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Andrea Jacka

Author of One for Another

2 Works 9 Members 5 Reviews

Works by Andrea Jacka

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DYING GRASS MOON is the 2nd book in the Hennessey Reed Mystery Series, following on from ONE FOR ANOTHER. Set in the early 1800's in Idaho in the USA, Hennessy Reed is a bordello madam, amateur sleuth, hidden mother, astounding woman and an absolute force to be reckoned with.

In this outing, a reclusive family has been shot dead, dumped on the outskirts of town in a murder that could be because of their religious / cult beliefs or it could simply be random. Encouraged by past success as an amateur sleuth, Reed sets off on a hunt for the murderer, right behind Raff Cooper much to his annoyance initially, until they discover another identical mass murder, and finally manage to pool resources - always with a hint of it all about to kick off simmering away.

She's a tricky person Reed - a secretive, ruthless businesswoman who cares deeply for those close to her, is as stubborn as hell, addicted to laudanum and Irish whiskey, and utterly determined. Her sidekicks include her faithful, ever-present wolfhound Raven, and Cooper - a US Marshall. Cooper's also a love interest but as you'd expect from this series, there's nothing straightforward about their relationship.

The dialogue styling and characters in this book are straight out of traditional Western's and as a female lead character, Hennessy Reed's a ripper. She's not perfect by any means, but boy is she relatable, and the situations she finds herself in fit perfectly with the personality type. The idea that not everyone here is perfect works really well, and that, the dialogue and the sense of time and place make the setting and scenarios feel very real. There's tension aplenty, and whilst the plot in this one's possibly not as strong as the first, doesn't mean there's no forward impetus for the reader.

Jacka does a good job at filling in Reed's backstory in this outing, but if the concept appeals, it's well worth reading both.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/dying-grass-moon-andrea-jacka
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austcrimefiction | 1 other review | Nov 1, 2022 |
Dying Grass Moon by Andrea Jacka
Hennessey Reed Mystery Series #2

The writing style of this book requires patience. It reminds me of reading The Scarlet Letter in high school because that, too, required patience. Once I got into the flow of the words and the writing style I was taken into the era, the thought processes of Hennessey and saw a story unfolding that was quite unlike any other I have read. Well, it was also LIKE other stories I have read but still quite special in its own way.

What I liked:
* Hennessey: complex, intriguing, difficult to like but also difficult to dislike, businesswoman, secretive, cares deeply, uses addictions to buffer memories and hide, stubborn, and I want to get to know her better.
* Raff: police keeper, intriguing, complex, loves Hennessey, resolute, capable, lethal, interesting backstory, skilled, focused, and someone I would like to get to know better.
* Walsh: lawyer but more than a lawyer, secretive, dedicated to his work, someone you would rather have with than against you.
* The twisty turns of the story and where it took me
* The way clues were shared with the reader
* The setting and plot
* The town and the townspeople
* That romance was in the air for some in the story
* That it felt real and carried me away
* That the bad guys were people I could understand but still find despicable
* That it was different and drew me in
* That the story was told from two perspectives: Hennessey in first person and Raff from third.
* That not everybody “good” survived
* That I cared about the characters and would like to meet up with them again in the future.

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly what and whom I was meant not to like.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more in this series? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Red River Pony Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars
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CathyGeha | 1 other review | Sep 8, 2021 |
A mystery set in 1880's Idaho with a bordello madam Hennessy Reed at the centre of it, that has a lot going for it. I know....

Hennessey Reed is a bordello madam with a liking for laudanum, irish whiskey and the local marshal. Although they keep that last one on the quiet as much as possible. Reed is more than a bit annoyed when her 3 young girls are murdered near her town, Melancholy, where she's part come to hide out and start again. When her own daughter goes missing, she's into the hunt, whether US Marshal Rafael Cooper likes it or not, and she's convinced that a threat from the past - the awful Jedidiah Cannon - is behind these killings.

Armed with a Bowie knife strapped to her calf, with faithful wolfhound Raven at her side, as the blurb puts it she becomes a one-woman stampede. And you can really believe that's exactly what Hennessey Reed would become when anybody is wronged on her watch. Needless to say Reed is the stand out of this novel. Strong, determined, bolshie and independent, this madam-come-avenger is a tremendous character with considerable ongoing series potential. Sure there's a tendency for this novel to get overly wordy at points, and the overtness of the threat and the white hat / bad hat obviousness needs dialling back a bit, along with some tweakage to the flow of dialogue and plot to help achieve a more overall pace consistency, but they are mostly minor irritations that could be easily resolved, and might not even be an issue if you're more of a fan of historical styled novels than fast paced crime fiction.

At the heart of ONE FOR ANOTHER, the standouts, however, are the great character of Reed, the strong supporting cast around her, and the interesting scenario into which those characters are placed. Tighten the delivery up and you can't help but feel there's something very good coming our way.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/one-another-andrea-jacka
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austcrimefiction | 2 other reviews | Jun 19, 2019 |
One For Another by Andrea Jacka

Idaho Territory in the era this story was written still had Indian raids as well as settlers and prospectors looking for gold. In remote and larger towns there were businesses that catered to the needs of those living in the vicinity and Hennessey Reed was the proprietor of the Fleur-de-lis – in her own words: a cathouse, bordello, house-of-ill-repute, den of iniquity, place of solace. She is the madam and has a group of women selling liquor and flesh to those that come to buy. The patrons are varied and quirky as are many of the characters in this story.

Ness is a woman that is as different as the rest of those peopling Melancholy, Idaho. She lost her entire immediate family at the age of six and how they died has that left her with rather unsettling memories and flashbacks. In addition she sees apparitions, has an addiction, works in a profession many look down on, and keeps personal secrets that increase her mystery. Marshal Rafael “Raff” Cooper is another interesting character that seems to know Ness better than most. He has history with her that is only alluded to for the most part. He is part Indian but in a position of power – something different for the time and the location.

Into town slithers evil and when the first body of a young girl is found the unveiling of multiple heinous murders begins. Who is killing young girls and why? Will they find the murderer and be able to impart justice or will the murderer continue killing in a painful sordid way?

The writing reminds me of novels of the past with more description than modern books tend to have. I believe someone who has nothing on their mind and wants to sink into a historical novel rich with phrases that paint pictures in the mind might fall in love with this book. I have to say that today was not the day for me to read this book but I have a feeling that if I were to pick it up in a month and have nothing else to contemplate this story would be one I would sink into and truly enjoy. My takeaway today is that I wished that I had learned more about Hennessey between the time she was six and the time that this book takes place. I think I might have preferred either a straight-line story or flashbacks that told more of the backstories of Ness and Raff. That said, if this is to be a series then perhaps more will be unveiled in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Red River Pony Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars
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½
 
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CathyGeha | 2 other reviews | Sep 4, 2018 |

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