CANR
WORK TITLE: Echoes of Memory
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.jenjdanna.com/
CITY: Toronto
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY:
LAST VOLUME: CA 361
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two daughters.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, novelist, scientist, virologist, immunologist, and infectious disease researcher. Works as a scientist and infectious disease researcher at a university in Canada.
MEMBER:Crime Writers of Canada.
WRITINGS
Also author of a weekly blog, Skeleton Keys.
SIDELIGHTS
Jen J. Danna is a writer, novelist, and scientist based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is also a scientist and researcher at a Canadian university, where she is involved in work related to infectious diseases, virology, and immunology.
Outside of scientific research, Danna’s interests center on writing and the mystery genre. She is a regular blogger on the genre and on the subject of forensics, which is her specialty as a fiction writer.
With her writing partner Ann Vanderlaan, Danna is the author of the “Abbott and Lowell” forensic mystery series. These works combine the authors’ interests in mystery writing and forensic science to produce stories that rely heavily on the complex forensic study of the dead to solve crimes. “I’ve always thought forensic anthropology is fascinating—how the study of decomposed or skeletal remains can tell the story of a victim’s death when they can no longer speak for themselves. So when we started writing crime fiction, it was natural for us to incorporate a strong and realistic science angle into our storytelling,” Danna commented in an interview with Jacqueline Seewald on the Author Expressions blog.
In the “Abbott and Lowell” stories, Danna and Vanderlaan follow their two main protagonists, Massachusetts state trooper Leigh Abbott and forensic anthropologist Matt Lowell, as they reconstruct grim crimes and murders from the mortal remains of the victims. Abbott is ambitious and determined to make a career in what a has been traditionally a man’s world. Lowell is an academic whose experiences as a Marine medic in Afghanistan still haunt him. In the first book of the series, Dead, without a Stone to Tell It, the two unlikely partners team up to investigate what appears to be a series of brutal torture/murders of young women committed by a serial killer. As victims are discovered in shallow woodland graves, the only consistent feature is an unusual design carved into the dead women’s chests. Soon, however, the two investigators and their graduate student assistants become targets themselves.
“This first in a planned series by a pair of scientific researchers is both exciting and informative, sure to please fans of forensic mysteries,” commented a Kirkus Reviews contributor.
A Flame in the Wind of Death involves Abbott and Lowell in what appears to be a ritual occult murder in storied Salem, Massachusetts. The victim, wealthy Moira Simpson, was stabbed to death with a ceremonial knife used by witches in their worship rites. The antiques store where Simpson’s body was discovered was then burned down in an attempt to hide the crime. As Abbott and Lowell investigate, they discover that Simpson was formerly a member of a coven who owned the custom- made three-piece knife set from which her murder weapon came.
A local newspaper seizes on the story and suggests that witches were involved in the murder and arson, creating turmoil and alarm among the local population, usually in favor of the witch motif that brings so much economic good to the community. Suspicions rise even higher when the next murder/arson claims the life of a firefighter. In this crime, Simpson’s former priest is killed with another knife from the ceremonial set. The pattern suggests that another victim will be dispatched with the third knife, and Abbott and Lowell must work quickly to find out who the victim might be before it is too late. Adding even more intrigue to the story, Abbott and Lowell have become romantically involved, and Lowell triggers some animosity among the police by refusing to work professionally with anyone but her. A Kirkus Reviews writer called the book a “tricky mystery rich in intriguing suspects and forensic detail.”
(open new)Danna and Vanderlaan created the joint pseudonym, Sara Driscoll, under which they published standalone action novels, as well as books in the “FBI K-9” and “NYPD Negotiators” series. Early books in the “FBI K-9” series included Lone Wolf, Before It’s Too Late, and Storm Rising. No Man’s Land finds series protagonist, Meg Jennings, and her K-9, Hawk, on an urban exploration that turns deadly. At an abandoned hospital, Hawk uses his scent detection skills to discover the body of an elderly woman. When other bodies of elderly people are found in similarly derelict sites, Meg realizes that they may be on the trail of a serial killer. In an interview with Elise Cooper, contributor to the Crimespree website, Danna commented on the novel’s setting, stating: “We realized that urban exploration would provide interesting, challenging, and dangerous search locations for the K-9 teams. The title of the book comes from the space between the fence and the building.”
In Leave No Trace, Meg and Hawk investigate a killing in rural Georgia. Also on the case are colleague Brian Foster and his dog, Lacey. There they find a Georgia State Patrol sergeant dead from a wound created by a hunting bow. In an interview with Cooper, writing here on the No Apology Book Reviews website, Danna, as Driscoll, explained: “The idea came from my son-in-law who helps me brainstorm. He made an off the cuff comment about writing a story with a bowhunter who picks off humans.” As the story continues, the bowhunter picks off other victims, and Meg and her crew become increasingly determined to capture the killer. A contributor to Kirkus Reviews asserted: “Dogs-in-action junkies will be transported.” “Driscoll offers a fascinating look at the training of working dogs,” remarked a Publishers Weekly reviewer.
Meg, Hawk, Brian, and Lacey are on the trail of diamond smugglers in Under Pressure. Their job has taken them to Philadelphia, where Hawk and Lacey are being use to protect undercover Special Agent Finn Pierce. Finn has infiltrated the Mafia and is gathering evidence on its activities related to conflict diamonds. A reviewer in Publishers Weekly suggested: “Those looking for a simple, clean story will be satisfied.”
Still Waters finds Meg and Brian taking their dogs to a training competition in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. There, Meg clashes with Laramie County Deputy Rita Pratt, who later turns up dead. Meg must prove she was not responsible. In an interview with Cooper, writing again on the Crimespree website, Danna, as Driscoll, discussed the inspiration for the book, stating: “It is based on a classic Agatha Christie in an English manor. My problem was putting all the canines into an English manor. Our version of doing this, trapping them in the wilderness. Ann came up with the idea of having law enforcement competitive trials. All search and rescue (SAR) need continuing training and education. We built the competition into the training, with all different types of dogs.”
In That Others May Live, Meg and Hawk search for survivors after a tragic collapse of the Talbot Terraces. As they search, they learn that the collapse may have been a result of sabotage. A Kirkus Reviews critic suggested that the book was “guaranteed to satisfy old fans of the franchise without necessarily building new ones.”
