Painted Ladies

This is about # 38 in Robert B. Parker's long-running "Spenser" series, published just after Parker's death. From the book jacket we are told, "Called upon by The Hammond Museum and renowned art scholar Dr. Ashton Prince, Boston PI Spenser accepts his latest case: to provide protection during a ransom exchange-money for a stolen painting. The case becomes personal when Spenser fails to protect his client and the valuable painting remains stolen." Spenser takes his failure seriously and returns his fee to the museum and vows to find the killer as well as the stolen painting. Both Susan and Pearl play their usual roles as do Spenser's colleagues with the state and local police, but there are no appearances by Hawk in this episode.  

Library Journal offers this: "Things, of course, are not quite what they seem, and the path to resolution is full of twists, betrayals, secrets, and good intentions gone horribly wrong. Parker's dialog is as sharp and snappy as ever. Verdict Fans of the series and of mystery fiction in general will enjoy one last outing..."  Booklist claims that the series has held up well "Spenser can still nail a person's foibles on first meeting, still whip up a gourmet meal in a few minutes, still dispatch the thugs who haunt his office and his home, and do it all while maintaining a fierce love of Susan Silverman and English poetry..." They go onn to conclude "Halfway through this thoroughly entertaining mystery, Parker writes a perfect valedictory for the much-loved Spenser: 'Sometimes I slew the dragon and galloped away with the maiden. Sometimes I didn't. . . . But so far the dragon hadn't slain me.' Long live Spenser."

Missing, Presumed

I had not previously read Susie Steiner but was reasonably impressed by her writing skills, character development and plotting. Set in the town of Huntingdon, a young woman, Edith Hind, is reported missing by her live-in boyfriend. The Major Investigations Team of the Cambridgeshire police, having previously been criticized for failing to elevate a missing persons case to high risk status until late in the investigation, responds quickly to the limited evidence--broken glassware, some blood, her coat left behind. Their haste is fueled by the fact that Edith's father is the surgeon to the Royal Family and friends with the current Labor Secretary. But nothing is as it appears and the twisty plot will keep you guessing until the end.  Library Journal says "Manon Bradshaw, the complicated, complex, and wholly human British detective at the heart of Steiner's ...new mystery, raises this story from a classic police procedural to something far more engaging." The Guardian concurs: "Susie Steiner has a real knack, sometimes missing in police procedurals, for shading in the throwaway details about a character that turn them from two-dimensional into three."his is the first in a series about DS Bradshaw. Booklist recommends with "This combination of police procedural and an unfolding family drama that continuously twists and turns will work well for fans of Kate Atkinson and Tana French." 

Kirkus concludes their review: "Though it follows all the typical twists and turns of a modern police procedural, this novel stands out from the pack in two significant ways: first of all, in the solution, which reflects a sophisticated commentary on today’s news stories about how prejudices about race and privilege play out in our justice system; and second, in the wounded, compassionate, human character of Manon. Her struggles to define love and family at a time when both are open to interpretation make for a highly charismatic and engaging story. Hopefully, this is just the first adventure of many Steiner will write for DS Bradshaw and her team."

 

Spirit Crossing

Well I jumped into this book in William Kent Krueger's "Cork O'Connor" series and sort of wished I hadn't. So much has transpired between his first in the series, Iron Lake, which I just reread, and this his 20th installement: the kids are all grown, Jenny is married, Stevie is getting married, and Annie is back from charity work in Guatamala with a new life partner; Cork's wife Jo is no longer in the picture--unspecified why-- and has been replaced by Rainy; there's another new sheriff, etc. I found it distracting, although the writing is still excellent and the plotting tight and engaging. A local politician's daughter has gone missing and a major search effort is mounted--unlike the past responses, or lack thereof when local indigenous teens were reported missing. In the process, the body of a young native woman is found buried in a shallow grave, largely to the psychic insights of Jenny's 7-year-old adopted Native American son, Waaboo. He will play a major role in further discoveries and there is significant focus on the lack of credibility given to Native American belief systems. Also there is ongoing discussion of the inequities in the valuation of life when it comes to Native American missing persons. Somebody definitely believes in Waaboo's abilities, however, and is trying to silence him permanently, making Waaboo and the entire O'Connor clan the targets of a ruthless killer. 

Publishers Weekly calls this book "chilling" and "one of his [Krueger's] most puzzling mysteries to date." Although I've seen some reactions criticizing the book for its emphasis on the supernatural elements of Native American beliefs, I find this a fascinating part of this series. AP News says "Krueger has no Native American blood himself, but as usual he treats native culture and mysticism with understanding and respect. His prose and character development are superb, and his vivid descriptions bring Minnesota’s north woods to life."