Tahoe Fear by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Kyle Fosbek felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle with fear as Bo Andrew sat down on the bench next to him.

When 90-year-old Hazel Fosbeck's grandson, Kyle, disappears, she asks private detective Owen McKenna to investigate. The elderly woman, who likes to live off the grid and drives a 1943 Willys, is afraid that Kyle has run afoul of the Andrews brothers, vicious brutes who are the latest in the Andrews family who have feuded with the Fosbecks for a hundred years.

Each time McKenna finds someone who may have information as to Kyle's whereabouts, that person dies-- tied to a concrete block and dropped into Lake Tahoe's icy water.

McKenna has to move fast. With the help of his Great Dane, Spot, and his buddy Sergeant Diamond Martinez, Owen plans a showdown with the killers. The stakes are high, but McKenna is determined to win.

~

As a long-time fan of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna books, I'm constantly amazed by his ability to work so much history of the Lake Tahoe area into his stories-- and by how he can create so many memorable characters.

In Tahoe Fear, Borg really ratchets up the adrenaline. There are two kidnappings in the book, and the first really had me biting my nails. Not that the second one didn't concern me. It did. But I knew nothing was going to happen to the person (or there would be dire consequences from readers). The first one, though, actually raised my heart rate. I'm normally not easily affected, but the feeling of danger was palpable.

90-year-old Hazel Fosbeck was an excellent addition to the cast of characters. She's a law unto herself, and although I thought my husband was the best driver of off-road vehicles, Hazel and her 1943 Willys left him in her dust.

The mystery in Tahoe Fear was multi-layered with plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing. As always, the characters shone brightly, and the dog lovers will enjoy Spot and the added information about canine scenting abilities. 

If you haven't made Owen McKenna's acquaintance yet, you really should-- especially if you love character-driven stories with plenty of action. Normally, I would advise first-timers to begin at the beginning, but I can understand why some people would hesitate to do that with a (so far) 24-book series. The important thing is to meet these characters and to experience the Lake Tahoe setting. If you're hooked (as I'm sure you will be), you can always go back to the other books. You'll have lots of good reading waiting for you.

Tahoe Fear by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296342

Thriller Press © 2026

Paperback, 320 pages

Thriller/Private Investigator, #24 Owen McKenna

Rating: A

Source: the author

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Lake Tahoe skier Colin Burns stood at the top of the speed-skiing course in Vars, France, a ski resort south of Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain.

When restaurateur Genevieve Laurent fell in love with speed skier Colin Burns, she began to believe in dreams, just like Colin. However, when Colin died on a speed course in France, her world was upended. 

Some things about Colin's death did not make sense to her, so Genevieve contacted Tahoe private detective Owen McKenna for help. When he did try to help her, tragedy struck, and, feeling responsible, McKenna vowed to find answers, find a killer, and put Genevieve's life back together.

~

Author Todd Borg always knows how to involve his private detective in some fascinating subjects, and Tahoe Speed is no exception. This time, it's speed skiing, which I simultaneously found interesting and frightening. (Sorry, speed skiers, Franz Klammer winning the downhill in the 1976 Olympics is as fast as I want to go.)

Little did private investigator Owen McKenna know that, when he agreed to help Colin's soulmate, Genevieve Laurent, he would become involved in a world of fine dining, insurance policies, protection rackets, and strange weaponry. As always, the mystery is intriguing, and it drew me right in, but the main reason why I will continue to come back for more is the wonderful family Borg has created around his main character. 

Of course, there's his sidekick, Spot, a Harlequin Great Dane, as well as the love of his life, insect expert Street, and her adopted deaf daughter, Camille. And he couldn't get by without all his friends in the local police. I'm also hoping that two new characters in Tahoe Speed-- restaurateur Genevieve Laurent and police rookie Hattie Foster-- will make future appearances.

Even if I don't meet Genevieve and Hattie again, I will always perk up when I know there's a new Owen McKenna mystery available. I'm addicted to this series' fascinating, fast-paced mysteries and their unforgettable characters. Hurry up, Mr. Borg, I'm ready for the next one!

Tahoe Speed by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296335

Thriller Press © 2025

Paperback, 320 pages

Thriller/Private Investigator, #23 Owen McKenna

Rating: A

Source: the author

The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck by Tarquin Hall

 

First Line: "Without doubt, this is the best day of my life!" declared Vish Puri to his executive secretary, Elizabeth Rani, as he sat beaming with pride behind his desk in his Khan Market office in New Delhi.

Vish Puri is euphoric-- he's won the long-coveted International Detective of the Year award. It's supposed to be a secret, but within hours it seems as though everyone in New Delhi knows, and his indomitable Mummy-ji announces that she's coming with him, and the lack of an official invitation isn't about to stop her.

To make matters even worse, a senior government bureaucrat gives him an undercover mission he can't refuse: track down India's most wanted fugitive, a billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster rumored to be hiding in London.

Puri is only spending a week in London, and he's already promised his wife that he won't work during this once-in-a-lifetime trip. But desperate times require desperate measures. Once in London, he enlists the help of his nephew Jags. Only time will tell if he can make the government official happy... as well as his wife and meddling mother.

~

It's been a long wait for this latest installment of the adventures of private investigator Vish Puri. I have missed the humor, the food, and the insider's look into life in India so much that I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck. I'm thrilled to say that the chubby private investigator's London experiences do not disappoint.

