"The Guilty Dead" by P.J. Tracy, Crooked Lane Books, Sept. 11, 2018, 336 pages.

Minneapolis Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called to the apparent suicide of wealthy philanthropist Gregory Norwood, who died on the first anniversary of his son, Trey's, fatal overdose. Norwood had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

His best friend, lawyer and gubernatorial candidate, Robert Zeller, calls authorities. Norwood's wife and daughter don't think it was suicide.

While this investigation is starting, one of the Monkeewrench team of computer experts is contacted by the FBI. The FBI is inundated with terrorist threats, and needs a way to sort out nuisance reports to focus on real threats. Luckily, the team has been working on new software for this purpose.

Grace MacBride, founder of Monkeewrench, and Magozzi are expecting a baby together.

This is the ninth in the Monkeewrench series. It focuses more on the police than on the Monkeewrench computer geniuses. The characters are excellent. While it is easy to figure out what happened, it is still an enjoyable read. You can read this one without reading others in the series.

P.J. Tracy was the pseudonym for mother and daughter writing team of. P.J. and Traci Lambrecht. P.J. Lambrecht died in 2016. Her daughter is continuing the series.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the Advanced Readers Copy of this book was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First Sentence: Gus Rankin sipped from a bottle of water as he surveyed Trey's living room.

Gregory Norwood died of an accidental drug overdose. Or did he? On the one-year anniversary of his death, his father commits suicide. Or did he? What is the connection to an even greater threat that could kill hundreds of lives? It's up to the police, working with the experts of the Monkeywrench team, to find the answers.

The story opens with a prologue that that works as it is an example of "show, don't tell." It provides background to the events, people, and connections which form one of the two story threads. From there, Tracy quickly draws one into the main story, introducing the rest of the characters and clarifying relationships along the way.

It doesn't take long before Tracy's trademark plot twists and wry humor become evident—"There was a gate and a gatehouse inhabited by two armed guards who possessed all the charm of North Korean border-control agents." The other side to humor is tears. Tracy also understands—"…that grief was the cost of love and it pillaged everybody in exactly the same way, regardless of socio-economic status. It was the great equalizer." The dialogue is wonderfully done, particularly the repartee between Magozzi and Rolseth.

All the characters regular readers have come to know are here, with the extra feature of an extremely pregnant Grace. Those new to the series need not worry, however, as each is reintroduced in a casual manner, with backstories provided. However, there are a lot of links between the secondary characters, not to mention similar names in the beginning, which can be confusing.

Tracy creates a real sense of atmosphere, which is something very different from place or time. It's a skill which can make one stop and really consider—"Norwood's body was gone, but the pervasive stench of death wasn't. Its malignant presence had even penetrated the upstairs rooms in the big house. "There were companies that specialized in sanitizing the aftermath of crime scenes – 'trauma cleaning' was the polite term for it – but Magozzi had always wondered if it was possible to scour a place entirely of death's effrontery."

The escalation of suspense is very well done, but the reliance on coincidences is a bit heavy-handed, in spite of the clever exchange on the subject—"…"'We asked a buddy tonight if he believed in coincidences.' She arched an over-plucked brow. 'And what did he say?' 'He said no. But sometimes coincidences happen.'"

It is a bit unusual, in a good way, to have a bad guy with a conscience, and the motive comes clear as does the intended target. It is a circuitous route, but an interesting one. Even so, the exposure of the villain is hard to believe, and the ending, which includes a predictable scene, rather abrupt. This is the first book written solely by Traci since the passing of her mother P.J., and it does show, yet one should have faith that she'll hit her full stride soon.

"The Guilty Dead" is exciting and suspenseful with twists galore and plenty of bodies. Whatever else, it's a fun way to spend a few hours with an entertaining group of characters, and that's not a bad thing at all.

THE GUILTY DEAD (Pol Proc/Tech-Monkeywrench Gang/Magozzi/Rolseth-Minnesota-Contemp) G+
Tracy, P.J. – 9th in series
Crooked Lane – Sept 2018

This is book nine in the Monkeywrench series . Leo and Gino are partners in the Homicide Division of MPD . A philanthropist is found dead as he is preparing to scatter his son's ashes from the year before . Then a reporter that knew something about the death is found slain ! The plot is masterfully done with a fabulous large number of characters ! Incredibly gripping page turner ! I highly recommend ! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lead Books for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review ! #Netgalley #CrookedLeadBooks #TheGuiltyDead

This mystery is a bit complicated at first until you get to know the characters. A philanthropist is found dead, presumably self-inflicted, on the anniversary of the death of his son Trey, whose death by a drug overdose is front page news. A journalist happens to be outside Trey's father's house trying to get a candid photograph of the grieving parent when he hears a single gunshot. Detective Magozzi is investigating and involves his friend Grace, who is with Monkeewrench Software, to help him try and solve the death.
The story line is rather hard to believe as so much delicate confidential material is shared between the software company and the detective.

