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The Guilty Dead

(Monkeewrench #9)

P.J. Tracy (Goodreads Author)

4.08 · Rating details · 2,414 ratings · 442 reviews

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 find the second body.

As the seemingly open-and-shut case becomes a murder enquiry, the detectives begin to delve into ...more

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Hardcover, 325 pages

Published September 11th 2018 by Crooked Lane Books (first published August 23rd 2018)

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Start your review of The Guilty Dead (Monkeewrench, #9)

Aug 28, 2018 Kaceey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, arc-from-publisher, buddy-read

This is book nine of the highly popular Monkeewrench series. Rarely, if ever, have I jumped into a series midway. But the opportunity presented itself and I was generously offered a copy by the publisher. Yes, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse!

Stepping midway into a series can present several challenges. With this book, the character development was highly developed. So jumping in mid-stream I missed some of the background that might have helped me have a clearer understanding of the character ...more

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Aug 15, 2018 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: thriller, crime-fiction, netgalley, mystery

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 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. ...more

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Aug 02, 2018 Diane S ☔ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

3.5 Magozzi and Gino are called to the scene of a suspected suicide of a well known businessman. The Monkey wrench crew is working on new software which will greatly aid police departmens and other agencies to find out where acts of terrorism are being planned. Grace and Magozzi anxiously await the birth of their child, Grace now eight months pregnant. Of course things are not as simple as they appear, and soon everyone is up to their eyeballs in mayhem and madness.

I enjoy this series, all the c ...more

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Aug 25, 2018 Susanne Strong rated it really liked it

Shelves: netgalley, buddy-read

4 Stars.

Gregory Norwood’s body is found on his sprawling estate. Though it first appears as though Norwood took his own life and Detectives Magozzi and Rolseth investigate his death at the request of his wife and daughter. When Magozzi and Rolseth look into the allegations, they find that Gregory Norwood’s death links to another body at the scene. Norwood’s son Trey died a year prior of what everyone thought was a drug overdose, though his father never believed it.

Suspicion ensues and the path ...more

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Sep 04, 2018 Carolyn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-2018, murder-mystery, netgalley, 2018

In this ninth instalment of the Monkeewrench series, the focus is less on the Monkeewrench team and more on Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, as they investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy businessman and philanthropist, Gregory Norwood. Although Norwood's death occurs on the anniversary of his son Trey's death from an overdose, his wife and daughter don't believe he would have committed sucicide and there are some things at the scene that don't make sense. Leo and Gino soon find t ...more

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Sep 09, 2018 Liz rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Book nine in a series is never a good place to start. But I had heard so many great reviews for this series, that when I was offered this book through netgalley, how could I resist?

First impressions. Wow, can Tracy paint a picture! His descriptions really sucked me in. And there’s more than a wee bit of dry wit here, too.

It did take me a little time to figure out who everyone was. But Tracy does a good job of giving you the connections and a bit of backstory for each of the players.

The topic ...more

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Jul 22, 2018 Matt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Matt by: Crooked Lane

Shelves: crooked-lane-publishers

First and foremost, a large thank you to P.J. Tracy and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A much different P.J. Tracy continues to evolve in the series after the death of the elder in the mother-daughter duo. Those who are familiar with the series will notice a higher intensity to the writing and a plot that seeks to delve deeper into the mystery and police procedural genres. After the death of his son a ye First and foremost, a large thank you to P.J. Tracy and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

