Trigger Point (An Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Thriller Book 5) by Russ Colchamiro; Angela’s Latest Adventure Gets Very Very Up Close and Personal

 

Trigger Point (An Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Thriller Book 5) by Russ Colchamiro; Angela’s Latest Adventure Gets Very Very Up Close and Personal 

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If you are interested, please read my reviews of the previous volumes, Crackle and Fire, Fractured Lives,  and Hot Ash

The Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Thriller Series is no stranger to bringing us mesmerizing settings. The series explores the universe of Eternity, where various citizens do their part to help control, create, and repair the Universe. Everything from Patches who fix the tears in the Cosmos, to Designers who decide where the stars, planets, and galaxies are arranged, to the Minders who oversee the entire Universe and beyond, to detectives like Angela, who keep criminals off the spaceways and from messing with the order of the ‘Verse.

 It seemed like with Trigger Point, the fifth book in the series there was nowhere else for Angela to go. Well, Russ Colchamiro, the author, pulled a fast one on us. There was somewhere else to go. When the outside is explored most thoroughly, the best place to go is inside. Inside the mind of his lead character. Here Angela is at her most personal and angst ridden as she explores her latest adventure which puts those closest to her at risk.

Angela is recovering from her last case which resulted in the death of a friend and where she ended up demoted, in debt, and technically working under her former partner turned boss, Eric Whistler. She is definitely not in the mood for a new case but that’s what she gets. She is hired to uncover the mysterious death of a sex worker. Even worse, she finds that Whistler has gone missing, well most of him. He seems to be stuck somewhere in time and space and she can make out his faint image and hear cryptic garbled messages but doesn’t know where or possibly when he is. These cases become intertwined and lead Angela right into a conspiracy concerning the Patches, where her estranged lover, Eddie works and her young son, Owen is being trained. 

This is definitely the strongest Angela Hardwicke volume in terms of character development, much of it is laid at the feet of Angela herself. She often referred to parts of her past in previous books but this is where it really comes forward, particularly in chapters where she talks to her estranged parents (this is the first volume that I can recall where we actually learn that Angela even has parents.), 

We learn that Angela's sister died of cancer and they still feel the grief leading to Angela's father to withdraw from the family and she to embrace a darker side. She also became pregnant as a teenager ending with the death of her infant daughter. These losses caused Angela to become obsessed with her detective career. She couldn't protect herself from death but could protect other people and the Universe from it.

Angela is also haunted by nightmares and memories which she lives on the edge of the Universe can be more real than most on Earth. She has conversations with her late friend where she reveals her remorse and missteps in the previous case. 

She also bears a lot of guilt for what happened to Whistler. Not only for his current predicament but leading him into becoming a detective, acquiring an overdeveloped sense of justice, and having a reckless attitude in solving these cases. She isn't proud of how far Whistler has come. She's worried about what she turned him into and where this life will lead him.

Angela's tenderest moments are when she reunited with Eddie and Owen. It's heartwarming to see the normally hard boiled cynical badass Angela figuratively melt into a puddle of maternal goo when she and Owen are together. He's a sweet smart kid who brings out an innocent protective warmth within his mother. They may be separated but mother and son are still devoted to each other.

Angela and Eddie's relationship is no longer romantic but they are still amicable towards each other. Eddie actually has more interactions with Owen since they are both Patches so he has the loving ex and parental caretaker that is often reserved for female characters in most private detective novels. 

He worries about Owen but also his ex putting herself in danger but also knows his concerns will be dismissed. Even though Angela is romantically involved with Darren, a rock musician, she and Eddie have retained a friendship almost like surrogate siblings that defend one another and have each other's backs.

All of this development towards Angela's character is used in dramatic ways, particularly when she faces the antagonist in this book. There are hints that this character has been around since the first book, Crackle and Fire, and has five books worth of material to use against her and boy do they. It becomes a battle of wills in which Angela's own self worth and sanity are at stake as she faces this character.

If this book is not the last Angela Hardwicke book, I would be very surprised. There are a lot of hints that indicate this is a final volume or if not that, certainly a change in format and formula. Many of the long time subplots such as Angela’s messed up home life and her and Whistler’s statuses are altered considerably.

 Many characters come to some raw conclusions that indicate their journeys will be coming to an end or they will be in different places in the next volume. It's safe to say that Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Thrillers will not be the same again.

Death in the Holler (A Luke Ryder Book 1) by John G Bluck; Troubled Alcoholic Protagonist is the Highlight of Somewhat Muddled Murder Mystery

 

Death in the Holler (A Luke Ryder Book 1) by John G Bluck; Troubled Alcoholic Protagonist is the Highlight of Somewhat Muddled Murder Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: 2024 so far looks to be the year of the “Troubled Mystery Investigator.” Between the friendship of cop/criminal duo, Vincent Bayonne and Kane Kulpa unraveling  in Journeyman by Indy Perro and the team of Ingrid Barker and Miles McLeod surrounded by an abusive husband, a dysfunctional family, and their own mental health issues in What Happened at the Abbey by Isobel Blackthorn, it seems that solving mysteries is the least of their problems. Instead, they could use some of that time investigating themselves rather than crime. We can now add Luke Ryder to that list. He is the protagonist of John G. Bluck’s Death in the Holler, a mystery that takes an intense look at its problematic perplexing protagonist.

Luke Ryder is a former Game Warden whose frequent alcoholism cost him his job. His sympathetic friend, Sheriff Jim Pike recruits him to lend his expertise to a murder investigation. Farmer Joe Ford has found an unknown dead body. Since it's muzzleloader deer hunting season and Ryder had previously investigated an incident in which a doe was killed on Ford’s property during the off season, Ryder is called to offer his expert advice on the murder weapon, potential identity of the victim, and identity and motive of the killer. As Ryder peers into the questions, he discovers that the case is wider than he thought. He comes face to face with drug dealers, organized crime, street gangs, a local psychopath, and his own addictions and tormented past. 

