A review by trilby001
Monkeewrench by P.J. Tracy

3.0

An entertaining mystery/thriller set in Minnesota and Wisconsin, this novel is fun to read. Tracy (actually two people) does a wonderful job of individualizing the dozen or so major characters, making them lively and colorful. Of course, I must admit that the Minneapolis setting kept my attention, as much of the action takes place within a three-mile radius of my house. One thing I don't understand, however, is why one of the main characters would set up company headquarters in the Minneapolis warehouse district and then buy a house miles away in St. Paul. My experience is that devoted St. Paulites and Minneapolitans stay in one city or the other, unless they change jobs or develop a relationship outside the home city. The book suffers from the usual preposterous situations of most thrillers, for example, five college friends who bond because they are all orphans. But the plotting was tight, keeping me guessing right to the end.