Copy received from publisher via Netgalley for an honest review

I did not know that this was part of a series when I requested (nobody to blame but myself!) however this did not affect my reading of The Guilty Dead at all.

Coming into series so far in did can have a few issues, and as the characters are already so well developed, I did miss a lot of the nuances of their relationships. However, there is enough about them for me to muddle my way through and figure out who was what and to whom.

This story starts out with a murder, and from that minute on we are taken on a non-stop ride of murder, mystery and suspense.

I did have a gut feeling who our bad buy was, but I was never 100% until the author wanted me to know the whos and whys.

I enjoyed the relationship between the 2 lead detectives, the way they read each other, bounced off each other to find the killer.

I liked the way this book tapped into the worries, the fears of our current world, and made it feel like this could be happening in any of our cities or towns.

I really did enjoy this book from this new to me author. I am interested in going back and reading the earlier books in this series, and look forward to more in the future.

The first solo outing for Traci after the sad passing of PJ, but I am really pleased to say that she's kept the magic alive.
I love this series, great characters and some of the most interesting, twisted plot lines. Also it's really nice that you can just jump straight in without having read previous titles, although I almost want to guarantee that you will want to read all of them from the beginning after this.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
#9 in the Monkeewrench series and the first I have read. I don't know how I have missed them but this made me want to read all of the others. Worked just fine for me though some reading between the lines was necessary. The plot was involved and pretty intricate and kept me reading. The characters were likable and engaging. Overall a really great read. 4.5 stars.

I have three or four of the first books in this series on disk and listened to them a few years ago in my car. I fell in love with the characters and the storylines. I’ve missed some of the books in between and, while I know I’m missing some details, I had no problem in connecting with the characters in this new book.

This story focuses more on Leo and Gino, the Minneapolis homicide detectives, and not as much on the Monkeewrench software company characters. This group of paranoid computer geniuses are such strong characters who don’t talk about their difficult childhoods so much of the secrecy continues from the beginning of the series. Even with hours spent on computers or the detectives working cases, there is still humor, friendship, and great banter. While working with the detectives and the FBI, Monkeewrench has to make sure to walk the fine line to stay legal when obtaining information. It’s fascinating how they manage to locate small details that help Gino and Leo on their cases.

I was THRILLED to know that Leo Magozzi and Grace McBride are expecting a child together and now I definitely need to go back and read some of the previous books to see what I’m missing. Every time the phone rings, Leo worries about Grace and the baby. Leo and Grace have had a connection since the beginning and it was so sweet to see their interactions and Leo’s tenderness towards Grace and the baby.

This story had plenty of twists and turns and was quite heartbreaking at times. It was fast paced and suspenseful, with potential suicide victims, murder, terrorist threats, all the while wondering how this may affect Grace and her pregnancy. There was a lot going on in the story but all of the loose ends were tied up at the end.

I know that PJ passed away and Tracy has continued the series and the excellent writing and plotlines continue. I enjoy and recommend this series and look forward to the next story.

I want to thank Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this new work by P.J. Tracy.

This was my first experience with Monkeewrench. So for me the book started slowly and I was slightly confused by all the characters. I wanted to give the book a chance and kept reading. I am glad I did. I shed a few tears, had a few laughs, enjoyed the nail-biting scenes, and more. I am sure I would enjoy reading the previous ones in this series. I do look forward to reading #10, if and when it appears.

This is book nine of the highly popular Monkeewrench series. Rarely, if ever, have I jumped into a series midway. But the opportunity presented itself and I was generously offered a copy by the publisher. Yes, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

Stepping midway into a series can present several challenges. With this book, the character development was highly developed. So jumping in mid-stream I missed some of the background that might have helped me have a clearer understanding of the characters. That said, at no time did I feel lost or unable to keep up. (I think that speaks highly of the author!)

There are two seemingly separate story-lines running simultaneously. First, a murder of a prominent Minnesota man followed by a possible terrorist threat to the metropolitan Minneapolis area.
It’s now up to Monkeewrench and the team of detectives to solve the crimes and discover any potential connections between the two.

