A Couple of Wrap Ups

I've been spending a lot of time lately reading mysteries and thrillers.  They are a nice form of escapism--there's nothing like taking yourself outside your own life and problems and getting involved in those of others and all the better that they are simply fictional characters in situations that may be on occasion heart stopping but no real harm is done, and if you (or rather the characters) are lucky the ending will be happy, or at least satisfying.  The best part is often they involve some sort of conundrum.  I'm pretty bad actually at figuring out who the culprit is with standard mysteries, but it is still a fun intellectual puzzle to try and sort things out.  My two most recent finishes, however, aren't really standard mysteries, though they might fit in peripherally with the genre.  Mostly they were just easy, entertaining reads, and both turned out to be fairly gripping stories that saw me racing to the end.

The subtitle on James McGee's Ratcatcher reads "You don't send a gentleman to catch vermin.  You send Hawkwood".  A ratcatcher is a deprecatory name for a Bow Street Runner, which in the Regency period was an elite police officer, or what would become a police officer.  Set against the Napoleonic Wars, Ratcatcher was a fun romp through London's dark underbelly and a rather surprising sort of thriller.  I wasn't sure what to expect, though I had heard about Hawkwood's dark good looks and suave demeanor.  Matthew Hawkwood is an ex-military man turned Bow Street Runner who can be as ruthless as he can be compassionate. 

Hawkwood is resourceful, and he needs to be in the places his job takes him--places like the Rookery with its labyrinthine passages filled with cutthroats and thieves.  A place you wouldn't want to become lost in.  A seemingly simple case of a stagecoach being robbed and the deaths of a passenger and driver sends Hawkwood through these dark, dangerous streets to find the men responsible.  The case turns out to be anything but simple, however, as it's not a matter of theft alone but of a possible assassination attempt that reaches across the channel to Napoleon's spies in France.  And the means by which it is rumored to be achieved is both nefarious and shocking--by a device never seen before.  This was a colorful read and McGee is very successful in painting a vivid (and am guessing fairly historically accurate) picture of late 17th/early 18th century London--at least the darker and nastier side.  I was expecting a straightforward mystery, but this turned out to be more of a thriller with hints that Hawkwood's further adventures will take him farther afield and into the upper echelons of government.

I've already mentioned how much I had been enjoying Janet Evanovich's One for the Money, which is Stephanie Plum's first adventure in the business of becoming a recovery agent, a.k.a. bounty hunter.  In the opening pages of the novel Stephanie is driving to her parent's house for dinner when two cars behind her a repo man, and former high school classmate, is ready to remove the keys from the ignition and take the car back to the lot.  He gives her a reprieve of one day, and when she wakes the next morning the car is gone.  A former lingerie buyer, she's living a down and out existence as she slowly sells off the contents of her apartment to get by.  She falls into the job as bounty hunter thanks to her cousin Vinnie who has a bail bond business.  At least at the beginning, she's not especially suited for the job, but when she sets her mind on something she is nothing if not tenacious.

If we're talking about resourceful characters, Stephanie Plum is certainly resourceful.  Her first FTA (failure to appear) happens to be Joe Morelli, "Stephanie's childhood-nemesis-turned-hunky-vice-cop", who has somehow gotten caught up in a murder.  He's jumped bond and if Stephanie can bring him in she'll be $10,000 richer.  Armed with a Smith & Wesson .38 Special, a can of pepper spray, cuffs and a Jeep Cherokee that she "commandeered" from Morelli's house she's ready for action.  She quickly discovers this is dangerous business, however.  After an almost deadly run in with  psycho boxing champ, and getting cuffed (naked no less) to her own bathroom shower she decides that serious business requires equally serious training, which comes in the form of fellow recovery agent, Ranger.  Ranger is every bit as attractive as Joe Morelli, and I foresee sparks igniting somewhere along the line.  Stephanie's a great character--fearless, wisecracking, beer-swilling, never takes herself too seriously and is very savvy when the moment requires.  Evanovich had me cracking up over the situations Stephanie found herself in.

Neither book was what you would call highbrow, but if you are looking for something fast paced and entertaining both authors are worth investigating.  James McGee has not been published in the US, but I found a library copy to read.  And Janet Evanovich is very readily available, as a matter of fact I picked up my copy while grocery shopping.  Both were a nice change of pace and both authors will remain on my reading list, but I think I am ready to turn to something a little cozier next...maybe a country house murder!

Comments

[Heather]

A girlfriend of mine was just talking about One For The Money! She starting talking about the Plum character and I had no idea who she was talking about. She's quite a fan so I have a feeling I'll be reading a number of books from this series shortly as my friend brings me her copies.