A much different P.J. Tracy continues to evolve in the series after the death of the elder in the mother-daughter duo. Those who are familiar with the series will notice a higher intensity to the writing and a plot that seeks to delve deeper into the mystery and police procedural genres. After the death of his son a year ago, socialite Gregory Norwood plans to honour him with a private memorial. However, before this takes place, the elder Norwood is found at his home, an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This sends shock waves through the city and travels all the way to the top of the MPD pyramid, after current gubernatorial candidate—and best friend of Norwood—Robert Zeller, requests it be handled with discretion. Enter Homicide Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, who survey the crime scene at the request of their chief, only to discover something out of place that tips the scales towards murder. Meanwhile, Monkeewrench are approached by a member of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office, hoping that they can create a specialised piece of software. It would seem that there have been murmurs of an attack within the Twin Cities, but nothing is surfacing with the usual suspects. The FBI has begun to wonder if those no longer on the radar might be developing new and covert means of communication through electronic channels, both legal and on the Dark Net. Members of the team rush to create something and run beta tests, unsure how long they might have before an attack. With the Norwoods mourning two loses in as many years and Minneapolis as a potential hotspot for the next big act of terror, Magozzi and Grace MacBride surely have no time to focus on the imminent arrival of their child. All that being said, babies follow no timetable or schedule, save their own. Tracy provides readers with a stellar exploration of terrorism, politics, and the ties that can bind a family together or tear it apart. A powerful new novel, which series fans will enjoy, even if it is with a heavy heart for the loss of part of this fantastic writing duo.

I am sad to say that I have reached the end of my summer reading binge of P.J. Tracy’s work. I must also offer my sincere condolences that the writing world lost a great member with the death of one half of the P.J. Tracy duo. The series has been well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable, both in writing and audio formats, which helps solidify my admiration for the authors and books in this collection. This novel is again able to mix great mystery with strong characters and deliver a grounded story, one in which the reader will notice new depth and strong story development. The Magozzi/Rolseth banter remains strong, as always, as does the humour that offsets some of the more serious and morbid parts of the narrative. Tracy offers some interesting character development for Magozzi and Grace MacBride, both individually and as a unit, with impending parenthood. How this will change their lives and the characterisation of them has yet to be seen, but one can only hope that a tenth novel will answer some of the questions series fans will surely have on the tips of their proverbial tongues. The rest of the gang (both police and Monkeewrench) continue to dazzle and keep the reader on their toes for a variety of reasons. I was pleased to see a strong narrative and a few plots that developed throughout, keeping the reader guessing as to what might happen at any turn of the page. Using a constantly revolving group of characters, Tracy is able to push the narrative forward in interesting ways and never forces the reader to accept subpar writing or storytelling. I must wonder if the Magozzi/Rolseth storyline will change when they are both fathers and if, perhaps, Tracy will give readers a Rolseth-centred storyline (perhaps involving his family), which might help develop a stronger tie to those people who come up in Gino’s dialogue on occasion. These novels move away from the traditional police procedural and permit P.J. Tracy to entertain the reader with strong storylines, perfect for a vacation or summer binge. As noted above, there was a significant shift in the writing and story presentation, likely the influence of the solo writing that will continue going forward. Might the series take a heavier turn or will the lighter reads resume in subsequent publication?

Kudos, P.J. Tracy, for another wonderful piece. You continue to show how proud your mother can be in your efforts by keeping the story going. Write and think of her, always!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... ...more

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Aug 08, 2018 Maureen Carden rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: family, police, thriller, fbi

I will never lose my love for the Monkeewrench group of brilliant, paranoid-with good reason-computer maven misfits. I will never lose my admiration for Minneapolis homicide cops detective Leo Magozzi and Gino Roseth. So I am always delighted for a new book from P.J. Tracy,
The Guilty Dead is no exception.
Magozzi and Roseth have a suicide to investigate. Gregory Norwood has a number of excellent reasons to commit suicide; but since Norwood is a wealthy philanthropist who has been very generous t ...more

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Jun 15, 2018 Phrynne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I look forward to each new book in the Monkeewrench series - it is one of my most favourite crime series!

The Guilty Dead opens in a fairly complicated fashion with lots of characters popping up in apparently unrelated scenarios. Eventually of course it all comes together and leads to a massive and very tense climax which threatens the lives of some very important characters. The book was totally unputdownable at this stage.