Bluck has a strong understanding towards his lead character and the conflicts and struggles that surround him. His past with parents who succumbed to their own dependencies reveals an inherited addictive personality which makes him susceptible to following his parent's path towards potential self-destruction. He destroyed relationships, friendships, and a career that he worked hard to obtain. This is a man who is stumbling towards rock bottom. In fact, Pike reveals that he wanted Ryder's help not necessarily as an expert but out of loyalty to give his oldest and best friend one final chance to turn his life around before it's too late.

Despite his addiction, Ryder proves his ability as an investigator. He has a good sense of how the criminal mind works as he develops an acquaintenceship with a gang member. He shows a protective side towards a prostitute and her child. He follows various leads to their conclusions. Perhaps his desire to solve this case is a barrier from his addiction. As long as there is a problem to solve or a mystery to investigate, he doesn't have to look at the mess that his personal life is in.

Ryder stands out from the somewhat muddled mystery. It is incredibly convoluted and sometimes difficult to follow. Many of the leads are arbitrary and have a very tangible connection to the initial investigation. Some subplots such as that of the young psychopath could be promising but aren’t as compelling as they could be. It is more interesting to see Ryder interact with the suspects than figuring out what they have to do with the murder. 

Luke Ryder is the most important aspect of this book and it shows in the writing. Bluck appears not as interested in the mystery than he is about Ryder's personal journey from debilitating addiction to a second chance to help others and save himself. 

Journeyman: A Central City Novel (Kulpa and Bayonne Mysteries Book 2)by Indy Perro; Central City Sequel Doubles Down on Cop and Criminal Duality

 

Journeyman (A Central City Novel) by Indy Perro; Central City Sequel Doubles Down on Cop and Criminal Duality

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: When we last left Central City in Indy Perro’s book of the same name, Detective Vinnie Bayonne and ex-con, bar owner, and informant Kane Kulpa pool their resources to solve the murder of several prostitute’s clients. The murderer was identified and Tran van Kahn, the leader of a Vietnamese gang that tried to muscle in on Kane’s territory, was murdered. Unfortunately, these came at a great cost to Kane and Bayonne. Adam McKenna, Bayonne’s partner and Kane’s brother, was left institutionalized and Kane and Adam’s developmentally disabled and traumatized mother, Molly Matches died.

 In the followup novel, Journeyman, we see the cop and criminal are struggling to rebuild shaky lives. Bayonne’s commitment to justice is questioned because of his friendship with Kane and he embarks on a relationship with prostitute Cassandra. Meanwhile, Kane is beginning a tentative  leadership amidst rivalries from gangs who are out for blood and revenge. Bayonne is assigned to investigate the possible overdose death of the mayor’s son. Meanwhile gang war is declared after a shootout occurs outside Kane’s bar, the Side Saddle.

This is the type of mystery where the author is less concerned about the mystery itself than they are about the lead characters. Frankly, it’s all the better for it. The O.D. plot and the gang plot are interesting but in some ways predictable. There isn’t much in the way of a whodunnit so much as the enemies are quite visible leaving little to surprises or revelations. It’s stuff that is often found in other works that deal with gangs, drugs, sex work, political corruption, and crimes and quite frequently done better. Nothing new technically arrives or is resolved. But that is not where Journeyman’s real strength lies.

Journeyman’s real strength, in fact the strongest asset to the Central City series as a whole are its two leads: Vinnie Bayonne and Kane Kulpa. While in some works anyone can solve the central mystery, with this one only Bayonne and Kane can solve this one and leave Central City well in somewhat peace. 

We see these two at their most emotionally vulnerable as they try to maintain some semblance of order with their surroundings. They are protective of those that they are close to: Bayonne with Cassandra and Kane with his friends. We also see them facing antagonists challenging their leadership from various gangs to corrupt politicians and authority figures. Despite this, the two men have the strength and compassion to protect those around them.

One of the best chapters that show the duo’s concern for others is when Bayonne and Kane visit Adam in the hospital. As they talk to and care for Adam and confide in each other about his treatment and their concerns about his future, it is clear that both men are in mourning for the seriously ill man in front of him. Adam is not dead but is just as gone as if he had a bullet to his brain. They lost a partner and best friend with a once bright future in front of him and a brother with a broken past which deprived him of a family. We see that these men have many of the same concerns, goals, and motives even if they have different means to obtain them.

Unfortunately it is the means that cause a wedge between Bayonne and Kane. Kane desires to remain as leader and overpower his rivals. He becomes more ruthless and colder in ordering murder and extortion. 

As Kane ascends in the Underworld, Bayonne becomes more regimented in upholding the law. As the world collapses and becomes grayer, Bayonne holds onto the black and white of the legal system. 

Bayonne and Kane’s friendship is forever scarred when the two make decisions putting them in direct conflict. In the end, they face each other equal in power, are having ascended in their careers, but now no longer friends. What's worse is because of their shared history, they are not only enemies but enemies that know each other's backgrounds, secrets, and modus operandi. 

Bayonne and Kane are worthy opponents who will certainly lose their worthiness by the next book. They may lose what once made them great: their friendship.

New Book Alert: Glitches and Stitches (Death Violation 01) by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Police Procedural Mystery Set in The Future Focuses on Gay Heroes, AI Dependency, and Genetic Engineering

 

New Book Alert: Glitches and Stitches (Death Violation 01) by Nicole Givens Kurtz; Police Procedural Mystery Set in The Future Focuses on Gay Heroes, AI Dependency, and Genetic Engineering

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: If Science Fiction/Mysteries have shown us anything, it's that the future will be just as violent and destructive as the present. Except that there will be crimes involving AI, advanced technology, genetic engineering, cloning, and possibly aliens and interstellar travel (at least the fictional version anyway). The crossover genre shows that the human race will be just as temperamental, avaricious, lustful, rage filled, and violent as ever. They will just have new technology with which to use their schemes.

