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.

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

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

Tahoe Hit by Todd Borg

 

 

First Line: It was an ideal gathering for murder.

 

Private investigator Owen McKenna is hired by millionaire hedge fund specialist Carston Kraytower to investigate the deaths of two of his colleagues who have died under inexplicable circumstances in the Lake Tahoe area. As McKenna begins to unravel the secrets Kraytower has worked so hard to hide, Kraytower's son is kidnapped. Now it's a race against time to save the teenager.

August just isn't August without a new Owen McKenna thriller, and Tahoe Hit, the eighteenth addition to this marvelous series, was just what I needed. I'm addicted to Todd Borg's intricate, fast-paced mysteries every bit as much as I'm addicted to the beautiful setting of Lake Tahoe and to his marvelous characters.

In Tahoe Hit, millionaire Carston Kraytower really kept me off-balance; I never knew which way that man was going to jump. When you've got a character like that, solving the mystery gives your little grey cells a workout. Even when McKenna starts uncovering secret after secret, it still took me some time to figure everything out-- and I still missed some of the twists. I like that.

But this book (and this series) isn't just about the mystery. It has one of my all-time favorite casts of characters in crime fiction. Being an ex-cop, Owen McKenna has gone out of his way to forge good relationships with police officers in the Lake Tahoe area, and those relationships lead to much of the humor in the books. McKenna is also very observant whether it be man or beast that is the focus of his attention. He takes the time to discover how gifted young Joshua Kraytower is, and he's willing to do something about it. He also is highly observant when it comes to his sidekick, his harlequin Great Dane, Spot. McKenna knows his dog, what his dog's reactions will be, what his dog's capabilities are. When Spot can help him with an investigation, he does. But if there's a strong possibility that Spot will be in danger, you can take it to the bank that he won't be tagging along. Another plus in McKenna's favor? His relationship with entomologist Street Casey. She's brilliant, she's unconventional, and she's still dealing with trauma from her past. Many other men wouldn't, but Owen accepts their relationship on her terms. Owen, Spot, Street, and the rest of the regular cast make this series something very special.

But wait-- there's more! A fantastic Lake Tahoe setting? Check. A mystery that keeps you guessing? Check. A multi-faceted cast of characters that becomes just like family? Check. What else is there? It's the added extras that Todd Borg weaves into his narrative. Learning about a small town settled by Chinese immigrants who were brought over to build the railroad. Indian residential schools. The naturalist Aldo Leopold who believed we should leave blank spots on the map. Even a little philosophy that leads to the question "Is the life of a really bad man automatically more important than the life of a really good dog?"

Tahoe Hit-- and this entire series-- is the perfect blend of mystery, action, setting, and characterization. Tahoe Hit stands alone well, if you're worried about taking on a series with eighteen books, and I urge all of you to give it a try. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for more. Owen and Spot are impossible to resist!

 

Tahoe Hit by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296281

Thriller Press © 2020

Paperback, 352 pages

 

Private Investigator, #18 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author

 

Tahoe Deep by Todd Borg

First Line: "How wrong could it be to murder a murderer?" the young man asked.

When ninety-five-year-old Daniel Callahan's house is broken into and he is badly beaten, the old man is asked repeatedly about a secret that went down with the SS Tahoe Steamer, the grandest ship ever to sail Lake Tahoe. In 1940 as a legally blind teenager, Daniel witnessed the scuttling of the ship, and this unscrupulous treasure hunter is convinced that he knows something about the rumored treasure resting four hundred feet down in the icy cold water of the lake.

Daniel's friend and tenant, Mae O'Sullivan, is frightened for the old man and enlists the help of private investigator Owen McKenna to see if he can find out what's going on before Daniel can be hurt again or even killed. However, once McKenna begins to investigate, he puts Daniel, Mae, himself, and others in deadly danger. McKenna has to smoke out this treasure hunter and put him behind bars before someone is killed.