There is plenty of humor to be found in Puri's trip to London. He finds that the food is not up to his high standards, although he might make an exception for Harrods Food Hall. He's also not a fan of London's DYI (Do It Yourself) culture; he likes having things done for him wherever possible. With the help of his employees in New Delhi, Puri soon finds clues to the wanted man's whereabouts, and his detective work just manages to fly beneath the radar of his wife and mother because they have a "case" of their own. 

As much as I enjoy the mystery and the humor, I love Hall's insights into Indian culture, and this time it's Indian culture transported to England. If you're an armchair sleuthing foodie who likes strong mysteries filled with humor and the appreciation of other cultures, you will love Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri mysteries. Although it's not necessary to begin with the first book, don't be surprised if you read The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck and find yourself looking for all the others in this entertaining series. 

The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck by Tarquin Hall

eISBN: 9781448308200

Severn House © 2025

eBook, 224 pages

Private Investigator, #6 Vish Puri

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei Quartey

 

First Line: Diana Cortland, in all her luminous blondness, burst onstage in a sparkling scarlet gown.

 

Marcelo Tetteh's wealthy father does not trust the Ghana Police Service to find his son's killer. There is rampant homophobia in Ghana, and Marcelo was a well-known LGBTQ+ activist. Instead, Mr. Tetteh goes to the Sowah Private Investigations Agency for help.

PI Emma Djan is assigned the case, but she can't team up with her trusted colleague, Jojo. Emma is the only one at work who knows that Jojo is gay, and he tells her something else: he had been dating the victim for some time.

Emma goes undercover in the International Congress of Families, a powerful organization seeking to criminalize homosexuality in African countries. Emma quickly finds herself navigating the dangerous waters of politics, power, and personal secrets while she tries to unmask the killer, bring justice to the victims, and protect the vulnerable LGBTQ+ community.

~

Once again, author Kwei Quartey has given readers a tense, compelling mystery that takes them right into the heart of politics, power, and the LGBTQ+ community. I found The Whitewashed Tombs (a very apt title) to be chilling in the scope of what homophobic organizations are trying to do to force everyone to kowtow to their vision of what the world should be. There's no doubt that, if successful in this quest, they would turn their gimlet eye on heterosexuals. But I digress.

The Sowah Private Investigations Agency is a strong cast of characters: Sowah himself, Jojo, the less likable Manu, and Emma herself. They all work together well with Dr. Rosa Jauregui, the Cuban forensic pathologist, and DCI Boateng of the Ghana Police Service. In The Whitewashed Tombs, Emma's mother proves to be not just annoying but helpful as well, and Emma has troubles with her boyfriend, Courage to deal with. If there's any one thing that bothers me, it's Emma's lack of undercover skills. She can be so heavy-handed and obvious at times that it's a miracle her body hasn't already been hidden in a landfill somewhere.

However, she does have time to learn, and for that I'm grateful. I enjoy her investigations, and I look forward to another visit to Ghana with Kwei Quartey and his characters.

The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei Quartey

eISBN: 9781641295895

Soho Press © 2024

eBook, 336 pages

 

Private Investigator, #4 Emma Djan

Rating: A-

Source: Net Galley

Tahoe Rescue by Todd Borg

 

First Line: Georgia Byron Connor's first thought as she rocketed off the switchback at Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, wasn't about the make or color of the pickup truck that nearly hit her pearlescent orange sports car head-on.

 

Livvy Paar had begun to think that fairy tales really can come true. From working as a waiter and sidewalk busker in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she became the personal secretary of cosmetics tycoon, Georgia Connor. Livvy even worked and lived in Georgia's mansion on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

But that life was shattered when Georgia died in a car accident. Georgia's children immediately began bickering over their inheritance and told Livvy she had to move immediately. Livvy would've done as she'd been ordered if she wasn't so suspicious that Georgia's car accident had been rigged and that Georgia was murdered. Her suspicions led her to private investigator Owen McKenna's door.

 

Much to his surprise, McKenna found himself involved in a mystery involving modern-day pirates who were after a multi-million dollar painting-- a painting so valuable that they were willing to kill anyone who got in their way.

 

But they didn't realize what would happen when they went up against Owen McKenna and his Great Dane, Spot. 

~

Todd Borg's Owen McKenna series never disappoints. When you pick up one of these books-- like the latest Tahoe Rescue-- you're going to find yourself learning nuggets of local history about one of the most beautiful places on the face of the Earth as well as traveling all around Lake Tahoe itself. You're also going to find yourself immersed in a fast-paced mystery that keeps you guessing, and worrying, about one of the best casts of characters in crime fiction.

Todd Borg's characters have all been about diversity before diversity became cool. Owen McKenna is a former San Francisco homicide detective, and he has friends in local law enforcement. He is deeply in love with a scientist named Street and is willing to have their relationship be on her terms. Street is in the process of adopting a deaf child, and readers can become acquainted with life with the hearing impaired as a result. 

 

In Tahoe Rescue, Livvy Paar is a young woman who is all too familiar with depression. She also has one leg shorter than the other and is a strong believer in yoga to help strengthen her muscles. She feels small and powerless, but she's not. Owen discovers that she's really a little steamroller when he takes on her case against his first impressions. 

If I've made this partial cast of characters sound like a poster for diversity, it's not my intention. Through the course of this series, these characters have become a fictional family. It's only when finishing a book like Tahoe Rescue that I realize that, although Livvy had an odd walk and sometimes behaved strangely, none of Owen's friends treated her differently. It is so refreshing to spend time with nice people!