That's the premise behind Nicole Givens Kurtz's Death Violation and its first book, Glitches and Stitches. As Kurtz did with her previous book, Kill Three Birds, she puts a conventional murder mystery in an unusual setting. Kill Three Birds took place in a world of anthropomorphic birds. Glitches and Stitches is instead set in the future in which technology and AI threaten to overpower the human element.

Inspector Regulators, Fawn Granger and Briscoe "BB" Baker are called in to investigate the death of Dr. Leonard Cho, scientist at the Association of Genetically Engineered Humans. The duo find themselves smack dab in the middle of a case involving illicit genetic engineering and technological dependency. They also have to struggle with their own conflicts to keep this search going.

Kurtz does a good job of creating a suspenseful police procedural mystery and surrounding it with a futuristic science fiction setting. It's not as imaginative a setting as say Eternity in Russ Colchamiro's Angela Hardwicke series but it still has some fascinating touches to remind the Reader that "Yes, this is the future." 

One of the clever things that Kurtz zeroes in on but some SF writers overlook is the use of language and slang terms. In this setting, people aren't "murdered." They had a "death violation." It could be a sign of political correctness or just a change in police terminology. Perhaps, even an intentional reference to how current controversies towards the police force will reconstruct how they behave in the future. It's just one of those things that a masterful speculative fiction author like Kurtz acknowledges.

Another sample of Kurtz's attention to detail is the apparent change in social structure. Neither Fawn nor BB are interested in each other because they are both gay. BB is in a committed relationship in which his husband is worried about his dangerous job.

Fawn has massive PTSD and is considering relocating to the Southwest, but this case and a new relationship with an EMT restores her desire for justice and search for love.

Currently, the LGBT community are faced with various controversies such as their rights being scaled back by many bigoted Republicans, Evangelicals, and Conservatives. Because the present is so awful, it is nice in Kurtz's futuristic world that not much is made of Fawn and BB's sexualities.

In the future of Glitches and Stitches, when future generations can be created in ways besides procreation, Conservatives can't even use that excuse to prohibit rights. So, Fawn and BB are seen like any other hard-working cop that is faced with a dangerous job with little time for a social life though they try.

Of course in a science fiction world, many themes that come across are the overabundance of technology and whether we are in danger of losing our humanity. Glitches and Stitches is no exception.

Fawn and BB investigate some genetic engineering that could change humans and for the worse. It's a scary thought to imagine that someone else could change another's DNA or genetic code without their knowledge or consent (or if they give consent without being told all of the options and pros and cons towards such actions so they can make real informed choices).

This book also discusses how AI is used as an option for even the most basic of needs like sexual pleasure. In fact there are hints that there is an android prostitute ring in which horny AI lovers can satisfy their carnal pleasures without human contact. It says something that even the most basic needs like sex need a technological instead of human interaction in Glitches and Stitches. In this book, humans have even lost the opportunity to become close together physically. 

It's not a perfect futuristic world that Kurtz writes in her book. But like all murder mysteries, there will always be people like Fawn and BB who care about justice, fairness, protecting the innocent, and caring for those around them.  

New Book Alert: Hot Ash (An Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Mystery) by Russ Colchamiro; Angela's As Awesome As Ever, But Young Partner Steals The Show

 

New Book Alert: Hot Ash (An Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Mystery) by Russ Colchamiro; Angela's As Awesome As Ever, But Young Partner Steals The Show

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: In Hot Ash, the third installment to Russ Colchamiro's Angela Hardwicke's Science Fiction, Angela is her usual strong willed, fiery, courageous, troubled self wandering through the murkiness of Eternity, the center of the Cosmos. While she is in top form, it is actually her rookie partner, Eric Whistler, who steals the show from his cynical employer/friend.

Angela and Whistler seem to be living a surprisingly carefree existence. The Minders are together and running the Universe smoothly. Angela is still close to her son, Owen, who studies at a school to train young Patches, those who repair the tears in the Universe. He is taught by his father, who remains on amicable terms with Angela. She is also dating Darren, a drummer with a rock band.

Whistler's life has taken an upswing as well. Once Angela's sidekick and gofer, he is now her official partner. He even has a new badge which he loves to show off much to Angela's annoyance.

However, this being a mystery, the good carefree times never last for very long. Camille Engquist, the very wealthy "friend of a friend" hires Angela. Her late husband, Iggy, has died. While he had a long term illness, Camille is convinced something else must have happened to him. She also doesn't trust her stepchildren, Phil and Amara. In his original will, Iggy left his company to Camille. However, a new will has been made leaving everything to Phil and Amara. 

Camille is furious. She believes her step children may have killed Iggy and that they schemed their way into becoming CEO's. Angela and Whistler take the assignment and find themselves deep inside a case involving business corruption, drug dealing, slave trafficking, and a familial squabble in which no one comes out clean.

Unfortunately, the highlight of the previous books, the setting Eternity, is somewhat muted in this volume. It is mostly set in E-Town and the Arcasia System, a setting that is the opposite of Eternity in every way. 

Dark and somber where Eternity is mostly enlightening and wondrous. Filled with smog, the ugliness of industrialization, and a beaten hopeless slave population where Eternity has its problems but is filled with a populace from all walks of life who try to live in a cooperative existence (of course don't always succeed). The Arcasia System is the exact opposite of Eternity, perhaps the Hell to Eternity's Heaven.

