I've been reading this series in order. Typically give 3-star reviews. Not great literature but usually a fast, often intriguing read. The serial slayings in the Twin Cities and the disappearance of a small town vet ultimately end up being connected. Initially, it was interesting but the resolution was somewhat unsatisfying.
Grace, a member of the Monkeewrench crew, is very guarded with people because of childhood trauma. She and Mpls. detective Leo Magozzi have a rather "weird" relationship--Grace stays pretty closed off but Magozzi is head over heels for her and apparently is willing to settle for whatever Grace is willing to give. I believe it was in Book 6 that they consummated their relationship and Grace became pregnant. I'm assuming the next book will be the birth of the child.
POSSIBLE SPOILER: The disappearance of the veterinarian happened in southern MN, not far from the IA border. An African lion had escaped from a sanctuary a few years earlier and was still loose in the area. Walt, the vet's father, would occasionally see the lion. Even with global warming, it's unlikely (per a Google search I did) that an African lion could survive a typical MN winter. They would likely freeze to death because of their body composition and thin fur. It just seemed to be rather silly to even have this in the book. If the author was going for some kind of symbolism, she could have done so in a more believable way. She could have used a wolf--wolves exist in MN, although usually in the northern half of the state but some have roamed farther south.
Grace, a member of the Monkeewrench crew, is very guarded with people because of childhood trauma. She and Mpls. detective Leo Magozzi have a rather "weird" relationship--Grace stays pretty closed off but Magozzi is head over heels for her and apparently is willing to settle for whatever Grace is willing to give. I believe it was in Book 6 that they consummated their relationship and Grace became pregnant. I'm assuming the next book will be the birth of the child.
POSSIBLE SPOILER: The disappearance of the veterinarian happened in southern MN, not far from the IA border. An African lion had escaped from a sanctuary a few years earlier and was still loose in the area. Walt, the vet's father, would occasionally see the lion. Even with global warming, it's unlikely (per a Google search I did) that an African lion could survive a typical MN winter. They would likely freeze to death because of their body composition and thin fur. It just seemed to be rather silly to even have this in the book. If the author was going for some kind of symbolism, she could have done so in a more believable way. She could have used a wolf--wolves exist in MN, although usually in the northern half of the state but some have roamed farther south.
NOTHING STAYS BURIED is the eighth and latest in the Monkeewrench series by P.J. Tracy. IMO a new reader should not start here, there is just too much backstory missing for the characters to have any resonance without prior knowledge.
Minneapolis detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are working a suspected serial killer case, distinguished by the playing cards left the victim's bodies. The Monkeewrench crew is out in farming country, hoping to use their computing power to find a farmer's missing daughter. The two cases will intersect (of course) when Magozzi and Rolseth start finding several leads all point them to the same place.
P.J. Tracy is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter writing team; I read on the jacket copy that the mother passed away in late 2016. I'm not going to pretend I know what was in the author's mind(s), but it's not my imagination to say that this entry has more emotional tone to it than any of the others. Between Grace being pregnant and the farmer Walt thinking of his dead son and missing daughter, there is a strong theme about what it means to be a parent. Not going to hit you over the head with it, but it's not as light-hearted as the other books. There's a pulse-pounding bit towards the end with the players converging right in the middle of a tornado. Using drug cartels as a plot device seems very current too.
My minor complaint would be that Monkeewrench's expertise doesn't feel like it's used very much, and most of the team doesn't get much attention. All the books in this series have some pretty amazing coincidences - that's just a given - and we've got a nice neat ending here too. One bit seemed outlandish, but it made a nice story, and for all I know it's possible. Bottom line: I enjoyed this book and the previous 7 a lot, and if another comes out I'll continue with the series.
Minneapolis detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are working a suspected serial killer case, distinguished by the playing cards left the victim's bodies. The Monkeewrench crew is out in farming country, hoping to use their computing power to find a farmer's missing daughter. The two cases will intersect (of course) when Magozzi and Rolseth start finding several leads all point them to the same place.
P.J. Tracy is a pseudonym for a mother-daughter writing team; I read on the jacket copy that the mother passed away in late 2016. I'm not going to pretend I know what was in the author's mind(s), but it's not my imagination to say that this entry has more emotional tone to it than any of the others. Between Grace being pregnant and the farmer Walt thinking of his dead son and missing daughter, there is a strong theme about what it means to be a parent. Not going to hit you over the head with it, but it's not as light-hearted as the other books. There's a pulse-pounding bit towards the end with the players converging right in the middle of a tornado. Using drug cartels as a plot device seems very current too.
My minor complaint would be that Monkeewrench's expertise doesn't feel like it's used very much, and most of the team doesn't get much attention. All the books in this series have some pretty amazing coincidences - that's just a given - and we've got a nice neat ending here too. One bit seemed outlandish, but it made a nice story, and for all I know it's possible. Bottom line: I enjoyed this book and the previous 7 a lot, and if another comes out I'll continue with the series.
P.J. Tracy has done it again. It's another fabulous book about the Monkeewrench gang and the detectives on the Minneapolis Homicide squad. This book mainly takes place in southwestern Minnesota, out in the country. There is a serial killer on the loose and he's been killing one woman after another and leaving a playing card with each one. The MPD is taking a lot of heat and there are few leads, however there are some new developments when they get together with Monkeewrench.
