Book Review: Crazy Eights

Reviewed By: Pat Reid - RAM

Crazy Eights     Amazon US HC Amazon Canada HC
Elizabeth Gunn
Class/Genre:   Mystery   Police Procedural
Series: Jake Hines # 6
Tom Doherty Associates, 2005, 272 pps.

Crazy Eights is a welcome addition to the Jake Hines series. Jake is chief of detectives in Rutherford, Minnesota. His girl friend Trudy is a forensic scientist at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jake and Trudy live together in an old farmhouse half way between Rutherford and St. Paul.

Shelley Gleason is a beautiful young woman whose car was highjacked and eventually her body was found. Two people were arrested for the kidnapping and murder. Dale Trogstad was tried first by County Attorney Milo Nilssen and the jury returned a conviction of murder.

But Milo wasn’t so lucky on the second trial of Benny Niemeyer. Benny was represented by Reese Newman, a high profile attorney in Rutherford. Some of the evidence that Jake’s people had obtained against Benny couldn’t be admitted into evidence.

Benny Niemeyer was found dead two days after he was found not guilty. At first it seems that nothing is connected. Skateboards are being stolen as well as bikes. Expensive items are being stolen from estates. The narcotics squad figures there is a new meth lab in town. A couple of the witnesses Milo counted on to use in the trial have disappeared.

Gunn very smoothly brings all of these incidents together to a surprising conclusion. I understand No. 7 in the Jake Hines series will be completed soon and I can’t wait to read it. Chrissie, Milo’s new assistant, is someone I’d like to read more about. I hope she is included in the new book.

Pat Reid - RAM

Reprinted with permission. Do Not repost without permission from the author, Pat Reid - RAM