Thursday, March 08, 2007

Barbara Seranella - No Human Involved

Lines to remember:
[My addition: Detectives Mace St. John and Cassiletti at a crime scene.]
"I think what we got here is a clear case of AVA, NHI," St. John said.
Cassiletti looked confused.
"A**hole versus a**hole," Mace translated, "no human involved." He grinned at the rookie detective.

---
[My addition: Mace St. John thinking about the ID bracelet the doctor suggested he gets for his confused Dad quite a while ago.]
He couldn't feature his dad with atag that said, "My name is Digger, if found please return me." The guy was a war hero, not some German shepherd.

When strung-out waif-cum-ace auto mechanic Munch Mancini ends up suspect for her abusive father's murder, she is on the run not only from the police but also from her addiction and rather bad lifestyle. Only when she is linked to a series of gruesome murders, cop Mace St. John really starts looking for her. And in order for Munch to start a new life, she has to find the murderer and cut a deal.

I can't believe it took me so long to discover this series, and it is even sadder that it had to be due to Barbara Seranella's passing. I read this book as a buddy read and I can't wait to find the time to read the next in series.
Actually, it wasn't really hard-boiled, but not cozy either. We have Munch, an amateur sleuth, who's been through a really tough time, then there are gruesome murders and some really creepy people. While I wouldn't know what category to place the book in, I have to say it was just one awesome book, so I won't worry about categories for the time being.
I couldn't find any plot holes, and the only reason I didn't rate this book higher was the rather yucky description of a suicide attempt that almost made me vomit on the train LOL Actually ridiculous, but I just sat there reading - no, skimming, and could just imagine what it must have looked like...

Rating: B+

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