One of the reasons I love this series is it takes place in the area where I was born and raised. My husband, daughter and I lived in California for seven years and then moved back. Then, 15 years ago my husband and I moved to Florida. Our daughter and her husband live nearby. I get to feeling nostalgic about Minnesota, but then I remember driving on ice, sub-zero temps and slush. Then living in the sub-tropics doesn't seem so bad, even in the summer (Thank you air conditioning!)
I really liked the book and would recommend it to anyone that loves a thriller!
One of the reasons I love this series is it takes place in the area where I was born and raised. My husband, daughter and I lived in California for seven years and then moved back. Then, 15 years ago my husband and I moved to Florida. Our daughter and her husband live nearby. I get to feeling nostalgic about Minnesota, but then I remember driving on ice, sub-zero temps and slush. Then living in the sub-tropics doesn't seem so bad, even in the summer (Thank you air conditioning!)
I really liked the book and would recommend it to anyone that loves a thriller!
I can only give this one 3 stars
It's an okay read but for me it was slow, I want a book to keep me on my toes and this one didn't do that, I felt it had too much repetition in it, I didn't think it was necessary to always mention Grace being pregnant, we knew that from the beginning but it just got mentioned over and over I found that annoying, the story was okay--it's actually 2 plots but come together in the end--but yet it just moved slow slow slow and by half way it had not gotten anywhere so I skipped ahead a little and landed on a good spot that moved the story forward enough to know at least it was getting somewhere
I don't think you'd be lost if you haven't read the series in order but there might be a couple things that you won't know about from previous books and not explained here but doesn't hurt this story
It's an okay read but for me it was slow, I want a book to keep me on my toes and this one didn't do that, I felt it had too much repetition in it, I didn't think it was necessary to always mention Grace being pregnant, we knew that from the beginning but it just got mentioned over and over I found that annoying, the story was okay--it's actually 2 plots but come together in the end--but yet it just moved slow slow slow and by half way it had not gotten anywhere so I skipped ahead a little and landed on a good spot that moved the story forward enough to know at least it was getting somewhere
I don't think you'd be lost if you haven't read the series in order but there might be a couple things that you won't know about from previous books and not explained here but doesn't hurt this story
Eadie B. (eadieburke) -
Book Description
When Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called to a crime scene in a heavily wooded city park, everything about the setting is all too familiar. And when they discover a playing card on the victim's body, their worst fears are confirmedâthere's a serial killer operating in the city for the first time in years.
Across town, Grace MacBride and her unconventional partners at Monkeewrench Software find themselves at both personal and career crossroads. Weary of the darker side of their computer work for law enforcement, they agree to take on a private missing-persons case in a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota.
As the violence accelerates in Minneapolis, Magozzi and Gino soon realize their killer is planning to complete the deck, and they enlist Monkeewrench to help stop the rampage. As a baffling tangle of evidence accumulates, the cops and Monkeewrench make the unlikely connections among a farmer's missing daughter, a serial killer, and a decades-old stabbing that brings them face-to-face with pure evil.
My Review
I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book only to sadly find out that PJ has passed away but I am excited to read that Tracey will be continuing the series. First, I would point out that it's important to read these books in order, so you can properly introduce yourself to the characters and their relationships. There is never a dull moment with the Monkeewrench crew and their humor is one of the things I enjoy about the books. This one was a good read but not as suspenseful as the others. I did enjoy the addition of the lion, however, and found it symbolic in a way. Can't wait till Grace's baby is born and how it will affect the story. I'm now looking forward to the next installment and I would highly recommend this series to those who love mystery thrillers with humor.
When Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called to a crime scene in a heavily wooded city park, everything about the setting is all too familiar. And when they discover a playing card on the victim's body, their worst fears are confirmedâthere's a serial killer operating in the city for the first time in years.
Across town, Grace MacBride and her unconventional partners at Monkeewrench Software find themselves at both personal and career crossroads. Weary of the darker side of their computer work for law enforcement, they agree to take on a private missing-persons case in a small farming community in southwestern Minnesota.
As the violence accelerates in Minneapolis, Magozzi and Gino soon realize their killer is planning to complete the deck, and they enlist Monkeewrench to help stop the rampage. As a baffling tangle of evidence accumulates, the cops and Monkeewrench make the unlikely connections among a farmer's missing daughter, a serial killer, and a decades-old stabbing that brings them face-to-face with pure evil.
My Review
I was eagerly awaiting the release of this book only to sadly find out that PJ has passed away but I am excited to read that Tracey will be continuing the series. First, I would point out that it's important to read these books in order, so you can properly introduce yourself to the characters and their relationships. There is never a dull moment with the Monkeewrench crew and their humor is one of the things I enjoy about the books. This one was a good read but not as suspenseful as the others. I did enjoy the addition of the lion, however, and found it symbolic in a way. Can't wait till Grace's baby is born and how it will affect the story. I'm now looking forward to the next installment and I would highly recommend this series to those who love mystery thrillers with humor.
