Dead Point by LaVonne Griffin-Valade Series: Maggie Blackthorne #1
Published by Severn House on June 15, 2021
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 390
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Audible
When Maggie Blackthorne returns to her hometown after nearly twenty years to serve as an Oregon State Police Sergeant, she expects to deal with the usual suspects — drunk drivers, oxy slingers, and the occasional rural scofflaw.
But after she stumbles upon the bullet-ridden bodies of twin brothers, she realizes she’s stepped into something much more sinister. With little homicide experience, Maggie and her partner, Trooper Hollis Jones, find themselves thrust into a murder investigation.
And when a third man turns up dead, the pair fears it’s only a matter of time before the killer strikes again. As they race to piece together what happened, Maggie and Hollis discover a tangled web of theft, deceit and deals gone bad.
Faced with multiple motives and several persons of interest, Maggie and Hollis finally catch a break — but are they willing to risk everything to put the murderer behind bars?
Rural Eastern Oregon is the both patrol area and home stomping grounds for Sgt Maggie Blackthorne who is living down the demons of her past and now faces her first homicide investigation. LaVonne Griffin-Valade is an utterly new to me author whose series caught my eye in one of those ‘if you enjoyed this…’ seller algorithms when I was visiting an online book seller. If I ever try to say that sort of marketing doesn’t work for me, just whisper Maggie Blackthorne because I thoroughly enjoyed this first in series.
Dead Point introduces Oregon State Trooper Maggie Blackthorne who grew up in a small town in rural eastern Oregon, left for a time, and is now back still working through her past and trying to start new once again. Maggie has two failed marriages, her mom’s suicide, her dad’s alcoholism, physical abuse from her second spouse, and her own battle with substance abuse always riding her and she’s facing it down in a small community among people who know much of it. She works in a small substation office with one deputy who’s good at online investigation and is one of the few who has her six, her close friend and fellow State Police Academy classmate who faces the hardship of being African American married to a Native American in a mostly white community and her sometimes second deputy is the local fish and game warden.
None of them have murder investigation experience, but a double murder shocks the community and Maggie, Hollis, and Mark must work the case with some help from a State Police detective and Pathologist. Maggie’s knowledge of the community means she knows the victims, the witnesses, and the suspects very well. Motives are plenty, evidence is slowly stacking up, and the witnesses are reluctant or outright lying, but Maggie is hanging tough and working long hours to break the case even as the murdering isn’t done.
I enjoyed getting to know Maggie and I appreciate she’s an underdog with struggles and I appreciated the small town rural setting and culture. The story is as much about Maggie, her relationship with her past and the community, her tentative try at a new romance with an old friend, and how the case is getting her out of the funk of her mind and more into her community. She’s got her mom’s old friend renting her a utility apartment above her second hand store, an old senior cat, and she’s close to ‘Holly’ her deputy so they are a well-oiled unit going into the investigation.
Dead Point offers a good murder mystery, but also the set up for the series with recurring characters from the community and law enforcement behind Maggie. There is good suspense and moments of heart racing action, but also introspection as Maggie’s character develops. Just the way I enjoy when I pick up a mystery series. Those who enjoy rural police procedurals with solid character and background development should definitely give this one a go.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Wonderful review. This does sound like something I’d enjoy too.
Thanks, Laura! Hope you get the chance at it. 🙂
Guess those algorithms do work! Maggie sounds like a likable character despite having some struggles. Sounds like the start great mystery series!
Heehee, yes! I even bought book two right away. 🙂
Sometimes those algorithms are spot on! This sounds like a strong start to a series worth checking out.
Yes, it got my taste just right in this instance and I’m so glad I took the gamble, Carole. I’m hoping to slip in the next book maybe by the end of the year.
This sounds super interesting.
Yes, it hooked my curiosity, too, Role’!
I’m glad you found a book that you liked. I do like a good murder mystery so I’ll have to keep this in mind.
I thought it was super that this sale book found me. I really want to keep going with the series. Hope you get the chance, too, Mary.
Rural Eastern Oregon? Awesome
Yes! It feels very western ranch country and rustic. Loved that paired with the murder mystery investigation.
I love a good police procedural and a character who comes back home after a time away and this sounds really good! It’s been awhile since I read a good gritty mystery. I’ll definitely have to try this one.
Yes, it has all the good stuff.
Sounds like there is a ton of emotional back story with these characters. Glad you enjoyed it so much. Great review!
Yes, you hit on it exactly, Lisa. I really cared about the characters as a result.