Summer isn't summer without a new Owen McKenna mystery, and Tahoe Deep satisfies on so many levels. I always learn something when I read one of Todd Borg's books. This time it was the SS Tahoe Steamer, which was a vital method of transportation for the folks living around Lake Tahoe in the decades before decent roads circled the lake. Not satisfied with that, Borg also gave me information about freediving-- something I didn't realize I did a lot of when I was a kid. I even taught myself many of the proper breathing techniques. (What's freediving? Diving with only the breath you can hold in your lungs. No air tanks allowed.) The fun thing about the information about freediving is that I knew it would figure into the story sooner or later-- and it did. Wow...

Daniel Callahan is a feisty curmudgeon, and it takes all of McKenna's people skills to get the old man to cooperate in saving his own life. Borg has a knack for creating characters that I really come to care for, and Daniel is no exception. For those of you who are already fans of this wonderful series, don't worry. Spot the harlequin Great Dane has his share of the action. (I am so glad that this series takes place in its own dimension of time because huge dogs do not have long life spans. This series would be crippled without Spot.)

Having been a homicide detective in San Francisco for many years, I really appreciate how McKenna has excellent working relationships with area law enforcement. Another thing I love about McKenna? Whenever I think of him, first and foremost I think of his relationship with a brilliant entomologist named Street. Street has her special quirks that most men would not be able to accept. It always warms my heart that McKenna is completely comfortable with accepting women-- especially strong women-- on their own terms. I wish he would teach classes.

Tahoe Deep has a strong mystery, a cast of memorable characters who have become my friends, and fantastic underwater action sequences. Now that I've savored this book, I know that the Summer of 2019 is proceeding exactly the way it should.

Tahoe Deep by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296274

Thriller Press © 2019

Paperback, 352 pages

Private Investigator, #17 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author

Excellent reading for pool time!

Tahoe Skydrop by Todd Borg

First Line: As Yardley LaMotte looked out the open door of the helicopter, he knew he wasn't a natural predator.

Yardley LaMotte had a vision for the future and created the software that could make that vision come true. Greedy killers had a vision of making billions of dollars and stole LaMotte's software. Now all they need is the key to unlock the code. When they learn that a child attending one of LaMotte's school visits can probably break the code, the killers kidnap the child. The father contacts Tahoe detective Owen McKenna.

McKenna learns where the kidnappers are holding the child and plans a daring rescue using a paraglider to drop out of the sky at night. But the plan goes very wrong, and it's up to Owen and his Great Dane Spot to save the child before the kidnappers can carry out their threats.

Author Todd Borg has come through with the goods once again-- this time by paraglider. Tahoe Skydrop is another fast-paced story with plenty of great action sequences, but-- as usual-- this isn't a run-of-the-mill thriller. While you're trying to figure out how in the world Owen McKenna is going to save the day this time, you're also effortlessly learning fascinating facts about the software business, venture capitalists, and bitcoin. If that's not enough for you, there's the breathtaking beauty of Lake Tahoe that Borg describes so well. And if that's not enough for you, I saved the best for last.

Todd Borg has created one of the best casts of characters in crime fiction. Owen McKenna is a former San Francisco homicide detective who has an excellent working relationship with the various law enforcement jurisdictions in and around Lake Tahoe. In each book of this series, you learn more and more about what a good guy he is. (If he were real, I'd be tempted to fight his girlfriend Street for him.) You can see he's a good guy by the way he treats everyone, but in particular Street, an intelligent, fiercely independent woman who has definite ideas about how she wants to live her life. In this book, you can see what a good guy he is by the way he treats a dog that's trying its best to tear him limb from limb.

The people involved in the investigation also come to life. Yardley LaMotte, the man who thought he had the world by the tail until he came face to face with Job's Sister. Yardley's wife, who knew her husband didn't have a good grip on anything. He-Man Vince Cooper is the kidnapped child's father, and there's nothing he won't do to save Jonni. Jonni is the kidnap victim and is yet more proof that Todd Borg has a knack for portraying smart children. Then... there are the characters you assume you can take at face value... but don't. More than one of these characters have surprises up their sleeves.