There are many beautiful scenes between Maguzzi and Grace - I am sure the ...more

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Aug 13, 2018 Louise Wilson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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 Softwa ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Thomas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: midwestern-u-s-crime, netgalley

4 stars
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. This book is a well done thriller with one criminal identified early on. As the story unfolds, the reader learns the others. Minneapolis detectives Magozzi and Gino piece together a series of murders with help from the FBI and Monkeewrench, a software company. Magozzi's wife works for Monkeewrench and is very pregnant. There is a bittersweet ending that ties up the plot very well. This is book 9 in the series, but I ...more

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Aug 19, 2018 Dee Arr rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: detective, crime-novel

P. J. Tracy’s “The Guilty Dead” almost reads like it was two different books, or maybe three. Before it settled down, I was half-tempted to stop reading (though in the end, I am glad I continued).

Some of the things that bothered me about the story were small, but ultimately, many small things do add up, beginning with why there were so many characters with names that start with the letter G? We have Grace, Gloria, Gus, Gregory, Gino, Gary, and Gerry. While the chances of reader confusion increa P. J. Tracy’s “The Guilty Dead” almost reads like it was two different books, or maybe three. Before it settled down, I was half-tempted to stop reading (though in the end, I am glad I continued).

Some of the things that bothered me about the story were small, but ultimately, many small things do add up, beginning with why there were so many characters with names that start with the letter G? We have Grace, Gloria, Gus, Gregory, Gino, Gary, and Gerry. While the chances of reader confusion increases, the odds of this happening in real life must be astronomical.

Proper research should always be completed. If one wishes to write about weapons and is not familiar with them, information is not that hard to find. The authors (P. J. Tracy a pseudonym for writers Patricia Lambrecht and Traci Lambrecht) mistakenly called a magazine a clip, and merely checking to make sure a gun has ammunition in the magazine will not make it “hot” and ready to fire. Later on, a character references her “conceal-and-carry permit,” something that does not exist in the state of Minnesota (you can obtain a permit to carry). Small things like this make me wonder what other inaccuracies I may have missed.

What was most bothersome was the writing style employed, as it changed as I continued reading. The initial descriptions in early chapters read like someone had gone through with a thesaurus and substituting the largest word that could be found. While this is not a bad thing, the words began to disappear from the description and worked their way into the characters’ dialogue. It is jarring when all the people begin using words you don’t normally hear in everyday conversation. Somewhere near the middle of the book the style relaxed into normalcy. Why neither the authors nor editors questioned this is a mystery.

Which is too bad, because the storyline is a five-star element. The expected twist is not out of left field, the story makes sense and, in the end, everything ties up neatly. I flew through the last half of the book, completely lost in the story and working with the detectives to decipher the clues and find the truth. What the authors wrote in the later chapters almost made it worth slogging through the beginning ones.

Bottom line: It is worth your time to plow through the opening descriptions and dialogue as well as the research inconsistencies because the plot is good. Characterizations are okay, and we are given enough insight to identify with the main folks. Fans of this series will probably love the book, and for those of us new to the series, it is written as a standalone without references to any major storylines that have gone before. Three-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.
...more

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Aug 05, 2018 Linda Strong rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley-2018, read-in-2018

I am telling you right now ... if you have not read any of the Monkeewrench series, you need to go right his minute and start at the very beginning of this wonderful series.

Monkeewrench is the name given to the software company founded by Grace MacBride and a team of members you will never forget. They are all geniuses when it comes to computers. How this group got together and forged a bond closer than any family is in the first books of the series.

Homicide Detective Leo Magozzi and his partner ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 ♥Rachel♥ rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobook-challenge-2019, audio-book, mystery, thriller-and-or-action

Re-read by audio July 9th 2019---Even better the 2nd time around because now I've read all the stories before this one! Can't wait for the next one! ----

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, homicide detectives of the Minnesota Police Department are called out for what they think is a routine sign-off on a suicide. The victim is Gregory Norwood a wealthy businessman on the one-year anniversary of his son’s overdose. The situation turns into anything but routine after reviewing the facts of the scene, an Re-read by audio July 9th 2019---Even better the 2nd time around because now I've read all the stories before this one! Can't wait for the next one! ----

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, homicide detectives of the Minnesota Police Department are called out for what they think is a routine sign-off on a suicide. The victim is Gregory Norwood a wealthy businessman on the one-year anniversary of his son’s overdose. The situation turns into anything but routine after reviewing the facts of the scene, and the discovery of another body. What they find is a tragic history and many twists.