There is so much going on and so many characters that of course were new to me. But I stayed on top of it throughout. If this is a series you’ve been reading for years you’re going to love this addition. However, if this is a new series for you don’t hesitate to jump in where I did. I am now a fan and will be looking forward to the next installment!

A buddy read with Susanne🌸

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley and P.J. Tracy for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review

This was not my all time favorite Monkeewrench mystery, but it may be my favorite story about the crew. Welcome to the series Elizabeth, we love you already. It is almost unbelievable that the crew we met in the first book has become this special. Keep them coming! I will read them all!

Monkeewrench is one of the few series that I keep up with. I just like the characters. On many levels I feel like Grace. I do miss her being the center of the stories, and I hope that her new baby won't keep her on the sidelines.
This is pretty much a crime mystery thriller. What a mash of genres. We have murders that start in the past. We have bomb makers, which raises the threat of terrorism. We have common drug makers and police procedural elements. And then there are the computers. How did we live without computers and all those programs and apps? And to top everything else off, we have corrupt politicians. While some plot points resolved themselves relatively easily for me, others just kept swirling around.
I think this is a worthy entry in the ongoing saga of the Monkeewrench computer group. I think you will like it too.

A death by drug overdose, the revenge murder of a wealthy philanthropist, a dead photojournalist, a terrorist plot, an oddball group of computer geeks and a couple of cops with the Minneapolis homicide department all figure prominently in P. J. Tracy’s THE GUILTY DEAD.

Working together the cops and the geeks unmask the murderers, share information to thwart the terrorist plot, and uncover some deep dark secrets about some of the cities rich and famous citizens.

This is a read that’s as exhilarating as a ride in a Bugatti Chiron, and a lot less expensive, so buckle up folks for a thrill ride you won’t soon forget.

This is a new author for me and although ninth in a series of books, it can be read and enjoyed fully without having to read the others.

It's obvious that well known characters are present in this book but for a newbie like me, it was good to get to know them and certainly recognise the attraction of visiting them time and again.

A fast paced, intriguing read!

4 Stars.

Gregory Norwood’s body is found on his sprawling estate. Though it first appears as though Norwood took his own life and Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth investigate his death at the request of his wife and daughter. When Magozzi and Rolseth look into the allegations, they find that Gregory Norwood’s death links to another body at the scene. Norwood’s son Trey died a year prior of what everyone thought was a drug overdose, though his father never believed it.

Suspicion ensues and the path the investigation takes them down leads to Grace Macbride, Magozzi’s life partner and soon to be, mother of his child. Grace works for Monkeewrench, a software company who has developed a hacking program the FBI is testing out to track terrorists - and you guessed it there are connections. Unraveling them however, well, that is the hard part.

“The Guilty Dead” by P. J. Tracey is a crazy, heart stopping, intellectual, race to the finish. This is the ninth book in the Monkeewrench series, though it was the first book I’ve read. Though I missed out on earlier novels, I truly enjoyed this book and these characters immensely though I wish the author had given the readers a bit more background into them throughout the novel. This was so good I can’t wait to read yet another Monkeewrench novel!

This was a buddy read with Kaceey. It was so nice to discover a new series together!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and P. J. Tracey for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Published on NetGalley and Goodreads on 8.25.18.

This was a quick read for me I enjoyed it it takes place in the twin cities. It starts with Gregory Norwood who kills himself on the one year anniversary of his sons named Treys death of an overdose and after reading further you find out his death was assisted by a man named Gus, which you don’t know why. Also dying at the same time is a photojournalist who was on a mission to get a picture of Gregory on the death of his son. Called into investigate the deaths are two detectives Leo and Gino. Some things that jump out to them on Gregory’s death is that the gun he shot himself with is in the wrong hand and the gun was wiped clean. I loved the twisted plots and the different characters! I give this four stars!

I enjoyed the story much more than the style of writing. I really couldn’t get over all the names beginning with the same letter - G - it was just too contrived & if there was a point to it it lost me. I felt as if someone had taken a bet on how many the author could use.

