Having read this Monkeewrench series from the beginning, I have a great deal of affection for it and I feel a great sense of comfort on approaching any addition to the series set in Minnesota. The diverse range of characters have become erstwhile friends that I look forward in great anticipation to meeting again. Minneapolis Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth have an ease with each other born of their long relationship together, fuelling their often comedic banter with each other and other members of MPD. Magozzi has moved from the city to a remote rural home by the lake with the once paranoid but still ever alert Grace McBride, with the couple anxiously awaiting the upcoming birth of their first child. Grace is an integral part of Monkeewrench, the gifted offbeat IT experts that include Harley, Annie, a style icon and tall, but skeletal thin Roadrunner.

Monkeewrench have been working on a prototype program that will advance and speed up the monumental task of the FBI and other agencies, including local police departments to sift through big data to home in on real terror threats. A desperate and dishevelled Special Agent Dahl has requested a meeting with Harley where he informs them there is chatter online about a terror incident being planned for their city, and the FBI do not have the resources to identify who is behind it. Monkeewrench have the perfect opportunity to test their software, but will they be able to prevent a terrorist atrocity? Leo and Gino are called to the apparent suicide of Gregory Norwood at his home on the anniversary of the death of his son, Trey, from a heroin overdose. It all makes sense, except that Norwood is left handed and the gun is close to his right hand, plus there is a blood trail that suggests there was another casualty in the grounds of the property. In a story where connections between the search for terrorists emerge with MPDs murder investigation, there are numerous further murders and the repercussions of a long gone past in which the horrifying murder of 16 year old Clara Riskin took place, her parents used to work for the Norwoods.

The Monkeewrench team play a significantly more low key role than usual whilst Leo and Gino take centre stage. There is plenty of tension and suspense as our cops try to get to the bottom of the murder of Gregory Norwood who apparently had no enemies, a man with a long and close relationship with Robert Zeller, a prominent lawyer and now a candidate running for Governor. I particularly liked Rosalie Norwood, a brave and courageous woman despite her tragic family history. I am always going to love this series and can see it is in good hands for the future. A wonderfully twisted crime read that I adored. Many thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Monkeewrench #9

Gregory Norwood, wealthy businessman and a close friend of Minnesota's leading candidate for Governor, is found dead on the anniversary of his sons drug overdose. It's seems clear to Detectives Gino and Magozzi that grief drove him to suicide.

It looks like an open and shut case on first inspection by Detectives Gino and Magozzi, that is until they notice that the left handed Gregory Norwood used his right hand to pull the trigger. They call on Grace MacBride, Monkeewrench's Software founder and computer genius. MacBride and her partners unravel connections between Norwoods death and an even bigger plot. Will they catch whoever is responsible for the killings before even more lives are lost?

This is the first book I have read in this series and I'm now going to have to add the other eight to my ever increasing tbr list. I feel I have lost out on a lot of background information. There is a lot going on in the storyline but that's what keeps you turning the pages.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and the author P J Tracy for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled to get into this one of what has been, for me, an excellent series. It seemed bland in comparison to earlier books and overall a disappointing read. I so wanted to enjoy it as it started really well with a man who has committed suicide, or, was it murder?
However, it then moved into a confusing tale of terrorism, murder and family betrayal and the Monkeywrench team (who have always been such great, well drawn characters) seemed light, one dimensional and disparate.

There were lots of loose ends that, for me, weren't satisfactorily tied up and so, a decent enough read, but just disappointing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for the ARC in return for this honest review.

Another fantastic read by P.J. Tracy!

This book is the 9th book in the Monkeewrench series and possibly the best one yet. I love this series so much, it’s one of my favourite crime fiction series ever (alongside Patricia Cornwell’s Scarpetta books, all Karen Rose’s books and J.A Kerley’s Carson Ryder series - check them out if you love crime fiction).

