The Monkeewrench team is at it again in book #9 of the series. This time the team is working to perfect technology that will allow law enforcement to research and detect possible terrorists in a more-timely manner. A possible attack in Minnesota has been detected and the team will use all of their assets to determine where the attack will take place and find the terrorists. Our favorite detectives, Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, are working the possible suicide of Gregory Norwood, a well-respected and wealthy businessman. They notice a few inconsistencies in the crime scene and begin investigating what may turn out to be a homicide. Gregory had been despondent after the overdose death of his son, Trey, the year before. Could he have taken his own life? Or was he murdered? In the meantime, Grace MacBride, Monkeewrench’s founder and computer guru, is awaiting the birth of her and Leo’s first child. There is action, mystery, humor, and nail biting suspense as the team works alongside the detectives to solve these interwoven cases. Author P.J. Tracy is adept at grabbing your attention with a marvelous story and continuing series characters. I have read the entire series and eagerly await the next book. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Well, one thing that helps me to quantify the results [the stars] in any review, is character development.
For me, I want to know the characters.
Here I am, for the first time reading a P.J. Tracy book; number nine in the award-winning 'Twin Cities' or 'Monkeewrench' series of books. Now the story reads well as an individual story, and I don't feel like I've missed anything in not reading any of the first eight. I don't feel compelled to read other books in the series to know more. That's too bad, because as a reader I should want to know more. And as an author, or in this case co-authors, you should hope to engage my curiosity as well.
That's why, I think, character development and character growth are the things that engage me the most when I'm reading a series.

The book is excellently written. Young love between teenagers: Romeo and Juliet; rich and poor. It leads to a murder that exacerbates and festers, affecting both families; leading to more murder and intrique. And in the end it affects a whole city in different ways.

Not long ago, I decided that I needed a little more structure to properly review books.
It makes it easier to apply the star system that most sites want to use.
Here are my criteria for applying the star system:

1 star. There is no 0 star, so I applied a 1.
Couldn't get into it; couldn't finish it.
Poor storyline. No storyline.
This is a waste of paper.

2 star. An attempt that failed.
Some things don't make sense.
Poor start. Poor middle. Poor end.
Could have been a 3 or 4 star if certain things had been done.
Errors caused by poor editing contributed to a lower rating.

3 star. Entertaining.
It was well written.
Good story; maybe could have been better.

4 star. Great read.
Interesting characters.
Memorable.
I'd endorse this book if asked for a recommendation in this genre.

5 star. Fabulous.
Shout it from the rooftop!
I'll tell my friends about reading a great book.

So now that I've applied this list of criteria, it's made it much easier to apply a star rating.
And you can see that my list makes it hard to get to the five star rating. I think too many people give the 5 away too easily.

Now the question I ask myself, do I want to read more of the series?
I would say 'yes'; not an overwhelming yes, but a yes nonetheless.
For me, I reluctantly give this four stars; probably more like a seven out of ten.

I want to thank Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this opportunity to provide an unbiased interview.

As a Minnesotan, I always enjoy PJ Tracy's work because I recognize the settings in her novels (which used to be written by a mother/daughter team, but now just written by the daughter). But like most good writers of crime fiction, Tracy's real gift lies in her creation of interesting characters that grow and change just as we do. THE GUILTY DEAD is an exciting and timely read that played on my worst fears of Minnesota being a great target for a terrorist attack.

