Pop Goes the Weasel

Pop Goes the Weasel is the second book in the series by M.J. Arlidge about Detective Helen Grace. This time around, there is a serial killer on the loose, once again, in Southampton. This serial killer is a prostitute that kills her Johns. These men are being cut open and their heart extracted from their chest, all while they are struggling for their final breath. All the while, we have the return of the ruthless, ambitious journalist, Emilia Garanita who has found new ways to blackmail DI Grace and pry into innocent lives. And if dealing with these two isn't enough, the new station chief, Ceri Harwood, presents Helen Grace with a whole new set of obstacles.

Arlidge is a master at suspense. I was on the edge of my seat almost the entire book. He drops clues for you to play detective with, but at the same time, the reader is left in the dark enough to create a sense of hopelessness and fear. Tension and release. It is key and it is abundant. Reading this book, I couldn't help but speed through to the end. In fact, as I read, I would constantly stop to tell my best friend about something crazy that happened. She got so into just the snippets I gave, that she demanded I finish the final 20 pages in the last 15 minutes we had together at work. I did. And she was hooked 'til the end when I recounted the final show down.

One thing I really love to hate about the Detective Helen Grace Novels is the overarching "villain" Arlidge created. What I'm talking about is journalist Emilia Garanita. In some ways, I see her as a bigger, more despicable villain than the murderer. Granted, I am exaggerating a little, but not by that much. Emilia is ruthless and her corrupt morals are detestable. This woman knows no bounds -- exploiting grieving families, spreading lies and rumors that can ruin lives, and feeling no regret whatsoever. What floors me the most about Emilia in Pop Goes the Weasel is one particular interaction she has with a widow. Emilia is pounding on the door, trying to get an interview with the grieving woman; when she gets no response, she goes around to the back door. Finding the back door unlocked, Emilia waltzes right into the home; using her master powers of manipulation, she convinces the widow to talk with her. Her savagery knows no bounds when it comes to career advancement. And in some ways, she is no better than the people Detective Helen Grace is chasing.

Now, I don't have many complaints about Pop Goes the Weasel, but I do have one that really baffles me. The title. I don't quite understand the title. Book one made sense; Eeny Meeny involved two victims trapped and to be freed, one had to die. That was crystal clear from chapter one. However, Pop Goes the Weasel? Not clear at all. I will give Arlidge credit, there was a small scene where he tried to reference the title. Unfortunately, it ended up feeling like Arlidge sent the book to his agent and the agent was like, "Why in the world would you pick this title? Put in something to make sense." So Arlidge stares at his computer until he has his "aha!" moment. He edits a tiny scene, changes the insult from bastards to weasels, then craftily added in a series of "pop, pop, pop"s. They called it good, then sent it to the printers. Yeah, I don't get it and the only attempt to connect the title to the story came off as a little cheesy and ultimately unconvincing.

Let's be honest, if that is the hardest criticism I have, that has to be a good sign. The characters are great: strong, many amazing women, extremely flawed, and lifelike. There is a character in this series for everyone. By this, I mean that these characters can all be relatable to everyone. This is an important factor in characters. If no one can relate to them, it's hard to connect and like them.

If you haven't read any of the Helen Grace novels, please go do so because I would give both books in this series an A+ rating.

Oh! And for those of you curious, this book fulfills number 10 on my Reading Challenge list: a book set where you'd like to visit. For me, this is England. I have always been in love with England.

Stay tuned to see what other books I will send your way!

#Challenge #HellenGrace #MJArlidge #Mystery #Murder