And I haven't even extolled the virtues of my favorite Harlequin Great Dane, Spot. Spot isn't written as Super Dog. He's not faster than a speeding bullet, and he's not going to come racing into the kitchen to spell h-e-l-p in the mashed potatoes. He's just a very large dog that's very well trained and has an unbreakable bond with a good guy named Owen McKenna. Never underestimate what these two can accomplish.

If I still haven't persuaded any of you new-to-Borg readers to give Owen and Spot a try, I'm just going to have to keep at it because if you haven't read Todd Borg, you're missing out on some wonderful books. You have been warned!

Tahoe Skydrop by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296267

Thriller Press © 2018

Paperback, 352 pages

Private Investigator, #16 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author 

Tahoe Payback by Todd Borg

First Line: The person with the gun said," Get out of the boat."

When told that a man's girlfriend has disappeared, private detective Owen McKenna wonders if she got cold feet and ran away. After all, the man spouts poetry, is very awkward both physically and emotionally, and he dresses funny. When the woman turns up dead on Fannette Island out in Lake Tahoe, McKenna learns that she had a scam charity that stole millions of dollars from the donors. When two more victims are found, the private detective suspects that they ran phony charities, too.

While he's out investigating, his girlfriend Street Casey has reason to believe that her ex-con father who's jumped parole will show up at any time to exact revenge for her testimony that put him in prison.

Torn between finding a vigilante killer and wanting to protect Street from a very real danger, Owen McKenna has his hands full.

I love summer, and one of the things about the season that makes me smile is the fact that there will be a new Owen McKenna mystery to read. McKenna is a retired San Francisco homicide detective who doesn't own a gun. He enjoys art, loves the breathtakingly gorgeous area called Lake Tahoe, has a wonder dog named Spot, and is willing to love and accept his girlfriend, Street, on her own terms. The fact that he's fantastic at catching bad guys is just icing on the cake. 

If you love dogs, you're going to love Spot the harlequin Great Dane. The bond between Spot and Owen is unbreakable, and although I called him a wonder dog, Spot is just a dog-- a dog who's been cared for and trained by a man who isn't really complete without him. McKenna's close observation of his constant companion means that Spot is not only excellent company and a fine guard dog, he could double as a therapy dog or a tracking dog. I could be facetious and say that he could probably deliver the mail or be governor, too, but that wouldn't be right. Spot is never portrayed as anything other than a well-trained dog with loads of personality. That's what makes him such a wonderful character.

Borg always shares a bit of Tahoe history with readers as well as the beauty that can be found all around, but the story is always important in an Owen McKenna mystery. This time Borg takes a very large shovel and digs up the unsavory facts about charities. Charities rake in a cool $1 billion per day. (No, that's not a typo.) So many legal loopholes exist that the unscrupulous think nothing of forming phony charities to fleece unsuspecting people who only want their hard-earned dollars to do good. There's not even any real watch dog agency to winnow out these fakes.  The author takes these facts and builds them into a story that will fill readers with dismay-- and anger. However, readers will also find common sense tips on how to choose charities wisely.

If there's any weakness at all in Tahoe Payback, it's that the story was a bit top heavy with charity information at the expense of Street's being stalked by her (very scary) father. I usually rave about Owen and Spot and neglect to say much about Street, but I love her, too. She's strong and smart and knows what is best for her own well being (as well as Owen's and Spot's). She's also full of common sense, taking appropriate measures when she learns that Daddy Dearest has jumped parole. Owen wouldn't be quite the man he is without her. Theirs is one of my favorite fictional relationships.

I loved Tahoe Payback. Once again, this talented writer has given readers a fast-paced, absorbing, and memorable story. When I have a new Owen McKenna mystery in my hands, I always want to start reading and not stop until I've turned the last page. This is one of my favorite series, and I highly recommend it to all of you.

Tahoe Payback by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296250

Thriller Press © 2017

Paperback, 352 pages

Thriller, #15 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author

Tahoe Dark by Todd Borg

First Line: "We got your son Jonas," a voice on the phone said.

In a kidnap-gone-wrong, David Montrop pays the ransom for his son, but is then murdered. Since he followed instructions and did not tell law enforcement, the police are unaware that Jonas's life is at stake. The very next day an armored truck loaded with money for a local casino is robbed. The company's boss puts P.I. Owen McKenna in charge of finding the four robbers.

