Shutter Man is another one of Richard Montanari's explosive, compulsive reads featuring the duo Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne. Although this novel shows the two doing their own thing, a series of gruesome murders brings them together in the hopes of capturing a killer like none other.
Richard Montanari has quickly climbed the list of my favorite, and go-to authors when I need a fix on a well written crime procedural that keeps me guessing from page one to page...whatever. I was first introduced to the crime-fighting duo Kevin Byrne and Jessica Balsano. I was first introduced to the two in The Stolen Ones. It is there I first realized Montanari was an author I should be on the lookout for.The Doll Maker is a multi-layered mystery that leads Byrne and Balzano on a race against time and a criminal mastermind who invites each of his victims on a the Dansant that is a tea dance that's more macabre than Cinderella-esque. The first victim found on a lonely park bench, leads to the next invitation, and clue for the "Dansant". A dansant that includes the death of innocent children, ending in an intricate display of them as dolls. Seems familiar?We are allowed moments, and clues, that help us to determine who the possible killers could be. And while we work on the clues provided, there's another mystery brewing. Byrne is haunted by a case from 10 years earlier that is similar to the one at hand. A woman was accused and found guilty of killing children. Byrne is not satisfied with the case being closed and goes as far as... well you'll just have to read it. All I'll divulge is that the two crimes might have more in common than expected.Anyway, The Doll Maker is definitely a must-read. This is only the second book I've read by Richard Montanari but he's proven his position on my list of must reads. I can't wait for the next installment of the Byrne and Balzano series. Montanari is definitely an author to watch for. ****Copy provided by Mulholland Books via Netgalley
Do You Dream?The Stolen Ones is the 7th installment of Richard Montanari's novels featuring Philadelphia Detectives Jessica Balzano and Kevin Byrne. These detectives have been are brought in on a case after a wealthy businessman was found murdered in Priory Park. Before long, a series of murders and a mute two-year old girl bring them up against a man named Luther. Luther is the one person left behind after the closing of the Delaware Valley State Hospital. First off let me start by saying that I am so happy to finally become acquainted with this author. The Stolen Ones is the definition of what I look for in crime fiction. The pace is fast, characters are interesting, and the thrills come often. At times it felt I was reading a horror novel mixed with crime fiction, topped off with psychological suspense. And thankfully, those independant genres fuse well. Montanari does well to provide a 7th novel that doesn't read like there's something missing. There isn't a whole chunk of history in the two starring detectives lives that is eluded to and breezed over making the reader feel confused. Both Balzano and Byrne are well developed, interesting, and complementing of each other.As the novel shifts between the past and present, we are introduced to a man named Luther and the people who crossed his path... for better or worse. His preferred travel method makes for some sleepless nights in the hopes of nothing being in my closet. Seriously. This novel had the perfect amount of suspense and sheer creepiness that I tried to steal a moment whenever I could to get back to the story.Ultimately, The Stolen Ones by Richard Montanari is a great way to spend the day reading. It fuses many genres seamlessly and introduces the world of dreams to the unsuspecting. This is one nightmare I would never want to live through. I look forward to reading more by this author. ****Copy provided by Mulholland Books via a Goodreads Giveaway
