Reviews

Austin City Blue by Jan Grape

gram06's review

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5.0

Very good

expendablemudge's review

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3.0

Rating: a full, hearty 3* of five

Jan Grape wrote a very competent first mystery in this Zoe Barrow, Wounded Cop, series. It's easy to read, it's got a decent plot, it's very atmospheric, and it's set in my hometown. All reasons to like it, and I did, just fine.

It's not great literature, but it's in no way a waste of a tree; it's not fancy, it's solid. I like that kind of book.

Grape wasn't a young'un when this book came out, which is a plus in my mind. She's a reader of long standing, and she's had oodles of short stories published in mystery anthologies over the years. Put all that together and I think it's no surprise that she's crafted something good: A female cop, not battle hardened, not world weary, and stubbornly optimistic. Zoe Barrow is the kinda gal you'd like to find on the barstool next to you...good at the chat, good at her job, and realistic about herself and the world. It makes her a good detective.

Recommended!
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