Helpful Score: 2
It's been far too long since the last entry appeared in this series, but "Shoot to Thrill" is worth the wait. With the same motley crew of characters from previous novels plus an FBI agent who fits surprisingly well with the Monkeewrench gang, the novel features the fast pacing, trademark humor, and plot twists that characterize this well-written series. It's a fast and thoroughly enjoyable read.
"So what we might have is a bunch of amoral whack jobs telling the other amoral whack jobs out there that its A-okay to murder, and then they all start believing it for real? - Detective Gino Rolseth
Unfortunately, that appears to be precisely the situation facing Minneapolis Police Detective Gino Rolseth, his partner Leo Magozzi, and the Monkeewrench computer crew in Shoot To Thrill, the fifth entry in P.J. Tracys Monkeewrench series. Its been four years since the last book in the series was released, and in addition to giving readers a satisfying dose of Harley Davidson, Grace MacBride, Annie Belinski and Roadrunner, aka the Monkeewrench crew, Shoot To Thrill also introduces a strong new character to the mix, FBI Special Agent John Smith.
Smith, whose life had always been about as ordinary as his name, is only six months away from mandatory retirement from the FBI after 30 years of service when he suddenly finds himself in charge of an investigation into a series of video clips posted online which appear to depict actual murders. Despite having determined that all the clips originated from the same location, the FBI is unable to trace the videos back to their ultimate source due to extremely sophisticated masking techniques employed by the person or people posting them.
Enter Monkeewrench, which Smith enlists to help trace the origin of the clips, as well as to design a software program that will be able to run an analysis of similar videos posted online to determine if they depict real murders or are staged murders posted by copycats seeking their 15 minutes of fame. Detectives Rolseth and Magozzi, veterans of working cases with the Minneapolis-based Monkeewrench crew, find themselves drawn into the Federal investigation when Monkeewrench discovers a video indicating that a local death the detectives recently investigated, one which initially appeared to be an accidental drowning, was in fact a murder connected to the series being investigated by Monkeewrench and the FBI.
That law enforcement personnel would find themselves in the position of investigating a series of murders committed, filmed and posted online purely for the purpose of attention seeking and one-upmanship is a disturbing concept, one which may have even seemed far-fetched not too long ago. But the relatively recent proliferation of online social networking sites has changed both the way people act as individuals, as well as the way they interact with others. Online anonymity gives people keyboard courage to spew hatred and intolerance, to give voice to their darkest thoughts, and allows them to find easy acceptance and encouragement from other like-minded people, all without leaving the comfort of their home. Its almost as if the web, one character in Shoot To Thrill argues, is normalizing deviant behavior.
And there is quite a bit of deviant behavior to be investigated in this outing, all done with the usual Monkeewrench flair. The black humor and banter between Rolseth and Magozzi is as sharp as ever, Annie makes her presence known with the expected outrageous attire and attitude, and lovable stickman Roadrunner even ventures into new fabrics. Harley, still big on bluster and cholesterol, has his mansion invaded by the feds in the form of Agent Smith, who moves in for the duration of the investigation, and despite their long-standing mistrust of the authorities the interaction between Smith and the Monkeewrench crew, particularly Grace and Harley, provides some of the best character development readers have been treated to thus far in the series... including a Hell of a "Didn't see that coming!" ending.
The wait for Shoot To Thrill was a long one for fans of the series, but the passage of four years between its inception and ultimate release has actually placed the book in a position where the concepts explored in it have moved beyond theoretical and into reality. In that regard, Shoot To Thrill is more than just a highly entertaining read for mystery aficionados, it is a timely exploration of a technology obsessed society that lives increasingly in an impersonal online world that offers people limitless opportunities to explore their basest desires, without requiring them to accept responsibility for their actions.
Well done, Patricia and Traci. Now how bout not making us wait another four years for the next one? ;-)
Unfortunately, that appears to be precisely the situation facing Minneapolis Police Detective Gino Rolseth, his partner Leo Magozzi, and the Monkeewrench computer crew in Shoot To Thrill, the fifth entry in P.J. Tracys Monkeewrench series. Its been four years since the last book in the series was released, and in addition to giving readers a satisfying dose of Harley Davidson, Grace MacBride, Annie Belinski and Roadrunner, aka the Monkeewrench crew, Shoot To Thrill also introduces a strong new character to the mix, FBI Special Agent John Smith.
Smith, whose life had always been about as ordinary as his name, is only six months away from mandatory retirement from the FBI after 30 years of service when he suddenly finds himself in charge of an investigation into a series of video clips posted online which appear to depict actual murders. Despite having determined that all the clips originated from the same location, the FBI is unable to trace the videos back to their ultimate source due to extremely sophisticated masking techniques employed by the person or people posting them.
Enter Monkeewrench, which Smith enlists to help trace the origin of the clips, as well as to design a software program that will be able to run an analysis of similar videos posted online to determine if they depict real murders or are staged murders posted by copycats seeking their 15 minutes of fame. Detectives Rolseth and Magozzi, veterans of working cases with the Minneapolis-based Monkeewrench crew, find themselves drawn into the Federal investigation when Monkeewrench discovers a video indicating that a local death the detectives recently investigated, one which initially appeared to be an accidental drowning, was in fact a murder connected to the series being investigated by Monkeewrench and the FBI.