 

Of course, spending time with nice people (and wonderful dogs) isn't the only reason why I love this series. In Tahoe Rescue, I had an interesting mystery involving stolen art to solve and a thrilling escape from the bad guys through the mountains to experience. I'm really looking forward to the next book in this series because Owen has a bit of a personal awakening as he helps Livvy Paar. Unfortunately, I have an entire year to wait to see what happens next.

Tahoe Rescue by Todd Borg

ISBN: ‎ 9781931296328

Thriller Press © 2024

Paperback, 320 pages

 

Private Investigator, #22 Owen McKenna

Rating: A-

Source: The author.

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths

 

First Lines: Monday, 4 April 2022. There are some advantages to being the oldest sleuth in the country, thinks Edwin.

 

Even though Natalka and Edwin's detective agency in Shoreham is kept busy with minor cases, Natalka longs for a big, juicy investigation. Then her wish comes true.

 

Melody Chambers, a local writer, is found dead, and her daughters are convinced it was murder. Edwin, a big fan of newspaper obituaries, thinks there's a link to the writer of Chambers' obituary, a man who predeceased his subject. 

Their investigation leads them to a rather strange writers' retreat, and when another writer is found dead, Edwin thinks that the solution lies in the stories written at the retreat. Realizing they need professional help, Natalka and Edwin turn to their friend, police detective Harbinder Kaur. What they find is a plot that's stranger than fiction.

~

The more Elly Griffiths writes, the more I admire her skill and artistry. When I learned that The Last Word would be a return to Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin-- characters last seen in The Postscript Murders-- I couldn't wait to read it, and it certainly did not disappoint.

Readers get to experience the story from the points of view of the three main characters: Natalka, an Eastern European caregiver who runs a detective agency on the side; her live-in boyfriend, Benedict, a former monk who runs a coffee shop at the beach; and Edwin, a former BBC employee who's on the far side of seventy. Natalka's life has been further complicated by her mother moving in and the news that her brother is in the army fighting in Ukraine. Is it any wonder that she wants a big, juicy investigation to take her mind off her worries?

The Last Word takes us into the worlds of writing retreats, book clubs, authors, and obituary writing. I love how Griffiths ties her story and characters into the here and now of our everyday world by mentioning things like the song "Jolene", a television series called "The Repair Shop", Goodreads ratings, and even tennis legends Federer and Nadal.

Harbinder Kaur is tangential to the story. She appears only a few times to give Natalka, Benedict, and Edwin advice even though she really doesn't want to become involved because "Authors, in Harbinder's experience, mean trouble."

I was enjoying myself immensely, but when all the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place, I actually crowed with delight at the unveiling of the mystery's complete construction. (And you'll rarely hear me crow.) What a wonderful story peopled with characters who seem actual flesh and blood! Do yourself a favor. Get your hands on a copy of this book, sit back, and savor.

The Last Word by Elly Griffiths

ISBN: ‎ 9781529433432

Quercus Books © 2024

Hardcover, 352 pages

 

Private Investigator

Rating: A+

Purchased from Amazon UK

Tahoe Flight by Todd Borg

 

First Line: On a chilly evening in November, Avery Kingsley strolled along the sidewalk on the boulevard in Tahoe City on Lake Tahoe's northwest shore.

 

When Owen McKenna was a rookie on the San Francisco police force, he helped catch the killer of Benito Diaz's mother. Young Benito's testimony put the killer, Tucker Dopple, in prison. Twenty years later, McKenna is a private investigator in Lake Tahoe and Benito Diaz is an oncologist attending a doctors' reunion. Unfortunately, Tucker Dopple has been paroled and is determined to kill both McKenna and Diaz. 

But the two men have more problems than a murderous ex-con. The doctors and previous medical school classmates have scores to settle, and when McKenna gets in the way, he and his Great Dane, Spot, are kidnapped.

~

With Street Casey in the process of adopting a nine-year-old deaf girl, Owen becomes part of a family, and this new phase of his life leads to a more sedate pace in Todd Borg's Tahoe Flight. This slower pace makes perfect sense because the author just can't put Owen's girlfriend, a little deaf girl, and dogs Blondie and Spot in jeopardy over and over again. Well, he could, but readers like me certainly wouldn't be very happy about it!

As always, Borg managed to astound me with a new way criminals have devised to make money-- one involving being able to fly in and out of less visible (and accessible) areas surrounding gorgeous Lake Tahoe. I do have to admit that the aviation logistics proved to be a bit too much and kept me away from one of the things I enjoy so much about this series: the characters.

Borg has a knack for creating intelligent characters that readers would love to make a part of their own families. Now there are children in the cast, and I'm enjoying their addition, too. Nine-year-old Camille shows readers how Street and Owen are adapting to life with a deaf child, and I really liked Benito Diaz's nephew, Damen. In fact, I'm hoping Damen will appear in a future book or two.

The pace may be slower in Tahoe Flight, but there's a barn burner of an ending when Owen and Spot are kidnapped, forced onto a plane, and taken over Lake Tahoe. I knew that nothing horrible was going to happen to Owen and Spot, but I certainly couldn't figure out how in the world they were going to get out of that mess!

I've loved this series from the beginning for its intelligent cast, its exciting mysteries, and its drop-dead beautiful setting. Chances are, if you're new to these books, you'll enjoy them for the exact same reasons.

Tahoe Flight by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296311

Thriller Press © 2023

Paperback, 320 pages

Private Investigator, #21 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: B

Source: the author

Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen

 

First Line: At night we rode up to the old railroad tracks on the west side of town, turned the headlights off, and waited for the dead to appear.

