Gray Matter by Nick Pirog

I've been buying some inexpensive books recommended by a service called Book Bub--it sends me a daily list of "bargins."  Some of these have been really good reads, others I abandon.  This particular title is somewhere in between.  There were many flaws in the book, which made me a little agitated as I read, but overall I think Pirog is a promising author.  I finished the book in spite of the occasional lapses.  This is a "detective fiction" book with murder investigation as the primary plot. It is set primarily in the Northwest United States.

Pirog needs a good (and ruthless) editor.  The main character should be a relatively mature adult, certainly the life experiences that he has had would season someone of his intelligence and background.  However, he consistently behaves and thinks as a "semi-adult"--more like someone in their early twenties that the more early 40s that would be suggested by the book.  There are numerous technical errors in the book which should have been resolved through better research and editing.  One research lapse that I found particularly offensive was the extremely casual research about the wolf reintroduction programs in the Northwest and the habits of wolf packs.  I have a middle stand on wolf reintroduction, however this hot topic is not aided by inaccurate representations of the dangers of wolves.   Other irrelevant sub-plots should have been eliminated including the girl-friend at the beginning of the book and "Harold's story."

Still, the book shows that Pirog is a promising young author.  I have plenty of other options and still I was willing to keep reading.  I see from Internet searches that he has several other books out.  I think perhaps I'll give another one a try and see if he has worked on his author's craft since his first book.

Greyalker Series, by Kat Richardson

I've blogged about several of  the Greywalker books in the past.  Overall, I greatly enjoy them and think that many older adolescents would as well.  However, in the last book, Downpour, there is a fairly explicit sex scene (the only one in the entire series) that makes recommending any of the books in the series to adolescents more difficult for me. I expect I'd just warn them that their parents may be disturbed by the content of the last book.  That they shouldn't read it if it's going to get them (or me) in trouble.

With that warning--I'm going to have to say the Downpour was a great read.  Much of the action is set on the Kitsap Peninsula, where my mother lived in the last fifteen years of her life.  I know some of the settings, but am going to have to plan a trip back to Hurricane Ridge and other localities for the summer.  Richardson has certainly piqued my interest in specific camp spots and locations.  For students who are Twilight fan this is also close to La Push (Jacob's home).  There are also, as is usually true, some historical background that got me digging a little into the history of Washington State.

The rest of the books in the series are great paranormal reads, with a minimum of romance and enough substance and inventiveness to keep me reading.  Also on my desk today, about to return to the library, is Poltergeist.  Talk about your science experiments gone wrong! A university professor gets a group together to recreate an experiment in which a group of subjects were able to "create" a poltergeist.  Richardson creates the Pacific Northwest University which was founded by "fire breathing Calvinists."  I can't help but think she's talking about Pacific Lutheran University, where my step brother works.  It adds a layer of interest to the book.

Another interesting bit is that Harper Blaine, the protagonist in the series, has a ferret.  I haven't been drawn to ferrets as pets--but her descriptions of their behaviors make me understand better why someone would want to have one.

I'm done with the series so far---I'm guessing Richardson will have a next book.  I'll be reading it when it is released.   I recommend her website.  http://katrichardson.com/ She has a video with a walking tour of Pioneer Square (where Harper Blaine,  has her office).  Overall I think it's a really interesting site with more to do than I have time!

Underground: A Greywalker Novel, by Kat Richardson (2008)

 As a paranormal detective book this is a little above average.  It draws heavily on the history, geography and urban architecture of Seattle.  Next time I visit the area I'm going to check this book out again and walk off the scenes from Pioneer Square and the downtown area.  The book also has pulled from much of the history, myths and legends of the First Americans in the Northwest.  I haven't studied this set of tales, but Richardson overlays a few of them with other mythical figures/gods/goddesses so that I have something of a sense of their role.  As such, Underground makes a nice companion to my Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan), Immortal Nicholas Flamel (Michael Scott), and American Gods(Neil Gaiman) collections.

The book really called on my abilities to visualize events and settings.  Harper Blaine, the main character, lives between two worlds--our "reality" and the "grey" world of ghosts, spirits and magic.  I had to devote significant mental resources to visualizing the location in Seattle, the "real" people and the overlay of the grey world.  It got easier as I read on and knew more of the themes running through the book.  But, it's a great book to recommend to students who like urban fantasy and have good visual imaginations.  There is a little bit of sex, but nothing graphic.  It's a book I would easily recommend to high school readers. 

I'm out of order in the series.  I had reserved what I thought were the first two books, I started reading before I realized this wasn't the first in the series.  I kept reading (but also checked the library reserve shelf--no joy yet).  I will read others in the series.  I've spent a lot of time in Seattle and enjoy regional stories.  I value this because it digs more into the history both of Seattle and of the Northwest Tribes.  Visit Richardson's website at :  http://katrichardson.com/