by Jason Joyner | Jul 14, 2011 | Blog, CFBA, fiction, J Mark Bertrand, Pattern Of Wounds, reviews, why are detectives always hard-boiled?, writing craft
Sophmore slump?
Look somewhere else.
J. Mark Bertrand hit the CBA scene big-time with last year’s
Back On Murder. I
reviewed it here, and it ended up as one of my favorite books of the year.
His latest book, Pattern Of Wounds, looks to continue the…pattern.
Houston homicide detective Roland March is still battling. A year ago he was on the verge of being booted out of his department. He solved a high-profile case and solidified his position, but he isn’t out of the woods yet. His lieutenant is riding him, and his captain is angling for a promotion, leaving March on an island.
When he responds to a woman’s body found patially floating in a pool, he sees more than any other investigator. He sees a parallel to a murder he worked 10 years ago, one that was popularized in a true crime book.
He works the leads in the case, but promising trails grow cold. Another detective suggests a serial killer link, one that includes his old case – meaning the wrong person could be in jail.
March presses ahead, determined to prove the doubters wrong, but he may be alienating allies in the process. Even as the killer presses a little too close to home, March struggles to see the pattern of wounds in time.
—
I said last year that Bertrand was pushing some boundaries of Christian fiction. I hold to that statement this year, but I want to clarify it: he is pushing the borders of quality, not just borders of content.
I don’t read a lot of this genre, the hard-boiled detective mystery. However, if I knew it was all like Bertrand’s work, I would have to change. He has elevated his craft since the first book. The book is told in the first person view of March. Bertrand keeps March as a character we empathize with, even as he has demons and conflict, and a few views or habits we may not like. He’s real, he has the feel of a real homicide detective. It isn’t sugar-coated, but it is gritty without being gratuitous.
The plot moves along nicely, not a burning pace, but evenly stretched between action, investigation, and introspection. He paints wonderful detail to place us in March’s eyes. I underlined a line mentioning “a puff of [shaving cream] foam clinging to the cap.” Such a small detail, but it helped me see the eagle eye March has as a detective.
The book is deeper than a crime drama. The title is a powerful metaphor for the case March is working on and the battles in his life. He’s wounded, and in showing us his dirty laundry, it allows for exploration of why evil exists, the power of faith, and the struggle of life.
There was one complaint – a thread that was developed for a time early on seemed to disappear in the end. I like books that don’t tie every thread into a tidy little bow, but this wasn’t loose, it seemed lost. It wasn’t a big deal – I didn’t realize until after finishing, but I wanted to temper my otherwise high enthusiasm for this book.
Bottom line: if I wrote crime fiction, I would study Mark Bertrand’s novels, because the craft and enjoyment springing from that is so good. If you like this genre at all, you should really check this book out. Even if it isn’t your main reading flavor, it is worth reading.
—
Legal mumbo-jumbo: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for promotion via the CFBA Tour, but with no promise of a good review. My thoughts are my own (anyone else wouldn’t want them anyway!)
by Jason Joyner | Jun 15, 2011 | Blog, fiction, is it time to eat yet?, overdone analogies, writing craft
We just finished our kitchen.
Maybe “we” is a misnomer. My wife did all of the leg work to pick out everything with the design, and the contractors did the heavy lifting. I…stayed out of their hair. It was better that way.
I am not a construction type of guy. If a home improvement video says a job will take 1-2 hours, that means all day for me. So, I don’t do that sort of thing unless there’s no other option! This means I’m not familiar with the process of building.
It was fascinating to come home from work each day and see the layers stripped down. First the cabinets, then the old floor, then the sub-floor. The sheet rock, plaster, electrical, plumbing. The foundation wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world.
Then it started changing. The sheet rock guy did the mudding, adding texture. Now there was some dynamic going on, instead of being flat. He did the basic painting, and now it seems like we’re getting somewhere!
The cabinets came next, and it fleshed out everything, allowing a place for all the little things a kitchen needs. Then the counters. Now it can carry some weight.
The flooring was laid, and the path became clear. Still, the painter had to do the little touch-ups at the end to make everything finished.