 

When a fellow waitress goes missing, no one seems to care but young Annie McIntyre, college graduate and reluctant returnee to Garnett, Texas. Her concern leads her to join her grandfather's private investigation firm. Annie may lack direction, but she certainly doesn't lack ambition, and it shows as her search for clues leads her to honky-tonks, oil fields, and mile after mile of country roads.

 

The longer she investigates, the more she begins to identify with the missing woman, and this forces Annie to confront incidents in her own past that she's tried to bury. 

~

Samantha Jayne Allen's debut mystery, Pay Dirt Road, drags readers right into small-town Texas. In fact, the setting was the part of the book I enjoyed the most. Unfortunately, I had problems with the rest of it. 

 

When the bad guy is obvious (as in this book), I need something more than the setting to keep me fully engaged, and I just didn't find it here. I'll be honest and say that my reaction is almost completely subjective. Too many of the characters in Pay Dirt Road seemed to think that having a good time meant going out, getting drunk, and doing something stupid. That behavior has never ever floated my boat-- not even when I lived in a town smaller than Garnett with even fewer choices of "fun things to do." So... you can see why my attention would wane.

But I did finish the book because the writer does have talent. I'll just have to apologize and regretfully decline Annie McIntyre's next invitation to come investigate a crime with her.

Pay Dirt Road by Samantha Jayne Allen

ASIN: B09JXZWKKP

Recorded Books, LLC © 2022

Audiobook. 8 hours, 46 minutes.

 

Private Investigator, #1 Annie McIntyre mystery

Rating: C

Source: Purchased from Audible.

Last Seen in Lapaz by Kwei Quartey

 

First Line: Awake now, Emma listened to Courage's slow, rhythmic breathing beside her.

 

When an old friend of Emma Djan's boss comes to the agency for help, Emma finds herself trying to locate the man's missing daughter.

 

Ngozi was set to attend law school and had a bright future ahead of her when she became infatuated with her handsome new boyfriend, Femi. Disappearing from her parents' home in Nigeria in the middle of the night, Ngozi's father believes she's now in Ghana.

 

Emma and her partner have barely begun their investigation when Femi is found murdered in his home in Accra. With no signs of Ngozi in the place, Emma continues to dig for information and learns that Femi was part of a network of sex traffickers that spanned West Africa. 

 

Although it's important to find out which of Femi's enemies murdered him, it's even more urgent for Emma to find Ngozi before she, too, is killed in cold blood.

 

~

 

Last Seen in Lapaz is a hard-hitting story that unfolds slowly and dispassionately, almost as though author Kwei Quartey had to keep a distance between himself and the brutality that can threaten to overwhelm these pages. 

When her dreams of a career in the police force were dashed, twenty-six-year-old Emma Djan found that she has a knack for being a private investigator, and she needs all of her skills to find missing eighteen-year-old Ngozi as well as the killer of Ngozi's boyfriend, Femi.

Ngozi's story often takes a backseat to Femi's, who is a handsome young man to whom money means everything. Femi's attempts to get rich don't come to much until he is released from prison and joins forces with an old friend who's into human trafficking. Femi learns the ins and outs of the new business quickly and soon branches out to the more lucrative sex trafficking and prostitution. The evil that Femi does is shown when Emma finds one of his trafficked clients who managed to escape a Libyan detention center. Last Seen in Lapaz does have scenes of torture and rape, but they are not gratuitous and they are not drawn out; they tell of the incredible brutality desperate immigrants often face when all they want-- all they've paid for-- is the way to a better life for themselves and their loved ones. 

 

The only tiny quibbles I had with the book are its slow pace, its dispassionate tone that kept me from being completely drawn into the story, and the occasional scenes where the characters spoke in pidgin, which tried to tie my brain up in knots. Thankfully, a glossary is provided.

I can see readers passing this book by because of the subject matter and because they don't read to be upset. I can understand that. But sometimes greater understanding comes from reading outside your comfort zone and being upset. Author Kwei Quartey opens the door to a part of the world that few Americans know anything about. His previous series featuring police detective Darko Dawson and this series featuring young Emma Djan have not only entertained me, but they've also taught me a great deal about West Africa, and I appreciate that so very much.

 

Last Seen in Lapaz by Kwei Quartey

eISBN: 9781641293402

Soho Press © 2023

eBook, 360 pages

 

Private Investigator, #3 Emma Djan mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Treasure State by C. J. Box

 

First Line: Private investigator J.D. Spengler of Tampa Bay, Florida, was taking the highway exit from I-90 West onto Montana State Highway 1 when he was blinded by the setting sun and he ran over something big enough on the road that he nearly lost control of his rental car.

 

When private investigator Cassie Dewell gets a phone call from a woman in Florida, she's really not interested in taking the case... until she gets a few more details. The woman was conned out of millions of dollars, and the trail of the man who did it leads right to Anaconda, Montana-- an old mining town not far from Cassie's office. It's not going to hurt to take a preliminary look, is it?

In the meantime, Cassie has a very odd case. A poem left in the bar of a Montana town purports to be a treasure map leading to millions of dollars. The poet reassures Cassie that the treasure is real; all he wants her to do is to check his anonymity. He doesn't want anyone to be able to find him through any clues he might have left in his poem.

 

As Cassie works on both cases, she realizes that both clients have been selective with the facts they've chosen to give her. This may make her work more difficult, but she's beginning to find the information she needs to solve them both. She can't quit now, even though she's walking straight into danger.

~

Whether reading about game warden Joe Pickett or private investigator Cassie Dewell, C.J. Box knows how to spin a tale that makes readers keep turning the pages. Although I like Joe, I have to admit that I have a special fondness for Cassie, and watching her solve the two cases in Treasure State was a real treat.

