There is a certain type of book that falls into the “airplane” read category. The swiftly paced thriller or mystery that you can finish in a plane ride or layover and forget about the next day. City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong falls into that category.
I picked it up due to an intriguing premise. A rustic community, off the radar, houses criminals and those trying to escape their past. Some inhabitants pay a premium, others are pro bono but it is a working community and those with skills in high demand are desired. Doctors, cooks and carpenters.
But then people go missing and a detective is needed. Enter the heroine of the piece. A tough but sexy. Damaged but sexy. Determined but sexy. Casey Butler. She buys a friend in need of escape from an abusive relationship a golden ticket. She gets six months to solve the case.
More people die. She falls for the gruff sheriff. Adventures ensue.
Two issues caused me to lose interest:
1. It takes way too long to get the protagonist to the outpost. Too many pages are chewed up with backstory which leads to problem…
2. The villain is apprehended basically on the last page and it’s no great reveal. It’s your basic mystery where anyone could be the killer. No real set-up that leads you to guess. You just have a list of characters who have appeared enough to be possible killers.
To drink, I would recommend the upcoming New Belgium Cookie Dough beer that the Colorado brewery developed with ice creamer Ben & Jerry’s. Cookies are part of the character of the “town” of Rockton as is tequila, which leads to the second beer choice, also from Colorado. Avery Brewing has aged a few beers in tequila barrels, but the latest is Expletus, which has cherries added as well.
Or you could pick up a Canadian craft beer and make believe that you are in your own witness protection program.