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The Hatch and Brood of Time
Mystery. Natalie Joday, a newspaper reporter with a knack for getting at the facts, is pulled into a murder investigation by an anguished young woman's cry for help. But her compassion turns to fear when she discovers that her brother--a natural magnet for trouble--may be involved. A lifetime of painful run-ins with the legal system has left Natalie wary of the police, so she sets out to solve the case herself by uncovering the secrets of the past--even when the secrets are her own. Set in modern northeastern New Jersey, The Hatch and Brood of Time is a tale of family relationships, personal redemption...and murder.
- GenresMystery
308 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1999
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 3, 2014
Originally published in 1999, The Hatch and Brood of Time is the first in Larson's series featuring Natalie Joday. It is being republished this February which is why it was a NetGalley offering.
I was once again attracted to a title from Shakespeare, but not so much by the new drippy blood cover. I like the cover shown here better.
Despite the new cover, I did enjoy this mystery. Natalie Joday is an interesting protagonist, and the plot kept me involved.
Lots of suspects and some complicated relationships. I look forward to catching up with this series.
Read in January.
NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery. Feb. 2014. Print version: 250 pages
I was once again attracted to a title from Shakespeare, but not so much by the new drippy blood cover. I like the cover shown here better.
Despite the new cover, I did enjoy this mystery. Natalie Joday is an interesting protagonist, and the plot kept me involved.
Lots of suspects and some complicated relationships. I look forward to catching up with this series.
Read in January.
NetGalley/Poisoned Pen Press
Mystery. Feb. 2014. Print version: 250 pages
February 11, 2017
This a mystery that is more about the characters than the investigation. The murder is really just a catalyst for long, introspective conversation about the nature of loyalty and guilt and family obligation. I suspect the author could have written much the same book without including a murder and it would have been fine. But that's just not my style.
There are some awkward similes, e.g., "The memory of her fight...raced through her mind like a toy train on a circular track." And a few sentences I had to read 3 or 4 times to figure out. "At the age of twenty, her reason for staying obliterated by what she had viewed at the time as a permanent rift between her brother and herself, she had packed her bags and left the area for what she thought was an equally permanent good." Throughout the book, the author seems to be trying too hard to come up with phrases and constructions no one has seen before. Some work, some don't.
But the characters are mostly fully drawn. Natalie and Daniel are people you care about. The revelation about 3/4 of the way through that resonated because I empathized with him and wanted him to improve his lot. I want that part of his life to be a recurring motif moving forward. The relationship between Natalie and Sergeant Allan also grew organically and believably. The various members of the Dow family all filled common tropes, but they are realized well and act according to the role they are assigned. And the conclusion is plausible and satisfying and would prompt me to want to know more about the characters if this were the kind of story I liked to read. But it isn't, and I have a lot of other items on my TBR list.
It's good+, not great, but mischaracterized as mystery. Probably enjoyable to another reader with different tastes.
There are some awkward similes, e.g., "The memory of her fight...raced through her mind like a toy train on a circular track." And a few sentences I had to read 3 or 4 times to figure out. "At the age of twenty, her reason for staying obliterated by what she had viewed at the time as a permanent rift between her brother and herself, she had packed her bags and left the area for what she thought was an equally permanent good." Throughout the book, the author seems to be trying too hard to come up with phrases and constructions no one has seen before. Some work, some don't.
But the characters are mostly fully drawn. Natalie and Daniel are people you care about. The revelation about 3/4 of the way through that resonated because I empathized with him and wanted him to improve his lot. I want that part of his life to be a recurring motif moving forward. The relationship between Natalie and Sergeant Allan also grew organically and believably. The various members of the Dow family all filled common tropes, but they are realized well and act according to the role they are assigned. And the conclusion is plausible and satisfying and would prompt me to want to know more about the characters if this were the kind of story I liked to read. But it isn't, and I have a lot of other items on my TBR list.
It's good+, not great, but mischaracterized as mystery. Probably enjoyable to another reader with different tastes.
March 6, 2015
Ellen Larson in her new book, “The Hatch and Brood of Time” Book One in the NJ Mystery series published by Poisoned Pen Press introduces us to Natalie Joday.
From the back cover: Sometimes it’s your own secrets you fear the most…
When you’re a hard-nosed, shoe leather reporter like Natalie Joday of Bergen County, NJ, murder investigations are just another day in the life. But when she discovers that her trouble-magnet brother Daniel was the last to see the late Lydia Dow alive, Natalie’s enthusiasm for finding the truth turns to dread.
But Natalie is determined to find Lydia’s killer regardless, even if that means talking to the deceased’s nearest and dearest— an eccentric cast of characters ranging from a chauvinistic, bullying father to an introverted sister to an overprotective boyfriend.
But Lydia’s will complicates the investigation, forcing Natalie to follow the considerable money trail… right back to her brother. Now she must choose between hiding the truth and protecting Daniel or risking everything to investigate long-buried secrets of the past—including her own.
For a while I had the opportunity to work at The Daily News in New York. While I was not a reporter for that paper it certainly was exciting to work there. Let me assure you it was not nearly as exciting as what happens to Natalie and she is just working for the Bergen paper. Ellen Larson has given us quite a character in Natalie and quite an adventure to introduce us into. Danger, excitement and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. These are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “The Hatch and Brood of Time” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. I am so glad I found Ms. Larson and am so looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Poisoned Pen Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
From the back cover: Sometimes it’s your own secrets you fear the most…
When you’re a hard-nosed, shoe leather reporter like Natalie Joday of Bergen County, NJ, murder investigations are just another day in the life. But when she discovers that her trouble-magnet brother Daniel was the last to see the late Lydia Dow alive, Natalie’s enthusiasm for finding the truth turns to dread.
But Natalie is determined to find Lydia’s killer regardless, even if that means talking to the deceased’s nearest and dearest— an eccentric cast of characters ranging from a chauvinistic, bullying father to an introverted sister to an overprotective boyfriend.
But Lydia’s will complicates the investigation, forcing Natalie to follow the considerable money trail… right back to her brother. Now she must choose between hiding the truth and protecting Daniel or risking everything to investigate long-buried secrets of the past—including her own.
For a while I had the opportunity to work at The Daily News in New York. While I was not a reporter for that paper it certainly was exciting to work there. Let me assure you it was not nearly as exciting as what happens to Natalie and she is just working for the Bergen paper. Ellen Larson has given us quite a character in Natalie and quite an adventure to introduce us into. Danger, excitement and murder all figure into this highly complicated plot. These are fascinating characters that seem very real and a killer that seems impossible to discover. “The Hatch and Brood of Time” is loaded with twists and turns and red herrings that will leave you guessing all the while you are flipping pages to find out what happens next. I am so glad I found Ms. Larson and am so looking forward to the next book in this series.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Poisoned Pen Press. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
January 6, 2015
A good mystery, but sometimes the story seemed to bog down. Would read this author again. I did like the characters.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews