Reviewed by: BigAl
Genre: Mystery/Police Procedural
Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words
Availability
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Author:
Mike Markel
teaches writing at Boise State University. In addition to the Seagate and Miner
Mystery series (this is the fifth in that series with a sixth, The Reveal, coming soon) he has written
eight non-fiction books on writing and numerous articles for various
publications.
For more,
visit the author’s website.
Description:
“The
fracking boom in eastern Montana has minted a handful of new millionaires and
one billionaire: Lee Rossman, the president of Rossman Mining and the leading
philanthropist in the small city of Rawlings. Rossman is the last person
Detectives Seagate and Miner expected to discover dead in the alley next to a
strip club. Later, when Lee's son is found out at the rigs, with significant
internal injuries, numerous broken bones, and a belly full of fracking liquid,
the detectives know the two crimes are related but can't figure out how. In
their toughest case yet, Seagate and Miner try to solve a mystery awash in
enormous fortunes, thwarted ambitions, and grudges both old and new.”
Appraisal:
What does
it take to write a mystery series with legs? The plot of each individual story
has to be good, but just as (maybe more) important is a solid foundation among
the recurring characters. As I’ve read and reviewed previous books in the
Seagate and Miner series I’m always struck by how good these characters are.
Karen Seagate, a recovering alcoholic with lots of life experience (and more
than her share of past mistakes to live down) stands in perfect contrast to her
partner, Ryan Miner, a goody two-shoes, Mormon family man. They could easily
clash, but instead form a perfect partnership with their differences making the
team that much stronger. It seems I can’t rave about them enough. J There are also subsidiary
characters, primarily the police chief and a district attorney, both of them
strengthening that strong foundation.
Reflecting
on past books in the series, much of the plot could have taken place almost
anywhere with only a minor few changes. What sets Fractures apart from the others is that it couldn’t have. Set
against the backdrop of fracking, a controversial procedure to extract oil and
gas from the ground, this story could only happen in a few specific places, one
of them Eastern Montana where Seagate and Miner are based. Proponents of the
procedure point to the immense positive economic impact and opponents counter
with concerns around increased seismic activity and environmental impact. The
stakes are high and makes it an excellent and credible backdrop for a murder
mystery. Markel has another winner on his hands.
FYI:
While part
of a series, each book in this series can be read as a standalone.
Format/Typo Issues:
No
significant issues.
Rating: ***** Five Stars
10 comments:
What is the first book in the series, please?
Maria,
It is one of the two I haven't read. :)
The possibilities are Deviations or Big Sick Heart. I'm going to guess Big Sick Heart based on the blurb. Specifically for BSH it talks about her "new partner" while in the description for Deviations it just refers to "her partner, Ryan."
After those two I think the order is Three-Ways, The Broken Saint, and Fractures last. That's definitely the order I read them and reading them as stand alone wasn't an issue for me although I suspect there is a lot of non-critical backstory established in the first one that would be interesting.
I read Three Ways before I found out Big Sick Heart was the first book. It didn't really matter though, each one has its own story. Great series
Sounds fabulous!
This novel sounds both fascinating and mysterious. It also involves a subject near and dear to this Coloradan's heart: Fracking. The title, I iImagine, is an analogy between the industry and other earth-shattering events taking place in the book...
Thanks, Al, for the generous review. Because you're a rigorous reader, it means a lot to me.
Here are the books in the series:
1. Big Sick Heart
2. Deviations
3. The Broken Saint
4. Three-Ways
5. Fractures
Again, Al, I appreciate it.
Oh! I love Mike Markel"s books. And I adore Karen Seagate. I fell in love with her when she got home from work and called,"Honey, I'm home!" to a bottle of bourbon. Great line! Just perfect.
This sounds wonderful, a terrific review! Well done Al, and of course, Mike Markel. I have three books in this series in my TBR list and think I'll read them in one go to get the full benefit. The characters sound perfectly fleshed out, I can't wait to get to know them.
Great review, Mike.
Thanks. I'm sure I can find it now.
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