It’s been six years since P.J. Tracy’s last Monkeewrench novel, Ice Cold Heart. Yet when I started The Deepest Cut, I was sucked right back into the Minnesota world of Monkeewrench and the homicide team of Leo Magozzii and his partner Gino Rolseth. It’s another aciton-packed, gripping story.
When Leo and Gino arrested two killers, one died in custody and Wolfgang Mauer went to a maximum security mental hospital. But, Mauer escapes at the same time Goran Stankovic escapes on a prisoner transfer from The Hague to the U.S. Stankovic and Mauer had worked together in the past, but now they’re enemies. Mauer is the one who is the greatest threat to Minnesota residents, though. According to the director of the prison, the man has a hit list of eight people. Two are Magozzi and Rolseth. Four are the Monkeewrench team, and two are women who testified against Mauer. He’s crazy enough to want revenge before he flees the country.
News of the escapes hit the Minneapolis police department on Magozzi’s last day of work. He’s retiring to spend time with his family, Grace, and their daughter, Elizabeth. The department is all set to throw a big retirement party when news breaks that Mauer’s on the loose, and he has a ten-year-old boy with him. Partying is put aside so that Monkeewrench can try to track down Mauer, a frightened child, and anyone who helped Mauer escape.
Tracy’s latest books are linked together despite the six-year gap in the series. The characters are always memorable, and Tracy skillfully brings together the big city cops, a team of computer hackers, and a small country sheriff’s department. They’re all heroes in a twisted tale with unforgettable villains. If I had the time, I’d go back to the beginning and read the Monkeewrench novels all over again. Maybe someday. They’re remarkable stories, with plots I still remember years after I read them. The Deepest Cut is another powerful addition to the series.
P.J. Tracy’s website is https://pjtracy.com/
The Deepest Cut by P.J. Tracy. Crooked Lane, 2025. 288p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
This is an author and a series I’ve never read. I’m not a huge fan of killers who are crazy, but if you like the series, I should definitely read the first one and see what I think.
Terrific, powerful novels, Kim. And, everything Jeff says is right. You do need to start at the beginning to “meet” the Monkeewrench team and the homicide detectives, Gino and Magossi.
Yes, Kim, definitely. The Monkeewrench crew is always interesting, but it is the Magozzi & Gino team who hold it all together.
SPOILER ALERT: I knew there was no way she’d retire Magozzi at 42.
Spoiler – I know, Jeff. How could she continue the series without Magozzi?