First things first, this is the ninth book in this series and, especially as the characters are a bit complex, I really would recommend starting from book one and reading in order. Although the main story is self contained, I have gone on such a wonderful journey watching the characters develop and change through the series that I think you will love these book all the better if you do. The earlier books in the series were written by mother / daughter duo but, since the sad passing of PJ - the mother, Traci - the daughter, has continued and to be honest, has done a wonderful job solo.
Gregory Norwood is alone in his house. He is contemplating suicide, mainly due to it being the first anniversary of his son Trey's suicide by drug overdose, but also because he has a health issue. After a welfare check is called on him by a concerned friend, he is indeed found dead by what looks like a self inflicted gunshot wound. Trouble is, the gun is found near his right hand and he is left handed. Could there be more to this than meets the eye? And then blood is found in the grounds and a second body turns up, cementing this as a homicide. But who could have done it, Norwood was mostly universally liked? As Gino and Magozzi start to investigate they open up a bit of a can of worms, of secrets and lies going back years.
Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench crew are beta-testing a new program that will revolutionise the hunt for terrorists by cutting down the time and manpower needed to keep tabs on suspects. But this testing throws out a very scary, and close to home, threat. Can they help the FBI and stop it in time?
And, if that wasn't enough for our friends to handle, Grace is about to give birth...
Starting another new book in this series is like reconnecting with old friends. I love the difference between the Monkeewrench crew and the detectives in the way they do things, together and separately, skirting the lines of legal for the greater good. I feel that we have come a long way together since book one and I have witnessed them change and develop along the way. Indeed, I have invested quite a bit of time in them and, with each new release, my investment is rewarded. The interaction and indeed banter between the main players is, as always, of a high standard and they just come across as one big family, all looking out for each other, with a sprinkling of bickering thrown in for good measure.
The plot was extremely well crafted and executed. Even the addition of the annoying reporter had its place in things. Despite having two main threads meandering around and about each other, it was always easy to follow, if a little convoluted at times. I really needed to find out the truth, so much so that I stayed up way too late to finish. Was it worth it? Heck yeah! The way that it all came together at the end was simply sublime.
Yes, you get all the things you'd expect in a book of this genre. Secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, along with a healthy dose of twists, turns and misdirection. But at no time did I ever feel duped as a reader. All too frequently these days I find authors play tricks on the reader that just makes me scream when I find out. The plot and writing here is so well done that the author has no need for cheap tricks to keep you guessing.
There's quite a cast of minor characters in this book, all of whom play their parts, however small, to add something to the overall plot. Characterisation of these was very well done. Each one is easy to get to grips with and well enough crafted to have been able to play a bigger part if so required. I've always found that these books are written with quite an eye on attention to detail and that really helps the story to evolve and progress.
All in all, the only bad thing about this book is that I have finished it and now have to wait for the next one! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I have already read and reviewed this book. It had a different cover when I read it the first time. Below is the review that I gave.


I enjoyed this book. It is fast moving and the plot is full of twists. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the rest of the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I have not read this mother-daughter team before, but totally enjoyed this one in the monkeewrench series.
Thank you NetGalley for this advanced e-book, for my enjoyment. Great, fast read, loved it.

Hard to decide between 3 and 4 stars, but the ending was so explosive and well written that I settled on giving this 4 stars. The first half of the book was slow for me, but the real reason for the vacillation on the rating is that there were barely any Monkeewrench scenes, which was disappointing as the title of this series is Monkeewrench and I love those characters (not that I don't also love Gino and Magozzi). So this ended up being mostly your typical police procedural. But I still enjoyed it and will still keep reading the series.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for a free digital copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book! It starts with a drug overdose of a rich young man, Trey Norwood, followed by a supposed suicide of his father, Gregory Norwood, on the anniversary of the death of his son. Magozzi and Gino are Detectives, who have been assigned to Greg Norwood’s murder. Apparently he was a brilliant business man and a savant genius with numbers as well. As the detectives delve into his business and interview the employees, they find that Mr. Norwood was beloved by all. There did not seem to be any enemies in his background or his history. Could it be possible that 4 other murders, and a possible terror threat to City Hall, all be linked in someway? Why would the FBI and local law enforcement be involved in these various murders? What would the murder of a 14 year old girl, many years ago, have to do with any of this? What could be the motives behind all of the killings? Did Mr. Norwood actually commit suicide, and if so, why? Will Magozzi and Gino find the person responsible for all of this? So many questions to solve. This book kept me turning the pages to find out the answers. The plot was very thought out, and the character development was was constructed as well. The reader could definitely relate to the characters, as well as the descriptive writing style. I look forward to reading more from this author!!

