Slipknot (Jane Bunker Mysteries) | Linda Greenlaw | The Title Has No Significance?

Slipknot (Jane Bunker Mysteries) | Linda Greenlaw | Dead drunk: Greenlaw's first fiction is pretty good

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Slipknot (Jane Bun...

	Slipknot (Jane Bunker Mysteries) Linda Greenlaw Hyperion, 2008 - 288 pages average customer review:based on 19 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The exciting debut of a snappy, spirited, and irresistible mystery series from beloved and bestselling author Linda Greenlaw

In her bestselling nonfiction book All Fishermen Are Liars, Linda Greenlaw confessed a desire to write fiction -- and readers responded with an enthusiastic "Please do!" At last, she satisfies their hunger with this sharp-witted, compulsively readable mystery, the first in a series featuring marine investigator Jane Bunker.

When Jane moves back to the sleepy Maine fishing community where she was born, it?s to escape the seamy crime scenes and unsavory characters that crossed her path in Miami. Surely whatever crimes are committed in touristy, idyllic Green Haven won?t involve anything as nasty as what she saw in Florida. It?s a bit of a shock, then, when Nick Dow, the town drunk, turns up dead, and it?s not the simple accident that everyone assumes it to be. Jane soon discovers that Dow wasn?t even a drunk -- it was all an act. But why? And what does it have to do with a heated town hall meeting about fishing rights and paternity suits? The more Jane digs, the more confused she gets. Only two things are certain: Nothing is what it seems; and the whole town is in each other?s business. But it?s not until Jane impulsively hops on a boat with the killer -- a boat that suddenly heads out to sea -- that things become downright dangerous . . .

As she proved in The Hungry Ocean, no one knows the sea like Linda Greenlaw. And as she proved in The Lobster Chronicles, no one has a better way with the telling details of Maine village life. This new mystery series features everything readers want: a great setting, wonderful characters, an authentic and original detective -- and a story that will keep them on the edge of their seats.

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The Title Has No Significance?

I loved Linda Greenlaw's, "The Hungry Ocean", and plan to read her other titles, but first, I decided to see how she does as a fiction writer.

Not as well. Although Slipknot shines at times, particularly during the scenes on the water, the author's first person portrayal of Jane Bunker is a bit too uneven. The woman is in her 40's and still single. That doesn't happen by accident - but here it's never explained to reader's satisfaction. Does she fear commitment? Is she still a virgin? What is it that's kept her single? In non-fiction, an author can get away with shallow characterization, but in fiction, the reader needs to know the person inside because that's how their transference takes place. This woman is 42. She has to be hardened by now, yet she reacts like a teenager when the first guy smiles at her. That's out of character. She's supposed to be a veteran big city detective, but she seems oblivious of the danger she routinely puts herself in as she prowls the small town. That's out of character too.

I don't know why a person who has as much in-depth knowledge of the ocean and love for all things nautical as Linda Greenlaw would start writing land-based detective fiction. Whatever the reason, she did. Does she succeed? Yes. A person like Linda will succeed in whatever she sets out to do, but this time out, not to the same degree as in her non-fiction work: the best scenes in Slipknot take place aboard a fishing vessel during a storm, and that's where I recommend the author set her next fictional story.

Art Tirrell is the author of The Secret Ever Keeps

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Dead drunk: Greenlaw's first fiction is pretty good

Jane Bunker moved north from Miami only days before Nick Dow, the town drunk of Green Haven, Maine, washed up on the beach with his head bashed in--possibly the result of a drunken fall, but maybe not. Jane, who'd been a homicide detective in Florida, is among the first to see the body, and though it's no longer in her job description--she's now a marine insurance investigator--she decides to investigate the death on her own by way of having a hobby. The more she looks into the death, the more fishy it seems to be. Jane suspects it's connected to the hot-button issue that's got the town riled up, the proposed creation of a wind farm off-shore, which would likely have an adverse effect on the town's cod fishing industry.

Jane is a likable protagonist, frugal in speech and finances. We're given to understand that she is running away from her old life in Florida while at the same time returning to her roots. Jane's mother was from Green Haven. She left family behind when she abandoned Maine--running away from something, just as her daughter would--during Jane's childhood. This back story will presumably be fleshed out in subsequent installments in the series. Greenlaw here introduces a number of characters who will likely be regulars: the laconic, slightly hunchbacked Cal, who's fast becoming her friend and accomplice; her frequently sloshed landlords, who are moving into position as surrogate parents; the brash young waitress at the local diner; a potential love interest. It's a cast I'll be happy to spend further time with.

Greenlaw has previously published a handful of nonfiction books, including The Lobster Chronicles and All Fishermen are Liars (see my review) based on her years of experience at sea. (In addition to writing, Greenlaw is the captain of a lobster boat.) Her first foray into fiction reads well for the most part. The mystery held my interest. The writing and the story flow well with a couple of jarring exceptions. There are two scenes in the book which don't work because they are so unrealistic: one at the diner in which Greenlaw has the waitress dramatically narrate events from the previous night's town meeting, and later in the book a sort of catfight between Jane and a local socialite. There is in addition one character--Ginny, a monster of the local fishing industry--whose behavior is too over-the-top to be credible.

My lack of familiarity with naval terminology was not an issue for most of the book, but there is a climactic scene toward the end that I probably would have enjoyed more if I'd had a better idea of what was happening. But even without knowing a turnbuckle from an outrigger I could understand the tenor of what was going on--grave peril and high drama at sea.

I liked Slipknot and look forward to more from Greenlaw. Next up is the series' second knot-titled installment, Fisherman's Bend.

