Blood is thicker than oil–until murder is involved. Fenway Stevenson doesn’t want to return to the coastal town where her estranged father is practically king. But the death of her mother draws her back home–and the murder of the county coroner draws her into a deepening conspiracy. As the body count rises and all signs seem to point toward her father’s oil company, will Fenway uncover the … uncover the truth before family bonds become deadly?
more
The Reluctant Coroner is written in a way that is easy to read and hard to put down. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another twist told me I was wrong. Paul Ardoin is savvy enough to give just enough of the characters to keep the reader interested, but wanting more. I look forward to more of Fenway and McVie, and the whole Dominguez County Sheriff team.
I received a fee copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, which in no way affected my review.
Made no sensewhat so ever! One of the dumbest books I’ve read for a very long time! I kept reading, both because I don’t like to quit a book once I start, but this one, I kept going hoping it would get better. Didn’t happen! Sorry
Any book with “reluctant” in the title smacks of romance. But. Couple the adjective with coroner and get ready for a fun read. Fenway (yes, there’s a story behind her name), the estranged daughter of the richest man in a fairy-tale seaside California town, needs a job.The coroner in Encinta was murdered two days ago. Enter Fenway, grieving her mother’s recent death, trying to finish her master’s in forensic criminology, and ready to accept–reluctantly–the job her father wrangles for her. It’s great fun to see her learn to “investigate” murders and to earn the trust of her new staff. My only quibble is that despite her newbiness, she commits so many errors–like letting the widow of a murdered man, also the prime suspect in the coroner’s death, continue working tested my credulity. But. The book is well written, filled with lots of forensic detail, and several twists. Book 2 is now on my TBR pile.
Fenway Stevenson (gotta love a character named for a ball park, huh?) returns to her childhood home of Estancia, California after growing up in the northwest. She barely remembers the place, and it barely remembers her. Many people, meeting her for the first time, are surprised that she’s black, since her father, who practically owns the town, is not.
She wants to accept no favors from her father, who brought her here to atone for having effectively abandoned her and her mother. This puts her in the worst possible position: she has none of the advantages of belonging to the town’s leading family, but all the mistrust of those who resent her dad and the power he wields.
Author Paul Austin Ardoin has some table-setting to do, as Fenway learns her way around the town. To make this interesting, he throws her in the deep end: medically educated, she’s asked to take over as coroner on her first full day in town. That the position is open suggests that the stakes may be higher than just getting some funny looks; the previous coroner was murdered, and they need a new one to look into the matter while the body is more or less fresh.
The writing is good, the characters–both Fenway and the rest of the colorful cast–are fascinating, and the story is a pleasant enough read… until a wall of the coroner’s office is mysteriously bashed in by a specially equipped truck. From that point on, I found the book impossible to put down. What starts out almost cozy becomes a gritty mystery, and then morphs into full-on action as Fenway identifies the killer too late to keep herself safe. Truly gripping.
This review was based on a beta copy. I also read revisions based on beta feedback, and have advance-purchased a copy. Can’t wait for the sequel.
I really enjoyed this book. The author did a good job of holding my interest and keeping the story moving. He just sort of brought each character into the story without any in depth description of their lives. I liked that a lot. There were a few times when I thought the story got a little weird or off kilter but the author brought it back into perspective. All in all, I enjoyed this book enough to buy the next two in the series.
I thought I would like this more but now that I’m finished, I can only say I have mixed feelings. This is the story of Fenway Stevenson, a young nurse practitioner that is in the process of taking some additional forensic classes. She’s between jobs in Seattle when her estranged father, one of the most influential businessmen in her childhood California hometown, offers her a lifeline. He sets her up in one of his apartment buildings and she soon has a job offer as a temporary coroner. Her first case is to investigate the murder of the coroner she’s replacing. Now, I’m aware that it takes no special skills to be a coroner, unlike a medical examiner. They basically just go to the scene and sign off on the body. However, in this county, the coroner’s job is to lead a whole investigative team. It includes detectives, an attorney, and support staff. I just feel like in real life, if a coroner was in charge of investigating murders and unexplained deaths, they should at least have some background or experience in the subject. It just felt unprofessional and half-assed. Plus, the attorney that works with the group is supposed to make sure that things are done by the book so there are no issues when a case goes to court. However, it seems like so many things that happened would have made a defense attorney laugh them right out of the room.
