Saturday, January 08, 2011

Book Review: Open Season

Open Season by Maryann Miller is a police-procedural and a mystery. Two female police officers are paired together and the undercurrent between them is almost as charged as the case they’re working.

Here’s the back cover blurb:
Amid racial tensions and the deadly force controversy sweeping the city of Dallas, Homicide detectives Sarah Kingsly and Angel Johnson are unlikely and unwilling partners. They both see the pairing as better PR than policy.

The Dallas Review Board wants Sarah’s badge because she shot a young black boy when an undercover drug operation went bad and her partner was killed. Angel is under pressure from her family to refuse to work with “this white, Honkey bitch.”

Their first case, dubbed the Mall Murders, begins with the death of a maintenance worker at one of the Metroplex shopping malls. A security guard is then killed at another mall. The final murder victim is a young window dresser whose body is left like a mannequin behind the glass of an exclusive boutique at the Galleria Mall.

In this police procedural mystery, the women follow the trail of a killer until it comes too close to home, and they have to decide if they can handle being partners.
There’s such tension between Sarah and Angel that it’s a stretch to call them “partners.” Sarah is dealing with the loss of her previous partner as well as the killing of the boy. Angel doesn’t like being partnered with Sarah since it seems to be a ploy by the upper brass, plus her family is against the arrangement. Will the animosity get in the way of solving the murders?

Both women will have to fight their personal demons. Racing against time and a murderer adept at hiding and killing, they have to put aside their differences and work together to solve the case, as each killing becomes more brazen.

Open Season is character driven. There’s also action and mystery, but it is the two main characters who move the story. Miller does a good job of personalizing each woman and bringing each to life on the page. She doesn’t take sides, but lets the reader see inside the mind and heart of each woman. Miller also doesn’t shy away from the controversial undercurrent in the book.

Open Season by Maryann Miller
ISBN-13: 978-1-59414-915-3
Five Star Publishing
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

I give Open Season by Maryann Miller a rating of Hel-Yeah because the book is a good read with fully developed characters, an elusive killer and a highly charged social aspect.
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FTC Disclaimer: The ARC was sent to me by the author, Maryann Miller, but this did not influence my review. What did influence my review was the realism in the book. The characters were real, yes, and the turbulence between them was real, yes, but the realism I’m talking about is the mall murders. I really hate malls or shopping in general so I can certainly believe that a berserker killed people in the mall. I mean, come on, you’re walking in the mall, you turn a corner, and there’s a gaggle of teens coming toward you and they have no intention of moving an iota so you can get past and you left your Taser at home in your other purse … never mind, my personal story is not relevant since this killer does his work after hours. Just check out Open Season. It’s a good mystery.

34 comments:

  1. Nice review, Helen. I'm going to get it based on this--sounds like a great read.

    What really interested me is your statement that you hate malls and shopping. Are you married? Are you entertaining proposals? I'm presently married, but to have a chance to hook up with someone who hates malls and shopping as much as I do is someone worth pursuing! (You know I'm kidding, right?)

    The key to getting past gaggles of teenagers is to never make eye contact... They can sense fear... They've seen it in their parents.

    On the other hand, you can insult them as loudly as you like as they'll have things stuck in their ears, listening to something they call "music" from bands with names like Crazed Rubber Raped Crows. They'll never hear you above the din.

    Seriously, thanks for a terrific review!

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  2. Les, you're a hoot.

    I have always hated to spend money and shop. Probably came from my childhood. Last year my husband bought me a watch, but it took years for me to agree. I had a watch and it ran, so I didn't see the point in buying a new one. I do love the new watch, though.

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  3. I'm with you. I can't stand malls and hate most shopping...that said, this book sounds pretty thoughtful and intriguing...and I always love the chuckle I get with your disclaimer.

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  4. I'm glad you like the disclaimers, but I'm beginning to wonder about myself. Somehow I can relate each book I read to myself. I think that makes me narcissistic.

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  5. Open Season sounds like a very intriguing story and one that would keep the readers attention from page one until the end. Enjoyed your review and adding this to my wish list.