Exit Strategy is the first volume in the “NYPD Negotiators” series. In an interview with Cooper on the Crimespree website, Danna, as Driscoll, explained that the idea for the book came from a previous Driscoll novel. She stated: “It came from the ‘FBI K-9’ book, Lone Wolf. In the story there was a hostage negotiator that was only on one page, but it got me thinking. I thought how a mediator has to handle different sides and aspects.” The mediator she referred to is Gemma Capello, a NYPD detective from a large Italian American family. While sharing a meal with her family, Gemma receives a call telling her that the mayor is being held hostage along with other people. At the scene, Gemma communicates with the subject, receiving his demands and convincing him to free some hostages in exchange for her. She must use both her negotiating skills and her martial arts training as she deals with the delicate situation. Explaining why she made Gemma a jiu jitsu practitioner, she stated: “I wanted to find a way for Gemma, who is a petite woman, able to go up against a larger man. She needed some skills where there would be no weapons involved, basically a hand to hand combat situation. This was a realistic way she could over power someone.” Reviewing the book in Publishers Weekly, a critic described it as “energetic.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2013, review of Dead, without a Stone to Tell It; February 1, 2014, review of A Flame in the Wind of Death; December 1, 2014, review of Two Parts Bloody Murder; September 15, 2019, review of No Man’s Land; October 15, 2020, review of Leave No Trace; October 1, 2021, review of Under Pressure; September 15, 2022, review of Still Waters; October 1, 2023, review of That Others May Live; June 15, 2024, review of Echoes of Memory.
Library Journal, November, 2023, Lesa Holstine, review of That Others May Live, p. 40.
Publishers Weekly, August 14, 2017, review of Before It’s Too Late, p. 49; October 1, 2018, review of Storm Rising, p. 44; May 25, 2020, review of Exit Strategy, p. 43; October 12, 2020, review of Leave No Trace, p. 54; July 5, 2021, review of Shot Caller, p. 46; October 25, 2021, review of Under Pressure, p. 67.
ONLINE
Author Expressions, http://authorexpressions.blogspot.com/ (July 19, 2013), Jacqueline Seewald, interview with Jen J. Danna.
Crime Writers of Canada website, http://www.crimewriterscanada.com/ (August 18, 2014), biography of Jen J. Danna.
Crimespree, https://crimespreemag.com/ (January 3, 2020), Elise Cooper, author interview; (September 6, 2020), Elise Cooper, author interview; (December 5, 2022), Elise Cooper, author interview.
Jen J. Danna website, https://jenjdanna.com (September 10, 2024).
No Apology Book Reviews, hppts://www.noapologybookreviews.com/ (January 2, 2021), Elise Cooper, author interview.
Jen J Danna
aka Sara Driscoll
A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen J. Danna works as part of a dynamic research group at a cutting-edge Canadian university. However, her true passion lies in indulging her love of the mysterious through her writing. Together with her partner Ann Vanderlaan, she crafts suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. She also blogs weekly; her Skeleton Keys blog has been listed by ITSGOV, BestCriminalJustice.com, BackgroundChecks.org and ForensicScienceDegree.org as one of the top forensic blogs on the web.
Jen and Ann were thrilled to meet their match in Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency, a self-professed science geek herself. In March 2012, they were pleased to announce a two-book deal with Five Star Publishing (an imprint of Gale Cengage). DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT released on June 5, 2013, and A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH is scheduled to release in May 2014. Their Abbott and Lowell e-novella, NO ONE SEES ME 'TIL I FALL, released on November 26, 2013.Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband and two daughters, and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada.
Series
Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mystery (with Ann Vanderlaan)
1. Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It (2013)
2. No One Sees Me 'Til I Fall (2013)
3. A Flame In The Wind Of Death (2014)
4. Two Parts Bloody Murder (2015)
5. Lament The Common Bones (2017)
Sara Driscoll
A pseudonym used by Jen J Danna, Ann Vanderlaan
Sara Driscoll is the pen name of Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, authors of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries. Jen is an infectious disease researcher at a cutting edge Canadian university near Toronto, but loves to spend her free time writing the thrilling and mysterious. Ann lives in central Texas with five rescued pit bulls, including Kane, now a certified therapy dog. She also trains with Kane for competitive nose work.
Genres: Mystery
New and upcoming books
May 2024
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Lockdown
(NYPD Negotiators, book 3)July 2024
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Echoes of Memory
November 2024
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Summit's Edge
(F.B.I. K-9, book 9)
Series
F.B.I. K-9
1. Lone Wolf (2016)
2. Before It's Too Late (2017)
3. Storm Rising (2018)
4. No Man's Land (2019)
5. Leave No Trace (2020)
6. Under Pressure (2021)
7. Still Waters (2022)
8. That Others May Live (2023)
9. Summit's Edge (2024)
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NYPD Negotiators
1. Exit Strategy (2020)
2. Shot Caller (2021)
3. Lockdown (2024)
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Novels
Echoes of Memory (2024)
After over thirty years in infectious diseases research, Jen hung up her lab coat to concentrate on her real love—writing “exceptional” thrillers (Publishers Weekly).
She is the coauthor of the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries with Ann Vanderlaan, a series of suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge.
As Sara Driscoll, she writes the FBI K-9s thriller series (the first seven books co-authored by Ann Vanderlaan), staring search-and-rescue team Meg Jennings and her black lab, Hawk. The eighth book in the series, THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE releases November 28, 2023, with the ninth book, SUMMIT’S EDGE, releasing November 26, 2024. She also writes the NYPD Negotiators series, with the third book, LOCKDOWN, releasing May 28, 2024. The first of her new standalone thrillers, ECHOES OF MEMORY, releases July 30, 2024.
Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband and four rescued cats, and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. You can reach her through the contact page on her website or by email at jenjdanna@gmail.com.
Agency contact information: Nicole Resciniti, The Seymour Agency. Phone: (239) 398-8209; e-mail: nicole@theseymouragency.com.
QUOTED: "It is based on a classic Agatha Christie in an English manor. My problem was putting all the canines into an English manor. Our version of doing this, trapping them in the wilderness. Ann came up with the idea of having law enforcement competitive trials. All search and rescue (SAR) need continuing training and education. We built the competition into the training, with all different types of dogs."
INTERVIEW WITH SARA DRISCOLL
by Elise Cooper | Dec 5, 2022 | Author Interviews, Books, Features
Still Waters
FBI K-9 Series Book 7
Sara Driscoll
Kensington Pub
Nov 29th, 2022
Still Waters by Sara Driscoll is an entertaining story. Sara Driscoll is the pseudonym for authors Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan. This story combines training, competition, and murder.