-- Debra Hamel

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Slipknot

I listened to Slipknot. I enjoyed the story, but as others have said, there was room for improvement. It is a light read and I am awaiting another Jane Bunker story. I liked Jane and know there are more stories that can be written about her. As for the audio reader, please do NOT try to do Maine accents. She couldn't seem to decide between a very bad Maine accent or a very bad southern accent (though I am sure she thought it was a Maine accent). It really takes away from the enjoyment. Also, please research how the locals say a ciy's name. It is Bang-gore, not Banger, when refering to Bangor, Maine and learn the correct pronunciation of Gloucester, MA.

My 4-stars are for the story, not the audio. I would lower it to 3-stars for the audio version.

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A lively, fast-paced adventure

Dade County Chief of Detectives Jane Bunker feels no regret at leaving her rising career as a homicide detective. More than a decade spent chasing down drug runners in speed boats and hauling illegals in inner tubes ashore in her Miami beat has left her yearning for a less stressful career. The peace and quiet of the sleepy little coastal Maine fishing village of her childhood beckons.

The pay cut as a marine insurance inspector is worth it. She has missed the winter snows, the cool summers, and the opportunity to touch base with her old friends and family.

She has barely moved into a tiny apartment above a tourist trap gift shop with a view of the harbor when she starts her first day of work, checking out a fish processing plant for a policy renewal. It is dawn, and as she walks around the building, she sees a body washed up on the beach in front of the plant and a small group of people clustered around. She recognizes the victim as a man who raised a ruckus at a community meeting the night before. Her police instincts kick in, and she starts taking notes and asking questions of the locals, who look upon her nosiness with little favor. The death is ruled as an accidental drowning or a possible suicide, but her instincts tell her otherwise. She convinces the local authorities to take a closer look at his death, embroiling herself further into the case.

The village's fishing industry is threatened by outside conditions. Over-fishing is depleting once-abundant supplies of popular food fish, and a profitable offshore wind farm for electrical generation is being proposed that has come up against local fishermen as a threat to their livelihood. The body on the shore is that of a proponent of the wind farm who made no secret of his interests at the meeting.

Jane tries to stay out of the investigation, carried out by a handful of small town would-be cops, but when clues quite literally fall into her lap, she feels compelled to do some checking on her own. She soon discovers that drug running, blackmail and smuggling activities are not confined to the big cities.

In a lively, fast-paced adventure, Jane soon finds herself in personal jeopardy as she peels back the cover-up of fraud, embezzlement and illegal environmental activity. As she is drawn deeper into the investigation, her life is endangered as she stows away on a fishing boat. A heart-pounding fight for survival during an ocean gale very nearly ends Jane's career as an insurance inspector --- and her life.

Linda Greenlaw has written three bestselling nonfiction books: THE HUNGRY OCEAN, THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES and ALL FISHERMEN ARE LIARS. She was the real-life swordfish boat captain who survived THE PERFECT STORM by Sebastian Junger. Don't let Greenlaw's petite appearance fool you. Her considerable skills as a tough fishing boat captain, successful writer and cook (she co-authored a cookbook with her mother, RECIPES FROM A VERY SMALL ISLAND) make her an icon among successful women.

In SLIPKNOT, Greenlaw's first mystery, we are introduced to the intriguing and diverse cast of characters of Green Haven, Maine. I would like to predict that we will see more of our insurance inspector/sleuth Jane Bunker.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

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A very good first novel

The world became aware of Linda Greenlaw when her exploits were chronicled in the book "Perfect Storm" and she was portrayed by actress Mary Elizabeth Mastratonio, the captain of the other fishing boat in the George Clooney movie of the same name. Capitalizing on her new-found fame, Linda turned to writing and turned out three excellent non-fiction books: "The Hungry Ocean," "The Lobster Chronicles," and "All Fishermen Are Liars," plus a cook book co-authored with her mother, "Recipes from a Small Island." Now, she turns to fiction with "Slipknot." For a first novel, it is an excellent effort. She has created a singular character, Jane Bunker - former big-city homicide detective from Florida, current marine insurance investigator in Maine. Not much is revealed about her past, including a secret mentor. I suspect she is saving that for future novels. But, what we see of her character is fascinating indeed: a penny-pinching, soon-to-be old maid, with romantic overtures and appreciation for the look of her own breasts. She lays out the mystery in "Slipknot" with ambiguous clues, the occasional red herring, flashes of humor, and a host of interesting characters. For suspense, she gives us a number of surprising events that put the heroine in life-threatening jeopardy, and keep us reading until the end to find out what is really going on. As a mystery writer, she's got the skills down pat. But, she does have a few tell-tale signs of being a novice. First, everyone speaks in the same voice. With the interesting variety of accents available from Maine, she uses none of them. Each of the characters speaks like everybody else. Secondly, sometimes she forgets not-so-incidental occurrences. For example, during her last harrowing adventure, she breaks several ribs. But then, mostly forgets about them. I have broken ribs twice; I know they are not easily forgotten. For example, she lifts four gallon buckets of water (that's over 32 pounds each) over and over with no apparent pain. When she does remember the ribs, it's when she pulls apart a Velcro strip. She also goes overboard in showing off her fishing knowledge with a too-long explanation of cod fishing. But, I am definitely looking forward to her next book and the ones after that, too, with the improvements I know she will insist on making. Linda Greenlaw doesn't have to fish any more, unless it's angling for the right adjective.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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A GOOD SUMMER READ...accordin' to the locals