David

I've heard really good things about this series (and some not so good). It sounds like the type of series I would like. But this first book DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. I was a bunch of aimless wondering. When I finished the book I wasn't even sure there was a climax. It really felt like the first 200 pages of a 800 page book. I'm going to give this series two more books to win me over (maybe four considering they are only about 200 pages).

The border between noir and horror was crossed in this book. It's straight up horror. Bobby Dollar spends ninety percent of the book traveling through hell and doing what he does best. Getting “the point” beaten into him until he FINALLY figures it out. I'm not a horror reader and find the genre pointless is most cases.

I'm hoping the third book focuses on heaven and makes Bobby go through compelling struggles while getting “the point”. If this is the case the series will be redeemed.

The book and series in general is full of interesting ideas and twists. The heaven vs. hell concept as addressed in genre writing is thought provoking. The noir aspect is a different take. I just hope the third book makes it worth going through 350 pages of horror.

An introduction to Riley Sparks a reporter for Channel 3 TV News in Minneapolis. Her husband is recently deceased. Her best source, Nick Garnett, is retired. Her boss doesn't like her. But she has to keep going.
She is fed a story about two Susans that are killed one year apart. This turns into four-plus Susans. The investigation takes her all over the state. Her boss pulls her off the story, makes Riley work on a worthless tip-line story, and hand it to Mike Flagg, the ladder climbing, leech reporter. The tip-line story turns into a major story and Riley stay on the Susans case of her own volition.
The main issue I have is it reads like a procedural on TV. There's the A story line and the B story line. There's the friendless, put-upon, female where everyone is against her and no one is as smart as her. A lot of bad things happen to her but none of these things AFFECT her. The one bad thing that happens directly to her is written about and wrapped up about two pages later. Bad things happen to the males around her, Garnett “best friend/source/ex-cop” (to many archetypes in one body) is put in the hospital protecting her, charged with murder because of information she led police to. Even the dog that was loaned to her is nearly killed in a fight with a trained pit-bull protecting her. , but good old pretty-little-rich-girl that is “too skinny for TV” Riley just keeps going obliviously on her way.
The thing that put me over the edge was ... How is she able to write a check for a quarter of a million dollars? Seriously a $250,000 check, not a loan, not the $25,000 bond. A quick call to the accountant is all it takes to get a quarter of a million dollars to get Garnett out of jail.
There are good Minnesota shout outs sprinkled in. Being a Minnesota native and recognizing the shout outs was fun. I think there are good inside looks at how a TV station operates. Obviously there are two things Julie Kramer should know about from being a TV news producer in the Twin Cities. I particularly like the way she uses teleprompter style writing in places. Great concept, well done. These all add flavor to the book.
Unfortunately, this feels like John Sandford Lite. There's no spice. There's no struggle for Riley. The only bad thing that happens to her happens before this book. I think an extra hundred pages of back story would be helpful. I can only think of one female supporting character in the entire book. Changing one or two of the males would have removed some of the chic-lit flavor to the book.
I probably shouldn't compare the first book of an author to an author that has written many bestsellers. I'll give the next book in the series a try and hopefully there is some spice to it.