The Murder List by Hank Phillip Ryan

My latest audio book was The Murder List by Hank Phillipi Ryan. This book was nominated for an Agatha Award this year.



About: "Law student Rachel North is the ultimate reliable narrator--she will tell you, without hesitation, what she knows to be true. She's smart, she's a hard worker, she does the right thing. She's successfully married to a faithful and devoted husband, a lion of Boston's defense bar. And her internship with the powerful District Attorney's office is her ticket to a successful future. 
Problem is--she's wrong. 

Rachel. Jack. Martha. Who is next on The Murder List?
And in this cat and mouse game--the battle for justice becomes a battle for survival.

The Murder List is a new standalone suspense novel in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and B. A. Paris, (and of the intense legal thrillers from John Grisham and Scott Turow), from award-winning author and reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan."

As above, Rachel is a law student married to Jack Kirkland who is a very good and popular defense attorney in Boston. When Rachel is picked to intern with Martha Gardner, Jack is adamant that she not work with Martha. They have a history in the courtroom that he cannot overlook. Rachel convinces him this a good opportunity for her and she can handle Martha.

As the story progresses, we find out more about Rachel and her previous job as an assistant to a Senator. Before she met Jack. Before she went to law school. When one of the other assistants in the office is murdered, the Senator's wife is put on trial for the murder but is found innocent. Jack is her lawyer. Jack and Rachel meet and begin dating, eventually getting married.

Rachel works with Martha on a murder case. Martha is ruthless and doesn't like to loose. Seems like as a prosecuting attorney, she doesn't really care if the person on trial is innocent or guilty, she just wants to win.

The author goes back and forth between these two stories, weaving them together. There are some things that seem strange, but then explained. Just as you become mesmerized, something big happens and took me by surprise.

I did like the book. The audio book was really good because the narrator was so good. Her voice could place doubt and questions in your mind. At some point, I wondered when something was going to happen, or else it was kind of just an o.k. story. The mesmerizing part. But the ending was very suspenseful and fast paced.

I had also read Trust Me last year by the same author. I may have liked it a bit better, but I am certainly a fan of Hank Phillip Ryan. I would recommend this book if you like thrillers and suspense.

What I read. What I am going to read and a few "shiny objects".

I finished books 2 and 3 in the Chantilly Adair series by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson, last week.
Ghosts are People Too and Pray for Peace. Both are short, cozy, paranormal mysteries with some pretty humorous characters.

 

I have several "read and reviews" up for the next couple of weeks, and I will tell you how I like them as I finish them. Three are new authors to me. One is the last book in a series by a known author to me.

Broken Windows by Janet Pywell will be the last and final book in the Mikky Dos Santos thriller series.


Killing Time by Suzanne Trauth. This is book 6 in the Dodie O'Dell mystery series. New to me. Cozy.


Blood Under Cherry Blossoms by T.J. Holz New to me. Says it is a cozy but I don't think so.



Death at High Tide by Hannah Dennison. Island Sisters Mystery #1. New to me. Can't go wrong with a cat and a castle looking house on a cliff. Cozy.


Witch this Way by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson Book 2 in A Holiday Hills Witch Cozy Mystery series.


Plenty to read, right? Oh I am listening to The Murder List by Hank Phillipi Ryan. A thriller.



We had our first official Mystery Book Club meeting over Webex last week. So glad we are able to do this now. No one knows when we will be able to meet in person at the library. They did start curb side check out but they are not open yet. We discussed Where the Crawdads Sing. I think everyone enjoyed the story but some thought it was a little far fetched. But it is a story after all.

I still haven't gone out much. I have been to the grocery store once a week. Got to go over to work and retrieve a few things from our desks, since they are not going to open yet. We are working from home. We had to schedule it, wear a mask, read the info. in the lobby, temperature scan and we had 30 minutes only. No one else there on my floor at the same time. I still kind of forget all this until I walk in the store and everyone has on masks. It actually takes me aback for a minute. So odd not to see a persons whole face. I liked the guy who had a t-shirt partially pulled over his head but covering his nose and mouth and then part of the top of his head, like he was putting it on and then stopped. He did have a shirt on his upper body too. Anyway it was comical but it worked.