When McKenna finds two of the thieves brutally murdered, he also uncovers evidence that links one woman to all three deaths. Evan Rosen worked for David Montrop, and she had a powerful motive for wanting the robbers dead.  When Evan is arrested and charged with murder, Owen goes into overdrive. Why? Because he's convinced that Evan had nothing to do with the murders, and he's got to work fast to prove her innocence.

I would say that Todd Borg cranks out one marvelous book after another, but that would give you the impression that each Owen McKenna mystery is thrown together on an assembly line. Nothing could be further from the truth. Tahoe Dark-- like the other books in this series-- is tightly plotted and well-paced, with a mystery that keeps you guessing, and a cast of characters that many other writers would kill for. Throw in the breathtaking scenery of Lake Tahoe, and you've got a little slice of heaven between the covers of a book.

There's a lot going on in Tahoe Dark: kidnapping, multiple murders, an armored car heist, skullduggery out on the lake, skulking around buildings in the dead of night... but none of it is confusing, and all of it makes you work at coming up with the right solution. Speaking of that solution, it's going to be difficult because Borg throws in some excellent misdirection. 

Some of you are going to see the word "thriller" being used to describe this book (and the entire series), and you're going to turn up your noses. Don't. Yes, the plots are fast-paced thrillers with hair-raising action. Yes, Owen McKenna is a private investigator. Yes, damsels in distress-- like Evan Rosen-- turn up from time to time. But McKenna isn't your typical gumshoe who gets beat up regularly, has a love affair with his gun, speaks in terse gumshoe, and thinks women are only good for one-night stands. He's the type of man most women would sell their eye teeth to get their hands on. He doesn't shoot first and ask questions later. He doesn't talk like Sam Spade. He has a good working relationship with the various law enforcement agencies in the area. He likes art and music and the outdoors, and he is in a committed relationship with a brilliant entomologist. (For those of you who don't care for romance in your books, don't you turn up your noses either. Owen's relationship with Street is done so well it should make almost everyone happy.)

Outside of Owen, my two favorite characters in Tahoe Dark are Evan Rosen and Owen's sidekick. Evan Rosen is an intelligent, loving, hard-working young woman who's never caught a break her entire life. Borg makes you see past her tough exterior and into her deep despair and longing. You want-- more than anything-- for McKenna to prove her innocence. And that sidekick? Spot is probably the best four-legged partner in the thriller biz. This Harlequin Great Dane is not only good at subduing stubborn bad guys, he comes in handy when victims need reassurance and reluctant witnesses need softening up. He's also a master at eating:

He lunged. It was fast and probably painless for the hotdog. I know Spot bit down at least once, and he had to have swallowed at least once, unless he'd developed a new food-vac technique that I hadn't yet witnessed. But I wouldn't swear that there was more than one bite or swallow.

 All this and humor, too. Plus the fact that Spot is just a dog. A well-trained dog, but not Super K-9.

Tahoe Dark ends with a hint of possible danger for Street, which makes me rue the fact that Borg's books only come out once a year. I can't recommend this series highly enough. I love it, and I sincerely hope you'll get your hands on an Owen McKenna mystery. Where should you start? Anywhere actually because Borg does an excellent job of providing just the right amount of backstory to keep you grounded. But don't be surprised if you read one and start looking for all the rest of the books in the series. They. Are. That. Good.
    

Tahoe Dark by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296243

Thriller Press © 2016

Paperback, 351 pages

P.I./Thriller, #14 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A

Source: the author


 

Tahoe Blue Fire by Todd Borg

First Line: The big rotary snowblower was parked in the dark at the side of the road where the shoulder had been cleared of snow.

When private investigator Owen McKenna gets a call for help from a woman who's afraid for her life, McKenna thinks she's more Looney Tunes than anything else, but she's paid in advance for his services, so he goes to see her.

The woman is shot before McKenna can reach her.

When he begins investigating, he's led to a couple of missing persons reports, but nothing's making sense. The only thing that ties two of the people together is an interest in Italian Renaissance art.