Cassie shines in Treasure State, but so do the secondary characters: her new intern, April Pickett; her annoying mother Isabel; the young Kyle Westergaard who's determined to find the treasure no matter how hard Cassie tries to stop him; even the Lothario who roams the country stealing as much money from women as he can-- all these characters keep readers fully engaged in the story.

Both cases Cassie is investigating are gems, and I love watching her mind work as she pieces things together. She always works hard to be one step ahead of the bad guys in order to keep herself and all those she cares about safe. It's refreshing to have the main character go out of her way not to do anything stupid.

Having spent many happy hours out in the middle of nowhere (and closer afield) locating old mining towns in the mountains and deserts of Arizona and learning their fascinating histories, I soaked up everything Box had to say about Montana's mining past, in particular, the town of Anaconda, a town long considered to be the heart of the American labor movement. 

Characters, mysteries, history-- Treasure State was downright fun to read, and I can't wait to see what Cassie Dewell gets up to next.

 

Treasure State by C. J. Box

eISBN: 9781250768032

Minotaur Books © 2022

eBook, 320 pages

 

Private Investigator, #6 Cassie Dewell mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Tahoe Moon by Todd Borg

 

First Line: The chainsaw screamed as it chewed through the trunk of a Jeffrey pine.

 

When private investigator Owen McKenna arrives at a Lake Tahoe resort to talk about a job as a security consultant, he sees a little girl in the parking lot. Something about her bothers him, so when he comes back out from the short meeting, he looks for her.

She is eight-year-old Camille Dexter, and she is deaf. Her grandfather left her while he went to finish a job, but he's disappeared. McKenna calls a local police officer, and it's not long before they learn that Camille's grandfather is dead, crushed by a recently-cut tree. At first, Charlie Dexter's death is considered a work suicide, but the facts don't add up for McKenna. In fact, when he begins checking, he learns of other suspicious suicides in the area.

McKenna discovers a common thread tying all these suicides together, and they all have one thing in common: Camille, the only person in the group who's still alive. McKenna thinks he knows the killer's identity, but before he can find him, Camille is kidnapped, and the clock is ticking.

~

When you've got your hands on a new Owen McKenna thriller, you know you're in for a few hours of sheer reading pleasure. Author Todd Borg has taken one of the most beautiful places on Planet Earth-- Lake Tahoe-- and peopled it with one of the best casts of characters in all of crime fiction. When you read Tahoe Moon and watch Owen McKenna being interviewed by a company that wants to brand a line of fashion guns and accessories because their marketing experts know how much Americans love their Second Amendment, you may not know what to expect. Long-time fans of Owen McKenna know exactly what is going to happen, and they couldn't agree with him more.

I always learn something when I read one of Borg's books. (Well, usually it's more than one something.) Tahoe Moon has "forensic tree cutting", animal intelligence, the Great Pyramid of Cholula, the Mexican poet, Natalia Toledo Paz, and ghost writers. But no matter how much I learn or how much I enjoy Borg's fast-paced mysteries, it's the characters who always bring me back for more.

Once again, childless, single Owen McKenna shows he has a knack for dealing with children, and in this book we see that his (also childless) girlfriend, Street, does, too. Borg's adult characters are excellent and why I am a devoted follower of this series, but there have been some remarkable child characters as well, and Camille Dexter is one of the best. Readers' hearts immediately go out to this young deaf girl, and it soon becomes clear how gifted she is. Yes, folks, she is kidnapped, and if you find yourself becoming incensed over the topic of child endangerment, you can calm down a bit. I don't think I've ever seen an author handle a child abduction scene better than Todd Borg.

If I had my way, we'd all be Todd Borg fans, the author would be a multi-millionaire, and he'd write about Owen and Street and Spot forever. So if I am to have my way, I need you all to get your hands on these books. I would suggest starting at the beginning with Tahoe Deathfall, but if beginning a (so far) twenty-volume series makes your eyes bug out, get Tahoe Moon and give it a try. If I'm to be successful in my quest, I know that it all starts with baby steps.

Tahoe Moon by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296304

Thriller Press © 2022

Paperback, 352 pages

Private Investigator, #20 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author

Rock of Ages by Timothy Hallinan

 

First Line: The drum solo had gone on so long that it seemed to be taking place in geological time, and there was no indication that it was nearing an end.

 

Irwin Dressler, Hollywood's most dangerous geriatric mobster, has a problem. Four of his associates have put together a national tour of once-popular rock bands they own a piece of: concerts by those who were big shots in the 1960s and 1970s who are hoping for one last gasp of glory on this nostalgia tour. 

 

Dressler's problem? Those four associates of his are using the tour as a front to steal his money. This is something Dressler simply cannot allow. Who can he turn to? Junior Bender, Los Angeles burglar and off-the-books detective to the felonious, of course.

 

The timing couldn't be worse for Junior. He'll be spending the weekend with his teenage daughter, Rina, who's showing way too much interest in how Junior makes his living. Can Junior recover Dressler's money, prevent a murder, talk his daughter out of pursuing a life of crime, and somehow survive all that bad music?

 

One thing's for sure-- it's going to be an interesting weekend.