I was looking for something of a certain height to set my cat's food dishes on and found I had all of these books in a book shelf. SHINY OBJECTS. I had to look at them all and forgot about the cat dishes I set up on the counter. I am thinking I want to read several of these stories after I finish the above. Did you say "Yeah right?" lol I used to subscribe to Readers's Digest - condensed book selections,  and I saved these I guess. Lots of good mysteries there.

Happy to have plenty to read to escape from all the things going on. That's why many of us read so much, right?

The Genetic Detective on ABC

I don't know why I didn't think to mention this t.v. show here.

The Genetic Detective is a true crime television show about cold cases. Sorry, it started two weeks ago, but you can watch the first two episodes on demand. I knew about it from my genealogy group because DNA is used in genealogy and it is a popular topic for genealogists. When I watched the second episode last night - from last week - I realized there may be mystery true crime readers that would like this show.

https://abc.com/shows/the-genetic-detective/about-the-show

It is on Tuesdays (yes tonight) at 9 p.m. cst. A new episode shows tonight and there is one scheduled for next week also. I can't find information on how many episodes there are going to be but it is called Season One.

About:
"ABC News' all-new series, "The Genetic Detective," follows investigative genetic genealogist CeCe Moore as she uses her unique research skills to transform the face of crime solving. By working with police departments and crime scene DNA, Moore is able to trace the path of a violent criminal's family tree to reveal their identity and help bring them to justice."

I have seen CeCe on Finding Your Roots, which is one of the shows that is about tracing your family tree. They feature prominent people such as actors and authors and trace their family trees for them, often finding some very interesting stories. CeCe also helps people find people looking for relatives. I think I have mentioned, genealogy is my other hobby. It certainly is a mystery.

Cece Moore: "CeCe Moore is a genetic genealogist who has appeared as a guest on many TV shows and as a consultant on others such as Finding Your Roots. She has helped law enforcement agencies in identifying suspects in over 50 cold cases in one year using DNA and genetic genealogy."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CeCe_Moore

The Dry by Jane Harper or 2020...Could it get any worse?

As I went outside I was reminded of the book The Dry by Jane Harper.

We have Covid 19, protests and worse riots and looting.

Now we are having record breaking heat in Central Texas. 100 degrees F for two days and then high 90's. I looked at the 10 day and 20 day forecast. Nothing below 96 degrees for all of June. Too much too early.

Ok. It is the beginning of June. Let's see what we have for mysteries coming up on t.v.

Sunday June 14th 8 p.m. central time

Grantchester returns for Season 5.

"Fast forward: It’s 1957, and Will has finally settled into his role as the vicar of Grantchester, preaching to a packed and adoring congregation. His best friend, Detective Inspector Geordie Keating, has come to accept his wife Cathy’s commitment to her job – well, just about. Mrs C. happily (and deftly) juggles her roles as the vicarage housekeeper and as a well-to-do married woman. And after a trip to Marrakech, even Leonard has managed to carve out some happiness with Daniel, in secret. 

“The main theme that goes through the season is this idea of ‘Eden’,” said Grantchester star Tom Brittney. “Harold Macmillan [British Prime Minister, 1957-1963] was saying at that time in the fifties that Britain had never had it so good. But in actual truth, underneath, there is always this dark side bubbling, and no more than in the village of Grantchester.”

From a student’s misadventure at one of the local colleges, a hit-and-run that leads them to a secret garden, a murder in a cinema, a death at a controversial drug trial and more, crime never truly stops in Grantchester. As the season goes on, Will’s faith and Geordie’s patience will be thoroughly tested as they are reminded once more that there’s always darkness lurking in their little corner of Cambridgeshire."

The six episodes will bring us to July 19. And then we have to wait until August 9 for Endeavor.

What about Hallmark Movies and Mysteries? I could not believe my eyes.

No new Hallmark Mystery Movies until January 5, 2021. How can this be? Maybe they had to halt filming because of The Thing? (that's a movie isn't it? Oh this whole year is going to have to be made into a movie.)

That's it. That's all they've got. Who would have thought we would get hit with another blow. Can't really travel. Too hot to go outside here. Can't really go downtown...too much going on with all the unrest. And now no mysteries for the summer. Huh.

I saw a funny on FB that basically said "I am going to hang some lights, put up the tree, stick a turkey in the oven and call 2020 over." 

I agree. Stick a fork in me. I am done.