It has been quite a long while since I have read a Monkeewrench book. I used to read them pretty regularly. I don't know what happened as I did enjoy the books that I read. After finishing this book, I will make sure to not let long periods of time lapse between books. It was like I hadn't really left. Instantly, I was able to jump right into this book with no problems. The characters embraced me as did I to them.

Magozzi and Rolseth make good partners. They work very well together. Then, there is Magozzi and Grace's relationship. I like them together. They made a good couple. Yet, I like that their relationship did not distract from the main storyline. Which was full of a good steady pace with plenty of action. There wasn't really any down time, thus I really liked this factor. It was made better because of the characters. Fans of this series will enjoy this latest offering in this series.

“The Guilty Dead” is Book Nine in the Monkeewrench series. This book took me a little longer to get into, because I realized that this was a series I should read in order. I'm very glad I did. By the time I started reading this book, I felt I was visiting with old friends and catching up on the doings in Minneapolis.

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are partners in the Homicide division of MPD. They are called to the scene of a suicide, but this is no ordinary death scene. Gregory Norwood is a beloved Minneapolis philanthropist whose son died of an overdose a year ago. It now seems that Senior Norwood has killed himself rather than carry on with his grief. Although the scene seems to speak for itself, the police want to investigate just to make sure they are getting it right.

Monkeewrench, a software developing company, features the return of Harley Davidson, Grace McBride, Annie and Roadrunner – all very unique personalities. Harley has the company headquarters in his Summit Ave. mansion that he has lovingly restored. When FBI Agent Dahl comes to visit with a request to the group, they sit up and take notice. The FBI has data on possible terrorist activity located in the Midwest area but needs to have the information analyzed quickly to learn if there is the possibility of an impending attack.

"The Guilty Dead" moves along quickly with each group having alternating chapters until a very dramatic and intense ending. This is one of my favorite series and I look forward to the next book in the series. For those readers who have not tried the series, you can read this edition as a stand-alone but treat yourself and start from the beginning. The first several novels in the series left me laughing out loud or drying quiet tears. Midway through the series readers may catch a shift in the writing. The authors of these series (a mother and daughter team) had to say goodbye to each other when Patricia Lambrecht succumbed to health issues. Her daughter, Tracy, continues the series but some of the "heart" of the series is markedly missing.

For current readers of this series, be sure to catch up with everyone in the latest installment. For readers new to the Monkeewrench series, dive in! Highly recommend.

"The Guilty Dead"
P.J. Tracy
Crooked Lane Books

Mystery/Thriller -- Release Date: September 21, 2018


"The Guilty Dead," book nine in the Monkeewrench series written by a mother and daughter. The complex character consists of Harley Davidson, Roadrunner, Annie Belinsky, and Grace McBride, who is in the eighth month of her pregnancy. These foursome-partners of computer experts own the Monkeewrench Software company, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Several of their cases come to them through homicide detectives, Gino Rolseth, and Leo Magozzi—Grace's baby's daddy—in addition to other local and federal authorities.

The wealthy Minneapolis philanthropist, Gregory Norwood is planning to scatter the ashes of his son, Trey, who passed away a year before from a heroin overdose, of which his death was considered suspicious. When Greg is found dead in his study from a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound the two detectives are called in to investigate find the elder Norwood's death. They declare this to be a homicide, and when a photographer/reporter who allegedly has information about Greg's death is
found slain, they know something fishy is going on.

Special Agent Dahl from the FBI calls Harley in the wee hours asking for a private meeting. Harley meets with him to learn the agency wants to use Monkeewrench's expertise about an issue of national security. They need help with terrorist threats and want the team to hack ("test") a new software program which will allow them to identify security breaches and targets of possible attacks. They are starting the first beta tests and need Monkeewrench to implement them so they can't be detected by radar. Their information proclaims that an attack is anticipated to happen in close proximity of them and they must hurry to thwart the attempts of the perpetrators.

This well-plotted novel offers a large cast of characters, all of which add to the suspense of the story. The unexpected deaths now ruled as homicides and the quest for the suspected terrorists unite, bringing more to light while merging these two scenarios. Fast-paced and intriguing, this novel proves to be a page-turner, having new-bee readers to this series eager to grab the first eight engrossing books.

