The Garden of Evil

The Garden of Evil by Genoveva Ortiz
4/6/23; 128 pages
True Crime Seven
True Crime Explicit Book 9

The Garden of Evil: The True Story of Herb Baumeister and The Disturbing Horror at The Fox Hollow Farm by Genoveva Ortiz is a very highly recommended true crime story. Herb Baumeister was a successful businessman, family man, and the I-70 Strangler. Eleven murders are attributed to him but he could be responsible for more deaths. He prowled the streets and highways around Indianapolis looking for boys and men to fulfill his heinous desires.

Herb was born in 1947, the oldest of five children. His father was an anesthesiologist and the family first lived in Westfield, a well-to-do suburb north of Indianapolis, Indiana. His childhood was normal  and he was well liked. Herb's personality began to change after puberty and his sense of humor included more disturbing jokes that were morbid. He was a weird awkward high schooler, and struggled after graduation for several years before he met his future wife and settled down.

His early married life had a troubled start. He was hospitalized for a time diagnosed with schizophrenia, but once he left the hospital life seemed to go better and the couple had three children. By all outward appearances he was a hard working family man, however, Herb would still secretly go to the bars in Indianapolis looking for men to pick up. This double life eventually led to the more nefarious desire to murder and Herb became one of America's most notorious serial killers.

True Crime Seven includes a note explaining the style of their books at the beginning which makes it clear to readers that all of their true crime books are written in an accessible style for a variety of reading levels and are meant to be short. True Crime readers looking for a deep dive into and examination of every fact and aspect of a particular person might want more, but those who are just interested in knowing the basic facts and details of a case will appreciate the brevity and easy to read style. It makes the pages fly by while allowing you to learn all the details.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of True Crime Seven via LibraryThing.

Standing in the Shadows

Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson
4/11/23; 368 pages
William Morrow
Inspector Alan Banks #28

Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson is a highly recommended procedural and the 28^th  installment in the DCI Alan Banks mystery series. This intelligent procedural follows stories in two timelines

In November 1980, Nick Hartley learns that Alice Poole, his former girlfriend, has been killed and the police are questioning him. Nick knows that she was heading to , her current boyfriends apartment, Mark  Woodcraft, and that the two were planning to take a trip. It appears that Mark has disappeared and all the questioning of Nick by the police has rumors flying that he may be the Yorkshire Ripper. Nick is determined to find out what happened to Alice.

In November 2019, an archaeologist looking for Roman remains on the site of a future shopping center uncovers a more contemporary skeleton in a field. Detective Superintendent Alan Banks and his team are called in to investigate and try to determine when the remains were left and who they are.

This is a satisfying and intense procedural which can be read as a stand-alone, although those who are following the series will certainly benefit from some of the additional background information. The narrative switches back and forth between the two timelines and the obvious end goal of readers is to figure out how they fit together, after they figure out who the skeleton belongs to and how this fits into the earlier murder of Alice. Readers will have their own theories while reading and some are going to be correct.

There are plenty of details of pop culture and social events from both time periods, although the ones in question would be in 1980, and these details are realistic. Admittedly, the 1980 details were fun to look back on. In both time line, characters are portrayed as realistic fully realized unique individuals. The search for the truth in both timelines is equally intriguing and the details help keep the investigations compelling. Peter Robinson passed away and is greatly mourned by fans who will miss looking forward to the next DCI Banks novel.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of William Morrow.

Everything She Feared

Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina
4/11/23; 448 pages
MIRA

Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina is a highly recommended suspenseful mystery.

Anna Shaw, seventeen, is the babysitter of Katie Harmon, nine. When the two are with a group on a field trip to a Washington State park, Anna falls off the edge of a cliff while taking a selfie. Holding onto a tree, she begs Katie to run to the group they are with and get help. By the time helps arrives, Anna has already fallen to her death. Investigators gather on the scene to gather evidence. While it seems obvious, Detective Kim Pierce is less sure and senses that something else happened here. Pierce is considering that Katie may have pushed Anna. Katie's mother, Sara, also privately fears that something else may have happened but she will never share their connection to her troubling family secret.

This is an extremely well-written mystery. The plot is compelling and full of tension but it is also a slow burn. This slower pace does allow the tension to build, doubts to evolve, and questions to multiply while the investigation unfolds. Adding to the suspense is a journalist, Ryan, who has spent several years searching for a killer who was released from prison.

Sara is a well-developed, fully realized character, as are, really, all the other characters. They all feel like real people with their own concerns and problems. Sara's very real struggle, wondering if evil is inherited or made, nature versus nurture, is an age old question that has been explored many times so her struggle is understandable.

The great fact about a Rick Mofina novel is that in the progress of the narrative his characters are going to examine and experience every aspect of the story while he adds some twists and new revelations all while keeping total control of the plot. Even, as in this case, if the pacing seems slower, you will be entrenched in the novel until all the plot threads are explored, the last final twists shocks you, and then everything is pulled together in a satisfying ending.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books via NetGalley.

The Trackers

The Trackers by Charles Frazier
4/11/23; 336 pages
HarperCollins

The Trackers by Charles Frazier is highly recommended historical fiction set during the Great Depression.

In 1937 Val Welch, an artist with the WPA (Works Progress Administration of the New Deal), is commissioned to paint a mural inside the post office of Dawes, Wyoming. He has been given a contact in the area, wealthy rancher John Long and his wife, Eve, who are also providing a cabin for Welch to live in during his stay. The first person Welch meets on the ranch is Faro, a tough but well seasoned cowboy right out of the old West. When he meets the Longs he is surprised to see older Long is married to a glamorous young woman who used to be a singer in a traveling band and before that a hobo. Long has political aspirations while Eve is less than thrilled with the idea of that life. When Eve takes off one day with a valuable painting, Long hires Welch to find her, which sends him on a cross country journey.