 

~

 

As a fan of cat burglars from Cary Grant's To Catch a Thief to Robert Wagner's It Takes a Thief, I've been a fan of the irreverent, irrepressible Junior Bender from book one (Crashed). In this latest installment, Rock of Ages puts readers right in the middle of a nostalgia rock and roll tour, complete with falling props, Super Trooper lighting, old groupies, and a very inquisitive teenage girl. The names of the bands are almost worth the price of admission alone, and this behind-the-scenes look at rock and roll is equal parts illuminating and hilarious. "The bands hated each other, some of them were rusty, some needed cue cards for their lyrics, and three guys had shown up in wheelchairs." Junior must navigate all this as well as slashed tires, threatening notes, inflated egos, and people willing to kill for a money-and-power grab.

 

I really enjoyed the time spent with Junior's daughter, Rina. She's one sharp cookie who has a mind (and a mouth) very similar to her father's. Junior's going to be sweating bullets over Rina in a year or two, mark my words. But Rock of Ages isn't just the Junior and Rina Show. Other characters shine as only Hallinan can make them. Lavender the old groupie. Cappy the manager who keeps everything running. Debbie, whom Junior calls when he needs backup. Irwin Dressler, the LA mobster of legend. I always love Hallinan's casts of characters.

 

As I said before, I've enjoyed this series from the very first book. I will follow Junior Bender wherever he leads me because I know I'm going to enjoy myself with a first-rate plot and an excellent cast of characters, and guess what? I always learn something, too. The history of Los Angeles, the movie industry, rock and roll... it's all up for grabs when Tim Hallinan shares an adventure with my favorite burglar. I'm already looking forward to the next one. Hurry up, Junior!   

Rock of Ages by Timothy Hallinan

eISBN: 9781641292191

Soho Press © 2022

eBook, 336 pages

 

Private Investigator, #8 Junior Bender mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

One Got Away by S.A. Lelchuk

 

First Line from Prologue: The U-Haul truck was parked alone at the back corner of the big lot.

 

When Nikki Griffin isn't running her bookshop, The Brimstone Magpie, she's a private investigator who specializes in abuse cases. When a wealthy San Francisco family hires her to track down the con man who's been defrauding its octogenarian matriarch, Nikki is on a mission. She isn't a fan of men who hurt women, and that secret mission of hers-- born of revenge and trauma-- is to do everything she can to remove women from dangerous situations... and to punish the men responsible.

However, it doesn't take Nikki long to realize that no one is telling her the whole truth. This case soon overlaps with another in which she's trying to protect a woman in trouble, and Nikki finds herself in danger. She's going to have to make some difficult decisions about who to save and how to keep herself alive.

~

After reading S.A. Lelchuk's first Nikki Griffin novel, Save Me From Dangerous Men, I knew I'd be back for more because I fell in love with Nikki Griffin's voice. Also, there's just something about a character who risks her own life to protect the vulnerable, isn't there?

 

I have to admit that the story in One Got Away didn't hook me nearly as tight as the first book did, but I think that has more to do with me than the book itself. With my recent fiction and non-fiction reading, I'm beginning to wonder seriously if there are any decent wealthy families to be found... or are they all degenerate slimeballs? The book also deals with ruthless gangsters and the ways they love to earn their money.

 

While Lelchuk kept leading me into temptation with a parade of bad guys that made me want to help Nikki level the playing field, he also led me to some marvelous characters. The man mountain (AKA Butch) made a good menacing sidekick for Nikki, and there were other characters I enjoyed, but my favorite was young Mason, a little boy with a troubled home life and a heart filled with hope. A little boy who knows how to come prepared with a Hermione Granger-like backpack. I really wish we could see him in future books because Mason completely and utterly charmed me.

 

There were two things that kept me reading One Got Away even though I'm sick to death of degenerate rich white folks. One was the characters. The second was January LaVoy, the narrator. She was perfect, both as Nikki's voice and as the voice of all the characters. Male, female, young, old, it didn't make a difference. LaVoy gave a masterful performance, and I'll certainly be looking for her name in future audiobooks.  

I'll also be looking for Nikki Griffin's next adventure. I like being her companion as she protects the vulnerable.

One Got Away by S.A. Lelchuk

Narrated by January LaVoy

ASIN: B08GCZ3KRD

Macmillan Audio © 2021

Audiobook. 10 hours, 46 minutes.

 

Private Investigator, #2 Nikki Griffin mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Audible.

A Quiet Death in Italy by Tom Benjamin

First Line: Like much else in a city that had once been governed by the Catholic Church, the old morgue was a muddle of the sacred and profane.

 

When anything goes wrong in Bologna, Italy, the first to be blamed are the police. This holds true when the body of a radical protester is found floating in one of the city's underground canals.

 

Private investigator Daniel Leicester receives a call from the dead man's lover, and he agrees to take the case. The more he follows leads, the more he uncovers-- secrets dating back to the 1970s and right back into the present-day heart of the political establishment. Moreover, the secrets Leicester is uncovering are putting his life in danger.

 

~

 

The reason why I picked up A Quiet Death in Italy is entirely due to its setting. I've been "traveling" around Italy, solving mysteries one after the other, but I had yet to sample one set in Bologna. I thought it was time to "visit" a new location.

 

The portrait resident Tom Benjamin paints of Bologna is one of unrest caused by some of the usual suspects: corrupt police, corrupt government officials, and greedy property developers, with the added flavor of very vocal and active radical protesters. Some of the scenes set during protests were very well-written, making me feel as though I were right in the streets with the main character.

 

Former investigative journalist and widower Daniel Leicester is a British ex-pat living in Bologna with his young daughter and working for his father-in-law as a private investigator. He has a very strong sense of right and wrong and is willing to stand up for his principles-- but not at the expense of his common sense. When you're a single parent of a young child, you do have to draw a line somewhere, and I was happy to see that Leicester could make this distinction.

