THE VANISHING SEASON by Joanna Schaffhausen

February 6, 2018February 6, 2018 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

This was a fast read – a great find on Net Galley. I love these suspenseful books, especially in the middle of winter.

Here’s the overview:

Description

Winner of the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition, Joanna Schaffhausen’s accomplished debut The Vanishing Season will grip readers from the opening page to the stunning conclusion.

Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only one who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years—all around her birthday—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.

*****************************************

So – this one is a bit disturbing and at times gruesome, but the writing is not overly graphic. To be honest, I am just realizing that this is her debut novel – wow! I hope that there is another story with the same characters in it, because I really liked gritty Ellery.

The mystery was well-plotted and paced. Thank you for my review e-Copy!

MURDER IN MISSOULA by Laurence Giliotti

June 20, 2016 / drbethnolan / Leave a comment

This mystery was a fast and lively read – perfect for summer when you want a thrill without too much violence.

Here’s the overview from Net Galley:

Description

Retired DEA agent Joe Nicoletti is a man in need of a change. Worn and weary from a career filled with criminals and violence, he dreams of living his life in peace and tranquility. He dreams of moving far from Washington, D.C., where every street reminds him of the sudden death of his wife, Kristen. He dreams of a town where art and literature dominate the conversations at the local coffee shop.

When an old friend offers him a faculty position at the University of Montana it seems his dreams are about to come true. He never dreamed he would have a second chance at love. He never dreamed he would become the prime suspect in a high-profile murder case. He never dreamed he would be forced to undertake the most important investigation of his life.

But dreams can turn into nightmares when there is Murder in Missoula.

**********************************************

I liked the main character of Joe and wondered if this book is one in a series? Or maybe a start of a series? I couldn’t find that out anywhere, but if it’s not, it’d be a good start to as series! This was one of those books that I really didn’t put down, and I read it in a day. Poor Joe is still grieving his departed wife, and Marie-Justine reminds him of her so much. Unfortunately, Joe becomes a suspect in the murder and all the things that work for him begin to work against him. I won’t say how things wrap up, but like I said before, I’d love to see this as a start to a series! Or even a movie.

Thank you, Net Galley and Chateau Noir Publishing, for my e-ARC!

Audiobook Review: THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbo

October 28, 2014April 25, 2019 / drbethnolan / 1 Comment

I knew Jo Nesbo from his well-written and hilarious children’s books featuring Doctor Proctor’s Fart Powder. I had heard that he also wrote Scandinavian crime fiction, so I grabbed THE SNOWMAN on audio when I was at the library. All I can say is that this a very different kettle of fish from his children’s books!

THE SNOWMAN starts with a young boy waiting for his mother as she is visiting her lover. It is cold and wintry and there is a snowman. Flash forward and he is now a serial killer. His calling card is a snowman at the scene. The killings are brutal and bloody and not something I could listen to when the kids were in the car! Harry Hole, Nesbo’s detective protagonist from a number of his novels, needs to get to the bottom of the killing spree. Harry has his own issues and demons, though, but along with a new partner works tirelessly to solve the crimes. Several times they think they have the killer, but they are wrong. Soon Harry finds himself in the killer’s sights.

This was a well crafted book (ably executed by reader Robin Sachs) that kept me guessing and guessing. It was much “rougher” than I was expecting and I couldn’t play it around my kids or at school while waiting for them (explicit sexual content, language, violence, gore). At some points I was even a bit “grossed out” (remember – I’m kind of a cozy mystery gal). I would read more by Nesbo, though, as I think he’s a talented writer. (And my apologies to him that my keyboard won’t allow me the Nordic slash that his last name requires).