I’m a lover of characters. I personally think they are the most important part of any story. And what P.J. Tracy does is bring these characters to life and make you love them. I’ve become invested in Magozzi and Grace’s relationship and how the Monkeewrench crew are a family. I love the group dynamics and the character development we’ve seen over the first 9 books. They feel like friends to me now as I know them so well.
On top of the fantastic characters, there is excellent writing. The writing style and the pacing of these books is just how I like it: it doesn’t take forever to get started and each book is usually set over a few days, so essentially you are reading in real time. The scene setting is always detailed and the story well planned and executed.

The Guilty Dead was more emotional for me than some of the previous books, mainly I think, because Grace is pregnant and her and Magozzi seem to be so close to their happy ever after. I also think because this book includes a terror attack it feels very current and relevant to the world right now.
I don’t want to say too much more about this element of the story as I don’t want to spoil it for anymore but reading some of those scenes had me in tears.

Another excellent read and definitely deserving of a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.

P.J. Tracy is an auto-buy author(s) for me and I can’t wait for the next one!

The Guilty Dead will be available in the UK from August 23rd in Kindle and hardcover format and in paperback from November 1st.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers (Penguin Random House and Michael Joesph UK) for providing a copy. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

I've often pondered how difficult it must be when writing a book in a series, how much history needs to be included without it becoming repetitive, but huge congratulations to Traci, not only on giving us a superb instalment in the Monkeewrench series, but in doing it without half of the magnificent writing duo that made up P.J Tracy.

The Guilty Dead is the 9th book in the Monkeewrench series, and I enjoyed the way the established characters and relationships are continually developed was whilst remaining like my old friends. There are of course two plots running alongside each other in the book, both of them as intriguing and absorbing as each other; with Magozzi investigating the death of Gregory Norwood, and Grace and Monkeewrench working on terrorist threats overshadowing Minneapolis. The plots bounce off each other well, and the action is pretty fast-paced throughout, keeping me entertained and interested from the first word until the last.

As a stand-alone book The Guilty Dead would be a good read, as part of the series it's a terrific one. Don't miss out on the nuances of the characters by not reading the previous 8 books would be my recommendation; trust me I'm doing you a huge favour, you don't want to miss any of these.

First things first, this is the ninth book in this series and, especially as the characters are a bit complex, I really would recommend starting from book one and reading in order. Although the main story is self contained, I have gone on such a wonderful journey watching the characters develop and change through the series that I think you will love these book all the better if you do. The earlier books in the series were written by mother / daughter duo but, since the sad passing of PJ - the mother, Traci - the daughter, has continued and to be honest, has done a wonderful job solo.
Gregory Norwood is alone in his house. He is contemplating suicide, mainly due to it being the first anniversary of his son Trey's suicide by drug overdose, but also because he has a health issue. After a welfare check is called on him by a concerned friend, he is indeed found dead by what looks like a self inflicted gunshot wound. Trouble is, the gun is found near his right hand and he is left handed. Could there be more to this than meets the eye? And then blood is found in the grounds and a second body turns up, cementing this as a homicide. But who could have done it, Norwood was mostly universally liked? As Gino and Magozzi start to investigate they open up a bit of a can of worms, of secrets and lies going back years.
Meanwhile, the Monkeewrench crew are beta-testing a new program that will revolutionise the hunt for terrorists by cutting down the time and manpower needed to keep tabs on suspects. But this testing throws out a very scary, and close to home, threat. Can they help the FBI and stop it in time?
And, if that wasn't enough for our friends to handle, Grace is about to give birth...
Starting another new book in this series is like reconnecting with old friends. I love the difference between the Monkeewrench crew and the detectives in the way they do things, together and separately, skirting the lines of legal for the greater good. I feel that we have come a long way together since book one and I have witnessed them change and develop along the way. Indeed, I have invested quite a bit of time in them and, with each new release, my investment is rewarded. The interaction and indeed banter between the main players is, as always, of a high standard and they just come across as one big family, all looking out for each other, with a sprinkling of bickering thrown in for good measure.
The plot was extremely well crafted and executed. Even the addition of the annoying reporter had its place in things. Despite having two main threads meandering around and about each other, it was always easy to follow, if a little convoluted at times. I really needed to find out the truth, so much so that I stayed up way too late to finish. Was it worth it? Heck yeah! The way that it all came together at the end was simply sublime.
Yes, you get all the things you'd expect in a book of this genre. Secrets, lies, duplicitous behaviour, along with a healthy dose of twists, turns and misdirection. But at no time did I ever feel duped as a reader. All too frequently these days I find authors play tricks on the reader that just makes me scream when I find out. The plot and writing here is so well done that the author has no need for cheap tricks to keep you guessing.
There's quite a cast of minor characters in this book, all of whom play their parts, however small, to add something to the overall plot. Characterisation of these was very well done. Each one is easy to get to grips with and well enough crafted to have been able to play a bigger part if so required. I've always found that these books are written with quite an eye on attention to detail and that really helps the story to evolve and progress.
All in all, the only bad thing about this book is that I have finished it and now have to wait for the next one! My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book does not disappoint.
I love the characters and watching their development is great. But once again this is a real roller coaster of a read which had me racing to the climax because due to the different scenes written I knew that it would be epic and it was!