Then another connection pops up: a man who was a football star twenty years ago, but Adam Simms is in the last stages of Traumatic Brain Injury, and McKenna is doubtful he can be of much help. Regardless of his usefulness, Simms may be the target of a very devious killer. McKenna wants him protected while he's trying to make sense of a very puzzling case.

When I read one of Todd Borg's Owen McKenna books, I simply cannot turn the pages fast enough. There's always a first-class mystery to solve, new things to learn, plenty of adrenaline-pumping action to survive, and-- most of all-- a wonderful cast of characters to catch up with. 

As usual, the gorgeous scenery of Lake Tahoe can be considered a character in Tahoe Blue Fire, and like most characters it can sometimes be high maintenance, which is why readers get to learn a bit about the machines that remove all the snow that falls in the area, and how they get rid of the huge piles of white stuff so we can drive safely on the roads. However, if snow and machinery aren't your things, you can also pick up information on computer forensics, Traumatic Brain Injury, service dogs, and history-- from the Medicis in Italy to local Tahoe history when Frank Sinatra was in town.

The story is yet another good one, although one segment that takes place away from Lake Tahoe made the story's momentum falter a bit, and the curious behavior of one of the characters clued me in to the identity of the killer too soon for my liking. Tiny blips on my radar however, because Tahoe Blue Fire is packed with goodies.

As usual, Borg's wonderful cast of characters provide the majority of those goodies. Owen McKenna has a great supporting cast: two buddies on the local police and sheriff's departments; a love interest with a brilliant mind of her own; and Owen's constant companion, a Harlequin Great Dane named Spot who wears a faux diamond stud in one ear. Spot is fantastic-- one of my favorite dogs in literature. Spot is a well-trained dog that helps out whenever and wherever he can, but the thing I love about him most is that Spot isn't Super Dog; he doesn't go around spelling "Help!" in the mashed potatoes. Mostly he wags a lot. And watches you eat. Spot's a typical dog that makes a difference each and every day, just like a lot of other dogs.

When it comes to characterization, Borg knows that the best kind is most often found in small but telling details. It's the fact that McKenna gets himself into a lot of dangerous situations, yet he doesn't carry a gun. It's the fact that he has a key to his girlfriend's house, but only uses it when she tells him to. It's the fact that McKenna feels guilty because he didn't take his client more seriously and she was killed as a result. And it's the fact that he takes the time to show a young K-9 officer how to care for his stressed-out dog. The entire Owen McKenna series is filled with moments-- facts-- like this, and as a result, this reader has come to care deeply for these characters.

If you see that this is the thirteenth book in the series, and you just don't feel like investing in something this long, I hope you'll reconsider. You'll find that Tahoe Blue Fire reads very well as a standalone. If you're the type of reader (like me) who loves good stories and characters who feel like a part of your family, you'll be glad you've found a series with some meat on its bones. Either way you look at it, this series is one of my favorites, and I recommend it highly. 
 

Tahoe Blue Fire by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296236
Thriller Press © 2015
Paperback, 351 pages

Private Investigator, #13 Owen McKenna mystery
Rating: A
Source: the author 

Tahoe Chase by Todd Borg

First Line: It was the softness of the metallic click that sounded dangerous.

When a 92-year-old former Olympic ski racer hires Owen McKenna to investigate his wife's fall from the deck of their Lake Tahoe home, it's slow going until the woman's friends also begin to die from bizarre "accidents." It seems they all opposed a new ski resort development.

While McKenna is digging into this new angle, he meets yet another friend of the hospitalized woman. Simone is a young French woman who is in very real danger from her abusive boyfriend. Since she has nothing to do with the ski resort, McKenna encourages her to take part in a solo endurance ski trek through Desolation Wilderness.

After Simone is on her own, miles from anyone, McKenna realizes that he's made a deadly mistake. The young woman is the next to die, and the one closest to her is the one who intends to kill her.

