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Kelly's Reviews > Shoot to Thrill
Shoot to Thrill (Monkeewrench, #5)
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Instead of writing a review for each of the 10 books in this series that have been published so far, I decided to write a review for book #5 that will reference each of the first 5 books and then a review for book #10 that will speak to the next 5 books. This series is incredibly readable - I raced through all 10 books in under 10 days. The author has said that there will be more books in the series and I can't wait!
The series takes place largely in Minnesota and follows a pair of Minneapolis Homicide detectives, Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth. While these two characters largely anchor the series, each story is told from multiple perspectives. The other pillar characters are the partners at Monkeewrench, a software company that works closely with law enforcement to solve what are often complicated criminal cases.
Book #1: Monkeewrench
4 ★
When the Monkeewrench team start to beta test their latest software, a game called Serial Killer Detective, bodies start to turn up in Minneapolis that copy the killings in the game. Grace MacBride and her brilliant and eccentric partners at Monkeewrench immediately contact Minneapolis homicide. When Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth interview the Monkeewrench team, it's apparent that they are hiding something. Further digging just raises more questions - none of these people existed until 10 years ago. Who are they and what are they hiding? What do they have to do with the current spate of murders, if anything? And why are they so suspicious of law enforcement.......
Book #2: Live Bait
4 ★
A murder drought in Minneapolis is ended when an elderly, much loved garden centre owner is found on his driveway with a bullet hole in his head. Just around the corner, another senior citizen is reported missing and is later found shot and tied to the railway tracks by barbed wire. Leo and Gino need to figure out whether these crimes are related and if so, who is hunting senior citizens in Minneapolis and why. They reach out for help from the Monkeewrench team who have recently developed software that can identify patterns in seemingly unrelated data gathered by crime investigators.
Book #3: Dead Run
4 ★
Monkeewrench partners Grace MacBride and Annie Belinsky team up with Wisonsin deputy Sharon Mueller to investigate a series of murders in Green Bay. On the way there, their vehicle breaks down in a remote part of the woods. Out of cell phone range and off the beaten track, the three decide to walk through the woods to get help and stumble into the small town of Four Corners. Eerily, there is no one in the town and all the phone lines have been cut. When a vehicle comes racing into town, they think they are saved but before they can step out onto the main street to hail the driver, both the driver and the passenger are gunned down. Grace, Annie and Sharon hide and then try to figure out what is happening in this small town in the middle of nowhere. As they try to get help, they unravel a conspiracy to kill thousands of people and quickly realize they are being hunted by a group of people who have nothing to lose.
Book #4: Snow Blind
4 ★
As the snow starts to fall in Minneapolis, Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are in one of Minneapolis' many parks building a snowman as part of an annual "winterfest" charity event. There are dozens of snowmen in the park and kids are starting to arrive to see them. As Magozzi goes to the edge of the surrounding forest to collect some branches for the arms of Gino's snowman, he notices that one of the snowmen looks a little odd. A little kid standing beside him also notices that something is wrong and looking closer, realizes that there is a dead body hidden inside. A second body is also found in another one of the snowmen and the police quickly realize that they are fellow officers - someone has murdered two cops and hidden them in snowmen. When Sherieff Iris Rikker makes a similar discovery in her northern Minnesota county, Leo and Gino head north as part of their investigation. There are many secrets in this one as Leo and Gino, with support from Monkeewrench, start to peel back the layers.
Book #5: Shoot to Thrill
4 ★
Monkeewrench have been engaged by the FBI to help investigate a series of grim videos that have started appearing on line. Meanwhile, Leo and Gino are called down to the banks of the Mississippi because someone dressed in a bridal gown is face down in shallow water and very obviously dead. As Gino, Leo and the Monkeewrench team compare notes, it becomes clear that their cases are connected and that there are truly some horrifying things on the internet.
I highly recommend this series. The characters are interesting, the mysteries are complex enough to be challenging to sort through and there are a ton of thrills and chills throughout. Make sure you clear your calendar when you start this series. I don't think you'll be able to put it down!
