and cryptic message: WCF, the letters written in blood-red letters.
Detective Lindsay Boxer’s long-awaited wedding celebration becomes a distant memory when she is called to investigate a horrendous crime: a badly injured teenage girl is left for dead, and her newborn baby has been kidnapped without a trace.
As her marriage begins to suffer from the pressures of work and her new boss watches her every move, Lindsay discovers that the victim may be keeping secrets as well.
At the same time, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano is prosecuting the biggest case of her life-a woman who has been accused of murdering her husband in front of her two young children.
Yuki’s career rests on a guilty verdict, so when Lindsay finds evidence that could save the defendant, she is forced to choose. Should she trust her best friend or follow her instinct?
My old Elementary school is going strong. I pass by often as my brother still lives in the Glamorgan district in Calgary.
Glamorgan Elementary is ALL fond memories for me. I’m one of those weird kids who liked school. 😀
I did get LOST first day walking home from school!
Glamorgan Elementary was built to accommodate the growing population in the neighbourhood, which was rapidly developing post-World War II. It was the very edge of the city. Next block to my family home (bought 1963) was a farm with horses.
It was MODERN — architecture reflected the educational philosophies of the time, emphasizing open spaces and accessibility. That turned out to be a mistake, I’d say. Open classrooms are too loud and distracting.
Actually, it was only the Grade 6 students who used the open area / library. I recall lower grades being in regular classrooms.
In Grade 6 me and my buddies — including Brian Mason — arrived Monday mornings with our top 10 lists scrawled on scrap paper. We compared our updated TOP 10 A.M. RADIO SONGS … and TOP 10 GIRLS. 😀
Hey — it was a more sexist era.
His Mom was a teacher at the school.
Glenn P. Michell wrote up a personal account of his experience at the school and community.
Another action packed novel with Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers.
Righteous Prey (2022) is 32nd in the series. Virgil finally gets a publishing contract!
This time our heroes are trying to takedown a group of vigilante billionaires — all who got rich by early investment in Bitcoin.
The vigilantes make a list of American assholes — people most deserving of assassination.
For example, one target is exactly like Rush Limbaugh, a dangerous rightwing extremist radio shock jock.
The general public is sympathetic to the killers.
“We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered.” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as The Five, shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco.
The Five is believed to be made up of vigilante killers who are very bored… and very rich. They target the worst of society — rapists, murderers, and thieves — and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they’ve killed, donating untraceable bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net.
The Five soon become the most popular figures on social media, a modern-day Batman… though their motives may not be entirely pure.
There’s a real anti-Gundamentalist theme in this book, as well.
It’s far too easy to acquire weapons of war in the USA.
Rick McCharles 