    Mason
    Thoughts in Progress

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  6. I'm guessing your wish list, Mason, is like mine - it just keeps getting longer and longer. I can't read fast enough to keep up.

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  7. I already had Maryann's book on my list.
    I came by for the disclaimer and was not disappointed. It's a story on it's own.

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  8. What an intriguing premise, mall murders. There is so much going on at any one time in a mall, with the people and sights and sounds and activity and movement, it sounds like a perfect mystery backdrop. Great review, and disclaimer, Helen!

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  9. I hate malls as well.
    And another great disclaimer!

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  10. Great review for an intriguing-sounding plot! Thanks, Helen. :)

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  11. Thanks for stopping by. If you like police procedurals with multi-dimensional characters, I think you'll like Open Season.

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  12. I go to a mall usually two or three times per year. They're far from my favorite places and now that this new book brings it up, they might be great places for predators of the human variety to lurk.

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  13. There are some weird people at the mall - and I'm not talking just about me. I went to the mall twice over the holidays, only because stuff I'd ordered online arrived, but in the wrong size. I ordered a pair of jeans for my son. They arrived in size 42X36. I ordered 32X38. I'm half surprised there isn't more crime at the malls.

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  14. Sounds like a good book. I like character driven stories, particularly mysteries.
    ~jon

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  15. Sounds quite intriguing. I like the idea of two female cops. It's not the norm in fiction (at least not the stuff I've seen).

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  16. A winner I detect. Thanks for posting this Helen and to Maryann...all the best. I hope you book sky rockets to the moon.
    Nancy
    N. R. Williams, fantasy author

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  17. It is unusual to have two female cops in a book (possibly in real life, too).

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  18. Thanks for the review. This book is already on my TBR list.
    Another awesome disclaimer! The malls here also have carts in the center with people spraying perfume on you as you run by!

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  19. We have those kiosks too, but I've never seen anybody sparing perfume willy-nilly. Not a good idea!

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  20. Thanks for the review. I love the Hel-Yeah rating.
    Ann

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  21. Hi Cozy! I'm always on the lookout for more Hel ratings for books!

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  22. Sounds like a book I'd really enjoy! Thanks for the tip :)

    And I'm sooooooo with you on undertanding murder at the mall... :)

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  23. Thanks for the wonderful review, Helen. And thanks to all the kind words from everyone here. So sorry that I was AWOL yesterday, but life often interferes with the best of plans.

    I laughed when I read your disclaimer, Helen. I actually got the idea of the mall murders while mall walking with a friend. We were in a darkened corridor early in the morning and I commented on how someone could be hidden in the shadows and jump out to kill mall walkers. My friend did NOT appreciate that thought.

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  24. Life inspires fiction. Hope you had a good weekend, Maryann.

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  25. Great review! And I really like the idea of two main characters that are well-developed women! Thanks for sharing!

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  26. I already had this on my want-to-read list, but after your review I want to move it to the top of my list.

    I dislike shopping in enclosed malls, too.

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  27. I'm beginning to wonder if there's anyone who likes mall shopping.

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  28. I agree about shopping malls. Terrible. They are built to trigger the worst in people

    Cold As Heaven

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  29. I had to visit over here when I read on Whole Latte LIfe that you hate dusting! Boy, am I with you. Great blog. Loved your review.

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  30. Hi Margaret! This morning I ran the Swiffer across the furniture upstairs. I'm convinced that does little but stir up the dust, but at least I can leave the room before it settles again. We seem to have the dustiest house. (Maybe it's because I don't like to dust. Maybe it's because we live in central TX. I dunno.)

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  31. I read it - it was good. I'm ready for the next book in the series. Going to wash Sarah's mouth out with soap though. ;)

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  32. Thanks for the review, Helen. This sounds like a great read. Congratulations to Maryann!!

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  33. Dani, I tried to rein Sarah in, honest I did. You should have read the first draft before I censored half of what she says. LOL

    Pat, thanks for stopping by and the congrats. I am so happy, and so humbled, by all the positive response this book has garnered.

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  34. Sounds a good read. Loved your reveiw and disclaimer. :)

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