The blurb sounded interesting, so I decided to give Lock Every Door a try--even after being pretty apathetic about Sager's The Last Time I Lied.
from the blurb: The next heart-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager follows a young woman whose new job apartment sitting in one of New York’s oldest and most glamorous buildings may cost more than it pays.
No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.
OK, mostly it feels like it was inspired by Rosemary's Baby --the brownstone with a sordid history, strange tenants, etc.
It fell flat for me, but may thrill you.
Read in June. Blog review scheduled for
NetGalley/Penguin Group
Mystery/Thriller? July 2, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.
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Of course, I've continued with R. Allen Chappell's Navajo Nation Mysteries, and Ancient Blood adds even more interest with the introduction of Charlie Yazzie's former archaeology/anthropology professor, George Custer and childhood friend Harley Ponyboy.
The professor's most recent dig is a kiva that might help with his theories about the migration of the Anasazi, but even before his team arrives, he is attacked and the site vandalized.
Charlie and Thomas Begay begin looking into the suspects, trying to prevent further vandalism and attacks on the site.
The professor's theories are controversial and some members of an Indian Rights movement would rather not have them published. The violence escalates from damage to the site to more serious and deadly acts.
Harley is now my favorite character because of the humor he adds.
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Mojado takes a different turn with a serial killer who has no specific prey--a professional from Mexico, he kills anyone who might reveal his presence. Man, woman, child...it matters little to the Mojado, who is on the run and has a private goal.
The murders are callous and cold-blooded, but they don't celebrate violence. The Mojado has no compunction about killing, but neither does he take delight in killing.
As Charlie Yazzi, Thomas Begay, and Harley Ponyboy pursue the killer through the harshest areas of the reservation, all four men approach exhaustion.
Aside from the characters who continue to grow, I love the way Chappell presents the land and the culture of the Four Corners region.
I reviewed the first two books in the series here.
---------The Garden kept me busy in June.
-----------Some of June's Snail Mail
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Navajo Autumn is the first of a series set in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. I've been looking for a series set in this region that appeals to me , and R. Allen Chappell has satisfied that longing. If you have enjoyed Craig Johnson or Tony Hillerman, you might like this series.
What all three authors have in common is a love of the area they write about, well-developed characters, and intriguing plots. Johnson's Longmire books are set in Wyoming, Hillerman's Chee & Leaphorn books are set in New Mexico, and Chappell's books are set in the Four Corners reservations of Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Chappell's main characters Charlie Yazzie and Thomas Begay are Navajo, and while both have been to boarding school, Charlie Yazzie went on to earn a law degree, while Thomas Begay stayed on the reservation. The two were friends in high school, but have gone different ways since.
When Thomas is discovered drunk next to the dead body of BIA agent Patsy Greyhorse, he is arrested, but escapes. Charlie needs to find out who is responsible for the murder of Patsy Greyhorse and for setting Thomas up.
This first in the series does a cracking job of introducing the characters and providing a look at Navaho culture. The book is relatively short, but doesn't feel that way because the story has a sense of depth and dimension.
Points for: good characterization, interesting secondary characters, a visual setting, respectful treatment of Navaho culture and tradition, and an absorbing plot.
I liked it so much, I immediately moved on to the second book!
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About the author:
R. Allen Chappell, the author of nine novels and a collection of short stories, grew up with the Navajo, went to school with them and later worked alongside--forging enduring friendships along the way. "Those friendships," the author recalls, "became the inspiration for this series."
Chappell notes, "My writing focuses on the people of the Four Corners region past and present. I tend not to romanticize my characters, preferring instead to paint them as I find them. They have much the same qualities, good and bad, as the rest of us."
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It is always a pleasure to find the second book in a series as good as the first, and in this case, even better. Characters from the first book continue to gain substance, and new and engaging characters are added.
In Boy Made of Dawn, Thomas Begay's children have been taken from their mother to assure that she doesn't testify in the trial of corrupt tribal councilmen.
Thomas Begay and Charlie Yazzie are also on the list, but the solutions to keeping them from testifying are likely to be fatal.
New characters to love--Aida, the widow Sally Clee takes shelter with, and Caleb, Thomas' son.
Another appealing thing about this series is that they are not imitations of Craig Johnson or Tony Hillerman. The style is different and the characters and plots are distinctive. The similarities lie in each author's love of the areas he writes about.
I can't wait to read this entire series!
