I’d forgotten how good this series is! I’ve been following the Monkeewrench crew since book one. This is a great revenge thriller - focusing on family secrets - with a sideline with Grace, who’s 8 months pregnant. Fast paced and very enjoyable!

Part of a series which I didn't realise but you can read this as a standalone novel. The plot was really interesting and I loved the cast of characters

More Minnesota dead and the clear up doesn't get any less intriguing. Futher action from the extended Roadrunner crew.

In this, the ninth instalment of the Twin Cities or Monkeewrench series, Gregory Norwood is a wealthy businessman and close friend of the lead candidate for Minnesota’s Governor, is found dead on the first anniversary of his son’s drug overdose. It seems obvious that grief drove him to commit suicide.

Expect why would a left-handed man use his right hand to pull the trigger? And why is there blood and hair of a photo-journalist at the house - when his body is discovered in park mere hours later?

What should be an open and shut case turns into a murder enquiry and with this, it raises the question: is there something dark hiding in city’s most powerful family’s closet? And with Monkeewrench’s beta-test of a computer programme discover a possible terror attack might be happening soon, everyone has to work fast…

So, what did I think of this?

I had a blast with this. I whizzed through the audiobook and not once felt that the plot was slow or dull.

This, in a weird way, reminded me of James Patterson when his stories get it right. The chapters were short and punchy, the plot was fast (I think this novel takes place over 24-28 hour period), you never got bored as it’s quite addictive. But, unlike James Patterson, this didn’t feel like a cookie-cutter plot. There was a bit of meat to its bones and story and characters felt a tad more complex.

And from other people’s reviews, if you are a long time fan of the series, the character development is slow and hugely rewarding. While, if you are a new reader to the series, you never feel like you’re missing out or you entered the series at the wrong place. The Guilty Dead felt both like a standalone and yet a good instalment to a long running series.

I do have to admit that I did audiobook most of this and, at times, I got a little frustrated with the narrator as some voices sounded very similar. The same goes with scene changes. Now, in the past, when I have listened to audiobooks, if there is a scene change or we change to a different character’s point of view/situation, there has been a gap of a few seconds so listeners know the scene is changing. Not in this audiobook. The narrator just powered on, leaving no breather for listeners to go “Oh, we’re changing times/locations/characters/etc”. By the end, I got use to this but at the start, it was incredible jarring.

But saying that, I did hugely enjoy myself. Like I said earlier, I do have one or two other P.J. Tracy novels to read/audiobook and I will try and get to them as soon as I can.

I think I may have been at a disadvantage from the off with this book by making it the first one in the series I have read

I think I would have understood the background better had I read the previous books in the series as I found the Monkeewrench thing a bit confusing

There were a lot of characters in this book but the two main police are very likeable

Well written and a good plot I would definitely give the other books in the series a go

I really enjoyed this book. It has great main characters and a really good story line. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

This is the first book :I have read in the Momkee wrench series so it took awhile to get involved but then the book was non stop action in this murder/police procedural story

This is another great addition to the Monkeewrench series of novels. A bomber is targetting Minnesota but this is terrorism driven by a personal vendetta and Magozzi and Rolseth will need to work through a familys tribulations to get to the answer. All while Grace is about to deliver her first child. The P J Tracy novels are fast paced and brilliantly constructed. The characters are wonderfully drawn . Recommended,.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to review this book especially as PJ Tracy never disappoints.

As always this was a gripping story. Gritty and dark but unveiling a little more about Grace and the rest of the team. I was so caught up in this book that I completed it in one day. So looking forward to the next adventure.

Suicides, murders, assisted deaths... It's a dark world. Review to come later. Looking forward to the author's next novel.

PJ Tracy is a firm favourite. Great read as usual. You can always guarantee a solid story telling from this author.

PJ Tracy never fails to pull you into the story and keep you hooked until the end, and this is no disappointment.

This is a terrific, well written book. 9th in the Monkeewrench/Twin City series all of which I have enjoyed very much. I will be posting a fuller review on my blog: https://lovebooksreadbooks.com/ (or see link below) in the next week or so.

4.5* - I recommend not only this book but the whole series. I hope you try them and enjoy them as much as I do.

With thanks to Michael Joseph Comms at Penguin Random House for offering me the opportunity to receive an eCopy via NetGalley.

All comments are my own, this is my honest opinion.

Trey Norwood, 28 Jahre alt, Sohn des legendären Geschäftsmanns und wohlhabenden Philanthropen Gregory Norwood ist in Hollywood Hills vermutlich an einer Überdosis Heroin gestorben. Was bei seinem Lebenswandel niemanden wundert. Man ist gleich zu Anfang dieses Buches mit Gino Rolseth und Leo Magozzi im nun schon neunten Fall der Monkeewrench Serie dabei.