The FBI K-9 team gets approval for a water-search training weekend in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota. This training is combined with a three-part search and rescue timed competition. The first morning the handler and their canine partner are on a boat with a pilot, diver, and trainer. Hidden at the bottom of the lake is a small container of human remains. The dogs are supposed to bark when smelling it and the diver goes down and retrieves the bait.
It is not just a competition but an R and R for the team. The Human Scent Evidence Team is represented by Meg Jennings and her black Lab dog Hawk, along with Brian Foster and his German Shepherd dog Lacey. They are accompanied by Lieutenant Todd Webb, Meg’s boyfriend that works for D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services, Ryan, Brian’s spouse, and Josh and Luke, Todd’s brothers.
The evening of the first day, Meg went for a walk with Hawk. Upon returning she sees a fellow dog handler, Rita Pratt, from the Laramie Sherriff Department, abusing her dog. Because Pratt fears Meg will report her, she quickly files an unfounded complaint against Meg that could cost her job and have Hawk removed from her care. To make matters worse, the next day Hawk scents more human remains. But this time when the diver goes down into the water, he finds the body of Pratt. Because of the run-in, Meg becomes the prime murder suspect. The FBI investigator also has tunnel vision and seems to only look at Meg as the guilty party. Now Meg needs her wits, Hawk’s skills, and all her friends to help prove her innocence.
This story is action packed from page one. It has suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. A bonus is learning more about the bond between the dog and handler and the different approaches Search and Rescue must use given the different terrains.
Elise Cooper: It was very sad to hear about the death of your partner Ann Vanderlaan?
Sara Driscoll: At the beginning of June, we were contracted for two more books, eight and nine in the series. It was in the middle of June Ann had received word that she had cancer. We all thought she had three to six months. Because it was breast cancer that metastasized, she died in two weeks. It was four weeks start to finish. I hope Ann has taught me everything I need to know.
EC: How about the idea for this story?
SD: It sort of came to me. It is based on a classic Agatha Christie in an English manor. My problem was putting all the canines into an English manor. Our version of doing this, trapping them in the wilderness. Ann came up with the idea of having law enforcement competitive trials. All search and rescue (SAR) need continuing training and education. We built the competition into the training, with all different types of dogs.
EC: Water rescue is different than land rescue?
SD: Yes, very much. A dog in the water will tire. There is less air flow, and the dogs are low to the water. On a boat the handler can read the dog’s indications.
EC: Handlers and dogs have a deep bond?
SD: They love each other with a great amount of trust. They see themselves as partners. Unlike in some professions they do not leave the dog in the kennel overnight. They are together just like a pet, living together.
EC: How would you describe the handler, Rita Pratt?
SD: Meg understands why Pratt has such a hard exterior, since both were just a few women who came up the ranks. Yet, Meg does not understand how Pratt treats her dog, abuse-like. She is arrogant, an instigator, petty, cruel, aggressive, and a troublemaker. There is evidence in the past she is a back stabber who double crosses.
EC: Why that setting?
SD: The setting of the Superior National Forest, and Lake Insula in Minneapolis is real. It is at the very Northern edge of Minnesota that borders Canada. This area is remote with only a few places to drive in. There is a wooded area with tons of lakes and rivers. It was set in the fall.
EC: How would you describe Meg’s boyfriend, Todd?
SD: Very pragmatic, straight forward, grounded, and practical. As a firefighter he will always come to people’s rescue. He is Meg’s rock because he is calm, caring, and protective.
EC: The FBI investigator, Agent Brogan has tunnel vision?
SD: He is up and coming, a young agent trying to make his mark. He comes off as an arrogant hot shot. He is over eager and is very focused on solving the murder to get a notch on the belt. Brogan has blinders on, not looking at all the details, while just looking at the bare facts.
EC: Is it true there is a remembrance necklace?
SD: Yes. In the first book, Meg has worn this glass pendant with the ashes of Deuce, killed in the line of duty. My girlfriend lost her child as a teenager. She sent some of his cremation ashes that they make into a pendant with different colors of glass.
EC: Next books?
SD: Ann suggested the title, That Others May Live. This is a search and rescue motto. The plot has a building collapse. It will be out in November 2023.
The third book in the NYPD negotiator series is titled Lockdown. The plot has a hostage negotiation following a school shooting, where the shooter takes a class hostage.
THANK YOU!!
QUOTED: "The idea came from my son-in-law who helps me brainstorm. He made an off the cuff comment about writing a story with a bowhunter who picks off humans."
Interview with Sara Driscoll (Leave No Trace)
January 2, 2021 by Danielle
Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Leave No Trace by Sara Driscoll takes readers on an action-packed roller coaster ride. In this book the protagonists have to worry about the dangerous elements, along with the murderer. The action sequences, as well the heroine’s fear of heights, make for riveting scenes.
Meg Jennings and Brian Foster of the FBI’s Forensic Canine Unit head to Georgia to investigate killings by bow and arrow of a county commissioner and State Patrol officer. With their dogs Hawk and Lacey, Meg and Brian are enlisted to follow the scent of a killer. As the body count rises, the “compound bow killer” becomes even more elusive, appearing and vanishing like a ghost. It becomes clear that there is a connection between the building of the Copperhill Dam, the subsequent loss of the surrounding land, and the killings.
Back to help in the investigation is reporter McCord, the boyfriend of Meg’s sister, Cara. Through his eyes and writings, readers are able to understand the history of the area and the background on the removal of the Cherokee people. The author also starts every chapter with a description that further helps set the history, time, and place.
Further contributing to the suspense is the setting. Bears, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and the river rapids along with the rough terrain make for nail-biting scenes.
The story delves into the heartwarming feelings both dog and handler have for each other. Along with a riveting murder mystery the plot has a fascinating look at the training of working dogs, who are depicted as uniformly brave and obedient. Also, adding depth is the relationship between Meg and her boyfriend Webb.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Sara Driscoll: The idea came from my son-in-law who helps me brainstorm. He made an off the cuff comment about writing a story with a bowhunter who picks off humans.
EC: Brian has a German Shepherd, Lacey and Meg has a black lab, Hawk. Is there a difference?
SD: I grew up with a black Lab, which is why Hawk is from that breed. German Shepherds are classically more of a canine dog used by police. This is because Labs are not known for their aggressiveness. But it really comes down to individual dogs and their own drive and personality. In my stories, Hawk is aggressive only when protecting Meg. Both Hawk and Lacey are trained to search for a suspect, using the same skills as they would to search for a child.
