Tahoe Deathfall (An Owen McKenna Mystery Thriller)

Great writer, went in many unexpected directions!! Couldn’t stop reading :) Recommend this book. Easily get attached to these characters!

I don't usually read crime/detective dramas--they just aren't my cup of tea (or should I say bar of chocolate?). Yet when I read an interview by Todd Borg on popular blogger Molly Greene's site, I was impressed with both his writing and his way of looking at the world. So I scurried on over to Amazon, read a sample of "Tahoe Deathfall” and downloaded a copy. I began reading the next day. What captured my attention is the affection Borg has for his characters, and the way he portrays their vulnerabilities and shortcomings with a type of impatient but accepting love, almost as if they are family, and I suppose that in a way they are. Owen McKenna is a private detective with an interesting sidekick: A humongous dog named Spot. Owen is sharp-witted and tough, but Spot is tougher and Owen knows this, which I suppose is why I liked him so much. I liked Spot too. And Street, Owen's girlfriend. And the teenaged Jennifer, Owen's client. Heck. I liked all of the character, even the ridiculously muscled bad guy (spoiler alert!) who turned out not to be so much of a bad guy. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The premise of the story is this: Jennifer hires Owen to find out who killed her twin sister years ago (she toppled off a cliff, which is the opening scene and which, I may add, immediately grabbed my attention. There aren't a lot of writers who can pull off a child death scene as an opening without leaving a bad taste in most readers' mouths), and in the process of solving the whodunit, Owen uncovers a mess of family secrets, some of which I guessed, some of which I didn't. And, okay, "Tahoe Deathfall" isn't always realistic--what murder mystery is? But it is fun. And it is also written with the kind of authority that points to an author who did his homework. When Owen takes off on a boat and later, in a small airplane, the reader automatically trusts him. And while the situation might be stretching things a bit (don't all books stretch the truth a bit? Isn't that why we read to begin with, to escape our too tame and structured lives?), the action is dead-on. And exciting. I won't say much more except that the ending is surprisingly sweet for a mystery series. While “Tahoe Deathfall” is neither deep nor literary, it is exactly what it’s supposed to be: A fun and fast read. I recommend it to murder mystery lovers, especially those who enjoy strong female characters. Would I buy another Owen McKenna mystery? Ummm, I’m downloading one right now.

Not sure what to expect with this one but was not disappointed at all. Spoiler alert. This one starts with the death of a six year old girl. A girl who fell off of a cliff. Some scrub pines broke her fall enough to keep her alive as she hit a ledge. She had broken bones but managed to drag herself to an overhang where she couldn't be seen. Melissa Salazar then died. Nine years later Owen McKenna a PI in Lake Tahoe is inspecting his new office. Clothes make the man. The office makes the business. Owen is 6'6" and over 200 pounds in weight. He's also an ex cop from San Francisco who did a stint in K-9. Spot, his Harlequin Great Dane is with him. Spot is huge and weighs it at 170 pounds. He's also well trained and will attack anyone he views as a threat to Owen or those he's protecting. Owen is in his office when a fourteen year old Jennifer Salazar knocks on the door. Jennifer is extremely intelligent and has already taken her S.A.Ts.three years early. She's already been accepted at Stanford, Caltech, Harvard and M.I.T, she's also worth three hundred and ninety four million dollars. Jennifer wants to hire Owen to find out who murdered her sister Melissa nine years ago. While Owen needs the business he also knows a fourteen year old girl can't hire him. She's not of legal age to sign contracts. If her grandmother, her legal guardian, wanted to hire him that would be okay but not Jennifer. Owen does tell her that he can help out a friend though and he will look into this nine year old case. A case that was ruled accidental death. So begins one pretty damned good read. This one has Owen, Jennifer, Spot, Street who's Owens girlfriend and a forensic entomologist, a Street who will turn out to be the key to the whole case, Glennie who works at the library and is a big help to Owen on a case that's nine years old, a Glennie who'd like to do more than help Owen on a case, Roberto Salazar, Alicia Salazar who's confined to a mental institution, an Alicia who Owen will rescue, an Alicia with quite a story to tell, Helga the housekeeper for the Salazar's, Owens cabin a place he calls home, a place with a ten million dollar view, Owens interest in art, an interest that will reveal much about those involved, Emerald Bay, Cascade Lake, a boat that belongs to the Salazar's, a Jennifer and Owen who use that boat to test out a time line, a Jennifer who thinks someone is in her house, a someone she thinks wants to kill her, a Jennifer who spends time with Street at her condo and Owen's cabin, Mallory a South Lake Tahoe police Captain, a Grandmother Salazar who thinks Jennifer pushed Melissa off that cliff, a Grandmother Salazar with her own agenda, a dog trainer named Ellie Ebsen who's search and rescue dog found Melissa, an Ellie who gave Owen the particulars on the find, a man named Sam Sommers who's the caretaker at the Salazar estate, a Sam who went on vacation and was due back but never showed, a dead body that been dead for quite while and isn't easy to identify, a dead body that will prove to be one giant clue and Owen McKenna doing his best to figure out the whole thing, save a life and bring the murderer to justice. Five Stars well earned.

Didn't know what to expect with this one. I basically picked it up because I like the Lake Tahoe area. This was a very pleasant surprise! The story line is very plausible, and the characters are believable and engaging. I will say that the last couple of chapters were more like "Mission Improbable", but hey, it's fiction. It's hooked me in, and I'll start the next in the series right away!

Owen McKenna is starting a new P.I. business. A new customer arrives with a case for him. The problem is that the client is 14 years old Jennifer Salazar. Eight years ago on their sixth birthday, her twin was found dead from a fall while hiking in the Tahoe area. Jennifer is convinced it was not an accident and that it was murder. She wants to hire Owen to investigate. Due to her age, Owen would need consent from an adult relative. When Owen feels that Jennifer is in danger, he gets pulled into investigating without pay. The book was a very fast read for me. I liked the character of Owen, his girlfriend Street and his Great Dane dog Spot. One of the best features of the book was the location of the Lake Tahoe area. It is featured in locations and descriptions. The book made me wish that I could visit the area. One thing that pulled me out of the book for awhile, is that Owen was made super human in some of the feats he pulled off. It was not believable but it is fiction. The mystery was quite good. This is the beginning book of a long and popular series that is getting good ratings. I did order the next book in the series to read.

A quick and entertaining read despite some technical flaws. The most egregious, flying a Piper Tomahawk through mountains, at night, almost above the service ceiling, using dead reckoning, entering a blizzard with almost zero visibility, then going IFR (I follow roads), with no anti-icing and performing an engine-out restart touch and go, did I say with almost zero visibility, on a highway in front of a semi. And after all that he ground loops the landing? Even so, the characters are interesting the story is OK and the writing is good.

Each book you wonder how he can keep the suspense fresh and new. But he does. Each book continues to leave me wanting to grab the next book and start it right away. Thank you for books I can't put down. Please keep writing!

I live in Las Vegas and love my adopted state. The author spins a great mystery while setting it against accurate locations. I’ve only read the first in the series but I immediately bought the rest. What I liked best about this particular book was the non-formula ending. Like Sherlock Holmes, the answer is right in front of you IF you can decipher the clues. I was also impressed by the author’s knowledge of aviation, imagery, and characterizations. I found it easy to visualize the story and look forward to reading more of the author’s books