I think you can see where I’m going with this…
I was taken by the relationship to building this new kitchen to building a novel. It wasn’t completely brand new – the old foundation and walls were still there. However, it took a process to get to the end product, and it wasn’t always apparent how it was going to turn out. The care my wife took in looking at all the options created a beautiful setting.
I know as I slowly chip away at what I want in the story, I find twists and turns. Some things don’t work out as planned. Some choices make it worse. I realize I’m still in stages where it hasn’t all come together yet.
It was a relief to get cabinets in, and the countertops set, but that wasn’t the end point. What makes the kitchen is the little touches – the decorative pieces set into the backsplash, the glaze on the cabinets, the edging on the counters. A writer can get by with the functional pieces in place, but the novel can only reach its full potential if the time is taken to work the little details into the otherwise sturdy workmanship.
My wife is very pleased with how it came out. I’m happy for her, I enjoy the kitchen, but I’m just happy to have regular cooking again! I could have been satisfied enough with less, but it is so much more due to her vision.
I hope to keep this thought in mind as I go through the different levels of working my story.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jun 15, 2011 | Blog, fiction, is it time to eat yet?, overdone analogies, writing craft
We just finished our kitchen.
Maybe “we” is a misnomer. My wife did all of the leg work to pick out everything with the design, and the contractors did the heavy lifting. I…stayed out of their hair. It was better that way.
I am not a construction type of guy. If a home improvement video says a job will take 1-2 hours, that means all day for me. So, I don’t do that sort of thing unless there’s no other option! This means I’m not familiar with the process of building.
It was fascinating to come home from work each day and see the layers stripped down. First the cabinets, then the old floor, then the sub-floor. The sheet rock, plaster, electrical, plumbing. The foundation wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world.
Then it started changing. The sheet rock guy did the mudding, adding texture. Now there was some dynamic going on, instead of being flat. He did the basic painting, and now it seems like we’re getting somewhere!
The cabinets came next, and it fleshed out everything, allowing a place for all the little things a kitchen needs. Then the counters. Now it can carry some weight.
The flooring was laid, and the path became clear. Still, the painter had to do the little touch-ups at the end to make everything finished.
I think you can see where I’m going with this…
I was taken by the relationship to building this new kitchen to building a novel. It wasn’t completely brand new – the old foundation and walls were still there. However, it took a process to get to the end product, and it wasn’t always apparent how it was going to turn out. The care my wife took in looking at all the options created a beautiful setting.
I know as I slowly chip away at what I want in the story, I find twists and turns. Some things don’t work out as planned. Some choices make it worse. I realize I’m still in stages where it hasn’t all come together yet.
It was a relief to get cabinets in, and the countertops set, but that wasn’t the end point. What makes the kitchen is the little touches – the decorative pieces set into the backsplash, the glaze on the cabinets, the edging on the counters. A writer can get by with the functional pieces in place, but the novel can only reach its full potential if the time is taken to work the little details into the otherwise sturdy workmanship.
My wife is very pleased with how it came out. I’m happy for her, I enjoy the kitchen, but I’m just happy to have regular cooking again! I could have been satisfied enough with less, but it is so much more due to her vision.
I hope to keep this thought in mind as I go through the different levels of working my story.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jun 7, 2011 | Blog, Bug Man, fiction, Nick Polchak, reviews, Tim Downs, What's with the heart-shaped tubs?
Nick Polchak is one of the best literary characters ever.
Had to say it.
I’ve talked about Tim Downs before, and he is one of my favorite authors. He produces suspense fiction with wit and humor, along with some nice gory details about decomposing bodies.
This is because the protaganist of most of his novels is Dr. Nick Polchak, also known as the “Bug Man.” He’s a forensic entomologist, meaning he studies the insects that are drawn to corpses. It is a niche that Downs ably uses to give just enough tecnical jargon to help the reader really buy it.
Polchak also has one of the lowest social IQ’s ever seen. He has a minimal filter – he says what he wants and has a great wit. The result is he is funnier than all get-out, and makes each Bug Man novel a joy to read, but a challenge to read in public (didn’t want my recent airplane neighbor freaking out over my chuckling.)