EC: Is the FBI Human Scent Evidence Team real?
SD: Yes, it is new and was started a few years ago. They are part of the forensic crime unit. Unlike the police units I contacted for my previous series, the FBI was very uncooperative. The police even invited me to observe and speak with the head homicide detective. The FBI slammed the door in my face. I was able to put things together by Internet research and what I knew about other law enforcement units.
EC: Did you shoot any compound bows and arrows?
SD: No. Funny story. Isaac, from the sporting goods store Bass Pro, worked in the archery department. I explained to him I was writing a book where someone with an arrow is a murderer. I questioned him about distances and the types of bows/arrows that would be needed. He answered my questions but was very hesitant. The next day I received an email from him saying ‘you were who you said you were. I looked you up.’ I giggled and thought, ‘no, I am not going to kill someone literally.’
EC: How would you describe Webb?
SD: He is resourceful, dependable, direct, and loyal.
EC: How would you describe the relationship between Webb and Meg?
SD: Webb is willing to give in more. Because they are both first responders, Webb is a dually trained firefighter and a paramedic, they have similar mindsets. They have a great interplay. Both want to develop a life partner relationship.
EC: What is Hawk’s backstory?
SD: Meg had a previous canine, a German Shepherd, killed in the line of duty. She retired and went home to her parents who had a dog rescue. Someone left a black Lab puppy on their doorstep. Meg found it and nurtured it back to health and then started training him for search and rescue. A couple of years later they joined the FBI unit.
EC: The plot goes into Eminent Domain?
SD: It is all based on truth. The land would be co-opted by the government. For those who lost their land, they also lost their livelihood. They never got what their land was worth.
EC: There is a great quote about dogs being a part of the family?
SD: You must be referring to this quote, “These aren’t just animals. In many ways, they’re the other half of you.” Dogs and handlers would do anything for each other. Anyone who has a pet as a companion would feel this way. The quote came from years of me loving animals.
EC: Can you give a heads up about your next book?
SD: It is titled Shot Caller and is out August 31st. It is the NYPD negotiator series. A riot takes place in Riker’s Prison and hostages are taken. Gemmo Capello is called in to help save the victims.
Out this time next year will be the next book in this series. It is titled Under Pressure and is set in Philadelphia. The plot deals with blood conflict diamonds and how they are dispersed throughout the US.
EC: THANK YOU!!
QUOTED: "It came from the FBI canine book, Lone Wolf. In the story there was a hostage negotiator that was only on one page, but it got me thinking. I thought how a mediator has to handle different sides and aspects."
"I wanted to find a way for Gemma, who is a petite woman, able to go up against a larger man. She needed some skills where there would be no weapons involved, basically a hand to hand combat situation. This was a realistic way she could over power someone."
INTERVIEW WITH JEN DANNA
by Elise Cooper | Sep 6, 2020 | Author Interviews, Books, Features
Exit Strategy (NYPD Negotiations Book 1)
Jen Danna
Kensington Pub
July 28th, 2020
Exit Strategy by Jen Danna is the first in a new series. It is a refreshing police procedural in that it introduces readers to the world of a police hostage negotiator. At a time when police are looked down upon this story is inspirational, showing readers the good deeds many in the police department do. The author allows readers to get into the head of the police to understand what they are thinking and how they come to a decision.
The story opens with a family gathering, showing how the main character, Gemma Capello, feels that family means everything. Her four brothers and father are a tight-knit Italian group. Three of her brothers, her father, and Gemma all work for the NYPD, and the fourth brother works for FDNY. Gemma became a hostage negotiator after watching her mother die. At the age of ten she saw her mother sacrifice her life as the gunman shot her point-blank in a hostage situation.
Now she is called to help negotiate a hostage situation. It becomes quickly apparent that her boss is unable to connect with the hostage taker. Gemma then takes over talking to the gunman, establishing a link of trust between them. She must juggle a number of variables that include the hostage taker’s volatile attitude and the NYPD tactical team who wants to go in with a show of force. To make matters worse, the hostages were taken in City Hall. She must risk it all in a last-ditch effort to save the hostages that includes putting her life on the line.
An added bonus is the author’s descriptive scenes of an inoperative City Hall Subway Station, with its decorative glass skylights and its colorful tiling, the foods and landmarks of Little Italy, and the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral, with its Gothic architecture and catacombs.
The attention to detail, the psychological thought process of the police and antagonist, and the tidbits about an Italian family make for an interesting read. But the story is also riveting with its suspenseful, fast-action pace.
Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?
Jen Danna: It came from the FBI canine book, Lone Wolf. In the story there was a hostage negotiator that was only on one page, but it got me thinking. I thought how a mediator has to handle different sides and aspects.
EC: It reminded me a little of the TV show “Blue Bloods” with the Irish family replaced by your Italian family?
JD: I have not seen a single episode of “Blue Bloods.” Gemma’s background is based on my Italian background. Our ancestors came from the same small town in Sicily. We also have in common that each of us lost a parent at the age of ten. While my dad died of a heart attack, her mom died in a hostage situation. I have two brothers and a sister, while she has four brothers. My brothers are definitely present in the personality of her brothers.
EC: You write ensembles?
JD: I enjoy writing ensemble groups. In my FBI canine series, there is a work ensemble, while in this series it is a family ensemble. Gemma is able to interact with them not only on a personal level, but also a professional level.
EC: People seem to not understand that there are good and bad police?
JD: The law enforcement officers I write about are not anti-heroes. They have the best of intentions and really want to do the best job, making sure to find justice for the victims. In any job people’s personalities and traits play into how they view others. Rightly, the negative aspects of some police are being highlighted, but let’s not forget the positive aspects as well.
EC: Readers can get an understanding of the thinking of a hostage negotiator?
JD: Their goal is to keep everyone alive and to solve a situation without bloodshed. The idea is to resolve it peacefully. For a better understanding I put in this book quote, “It was always a fine line to walk; a large show of force could make a suspect insecure and desperate, while a small show of force could leave the suspect overconfident and unwilling to work with the negotiators.” This is a real strategy and technique.
EC: How would you describe Gemma?
JD: She is a nurturer. Being the only woman in the family she sees herself as a peacekeeper who tries to resolve situations. She is also caring, in some sense a risk taker to save lives, determined, brave, stubborn, and has a lot of qualities of an Italian.