At the same time the Monkeewrench team, a private cyber security/investigative company/expert hackers (from what I gather) are on high alert after their contact in the FBI enlists their help searching for terror suspects because the FBI knows something big is about to happen but can’t narrow down the suspects or target.

This is book nine in the series and I haven’t read the previous books, but it wasn’t necessary for the current mysteries. There were some personal relationships that I didn’t witness from the beginning, Grace (a Monkeewrench specialist) and Leo Magozzi’s (a Minnesota Homicide Det.) was featured prominently here, but still it was more of a side story than the main gig. And their scenes were very touching even without reading about them previously. I’d like to go back and find out how they came together. Grace seems to have issues from the past that makes it difficult to let people in, yet she’s with Leo and having his baby. Love more history!

This was very much a crime procedural, the homicide and terror cases being front and center, with bits of personal relationships featured. I’m a sucker for a good crime procedural, solving the crime right along with the detectives piecing things together. I had a character under suspicion early on which panned out, but I wasn’t sure of their motivations, so I had fun getting to the whys.

The Guilty Dead was a fast-paced page turner with danger, action, and revelations at every turn! Thrilling and entertaining! I’m interested in going back and reading from the beginning!

A copy was kindly provided by Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Sep 22, 2018 Maureen Carden added it · review of another edition

I will never lose my love for the Monkeewrench group of brilliant, paranoid-with good reason-computer maven misfits. I will never lose my admiration for Minneapolis homicide cops detective Leo Magozzi and Gino Roseth. So I am always delighted for a new book from P.J. Tracy,
The Guilty Dead is no exception.
Magozzi and Roseth have a suicide to investigate. Gregory Norwood has a number of excellent reasons to commit suicide; but since Norwood is a wealthy philanthropist who has been very generous t ...more

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Oct 05, 2018 Juli rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-review-copies-2018

The Guilty Dead is the 9th book in the Monkeewrench series. Gregory Norwood, a wealthy Minnesota businessman with political ties, is found dead of an apparent suicide on the one-year anniversary of his son's death by overdose. The police believe it's an open and shut case at first until they find another body at the scene. The case quickly escalates into a complex murder investigation. The local police are also dealing with terrorist threats related to tracking software being tested by the FBI. ...more

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Aug 05, 2018 Sandy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: series, crime, arc-from-netgalley, police-procedural, family-drama, mystery, high-tech

Book #9 in this series opens with a deadly prologue you just know is going to come back to haunt you. Fast forward 1 year & a wealthy local philanthropist dies in questionable circumstances. When Minneapolis cops Leo Magozzi & Gino Rolseth get involved, the past returns as they proceed to dig into the life of Gregory Norwood, his family & close friends.

Over at Monkeewrench HQ Harley is contacted by Dahl, a frustrated FBI agent. He’s heard mutterings of a possible terrorist attack & wants the cre ...more

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Dec 25, 2019 Fiona rated it really liked it

Shelves: detectives

One of the first thrillery series I got into, with the bonus of the found family feeling that gets me every time, the Monkeewrench series is one of my favourites, and one of about 4 that I just can't be rational about.