Another brilliant MonkeyWrench book! Cannot fault this series or the characters. They have become friends of mine and I always look forward to the next instalment.

As a fan of The Monkeewrench Series, I was very excited to read this, the 9th instalment in the series. Initially started by the hugely talented mother and daughter duo P.J. and Traci Lambrecht (and carried on by Traci after her mother passed away)

Every previous book that I have read in this outstanding thriller series has managed to catch me off guard and keep me guessing and this one was no exception. With a fabulous wealth of interesting characters and a fast paced, intricate story-line that kept me on the edge of my seat and anxious to know what happens next.

After an apparent suicide of well connected businessman, Gregory Norwood (on the first anniversary of his sons death) is discovered to be murder Magozzi and Rolseth are asked to discreetly look into the matter.

Meanwhile the Monkeewrench team (Computer Geniuses, one of whom Grace, is in a relationship with Magozzi) are asked by the FBI to design some software to assist them in thwarting a possible terrorist attack.

As you can imagine, this is a ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ thriller that maintains it’s fast pace and reunites us with the wonderful characters that this series has produced. Darkly intense and fabulously written I highly recommend reading The Guilty Dead. (If you are not already farmiliar with this series then it would be a good idea to start with the first installment, Want To Play aka Monkeewrench as this sets the pace and background of the whole series)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found the many twists and turns to be enthralling and made me unable to put the book down. Definitely recommended.

This is another novel featuring the Monkeewrench crew. An apparent suicide turns into a murder enquiry and there are rumours of an impending terrorist attack, which the Monkeewrench team hope they can help prevent by using a new computer algorithm to track down the terrorists.
I found the first half of the book slow going with lots of apparently unrelated action. The various strands all came together in the second part of the book. The plot was okay but I just couldn’t get any great enthusiasm for the story or the main characters.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for providing a free advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and PJ Tracy for the opportunity to read The Guilty Dead.
I jumped at the chance to read this novel. I have read PJ Tracy before, and one thing I know about this author, the books are highly unpredictable. The Guilty Dead is no exception.
As I have come to expect, like previous novels, this book is full of twists and turns ( just the way I like my thrillers ) The storyline was well thought out and fast paced.
Definitely well worth a read.

Goodness me, this series really is back on form. I raced through this with a deep sense of foreboding......Sorry you'll just have to read it to find out why I don't do spoilers. Nothing like one of your favourite characters in peril to get you reading through the night!

Really powerful - despite i suppose its televisual-slightly-episodic style. the two cops are grounded and smart - their values tops, and the psychopath they are after (without knowing it over long time frame) is a strangely empty ethnic fellow - killing 'bad guys' as a kind of vigilante for whatever reason is always mind-blowing. This is well written and I got a real sense of the eccentricities of people - people who are too wealthy for one thing - and bored but things hit hard, and those values that the cops represent hold throughout the novel.. a different extraneous type! remarkable..