What this book loses in setting, it makes up for in characterization. Many of the tropes such as families having inheritance disputes and a drug trade whose employees care more about profits than the lives lost and destroyed are nothing new. They can be found in most Earth bound murder mysteries. However, Colchamiro gives these plot angles enough of a science fiction twist to make them interesting.

However, this is where the team up of Angela Hardwicke and Eric Whistler really hits its stride. Angela starts out in a surprisingly good place considering how difficult her life was in the previous books. Since her personal problems are on the back burner, she is able to focus on her career. She has a very jaded cynical look as Whistler sees the private eye universe with newly professional eyes. She also has a bit of career envy mixed with big sisterly pride when Whistler notices a clue or gets information in a way that she did not.

Since Angela's role shifts from loner to mentor, more is expected from Whistler. He rises to the occasion by wanting to be the justice seeking idealist that the more pragmatic Angela no longer is. While investigating the Engquist murder, they come across another crime taking place. Whistler longs to help but Angela reminds him that they have a job to do and they can't save everyone.

Whistler and Angela's differing views come to a head in the Arcasia System when Whistler is more emotionally affected by the scene around them. He wants to do something permanent and long term to help stop slavery and create a better world for everyone.

 Angela, older and harder, knows that a better world does not exist. There will always be exploiters and the exploited. The only thing, the only real true thing that she can do is save the people that she is there to save.

Because of his journey from naive newbie to seasoned veteran, Whistler goes through a lot of character growth more so than in the previous books. This transformation greatly. changes his and Angela's relationship putting them on equal footing.

There could be a good chance that Colchamiro may shift the series to feature both partners (Hardwicke and Whistler Science Fiction Mysteries) or eventually give Whistler his own spin off series. It's a strong possibility.

Lit List Short Reviews: Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith; How to Survive Ghosts, Cats, and Psychopaths: A Delia Sanchez Mystery by Diana K.C. Gill; Spawn of My Error: Eve's Odyssey: A Story of Biblical Eve in Modernity by Griff Johnson

 Lit List Short Reviews Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith; How to Survive Ghosts Cats and Psychopaths A Delia Sanchez Mystery by Diana K.C. Gill; Spawn of My Error: Eve's Odyssey A Story of Biblical Eve in Modernity by Griff Johnson

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith

Bashert by Larry G. Goldsmith

Larry G. Goldsmith's Bashert is a moving emotional story about a Jewish attorney meeting the love of his life at Woodstock and reconciling his faith with her more traditional family.

The plot begins when attorney, Michael Goldman, attends the famous 1969 outdoor concert where he encounters an 18 year old student named Shira Leifkowitz. It's a sweet tender moment that illustrates the Meet Cute convention in the backdrop of a time period that was considered the embodiment of free spirited and unconventional. 

The chapters of Michael and Shira's romance and early married life are stuffed with the minutae of everyday living in which couples try to navigate their compability and relationships with family and with each other. After a whirlwind romance ends in Shira's pregnancy, Michael proposes to her. The couple get the approval of friends and family, particularly Michael's widowed mother and Shira's orthodox Rabbi father. Goldman's married life starts with the usual struggles of money, conflicting schedules, differing opinions, and early childhood with the birth of their son, Ben. 

The book veers from romance and family drama to a more political novel about the effects of the Cold War on Russian Jewish immigrants. What was a personal story becomes political as Michael's father in law is arrested because of a scandal involving money being illegally distributed to aid immigrants fleeing the Soviet Union. Michael agrees to represent his father-in-law but has to find out some uncomfortable truths about his wife's family and his own views. He finds that people that he was once close to and were held up as unimpeachable pillars of the community have ulterior motives and are taking advantage of people who only wanted a better life for themselves and their families.

Bashert means "spouse" which is how Shira refers to Michael. It almost is a synonym for soulmate. That's what this book has, a lot of soul and a lot of heart.

How To Survive Ghosts, Cats, and Psychopaths: A Delia Sanchez Mystery by Diana K.C. Gill

Diana K.C. Gill's, How to Survive Ghosts, Cats and Psychopaths: A Delia Sanchez Mystery is a fun, entertaining, spooky, and at times moving supernatural mystery.

Former police officer turned mystery author, Delia Sanchez is recovering from the death of her mentally challenged brother. She becomes interested in buying Loring Mansion,  an old house and when other buyers mysteriously drop out leaving her with the best and only offer, she gets it. She learns the mysteries of the mansion when she gets it and all that comes with it, including ownership of two cats, Esmeralda and Zoeth Vander Loring that are the house's true heirs as well as Elise Vander Loring, a human ghost that haunts the place.

This book goes through several emotions. It has some humorous moments particularly between the more skeptical Delia and Dora, Delia's cousin, a believer in the supernatural with a very eccentric psychic on retainer. She also has some cute moments when she adjusts to the very furry real home owners who now have a human servant.

Delia's encounter with the ghost of Elise is terrifying because she has the ability to transform into other people. She changes to someone's late wife or former boyfriend leaving them to fear the familiar person performed by someone unfamiliar.

There is also some real drama and tension that compliments the supernatural elements. Delia still mourns for her deceased family members and strives to protect others including a new friend hiding from her abusive boyfriend.

This book is a fun, scary, and moving good time.

Spawn of My Error: Eve's Odyssey A Story of Biblical Eve in Modernity by Griff Johnson

Griff Johnson's Spawn of My Error: Eve's Odyssey A Story of Biblical Eve in Modernity is an interesting concept which features the Biblical Eve coming to the 21st century and seeing her future progeny for herself. Unfortunately, it is formatted so poorly that it's hard to follow and the great idea gets lost in the writing

Johnson describes Eve as his muse and artistic inspiration. This book is a dialogue heavy short novel in which the Narrator meets the Biblical character. She proves to be a bright and witty character who wants to share her point of view with the world so she befriends the Narrator's girlfriend, a news reporter and her colleague, a traffic reporter. After all, Eve's story has been translated and interpreted by the Bible and its many scholars, mostly men. She feels it's about time that she spoke for herself.