EC: Why Jiu Jitsu?
JD: I wanted to find a way for Gemma, who is a petite woman, able to go up against a larger man. She needed some skills where there would be no weapons involved, basically a hand to hand combat situation. This was a realistic way she could over power someone.
EC: Are you a Trekkie because you have the Spock quote, “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few?”
JD: My husband is. I wonder how many people will catch it? He is one of my early readers and he did make a comment. I thought this was the perfect quote for the scene. Her mother was doing exactly this when she sacrificed herself for others. Throughout the series her mother will pop in and out.
EC: What about the chocolate seven-layer cake?
JD: This is a very traditional Sicilian dessert. After the book came out an author told me about this website, Mysteryloverskitchen.com. I was asked to make this cake. I actually made it, but it took me forever. Gemma is definitely a better baker than I am.
EC: Can you give a shout out about your next books?
JD: The end of December will be the next FBI Canine book titled, Leave No Trace. It will take place in Blueridge Georgia. The plot has someone hunting humans instead of animals and does it with a bow and arrow.
The next book in this series comes out in August 2021. Its title is Shot Caller. A riot takes place in an enclosed unit in a prison. Prisoners cannot get out, but it is also very difficult for people to get in. Gemma must mediate between the rioters, warden, director of corrections, and the NYPD tactical team.
THANK YOU!!
QUOTED: "We realized that urban exploration would provide interesting, challenging, and dangerous search locations for the K-9 teams. The title of the book comes from the space between the fence and the building."
INTERVIEW WITH SARA DRISCOLL
by Elise Cooper | Jan 3, 2020 | Author Interviews, Features
No Man’s Land by Sara Driscoll has a unique plot. A suspenseful mystery, whose main characters include K-9 dog teams, brings the characters to life. For first time readers, Driscoll is the pen name for Jen J. Danna and Ann Vanderlaan, who also wrote the Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries.
The story begins with Meg Jennings and her K-9 companion, Hawk, exploring the ruins of a deserted building to sharpen their skills without the life-or-death stakes they face as part of the FBI’s Human Scent Evidence Team. While searching, Hawk finds the body of an elderly woman. The victim was left to die alone and unable to save herself. Through the investigation it is discovered that there is a spree of such killings where the elderly is left at urbex sites to die. Meg and her team must find the culprit who is particularly cruel, first kidnapping them, and then leaving them to die alone in a decaying and scary structure.
Interestingly, the writers put the vocabulary pertaining to the plot at the beginning of each chapter. In this installment, urbex or urban exploration is an activity that people do to observe condemned sites that are left to deteriorate on their own.
The cast of characters teaming up with Meg are her sister Cara, who is a dog trainer and yoga instructor, Cara’s boyfriend Clay McCord, who is a journalist with connections and research skills, Chuck Smaill who helps find the best urbex sites to search, Meg’s boyfriend and EMS firefighter Todd Webb, and the rest of the search/rescue dogs: Blink, Saki, Coy, and Lacey.
This interesting premise has a subject matter that is endlessly captivating. Strong, confident, and likeable characters work together to help unmask danger and murder.
Elise Cooper: Sara Driscoll are two authors writing together in the same manner as Charles Todd?
Sara Driscoll: Yes. I am Jen J. Danna and I write with dog trainer Ann Vanderlaan. We write remotely because we do not live close so we depend a lot on the Internet. At first, we wrote “trunk” novels, which means we put the stories in the trunk, never to see the light of day.
EC: How do you write together?
SD: We build an outline in the beginning. Then I write each chapter, and send it to Ann, who rips it apart. We then re-write it again. Ann always picks the themes and the chapter titles. We like to have vocabulary at the beginning of the chapters to introduce the context and teach the lingo of the plot.
EC: Does the FBI really have canine teams?
SD: It is actually a little bit of a challenge to write this plot. We need to involve the dogs in the entire case, which is not usually how it happens in the real-life cases. Handlers associated with the FBI are not really a part of them, but are more like external contractors that come with their own dog. To keep the FBI involved we made the murders happen across state lines.
EC: Why make Hawk a black lab?
SD: He is based on the dog I grew up with named Shady. Hawk is written in Shady’s memory. Labs are great dogs with a good drive. They also make wonderful family dogs because they are very gentle. Professionally, he is partly based on Ann’s therapy dog, Kane, who she trained for nose work so we could properly write this series.
EC: How would you describe Hawk?
SD: Loyal, driven, and goal oriented. He was rescued by Meg as a puppy. She was a canine officer who lost her partner, a German Shepherd while bringing down a suspect. To recuperate she went back to her parents and found a black lab puppy that had contracted the parvo virus. Meg helped nurse the puppy back to health and trained her to be a rescue dog.
EC: How would you describe Meg?
SD: She is stubborn, loyal, takes on more than she should, and is a straight-shooter. She chose the canine career because she loves animals.
EC: Why the urban locations?
SD: For the thriller aspect. Many years ago, I stumbled upon a website called Opacity that has photographs of abandoned places. Tom Kirsch runs it and takes fabulous pictures. I was impressed by his ability to create an atmosphere with his photography as well as the range of locations and type of structures. It is not an exploration of nature, but of urban sites. We realized that urban exploration would provide interesting, challenging, and dangerous search locations for the K-9 teams. The title of the book comes from the space between the fence and the building.
EC: Did you ever do it personally?
SD: I did a little bit of it. My daughter took a photography course in her final year at the University. Her project was on urban decay. Going into the sites was very dangerous.
EC: Can you give a shout out about your next book(s)?
SD: I will be writing on my own a new series out in July about NYPD negotiators. The next canine book is titled Leave No Trace and will probably be out in November. It is about a hunter who is hunting people instead of animals in Georgia.
THANK YOU!!