This is the 9th book in the Monkeewrench series but the first that I have read. Now to be fair that brings its own problems – namely that many of the characters are well established but totally new to me. The result of this is confusion and this allied to the feeling ‘have I read one of these books before? If I had perhaps it would be a welcome return to some old friends… It matters not.

When the body of Gregory Norwood, a wealthy, influential figure is discovered in his study, Magozzi and Rolseth (police officers) are called into investigate. The cause of death is deemed to be suicide, presumably because it occurs on the anniversary of his son’s death by suicide one year earlier. Enter Mrs Norwood and their daughter and the suspicious retainer.

On a separate story line we have a plot to blow up City Hall. Oh, and then we have the Monkeewrench team who are involved in cracking an IT dilemma (to do with an extensive database). On the personal side Magozzi and Grace (Monkeewrench) are about to have their baby.

As I said, it all seemed quite confusing. To be fair to Tracy, all the plot lines develop into a cohesive whole, but missing for me was the element of “I didn’t expect that”. Some characters were just too predictable and as for Ms Norwood – how irritating.

So, would I recommend it? To do it justice, start at No. 1 where you can get to know the characters. Other than that, perhaps I would recommend it but it wouldn’t be a ‘you must read this’ more of an OK.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

I absolutely love the monkeewrench series and have not been disappointed, I'd recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller as well as a few chuckles thrown in for good measure, buy them all you will not go wrong.

Another great read from P J Tracy and the monkee wrench gang, It starts with a young man dying of a suspected overdose and a year later his father Gregory Norwood, a wealthy businessman is found dead on anniversary of his son's death It also looks like a suicide but is it, as usual its up to Detectives Gino and Magozzi to work out if it was grief that drove him to suicide. A great read and I can't wait for the next one .

I would like to thank Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Guilty Dead’ written by P J Tracy, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called out when the body of wealthy businessman Gregory Norwood is discovered at his home. They suspect suicide as it’s the first anniversary of his son Trey’s death due to a drug overdose, but when they find that the gun was fired from a right-handed person and Gregory Norwood was left-handed, all the evidence points to someone having killed him. Meanwhile, Monkeewrench are assisting the FBI avoid a plot by terrorists who they believe want to blow up City Hall.
‘The Guilty Dead’ is an excellent addition to the Monkeewrench series and although I would’ve liked the Monkeewrench characters to feature more in the story, the plot was nevertheless exceptionally well thought-out, thrilling and fast-paced, with lots of action and a heart-stopping end. I was delighted that the novel concluded with the birth of Grace and Leo’s child, a fitting culmination to a skillfully written thriller. Thank you P J Tracy for yet again giving me hours of undiluted enjoyment.

Book number 9 in the Twin Cities series and the blurb on this one says…

“Gregory Norwood, wealthy businessman and close friend of Minnesota’s leading candidate for Governor, is found dead on the first anniversary of his son’s drug overdose. It seems clear to Detectives Gino and Magozzi that grief drove him to suicide.

Until they realise the left-handed man seems to have used his right hand to pull the trigger.”

It is very fast paced like previous books in the series, although this one sees a little less of the Monkeewrench crew in the story. It starts off as what appears to be a suicide, which quickly escalates into a murder enquiry and then add in a domestic terror plot and it all starts spiralling in terms of action and plot. Perhaps not the best book in the series as some of the plot you could second guess, still enjoyable and one of the better US crime writers currently out there.

The P.J. Tracy series of books are highly readable and perfect for lovers of page turners from the likes of Harlan Coben.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

The monkeewrench team are back assisting the fbi with a counter terror program, Grace is heavily pregnant while Leo and Gino are on the case of a dead business man. As the bodies are piling up how is their case linked to monkeewrench’s?

This was pure class, the flow was back on this one with the action being non stop. This is one series that will never get old or dated.