Roger Stelljes

Some good, some bad, and (you guessed it) some in between

Deadly Stillwater is the story of Detective Mac McRyan and the rest of the St. Paul Police Chief’s ‘boys’ and their efforts to solve a double kidnapping. Unfortunately, my review will be all over the map, as there are parts of this book that are extremely well done, parts that are mediocre, and parts that I simply did not care for.

The good news first. I found the suspense in this story to be outstanding. In part, this is due to show more the heinous nature of the crime. But even so, the author did an admirable job of keeping my stomach in a knot, as the finale approached relentlessly. The pacing was excellent. There are really no downtimes, although there is some seemingly unnecessary repetition of ideas.

In the so-so bucket, I would put character development. Many of the characters were largely stereotypes, making them and some of the dialog feel stale in places. But, the players were generally likable, if not all that real. Parts of the plot were also a bit high on the unbelievability scale, such as a programmer hacking multiple secure databases and creating complex data correlations on the fly. Consequently, I found myself thinking ‘yeah, right’ from time to time. But overall, the level of exaggeration was acceptable as a spice that complements the stew, rather than overpowering it.

The bad news, in my mind, was the concept of a hand-picked set of detectives, “the chief’s boys” as they were known, who worked outside the law. I’d like to say that this team of detectives was presented as antiheros, but the feel of the book was more in the vein of ‘the ends justify the means.’ While I have enjoyed some novels where the protagonist dispensed justice when he/she had no faith in the judicial system, the boys found the law too cumbersome during their investigations, i.e., do whatever’s necessary to find the bad guys. I have a hard time seeing this idea as heroic and this distaste tended to taint the story for me.

So, overall, if you are OK with a vigilante style of criminal investigation, Deadly Stillwater weaves a tense, well-paced yarn with somewhat stereotypic characters. show less

A novella as a prequel sets the stage for a riveting series with Michael McKenzie "Mac" McRyan. Michael is from a long line of police officers with the St. Paul Police Department in Minnesota. He planned a different professional life as an attorney until his loss of two (2) cousins changed his outlook. "First Case: Murder Alley" is quite an appropriate title as we learn that after Mac's four (4) years as a cop, he now views the crime scene in an alley behind a local bar as his 1st case as a show more homicide detective. As we've learned Mac's background, it becomes even more interesting that the murder victim is a trial lawyer at a high-profile law firm that Mac once interviewed at after law school.

The twists and turns in the murder investigation make this an engaging, page-turning read that I would have stayed up to finish reading regardless of the chapter and/or page count. As the author is an attorney by day and an author by night, there is an authenticity that can't be ignored.

A policeman or policewoman's life of service has never been easy. Still, it seems even more difficult with each passing year for the officer and their families. Too often, the news media only shares the stories of corruption or police brutality; sadly, there is more public derision than benevolence. This novella reminds us of their humanity, commitment, and diligence in seeking justice, particularly for those that no longer have a voice and their families and friends who will never forget.

I look forward to continuing to read this series. show less

Riveting crime thriller.

First in a series, this introduces Agent Tori Hunter of the FBI returning to Minnesota where she grew up. Lured by a newspaper clipping sent to her via mail, Tori goes back home in hopes of finding out what happened to her identical twin sister 20 years ago. Although not on the job, she partners with a local detective, Will Braddock, as he investigates a missing person case involving a local woman who disappeared off a lonely backroad.

This was super good and I could show more barely put it down. Although quite a bit lengthier than is typical, I was intrigued and quickly invested in the characters and the plot. I liked Tori and many of the others in that small town. The red herrings tantalized and kept me guessing as I tried to figure out who the bad guy was. I'm excited because I really would like to read more books featuring Tori Hunter and I see many are available. I typically avoid series and prefer standalones, but I think I may need to make an exception with these. A solid and suspenseful mystery.

I was lucky and got to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. I liked the narrator who did a great job voicing the characters with the appropriate amount of dramatic flair. The experience definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. show less

Action packed crime thriller!

Even though this is the 7th book in the series and only the second installment I’ve read (just #1), I can say that this is definitely one of the better ones out there. I enjoyed the plot and how the investigation came together with all of its twists and turns. I like the characters, especially Tori Hunter and Chief Detective Braddock. Despite the gap between 1 and 7, I never felt lost as there was plenty of backstory and I was able to catch up quickly.

Though show more this involves domestic terrorism and also a few other issues like embezzlement and kidnapping, it all flows well and moves quickly. I like the writing style and also the vivid descriptions of the Minnesota weather and the lakes areas.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while following along in the e-book ARC (both provided by the publishers) and I highly recommend you do that if you can. The narrator did a great job voicing all the characters and adding an appropriate amount of dramatic flair to the story. Listening while reading definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

Can’t wait for the next in series. Only sorry that I missed 2 through 6! I’ve given up on many series lately but I’m making an exception with this one. show less