Blog Tour Review: Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell

Aftershock (Dr. Jessie Teska #2) by Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell

Publication Date: January 19th 2020 by Hanover Square Press

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links:  Harlequin | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads | Indiebound

Target | Walmart | Google | iBooks 

My Thoughts:

Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, Jessie Teska has another puzzling mystery to solve when renowned architect, Leopold Haring, is found in what is at first thought to be a job-site accident. The scene doesn’t add up to Jessie and she quickly determines the man’s death to be a homicide. There’s no shortage of suspects as Mr. Haring wasn’t a very likeable character, especially on his job sites. To complicate matters there’s an earthquake which throws the city into chaos and inundates the Medical Examiner’s Office with cases.

Jessie is truly dedicated to her job, sometimes at the expense of her personal life. I did think she was a little reckless after the quake and I could understand Anup’s (her boyfriend) frustration with her to a certain extent, especially when it came to putting physical health at risk. But I also admired Jessie’s commitment to finding the truth for her victims. At one point, I was totally disappointed with Anup and could understand Jessie’s reactions. A surprise at the end has me wondering how it will all work out.

Jessie’s search for the truth is sprinkled in with investigative details that give the story a real-life feel, and I’m sure that’s because of the Ms. Melinek’s actual experience as a Medical Examiner, making the story captivating as well as believable.   Aftershock was cleverly plotted and kept me guessing until Jessie started connecting all the dots and the culprit was revealed.

While Aftershock is the second book in the series, I don’t think you necessarily have to read the First Cut to enjoy it.  You’d miss out on getting to know Jessie a little, though. Dr. Jessie Teska mysteries are perfect for crime-procedural fans, but Jessie’s personal life keeps me turning the pages, as well. She’s flawed, but I really like her, and I’m eager for the next book!

4 Stars

Book Description:

When an earthquake strikes San Francisco, forensics expert Jessie Teska faces her biggest threat yet in this explosive new mystery from the New York Times bestselling authors of Working Stiff and First Cut.

At first glance, the death appears to be an accident. The body is located on a construction site under what looks like a collapse beam. But when Dr. Jessie Teska arrives on the scene, she notices the tell-tale signs of a staged death. The victim has been murdered. A rising star in the San Francisco forensics world, Jessie is ready to unravel the case, help bring the murderer to justice, and prevent him from potentially striking again.

But when a major earthquake strikes San Francisco right at Halloween, Jessie and the rest of the city are left reeling. And even if she emerges from the rubble, there's no guaranteeing she'll make it out alive.

With their trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this electrifying new installment in the Jessie Teska Mystery series offers the highest stakes yet.

 

About the authors:

Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell are the New York Times bestselling co-authors of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner, and the novel First Cut. Dr. Melinek studied at Harvard and UCLA, was a medical examiner in San Francisco for nine years, and today works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland and as CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. T.J. Mitchell, her husband, is a writer with an English degree from Harvard, and worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad to their children.

Review: First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell

First Cut by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell

Publication Date: January 7th 2020 by Hanover Square Press

Pages: 368

Source: Publisher

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Books-A-Million 

Target | Google | iBooks | Kobo | Harlequin

About the book:

Wife and husband duo Dr. Judy Melinek and T.J. Mitchell first enthralled the book world with their runaway bestselling memoir Working Stiff—a fearless account of a young forensic pathologist’s “rookie season” as a NYC medical examiner. This winter, Dr. Melinek, now a prominent forensic pathologist in the Bay Area, once again joins forces with writer T.J. Mitchell to take their first stab at fiction.

The result: FIRST CUT—a gritty and compelling crime debut about a hard-nosed San Francisco medical examiner who uncovers a dangerous conspiracy connecting the seedy underbelly of the city’s nefarious opioid traffickers and its ever-shifting terrain of tech startups.
Dr. Jessie Teska has made a chilling discovery. A suspected overdose case contains hints of something more sinister: a drug lord’s attempt at a murderous cover up. As more bodies land on her autopsy table, Jessie uncovers a constellation of deaths that point to an elaborate network of powerful criminals—on both sides of the law—that will do anything to keep things buried. But autopsy means “see for yourself,” and Jessie Teska won’t stop until she’s seen it all—even if it means the next corpse on the slab could be her own.

My Thoughts:

Dr. Jessie Teska, a medical examiner, takes a job in San Francisco’s office to get away from a case/situation that rattled her and then some. This fresh start isn’t as clean as she’d like when she’s discouraged from digging deeper into a couple of cases by upper management.  Unable to let things go, Jessie forges ahead when her gut urges her to get justice for her victims, putting her in danger as she tries to uncover the truth. 

Jessie tackles these two main mysteries, but there are also other cases that come through that she investigates, little mini mysteries that are solved along the way. There’s also a little bit of romance, Jessie’s personal life overlaps with her work life, and I found the mix a compelling and fascinating combination.   

I think fans of Kay Scarpetta series by Patricia Cornwell would enjoy this story. I feel like the story was maybe a little less dramatic. I’m saying that in a positive way since I found all the dramas with Kay and her posse at bit tiresome at times. I think this is more a happy balance of Dr. G (the real-life medical examiner TV show), and Kay Scarpetta; a more clinical, matter-of-fact approach to autopsy. If you enjoy true crime shows, medical examiner mysteries, with a bit of the Dr’s personal life thrown in, then First Cut is for you.  I read the authors are working on another Jessie Teska book, and I’m looking forward to it!

4 Suns

About the authors:

Judy Melinek was an assistant medical examiner in San Francisco for nine years, and today works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland and as CEO of PathologyExpert Inc. She and T.J. Mitchell met as undergraduates at Harvard, after which she studied medicine and practiced pathology at UCLA. Her training in forensics at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner is the subject of their first book, the memoir Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner. T.J. Mitchell is a writer with an English degree from Harvard, and worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad. He is the New York Times bestselling co-author of Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner with his wife, Judy Melinek.

Connect with Judy Melinek.:

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Connect with T.J. Mitchell:

Twitter | Goodreads