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Death Investigator Angela Richman, Book 1

Angela Richman is a death investigator in the upper crust neighborhood known as The Forest. While investigating two very different cases – the death of an elderly bachelor, which Angela is convinced is accidental, and the death of a local teen in a drag racing incident, Angela is virtually crippled by what she believes is a migraine. One serious misdiagnosis and almost three weeks la cocky neurosurgeon. And when the doc that sent her home the first time around is murdered, Angela’s savior is the prime suspect.

While we’ve certainly seen death investigations carried out by medical examiners and such, this new series from Elaine Viets is the first to feature an actual death investigator.

I do love the idea of a death investigator as the protagonist in this series. Frankly, I’m amazed we haven’t actually seen it before. Angela is called to the scene of any death that doesn’t occur under medical care. It’s her job to photograph, collect, and collate evidence that may be linked to the death or help the medical examiner and police in determining cause of death. And While Angela is a respected member of the community, her attention to detail and her unwillingness to let the standing of some of her neighbors affect her investigations definitely creates some tension between her and other local law enforcement. And even while hospitalized and fighting for her life, the investigator still manages to ruffle more than a few feathers.

Interestingly, this first outing is based heavily in Viets’s own experiences back in 2007, when the author (as Angela does) suffered a series of strokes after being sent home under the guise of being “too young and fit to have a stroke.”

Brain Storm certainly isn’t cozy, but I’m sure Viets’s long time fans will find much to enjoy in this darker series first.

10/16 Becky LeJeune

BRAIN STORM by Elaine Viets. Thomas & Mercer (August 2, 2016).  ISBN 978-1503936317. 320p.

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Body Farm Novel, Book 10

In this tenth entry into the popular Body Farm series, forensic anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton has a new case.

Bones were found in a field near a tree with a chain attached to it. It is not a complete skeleton, and identification is not going to be easy, but with forensics and some good detective work, Brockton soon realizes that a young man met a gruesome death that was probably a hate crime.

But things get worse before they get better when the serial killer he helped put away escapes from prison, motivated by revenge. On a lighter note, Brockton’s beloved assistant has finally completed her dissertation and is looking for a new job, leaving him bereft.

This is a dark, suspenseful story with enough forensics to please any fan of the genre. The science is fascinating and never slows the story, due to the skill of the forensic/writer partnership known as Jefferson Bass. Fans of Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell should enjoy Without Mercy, as well as the rest of Body Farm series.

Copyright ©2016 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

10/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

WITHOUT MERCY by Jefferson Bass. William Morrow (October 4, 2016).  ISBN 978-0062363190. 352p.

Kindle

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A Ryder Creed Novel, Book 3

Ryder Creed has an elite K-9 business of search and rescue dogs. Hannah runs the business end and Ryder is the trainer, and that includes training new dog handlers like Jason, an amputee veteran. One of Creed’s dogs finds the body of a young girl who had gone missing, but also finds some dead birds.

There is a new strain of bird flu, and unfortunately it is affecting more than just birds. Homeland Security is after a doctor who has gone rogue and seems to have disappeared into thin air. There are several suspicious deaths, so when an infected person turns herself in, along with a mysterious flash drive, that helps tie everything together.

Creed’s dogs are trained to detect certain cancers and other illnesses, so he is asked to train them to detect the deadly virus, but the government doesn’t seem overly concerned about putting the dogs at risk. There are a lot of moving parts to this fast paced story and Kava brings them altogether by the end. This third book in the Creed series is sure to please fans.

Copyright ©2016 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

RECKLESS CREED by Alex Kava. G.P. Putnam’s Sons (September 27, 2016).  ISBN 978-0399170782. 336p.

Kindle

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A Maisie McGrane Mystery, Book 3

Maisie McGrane is an undercover cop in Chicago – so deep undercover, her large, Irish family of cops and lawyers don’t even know. When there’s an assassination attempt on the mayor, the ATF and DEA want to use Maisie’s connections to infiltrate a dangerous gun and drug cartel in the city.

Meanwhile she’s recovering from some serious wounds, which she tends to forget about. But when her brother is shot, she loses sight of her mission and puts herself in more danger, not to mention her family may end up accidentally blowing her cover.

Her boyfriend is out of the country, and agent Lee Sharpe is trying to move in, complicating things further. This fast moving story has some comedic moments sprinkled throughout, but it is much darker comedy than the oft-compared Janet Evanovich.

This third entry into the series offers little in the way of back-story, making it almost impossible to figure out who’s who, what’s going on, and why we should care, without having read the first two.

Copyright ©2016 Booklist, a division of the American Library Association.

9/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

SHOOT ‘EM UP by Janey Mack. Kensington (September 27, 2016).  ISBN 978-1617736940. 352p.

Kindle