The St. Paul Conspiracy

McRyan Mystery Series, Book 2

De: Roger Stelljes

Narrado por: Johnny Peppers

Murder... Greed... Treason... The morning after Halloween, the city of St. Paul awakens to find that a serial killer terrorizing the blue-collar working women of University Avenue has struck for the fifth time.

Thirty-two-year-old, fourth-generation St. Paul Homicide Detective Michael "Mac" McRyan thought his day was going to be less stressful. His day would involve paper work, coffee, and maybe even an early trip to the pub. Then his cell phone tells him his day is about to change. A body has been found in a high-end condominium between Summit and Grand Avenues; and it's not just anyone.

"Your day just got worse," Mac tells his captain. The victim is Claire Daniels, the Twin Cities' most prominent political and investigative reporter. Claire was stunningly attractive. She had blonde hair, blue eyes and a curvaceous body she worked on relentlessly. Claire was the desire of every man in town.

With the Daniels murder on top of the latest serial killer attack, the political and media pressure on the St. Paul Police Department only builds and places Mac in the middle of a dangerous and high-stakes murder investigation that will ultimately have national political and security implications.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Roger Stelljes delivers an action packed story in the McRyan Mystery Series. Vince Flynn described Roger as: "A powerful new thriller voice." Stelljes' vivid characters, his gift for gritty and real dialogue, as well as his uncanny sense of place and time, will put you in the middle of the action allowing you to feel the desperation of Mac McRyan and his fellow detectives.

©2006 Roger Stelljes (P)2014 Roger Stelljes

Prodigy cop, Mac, w brilliant sleuthing instincts!

This is a fast-paced, well-executed read. This is my second McRyan mystery. Loved it More than the first!

The surprise ending

I thought the narration of the female's vouce/s was weak. It seemed too slow and practiced.

Good narrator - lots of details in story

This story had some twists and turns but most of them you could see coming. There was a lot of detail that sometimes had me zoning out while listening in the car but the narrator was good so that helped.

What a thrilling read

The first book was meh as a prequel but now I’m glad I continued this book is nothing like the first one you can tell the book was well thought. There was a fair bit of repetition in the dialogue and narration. I also didn’t like the portrayal of nearly every female as breathtakingly beautiful hard to believe and really quite sexist.

I am so pleased that I found the McRyan Mystery Series. This was the first in a series and was enjoyable. I am looking forward to the second book in the series.

McRyan doesn't disappoint!

What did you love best about The St. Paul Conspiracy?

I love the fact that McRyan is personally flawed and still is able to catch some breaks and do his job well just by trying to make the right decisions all the time. Case in point - the money he invested in his friends seem to be paying off.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that even though you can see what is coming most of the time, the story is carved so well that you are still engaged. I mean, it's obvious that Mac and Sally are going to get together - but I liked hearing it happen. The conspiratorial story was plausible as well.

What does Johnny Peppers bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Listening to a story allows me to better visualize the characters - I like listening to a novel much better than watching a movie adaptation - I still get to use my imagination while listening. Johnny Peppers has a good tempo and the characters are not over-the-top to distract from the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not have an extreme reaction - it was not an emotional roller coaster like some books can be. But, I wasn't expecting anything more that what I received.

Minnesotans with southern accents?

I loved this story! Full of twists and turns and a little romance, as well. It's on the long side, but it kept me on pins and needles the whole time! Would they find the evidence before the bad guys?

But, I have a couple of complaints, one big, the other not so much. First, in the chase scene, how come the cops don't have mics that allow them to talk to each other? And, second (and this is the big one!): Why do most of the male characters have a southern twang in their voices? This is supposed to be Minnesota, heart of the Midwest! I grew up there, and people do not have that sort of accent. I also lived in the south for 10 years and know the difference! If you're going to narrate it without the Midwest accent, then at least leave out the southern accent! It made me cringe every time I heard it.

Not so fast

If you could sum up The St. Paul Conspiracy in three words, what would they be?

Complex, twisty, character

What did you like best about this story?

I really like how there are almost two mysteries in one. It was a complex story, but very well put together.

What about Johnny Peppers’s performance did you like?

Mr. Peppers has a wide range of voices that he uses well to distinguish the characters. There were at least 10 character voices that he had to do and I enjoyed them all.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

They should have taken a page from Ms. Daniels book. Their lack of perfectionism came at a cost.

Any additional comments?

A great story with a great narrator really brings a book to life.

Expertly Woven Police Procedural

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The book is has a high-energy start and maintains a good level of mystery and intrigue throughout. I didn't necessarily have a hard time putting it down, but I did always want to listen to more soon after.

Have you listened to any of Johnny Peppers’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Mr. Peppers is an skilled narrator. I especially like his subtle, nuanced voices as opposed to over-the-top characterizations some performers use. Just enough to clearly discern who's speaking, but restrained enough to allow the listener to form his own ideas about the characters. He also has a hint of Southern (US) accent which I appreciate, being from the South myself.

Protecting the Innocent

There is a serial killer who is strangling women with his bare hands, sexually assaulting them postmortem, leaving behind a Trojan condom and a yellow balloon with a smiley face. It isn't until Detective McRyan is given charge of the investigation, replacing Detective Riles, that a break in the case finally presents itself. The women he is murdering are unassuming, short, plain and easily manipulated by someone who is in good physical condition.

However, concurrent with these killings, other women are being murdered. These women are different from the other's. They are self assertive women, who dress well, look attractive and have high stress jobs. Senator Mason Johnson is also murdered. These murders deviate from those being executed by the serial killer.

The police are trying to put all of their evidence together, trying to make out what is happening in their small town. The murders taking place have been occurring in the same jurisdiction. Long hours are ahead.

Witnesses are found by arduous, dedicated policemen. The men have to go door to door, revisiting the same people at times. The work can become tedious but must be done. Witnesses can help to solve crimes, not even being aware of what they saw was of any importance. That is the reason for sifting through the information given and if there may be a need to revisit the same witnesses more than two times. Who knows, there may be someone never talked to that may come to their attention.

The book was interesting and I did enjoy the listen. The narrator, Johnny Peppers, did a great job with the many voices and emotions. Greed can rule some people's lives. Then there are lawbreakers who don't fit the mold until someone starts to dig deep into their lives. Criminals come from all walks of life. The book was an exciting listen. One murder or two? I think anyone who enjoys listening to a good mystery would enjoy this one. I'll purchase the second book in the series.

Excellent!

WOW! I know what’s going on. I see most of the players. I don’t know why. Oh wait – that’s why. The big cheese is who? Murders, surveillance, documents, misdirection. But it isn’t until the very end that an insider is found – the one who is informing on the cops – and what a surprise that was. Stelljes is a fabulous author, and I will most definitely be going forward with this series as I am able. Bravo!! 5 stars.