Eve is the highlight of the book. She uses "ME" (Mother Earth)to refer to herself and has a very almost childlike way of expressing herself. ("Just because ME never had a mother doesn't mean you have to fill in as Mr. Mommy to Eve.") She is bright and curious about modern society, everything from fashion to doughnuts. 

Eve also isn't without her criticisms for the modern world. Much of it is focused on the so-called religious right, the people who quote the Bible but withdraw love and charity to the people around them. The people who use God and biblical doctrine as an excuse to justify their prejudice, hatred, and biases. The hypocrites and charlatans who use all the buzz words to attract a gullible audience and believe that God's will is for them to live in tax free prosperity far from the rabble who donate to them.

The book is a brilliant concept and it makes the most of its lead character, however its format and length are difficulties that keep the Reader from experiencing and fully immersing themselves in the book as much as they could. It is all dialogue with no description, no internal thought, and no salutation over who said what. That makes the plot incredibly confusing when with the exception of Eve, everyone else's dialogue is written the same way. It's hard to tell who said what.

Also some incredible things happen throughout the book, such as when Eve and the Narrator disappear into a world called Alternate Eden. This passage would come off so much better with descriptions of Alternate Eden, The Narrator's confusion, and his friends anxieties over where he is and what they witnessed actually meant. Instead, it's just talked about between two characters making the scene somewhat shallow and only to be comprehended on a surface level. If ever a book needed the advice "show don't tell," it's this one.

Eve is a great character and this book could do so much better for her. However, a great idea falters if it doesn't have the writing style to back it up.

Weekly Reader: Crackle and Fire (An Angela Hardwicke Mystery Book 1) by Russ Colchamiro; Science Fiction Detective Angela Hardwick is on Fire in Her First Mystery

 Weekly Reader: Crackle and Fire (An Angela Hardwicke Mystery Book 1) by Russ Colchamiro; Science Fiction Detective Angela Hardwicke is on Fire in Her First Mystery

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Last year, I was introduced to Russ Colchamiro's Angela Hardwicke Science Fiction Mystery Series, a series that combines the wry narration, duplicitous characters, and biting commentaries on human nature of the Hard Boiled Mystery with the technological and intergalactic settings, the sense of far reaching wonder of questions yet undiscovered, and larger expansive themes of interconnectivity of Science Fiction. These two seemingly different genres worked together to produce a great book in Fractured Lives and work again to create its equally well written predecessor, Crackle and Fire, the first book in the Angela Hardwicke series.

Just as a reminder: Angela is a sardonic, cynical private detective living in Eternity, the cosmic realm that is responsible for the creation, design, and maintenance of the Universe. Her job is to chase after criminals or search for missing people and make sure that the crimes don't affect the smooth run of the Universe. Angela is a single mom whose son, Owen, has been taken by Milo, one of the Minders,the three individuals who are in charge of the entire Universe. Technically, he couldn't be in better hands but Angela worries and is in anguish when the boy is away. For now, all she can do is wait for him to return, go through withdrawals from dRops, a drug in which she was once addicted, and bury herself in work.

In this book, Angela has two intriguing cases. Gil Habersau, an accountant for the firm of Breslin, Anders, & Li hires her to look for his colleague, Arthur Hanson, who disappeared and took some incriminating files with him. Things get even more interesting when it is revealed that Gil and Hanson do not work for a simple accounting firm. Instead, they work for the Visitor Consulting Program, a semi secret but sanctioned organization that identifies all beings, recruits them to Eternity, and trains them to observe the Cosmos. In fact, Arthur Hanson was the latest recruit from Earth.

The second case involves Jamie, the only Minder currently on duty and CEO of the Rubicon Hotel. Eternity recently celebrated Astropalooza, a series of celebrations including fireworks displays that bring The Fourth of July, Guy Fawkes' Day, and New Year's Eve to shame. Jamie informs Angela that thousands of caches of fireworks have been unreported. Concerned, that the fireworks are being rerouted to the black market, Jamie wants Angela to locate them. ("I can't let it be known that I can be taken for granted, Jamie declares.") These two cases end up tied together through the Ashanis, an organized crime family that is after Angela for revenge after their cousin died in prison, and the MinderNots, a terrorist group that vows to rid Eternity of the Minders once and for all.

What is the most fascinating about this series is the existence of Eternity itself. The idea that there is a realm in which various species design and create the universe is exciting and even overwhelming. In fact, many state how difficult the concept is for newcomers to accept. People from Earth especially are prone to breakdowns and existential crises because of their sternly held beliefs in religion or science. Gil says that even explaining the concept to an Earthling recruit drove her to have a nervous breakdown and Hanson had some serious emotional and psychological issues after his arrival and during his time working. Angela, who the book implies may have come from Earth herself, is understanding of this. 

There are some pretty interesting passages that describe the process of organizing the Cosmos. In one chapter, two Universe designers put on an illuminated spectacular exhibit in the style of Las Vegas-style illusionists to show how they position the stars and planets. It's a thrilling section to read and imagine the idea that beings are able to move celestial bodies with a wave of their appendages, suggesting an actual order in design rather than the randomness that often characterizes  the universe.

Everyone takes a part in making the Universe run and everything from work, to education, to entertainment, to recreation is centered around the entire universe. Even something like taking drugs lends itself to an intergalactic perspective. Angela's drug of choice, dRops, allows the user to feel like they are everywhere in the Universe. It seems to be the largest high imaginable.