THE GUILTY DEAD was a fast-paced mystery with a setting that was familiar for me. I have spent a lot of time in the Twin Cities and recognized a number of the sites. It tells the story of the apparent suicide of one of Minnesota's most-beloved philanthropists.

Gregory Norwood apparently kills himself on the one year anniversary of the death of his son due to a heroin overdose. However, having read the prologue, the reader knows that his son Trey's death was assisted by a man named Gus. What we don't know is why.

Also dying at the same time is a photo-journalist who was hoping to get a photo of the very private Norwood on the anniversary of his son's death. Called in to survey the scene are tow experienced Minneapolis police detectives - Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth. They immediately have some questions about the scene because the gun used was in the wrong hand. Their suspicions are confirmed when forensics show that the gun was wiped clean of fingerprints.

While his lawyer and family friend Robert Zeller seems convinced that it was suicide, his wife and daughter Rosalie are equally convinced that he was murdered. Magozzi and Gino begin to unravel the crime which leads back to his son's death and even further back to the death of young girl on Norwood's Colorado estate some years previously.

Magozzi is a little preoccupied with his personal life. His wife Grace, who works for Monkeewrench Security, is about to have their first child any day. Monkeewrench is also busy trying to perfect a computer program that will help the police and FBI track down terrorists. When sample data is inserted, they notice a credible threat against Minneapolis City Hall which gets law enforcement all focused in that direction.

I enjoyed the crisp prose and the nicely twisty plot of this ninth Monkeewrench novel. I've only read the first and found that this story stood alone quite well. It does make me want to read the novels in between because I am sure that this would have been an even more pleasurable experience if I had more background on the characters.

This is the ninth book in the Monkeewrench series. P. J. Tracy is the pseudonym for the mother/daughter writing team of Patricia and Traci Lambrecht. Patricia passed away 18 months ago, so this is the first book written entirely by Traci (the last book had been mostly completed before her passing). And let me say that after what I felt were a couple of down books in the series, I believe that the series is back on track. Monkeewrench is the name of a software firm with four offbeat partners - Grace, Annie, Roadrunner and Harley. Gino Rolseth and Leo Magozzi are Minneapolis PD detectives, with Gino being the soon-to-be-father of his girlfriend Grace’s baby. Gino and Leo are really the focus of this book, with the Monkeewrench team a strong second with their uncanny way of using technology to solve crime. Trey Norwood is the son of filthy rich Gregory, but a young man with lots of issues, not the least of which is his drug addiction. He overdoses in the prologue to the book in the presence of August (Gus) Riskin. Fast forward to the one year anniversary of his death when his family is about to finally spread his ashes in Colorado. But before Gregory even leaves Minneapolis, he is found dead in his office in an apparent suicide. Enter Gino and Leo, and they suspect something other than suicide right off the bat. Then more deaths follow in rapid succession. At the same time, the FBI has approached Monkeewrench for help with a suspected terrorist threat to the city. They have a new program that may help, but it hasn’t been tested so any results may not be accurate. As is often the case in this series, there are multiple story lines that will keep you guessing to the very end. A good addition to the series, and it can be read as a standalone, but I recommend the early books in the series to get to know the characters. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved this and this author! I can’t wait to read more. It was gripping from beginning to end. Thank you for allowing me to review this.

With a plausible plot and characters that are everyday acquaintances this a scenario from any city in America. While certainly wealth evokes jealousy and even contempt nothing brings out evil as the desire for revenge and while perhaps the majority spend their time plotting the event, vivid visions in their mind, there are those who carry it out. When a reader finishes a book at night and then upon awakening hurries to catch the news to see if it happened it is fair to say the author has penned a winner.

While I loved previous installments of the Monkey Wrench Gang, this one just didn't work for me. I care about the characters in the book, but not enough. I care about the murder and the plot, but it didn't read write.. While still enjoy this authors style and contributions, personally this time around it didn't do it for me.

P. J. Tracy’s “The Guilty Dead” almost reads like it was two different books, or maybe three. Before it settled down, I was half-tempted to stop reading (though in the end, I am glad I continued).

