The first instalment of the Monkeewrench crime series, written by mother/ daughter writing team P.J. Tracy. On the surface, it is a crime cliché packed into 200- something pages; the city setting; the ace homicide cops; the civilian detectives; the sarcasm; the skepticism; the secrets. But if you delve a little deeper, you might find something else that is just a little bit more than your average crime drama.
We begin with our silent killer committing a murder. Of course. How else do you start a crime novel? We can see this is a meticulous, well planned murder. There is something a little bit creepy about it. We know we’re going to see a lot more of these murders before they catch this guy. You can just tell. Next, we’re introduced to our two cliched hero cops: Detective Leo Magozzi and Detective Gino Rolselth. Magozzi is your typical hot, brooding, silent Italian who is recently divorced from his lawyer ex- wife. Rolseth is the boisterous, smart mouthed guy who is happily married to his adoring wife and he has some kids. These two are, typically, the best in the homicide department, which is comprised of; the no nonsense boss, the sassy receptionist, the chilled out yet highly knowledgable medical examiner and the jumbled mix of department cops. These pesky murders that are occurring are our heroes bread and butter. The murders are connected to tech company, Monkeewrench. The company is made of five members: Roadrunner- The shy loner; Harley Davidson- Testosterone man; Annie Belinsky- The sassy female; Grace McBride- Stoic intelligent hot female lead and Mitch Cross- Tightly wound yuppie. The killer is using ideas from a game they have created in order to commit his murders. Are they a target? If so, why? Monkeewrench have a secret, buried very deep. One they will do absolutely anything to protect.
At the same time these murders occur we are sent to a different county in order to investigate the murders of an elderly couple shot dead in a church, with crosses carved into their chests. They have been living under a pseudonym, armed to the teeth, had traps set up and were secret millionaires with no identity. Deputy Bonar Carlson, the bachelor country version of Gino; Deputy Sharon Mueller, the (significantly more willing) country version of the Stoic intelligent hot female lead; and Sheriff Mike Halloran, the less developed country version of Magozzi are sent on a wild good chase to figure out who the hell these people are and who the hell would want them dead. In some strangely coincidental way, all of the stories are connected: Monkeewrenche’s secret, the serial killings in the city and the ritually murdered mystery couple, resulting in disturbing revelations and a bittersweet finale.
Does it sound average, like a retelling of every crime story ever told? The book doesn’t present the usual clichés, but it’s only noticeable when you sit and think about it. P.J Tracy have created a wonderful world in which is it the characters that are telling the story, rather than have us focus on whatever gruesome murder they dream up. The Monkeewrench compilation of characters, and the complex relationships and dynamic that the group share, are endless fun to watch. Do I picture a big, hairy, tight leather biker to have a fondness for fine wine and classic music? No. Do I picture this character shamelessly slobbering over food and women with a few wise cracks prepared and a grin on his face? Also no. These are the things that make the book fun and make the writing fun to read. The way to the story is told, we feel like we witness the action and experience it ourselves. As an audience, we feel a part of the story. Its a rare and powerful quality in writing when you can truly visualize the character and the stories without getting lost in the themes or the jargon.
There are no themes here but that doesn’t matter. It is what it is, it is a different take on a genre that has become so heavily politicized and gives you what you want to read: An interesting crime novel with fun characters and a tempting plot that is easy to read and you don’t want to put it down.