Once again Todd Borg has wrapped me around his little finger. From the brief beginning scene with Cynthia and Molly the mountain chickadee, I began falling in love with his characters. Next in line for my adoration was the aloof Joe Rorvik, 92 years old, a former Olympic champion ski racer, and shattered by his wife's hospitalization. One by one, Borg deftly fits all these well-drawn characters into his puzzle of a story. He's written a fine example of misdirection, and by the time you realize you've been suckered, your car's already begun to lose control on that hairpin mountain curve.

I know these Owen McKenna books are usually referred to as thrillers; they're even published by Thriller Press. Yes, they normally do have a fast pace and lots of action, but they are so much more than your standard thriller fare. What raises them high above that standard thriller fare is three fold: (1) Borg's characters, (2) Borg's setting of the luscious Lake Tahoe area, and (3) those added extras.

I've already gone into how much I love his characters. Cynthia only has one very short scene, but it's enough to make you mourn what happens to her. Joe is gruff and prickly, but his love for his wife gets readers past the prickles, and I can guarantee that the old man will have you cheering out loud before the end of the book. Simone is a long-time victim of abuse, and she's so real that you don't know whether you want to hug her or shake some sense into her-- but she'll surprise you more than once before you can make up your mind. I've only mentioned three of the characters in Tahoe Chase, but they aren't alone. Good guy or bad guy, you can visualize them all, hear them in your head, and react to them.

Of course Owen McKenna (and Spot) are the very best characters of them all. Spot is the best four-legged sidekick in crime fiction, and he does it without going all ninja psychic or talking in italics. He's a dog, and as far as I'm concerned he can sprawl across my lap any time. (I may need help to move afterwards though.) As for Owen... if I weren't happily married, I'd be headed up to Lake Tahoe to find him. As an ex-cop, he has an excellent working relationship with local law enforcement-- and the way he treats each person he's with as well as the way he listens to them... okay... I'm feeling all knotted up here. I think I wrapped myself around someone's finger again.

The added extras are numerous. The Lake Tahoe setting, complete with dazzling word pictures and a bit of history. You learn a bit about how new ski resorts are created and built, as well as a bit about skiing. Want to find out where you are by reading a compass and topographical maps? You'll learn a bit about that, too. Every added extra is there for a reason. Each builds suspense. Each gives you a tool so that you can deduce what's going to happen. The pace in this book doesn't grab you by the throat in chapter one and throw your exhausted body out the door at book's end. No, the pace builds gradually-- perhaps in deference to the 92-year-old man who is at the book's heart. The book moves steadily and surely to one dynamic chase scene, and when you've turned the last page, you'll have a smile on your face.

If you get the impression that I love these books, you would be correct. I've read four books in this eleven-book series. All four have been "Wow" books for me. I've never had this happen before, but oh, am I ever enjoying it.

Tahoe Chase by Todd Borg

ISBN: 9781931296212

Thriller Press © 2013

Paperback, 351 pages

Private Investigator, #11 Owen McKenna mystery

Rating: A+

Source: the author 

Tahoe Trap by Todd Borg

First Line: Paco Ipar awoke to the night fear.

When private detective Owen McKenna answers his phone at 6:30 AM, a young boy's voice cries out, "Help me!" Getting as much information from the terrified child as he can, Owen contacts the police before he and his Harlequin Great Dane, Spot, jump in the Jeep in an effort to locate Paco.

They find him in the forested mountains not far from Lake Tahoe. Paco witnessed his foster mother's murder, and the only way he could escape the notice of the killers was to hide in the back of their truck. Miracle of miracles, Paco managed to escape-- but now there are two hired thugs from Las Vegas looking for him so they can tie up loose ends.

Neither Paco, an illegal immigrant, nor McKenna have the slightest idea why the two killers are after the boy, but McKenna realizes that the killers are not going to stop until their job is done. The only way the detective can see to put an end to the boy's terror is to set a trap... with Paco as bait. This trap is the ultimate in high risk because if McKenna's plan goes wrong, the boy will die.

I know this book is published by Thriller Press, and I know it's listed as a thriller, but that seems such a misnomer. Perhaps I'll start a new subgenre: Thriller with Heart, because Tahoe Trap (and all the other books in the series) have plenty of it. The plots are high octane and the action is faster than a cheetah on speed, but those elements never, ever assume more importance than the characters.