The quality of the descriptive writing is beautiful, and some of the philosophical monologues by various characters are interesting. Frazier does a commendable job portraying life during the Great Depression. I especially enjoyed the discussion about preparation, planning and painting the mural using tempera paint.

The characters are all portrayed as realistic, unique individuals but also tend toward caricatures of a type of person - ambitious wealthy man, old wise man, sensitive artist, beautiful woman. Admittedly, the characters are also very different from each other. All the males characters love Eve, but there is no real reason for this other than she is an enigma and a beautiful woman.

The novel started out strong and then began to lose my interest. There are a few drawbacks. The lack of quotation marks is troublesome at times and the plot didn't always hold my interest and attention. The idea that Long would send a painter off as a detective to find Eve never really made sense, no matter how it was explained. Read this for the quality of the writing rather than the plot.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of HarperCollins via NetGalley.

Paradise Cove

Paradise Cove by Davin Goodwin
4/6/23; 304 pages
Oceanview Publishing
Roscoe Conklin #2

Paradise Cove by Davin Goodwin is a highly recommended procedural and the second novel in the Roscoe Conklin series. The series starts with Diver’s Paradise and is followed by Paradise Cove.

When a human leg washes ashore on the island of Bonaire, retired cop Roscoe Conklin, called "R" by friends, is nearby and examines the scene. Due to a tattoo, he quickly determines that the leg belongs to Rulio, the nephew of a close friend, Erika. With little evidence, the investigation comes to a standstill. R makes a deal with the lead detective to follow his wife because the inspector thinks she is having an affair. In exchange R is given the case file. Even though it is in Dutch, he manages to decipher the few clues available. The clues seem to lead to Paradise Cove, an upscale resort run by a friendly American couple. Then the body count begins to rise...

Paradise Cove is a well-written, very satisfying procedural with an interesting investigative plot. This is the second in a series but worked as a stand alone. The unique island setting gives the novel the ambience of a procedural set in a small town. Don't expect the relentless action of a thriller. The island setting provides a vibrant and laid back atmosphere. 

The characters are portrayed as realistic individuals and are all integrated into the plot of the narrative. R's relationship with Arabella, a detective with the Bonaire police, is going strong.  His beer is a Bright with a slice of lime, which seems appropriate for someone living on an island paradise.

Goodwin presents all the clues to solve the complicated case, and, although I guessed who-dun-it early on, the action leading up to the end was engaging and interesting.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Oceanview Publishing via Edelweiss.

You Know Her

You Know Her by Meagan Jennett
4/4/23; 368 pages
MCD

You Know Her by Meagan Jennett is a highly recommended Southern Gothic investigative thriller.

After a long New Year's Eve night at Blue Bell Bar in Bellair, Virginia, bartender Sophie Braam is trying to close up and go home when Mark Dixon demands to be let back in to use the bathroom and asks for a ride home. An ongoing thorn in her side, Dixon is a friend of the owner and often demands free drinks. This night he stole a glass of wine from a bottle that Sophie had been saving for herself, but she finally had enough when he tried to force himself on her while she was driving him home. Sophie killed him.

When his body is found a few days later, Officer Nora Martin, who is new to the force, is part of the team looking for the killer. During the investigation, Sophie and Nora become friends, bonding over their shared frustrations at the treatment they have both endured from men even while the body count rises.

Sophie is a fully realized character who is a sociopath heading down the road to insanity, which is clear during her murderous rampages. She shares her first-person thoughts in chapters which alternate with chapters from Nora's point-of-view. Nora is also a well developed character who has her own struggles with being a woman with the police department, but she is an intelligent, sane woman dealing with these issues.

You Know Her is an excellent well-written debut novel that merges an investigative procedural with a disturbing, vengeful Southern Gothic thriller. Anyone who has ever worked with the public will sympathize with Sophie when she is rightfully ranting about the comments male customers make or the jabs Nora is putting up with. Most people tolerate it, as Nora does, but will relate on some level to Sophie's rage. The murderous actions are over the top at times, which some readers might find too disturbing. 

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MCD via NetGalley.

Camp Zero

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling
4/4/23; 304 pages
Atria Books

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling is a recommended dystopian climate science fiction novel set in the 2050s.

In northern Canada a clandestine settlement for climate refugees called Camp Zero is being built by architect Meyer. To entertain the men working there, a group of women called Blooms have been hired as escorts and are moved into an empty mall. One woman, who is given the name Rose was secretly sent by a high-profile client to investigate the camp. Grant Grimely signed on to the project as a college professor to escape his wealthy family but, as there is no college, he is actually supposed to be teaching the Diggers, the men working on the secret building site. They all have secrets and no one is who they seem to be. Finally, a group of female military and scientific experts in various areas are moved into White Alice, an old northern research station, and thrive there.

The three narratives alternate between the points-of-view of Rose, Grant, and White Alice. Then these three narratives alternate between the present and the past with numerous flashbacks. This structure wasn't entirely successful as the flashbacks are so numerous that they become distraction from the main plot lines. The characters aren't all fully realized as unique, individual characters and some veer into the area of caricatures. They are thrown into this imagined future dystopian world.

There are also several interesting ideas or choices in the creation of this imagined future, but not all the interesting details are utilized or have the consequences shown. If you throw your characters into a dystopian world, you also need to in some manner show why and how this world happened technically, not simply assume climate change caused all of it. The twists and turns are related more to secrets than real surprises. Topics covered include climate change, family, greed, misogyny and misandry. Ultimately, Camp Zero is a slow paced but interesting dystopian climate change science fiction novel with an open but satisfying ending. Liked it but didn't love it.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books via Edelweiss.