Even transportation is governed by the Universe's omniscience. In one chapter, Angela dissolves across dimensions to enter Earth right after Hanson left. After all that she has experienced, she is rather underwhelmed by this planet and acts almost like a big city cop working in a small town for the first time. After being in a place where she is practically sitting at the right hand of gods and seeing the cosmos move about like marbles, yeah Earth would seem pretty boring (though no less dangerous as she learns during her investigation). 

In this amazing setting, Angela is also a great character. She goes through personal struggle such as her worry over Owen and trying to recover from her addiction (at one point sliding back in). But she still makes for an excellent lead detective. She is able to boldly stare down and fight against antagonists like the Ashanis siblings and even cleverly turn their animosity towards each other.

Perhaps because of the loss of her son, she also has a maternal side which she especially shows to her sidekick Whistler who acts as an informant and gofer. She teases him but also shows concern when an investigation puts him and a suspect in harm's way. 

Angela is definitely a compelling lead full of fire and determination to find solutions and see justice done.

With an impressive setting and protagonist, the first Angela Hardwicke Mystery crackles with excitement and is fired up with originality.

Weekly Reader: Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery by Kelly Oliver; Engaging Historical Mystery Combines Murder Mystery and Espionage Thriller

 

Weekly Reader: Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery by Kelly Oliver; Engaging Historical Mystery Combines Murder Mystery and Espionage Thriller

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: This year, we have become acquainted with Mona Moon, 1930's cartographer turned entrepreneur and amateur detective and Ginger Gold, 1920's fashionista flapper turned amateur detective. Our latest historical mystery featuring an alliterative independent woman is The Fiona Figg Mysteries, starring a WWI era woman who gets involved murder mysteries and espionage among fighting nations.

Fiona needs something to block her hurt emotions after she caught her husband, Andrew in bed with his mistress whom he not only impregnated but wants to marry. Fiona throws herself into her job as head filing clerk at the War Office's top secret Room 40. At this job, she helps decode and send telegrams. She has career success when she decodes the Zimmermann telegram which pushes the United States into the war. 

Fiona's reputation spreads through Room 40 enough that her colleagues have faith in her when she volunteers to trail a potential German spy known as the Great White Hunter. Fiona impersonates a male doctor to enter Ravenswick Abbey, the home of Lady Mary Elliot and where the Hunter has contacts. Things take a disastrous turn when Countess Edith Elliot is murdered. Fiona finds herself in a house full of suspects, one of whom may also be an enemy spy.

Betrayal at Ravenswick cleverly combines the drawing room cozy mystery with an espionage political thriller. Fiona finds herself in the fancy home with many suspects who have reasons to do away with the deceased. There's the much younger fortune hunter whom the adult children don't like, the orphaned relative from an illegitimate background taken in by the charity of their elders, the jealous and angry staff who may have a literal axe to grind, and of course the houseguests who have a secret or two or three that they don't want people to know about. It's all obvious, almost too obvious.

What Oliver does is cleverly play and mock the drawing room mystery genre while keeping the international intrigue at the forefront. One of the smartest moves is when a pompous character does the "call everyone into the room to announce the murderer" bit. The clever subversion in this moment is that it happens off stage with another character retelling it to Fiona, both of whom realize that the so-called master detective is wrong and is simply a bombastic twit. Fiona is less impressed by this massive display of not so brilliant deduction and wants the eyewitness to get to the point over what happened.

Fiona is aware that there are bigger stakes involved than the murder of one person in a rich estate and that this isn't a personal grudge from someone in a jealous love triangle or who can't wait to get their hands on Mama's money. The conflicts involve a world at war making these classy murder mysteries tempests in sweltering teapots ready to explode.

Along with that personal troubles being cast aside for the bigger picture of international conflict, there is the slight focus on Fiona's love life. While she is naturally incensed by Andrew's cheating and inwardly hopes that he ends up with syphilis, she is able to pull herself together to get the job done. While some female detectives use their private pain to pull them into the mystery solving game, Fiona does what many male detectives do. She uses the job to disguise her pain and works to get beyond it.

 It's no coincidence that her first assignment involves her assuming a male identity. There are many who feel that Fiona doesn't fit in the woman's world of the late 19teens. She is an outspoken and independent career woman whose marriage ended. Instead Fiona has to fit in the man's world of war and espionage. Whereas Mona Moon and Ginger Gold emphasized their femininity on their cases, Fiona almost relinquishes it to become one of the boys. 

Fiona is as good a detective as her historical mystery sisters like Ginger and Mona, but what sets her apart is her professionalism. Investigation and espionage is her business. Ginger and Mona are amateurs who stumble upon mysteries. While they are observant and dedicated, their flirtatious natures,  spunky personalities, and connections to law enforcement are the only things that allow them to cross lines that they shouldn't. Fiona is already in the business and she doesn't need to cross barriers because they don't exist for her. Sometimes her gender proves to be a detriment, but her ability to disguise herself, even as a man, takes care of that. She has the training of learning codes, going undercover, and subduing enemy agents that women like Mona and Ginger have to learn while on the case. Theirs is a constantly learning experience. Fiona has already learned it. She just needs to put it into practice and she does.

Betrayal at Ravenswick is a brilliant first book that stars an excellent independent protagonist. It is a fine marriage of cozy mystery and espionage that creates a winning combination.

Weekly Reader: From The Ashes (A Ravenwood Mystery) by Sabrina Flynn; Engaging Historical Mystery Looks Like The Beginning of A Beautiful Partnership

 

Weekly Reader: From The Ashes (A Ravenwood Mystery) by Sabrina Flynn; Engaging Historical Mystery Looks Like The Beginning of A Beautiful Partnership

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Sabrina Flynn's The Ravenwood Mysteries are sort of like what would happen if Sherlock Holmes died for real and John Watson and Irene Adler teamed up and took over the consulting detective business at good old 221B Baker Street.

The book, From The Ashes, is an engaging mystery which gives us two protagonists taking separate journeys on opposite sides of the law.