Book nine in a series is never a good place to start. But I had heard so many great reviews for this series, that when I was offered this book through netgalley, how could I resist?

First impressions. Wow, can Tracy paint a picture! His descriptions really sucked me in. And there’s more than a wee bit of dry wit here, too.

It did take me a little time to figure out who everyone was. But Tracy does a good job of giving you the connections and a bit of backstory for each of the players.

The topic is very au courant. The Monkeewrench group is working on a software program to aid local law enforcement in surveying suspected terrorists, the ones not high enough to reach the federal level of vigilance. And while it may not be believable, I love the fairy tale idea of a group of hackers so amazing they can fight crime so easily.

Meanwhile, a rich man is thought to have committed suicide on the one year anniversary of his son’s overdose. And yes, I could figure out who the bad guy was, but it still didn’t dampen my enjoyment. Isn’t it funny how sometimes if the writing and the characters are good enough, you’re so much more willing to overlook the faults?

This is just what I didn’t need! Another series that I have to add to my list of ones not to miss. Because this book was just plain engaging. The hype is true. Now, how am I ever going to find the time to read the first eight books?

My thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.

I haven’t read PJ Tracy for a long time, so was really excited when this became available.
It didn’t disappoint - although at times I felt it lacked something.
It had me gripped from the beginning and I really enjoyed all the procedural parts. Not the best I have read, but certainly a recommended read.

In this ninth Monkeewrench novel, the murder case that Leo and Gino are investigating takes the main stage while the Monkeewrench crew, cyber-security specialists, joins FBI agent Dahl to check out if Minneapolis is a terrorist-target in a secondary plot-line.

The Monkeewrench team and greater community of characters have been deftly devised by P. J. Tracy through these novels that are hard to put down once started. This adventure is no exception. A local philanthropist, thought to have committed suicide, is instead a murder that sets up an intriguing set of events for Leo and Gino to sort out.

Once again, Ms. Tracy has developed a fascinating mystery with layers and red herrings that keep the suspense moving through the pages. As with so many well-done series, reading the current novel often feels like a visit to a favorite place, catching up with friends, perhaps meeting new ones. That describes reading The Guilty Dead. Enjoy the trip.

Jumping onto a "book-series-train" mid-journey is difficult, and trying to describe it is even trickier. This is the first P.J. Tracy book I've read. The author did a good job of summing up any necessary backstory succinctly; I never felt bogged down by historical references from earlier books. There was a strong story arc, and the characters never became caricatures (well, perhaps Conrad the bodyguard, who only ever carried an air of menace.)

And I enjoyed the book enough to start seeking out earlier installments in the series. I guess that can be credited to the two wise-cracking but obviously good-hearted detectives, Leo and Gino, and to the Monkeewrench cyber-security team.

So far, so good. I also felt a bit of frustration with some unevenness in the story, some inconsistencies in the narration. If I could give a digital rating, it would be 3.5 stars, but I rounded up to four. Still, let me emphasize, I plan to backtrack and read the earlier books. It was a good read!

3.5 stars. So much action and so many characters! I have to admit at times I found myself going back and rereading to try to keep the characters and storylines straight. Not having read the eight prior books in the series, I was unfamiliar with the characters and the Monkeewrench program. Several times I was tempted to give up towards the beginning of the book but towards the middle it seemed easier to follow. The ending was very well done. Several of the twists/turns/revelations were fairly obvious, but it was a satisfying read. Perhaps I missed something but there was a passage that led me to believe that Rosalie’s mom and “Uncle Robert” had an illicit relationship but it was never confirmed. Many thanks to P. J. Tracy, Michael Joseph Ltd, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this soon to be published book.

O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive!

This totally sums up this new thriller.

I'm so glad I have rediscovered this series and the characters that make up the Monkeywrench crew. What a lot of twists and turns this story had. This was a really good read that had me on the edge of my seat a few times waiting to see what was going to come out next. It was great how all the pieces came together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy in return for an honest review.

In this ninth instalment of the Monkeewrench series, the focus is less on the Monkeewrench team and more on Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, as they investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, Gregory Norwood. Although Norwood's death occurs on the anniversary of his son Trey's death from an overdose, his wife and daughter don't believe he would have committed sucicide and there are some things at the scene that don't make sense. Leo and Gino soon find themselves embroiled in solving several murders that link back to a tragic event many years before. In a parallel but subsequently intersecting thread, the Monkeewrench team have been working on a new super program to help the FBI detect terrorist threats early enough to intervene. When their beta test shows up a cluster of activity in their own city of Minnesota, alarm bells start ringing loudly.