 

As well-written as A Quiet Death in Italy is, and as much as I learned about present-day Bologna, the story and its main character never really captured my interest or my imagination. Your mileage may certainly vary, so if you're looking for a mystery set in a different Italian location, you may definitely want to give this book a try.  

 

A Quiet Death in Italy by Tom Benjamin

Narrated by Jonathan Keeble.

ASIN: B07Y5KQHMF

Hachette Audio © 2019

Audiobook. 8 hours, 28 minutes.

 

Private Investigator, #1 Daniel Leicester mystery

Rating: C

Source: Purchased from Chirp Books.

The Panama Murders by Pendelton C. Wallace

 

First Line: Moving like a wraith among the rocks and cactus surrounding the seven-acre compound, her skin-tight bodysuit and cybernetic helmet changed colors to match the background when she paused in the dark, making her more shadow than solid.

 

Catrina "Cat" Flaherty has come to an island off the coast of Panama to visit her friend and former co-worker who now lives there. The libidinous ex-pat lifestyle makes her raise an eyebrow from time to time, but she's certainly enjoying the sun, sand, and sea. However, the former private investigator can't help noticing that people are disappearing from the island without saying a word of goodbye. They just sell their property and go. Something tells her that a serial killer is on the loose, and since the local police could care less, it's up to her to bring the killer to justice.

 

~

 

An email alerted me to this fourth book in the Catrina Flaherty P.I. series, and since I was in the mood to read a book set in a country I'd never "visited" before, I bought a copy of The Panama Murders and began to read. What I found was a book with problems, yet one that had a story that kept me reading clear through to the end.

The only problem I had in beginning this series at the fourth book was the main character's repertoire of "mad skills." I wasn't familiar with what the almost fifty-year-old was capable of, so I was startled a time or two when Cat Flaherty lashed out with a new trick. This woman had been a police officer in Seattle, and when she and several other women won a huge sexual harassment lawsuit, Cat went into the private investigation business. That ended when she discovered that her lover was a serial killer. She turned him in, turned over her business to her co-worker, and flew down to Panama to lick her wounds.

I really enjoyed the setting of The Panama Murders. Yes, it had the usual lazy cops who refused to do anything, but there was that sun, sand, and sea (along with hatching baby sea turtles and noisy howler monkeys) to distract me. Another distraction was the libidinous, clothing-optional, ex-pat lifestyle that Cat found herself in the middle of. I did tire of the author's penchant for describing all the large physical attributes of the various characters, but the lifestyle was interesting. Almost everyone was keeping a secret, usually about why they no longer lived in the U.S. No one used their last names, and this is the one thing that Cat had the biggest problem remembering. Another plus in the book's favor is that it's based on a true story, and it's easy to see how the people's lifestyle played right into the killer's hands.

But then the cracks in the story started to widen. One character, Interpol's Most Wanted criminal-- a female assassin known as Spyder-- just happened to be on the island, and I can't quite understand why. She had nothing to do with the main storyline. It could be that she made her initial appearance in a previous book in the series, but the book wasn't written as if there were the case. She really didn't need to be there.

Alternating chapters detailed the serial killer's journey from the United States to Panama and made it very easy to deduce the person's identity among the ex-pats, and speaking of serial killers, Cat's former lover whom she turned in after learning he was a killer, is out of jail and determined to track her down to exact his revenge. More than once, I was "treated" to this character choking a woman to death while he was raping her. Yes, that's one way of finding out what a loathsome excuse for a human being he is, but I think there are many better ways of accomplishing that.

The last 15% of the book was spent in author's notes, acknowledgments, introductions to his other books and series, and the first chapter of his latest book-- not just once but three times. Combine this with more sloppy editing concerning bad spelling and poor word choices, and you've got me losing patience.

After outlining the problems I found with the book, you're probably wondering why I finished it. I must admit that I am, too. But I will say in my defense that the author does have talent. His story is compelling, and he made me care about his main character. I'm almost tempted to read another of his books. 

Almost.

The Panama Murders by Pendelton C. Wallace

ASIN: B08VR7RB4F

Victory Press © 2021

eBook, 388 pages

 

Private Investigator, #4 Catrina Flaherty mystery

Rating: D+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

At Ease With the Dead by Walter Satterthwait

 

First Line: Normally a Santa Fe summer is one of the blessings of the Weather Gods.

 

While out fishing, private investigator Joshua Croft saves elderly Navajo Daniel Begay from a trio of abusive rednecks. Never expecting to see him again, he's very surprised when Begay shows up in his office and wants to hire him. The case is unusual, and it isn't going to be easy. Begay wants Croft to recover the bones of Ganado, a Navajo warrior... and those bones have been missing since 1925.

Ganado's skeleton was stolen by an oil prospector on sacred Navajo land. Less than a month later, the prospector was killed, and the bones haven't been seen since. 

Making it perfectly clear that he probably won't be successful, Croft takes on a case which he believes to be hopeless but relatively harmless. He couldn't be more wrong. The deeper he digs, the more danger he puts himself and others in. From El Paso to the Navajo Nation, Croft's investigation puts him solidly in the sights of someone who thinks nothing of killing to keep long-buried secrets.

~

A few years back, I stumbled across a mystery, Miss Lizzie, in which Satterthwait made Lizzie Borden one half of a detective duo. I loved the story, and I loved Satterthwait's poetic writing style. I went looking for more written by him and came across his first Joshua Croft mystery, Wall of Glass. Since the series is set in Santa Fe and I'd fallen in love with the place after a visit, I read it and knew I'd be back for more. I really enjoy Satterthwait's descriptions of the New Mexican landscape, how he develops his characters, and his stories.