San Francisco detective Atticus James Riot has returned after a three year absence following the death of his partner and mentor, Zephaniah Ravenwood. Ravenwood's death cut Riot deeply and he is not sure that he can or should continue. However, like a police officer called to take one last case before retirement, Riot is called back into the fold. His associate, Tim, refers him to the case of Isobel Amsel Kingston, wife of attorney Alex Kingston who is reported missing while on her way to visit her family in Sausalito. Riot reluctantly takes the case.

 While Riot is investigating Isobel's disappearance, we also get to peer into what is going on with Isobel. She has managed to flee her kidnappers and other potential assailants. It eventually becomes clear that she isn't missing so much as she is escaping which calls into question her marriage to Kingston.

Isobel and Riot's stories do not physically converge until towards the end so that gives both characters chances to take charge of their own story and develop into interesting characters. Riot is a great detective, both intelligent and physically active, but he has a huge inferiority complex. He isn't afraid to dig and ask complicated questions until he finds out the truth. His first encounter with Kingston shows him as someone who isn't afraid to ask tough questions to anyone, no matter how rich, powerful, privileged, or intimidating that they are.

Riot also shows understanding and kindness to many of the economically disadvantaged and minorities as when he discovers Old Sue, an impoverished alcoholic is dead. She is his only link between Isobel's disappearance and her former life in Sausalito. He is upset about that missed opportunity but also treats Sue like a human being whose life had value. There are some implications that his dislike of the wealthy and powerful and concern for women, minorities, and the poor stems from his childhood, particularly something concerning his mother. This reason is not fully elaborated upon but helps explain a lot of his character and why he does everything that he can to make sure true justice is meted out to those who need it and who can't always trust the police or Pinkerton's (the latter of which Ravenwood and Riot once worked for) to bring justice forward.

One of Riot's biggest hindrances is not with a suspect or Isobel's family or husband. It's within himself. He is still haunted by Ravenwood's presence. Sometimes literally since the deceased detective appears in his dreams to criticize Riot's handling of the case or to offer suggestions. Now Riot could be haunted by Ravenwood's ghost (considering the other books that I have read that is a distinct possibility.), but more than likely that may not be the case. 

Ravenwood's presence is still strongly felt by Riot and those who knew him. The detective agency is still in his name. (Heck the mystery series is named after him even though he's been dead three years before this book begins.) Riot is insecure about following up to that legacy which is why he wants to retire after this case. Ravenwood's suggestions may not be messages from the dead but are instead steps that Riot already knows and doubts himself to follow. Ravenwood's visitations might be his own subconscious judging and advising him.

Besides Riot, we also follow Isobel's adventure and we do not see a damsel in distress. She is a pretty tough, competent and strong woman. In her desire to escape her marriage, she has many plans. She evades kidnappers in a clever and resourceful way and disguises herself to avoid being found. 

She also has many contacts who will help and lie for her if need be. One of them is her twin brother, Lotario. Isobel continued to maintain contact with him after he was revealed to be gay. That link between siblings makes him an ally that provides a helpful escape route for Isobel. Like Riot, her ability to treat others well particularly outsiders or those on the outer margins of society proves beneficial. 

Isobel's background as the only girl of several brothers in a wealthy but outdoorsy family allowed her much freedom. This childhood freedom gives her the opportunities to spend most of the book on her own avoiding capture by the police, Kingston, and Riot. During her escape, she proves to be smarter and more capable than many of the people around her. Sometimes, her decisions prove to be a detriment but she always has a second option in mind. The conflict of Isobel escaping and Riot trying to find her is like a chess or tennis match where both parties are evenly matched.

Isobel and Riot's plots are so well developed that it's actually enjoyable when they do meet and unite and combine their talents. There isn't much in the way of romance so much as a sharing of equals who could be a great team.

To paraphrase the famous closing line of Casablanca, this looks like the start of a beautiful partnership.

New Book Alert: Under The Volcano (Quito Murder Mysteries) by William Graham; Suspenseful Trip Into The Violent Bloody Ecuadorian Underworld

 

New Book Alert: Under The Volcano (Quito Murder Mysteries) by William Graham; Suspenseful Trip Into The Violent Bloody Ecuadorian Underworld

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: One of the most interesting aspects about murder mysteries is how they sometimes act as round the world tours. Sometimes the setting is so intrinsic to the plot that the mystery can't be set anywhere else. Either the suspenseful and deadly circumstances stand to counter the beautiful scenic view that surrounds the character or that the suspense and death surrounds the otherwise beautiful unique view so often that it's a part of daily life.

Under the Volcano: Quito Murder Mysteries by William Graham reveals that the Ecuadorian setting of the book is the latter.

Graham describes the setting of Ecuador so well that it almost becomes a character in the book. This is a country which according to OSAC's website, its capital city Quito's crime rate level is listed as a critical threat. The book shows poor citizens longing for better lives, a rampant drug trade thanks to close proximity to Colombia, American tourists who visit the country for fun or to hide their most nefarious deeds, and plenty of jungles and forests to leave a body or two. This is a world where even the cops can act as criminals.

Graham explores the complex dark lives of Quito's citizens and visitors in six stories that are interconnected by the presence of Detective Alberto Alvarado. He is the typical police detective heading a murder mystery who protects the innocent and can stand against any gun wielding killer to find out the truth. However, he has an extremely shady side that even the most hard boiled detective in the darkest noir story would find his actions questionable. Alberto has a gambling addiction which puts him at odds with his wife, Dolores and involves himself with shady characters that he should be arresting. 

He also commits violence in various chapters and not always in self defense or protection towards others.

Similar to Robert New's Colours of Death, Graham tells six different novellas that are all linked by Alberto's presence in solving them. They take different aspects of exploring the victims and perpetrators of crime in this dark and gritty Ecuadorian setting.

