Customer Reviews

Bad to the Bone (Casey Jones Mysteries #4)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
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Casey Jones made her first appearance in 'Death of a Dream Maker' which Katy Munger wrote under the name of Gallagher Gray. At the time, Casey was a bit of comic relief, a badass girl PI with more moxie than brains.

In the Casey Jones books that Munger has written under her own moniker, however, Casey is a much more complex character, with each book revealing more of the anger and the passion that drives her.

The cover copy compares Katy Munger to Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton, but I find Casey Jones more interesting, complex, (and yes, sexy) than Stephanie Plum or Kinsey Milhone could ever hope to be. For depth of characterization, I'd compare this book more to Robert Crais than to Evanovich or Grafton, and you don't get a much higher compliment in my book.

Oh, and since I live in North Carolina, I love the settings, although I don't think Katy Munger does full justice to South of the Border. For that matter, I don't think ANYONE can do justice to SOB, which has to be seen to be believed.

I've enjoyed all the Casey Jones books written by Katy Munger, and I really thought she would never be able to top Money to Burn. Man, was I ever wrong. Bad to the Bone was an absolute delight from beginning to end. I read the entire book in one evening (and night). I can do without sleep when a book is this good!

The plot, characters......Heck the entire book was just perfect. I wouldn't change a word. Casey Jones kicks some major butt in this one. :) I was so pleased to get a glimpse into Casey's past life, and I really liked the way she handled it. These books are darned good mysteries, but they are just flat-out great fiction. If you are in the mood for humor in a PERFECT book, buy this book now. If you haven't read the rest of the series, go ahead and order them at the same time. You'll be back, and this will save you postage. ;)

Casey Jones made her first appearance in 'Death of a Dream Maker' by Katy Munger (who, at that time, was writing under the name of Gallagher Gray) At the time, Casey was just a big, badass girl PI with more moxie than brains. Beginning with "Legwork", Casey has gotten tougher and sexier, but the character has also gotten deeper and more complex with every book, revealing more and more of the reasons behind the anger that drives her. The book cover mentions Janet Evanovich and Sue Grafton, but Casey is a lot more interesting to me than either Stephanie Plum or Kinsey Millhone ever were. I would compare Katy Munger's work more to Robert Crais due to the depth of characterization and the way she digs deeper into the character with every book.

"Bad to the Bone" is the best Munger yet. Check it out. And all the other ones as well.

Dusty

This is the forth book in the Casey Jones series and it starts out with Casey meeting with her ex husband Jeff. He is the reason she served jail time because she took the fall for him on a previous drug bust. In this book Casey has funny things to say and one of my personal favorites was when Bill Butler said to her, "Casey you are just like a train wreck." Her response back is why do you think they call me Casey Jones. This was a very clever part in the book too.

Right after Jeff leaves the office this older blonde woman walks into Casey's office telling her that her ex husband has beaten her up and taken their little girl. She wants Casey to find her for her. Casey feels sorry for this woman who calls herself Tawny, but when she does some investigating and also finds the little girl she begins to wonder if Tawny is really who she says she is.

Casey is drawn into a murder case where Tawny's ex husband is accused of killing the lover of Tawny. When Casey is paid with a bad check from Tawny she starts to believe that maybe the ex husband is being set up and with Casey on the case, you know things are going to start happening. Very nice ending with all the ends tied up neatly.

I will say I didn't like this one as much as the third in the series, but I do like the Casey Jones character and I will continue to read the next books that come out. I do know that number 5 is available and Ms. Munger is in the process of writing number 6 which will probably be out in 2005.

I don't know what's in the water in Seattle, but I thought this book was excellent. I like my mysteries with a little meat on them and Casey Jones is certainly a meaty character--and all woman, to boot. She's independent and sassy and doesn't listen to people who think she should cross her legs and act like a lady. The only thing I enjoyed more than Bad to the Bone is Better Off Dead. This is an excellent series, and I eagerly await the next installment. Go get 'em, Casey!!!

I don't think the person below who hated the book even read it because her/his comments make no sense. I have no idea what they are talking about. This is in no way an obscene book, at least not by the standards of anyone under 60! I read it cover to cover and was not only never offended, i was very entertained! It is very funny, very tightly-paced and plays fair to the reader -- lots of clues and lots of tension to keep you turning the pages. The mystery component of the story is as good as any I've ever read. And Casey has that heart of gold a true hardboiled protagonist needs -- her sense of justice and moral code is very strong. As for the quality of the writing: Ms. Munger's work is definitely way above the quality of almost all other contemporary mystery authors I have read.

But, no, you will not like her work if Miss Marple is your only idea of a strong female protag. Fortunately, most people are a little more open-minded.

I have liked all of Munger's Casey Jones books to date a whole lot, but have sometimes felt as if she could not decide whether to be a hardboiled or mainstream writer. Her books have been walking a fine line, but Bad to the Bone seems much harder and darker than the other books and that puts it solidly in my camp. It is a true PI novel in that Casey figures out pretty early who her main suspect is and there are not a bunch of red herrings or suspects like in an Agatha Christie book. But the villian is great, especially if you have ever known someone like this particular villian which I would guess most people have. You really want Casey to bring this person down and that keeps you turning the pages. Munger is very funny as usual but there are also some scenes that made cry and some that were downright scary. The jail scene had me howling. I also liked the way Munger changed Casey in this book and showed us that she is less than perfect. I recommend this book to anyone who has enjoyed her previous books or to readers who like PI novels with an edge.

.... Stephanie Plum's book was a slight disappointment this year, so it's WONDERFUL to make a new discovery (for me) and find Casey Jones!

Where Stephanie Plum is still bumbling her way through after how many years on the job?, Casey is a smark cookie (or Krispy Kreme donut) who has the chutzpah to face her troubled past as it intersects her latest manhunt.

Ex-husbands, current boyfriends who are riding out funks, and downright no-holds-barred evil murderers who kidnap kids make for just part of the varied cast that Munger paints so well. I love her character descriptions and sense of place (though true enough, South of the Border isn't portrayed nearly as wierdly as it should have been).

I'm looking forward to this weekend to read the next book in the series!

This is, I think, Katy Munger's best book. The plot, for a start, is an absolute corker: when she's used by a client, blonde bitca Tawny Bledsoe, to frame an innocent man for murder, Casey Jones swears revenge. The only problem is, things from the past -- her no-good ex-husband, her sometime lover Bill Butler, and her own trailer-trash upbringing -- keep getting in the way. The writing is superb. There's all the fast-moving action, local colour, wit and sass we've come to expect from Munger, but there's also a greater psychological depth to the novel as Casey tries to come to grips with her own past. If you're a fan of female PIs -- hell, if you're a mystery fan at all -- you are going to love this book. Just don't try reading it in bed -- you'll be up all night because it's quite a pageturner.

Katy Munger has done it again, only better. Revisiting Casey Jones is as much fun as ever and the action is swift and clever. I really like lead characters that are human, with human foibles and weaknesses, rather than the infallible cardboard ones found in so many mysteries. Casey Jones is not perfect. Which is probably the thing I like best about her. Bad To The Bone is terrific.