Some of the things that bothered me about the story were small, but ultimately, many small things do add up, beginning with why there were so many characters with names that start with the letter G? We have Grace, Gloria, Gus, Gregory, Gino, Gary, and Gerry. While the chances of reader confusion increases, the odds of this happening in real life must be astronomical.

Proper research should always be completed. If one wishes to write about weapons and is not familiar with them, information is not that hard to find. The authors (P. J. Tracy a pseudonym for writers Patricia Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht) mistakenly called a magazine a clip, and merely checking to make sure a gun has ammunition in the magazine will not make it “hot” and ready to fire. Later on, a character references her “conceal-and-carry permit,” something that does not exist in the state of Minnesota (you can obtain a permit to carry). Small things like this make me wonder what other inaccuracies I may have missed.

What was most bothersome was the writing style employed, as it changed as I continued reading. The initial descriptions in early chapters read like someone had gone through with a thesaurus and substituting the largest word that could be found. While this is not a bad thing, the words began to disappear from the description and worked their way into the characters’ dialogue. It is jarring when all the people begin using words you don’t normally hear in everyday conversation. Somewhere near the middle of the book the style relaxed into normalcy. Why neither the authors nor editors questioned this is a mystery.

Which is too bad, because the storyline is a five-star element. The expected twist is not out of left field, the story makes sense and, in the end, everything ties up neatly. I flew through the last half of the book, completely lost in the story and working with the detectives to decipher the clues and find the truth. What the authors wrote in the later chapters almost made it worth slogging through the beginning ones.

Bottom line: It is worth your time to plow through the opening descriptions and dialogue as well as the research inconsistencies because the plot is good. Characterizations are okay, and we are given enough insight to identify with the main folks. Fans of this series will probably love the book, and for those of us new to the series, it is written as a standalone without references to any major storylines that have gone before. Three-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

Having read this Monkeewrench series from the beginning, I have a great deal of affection for it and I feel a great sense of comfort on approaching any addition to the series set in Minnesota. The diverse range of characters have become erstwhile friends that I look forward in great anticipation to meeting again. Minneapolis Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth have an ease with each other born of their long relationship together, fuelling their often comedic banter with each other and other members of MPD. Magozzi has moved from the city to a remote rural home by the lake with the once paranoid but still ever alert Grace McBride, with the couple anxiously awaiting the upcoming birth of their first child. Grace is an integral part of Monkeewrench, the gifted offbeat IT experts that include Harley, Annie, a style icon and tall, but skeletal thin Roadrunner.

Monkeewrench have been working on a prototype program that will advance and speed up the monumental task of the FBI and other agencies, including local police departments to sift through big data to home in on real terror threats. A desperate and dishevelled Special Agent Dahl has requested a meeting with Harley where he informs them there is chatter online about a terror incident being planned for their city, and the FBI do not have the resources to identify who is behind it. Monkeewrench have the perfect opportunity to test their software, but will they be able to prevent a terrorist atrocity? Leo and Gino are called to the apparent suicide of Gregory Norwood at his home on the anniversary of the death of his son, Trey, from a heroin overdose. It all makes sense, except that Norwood is left handed and the gun is close to his right hand, plus there is a blood trail that suggests there was another casualty in the grounds of the property. In a story where connections between the search for terrorists emerge with MPDs murder investigation, there are numerous further murders and the repercussions of a long gone past in which the horrifying murder of 16 year old Clara Riskin took place, her parents used to work for the Norwoods.

The Monkeewrench team play a significantly more low key role than usual whilst Leo and Gino take centre stage. There is plenty of tension and suspense as our cops try to get to the bottom of the murder of Gregory Norwood who apparently had no enemies, a man with a long and close relationship with Robert Zeller, a prominent lawyer and now a candidate running for Governor. I particularly liked Rosalie Norwood, a brave and courageous woman despite her tragic family history. I am always going to love this series and can see it is in good hands for the future. A wonderfully twisted crime read that I adored. Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.