Reading these books genuinely feels like spending time with old friends, and just like old friends, you can see their flaws while still loving the hell out of them. Hands do tend to flutter to mouths, yes, and the writing isn't going to provoke flights of wonder, but damnit these ...more

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Aug 31, 2018 Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2018

I don't want to be a Negative Nancy when it comes to books. However, this book just didn't turn out the be as good as I had hoped it to be. I have long wanted to read this series and with the latest published book, THE GUILTY DEAD did I finally take the plunge. I have this as a copy, but I decided to listen to the audioversion instead since then I could take the book with me to work...;)

I did think the book started off good, with murders looking like suicide. However, I had one big problem ...more

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Sep 13, 2018 Lorraine Southern rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Book 9 of the Monkeewrench crime series, a series written by a mother-daughter writing duo and one I’ve been a huge fan of since book 1. This, however, was the first solo effort written by the daughter since the sad death of her mother back in 2016. All I can say is it’s just as fast-paced, gripping, suspenseful and tightly written as all its predecessors and it is indeed a fine and wonderful way to honor P.J

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May 03, 2019 Kirsty ❤️ rated it it was amazing

This is one of my favourite detective series. One of the things I love the most is the relationships of all the characters. They're so diverse and beautifully written and have evolved so much over the 9 books. It's always so easy to slip back into this world.

This time we have two plots that start off separate but as with all these things they ended up intertwining. There's a fair bit of foreshadowing of who the bad guy(s) may be in this one and some of it was revealed fairly early on so the st ...more

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Sep 14, 2018 Myndi rated it really liked it

A year after the suicide of his troubled son, Gregory Norwood is found dead in his home of an apparent – but unlikely – suicide. While Detectives Gino and Magozzi investigate, the Monkeewrench team uses their latest technology to home in on suspected terrorist threats in the city. The investigation into Norwood’s death not only unravels family secrets but connects both family deaths to the tragedy the Monkeewrench team is working so hard to prevent.

Having started this series at book 7, I’m now t ...more

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Aug 06, 2018 Patricia rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-books, 2018

4 stars

“The Guilty Dead” is Book #9 in the Monkeewrench series. When I first started reading this book, I felt I was revisiting old friends and catching up on what is going on in Minneapolis.

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are partners in the Homicide division of MPD. They are called to the scene of a suicide but this is no ordinary suicide. Gregory Norwood is a beloved Minneapolis philanthropist whose son died of an overdose and now seems to have committed suicide. But, the police want to investig ...more

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May 08, 2018 Janet Newport rated it it was amazing

Shelves: netgalley, kindle-books, 2018-reads

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this arc.

I've loved the Monkeewrench Gang from book 1 in this 9 books to-date series. The 8th book was somewhat disappointing for me as it seemed to be missing some of the edginess and pacing.. As it was the first book following the death of one of the co-authors of the series, understandable and forgivable.

Some of that missing edginess has returned with this book. The pacing of the story was full-speed ahead.....I could feel the increasing pressure ...more

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Sep 27, 2018 Chris Conley rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

More like 10 stars for me. Tracy can find the nuggets of human joy and love in the most gruesome of tales. In many ways, this story hits many hot buttons but, at its heart, it is about the strength of friendship, honesty and love. I have always liked the gang at Monkeewrench but this has moved me way beyond like.

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Nov 10, 2018 CD {Boulder Blvd} rated it really liked it

3.5 stars

The first part of the book was a little slow and I was slow to get vested. It picked up as it went along although the ending felt like a bit of a let down.

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Oct 08, 2018 Paul rated it it was amazing

Shelves: crime-thrillers

The Guilty Dead – A Fast Paced Thriller

Who knew that Minnesota could be so interesting and exciting? Not often portrayed in crime thrillers but such a pleasant change from the usual places. The Guilty Dead is a fast- paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns and the occasional surprise. What I do like about female writers, there is always a decent body count.

Robert Norwood richer than God, business man, family man and close friend to a candidate for State Governor, is found dead. Apparently ...more

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Aug 17, 2018 Michelle rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Minneapolis Detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth are called on a new case of Wealthy Businessman Gregory Norwood suspected suicide. He was found dead with a gun in his hand. It is the 1-year anniversary of his son’s Trey death from a Heroin overdose. Robert Zeller thinks that it was the guilt of what happened to Trey that killed him. But, when Magozzi and Rolseth start to investigate, they have found out that the gun was wiped clean, so it all adds up to murder.
The story also includes the Mon ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Marty Fried rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copies

Thanks to NetGalley, I don't have to wait for this book to be published. I delayed reading the previous book to make the wait shorter, but now, I got to read both that one and now this new one.