The stories are:

*Deadly Crude"- This story really develops many of the problems of the rural communities and why their residents have no love lost for Quito. We see the San Carlos village ravaged by pollution where it's a health hazard to drink from or swim in the water. ("Make him drink bottled water only," a doctor tells an anguished mother about her child who has been sickened by the water.) Many of the young people leave for better opportunities and never return. Some however want to return to fight for the people left behind like lawyer Juan Criollo who was murdered. When Quito radio personality Teresa Eagle makes note of his disappearance during a broadcast, Alberto is put on the case even though he doesn't personally care for lawyers. ("But even lawyers have mothers," he reasons.) 

The plot is seeped in muck and not just because Juan was investigating the corrupt oil industry that polluted his home village. (Though that is a truly horrifying development to reveal what San Carlos is reduced to and will no doubt get worse now that their champion has been killed.) But also the lengths these industries go through to keep the environmental damage a secret. There are some very violent means that some will go through to protect their profits and bottom line over human life.

"The Diplomat"- This is one of those types of suspense stories that tell part of the narrative from the murderer's point of view as well as the investigator so we not only follow the investigation but the journey of the unfortunate soul to cover up the crime. 

In this case, wealthy American Lucas Grant accidentally hits a woman with his car. Rather than calling a hospital or informing some authority figure, this true "prince among men" is angry at her for being so foolish to put him in this predicament. After an argument with his mistress (part of the reason that he's not willing to come forward), Lucas dumps the woman's body onto the side road of an airport. What a guy!

The impact of the case in "Deadly Crude" left Alberto so stressed that he lost his hair. He isn't ready to tackle another dangerous case but the realization that Maria, the dead woman is close to the same age as his daughter. Feeling a paternal tug at his heart, Alberto takes the case.

This is a case where not only the murderer but the rest of the cast are downright horrible as well. Besides Lucas being a cowardly sleaze of the highest order, his wife, Victoria is a shrieking drug addict. His mistress, Geovanna, is decent enough to want to report the accident to the police but she is pretty self-serving and materialistic. A photographer, Carlos and his partner, Luz, take pictures of the crime and decide to blackmail Lucas with the evidence. There isn't a likeable member in the whole bunch which carries on the dark aspects of detective noir where characters are purposely unlikeable but interesting to follow.

"Family Secret"- One of the common themes in these stories is the appearance of Americans either as tourists or expatriates. They come to Ecuador for a vacation, but often they arrive to get away from a lawless past, to exploit the country's riches, or to obtain answers to troubling questions. American reporter, Patricia Dobson is one of those who arrives to get answers. On her mother's deathbed, she learns that the man that she believed was her father really wasn't. Her birth father was Ecuadorian novelist and activist, Jorge Cossio. Patricia goes to Ecuador to meet her father and unfortunately never returns.

This story is somewhat reminiscent of an Agatha Christie locked room mystery where there is a claustrophobic setting and a limited number of suspects. It doesn't help that with the exception of Jorge no one particularly wants her there.

Because of the limited amount of suspects, the murderer is pretty easy to guess. However, what is brilliantly handled is the amount of hatred that this family has over this presumed outsider and what she represents to their roles in the dynamic.

"Gold Rush"- This is not one of the better stories except for one interesting subplot. The main plot is that Arturo Silva is killed after he gets into a partnership with a pair of Americans who find gold. In true Treasure of the Sierra Madre fashion, greed sets in and bodies are discovered. This case isn't particularly great nor is the resolution. What is most interesting is what is going on with Alberto between investigations.

In an unrelated plot, Alberto commits cold blooded first degree murder. Yes the lead detective commits murder and not in self defense or to protect someone. This is one of the few times that I am aware that the lead detective kills someone and the murder is not affected by the main plot. Even more baffling is that he is never called out on it nor is this particular murder ever investigated. It makes you look at Alberto differently in the rest of the book.

It is a strange twist to see a detective callously murder someone without reprecussions, but it gives the Reader a sense of the kind of world that they are reading about. A world where the line between those on the side of the law and against is thin to the point of practically non-existent. A world where there are good reasons why the crime level is described as critically high when anyone could quickly change from friend to enemy. It's dark but at the same time unfortunately very real too that there are officers who sincerely believe that they are above the law.

"Confession"-In a dark setting like the way Graham writes Quito, it is expected that even the local church is corrupted. Two priests are murdered, one shortly after confession. Apparently, they are being punished for sins that were undiscovered and unpunished for a long time.

This story really develops the long term repercussions of unpunished crimes and how they fester over time. Eventually, the guilty are found out usually by someone who has had to suffer the trauma of not only being hurt but by having to watch day in and day out this person walking free and clear because they are protected by a system that favors them over their victims.(Makes you wonder if there will be future repercussions for Alberto's murder in going with that theme.)

"Cloud Forest Murder"- Remember how I said that there are a lot of forests and jungles which are perfect to leave a body? Well that is at play here. Rachel, one of a group of American tourists, is found lying with her head crushed by a rock in the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest outside the Linda Vista lodge where she and her husband and friends are staying. What an unbelievable coincidence Alberto and his wife, Dolores are vacationing there as well. Since Death never takes a holiday, neither does a criminal investigator.

Similar to "Family Secrets," the suspects are a small limited group. This keeps the relationships intimate and the emotions present. There is a love triangle that develops between some of the characters and it is shown in a way that comes naturally since two of the characters have known each other for years making the other member more of the intrusion. 

While the murderer is certainly questionable, it's clear that their actions come from loneliness and overwhelming anguish making the Reader understand their actions even when they don't condone them.

Under the Volcano is a brilliant anthology that explores all that is hot and dangerous in Quito leading to actions that are ready to explode.