Croft works for (and loves) wheelchair-bound Rita Mondragon, an intelligent, beautiful, and stubborn woman who states, "I'll leave this house when I can walk out of it." Croft feels she's making a mistake, but he's willing to accept Rita on her own terms. 

The mystery in At Ease With the Dead (the title taken from a quote by Geronimo) is filled with danger, archaeology, oil prospecting, and humor. It's a "buddy movie" in which Croft often finds himself paired with the elderly Navajo, Daniel Begay. The old man has so many tricks up his sleeve that one day Croft looks at him and asks, "Are you really Batman?" This pairing provides much-needed levity in what could have been a very dark story.

Croft has a smart-alecky wit that I really appreciate. Satterthwait has developed a strong cast of characters, and he certainly knows how to construct a mystery that keeps readers guessing as well as bringing his setting to life. He also has the knack of including sentences that can make you stop and think. "Guilt is sometimes a secret sort of self-esteem" or "If you see the world as an organism, a single entity, which of course it is, then you can't help but see the human race as a kind of virus on its surface, actively engaged in  killing off the host."

Story, setting, language, characters, Satterthwait's Joshua Croft is an often thought-provoking mystery series that I will certainly be returning to.

At Ease With the Dead by Walter Satterthwait

eISBN: 9781453251287

Open Road Integrated Media © 2012

Originally published 1991.

eBook, 248 pages

 

Private Investigator, #2 Joshua Croft mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Tahoe Jade by Todd Borg

First Lines: October 5th, 1861. Buckland Pony Express Station Silver Springs, Nevada. "You the new kid?" the stock tender said to Jimmy Wilson as he helped Jimmy saddle up his mount.

 

Jade Jaso's life has been filled with tragedy lately. A firefighter, she was maimed in a warehouse fire from which she barely escaped, and shortly afterward her beloved father died in a fall. If that weren't enough, she's convinced that someone wants to kill her, and she asks private investigator Owen McKenna for help.

When a new  client's first words are "I'm not crazy!", it really doesn't make McKenna want to rush to take the case, but he does agree to meet with Jade. He finds Jade to be a strong, decidedly eccentric woman, and he agrees to look into her concerns (although he doesn't expect it to come to anything). But Jade's words turn eerily prophetic when she and her three horses disappear a few days later. 

When McKenna searches for clues, he finds a letter written by Abraham Lincoln in the papers of Jade's father. The letter contains a coded message mentioning some sort of treasure to the letter's recipient, Governor-Elect Leland Stanford. Further investigation uncovers the fact that Jade's father did talk about the letter to others. It's beginning to look like Jade has been kidnapped by a violent, unscrupulous man who will do anything it takes to uncover the treasure, and McKenna is running out of time to find her.

~

August isn't August without a new Owen McKenna mystery, and I'm beginning to think that Todd Borg is a genius when it comes to uncovering fascinating bits of Lake Tahoe history. Five years ago, my husband and I drove to Lake Tahoe and stayed for a few days for two reasons. One, I wanted to see if the place lived up to my memories of a visit there when I was ten, and two, to familiarize myself with the area because of Borg's books. Lake Tahoe lived up to my memories, and I enjoy being able to visualize McKenna's travels with his Great Dane, Spot, in his Jeep.

Tahoe Jade is a smorgasbord of historical delights. The Pony Express, the Lincoln letter, a Leland Stanford mini-exposé, and some facts about jade. Readers find out about Basque shepherds and their use of what are now called arborglyphs. And if that isn't enough, there's hidden treasure and a white-knuckle chase through the mountains as well. I love how Borg weaves all these things together seamlessly into a story that grabs me by the throat and won't let go.

I've loved this series from the outset, not just for the stories, but for the marvelous cast of characters. Owen McKenna is a former San Francisco homicide detective, and he's made friends with several local law enforcement officers. He's got a seriously cool sidekick in Spot, his Great Dane, who can do just about anything he puts his mind to "when he's awake." Spot's not going to spell H-E-L-P in the mashed potatoes, but he's saved the day more than once. Street Casey is a brilliant entomologist. Strong, intelligent, and with her own set of quirks, she completes McKenna, and Owen is happy to accept her and love her on her own terms--something that not many men would do.

Fantastic stories, wonderful characters... what's next? How about the occasional flash of humor that can have a reader laughing out loud? This may not mean anything to people who haven't had anything to do with terriers, but it struck a chord with me: "Amy says walking a terrier is like having a nuclear reactor on a leash. Energy about to explode in every direction." (I used to walk two wire-haired fox terriers every evening.) Or how about the new forensics person who "can find a human eyelash on a shaggy dog"? This occasional light touch is needed because Tahoe Jade is often deadly serious.

Tahoe Jade isn't just a treasure hunt. It isn't just about chasing a bad guy in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's also about scientist Street Casey, former firefighter Jade Jaso, Sacramento archivist Brady Harper, and a woman who prefers to be called Vette. A band of women who are all survivors of abuse, and who are all determined to succeed on their own terms.

 

Read Tahoe Jade for the treasure. Read it for the chase and rescue. Whatever you do, read it. It's the latest entry in one of my absolute favorite series, and if you're a lover of wonderful characters, nail-biting action, strong mysteries, and a drop-dead gorgeous setting, you're going to become a fan, too. There's no time like the present to get started.

Tahoe Jade by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296298

Thriller Press © 2021

Paperback, 350 pages

Private Investigator, #19 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author