Bad Blood - Arne Dahl

It's no secret to faithful readers that I'm a crime fiction fan. I always enjoy discovering new authors in this genre.

Arne Dahl's latest North American release is Bad Blood. This is the second book featuring his recurring characters, the members of the A-Unit of the Swedish Intercrime Team.

The team is notified by the FBI that an American serial killer has eluded authorities and is on a flight to Sweden. Once the plane lands, the killer manages to again escape and the inevitable wait begins.....for him to kill again.

I felt a little behind as I got up to speed with who was who in the team. There are many players, each with their own strengths, foibles and backgrounds. There's a rich cast with enough personalities that every reader will come away with a favourite. (I'm partial to the old man of the team - Viggo)  Dahl makes references to the first crime this team solved - in the book Misterioso. The allusions to the crime made it sound like a book I would also enjoy, but Bad Blood can definitely be read as a stand alone.

American crime novels are often direct and to the point. I find that foreign crime novels often take a different approach, with more conversation between the characters, more speculation and more discussion. This was the case with the first half of Bad Blood. But, the second half of the book really picks up the pace once the bodies (yes, plural) start piling up.

Dahl has created a serial killer with a really nasty way of doing away with his victims. (Fair warning to gentle readers) The plotting took off in directions I would not have imagined. A little bit of a stretch in places, but definitely original. Dahl manages to sneak in social commentary along side of his crime.

Rachel Willson-Broyles was the translator. There were a few wooden bits with some of the humour, but overall it was a smooth read.  The book was originally published in 1998, so some of the references are dated. But,  I would definitely read the next North American release from Dahl, as I really enjoyed the characters. There are currently eleven books in the series. Read an excerpt of Bad Blood.

You can find Arne Dahl on Twitter and on Facebook. The BBC has made the books into a television series.

Bootstrapper: A Memoir - Mardi Jo Link

Subtitled: From Broke to Badass on a Northern Michigan Farm.

Bootstrapper: to promote or develop by initiative and effort with little or no assistance --- Merriam-Webster dictionary.

 

Mardi Jo Link is living the life she always dreamed of - three amazing young sons and the opportunity to raise them in the countryside in a beautiful old farmhouse sitting on six acres. And yes, there was a husband too - but with divorce now a certainty, Mardi Jo is determined to hang onto her sons, her house and her land - by herself. 

"I'm claiming my sons, the farm, the debt, the other debt, the horses, the dogs, and the land. I'm claiming our century-old farmhouse, the garden, the woods, the pasture, the barn, and the Quonset-hut garage. They're all mine now, and this is how I will raise my boys: on cheerful summer days and well water and BB guns and horseback riding and dirt. Because I'm claiming our whole country life, the one I've been dreaming of and planning out and working for since I was a little girl."

And this is where the bootstrapping comes into play -for Link is working with next to nothing in the way of finances. And wants to do it on her own - "I made this bed and I'll either lie in it or die in it, but I won't ask anyone for help."

Mardi Jo details the physical ups and downs - the day to day business of providing, but Bootstrapper also reads like a personal diary with Link's hopes, dreams, triumphs, losses and more laid bare. But what shone through the brightest was the love for her sons. These are the passages that stayed with me the longest. There are struggles, but the love and support they feel for each other is tangible. And quite humorous at times.

""Boys," I announced, "we're going to raise some chickens."
"Another pet to play with!" said Will, the idealist.
"Another kind of poop to clean up, said Luke, the worker.
"Another animal in bondage," said Owen, the activist."

I couldn't put Bootstrapper down - I was cheering Mardi Jo on with every chapter. And I empathized - we too bought an old farmhouse and there were some mighty lean years in the beginning - and there were two of us. I loved the descriptions of her garden - I too have grown our own vegetables for many, many years. Seed catalogues are exciting.

And at the end of the year is there a happy ever after ending? I'll let you discover that for yourself.

Bootstrapper is a one sitting read, one I enjoyed for its honesty. These are the memoirs I like to read - real people, real life. And she sounds like the kind of person I'd like to visit with on the porch. You can find Mardi Jo Link on Facebook.

Ghostman - Roger Hobbs

Learn from my mistakes. It was almost bedtime, but I thought I would sample a few chapters of Ghostman by Roger Hobbs before calling it a night. Yeah, good plan - didn't work. And I was very bleary eyed at work the next morning.

Atlantic City. The perfect heist, perfectly planned- treasury bills on their way to a casino. But.....the best laid schemes of mice and men....

When things go horribly wrong, Marcus, the orchestrator (jugmarker) of the heist gets in touch with 'Jack' (aren't all the best anti-heroes named Jack?!) in hopes of salvaging part of his plan. Jack owes Marcus for something that happened on another job. Since that job Jack has disappeared - like a ghost.

"My name isn't really Jack. My name isn't John, George, Robert, Michael or Steven, either. It isn't any of the names that appear on my drivers licenses and it isn't on my passports or credit cards. My real name isn't anywhere, except maybe on a college diploma and a couple of school records in my safety-deposit box. Jack Delton was just an alias, and it was long since retired. I'd used it for a job five years ago and never again since......Only two people in the world knew that name."

Jack is caught between warring criminals, his own proclivity for living on the edge and the past. We slowly learn what happened in the botched robbery five years ago and how Jack came to be the Ghostman.

Hobbs had me hooked from page one. The opening scenes are action filled, addictive and set the pace for the rest of the book. The story never falters or stalls and had me enthralled until I (reluctantly) turned the last page. The plot twists and turns in unexpected directions, taking the reader on a thrill packed ride.

Hobbs has obviously done a great deal of research into the criminal underworld of robberies, casinos, security and more. (Who knew you could kill someone with nutmeg?) The details included are fascinating and really add depth to the story. This is not a glossed over paint by the numbers plot. In fact, I stopped at one point to go online and read about the author. I really could not believe this was a debut novel.

"Roger Hobbs graduated from Reed College in Portland, Oregon in 2011, where he majored in English. His first book, GHOSTMAN, was written during the summer between his junior and senior years at Reed. He spent the school year rewriting it and editing. The manuscript was sent off on the day he graduated​. A few weeks later it caused an uproar at the 2011 Frankfurt Book Fair, and has since sold in more than fifteen countries around the world."

Who is going to love this book? Well, in my opinion, everyone. But if you're a  fan of  Reacher and the 'Oceans' heist movies, then this is one for you. I absolutely loved it - Five stars all the way.

Roger Hobbs: "My protagonist may be on the other side of the law from Lee's (Childs) heroic Jack Reacher, but he's just as smart, rough and principled. If I can get anyone to stay up all night reading, then I've done my job." Job done, Roger - in spades. More please.

Read an excerpt of The Ghostman. You can find Hobbs on Facebook and Twitter.