Loved this book PJ Tracey characters are well written keeps you guessing and are all entwined with each other

Wow, wow and wow. The Monkeewrench crew is back albeit in a diminished capacity. Wait, that didn’t sound quite right. They are all still there, Harley Davidson, Grace MacBride and her dog Charlie, Roadrunner and the perfectly coiffed Annie Belinsky and while they are kept busy with a potential terror attack on Minneapolis this story really focuses on the crime solving ability of homicide detectives Gino Rolseth and Leo Magozzi.

This book leaves out nothing: bad guys who are nasty bad but blend in so well; detectives who banter away the hardness of the job, the everyday work guy who has to make a judgement call and makes the smallest of mistakes; the politically inclined who try to wield and control the power; the very wealthy who are so very damaged; murder and more murder; scary twists and false starts, and they all go boom. Wow, wow and wow.

Within the carnage I found a few prized thoughts to share:
But what can a detective, or anyone ever hope for but a “perfect moment in an imperfect world.”
“….every child had a grand destiny: it was only life’s circumstances that whittled down the options once it was born.”

This is such a winning series – more please.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy.

P.J. Tracy was the pseudonym of a mother-daughter writing team, winners of several awards. “The Guilty Dead” is the ninth in the Monkeywrench series and is Traci’s (the daughter’s) first solo effort since the death of her mother, P.J.

Vengeance burns deep in drug dealer Gus Riskin and he kills one of his best customers in Los Angeles for revenge – along with his girlfriend – before setting off to Minneapolis to set up more killings. There is a continuous stream of deaths and rumors of terrorism that show up with his arrival, creating a new puzzle for the team of detectives, Gino and Magozzi. One of the city’s most powerful families and a blooming politician are heavily involved in the tragedies that ensue. The intrepid policemen are aided in their investigation by the Monkeywrench gang, who are featured more as supportive than instrumental, an unusual role from their normal function.

When I first started reading I was taken aback by some rather suspect prose and atypical poor construction. I persisted and the story smoothed out as it progressed, becoming more likeable as it went along. The writing is good and the characters well defined. Traci, the daughter going it alone, is capable of making her own way in the world of police drama. Good read for fans of this genre.

I loved this book. Very real characters and the story just flowed. I have never read a bad book from these authors. I hope the books continue to flow even without the other half of the team.

A great addition to the continuing story of the Monkeywrench crew. Like it's predecessors, the book incorporates modern issues in its storyline and keeps the suspense growing throughout the book. Hard to put down!

It was great reading about the Monkeewrench crew again, it is one of my favorite series. A wealthy man is found dead on the first anniversary of his sons death by overdose. At first it appears to be a suicide. It doesn’t take long to figure out there are too many things that don’t fit a suicide. When more deaths occur and there is a possible threat to the city of Minneapolis Det Leo Magozzi and his partner Gino Rolseth are trying to figure out how or if they are connected. The Monkeewrench crew is pouring over their computers trying to track the threat to the city.

This was a great addition to the Monkeewrench series. It could probably be read alone, but the other books in the series are great reads and I highly recommend all of them. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy.

I love this series,and this was as brilliant as usual.I thought the story was terrific. it may have been a little darker than some of the series, but was absolutely riveting and the writing was pacy and left me staying up way, way too late especially as I got to the end ,I loved it.I really like all the main characters even though there are a few of them they are all well fleshed out and believable and this was a cracking good story.A definite 5 stars from me and all I can say is I will be waiting impatiently for the next in the series now. If you haven't read any of this series yet you are in for a treat, I love them .thanks to the Publishers and netgalley for an ARC.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. PJ Tracy never lets the reader down, and in this 9th installment, the series shows no signs of slowing Down or losing its interest. Very enjoyable read, from the introduction to the conclusion, it held my interest. Can’t wait for #10!

Another enjoyable outing with Magozzi and Rolseth, Minneapolis detectives, and the Monkeewrench gang. A wealthy but beloved man is found dead in his home, apparently a suicide - but the gun is found by his right hand, and he was left-handed. As Magozzi and Rolseth try to figure out whether that murder is connected to a missing photographer, the Monkeewrench gang is racing to finish software that will comb through social media streams to identify threats just as terrorists threaten Minneapolis (and Grace is about to give birth). It's fun and those who have read previous entries in the series will enjoy meeting the gang again, though don't look here for social commentary or deep meaning.