Danna, Jen. J. TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER Five Star (Adult Fiction) $25.95 2, 18 ISBN: 978-1-4328-3027-4
An ice-cold case heats up when a new murder discloses an old one. Checking out a story about a body hidden in an old building, Massachusetts State Police Trooper Leigh Abbott finds a recently dead man. Then, while waiting for the crime scene team, she and the medical examiner find a hidden door. At the bottom of the stairs is the Blue Ruin speak-easy, and behind a brick wall are the remains of a corpse. It's a perfect case for Leigh to work with her lover, forensic anthropologist Dr. Matt Lowell, and his team. Someone has been sending Leigh packages of material suggesting that her father, a respected state trooper killed in the line of duty, was a dirty cop. She takes a chance on asking a computer expert to go over the material while she works the two murders. The more recent corpse is that of Peter Holt, the only son of wealthy widow Evelyn Holt. And the skeletal remains prove to be those of Charles Ward, Mrs. Holt's father, who's been missing ever since Prohibition. Since Ward was the owner of the speak-easy, Leigh looks for a connection between the Holt family and the Kain family, who first reported the possibility of the hidden body. The elder Kain, now in a nursing home with Alzheimer's, was once a bricklayer, and evidence suggests that Ward was killed with a bricklayer's tool. Although Leigh is certain that Kain is Charles Ward's killer, she can't prove it, and the long-ago unsolved murder of Kain's wife only complicates the case. As they dig for clues, Leigh and Matt find feuding families, an innocent man in prison and new information about Leigh's father. Leigh's fourth (A Flame in the Wind of Death, 2014, etc.) is a complex case loaded with forensic and historical detail, the authors' best so far.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Danna, Jen. J.: TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2014. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A391851727/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=221ff3c8. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Before It's Too Late
Sara Driscoll. Kensington, $25 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-0443-6
In Driscoll's fine follow-up to 2016's Lone Wolf, a killer sends coded messages with clues to the whereabouts of kidnapped women to Meg Jennings of the FBI's Forensic Canine Unit. When the FBI's cryptanalysis unit deciphers the first message, Meg and her black Labrador, Hawk, along with other members of their team, find the first victim buried in a grave in Arlington National Cemetery. The coffin contains both the dead woman and the body of a soldier killed in combat. A second clue leads to a second victim, and several things become obvious. First, the killer is fixated on Meg; second, the victims resemble Meg; third, each clue connects the victim with a site tied to the Civil War. When Meg is suspended from the case, she turns for unofficial assistance to her sister, Cara, a word games expert. The tension rises as the killer targets Meg and her family. Driscoll nicely incorporates various Civil War locations and trivia into the mystery, while Meg and Hawk prove themselves a formidable team that readers will want to see more of. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Oct.)
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"Before It's Too Late." Publishers Weekly, vol. 264, no. 33, 14 Aug. 2017, p. 49. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A501717089/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ef9f75f3. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Storm Rising
Sara Driscoll. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-0445-0
Driscoll's exceptional third FBI K-9 novel (after 2017's Before It's Too Late) takes Meg Jennings of the FBI's Forensic Canine Unit and her Labrador, Hawk, from their Arlington, Va., base to Virginia Beach on a mission to rescue victims of a recent hurricane. Accompanying the pair is Lr. Todd Webb, a firefighter/paramedic and potential love interest for Meg with whom she worked on a previous case. Inside a submerged SUV Todd spots in the Elizabeth River, they find two dead girls bound to their seats by buckles--Meg estimates one to be 13, the other a little younger. Their investigation soon turns into a hunt for other girls who may have survived and escaped the vehicle. Clues suggest that one such girl headed for the dangerous Great Dismal Swamp. Finding the girl is merely the prelude to the efforts of Meg and her allies to try to bring down the men behind a human trafficking ring. The descriptions of the teamwork between dog and human are detailed and dramatic, and the interactions between Meg and Todd as their relationship develops are convincing. Readers will hope this series has a long run. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Dec.)
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"Storm Rising." Publishers Weekly, vol. 265, no. 40, 1 Oct. 2018, p. 44. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A557369746/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=180180cf. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Driscoll, Sara NO MAN'S LAND Kensington (Adult Fiction) $26.00 11, 26 ISBN: 978-1-4967-2247-8
When FBI agent Meg Jennings and her K-9, Hawk, explore the ruins of an old hospital, they think they're just practicing their skills--until the discovery of an elderly woman's body leads to something more serious and sinister.
Meg and her firefighter friends are enjoying urban exploring, an activity in which people enter and explore old, deserted, and dangerous sites. Meg, as a member of the Human Scent Evidence Team, thinks the outing will hone Hawk's skills, and Hawk does indeed help find the elderly woman's body. But when more elderly people are found in other deserted locations, Meg, with the help of her colleagues as well as a reporter, will continue to put herself at risk to uncover the truth. The novel's premise and cast of characters could have made this a gripping book. But the author (Storm Rising, 2018, etc.) lacks the talent to bring the characters to life. When sharing background information about sites they're exploring, for example, Driscoll's characters speak in dialogue that sounds more like a brochure ("Bethlehem Steel was once an industry giant...") than the way people really talk. There are many examples of urban exploration ("urbex") lingo for those who might be interested.
When the only intriguing parts of a novel are the scenes involving a dog's abilities, it is perhaps time to track down another book.
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"Driscoll, Sara: NO MAN'S LAND." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2019, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A599964528/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f3f27b1b. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "energetic."
Exit Strategy: An NYPD Negotiators Novel
Jen J. Danna. Kensington, $26 (256p)
ISBN 978-1-4967-2788-6
This energetic series launch from Danna (No Man's Land as Sara Driscoll) introduces NYPD Det. Gemma Capello, who specializes in hostage situations. Her Italian American cop family includes her widowed police chief father and four brothers who work for the NYPD. They're all enjoying a holiday meal at the Capello home in Brooklyn when a call comes in from an officer in Lower Manhattan: a gunman may have taken the mayor hostage along with several other people. Gemma and her cop brothers rush to the scene, where she soon proves her mettle by establishing a phone bond with the suspect, who wants the city's stop-and-frisk policy rescinded, and offering herself as a hostage to free the others. Meanwhile, she fends off a SWAT team leader eager to make an assault. Convincing descriptions of New York City neighborhoods and police tactics, along with flashbacks full of Italian family lore, compensate for some stilted dialogue and heavy-handed action. Fans of contemporary police procedurals will hope to see a lot more of the capable Gemma. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (July)
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"Exit Strategy." Publishers Weekly, vol. 267, no. 21, 25 May 2020, p. 43. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A626845807/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=9ac28ac0. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Driscoll offers a fascinating look at the training of working dogs."