I’m not usually a person that seeks out a strong female character for the protagonist. I just want to read a good story no matter who it revolves around. I believe the author in this case created Fenway to be this type of character. At times, I would agree. But other times, she goes right off the rails and sets the women’s movement back decades.
All this being said, I did find the story interesting enough to read it through to the end. I would be willing to read one more in the series and see if things settled down some from what bugged me in this first one. If not, that’s probably where I will stop.
This book kept me at the edge of my seat especially because I couldn’t figure out whodunnit until the very end and that isn’t usually the case. The story is well researched, fast paced and has unforgettable characters. And characters are one of the key ingredients in a great story for me and I liked all characters in this novel.
Fenway Stevenson unwillingly returns to her small California hometown after the death of her mother because she feels like she doesn’t have a lot of choices, and she’s unmoored anyway. In a fit of guilt about his neglectful behavior towards her growing up, her estranged, but extremely wealthy father, has secured for her a temporary job (town coroner) and a place to live until she can get licensed in California. Maybe he has an ulterior motive in doing so, maybe not. He clearly doesn’t’ know her at all, though, because once she gets her teeth into something, she does not let go, and this decision will come back to haunt him.
I enjoyed this book. The plot, involving suspicious deaths, corporate greed, racial injustice, and small-town politics, is topical. The cast of characters reflects the real world – multi-racial, multi-ethnic, young, old, gay, straight. I was intrigued by how the author, a white male, could write a story from the perspective of a young, Black female. I think he did a credible job. It does require a suspension of disbelief that Fenway (who has an advanced nursing degree and training in criminalistics) walks right into a job as the town coroner, even with no direct experience, but it’s a great plot hook. Apparently, coroners in some states don’t even need medical experience.
Fenway has some natural investigative skills, though. She’s very observant and has a talent for pulling together diverse threads to get a picture of what’s going on. She’s also got a strong sense of right and wrong and will go where the facts take her, no matter the outcome. She starts out as just a caretaker in the position, but comes to realize this is something she’s good at.
I have two quibbles with the book – one, her name. OK, so her father’s a Boston Redsox fan. Why would you saddle your child with a name like that? And two, the author uses the work “smirk” way too often.
What I did like – the relationship between Fenway and the local sheriff. He’s 15 years older than she is, and married, but there’s a connection from the get-go. He also treats her as an equal, not someone to pat on the head and wave off. I also like how Fenway deals with her team and the people she comes across in the course of the story.
I liked this book enough that when I was done, I immediately purchased book 2. Fenway is an interesting character and I’d like to see what happens with her.
I really enjoyed this book, I loved the fact that she didn’t have a clue about the job. How many murders does it take to train a new coroner? A lot! All the others players were great in their roles & there was a lot of them. I’m looking forward to more in this series.
Allow a full, long day for this PG coroner’s procedural set in May in Estancia, Dominguez County, California.
I will read more from this author
Really didn’t want to put this book down. Great writing style. A very very enjoyable read!
Great new series! Love the characters
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were realistic yet down to earth as one would imagine a small town would be. As a reader, I found it very easy to get caught up in the story and didn’t want to put the book down. Even when the book ended, I didn’t want it to end. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
This was my first foray into the world of Paul Ardoin’s writing, and I am so glad I made the journey. A fresh plot, with interesting characters and twisty turns to keep you guessing. Just an all around good read. I’ve already purchased the rest in this series! Well done Mr. Ardoin!
I enjoyed reading this book…even though I would have liked to knock Fenway up against her head! But she was a newbie and didn’t always know she shouldn’t be doing/saying certain things.
It was full of entertaining characters and you never knew what was going to happen next. It was always a surprise though!
Fenway becomes immersed in the complexities of a coroner’s life. Though it’s a temporary six month job she seems to be running the gauntlet within her first two weeks at work. Murder, mayhem, and speculation create temptations for compromise, lies, and doctored reports. How does Fenway’s integrity hold up?
The Fenway Stevenson mysteries series is one of the best. I couldn’t put the book down. I couldn’t wait for the ending. The suspense and forensics spot on.
This was a great mystery with some fantastic, well-drawn characters. Thoroughly recommend both this book and the series to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
Very enjoyable. Sometimes you need a book like this. It’s why I enjoy reading to relax and absorb a good story. Better than watching TV. The excitement of wondering what is going to happen next.