[Marg]

Ratcatcher sounds like it might be something that I would enjoy.

[Caroline]

I find that I am often more interested in the atmosphere, the psychology and the social criticism in mysteries and thrillers than in the actual solving of the crime. I read once that people never re read thrillers. I could as I do also tend to forget the endings. I really enjoy so much else in thrillers. I agree it is a great way to escape and explore other times and places.

[litlove]

Have you read Caroline Graham? I used to find her a very satisfying and engrossing read, and of course Agatha Christie is wonderful. And I used to pick up Patricia Wentworth for a pure comfort crime read, too. Very similar to Agatha Christie, particularly since Wentworth's Miss Silver has a lot in common with Miss Marple. But I find Miss Silver very comforting - she has such resources of calm and steadiness.

And thank you for these lovely reviews, too! Definitely books to look out for.

[Liz F]

Glad you liked Ratcatcher and Stephanie -two of my favourite escapist reads!

[sakura]

I thought both series were great too. Glad you enjoyed them:)

[Stefanie]

Ratchatcher sounds like an especially tasty treat. I will have to keep that in mind when next I am looking for something to escape with.

[Danielle]

Heather--How nice that someone is going to share copies. I had great fun reading the first book and look forward to picking up another sometime--it's nice to have something funny like the Stephanie Plum books when I need a pick-me-up!
Marg--Somehow I could see this as a great period drama. It was a fun, fast read and if you like thriller-ish sorts of stories it would be worth looking for. And I bet you can find copies easier in Australia than here in the US.
Caroline--I like the puzzle aspect, but equally like atmosphere, too. Often my favorite mysteries are the sorts of stories that are less about the solving of the crime than presenting the period--which for some reason mysteries seem to do quite well. And I love thrillers for that sense of escapism--I have a whole pile of them by my bed. Like you, I also tend to forget endings and small details over time so it isn't all that odd that I might end up rereading a book like this.
Litlove--I had to look Caroline Graham up and have added her to my list! It looks as though her books were filmed as the Midsomer Murders, which a friend recommended to me as well. I'm reading a book of short stories by Christie at the moment and have another novel lined up when I finish--she's dependably good, isn't she, and I'm lucky as I've read so few. I have a couple of Patricia Wentworth's books on hand, too, that I will now bump up the pile as I've yet to try her. These are just the books that I need at the moment I think! Thanks for the suggestions!
Liz--Thanks for the heads up on McGee, I am planning on trying the next book in the series at some point--need to wade through my current pile of interlibrary loans first--I have far too many checked out, I think. And Stephanie Plum was great fun--will definitely read more of her and have the second book on hand already.
Sakura--What would I do without good escapist reads like this?
Stefanie--I love a book with such a dark, brooding and handsome hero, and oh, yes, the story was good, too! ;)

[iliana]

I feel like all I've been reading lately are mysteries - ah such comfort reads :)

Had not heard of Ratcatcher before but that just sounds like a fun book. Will have to look into that one.

I read quite a few of the Evanovich books, I think I got up to book 10, the first five or so books in the series were great but then they became a bit predictable to me. Still, she does know how to write a laugh out loud funny scene.

And, I saw that you've been adding a lot of new books to your stacks :)

[Dorothy W.]

I'm planning on looking for Evanovich next time I'm in the library -- you've convinced me! I wonder how similar Stephanie is to V.I. Warshawski. I'm guessing Stephanie is more brash and feisty than V.I., but they sound similarly fearless. I'm very near the end of my Paretsky audio book and am enjoying it very much.

[Danielle]

Iliana--I'm not sure what it is, but I keep reaching for mysteries and thinking about what I want to start next! The last three or so books I've finished have all been mysteries and the next one I finish will probably also be a mystery! I can sort of see how the Stephanie Plum books might get a bit predictable, so I will be spacing them out and saving them for when I need a good, funny book. And yes, I have been accumulating books lately, but I am going to try and stick with only library books for the rest of the year!
Dorothy--I hope you like her and I think audio will be a great way to give her a try. She does sound like V.I. Warshawski--Stephanie is very feisty and pretty irreverent, too, with a very kooky family. Some of it is sort of silly humor, but if you are in the right mood and just take it all for fun, I think you'll enjoy the story. And now I need to read Sarah Paretsky!

[Liz F]

I love both Stephanie Plum and V.I. Warshawski - but they are not alike!
Admittedly it has been a while since I have read any of Sara Paretsky's books, but I can't recall V.I. getting into any of the situations that Stephanie does!

[Danielle]

Liz--I've yet to read Sara Paretsky, so it was just a guess based on some things I heard. Stephanie is definitely very scatty! I am looking forward to reading about VI Warshawski now, as well.