Leave No Trace
Sara Driscoll. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-2249-2
Driscoll's enjoyable fifth FBI K-9 novel (after 2019's No Man's Land) takes FBI Human Scent Team agent Meg Jennings and her canine partner, Hawk, along with colleague Brian Foster and his dog, to a murder scene in a forested area of Georgia, where a sergeant in the Georgia State Patrol has been farally shot by a three-foot-long hunting arrow. After the dogs are put on the scent, Meg and Brian follow them along a petilous path, proof of the killer's daring and agility. Other people are later killed in a similar fashion. The suspense builds as the investigators try to figure out what connects the deaths before another victim turns up. Despite some red herrings, readers will have little trouble figuring out the guilty party. Driscoll offers a fascinating look at the training of working dogs, who are depicted as uniformly brave and obedient. The romance between Meg and her unbelievably patient boyfriend, firefighter Tom Webb, adds some depth. Fans will look forward to Meg's further adventures. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Dec.)
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"Leave No Trace." Publishers Weekly, vol. 267, no. 41, 12 Oct. 2020, pp. 54+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A639268964/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2691e92f. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Dogs-in-action junkies will be transported."
Driscoll, Sara LEAVE NO TRACE Kensington (Fiction None) $26.00 12, 29 ISBN: 978-1-4967-2249-2
A fifth outing pits search-and-rescue officer Meg Jennings and her canine partner against a serial killer whose choice of weapons drives the story.
The shooting of Sgt. Noah Hubbert, of the Georgia State Patrol, would be shocking under any circumstances. What sets it apart is the fact that he’s been shot with an arrow—and that he’s not the first such victim in the area. Tim Reynolds, the chairman of the Fannin County Board of Commissioners, was struck down by an identical arrow two weeks ago. The killer’s modus operandi should make him absurdly easy to track down: How many archers can reliably hit their targets from as far away as this one clearly was? And the most likely motive is pretty clear too: opposition to the Copperhill Dam, which has been planned to manage the water level of the Toccoa River, which separates McCaysville, Georgia, from Copperhill, Tennessee. But that doesn’t deprive Driscoll of the opportunity for several gripping sequences involving the tracking of the suspect by members of the Human Scent Evidence Team and their canine partners. These action sequences, juiced by the heroine’s fear of heights, are terrific, and the interplay between the dogs and their handlers is deeply felt. But neither the plotting nor the characterization measures up to them. Meg’s friend Clay McCord, of the Washington Post, generates a list of award-winning archers, and then Meg and Special Agent Sam Torres, of the Atlanta FBI, go down the list, trying to ignore the mounting body count, till a profiler points them to the only suspect who’s come close to making an impression.
Strictly for dog lovers and action fans. Dogs-in-action junkies will be transported.
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"Driscoll, Sara: LEAVE NO TRACE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2020. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A638166068/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f1c606b5. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Shot Caller
Jen J. Danna. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-2791-6
A hostage standoff within one of the two Enhanced Supervision Housing units at New York City's Rikers Island drives Danna's solid sequel to 2020's Exit Strategy. Two rival gangs--the Filero Kings and the Gutta Boys--have each taken multiple hostages, including correction officers and inmates, making the situation particularly complex. When Det. Gemma Capello of the NYPD Hostage Negotiation Team succeeds in reaching Eduardo Rivas of the Filero Kings, who seems to be in charge of the fragile inmate hierarchy, she asks for his list of demands. But Rivas says he'll only give them to reporter Greg Coulter, Gemma's nemesis. Gemma relucrantly agrees and seems to be making progress after she arranges with Rivas to get medical care for the hostages. But when a Gutta Boy hangs a Filero King, things start to spin out of control. The prison's warden is set up as an antagonist, but feels underdeveloped, and at times the discussion of police procedure gets repetitive. Still, Danna's convincing portrayal of the hostage negotiating process and life at Rikers keep the pages turning. Readers will look forward to Gemma's next outing. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Sept.)
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"Shot Caller." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 27, 5 July 2021, pp. 46+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A668271293/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5262fd59. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Driscoll, Sara UNDER PRESSURE Kensington (Fiction None) $26.00 11, 30 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3504-1
The FBI's K-9 specialists go after the illegal trade in conflict diamonds.
Dogs can't sniff out diamonds, of course, but they can be trained to follow undercover FBI agents who've been embedded in the Mafia but would be executed if they were found carrying tracking devices. So the Bureau's Kate Moore wants to borrow Meg Jennings and Brian Foster and their dogs, Hawk and Lacey, to keep tabs on Special Agent Finn Pierce, who's gone undercover with the Philadelphia mob as Angelo Marzano. Meg, who's just moved into a D.C. duplex with her partner, firefighter/paramedic Todd Webb--the neighbors in the other half are Meg's sister, dog trainer Cara, and her own partner, Washington Post reporter Clay McCord--is eager to work again with Brian, who's been away from the job nursing Lacey, who saved his life in Leave No Trace(2020). And she seems to enjoy a tourist's-eye view of Philly, whose highlights range from the Liberty Bell to the Rocky steps outside the art museum. In fact, all the trappings (conscientious expository passages on the heroine's home life and the city she's visiting, nuggets of information about diamonds, and lots of dogs) would mark this as a cozy if the franchise character didn't work for the FBI, confront ruthless professional criminals in violent set pieces, and sustain significant physical damage. No sooner has Meg decisively repelled the mobster who's invaded her home, for instance, than Clay follows a lead too far for comfort and falls into the clutches of a capo who's happy to torture him for information.
Love it or hate it, Driscoll's niche--think Margaret Truman meets the mob--is all her own.
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"Driscoll, Sara: UNDER PRESSURE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A677072989/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0df43b7c. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "Those looking for a simple, clean story will be satisfied."
Sara Driscoll. Kensington, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4967-3504-1
In Driscoll's straightforward sixth FBI K9 mystery (after 2020's Leave No Trace), the FBI assigns two agents and their canines who ordinarily do search and rescue--Meg Jennings and her dog, Hawk, and Meg's partner, Brian Foster, and his dog, Lacey--to a case involving blood diamonds ("Diamonds mined and sold to finance a war or a warlord"). The FBI has an undercover agent, Finn Pierce, planted inside the Philadelphia Mafia, but Finn is having trouble busting the mobsters selling the diamonds because the transactions happen so fast. The plan is for Meg and Brian, posing as dog walkers, to follow the undercover agent with Hawk and Lacey to the locations where the sales are taking place and arrest the crooks in the act. They make several attempts that come close, but not close enough. The stakes rise when the Mafia comes after Meg in her home--and it turns out there are more than the gems involved. At times, too much information about blood diamonds and the Mafia slows the pace. Those looking for a simple, clean story will be satisfied. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency. (Dec)
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"Under Pressure." Publishers Weekly, vol. 268, no. 43, 25 Oct. 2021, p. 67. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A681539212/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2643f289. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Driscoll, Sara STILL WATERS Kensington (Fiction None) $26.00 11, 29 ISBN: 978-1-4967-3506-5
A routine training weekend for FBI search-and-rescue dog handler Meg Jennings and Hawk, her black Lab, turns out to be anything but.