Ein Jahr später dann erlebt man, aus der Sicht des Vaters Gregory seinen letzten Tag auf Erden am ersten Todestag seines Sohnes. Er hat letzte Woche erst die Diagnose einer tödlichen Erkrankung erhalten. Er hat nur noch ein Jahr zu leben. Gregory hat sich diesen Sommertag vor der geplanten Gedenkfeier für sich genommen und Personal und Familie weggeschickt. Er betrinkt sich und nimmt eine Waffe aus seinem Schreibtisch. Aber er will sich nicht töten, bevor er nicht das letzte Rätsel um den Tod seines Sohnes gelöst hat. Er fühlt sich für den frühen Tod Treys verantwortlich. Derweil hat Fotograf Gerry Stenson im Auftrag eines Klatschblattes am Ende des Grundstücks versteckt. Plötzlich hört er einen Schuss und will nicht ganz uneigennützig zur Hilfe eilen...

In einem weiteren Handlungsstrang trifft man Harley Nachts im Monkeewrench Büro an, als Spezial Agent Dahl ihn anruft und dann wegen eines drohenden Terroranschlags in Minnesota aufsucht. Grace MacBride ist mittlerweile im achten Monat schwanger und sieht aber gar nicht ein, sich aus der Ermittlungsarbeit zurückzuziehen. Die Autorin führt einen geschickt wieder in die Gruppe und ihre Situation ein, man fühlt sich gleich wieder wie bei Freuden.

Mit dem Fortschreiten der Erzählung werden die Fälle immer komplexer und die Zahl der Beteiligten steigt. Man folgt der Geschichte gefesselt. Die Spannung steigt kontinuierlich trotz des zunächst ruhigeren Starts. Man kann viele interessante und sympathische Interaktion der Charaktere um Leo und Gino mit erleben. Begleitet sie bei der täglichen akribischen und gründlichen Polizeiarbeit. Das ist besonders für langjährige Fans sehr erfüllend.
Gegen Ende Buches spitzt sich die Situation für alle Beteiligten dramatisch zu. Doch noch ist das Finale nicht erreicht...

Fazit: Für Freunde der Serie ist das Buch ein MUSS.

4,5 von 5 Punkten

I have a huge confession to make. Although I have several of PJ. Tracy’s books on my ever increasing ‘TBR’ (to be read) pile, I haven’t actually read one yet. After having just finished ‘The Guilty Dead’ I am now asking myself ‘why the hell haven’t I read anything by this author before now?’ I loved reading ‘The Guilty Dead’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the working partnership of Detectives Gino and Magozzi. They have been working with each other for that long that they often know what the other one is thinking without anything having been said. They each have the other one’s back. At times it was easy to think of them as siblings. What one partner lacks, the other provides. Both have been around the block a few times and have a lot of life experience. Both detectives are determined, strong minded and stubborn individuals who do their best to investigate crime and achieve justice for the victims of crime. I warmed to the pair of them straight away and I felt as though I was a member of the team too.
Blimey oh riley ‘The Guilty Dead’ was certainly a read and a half. The story starts in such a way that it immediately grabbed my attention and much like a fish on the end of the rod, I was reeled in. I became addicted to reading ‘The Guilty Dead’. I wanted to learn more about Gino and Magozzi as characters and as a working partnership, I needed to know the ins and outs of the crime and what would drive somebody to do such a thing. The more I read, the more I got into the book and the more determined I was to find out what happened next. The story hit the ground running and maintained the pace throughout. Reading this book was much like being on a scary and very unpredictable rollercoaster with no idea where the story will take you next. Quite often I have an inkling or theory about what has happened and is going to happen but not in this case. There were twists and turns aplenty throughout the book and there were certain things that happened in the book that left me stunned and breathless. In fact I had to re-read certain parts to make sure I hadn’t imagined it. The author certainly knows how to ramp up the level of tension and drama in the book. The action builds and builds and erupts in a tense and dramatic conclusion. This author has put a bit of everything in ‘The Guilty Dead’- there’s drama, there’s action, there are moments that will shock and moments that you won’t be expecting.
In short I absolutely loved reading ‘The Guilty Dead’ and I would wholeheartedly recommend this author and this book to other readers. I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next. Here’s hoping that we don’t have too long to wait but whilst I wait I will definitely be seeking out the other books in the series and make reading them one of my reading priorities for the rest of the year.

Initially the pen name ‘P.J. Tracy’ was actually a mother/ daughter writing partnership. Sadly the mother died and her daughter has carried the name and the series onwards.