In Nick of Time, it leads off of events of the Bug Man books Less the Dead and Ends of the Earth. Spoilers for those who haven’t read those books – Nick is getting married! Even the clueless Dr. Polchak may have a soul mate in Alena Savard, a woman who grew up on a mountain alone with dozens of dogs that she trains.
With his wedding a week away, he is invited to a forensics conference by an old friend for a consult on a cold case. Over Alena’s protests, Nick heads there only to find his friend dead.
Now he is off to find out what was happening with the cold case to see if there’s a connection. Meanwhile, Alena is panicking over the lack of a groom, and with the happy date approaching, she sets off to find him – along with three of her best tracking dogs.
Nick’s going to learn if he wants to be married, if it doesn’t kill him first…
—
Downs continues a strong run in the Bug Man series. Fans will find their favorite points intact: humor, suspense, mysteries for Nick to solve, and some big twists along the way. First time readers should pick the book up just fine, despite it building off of older novels. If you can read the others first then it will make more sense, but he writes in such a way that it isn’t necessary.
The plot is a little incredible at times, but Downs has this character, um, down. Nick is very enjoyable as he says the things we could never get away with, and the plot moves quickly without any slow points. Alena is a strong counterpoint to Nick, although sometimes she sounds too much like him (sarcastic, not caring what people think). Nick even has an epiphany of sorts, and it will be interesting to see where it takes him.
Nick of Time was a great read, comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. Prior readers won’t be disappointed, and new readers should fit right in to Nick’s insect world. Fans of suspense and CSI-type shows will be well-served with Tim Downs latest.
—
by Jason Joyner | Jun 7, 2011 | Blog, Bug Man, fiction, Nick Polchak, reviews, Tim Downs, What's with the heart-shaped tubs?
Nick Polchak is one of the best literary characters ever.
Had to say it.
I’ve talked about Tim Downs before, and he is one of my favorite authors. He produces suspense fiction with wit and humor, along with some nice gory details about decomposing bodies.
This is because the protaganist of most of his novels is Dr. Nick Polchak, also known as the “Bug Man.” He’s a forensic entomologist, meaning he studies the insects that are drawn to corpses. It is a niche that Downs ably uses to give just enough tecnical jargon to help the reader really buy it.
Polchak also has one of the lowest social IQ’s ever seen. He has a minimal filter – he says what he wants and has a great wit. The result is he is funnier than all get-out, and makes each Bug Man novel a joy to read, but a challenge to read in public (didn’t want my recent airplane neighbor freaking out over my chuckling.)
In Nick of Time, it leads off of events of the Bug Man books Less the Dead and Ends of the Earth. Spoilers for those who haven’t read those books – Nick is getting married! Even the clueless Dr. Polchak may have a soul mate in Alena Savard, a woman who grew up on a mountain alone with dozens of dogs that she trains.
With his wedding a week away, he is invited to a forensics conference by an old friend for a consult on a cold case. Over Alena’s protests, Nick heads there only to find his friend dead.
Now he is off to find out what was happening with the cold case to see if there’s a connection. Meanwhile, Alena is panicking over the lack of a groom, and with the happy date approaching, she sets off to find him – along with three of her best tracking dogs.
Nick’s going to learn if he wants to be married, if it doesn’t kill him first…
—
Downs continues a strong run in the Bug Man series. Fans will find their favorite points intact: humor, suspense, mysteries for Nick to solve, and some big twists along the way. First time readers should pick the book up just fine, despite it building off of older novels. If you can read the others first then it will make more sense, but he writes in such a way that it isn’t necessary.
The plot is a little incredible at times, but Downs has this character, um, down. Nick is very enjoyable as he says the things we could never get away with, and the plot moves quickly without any slow points. Alena is a strong counterpoint to Nick, although sometimes she sounds too much like him (sarcastic, not caring what people think). Nick even has an epiphany of sorts, and it will be interesting to see where it takes him.
Nick of Time was a great read, comfortable as a well-worn pair of jeans. Prior readers won’t be disappointed, and new readers should fit right in to Nick’s insect world. Fans of suspense and CSI-type shows will be well-served with Tim Downs latest.
