06/20/2022
The second Sidney Reed mystery from Norgard (after Trophy Kill) pits the appealingly complex private investigator Reed against a classic murder mystery and frightening heavies, all set around an unyielding, evocatively described winter in Anchorage, Alaska. Reed, reeling from the loss of his wife, is barely able to get through each day. He's hired to help the defense of Rudy Skinner, facing trial on a charge of murdering an indigenous man with a snowplow. A tip about the identity of the actual killer leaves Reed facing double crosses, meth dealers, wannabe actresses, crooked cops, an ambitious district attorney, plus an array of friends concerned by his ongoing mental health struggles. The climax, involving the cruel Alaska winter, ties surprising twists and turns with a fight for survival.
Despite strong pacing and effective interrogations and courtroom drama, it’s nuanced and complex character work that drives this thriller. Reed is a broken man trying to put himself together, returning to work, starting to date again, even seeing a therapist, though he finds himself unable to let go of the past. He always tries to do the right thing, especially when innocents are involved, no matter the cost. The villains, too, are multilayered characters, like the actual killer and his criminal father, whose individual senses of morality lead to some unexpected conclusions. Alaska’s winter storms raise the stakes throughout, as simply driving on a road becomes a perilous undertaking, much less being outside for extended lengths of time.
Norgard makes the reader care about Reed's journey, and it doesn't hurt that Reed has an insolent wit that he can't seem to turn off, a defense mechanism as he haltingly tries to process his grief. Norgard's attention to detail with regard to both character and setting elevates Road Kill far above a typical hard-boiled detective story, and fans of mysteries with memorable leads will find much to like in its mix of hard-boiled, funny, and haunted.
Takeaway: A tough Alaskan winter raises the stakes in this polished and compelling character-driven mystery.
Great for fans of: Peter James’s Dead Simple, Dana Stabenow.
Production grades Cover: A Design and typography: A Illustrations: N/A Editing: A- Marketing copy: A
"Prepare yourself for a wild ride in this latest Sidney Reed Mystery. Road Kill grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go. Norgard brings the north frontier to life with a well-drawn cast of characters including a moose, a Subaru, a sexy journalist, a family of meth dealers, and an array of colorful locals befitting their raw environment. The wisecracking P.I. is ever charming, and his knack for finding trouble as he wrestles his personal demons continues in this action-packed mystery. A thoroughly entertaining page turner that leaves you eager for more."
—Connie Willett Everett, Editor, Pudding Magazine
2022-01-04
In this novel, a “mundane” hit-and-run case has mess written all over it for a down-but-not-out private investigator.
Sidney Reed was once considered Alaska’s best private detective. But after life dealt him “a shitty hand,” he finds himself living in a dingy apartment above a downtown Anchorage coffee shop and is no longer on noted criminal defense attorney Eddie Baker’s “A” list of investigators. But Eddie’s in a bind and needs Sidney to help him with the politically sensitive hit-and-run that claimed the life of the son of a prominent Native leader. Eddie’s client, Rudy Skinner, was in prison for another offense and was ratted out by his cellmate, who claimed Rudy confessed the crime to him. But Eddie promises the case will be “nothing too intense.” Sidney is reluctant to take the assignment: He is still haunted by the death of his beloved wife, Molly, who by all official accounts chose suicide. Sidney needs answers. “She’s not coming back,” says his psychiatrist. “The sooner you come to grips with that, the sooner you can get on with your life.” His life could end sooner than expected, as his investigation leads him to the Cooley family, which is well known to anyone who works in the Alaska legal system. Let’s just say that things start breaking bad for Sidney. Norgard’s second Sidney Read novel achieves what a good sequel should. It gives the protagonist a case that will further test his acumen while moving his personal story forward—with a budding relationship with reporter Maria Maldonado—and setting up a possible full reckoning with Molly’s death. The author makes effective use of the Anchorage setting; suffice to say, Sam Spade never had his car totaled by an errant moose. Norgard avoids some clichés of PI fiction, such as the obligatory hostility from the local police, but indulges in others, like the overly talkative (albeit, surprisingly soulful) villain in the otherwise tautly wrought climax.
This well-executed sequel with a striking detective demands a third installment.