Rating 4.5 / 5

A year after the death of his son, wealthy businessman Gregory Norwood is found dead in his study from what looks like a self-inflicted gunshot.
Despite all signs pointing to suicide, however, when Detectives Gino and Magozzi arrive at the scene, they aren’t so sure. Everything is a little too perfect. Plus, there’s the small fact of the blood they’ve found on the patio, blood which definitely doesn’t belong to Norwood.
So starts the latest wonderfully twist-y and turn-y outing for some of my favourite policemen and the Monkeewrench team, a group of hackers always skirting just on the right side of legal.
This is a great start to a book that gets more complicated by the page, but not so much so that you lose interest and give up. I love the way P J Tracy leads you down dead ends and throws up red herrings just enough to keep you interested but not so much that you get frustrated. And I love the way it all gets tied up at the end so that you wonder why you never thought of the outcome in the first place.
She has created some great characters in Gino and Magozzi, veteran detectives who work well together as a team and are incredibly solid and likeable. The Monkeewrench team add a bit of needed edge given how stable the detectives are and it all works really well together. With this being the ninth book in the series and having read most of them, it’s great to see how they have all grown and become more real with each outing.
If I had one complaint, and it’s a small one, it’s that the ending felt a bit rushed. Once I’d gotten to the big reveal, it was all over. Personally, I’d have liked it dragged out a bit more, just to keep the tension going. This is personal though, and such a small niggle. It shouldn’t put you off reading the book if you enjoy a good piece of crime writing.

It was nice being back with Detectives Gino and Magozzi and the Monkeewrench gang, missed them a lot.

This book was full of twists and turns which were so intriguing I was totally hooked and I didn't want to put the book down. I have followed this series from the start and still love it, can't wait for the next book!!! Brilliant series, brilliant book

When Gregory Norwood is found shot dead one year after his son’s overdose, it seems like a clear cut case of suicide. The only problem is, left-handed Norwood appears to have used his right hand to shoot himself and then has, somehow, managed to wipe the gun clean post mortem. After blood is found outside the house, Detectives Gino and Magozzi fear that there is a second victim waiting to be found.

Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench crew are working on a new program that will aid the police in tracking and locating potential terror plots. Little do they know that their work will soon cross paths with the murder case and that Minneapolis will become the centre of a bomb plot that could conceivably bring devastation to all those around.

They say ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, but if I hadn’t have been intrigued by the cover of the first book in the Monkeewrench series, Want to Play?, whilst shopping at the long-lamented Borders almost fifteen years ago, I’d never have discovered this fantastic series! Now, nine books in, The Guilty Dead is the latest in the Minneapolis-set books and is, once again, another brilliant read.

While a murder made to look like a suicide is not a novel plot, there is so much more to this story. As the investigation progresses, we find out who the guilty party is, but it is more a case of ‘whydunnit’ rather than ‘whodunnit’, as the two main plots begin to converge. Although the role of IT experts, Monkeewrench, is pivotal in solving the crimes, I felt that there was less page time devoted to them than in previous books and more given to the police investigation. Of course, they, once again, prove their worth but not before a catastrophic event threatens to tear them apart.

Throughout the series, we have been privy to the traumas of Grace, one of the Monkeewrench crew, and how and why she has found it hard to trust people. Now eight months pregnant, and about to embark on a new phase of her life, I am intrigued as to what further books in the series will see happening to her. She takes more of a back seat in this book, which is understandable, but in true Monkeewrench-style, trouble is never too far away…

This is a series that I continue to love and I am already looking forward to book ten!

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.
I have read all the Monkeewrench books and have always found them to be good solid entertainment. I thought the first 3 books in the series were outstanding and that the subsequent ones were also very enjoyable.
The Guilty Dead is the ninth in the series and is a brisk, engaging read with some neat twists and surprises. The dual plot of the suspicious suicide of a well respected and wealthy businessman and a terrorist threat specifically directed towards Minneapolis works well and the author skilfully brings the two storylines together. The central characters, especially the police duo of Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, are well sketched and entertaining. Regular readers will also enjoy the subplot of the pending birth of Grace McBride's (one of the Monkeewrench team) and Magozzi's baby.
There are some stretches of credibility, but the ending is exciting and full of suspense. A good read for the beach or a lazy weekend.

Minneapolis Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called on a new case of Wealthy Businessman Gregory Norwood suspected suicide. He was found dead with a gun in his hand. It is the 1-year anniversary of his son’s Trey death from a Heroin overdose. Robert Zeller thinks that it was the guilt of what happened to Trey that killed him. But, when Magozzi and Rolseth start to investigate, they have found out that the gun was wiped clean, so it all adds up to murder.
The story also includes the Monkeewrench team. A team of computer programmers They are testing a new software program that keeps and searches for any new terror threats on the dark net. There is a new threat in town and they think new FBI building is its target. At the same time the team are anxious and waiting in anticipation of Grace MacBride giving birth.
I was excited to receive these as, I have read most of the series and thoroughly enjoyed them. It is actually the first crime series I have read. It made me feel like I’m back with an old friend. They were lots of different characters with their own story that all came together at the end. There were lots of twists and turns in this book. It was fast paced and entertained me though out. If you haven’t read any of this series I would highly recommended it.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a copy of this book. The Guilty dead is the 9th in the Monkeewrench series and I have read and enjoyed most of them.