—
by Jason Joyner | May 25, 2011 | Blog, Brandilyn Collins, bug spray anyone?, fiction, reviews, suspense
Glad to finally beat Blogger at its own game and get back into my own blog (being locked out for a day stinks).
Ahem.
I’m helping out with the CFBA Tour this week, and we’re featuring Brandilyn Collins and her latest suspense, Over The Edge.
Brandilyn Collins is a prolific writer (working on her 20th book) who has created a strong following of her Seatbelt Suspense (meaning: you’d better strap yourselves in). She’s a great fiction mentor as well, and her blog Forensics and Faith is a great resource for fiction writers.
Over The Edge follows Janessa McNeil, the wife of a prominent doctor and medical researcher at Stanford. She stays at home, taking care of their 9 year old daughter Lauren.
After fighting flu-like symptoms for several weeks, she wakes up one day with baffling symptoms: confusion, fatigue, weakness in her legs. She falls in the kitchen and can barely pull herself upright. Her joints ache and she gets episodes where she feels she’s suffocating.
Getting sick is bad enough, but she receives a mysterious phone call.
Someone claims to have infected her with Lyme disease.
Dr. McNeil is a leading researcher in the field of Lyme disease, and he’s published official reports denying the existence of chronic Lyme disease. Most experts believe Lyme disease can be cured with a month’s worth of antibiotics, but a group of patients and doctors contend there is a deeper possible infection. Janessa’s stalker wants her to convince her husband to change his mind, or he’ll continue infecting victims – starting with their daughter.
Janessa is faced with a huge challenge to overcome the marital issues they already battle, along with her worsening symptoms and the fear that a small tick could strike her daughter at any time. Her will is strong, but can her weakened body hold out?
—
Brandilyn is a master of suspense. She has proved it in many prior novels. She also has experience with this subject, because she has battled Lyme infection in the past. You can go to
her website and read her testimony of being healed from it.
The reader is sucked in from the first chapter, as we follow the stalker on his first contact with Janessa (or Jannie). She uses language strategically, and she certainly paints a picture of someone who is very sick. As a reader, you feel what Jannie is going through.
Unfortunately, the length of the book and the slow pace of actual action drag it down. Jannie is a sympathetic character, but it gets hard in the middle to constantly live in her viewpoint of confusion and sickness. She can’t do much, and it bogs things down. There is the occasional point of view of inspector Jud Maxwell, but these are too few to provide enough counter to the battle of her illness. Her husband is a very unsympathetic character, and his extreme callous behavior is a turn-off as well.
The last few chapters pick up the pace and bring the book home to a mostly satisfying conclusion. Her suspense skills are allowed to shine once there is mortal danger.
The book is a good read. Brandilyn is a skilled writer, and there are many positives. I have a few issues with this book though:
-
She’s done better. This just isn’t her best work.
-
She wants to educate people about the possibility of chronic Lyme disease. The agenda weighs the story down, especially during a few pages of explanation that become didactic over entertaining.
-
Jannie’s viewpoint when battling sickness is potent initially, but has a hard time carrying the middle of the book.
As a disclaimer, I should say that I am a physician assistant. I see the research that doesn’t support chronic Lyme. However, in hearing Brandilyn’s story and meeting a couple of patients who claim to have it, I don’t have a hard and fast opinion. I know medicine is growing in knowledge, and I’m not ready to discount it. Still, I understand the arguments of Dr. McNeil in a different light than the average reader. I’ve thought carefully about this review though, and I think my issues are not from the controversial subject itself.
Overall, fans of Brandilyn’s prior suspense will find a familiar read with episodes of her trademark roller coster rides. There is interesting information about an evolving field. As a health care provider, I am reminded to show empathy even if I don’t fully understand what the patient is dealing with. If you’re looking for a Brandilyn Collins book to start with, I would recommend Violet Dawn or Exposure as better examples of her skill and talent.
Legal mumbo jumbo: I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes, without obligation regarding my opinion. There you go lawyers.
—
When he responds to a woman’s body found patially floating in a pool, he sees more than any other investigator. He sees a parallel to a murder he worked 10 years ago, one that was popularized in a true crime book. 