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Rating: 
Summary: Great beginning but ultimately disappointing
Review: I thought this book was well-written and really liked the beginning: the author has the ability to really make you feel what a character feels at times. Parts of the story, however, were very contrived, and I just didn't think the detective's eight-year-old son was believable at all and I could not see a father letting his little boy read IN COLD BLOOD or go see rotton corpses or hear cops talk about bodily mutilation etc. I wish the story could have just stayed with the good police work and nice characterization of the beginning--it got worse and worse as it went along. The pacing was really off, and there should have been something about the murderer earlier on, in the first section. This could have been great--needed a few more drafts in my opinion to make it all as good as the author can be, which is far above most mysterieis.
Rating: 
Summary: Very entertaining mystery
Review: Minneapolis Mayor Geff tells her Chief of Police Turner and Special Detective Marshall Bahr that the murder of the teen could not have come at a worse time or place. Someone killed the perfect high school coed Mary Pat Fitzgerald of nearby wealthy suburb Edina. Geff orders Mars to quickly find the killer, preferably be another suburbanite. Geff worries that the negative PR from the murder of a homecoming valedictorian will halt federal matching funds to an urban renewal project that she already has invested a lot of city and state money into.The cops dub Mars as the "Candy Man," but not for the company. Instead his moniker comes from his handling of all non-drug/non-gang homicides while reporting to Turner. He begins his inquiries after setting up the control cell with his partner Jeanette "Nettie" Frisch, who works exclusively in the office. Mars leans towards a family member or perhaps the boy friend, but wonders why the killing seems aloof yet planned rather than passionate as expected with a loved one. As clue after clue fails to go anywhere and the Edina police chief seems more hindrance than help, Geff increases the pressure on Mars to produce the culprit. THIRD PERSON SINGULAR is a magnificent police procedural starring a fabulous law enforcement official. The story line centers on Mars' investigation, but subplots involving his ex-wife and precocious son as well the relationships with Turner and Nettie provide insight into the lead player. The who-done-it is very entertaining and somewhat complex leaving the audience seeking more novels by KJ Erickson starring her wonderful protagonist, the Candy Man. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Debut has a Compelling Hero, Good Plot--An Excellent Novel
Review: On a whim, I picked up this mystery by a Minnesota author. Within five pages I was intrigued; by page thirty I was hooked. The story begins with a woman-a drug dealer-waiting in her car to make a delivery, but instead, catching sight of a man and young woman getting out of a car and heading toward the bluffs near the Mississippi River. The dealer gets spooked and flees. Then we are introduced to a Minneapolis cop, Marshall "Mars" Bahr, who is having weekend visitation with his son, Chris (who is one of the most precocious and interesting eight-year-olds in mystery history). By hard work and smarts, Mars has risen to the status of Special Investigator reporting directly to the police chief. He's got an excellent case closure record, and because he is a decent person who treats his colleagues well, he gets fairly good cooperation most of the time. He's also decent to his ex-wife and his son. Mars gets a call about a murder on the bluffs, drops his son off at a Scout meeting, and is launched into the investigation of the death of a high school student from a ritzy part of the Twin Cities. Erickson lays out a wonderfully plotted police procedural with unexpected twists and turns, and not a single one of the characters I suspected turned out to be the murderer. But beyond the mystery angle, Erickson has laid the groundwork for multiple sequels by having a compelling hero in Mars and many promising secondary characters, especially his son and his administrative assistant, Nettie. I've read a lot of debut novels, but this one is superior. The characters are well-drawn, the plot never falters, there are surprises around every corner, and the repartee between Mars and his many contacts is authentic and absorbing. I can't wait to read the sequel. I give this mystery my highest recommendation. ~Lori L. Lake, reviewer for Midwest Book Review and author of Gun Shy, Under The Gun, Different Dress, Ricochet In Time, and Stepping Out: Short Stories.
Rating:
Summary: A good book, minus the eight year old
Review: The first chapter grabbed my attention. I settled in for a good read, but was already disappointed in the second chapter. I just couldn't like the 8 year old kid. His father lets him read IN COLD BLOOD. I read that book years ago and it gave me nightmares. Detective Mars Bahr should worry that he might have to arrest his own son someday, the boy is so eager to see a dead body! Other than that, I liked the book and will look forward to reading another by this author, but not until I get a little preview to see if the child gets some psychiatric help.
Rating:
Summary: A good book, minus the eight year old
Review: This book will be satisfying to most any reader of mysteries. The characters are well-drawn and interesting, the story keeps reader interest and moves along at a nice pace. The ending approaches more slowly than in most comparable books, but it is a surprise nonetheless. The author has her own special ability to describe the characters, and they do appear interesting, and you want to learn more about them, but some readers will find her division between the good and the bad people a bit abrupt. The "good" people, from the main detective to the supporting witnesses, are so good, we will wonder why we don't know anyone quite like them, whereas her "bad" people are as psychotic and evil as those in any mystery. For example, her lead, the detective, is so good to his ex-wife, and so considerate of her welfare, it's difficult not to actually stop reading to try to think of someone in our life who is that good and caring and non-judgemental. Of course, he cares so much about his son, he always puts him first in his life, even to the point of taking him to murder scenes and letting the 8- yr-old read detailed, gory accounts of killing sprees, and of allowing him free acquaintance with cops' street language. And that family is so happy with everything, we can't help but wonder why the divorce, etc. But maybe we can accept that some people are still incurable romantics, as this author has to be, and go on with her writing. Accept this blip in the story, and you will enjoy the book. The author does a nice job, and we will hope she has more ideas that will encourage her a follow-up. Read this nice mystery, and you will be waiting on the next one by this author.
Rating:
Summary: Terrific
Review: This is a great fast paced thriller/mystery. Very believable. You won't be able to put it down. They'll make this one into a movie!
Rating:
Summary: An auspicious debut novel
Review: This is a new mystery writer to me and this is the first book I have read by this author. This is her debut novel and based on this, I will be reading more by her.
Her protagonist Minnesota Special Detective "Mars" Bahr is a fully fleshed character and this personality is aided by the interesting addition of his young son. He shares custody with his ex-wife of the son, a precocious eight-year-old. The son is a cook and a dedicated garage sale shopper.
Bahr's responsibility is the First Response Unit, reporting directly to the chief. His case is the murder of a teenage from the right side of the track. The mystery is multilayered and moves with speed to the conclusion.
The only criticism I have is that the plot twist seemed obvious to me quite some time before the denouement. But this is the maiden voyage for this author and bodes well for future books. She has written at least two more since this one and I look forward to reading them and seeing if she lives up to this promising debut.
Rating: 
Summary: Shows a lot of promise but has a cliche ending.
Review: This was a pretty engrossing novel with great characters and a terrific setting that got totally destroyed for me by the cliche ending. When I got to the part in the book, about 50 or so pages before the end, where I could see which direction the author was headed, I was horrified. I quickly flipped through the last pages in denial ("She isn't REALLY going to do that is she?"), saw I was right, and gave up on finishing. However, in Erickson's defense: this is her first novel and it shows a lot of promise. I'll definitely look for the next one, but if I were you, I'd skip this one altogether. Not recommended to anyone who is a mystery fan and hates it when, figuratively speaking, "the butler did it."
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