Opening Day, by Joe Perrone Jr

Cozy in setting and characters, gritty in detail, equally convincing in police procedure and the tying of flies for fly-fishing, Joe Perrone’s Opening Day takes Matt Davis out of New York City but keeps him firmly in the world of crime and victim. Village life is filled with well-drawn characters met at station, diner, on the road or by the river. But even the quietest, safest place can hide secrets, and a dead body found in the water may be just the first of many.

While Davis quietly fishes for clues, runaways look for freedom. And the mystery’s not just who-dun-it; it’s also who was done and how. The countryside’s ease lends a gentler touch to this second book as it follows As the Twig is Bent, though the dangers of life and road are depicted with the same clear-eyed honesty. I enjoyed seeing Davis continuing his career, still using his skills, but growing as a person, making this much more than just another police procedural. I’m looking forward to reading book three—Twice Bitten—and to spending more time in the company of good people, in the countryside of upstate New York’s good rivers and trees.

Disclosure: I am grateful for the author for giving me an ecopy of this novel after I reviewed As the Twig is Bent.