The Monkeewrench series has become one of my favorites, and this one did not disappoint. As usual, the people make up a large part of the story, but the plot was really strong, too. And there is the usual humor in the banter and thoughts of the characters that make it so much fun to read. It was sad that s Thanks to NetGalley, I don't have to wait for this book to be published. I delayed reading the previous book to make the wait shorter, but now, I got to read both that one and now this new one.

The Monkeewrench series has become one of my favorites, and this one did not disappoint. As usual, the people make up a large part of the story, but the plot was really strong, too. And there is the usual humor in the banter and thoughts of the characters that make it so much fun to read. It was sad that some good people had to die, but the humor made it much easier to handle. And as is often the case with their stories, the lines between good and bad people are somewhat blurred.

If you've never read any other books in this series, I advise you to start at the beginning. Get to know the characters, especially the Monkeewrench crew, and homicide detectives Gino (Gino Rolseth) and Magozzi (Leo Magozzi, but everyone calls him Magozzi). These characters are all featured in subsequent books.

Monkeewrench is a software company made up of mysterious but highly intelligent programmers who start out writing games, but are also very good at hacking into secure sites, writing custom security and facial recognition software, etc. that are useful to law enforcement. Nobody there is really what they seem. Harley looks like a Hells Angel, Grace carries a gun everywhere, Annie is fat and sexy, always wears high heels, makeup, fancy clothes, and Roadrunner is a tall, skinny vegetarian bicyclist. Somehow though, they all get along and work miracles on their computers.

It was nice to see so many people working together to solve the crimes in this case - Monkeewrench, the FBI, and the MPD all cooperating without egos getting in the way. It almost seems like everyone just wants to solve the case, not boost their egos.

Of course the highlight of the book is Grace's pregnancy. Who would have ever thought at the start of the series that this would ever happen, and that she would actually be happy and optimistic about this. Everyone is excited - Harley wanted her to stay in bed starting at about the 2nd month; Magozzi and Gino have a bet on when it will arrive. And when it does, Magozzi thought she "was without question the most beautiful child ever born." When it's time to pick a name, all he can think of is “Nothing’s good enough. Except maybe Grace Junior.” Poor Grace - her pedestal is so high she's probably going to be afraid to move lest she fall off. But it seems like Magozzi thinks anything she does is perfect even if it isn't, so it probably won't matter.

Well, until the next one comes out (hopefully), I guess it's time to catch up on some other series that have been on my back burner for a while. ...more

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Jul 17, 2018 Maranda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

KIND OF A LOT GOING ON HERE!! We have a murder, a romance, a new baby, revenge, two police partners, another murder, a GEEK MONKEEWRENCH Intelligent Company and even more murders. Oh yeah and a BOMB! This is my first read in this series and now I need to make time to read the prior eight. Great characters by this author along with a thickening plot! "A copy of this book was provided by Crooked Lane Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." ...more

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Play Book Tag: The Guilty Dead by P.J. Tracy - 4.5 stars	1	14	Dec 15, 2018 01:33PM

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About P.J. Tracy

P.J. Tracy

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PJ Tracy is the pseudonym of mother-daughter writing duo P.J. and Traci Lambrecht, winners of the Anthony, Barry, Gumshoe, and Minnesota Book Awards. Their ten novels, MONKEEWRENCH, LIVE BAIT, DEAD RUN, SNOW BLIND, SHOOT TO THRILL, OFF THE GRID, THE SIXTH IDEA, NOTHING STAYS BURIED, THE GUILTY DEAD, and ICE COLD HEART have become national and international bestsellers. PJ passed away in December 2 ...more