Meg and Brian Foster, another handler on the Human Scent Evidence Team, have asked Craig Beaumont, the special agent in charge who heads their unit, to authorize their participation in an event to help their canine charges sharpen their skills at finding human remains in and under water. The weekend in Minnesota's Superior National Forest, organized under the auspices of the Search Dogs of America, brings them into competition with half a dozen other person-and-pooch pairs from New York, Connecticut, Chicago, Wyoming, and California. Disappointed by Hawk's performance on their first search, Meg is horrified that night to see preening Deputy Rita Pratt, of the Laramie County Sheriff's Office, choking Ava, her Malinois partner who's taken the lead. The next day, she learns that Pratt has responded to her threat to report the incident by preemptively filing a similar report against Meg. What makes the turnabout particularly awkward is that in between the two shocking moments, Pratt's corpse has been discovered by none other than Hawk. Called from the Minneapolis FBI office to investigate, Special Agent Jonathan Brogan wastes no time establishing his institutional impartiality by casting Meg as the prime suspect, and she's stripped of her official status pending a formal investigation. Without missing a beat, she sends out an SOS to Washington Post reporter Clay McCord, her sister's partner, who joins Brian and D.C. firefighter/paramedic Lt. Todd Webb, Meg's own romantic partner, to search for clues against the only other suspects: the event's organizers and other participants. As usual, though, it's the dogs who carry off detecting honors.
Not much mystery but reams of logistical detail about the training and handling of these superskilled canines.
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"Driscoll, Sara: STILL WATERS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A717107534/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=acd58565. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
QUOTED: "guaranteed to satisfy old fans of the franchise without necessarily building new ones."
Driscoll, Sara THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE Kensington (Fiction None) $12.99 11, 28 ISBN: 9781496743985
After the death of Ann Vanderlaan, Jen J. Danna, the surviving partner behind the Driscoll pseudonym, shoulders their dog-heavy franchise on her own in this ripped-from-the-headlines tale.
In the week before Christmas, Meg Jennings, a civilian consultant to the FBI's Forensic Canine Unit, is shocked to hear from her brother-in-law, Washington Post investigative reporter Clay McCord, that Talbot Terraces, an upscale 12-story structure combining retail stores and condos only a few blocks from the White House, has partly collapsed. But she's not too shocked to spring into action with Hawk, her canine partner on the Human Scent Evidence Team. Along with other team members including D.C. firefighter/paramedic Todd Webb, her fiance, she and Hawk begin an agonizing search of the pancaked ruins for survivors. The descriptions of both the catastrophic destruction and the laborious, dangerous process of searching are so meticulous that readers will cheer every one of the few successful rescues. Why did the relatively new building collapse? It would seem impervious to natural disasters, and any sabotage would have had to be too carefully planned and extensive to justify a vengeful strike against one of its residents. No sooner has the rest of Talbot Terraces come down, however, than Todd gets word that the Brotherhood of Libertas may have attacked the building and may be eyeing other targets, motivated by a conspiracy theory as outlandish as it is lethal. The shift from a premise inspired by the 2021 collapse of Florida's Champlain Towers South to a search for possible saboteurs makes the story considerably less suspenseful, especially given its paper-thin characters, but gives its real heroes, those highly trained dogs, another chance to shine before Christmas dawns.
Guaranteed to satisfy old fans of the franchise without necessarily building new ones.
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"Driscoll, Sara: THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Oct. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A766904299/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=118ed041. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Driscoll, Sara. That Others May Live. Kensington. (FBI K-9, Bk. 8). Nov. 2023. 352p. ISBN 9781496743985. $27. M
Washington Post investigative reporter Clay McCord shows up at Meg Jennings's door before she even receives a call from her boss at the FBI Forensic Canine Unit. A 12-story building in downtown Washington, DC, has collapsed. Minutes later, Meg is called to the scene. She and her K-9 partner, Hawk, are tasked with searching for survivors. While Meg and Hawk spend long days searching, Meg's fiance, Todd Webb is also searching as part of the DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services. When Todd crawls through a space to attend to a survivor, he finds a cell phone that he suspects might be part of a detonation device. While Meg, Hawk, and Todd are always in danger, it's McCord's research that leads to the suggestion that the building could have been a target of a conspiracy plot, which could include plans to destroy other locations. VERDICT Inspired by the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Florida, the seventh in Driscoll's series (following Under Pressure) is filled with technical details of buildings and explosives. Fans of Meg and Hawk will overlook the technicalities to read about the search-and-rescue teams.--Lesa Holstine
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Holstine, Lesa. "That Others May Live." Library Journal, vol. 148, no. 11, Nov. 2023, p. 40. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A773380673/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=42fb37d8. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.
Driscoll, Sara ECHOES OF MEMORY Kensington (Fiction None) $28.00 7, 23 ISBN: 9781496748706
The only witness to a San Diego murder is a woman with short-term memory loss.
When Quinn Fleming was robbed on her way home from a night out with friends, a brain injury left her with severe memory deficits. Adjusting her life to cope with the fact that events pass swiftly from her memory, she still works at the florist shop Gaslamp Blooms. Quinn's apartment is covered with Post-it notes to help her find things, and she has a notebook to write down anything she knows she'll need to remember. She goes to group therapy classes for people with traumatic brain injuries and is slowly making progress supported by group leader Will Dawsey. Taking out the garbage to an alley behind the shop one night, she sees a man being attacked and killed, his body dragged off to a van. The police think she's making it all up, leaving her extremely frustrated. Then Detective Nura Reyes comes to investigate and understands her problems with memory. Quinn uses her artistic skills to draw what she saw, but she holds off telling Reyes everything while she does a little sleuthing of her own. When a body that washes up on a beach miles from San Diego is identified as that of journalist Jack DeWitt, Reyes suspects that what he was investigating may provide a motive for his death. Quinn's always felt there was a chance the killer may have sensed someone was watching, and when she narrowly escapes being run over in the street, both she and Reyes realize that she's in mortal danger.
A fascinating and compelling look at memory loss wrapped in an exciting mystery.
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"Driscoll, Sara: ECHOES OF MEMORY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A797463254/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=7c3ec246. Accessed 25 Aug. 2024.