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3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
[b:Deception Cove|41716925|Deception Cove (Neah Bay, #1)|Owen Laukkanen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1536716740l/41716925._SY75_.jpg|65072673]
Action packed. Lead Good Guy Characters reminded me of Lehane's Patrick and Angie somewhat. And what a great diva rescue dog.
Action packed. Lead Good Guy Characters reminded me of Lehane's Patrick and Angie somewhat. And what a great diva rescue dog.
I really liked this book. As soon as I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s just a sweet story that is mostly well-written. There are places where it’s overwritten and things are explained that we can already infer from the text, but that wasn’t too much of a deal breaker for me.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I read this on a flight from Winnipeg to Vancouver and it really made the flight seem short! It was a real page turner, full of interesting characters and a lot of action. Recommended!
Laukkanen has written one of my favorite recent mystery series, the Stevens and Windermere books. I enjoyed his standalone "nautical adventure", *Gale Force* and so I quickly grabbed *Deception Cove* off the New Books shelf at my local library. The blurb on the back said "Everything you could want in a thriller - rich setting, breckneck pacing, thrilling action, a tone of heart, and a great dog" and by gum, it sure did deliver!
The book tells the story of Mason Burke, ex-con who just got released from prison, who heads to the Northwest US to see what happened to the dog he help train. This dog, Lucy, is the emotional support dog of Jess Winslow, a former US Marine who is recovering from some serious PTSD after some bad stuff went down in Afghanistan.
I imagine you can picture the rest - how it is a corrupt police force, some drugs, some really bad men and Jess, Mason and Lucy try to get back on some solid emotional ground, but somebody has to pay for it before that can happen.
But it is well written and moves along at a brisk pace. Mason is a little too good to be true, but some of his internal struggles belie his steadiness. I am not usually a big fan of books in general, but mysteries in specific, that tell the story from all sides like this one does, but it does pull it off pretty well. There really isn't much "mystery" involved, so I would call it more of a thriller. There is certainly plenty of action (and bloodshed) but it comes together neatly, but not too neatly.
I give it a hearty thumbs up and I am looking forward to more in the *Neah Bay* series.
The book tells the story of Mason Burke, ex-con who just got released from prison, who heads to the Northwest US to see what happened to the dog he help train. This dog, Lucy, is the emotional support dog of Jess Winslow, a former US Marine who is recovering from some serious PTSD after some bad stuff went down in Afghanistan.
I imagine you can picture the rest - how it is a corrupt police force, some drugs, some really bad men and Jess, Mason and Lucy try to get back on some solid emotional ground, but somebody has to pay for it before that can happen.
But it is well written and moves along at a brisk pace. Mason is a little too good to be true, but some of his internal struggles belie his steadiness. I am not usually a big fan of books in general, but mysteries in specific, that tell the story from all sides like this one does, but it does pull it off pretty well. There really isn't much "mystery" involved, so I would call it more of a thriller. There is certainly plenty of action (and bloodshed) but it comes together neatly, but not too neatly.
I give it a hearty thumbs up and I am looking forward to more in the *Neah Bay* series.
Have not had the privilege of reading Canadian author Owen Laukkanen's books before, but Deception Cove may have persuaded me to go back and check out some earlier titles.
This promising first entry in a new series is set in the most remote corner of northwest Washington state. Having visited this area numerous times, it is clear that this author (from Vancouver BC) knows this setting well. Dense forests, cool steady rains, and lifestyles based around water set the stage for this taut suspense novel.
Four positive inclusions: focus on the leadership and contributions of female Marines, prison training programs that rehabilitate both prisoners and the service dogs they train, a positive portrayal of pitbull dogs (the breed 'everyone' hates), and a subtle paradigm shift for how people should perceive and accept ex-cons once they have paid their dues. A fifth inclusion would be a briefly mentioned awareness that when Americans buy drugs in the USA, they are unwittingly supporting military regimes in other parts of the world...something to think about.
The plot is a tad formulaic. After a prickly beginning, two vulnerable people find one another as they face danger together. Crooked cops and one very bad drug dealer chase them to a remote and rugged island where they face off.
