Search This Blog

Wednesday, November 25, 2020

Children of the Valley by Castle Freeman and An Ace and a Par by Blake Banner

Children of the Valley is the third book in this series featuring Lucian Wing, sheriff of a backwoods county in Vermont.   

A lawyer of one of New York's wealthy and powerful, visits Lucian to explain that the man's stepdaughter has gone missing and is suspected to be in the area.  Heavy hints of a pay-off if Lucian lets the lawyer know first.  Also, when Lucian doesn't respond as expected, hints that his own men will be looking.  

Lucian is kind of comforting, he is backwoods country and plays on the stereotype, but he's no dummy.  There a couple of times I found myself re-reading a passage for the humor and his laidback outlook.  

As Lucian finds the runaways and begins trying to keep them safe, the novel alternates suspense/quirky characters/ and humor.  I may have to go back and pick up the first book. :)

NetGalley/Farrago
Police Procedural/Humor.  Dec. 10, 2020.  



from description:  Detective John Stone of the NYPD has the best arrest record in the 43rd precinct. But he’s a dinosaur who belongs to another age. Detective Carmen Dehan has such a bad attitude that nobody at the precinct can stomach her. Captain Jennifer Cuevas wants them both out of the way and thinks they make a perfect pair. So she gives them the Cold Cases file – the cases nobody gives a damn about.
 
The only problem is the case Stone decides on is going to have deadly repercussions ten years on.  Nelson Hernandez and his four cousins were murdered during a poker game, and although there were plenty of suspects, mob/triad/Latino gang related/ and a bent cop who disappeared, there was no evidence to bring a charge.

I usually avoid mob related stories, but I kept reading because this one concentrated on the investigation and the relationship between the new partners. The plot put a great deal of interest on the abduction of a young woman who was present at the time of the murders.  Stone and Dehan may want the killers, but they are just as concerned with what happened to the young woman.   

Twists and turns, fast paced, completely implausible.  The relationship between Stone and Dehan works, but neither character has much development--the author concentrates on the way they bounce ideas off each other and that worked, but Stone's ability to anticipate "what next" felt a little too much.

As the first in a new series, I may give the next one a try to see if there is some increase in characterization.  An Ace and a Pair was interesting, but also feels like a first step as the author develops his plans  for the characters.

Kindle Unlimited
Police Procedural.  2017.  Print length: 207 pages.

-----
We will be having a Thanksgiving with only the two of us.  This is the first time it has been just us since one Thanksgiving when we were dating and work interfered with going home.
I know many people are upset about a scaled down holiday, but Priya Parker suggests abandoning the traditional thanksgiving script.  We were already planning to forego the turkey and dressing meal.  I'm not going to moan about the loss of a turkey (okay, maybe a little moaning about the pecan pie), but I will miss the kids and grandkids--so Fee and I are going for soup, sandwiches, and a trip to the country.    

However, you spend your Thanksgiving, I hope you will have a good day!  Stay safe and well!


 Both of these made me laugh!


18 comments:

  1. Happy Thanksgiving, Jen. I hope you enjoy the non-traditional celeberation.

    We are keeping our heads down here, forgoing the larger gathering at my daughter's house in favor of joining them during the meal via Zoom...even for the annual family portrait we take every Thanksgiving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sam! Turned out to be exactly the right thing for us to take a little day trip with a packed lunch. :)

      Delete
  2. Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have a great one! :D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Replies
    1. Thanks, Cathy! An adjustment for everyone this year. :)

      Delete
  4. Happy Thanksgiving to you to Jenclair! We've had a scaled back version too, but we did have turkey. Personally I don't mind too much. I normally find Thanksgiving meals somewhat stressful so I appreciated the simpler approach this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We had turkey sandwiches! :) As we drove along, I thought about how many women were a little relieved to avoid all of the details involved. I really prefer a little simpler, and I was determined not to feel let down that the kids couldn't come.

      Delete
  5. Lucian Wing sounds like such a great character, I don't think I can resist trying this series. :) And I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving. We kept ours very small this year, too, and it was surprisingly nice. Enjoy the weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I liked Lucian Wing's character, and I do plan to pick up the first two books at some point. Smaller can have benefits, including less stress!

      Delete
  6. Happy Thanksgiving, Jen! I hope you guys had a lovely dinner and enjoyed spending your day together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did! I hope you, your husband, and mother had a lovely day!

      Delete
  7. I hope you'd a great Thanksgiving, Jenclair! This year is definitely a strange year for all events and occasions, but no matter what health safety is still the utmost importance. Hope you've a good week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It has been a strange year, indeed! Holidays have such a different aspect now, don't they? Where ever we are and whatever we celebrate, we all do the best we can. I'm grateful that we had a pleasant and peaceful day to counteract all the changes in our lives. :)

      Delete
  8. Soup & sandwiches (and a trip to the country) sounds like a perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving, in my opinion! I'm not a big fan of the huge traditional meal, but more interested in seeing family and friends. That didn't happen this year (for most people) and we went with a simple grilled pork tenderloin, risotto and zucchini. Much easier and fewer dishes. Win, win.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm not a fan of the big traditional meal (often more stressful, than we admit), but the family and friends are always a highlight. As you say, most people had to go simpler if a little lonelier. Your meal sounds delicious and fewer dishes is always good!

      Delete
  9. Happy Thanksgiving, Jen!! DehAne & Stone are an interesting pair with great potential I think! I hope this series
    gets better!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Verushka! Books are no longer simply entertainment, they are a welcome escape. :)

      Delete