This was a good, solid murder mystery and thriller, and an excellent addition to the series. Although the plot is full of suspense, it's the great characters that keep me coming back for more and while I would have enjoyed seeing more of the quirky Monkeewrench crew (can never get enough of them!), I also love the strong relationship and banter between Leo and Gino. If you haven't read any of this series before do start with book 1 to get to know all the personalities before reading any of the later books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in return for my honest opinion and review.

This was the first book that I read by this author, and it will be by no means the last. I enjoyed the police procedural part of this book as well as the storyline itself. The characters were interesting, memorable and I want to know more about them. I really enjoyed Grace, Harley Leo and Gino. I can’t wait to learn more about these characters and see wheee the books take them. I will definitely be going back and reading the previous books as well.

Great summer read. Lots of guessing and trying to sort out the whodunnit of this book.

This is a Monkeewrench Novel. I love the four characters from the Monkeewrench group. Each one has a different personality that brings unique factors to the group. Then you also have Detectives Magozzi and Gino who solve murders with the help that Monkeewrench gives them.
The murder is of a socialite in Minneapolis. Who killed him and the photographer on his property?
I always love these books because they are just fun to read.

I know I sound like a broken record, but it's always a treat to discover a particularly good series. This one I've missed by eight-ninths of a mile; it's the ninth of the "Monkeewrench" books. I very much enjoyed reading it and, for those who might be planning to jump in this far along, it stands alone pretty well. That said, I couldn't shake the feeling that I missed out on a whole lot of background "stuff" that would have made it even more meaningful.

About a year before this story begins, the son of filthy rich businessman Gregory Norwood - Trey - died of an apparent overdose. On the anniversary of his death, the father, who had just been told he had terminal cancer, is found dead as well - an apparent suicide. Shooting himself under these circumstances would have been understandable, of course, but a few things just don't add up; the gun was found near his right hand (Gregory was left-handed), and it was totally devoid of fingerprints.

As this is taking place, there's a bit of anticipation at the headquarters of Minneapolis-based Monkeewrench, a software development company that's beta-testing the mother of all security programs. One of the partners, Grace MacBride, is within dropping distance of delivering a baby - a child she share with detective Leo Magozzi, who is investigating the abovementioned murder. Monkeewrench gets a call for help from another law enforcement official who has discovered a possible terrorist bombing plot. Is it possible the new program can be used to discover who and where the terrorists are and, more to the point, what they're trying to blow up?

These two stories run concurrently, but as I suspected, eventually they begin to converge. Along the way, I met some intriguing characters - in particular one or two who work at Monkeewrench with unusual names like Harley Davidson and Roadrunner - who I'd love to see much more of (an example, I suppose, of what readers of previous books already are clued into). Along the same line (and said as a series newbie), I guess I expected there'd be more plot involvement from the folks for whom the series is named. This time out, there seemed to be more emphasis on the cops and less on the computer geeks.

Resolution of both scenarios brings some tense moments, but the loose ends get tied up at the end - well most of them, anyway - making for a very fast-paced, almost edge-of-my seat experience that turned me into an instant fan. I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy. This may be my first Monkeewrench adventure, but it certainly won't be my last.

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.

I don't want to be a Negative Nancy when it comes to books. However, this book just didn't turn out the be as good as I had hoped it to be. I have long wanted to read this series and with the latest published book, THE GUILTY DEAD did I finally take the plunge. I have this as a copy, but I decided to listen to the audioversion instead since then I could take the book with me to work...;)

I did think the book started off good, with murders looking like suicide. However, I had one big problem all through the book. One problem that made it hard for me to truly enjoy the book. The characters. I've listened to books before with a lot of characters to keep track on. And, usually, it's not a big problem. This time, I kept forgetting who was who ALL THE TIME. Yup, now and then I turned to the ecopy of the book I had to search for a name to find out who she/he was. I probably broke my name search record for one book. Now, there will obviously be those that will chide me telling me that it's a risk when you haven't read the previous books in a series. However, I will tell you that I seldom have this problem. Unless the characters are not memorable. Needer the main characters nor those new in this book made an impression on me.

So, how was the story? Well, not bad, but not overly engrossing. I will say this. The book worked fine when it came to listening to at work (when I was not confused about someone identity). The identity of the main culprit was hardly a surprise. Often it felt like I was one step ahead of the characters in the book, although I did enjoy the last part of the book when everything unraveled. I do want to read the first book in the series to see if that will work better for me.

THE GUILTY DEAD was just not my cup of tea. However, fans of this series will probably enjoy this book very much.

I loved this book. It had so many twists and turns. This is my first book that I have read of PJ Tracy. I kicked the way the story slowly started to unravel.