That law enforcement personnel would find themselves in the position of investigating a series of murders committed, filmed and posted online purely for the purpose of attention seeking and one-upmanship is a disturbing concept, one which may have even seemed far-fetched not too long ago. But the relatively recent proliferation of online social networking sites has changed both the way people act as individuals, as well as the way they interact with others. Online anonymity gives people keyboard courage to spew hatred and intolerance, to give voice to their darkest thoughts, and allows them to find easy acceptance and encouragement from other like-minded people, all without leaving the comfort of their home. Its almost as if the web, one character in Shoot To Thrill argues, is normalizing deviant behavior.
And there is quite a bit of deviant behavior to be investigated in this outing, all done with the usual Monkeewrench flair. The black humor and banter between Rolseth and Magozzi is as sharp as ever, Annie makes her presence known with the expected outrageous attire and attitude, and lovable stickman Roadrunner even ventures into new fabrics. Harley, still big on bluster and cholesterol, has his mansion invaded by the feds in the form of Agent Smith, who moves in for the duration of the investigation, and despite their long-standing mistrust of the authorities the interaction between Smith and the Monkeewrench crew, particularly Grace and Harley, provides some of the best character development readers have been treated to thus far in the series... including a Hell of a "Didn't see that coming!" ending.
The wait for Shoot To Thrill was a long one for fans of the series, but the passage of four years between its inception and ultimate release has actually placed the book in a position where the concepts explored in it have moved beyond theoretical and into reality. In that regard, Shoot To Thrill is more than just a highly entertaining read for mystery aficionados, it is a timely exploration of a technology obsessed society that lives increasingly in an impersonal online world that offers people limitless opportunities to explore their basest desires, without requiring them to accept responsibility for their actions.
Well done, Patricia and Traci. Now how bout not making us wait another four years for the next one? ;-)
Another P.J. Tracy book to love! I cannot express how interesting, complex, and exciting this book is. I nearly ruined the holiday weekend because I just couldn't stop turning pages. Good to the very last unexpected paragraph. All your favorite Monkeewrench characters in an unforgettable plot. Highly recommended.
Another great book in the Monkeewrench series. I really love the characters and feel close to them. Can't wait for another book to be released
I've been reading this series in order. These books are fast reads. The author team writes well. As in some of the previous books, things start well but the endings are rather unsatisfying. In this particular story, one murderer is identified but, although the second one was apprehended, he wasn't named. I thought I had somehow missed it so went back through the last few chapters. I agree with some of the Amazon reviewers who thought the ending was very abrupt. The epilogue had an interesting and surprising twist.
As I've mentioned in reviews of the previous books, some of the characters are rather cartoonish (i.e., Harley, Roadrunner, Annie). There is virtually no "back story" for Roadrunner or Annie--all we really know about them is their flamboyant ways of dressing (Annie lots of feathers, frills, and jewelry and Roadrunner in fluorescent lycra).
In spite of the series having some shortcomings, I plan to continue reading. Sometimes it's nice to have a fast, light read.
As I've mentioned in reviews of the previous books, some of the characters are rather cartoonish (i.e., Harley, Roadrunner, Annie). There is virtually no "back story" for Roadrunner or Annie--all we really know about them is their flamboyant ways of dressing (Annie lots of feathers, frills, and jewelry and Roadrunner in fluorescent lycra).
In spite of the series having some shortcomings, I plan to continue reading. Sometimes it's nice to have a fast, light read.
This new book in the Monkey Wrench series is just as good as all the rest. It kept me in suspense until the end and the ending was a twist I sure didn't expect.
Another thriller from the mother and daughter team that keeps you guessing at every turn. The very end is conusing, but it makes you eager for them to write the next book so you can figure out what is going on. I love this series. They have such original ideas and develop the characters very well.
Great read, well written, witty dialogue. Lives up to the four books that came before, bring on no. 6!
This wasn't my favorite Monkeewrench book, but it was still good. A new character is introduced and I think he will add another dimension to the group eventually. I was disappointed and upset the way this book ended, leaving the reader hanging.
This was a very enjoyable read with interesting characters. The story was fast-paced with a twist at the end I did not see coming. I highly recommend this series as it is very entertaining. Look forward to the next book in the series.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first in the series, entitled Monkeewrench, and its successors, but somehow this latest left me feeling flat. The Monkeewrench crew take more of a back seat in this novel, with a focus on Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth. The book kept moving along, and I didn't get bored - but I did see the ending coming.
If you read the original Monkeewrench (and I recommend that you do), you'll like getting an update on the characters, and you'll hope that the next one shifts its focus back to the original protagonist.
If you read the original Monkeewrench (and I recommend that you do), you'll like getting an update on the characters, and you'll hope that the next one shifts its focus back to the original protagonist.