Books 1-5 were written by the mother/daughter writing duo of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht writing under the pseudonym P.J. Tracy.
The series takes place largely in Minnesota and follows a pair of Minneapolis Homicide detectives, Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth. While these two characters largely anchor the series, each story is told from multiple perspectives. The other pillar characters are the partners at Monkeewrench, a software company that works closely with law enforcement to solve what are often complicated criminal cases.
Book #1: Monkeewrench
4 ★
When the Monkeewrench team start to beta test their latest software, a game called Serial Killer Detective, bodies start to turn up in Minneapolis that copy the killings in the game. Grace MacBride and her brilliant and eccentric partners at Monkeewrench immediately contact Minneapolis homicide. When Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth interview the Monkeewrench team, it's apparent that they are hiding something. Further digging just raises more questions - none of these people existed until 10 years ago. Who are they and what are they hiding? What do they have to do with the current spate of murders, if anything? And why are they so suspicious of law enforcement.......
Book #2: Live Bait
4 ★
A murder drought in Minneapolis is ended when an elderly, much loved garden centre owner is found on his driveway with a bullet hole in his head. Just around the corner, another senior citizen is reported missing and is later found shot and tied to the railway tracks by barbed wire. Leo and Gino need to figure out whether these crimes are related and if so, who is hunting senior citizens in Minneapolis and why. They reach out for help from the Monkeewrench team who have recently developed software that can identify patterns in seemingly unrelated data gathered by crime investigators.
Book #3: Dead Run
4 ★
Monkeewrench partners Grace MacBride and Annie Belinsky team up with Wisonsin deputy Sharon Mueller to investigate a series of murders in Green Bay. On the way there, their vehicle breaks down in a remote part of the woods. Out of cell phone range and off the beaten track, the three decide to walk through the woods to get help and stumble into the small town of Four Corners. Eerily, there is no one in the town and all the phone lines have been cut. When a vehicle comes racing into town, they think they are saved but before they can step out onto the main street to hail the driver, both the driver and the passenger are gunned down. Grace, Annie and Sharon hide and then try to figure out what is happening in this small town in the middle of nowhere. As they try to get help, they unravel a conspiracy to kill thousands of people and quickly realize they are being hunted by a group of people who have nothing to lose.
Book #4: Snow Blind
4 ★
As the snow starts to fall in Minneapolis, Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are in one of Minneapolis' many parks building a snowman as part of an annual "winterfest" charity event. There are dozens of snowmen in the park and kids are starting to arrive to see them. As Magozzi goes to the edge of the surrounding forest to collect some branches for the arms of Gino's snowman, he notices that one of the snowmen looks a little odd. A little kid standing beside him also notices that something is wrong and looking closer, realizes that there is a dead body hidden inside. A second body is also found in another one of the snowmen and the police quickly realize that they are fellow officers - someone has murdered two cops and hidden them in snowmen. When Sherieff Iris Rikker makes a similar discovery in her northern Minnesota county, Leo and Gino head north as part of their investigation. There are many secrets in this one as Leo and Gino, with support from Monkeewrench, start to peel back the layers.
Book #5: Shoot to Thrill
4 ★
Monkeewrench have been engaged by the FBI to help investigate a series of grim videos that have started appearing on line. Meanwhile, Leo and Gino are called down to the banks of the Mississippi because someone dressed in a bridal gown is face down in shallow water and very obviously dead. As Gino, Leo and the Monkeewrench team compare notes, it becomes clear that their cases are connected and that there are truly some horrifying things on the internet.
I highly recommend this series. The characters are interesting, the mysteries are complex enough to be challenging to sort through and there are a ton of thrills and chills throughout. Make sure you clear your calendar when you start this series. I don't think you'll be able to put it down!
Books 1-5 were written by the mother/daughter writing duo of P.J. and Traci Lambrecht writing under the pseudonym P.J. Tracy.
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Reading Progress
November 16, 2023
–
Started Reading
November 17, 2023
–
Finished Reading
November 19, 2023
– Shelved
