5 stars
R- 2 maybe... I don't remember much in there
Latest Monkeewrench book
I love these books. LOVE them.
Once again, Monkeewrench has been called upon to do what they do best... namely hacking into hostile sites. But don't tell anyone, it could cause an international incident. lol
This time it's a series of seemingly random murders across the country, but when the videos of the murders are being posted online, it's time to go to the folks of Monkeewrench.
There were a few loose ends, but really... you don't care. In fact, I finished this one evening and didn't even realize there were any until sometime the next day!
And the ending is... surprising. At least I thought so. Not sure what it will mean in terms of a future for the series. Very interesting. (No, I won't tell you what happened. Go read it.)
I hope there are more to come. I love these characters, so I want more. :)
Definitely recommended. I would read at least the first one before reading this one, though, just for the backstory.
Counts for the Support Your Local Library challenge.
Showing posts with label PJ Tracy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PJ Tracy. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Snow Blind by PJ Tracy
5 stars
R- 2... maybe 2.5
Another great installment in the Monkeewrench mysteries.
Okay, I will warn you, this one is creepy in a "are vigilantes ever right in what they're doing" kind of a way.
Possibly the creepiest one yet. Well, maybe not. Dead Run was dang creepy.
The beginning is slightly confusing, as you have multiple seemingly unconnected threads to the story, but don't worry, they all come together.
We also meet an interesting new character-- Iris Rikker-- who is unfortunate enough to have a homicide almost right outside her office... on her first day as sheriff. Add in the fact that she never worked anything but the dispatch desk BEFORE becoming sheriff and you can see how bad her day is going. (And don't worry, you do in fact find out the whys and hows of her ending up as sheriff to begin with. It was kind of driving me crazy until the pieces started coming together.)
It's also creepy in a "how well do you really know people" and "what secrets do people live with" kinda way.
It's a great read, though. Unfortunately, I think I've run out of Monkeewrench books for the time being. Next one doesn't come out for about 6 more months....
Other than reading Monkeewrench first, I'm not sure it's vital to read the others in order, but for those keeping track, here they are in order:
Monkeewrench
Live Bait
Dead Run
Snow Blind
Shoot to Thrill (April 2010)
R- 2... maybe 2.5
Another great installment in the Monkeewrench mysteries.
Okay, I will warn you, this one is creepy in a "are vigilantes ever right in what they're doing" kind of a way.
Possibly the creepiest one yet. Well, maybe not. Dead Run was dang creepy.
The beginning is slightly confusing, as you have multiple seemingly unconnected threads to the story, but don't worry, they all come together.
We also meet an interesting new character-- Iris Rikker-- who is unfortunate enough to have a homicide almost right outside her office... on her first day as sheriff. Add in the fact that she never worked anything but the dispatch desk BEFORE becoming sheriff and you can see how bad her day is going. (And don't worry, you do in fact find out the whys and hows of her ending up as sheriff to begin with. It was kind of driving me crazy until the pieces started coming together.)
It's also creepy in a "how well do you really know people" and "what secrets do people live with" kinda way.
It's a great read, though. Unfortunately, I think I've run out of Monkeewrench books for the time being. Next one doesn't come out for about 6 more months....
Other than reading Monkeewrench first, I'm not sure it's vital to read the others in order, but for those keeping track, here they are in order:
Monkeewrench
Live Bait
Dead Run
Snow Blind
Shoot to Thrill (April 2010)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Dead Run by PJ Tracy
5 stars
R- 2 maybe
It's a whole new ball game.
And I don't just mean for the characters.
While the first two Monkeewrench books were more or less your standard "whodunnit" murder mysteries, this one is not. Not at all.
Dead Run is an action/thriller. And it's definitely the most intense of the three I've read so far.
And while it's not quite as funny as Live Bait was, it's got some great laugh out loud moments!
The Monkeewrench crew is more present in this one then they were in Live Bait, and Halloran and Sharon return also. Magozzi is present, of course, but Dead Run isn't as much about him as Live Bait was.
All in all, it was really good and I'm really enjoying these as a series, though each book could also stand alone reasonably well.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one-- Snow Blind-- and according to Amazon the 5th book is set to come out next summer.
R- 2 maybe
It's a whole new ball game.
And I don't just mean for the characters.
While the first two Monkeewrench books were more or less your standard "whodunnit" murder mysteries, this one is not. Not at all.
Dead Run is an action/thriller. And it's definitely the most intense of the three I've read so far.
And while it's not quite as funny as Live Bait was, it's got some great laugh out loud moments!
The Monkeewrench crew is more present in this one then they were in Live Bait, and Halloran and Sharon return also. Magozzi is present, of course, but Dead Run isn't as much about him as Live Bait was.
All in all, it was really good and I'm really enjoying these as a series, though each book could also stand alone reasonably well.
I'm looking forward to reading the next one-- Snow Blind-- and according to Amazon the 5th book is set to come out next summer.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Live Bait by PJ Tracy
5 stars
R- 2
The sequel, more or less, to Monkeewrench doesn't really feature the Monkeewrench crew. I mean, sure, they're in there... briefly... but it's really more of a Magozzi and co. story.
Since I really liked Magozzi in the first book, that was fine with me!
This one is FUNNY! Funnier than Monkeewrench. Like laugh-out-loud, kids-looking-at-you-like-you've-lost-it funny. Though, honestly, I think my kids are fairly used to Mommy spontaneously laughing for no apparent reason.
AND, there are no potential alibi issues in this one. It works. Which makes me happy.