One thing bothered me quite a bit: The terrorists in the story (who aren't on stage much) are stick-figure bad guys. Minnesota is home to a large Somali community. If you travel through the airport you will benefit from their industry because they will push your wheelchair, clean your bathroom, and serve your coffee to you. As a Minnesotan, I'm proud to call them my neighbors. Being portrayed as terrorists rubbed me the wrong way, particularly in this era of publicly-voiced hate and islamophobia.

Apart from that, it was an entertaining read and fun to get back together with the usual crew.

Characters were well developed. The plot was intriguing. Loved the descriptiveness of the book. I would like to read more from this author

I love reading series where you can watch the characters grow and see relationships develop. This particular story was such a delight because we see Grace pregnant and we see the relationship between her and Magozzi develop further. There is action and mystery and romance, all the elements I so love in this series.

I wrote the same review on my blog http://booksbythefire.com/the-guilty-dead

I had never read the Monkeewrench series prior to sitting down with The Guilty Dead. This is the ninth installment! It's madness that I even thought about jumping in at this point. I thought to myself, hey, I enjoy Star Wars, and those movies started off right in the middle of the current time line.

So my Sheldon Cooper moment told me to think of the previous books as prequels, and enjoy this book as a standalone detective novel. Did it hold up? Let's find out.

A gun is found by billionaire Gregory Norwood's right hand as he slumps at his desk. The brains he once held in his head, decided to hold hands with an intruding speeding bullet, and exited together through the back door of his cranium.

Today was the anniversary of his son's overdose, which he felt responsible for. He was also suffering with cancer, and didn't have much time left on the old clock of life. It all points to suicide.

Or does it?

Enter our heroes, Leo Magozzi, and Gino Rolseph. A detective partnership that has probably been adored for 8 books. They're here to crack this case as wide open as the exit wound on Gregory Norwood's head.

Meanwhile, there's a terror threat looming over Minneapolis, and our detectives call on the help of their Monkeewrench buddies, Harley Davidson (I couldn't figure out if that was his real name or not), Road Runner (meep meep) and Grace (who is pregnant with Detective Leo Magozzi's seed) all of whom, have been working on a new anti terror program that detects patterns in people's internet activity to find potential threats.

Bodies start piling up, and it becomes clear that what looked like a clear cut suicide, is turning into something much more.
Spoiler Free Analysis

This is the first book I read of the series. Starting at book 9 is totally stupid, I can't say that enough. I will say, jumping into the story with characters that have already been developed in previous books helped the pacing. It was go go go from the start, and I honestly couldn't put it down.

The Guilty Dead's main story didn't alienate the new reader to the series, the case was new, it was just the same detectives cracking it. There are many references that I didn't understand, but they did make me feel like going back and reading some of the earlier novels. Like I said before, the earlier books were prequels to me. Jumping into this book with this mindset really worked out, I enjoyed my experience with this book.

It kind of felt like starting a TV show in the middle of a season. The episode had the same characters, but its own story. You can have a fun time watching the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer without watching the previous five seasons.

I was in capable hands with the author. She describes a feeling so well, with perfect language, that you have to stop and stare at the wall for a bit. This happened multiple times during my reading, and I tip my hat to her talent.

Upon further research I found out that PJ Tracy is a pseudonym for a mother/daughter co writer team. Sadly, the mother, PJ had passed away just before Christmas of 2016. This was the first time Traci had continued the Monkeewrench series on her own.

Having not read the previous eight, I can't say if she's lived up to the hype of the former releases, but as a stand alone, I enjoyed this very much.

The only thing I didn't like about "The Guilty Dead" was the stupid names people had. I've already mentioned Harley Davidson, I couldn't take him seriously. Then there was Jim Beam, and Gustav Holst. As a first time reader, the cuteness of these names didn't quite take, and I was left thinking "what is this? what's happening here?"

There also wasn't any scary moments. Like at all. I'm too used to reading horror. But It would have been nice to build up a little fear. Specially when reading the point of view of the villain.

That being said, there wasn't much wrong with this book. I enjoyed it a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a mystery thriller