As a former homicide detective, McKenna has a good working relationship with the local police, and he helps them whenever he can. He has a steady relationship with an intelligent, attractive entomologist, and no one has a better sidekick than the Harlequin Great Dane (His Largeness himself), Spot. What makes this tenth book in the series so special is that, for an intense period of time, a child becomes an important part of McKenna's life-- something McKenna doesn't care for at all.

One of my favorite comedians, W.C. Fields, is credited with saying, "Never work with children or animals." McKenna has already broken that rule once with Spot and lived to tell the tale (several times), but Borg's decision to have him deal with Paco is a piece of genius. Paco has learned to be distrustful of people; more often than not he uses an extensive repertoire of shrugs instead of speech. And right now, the only other living being he seems to place any trust in at all is Spot. Everyone McKenna turns to tells him that he's the best person to care for the boy. McKenna-- the man who's never wanted children.

I think I smiled through all the scenes in which McKenna interacts with Paco. He uses a combination of close observation to discover what makes the boy tick and common sense: treat the boy as an intelligent human being. Tell him what's going on. Give him some say in the decision-making process. Paco's been through a lot. He needs to feel as though he's got some measure of control over his own life. McKenna may not want children, but he genuinely cares about people, so he does just fine.

The villain of this piece is sickening, and although some readers may take offense at McKenna using a child as bait in a trap, you have to know that, with characters like Owen and Spot, everything will turn out well.

How well? I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book and find out for yourself. If you're anything like my husband and me, you're going to find yourself reading all the rest of the books in the series, too.

Tahoe Trap by Todd Borg

Thriller Press  ©2012

ISBN: 9781931296205

Paperback, 351 pages

Genre: Thriller, #10 Owen McKenna

Rating: A+

Source: Author

Tahoe Hijack by Todd Borg

Title: Tahoe Hijack
Author: Todd Borg
ISBN: 9781931296199
Publisher: Thriller Press, 2011
Paperback, 349 pages
Genre: Thriller, Private Detective, #9 Owen McKenna mystery
Rating: A+
Source: the author

First Line: When the yacht rounded Rubicon Point, the man lifted his flask of Irish whiskey, took a last sip of Celtic fire, and exhaled hard.

A yacht giving tourists a close-up view of Lake Tahoe is hijacked, and the hijacker insists on speaking to private detective Owen McKenna. Before he dies, he tells McKenna the identity of the killer in an unsolved murder case that the P.I. had worked before he left the San Francisco Police Department. As McKenna starts looking into the cold case, he finds himself dealing with a woman in hiding, a militia group, and a quest for treasure that dates back to the Gold Rush.

I'd often meant to sample this series, mainly because of the setting of Lake Tahoe, which I fell in love with on a family vacation when I was ten. Given the opportunity to read the latest book in the series, this stickler for reading-all-series-in-order caved in... and I'm glad I did. Beginning to read Tahoe Hijack is a bit like floor boarding a race car and-- just as you get up to speed-- finding out the steering and brakes don't work. The book is so fast-paced that I could only pick up some of the clues as I read, which left plenty of room for surprises all the way to the end.

The setting of Lake Tahoe certainly didn't disappoint either, but characterization shone even more brightly than the setting and plot. Owen McKenna is just the type of character I like: he cares deeply, to the point where he gets tied up in knots if he feels he's put someone in harm's way. He doesn't take chances just for the sake of an adrenaline rush; he likes to think things through but also thinks well on his feet when the occasion requires it. I also think I've found my favorite canine character: Owen's Harlequin Great Dane, Spot (often referred to as "your largeness").

Did this stickler for order regret starting this series at the end? Not at all. Tahoe Hijack stands alone very well. I really wish I'd gotten to this series earlier, but at least I know I have a treat in store for me as I go back and read the earlier books. If you like beautiful settings, a complex, fast-moving plot, and a main character who lives and breathes on the page, I'd urge you to read Todd Borg's Owen McKenna series.

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