It is the infusion of the issues above that give this depth. Many vets from the war in Afghanistan have returned home with debilitating PTSD, service dogs are widely used now for emotional support, and America has the most ex-cons in the world. These are current, relevant concerns and I was pleased to see them included. The main characters could have used a bit more emotional depth, and the bad guys were almost portrayed to shallowly, like local yokels. So strong in plot, but a tad weak in character development.
This is a fast-paced and stimulating read about healing and redemption. Likely to appeal to animal lovers and fans of dramatic terrains.
This promising first entry in a new series is set in the most remote corner of northwest Washington state. Having visited this area numerous times, it is clear that this author (from Vancouver BC) knows this setting well. Dense forests, cool steady rains, and lifestyles based around water set the stage for this taut suspense novel.
Four positive inclusions: focus on the leadership and contributions of female Marines, prison training programs that rehabilitate both prisoners and the service dogs they train, a positive portrayal of pitbull dogs (the breed 'everyone' hates), and a subtle paradigm shift for how people should perceive and accept ex-cons once they have paid their dues. A fifth inclusion would be a briefly mentioned awareness that when Americans buy drugs in the USA, they are unwittingly supporting military regimes in other parts of the world...something to think about.
The plot is a tad formulaic. After a prickly beginning, two vulnerable people find one another as they face danger together. Crooked cops and one very bad drug dealer chase them to a remote and rugged island where they face off.
It is the infusion of the issues above that give this depth. Many vets from the war in Afghanistan have returned home with debilitating PTSD, service dogs are widely used now for emotional support, and America has the most ex-cons in the world. These are current, relevant concerns and I was pleased to see them included. The main characters could have used a bit more emotional depth, and the bad guys were almost portrayed to shallowly, like local yokels. So strong in plot, but a tad weak in character development.
This is a fast-paced and stimulating read about healing and redemption. Likely to appeal to animal lovers and fans of dramatic terrains.
Solid Suspense Thriller
Review of the Audible Audio edition (2019) narrated by [a:Kevin Stillwell|5815059|Kevin Stillwell|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Courtney Patterson|6905422|Courtney Patterson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
This one is a bit of a mashup of [b:Suspect|15755201|Suspect (Scott James & Maggie, #1)|Robert Crais|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345131356l/15755201._SY75_.jpg|21451913] and [b:The Right Side|32620357|The Right Side|Spencer Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493504180l/32620357._SY75_.jpg|53208040], two of my favourite dog books. It incorporates PTSD damaged individuals (both dog and human) and vets and a good-hearted ex-con into an against-all-odds type of scenario where even the authorities of a small town are against them. The dog doesn't play too prominent a role though and is more of a McGuffin to pull our leads together. GR is listing this as Neah Bay #1 so it seems like a series is planned.
The narrations by Kevin Stillwell (male roles) and Courtney Patterson (female roles) were excellent throughout.
Review of the Audible Audio edition (2019) narrated by [a:Kevin Stillwell|5815059|Kevin Stillwell|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Courtney Patterson|6905422|Courtney Patterson|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
This one is a bit of a mashup of [b:Suspect|15755201|Suspect (Scott James & Maggie, #1)|Robert Crais|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1345131356l/15755201._SY75_.jpg|21451913] and [b:The Right Side|32620357|The Right Side|Spencer Quinn|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1493504180l/32620357._SY75_.jpg|53208040], two of my favourite dog books. It incorporates PTSD damaged individuals (both dog and human) and vets and a good-hearted ex-con into an against-all-odds type of scenario where even the authorities of a small town are against them. The dog doesn't play too prominent a role though and is more of a McGuffin to pull our leads together. GR is listing this as Neah Bay #1 so it seems like a series is planned.
The narrations by Kevin Stillwell (male roles) and Courtney Patterson (female roles) were excellent throughout.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was not for me. I skipped through some fight parts. I’m a dog lover and I hated that the dog was always in jeopardy. I also didn’t care for the main female character - she was suffering from ptsd I realize but difficult to like.