Aftershock by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell

When an earthquake strikes San Francisco, forensics expert Jessie Teska faces her biggest threat yet in this explosive new mystery from the New York Times bestselling duo.

There’s a body crushed under a load of pipes on a San Francisco construction site, and medical examiner Dr. Jessie Teska is on call. So it’s her job to figure out who it is—and her headache when the autopsy reveals that the death is a homicide staged as an accident.

Jessie is hot on the murderer’s trail, then an earthquake sends her and her whole city reeling. When the dust clears, her case has fallen apart and an innocent man is being framed. Jessie knows she’s the only one who can prove it, and she races to piece together the truth—before it gets buried and brings her down in the rubble.

With Melinek and Mitchell’s trademark blend of propulsive prose, deft plotting and mordant humor, this rollicking new installment in the Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery series will shake you up and leave you rattled.

Don’t miss our reviews of the rest of the Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery series!
For book one, First Cut, click HERE.

 

 

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
B&N  ~  Google Play  ~  iTunes  ~  Kobo
Audiobook (US)  ~  Hardcover (US)
Hanover Square Press (HQN)

 

 

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

When a well-to-do businessman is found crushed, it’s up to Jessie to figure out whether it’s a terrible accident or murder.

Jessie and Anup have a somewhat stunted relationship. Anup is not available emotionally beyond what he gives to Jessie and Jessie is almost desperate in her attempts to fit in with Anup’s family. It’s an interesting dynamic to watch unfold. However, I felt almost zero chemistry between Anup and Jessie the entire story.

Jessie has her hands full with people coming at her from all different directions in this case. The wife and business partner are looking like they need money, the son seems less than credible, and then you have all of the workers on the job... the suspect list might be never ending.

I like how fast this story was. You have a few characters who really carry the storyline and as you watch everything unfold, you’ll seemed surprised until you aren’t.

I think the only real issue I had with the book was calling the EMT/morgue people by a number throughout the story. It was a little distracting.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.


Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
We meet Dr. Jessie Teska on a construction site where a well known architect has died a gruesome death. She quickly figures out that the death is murder rather than the accident it appears to be. But before we can get too caught up in working out who the killer is, an earthquake hits the city and the story takes a new direction. Between Jessie dealing with the emergency of the quake and its aftermath and boyfriend trouble, I nearly forgot about the dead architect.

I confess, I guessed early on who the killer was, but I had no idea how or why. This wasn’t an issue for me because Aftershock kept me engaged and I enjoyed having the questions of the how and whys answered, while at the same time dealing with Jessie’s hectic life.

It was fun to be back with Dr. Jessie Teska. She is stubborn, single-minded, and doesn’t always make the smart decision. It is great to have an imperfect heroine. Another great thing about Aftershock is the diversity of the characters. The people in Jessie’s life come from all different walks of life and it added interest and helped make the story feel more genuine.

Aftershock is another good mystery in the Jessie Teska series, and it isn’t essential to have read the previous book to read this one. I look forward to more of Jessie’s adventures and to seeing where her personal life goes. If you enjoy a good mystery, Aftershock is worth a read.

 

 

Judy Melinek

JUDY MELINEK, M.D. is a graduate of Harvard University. She trained at UCLA in medicine and pathology, graduating in 1996. Her training at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York is the subject of her memoir, Working Stiff, which she co-wrote with her husband. Currently, Dr. Melinek is CEO of PathologyExpert Inc., & works as a forensic pathologist in Oakland. She also travels nationally and internationally to lecture on anatomic & forensic pathology and she has been consulted as a forensic expert in many high-profile legal cases.

Connect with Judy

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T.J. Mitchell

T.J. MITCHELL graduated with an English degree from Harvard and worked in the film industry before becoming a full-time stay-at-home dad and screenplay consultant in 2000. He co-authored the New York Times bestseller Working Stiff with his wife, Dr. Judy Melinek, in 2014. He and Judy are currently collaborating on First Cut, the debut novel in a medical examiner detective-fiction series, while raising their three children in San Francisco.

Connect with T.J.

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

 

 

Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Aftershock (A Dr. Jessie Teska Mystery #2) by Judy Melinek & T.J. Mitchell to read and review.