Tag: law enforcement

REVIEW: Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meg is helping her grandmother who is hosting a Presumed Innocent conference at the Caerphilly Inn. The emphasis of the conference is on overturning wrongful convictions. They have lawyers and law enforcement and exonerees speaking. And troublemakers causing issues.

Godfrey Norton – “the Gadfly” – is the biggest troublemaker. He’s openly scornful about the conference aims, and hostile toward the exonerees and those who have helped them secure freedom. But he crosses the line with a false accusation and his own acts of animal cruelty and is kicked out of both the conference and the Inn.

But Godfrey is going to cause one last bit of trouble when his dead body is found behind Meg’s house.

Review

What a fun mystery! The setting – a conference about exonerees and pursing justice for the wrongfully incarcerated – was fascinating. It brought interesting characters to Caerphilly and placed most of the action at the Inn which was a nice shift in setting. The usual holiday chaos at Meg’s house was toned down due to an impending baby delivery for Meg’s SIL. And I enjoyed that change too.

The victim was truly awful, but the setting allowed the LEOs to do their work at a conference all about law enforcement and sound investigation. The twins and their best friend even got to help with the case which was a great part of the story. I pegged the killer early on but loved watching all of the pieces come together in the end.

This is book 36 in this long-running series. Book 37, For Duck’s Sake, will release in August of 2025.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Last to Pie by Misha Popp

REVIEW: The Last to Pie by Misha Popp

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

When it comes to murder pies, Daisy has a system. The requester identifies themselves in very specific ways. So when an unusual request comes through, she can’t shake the feeling that it could be a trap. But she also knows the statistics – police officers are 40% more likely to commit domestic violence than the average person.  If the requester is legit, she doesn’t have a lot of options for help. So Daisy eventually reaches out again to test the request a bit more.

But the person goes silent before Daisy can decide if she’s going to take the job. Daisy does some investigating, but she can’t find the woman. Her boyfriend acts like she never even existed. Daisy feels guilty for having waited, and responsible if something has happened to the woman. So she goes all in on her own investigation. She has to know what happened before she can decide if the guy’s murder pie needs to be delivered or not.

Review

“What I do is terrible, but it’s also necessary.”

This is Daisy’s thinking about the Pies Before Guys part of her business.  Her magic allows her to provide a pie that will convince an abuser to either turn from his ways, or keel over as the only way he will “stop.” I have loved this dark, unique, thought-provoking series from book one,  but this new story is darker and more stressful than the first two books. The villain is every awful story you’ve ever read about sadistic, narcissistic individuals becoming police officers to wield that power so they can get away with anything. There were times I had to put the book down and take a break from the darkness of it all.

And because the villain is so bad AND he’s a cop, Daisy is in all sorts of new layers of danger. And that puts her friends and her future in jeopardy – not to mention the risks for the person or people she’s trying to help.

All of the ethical questions around “murder pies” and Daisy’s magic are amped up here too. What is the “right” thing to do when faced with an enemy with a badge and cohorts who also misuse their positions and power?

Fans of the series as well as readers who enjoy a “morally grey” character should give this series a look – although I do recommend reading the books in order. The “mystery” here is a smaller part of the story – what happened to the missing woman, how will Daisy figure it out –  but I enjoyed watching Daisy and her friends work through the mystery – and the larger pie-related ethical questions. (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

BONUS REVIEW: The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Mason “Mace” Reid trains cadaver dogs. And Elvira is his latest trainee. She survived a rough beginning to her life and has become a great HRD – Human Remains Detection dog. She’s bright, and she picked up the tasks quickly. It helps that Mace treats the training like games for his “kids,” the pups.

On Vira’s first real case, she finds the body in less than 2 minutes. And while she and Mace wait to make an official statement to the police, Vira zeroes in on a guy in the watching crowd – and she attacks. The guy is hospitalized for his injuries. And Vera is supposed to be put down. But Mace believes in her and believes there might be more to the guy she attacked. Mace has to investigate in order to save her life. That’s what she means to him. He’d sacrifice anything for her.

That’s what puts Mace on Everyman’s radar. He’d been loosely connected to that other case. He’d been almost mentoring the young sociopath involved. And when Mace ruins that situation, Everyman turns his attention to Mace – and his dogs – instead.

Review

I received an offer of a review copy of this book because of my love for the Andy Carpenter series by David Rosenfelt, another dog-related mystery/suspense series.  This felt darker, thanks to the serial killer angle, but there were similarities, too.

The dogs in this book are excellent. And the investigative work is as well. Vira is a more active part of the story here than Rosenfelt’s dogs tend to be, at least in the Andy Carpenter series. I got a kick out of the questions about Vira’s special skills. She’s pretty amazing!

The mystery here, while dark, was well executed (pardon the unintentional pun). There were a couple interesting twists to this, plus a side case to show off Vira’s gifts that was very clever. I would definitely read more books in this series to see what happens with Vira and Mace in the future.

Thriller fans, especially those who enjoy stories with dogs and/or law enforcement, should be sure to check this out. You could hand this to other Rosenfelt fans as well as fans of books like A Borrowing of Bones with other working/law enforcement dogs. (Language, including one use of the word “retarded.”)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

REVIEW: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Starr feels like two different people at times. There’s the person she is at home and in her neighborhood. That’s the most genuine version. Then there’s the person she is at her mostly-white, suburban school. There she works to always speak in full sentences and complete words – no slang, always “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir.” She reigns in her feelings so she can’t be accused of ever being too angry or having too much attitude.

One night at a party in her neighborhood, shots ring out. Starr’s childhood friend, Khalil, gets her safely away from the violence and the party. But on their way home, they get pulled over by a police officer. The officer is belligerent about pulling them over; Khalil is indignant. After the officer pulls Khalil out of the car to pat him down (three times) and goes to run his license, Khalil comes back to the car to check on Starr. Three shots are fired. Khalil dies in the street in Starr’s arms.

Suddenly everything in Starr’s life changes. She questions her relationships and her two personalities. She watches as her two worlds respond to the shooting, and she wonders what, if anything, she can do for Khalil, for his family, and for her community.

Review

Wow, this was so good. It was challenging, too. It challenged me to examine my biases and assumptions. There were cultural pieces and slang that I didn’t understand (not enough to impact my understanding of the story as a whole). And the topic itself – white officer kills unarmed black teen – is timely and difficult. But so important to think about and talk about.

I loved Starr. She’s not perfect. Her friends and boyfriend challenge her choices in the midst of her double life at home and school as well as the situation with Khalil. But she’s honest. She’s 16 and wrestling with big questions about home and identity. She wonders what her responsibility is to herself, her family, and her neighborhood. And there are no easy answers.

This is terrific food for thought – and discussion. If you are looking to add some diversity to your reading life or your high school classroom library, try this book. (language, violence)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