Old people are dropping like flies, and after four months of no homicides, Magozzi is regretting wishing for some action. First they get two in one night. Then another the next day... then another. What's going on? Who's got a vendetta against old people? That's just wrong!
But as the truth is slowly unfurled, the detectives realize that nothing is quite what it seems.
Really great read. Kind of a creepy concept, but hey, it's a murder mystery, right?
And the title does make sense, I promise. You just might have to read the whole book before it completely does. :D
R- 2
The sequel, more or less, to Monkeewrench doesn't really feature the Monkeewrench crew. I mean, sure, they're in there... briefly... but it's really more of a Magozzi and co. story.
Since I really liked Magozzi in the first book, that was fine with me!
This one is FUNNY! Funnier than Monkeewrench. Like laugh-out-loud, kids-looking-at-you-like-you've-lost-it funny. Though, honestly, I think my kids are fairly used to Mommy spontaneously laughing for no apparent reason.
AND, there are no potential alibi issues in this one. It works. Which makes me happy.
Old people are dropping like flies, and after four months of no homicides, Magozzi is regretting wishing for some action. First they get two in one night. Then another the next day... then another. What's going on? Who's got a vendetta against old people? That's just wrong!
But as the truth is slowly unfurled, the detectives realize that nothing is quite what it seems.
Really great read. Kind of a creepy concept, but hey, it's a murder mystery, right?
And the title does make sense, I promise. You just might have to read the whole book before it completely does. :D
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wednesday Morsel-- Live Bait
Magozzi hefted a suspicious-looking, dark orange brick of cheese. "Twelve-year cheddar? Is that legal?"
Gino grinned. "That stuff'll make you week with joy, I promise. Got it at a great little cheese house in Door County. Somebody forgot about a wheel in the cellar and found it twelve years later, covered in about a foot of mold. Nirvana, my friend. Pure nirvana. It's amazing what a cow and some bacteria can do."
Magozzi sniffed it and cringed. "Oh yeah. Every time I see a cow I think, Hey, wouldn't it be great to get some bacteria and really do something with this thing. Why do you have a file folder in the cooler?"
"It's a cold case."
"Very funny."
*From Live Bait (by PJ Tracy) chapter 2. I laughed out loud through this whole chapter! Review up tomorrow!
Gino grinned. "That stuff'll make you week with joy, I promise. Got it at a great little cheese house in Door County. Somebody forgot about a wheel in the cellar and found it twelve years later, covered in about a foot of mold. Nirvana, my friend. Pure nirvana. It's amazing what a cow and some bacteria can do."
Magozzi sniffed it and cringed. "Oh yeah. Every time I see a cow I think, Hey, wouldn't it be great to get some bacteria and really do something with this thing. Why do you have a file folder in the cooler?"
"It's a cold case."
"Very funny."
*From Live Bait (by PJ Tracy) chapter 2. I laughed out loud through this whole chapter! Review up tomorrow!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Monkeewrench by PJ Tracy
4 stars
R- 2.5
Language
This is actually a Reader's Choice winner from.... I don't even know what year. 2003 or 2004.
Anyway.
Interesting and entertaining, usually rather irreverently, I enjoyed this one a lot.
It's an almost convoluted tale of multiple murders, in different states no less, that does take a little patience, but is well worth it! At first it's nearly impossible to see how the storylines could possibly have anything to do with one another, but stick with it, you'll get there.
I must say, though, I don't like that cover. It's kinda creepy. Which, okay, yes makes sense for a book with multiple murders and psychos on the loose, but still. I love the other cover.
The monkey's cute. Even if his mouth is duct-taped.
Apparently this is also the first of a series. Which is interesting, because I'm not really sure where there is to go after this one. The characters are good, though, and it looks like the next one, Live Bait, is going to be about the detectives getting help from the Monkeewrench people on another case. I liked the detectives, so that works for me. :D
Edited to add-- okay, now I've slept on it, and I find my mind has honed in on a problem.... I think the killer had an alibi for the first murder..... maybe even more than one murder... Now, alibis can be easy enough to break, so that doesn't bother me in and of itself, but it's not mentioned! Hmm... feels like an "oops"! We also never find out the details of Annie's shocking secret! Grr.... I hate it when I realize things like this after the fact.
R- 2.5
Language
This is actually a Reader's Choice winner from.... I don't even know what year. 2003 or 2004.
Anyway.
Interesting and entertaining, usually rather irreverently, I enjoyed this one a lot.
It's an almost convoluted tale of multiple murders, in different states no less, that does take a little patience, but is well worth it! At first it's nearly impossible to see how the storylines could possibly have anything to do with one another, but stick with it, you'll get there.
I must say, though, I don't like that cover. It's kinda creepy. Which, okay, yes makes sense for a book with multiple murders and psychos on the loose, but still. I love the other cover.
The monkey's cute. Even if his mouth is duct-taped.
Apparently this is also the first of a series. Which is interesting, because I'm not really sure where there is to go after this one. The characters are good, though, and it looks like the next one, Live Bait, is going to be about the detectives getting help from the Monkeewrench people on another case. I liked the detectives, so that works for me. :D
Edited to add-- okay, now I've slept on it, and I find my mind has honed in on a problem.... I think the killer had an alibi for the first murder..... maybe even more than one murder... Now, alibis can be easy enough to break, so that doesn't bother me in and of itself, but it's not mentioned! Hmm... feels like an "oops"! We also never find out the details of Annie's shocking secret! Grr.... I hate it when I realize things like this after the fact.
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