The Murder Notebook

What's that you say? This book isn't even out yet? Why, you're absolutely correct! I received it from the Early Reviewers Group on Library Thing! You can request books in advance of publication, to read and review. Some people say they have never received a book, but I've received one every single month that I've requested one!

I really enjoyed this book. I don't think I would have ever picked it up in a bookstore, although I'm not sure why. I think it has something to do with the cover, all the blood...? I'm usually not a mystery, and certainly not a gory type of reader. So I may have passed this one by. However, having recieved it from the Early Reviewers group, I felt I should give it a try.

It's a story about a police sketch artist, show more and how he helps solve cases with his drawings. His girlfriend, a homicide detective, is trying to solve a big case and he's called in. Other characters include his mother, a therapist, and his dead father, a cop whose death he seems to feel responsible for. There's plenty here for readers like me who seek out books mostly about the complexities of relationships and how they play out in our lives. Throw in a dash of suspense, and you'll be up all night!

I know some readers will be turned off by the combination of the storyline and the sketch drawings that pepper the book. I can hear some of my fellow readers now saying that it's "gimmicky" and another way to stand out from the rest of the mystery crowd. It didn't bother me; in fact, the drawings were wonderful and helped me in my imaginings of the characters. I know, I know, though - some people like their own imaginings, thank you very much. At most, it would be a very minor criticism of a great book. show less

I seem to be unable to read Jonathan Santlofer’s books in order. It is my own fault, of course. Fortunately, The Murder Notebook, the second book featuring police sketch artist, Nate Rodriguez, stands well on its own. Having read Colorblind by the same author several years ago, I had kept meaning to read something else by him, however, the time was never right. When this novel was offered on Library Thing’s Early Reviewer Program, how could I resist the opportunity? From the start, I could tell I was in for a wild ride.

Asked to help reconstruct the face of a murder victim that had been burned in an effort to cover up a murder, Nate Rodriguez could not be more eager to put his forensic anthropology skills to the test. However, the show more recent unsolved murder of a college student has the New York Police Department in a noose that is growing tighter and tighter as the media and public demand resolution. Nate, having assisted the homicide unit in solving a major case not too long ago, is pulled into the current investigation. Both he and his girlfriend, Terri Russo, the leader of the task force to catch the murderer, are reluctant about working together at first, but as events unfold, the two prove to be well matched.

With another man brutally murdered, the stakes grow even higher. The pieces of the puzzle do not seem to fit. With the threat of the FBI getting involved, Terri knows she must search out the answers and fast. The victims seem to have nothing in common and when their killers begin dying as well, the puzzle only grows more complicated.

Nate Rodriguez is settling into himself. He is struggling with guilt and the role he believes he played in his father’s death. He is on the outside, never quite fitting in with the other homicide cops. Nate is stubborn, a characteristic which plays into the fact that he does not give up easily, especially when walls are thrown up to thwart his efforts. Terri Russo has worked hard to earn her position as lead of the task force. She knows her position is precarious in a male dominated field. She takes her lumps and does the best she knows how.

Both characters are complex, and the author appears to have taken great care in making them as authentic as possible. The attention to detail and the descriptions of facial expressions give away the author’s artistic nature. In addition, the artwork throughout the book adds an extra dimension to the novel as a whole as well as to Nate’s character, some of the sketches helping the story along more than others.

Jonathan Santlofer creates an edgy and thought provoking novel. While at times it seems unbelievable, the story is not so far off reality as we may want to believe. The author combines careful research with and an entertaining fictional story. The Murder Notebook lived up to my expectations. It definitely was one wild ride. show less

Jonathan Santlofer is not only a great story teller but also a very good artist. He creates a refreshing blend of interesting reading mixed with artwork. It really gives you a feel for what the main character Nate Rodriguez is seeing as he progresses during the events of the book. Sometimes these are the things I wish to be able to see when I am reading a novel. When the main character sees some medallion or is describing something intricate. I would like to actually see the picture of the object. The story for the Murder Notebook was not the greatest, but it was engrossing because of the inventiveness of the combination of art and dialogue. I would recommend this one to people who are interested in crime novels. I give this one a 3.5.

I read a fair amount in this genre and found this one to be a pretty routine police procedural except for the addition of the art which enhanced the story a great deal. It was clear from various interactions early in the book that this was a continuation of a series and some of the relationships between the characters had been defined in an early book.

The basic story is that of a police sketch artist, Nate Rodriguez, and his detective girlfriend, Terri Russo as they work together to solve a high profile murder. Subplots involve the death of Nate’s father, his relationship with his mother and predictions by his Santeria-faithful grandmother.

Most of this book was very predictable if professional, but the addition of the graphic show more renderings of Nate’s sketches made it exciting to someone who loves the genre and is interested in ways in which it can be expanded. Hopefully, Mr. Santlofer’s plotting and writing prowess will continue to improve to equal his artistic capabilities. show less

I really liked the concept of a semi-graphic novel with a police sketch artist as the main character, and a mystery genre story line. However, while I enjoyed the artwork, it was much more of a middling mystery book that seemed to belabor the obvious with some nice illustrations. I had hoped for a more "I'm an artist and this is my journal" where the reader would get much more visual impact.

I like my mysteries noir-ish, or twisty, or clever, and the story and writing just weren't as engaging as I would have liked.

Really enjoyed this book!! I love the character of Nick and his ability as a forensic sketch artist. The first part of the book seems slow because there is no connection among the cases they are working on, but once you make the connection, wow! It really moves.One thing that makes this such a good book is the fact that this stuff really happens. It is scary to think about what the government actually does. This is his second novel of visual suspense and I love that added touch!!

First thing: I love receiving the Early reviewer books. Second thing: I am very picky about noir and mistery.
So here we have the main character who is a nice guy. A very nice guy. Sure, he had his share of problems, drugs, family matters and so on, but he is still a nice guy. Maybe he's a nice guy because of those problems. Anyways, the author makes sure that we know Rodriguez is a nice guy, like, every other page. It's irritating. Still, the book is not bad, if somewhat slow at the beginning. Around chapter 30, things start to happen. There are homicides followed by suicide of the murderer. Too many to be coincidence. Rodriguez, the nice guy, is a sketcher for the police, his girlfriend is a cop, the work in team, but soon the truth is show more too hot too handle, and the bad guys are where you least expect them...or maybe not?
The author makes his opinion about politics pretty clear, which I like. There are maybe too many leads, including a grandmather dedited to santeria, strange dreams, and a subplot about Rodriguez's father's death.
Apparently I missed the first chapter of this saga. It's possible that, reading it, everything would be more clear.
As I said the book is not bad, decently written, catchy enough. But still, something is missing. show less