Maximum Insecurity (Momento Mori Mystery) [Paperback]

P. J. Grady (Author)

Book Description

Series: Momento Mori Mystery | Publication Date: April 1999

P.J. Grady's Maximum Insecurity, featruing PI Matty Madrid, the first nortena - native of northern New Mexico - to appear in a mystery series. Her investigations take her from trendy galleries to the barrio, from the state capitol to mountain villages, Indian Pueblos, and New Age communes. "At the Texas State Prison, you can put out a man's life for a cupcake. At the Penetentiary of New Mexico it'll cost you at least a carton of cigarettes." When an inmate dies an "accidental death," Matty uncovers multiple murders and singular corruption at the pen. The stunning conclusion is set in the eerie world of prison lockdown. Matty's goals are simple - an ice-cold Tecate and justice for all - and, as a one-time sherriff's deputy fired for insubordination, she knows how to take care of herself, her family, and her friends. Matty's family has been in northern New Mexico since 1698, and, in the owrds of the prison warden, she "didn't fall off no turnip truck."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A remarkable debut. P.J. Grady's Matty Madrid should give Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta a run for the money." -- Walter Satterthwait, author of Masquerade

"MAXIMUM INSECURITY" is crafty, clever, and witty. Welcome Matty Madrid - and her creator P.J.Grady - to the world of mystery." -- Sarah Lovett, author of A Desperate Silence

"P.J. Grady's MAXIMUM INSECURITY is a can't miss debut for Matty Madrid, who steps up to take her place among the most interesting sleuths of the 90s." -- Bill Crider, author of Death by Accident

About the Author

P.J. Grady is a cousin by marriage of outlaws Frank and Jesse James, and she knows her territory. She is on a first-name basis with rustlers, child molesters, and contract killers. She's worked at the Penitentiary of New Mxico (the state's only maximum security facility, housing death row and the "hole") the Public defender's Department, and State District Court. In the early 90's, an inmate with an attitude and a homemade knife took her hostage. She sued the Collections Department for negligence and the state settled for nearly a quarter of a million dollars.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Avocet Pr Inc; 1st edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966107241
• ISBN-13: 978-0966107241
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,417 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shamus nomination well-deserved, May 12, 2000

By 

Cluelass (Portland, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Insecurity (Momento Mori Mystery) (Paperback)

Maximum Insecurity was recently nominated for the Shamus Award for Best First Novel, by the Private Eye Writers of America. This is a lean, mean novel that will impress every fan of hardboiled mystery. The emphasis is on a taut, fast-moving plot, but Grady also gives us a unique and fascinating protagonist in Matty Madrid. As a former resident of New Mexico, I can say that this is one of the few novels in that setting that really gets it right -- you can almost taste the green chile. And the absolute authenticity of the prison setting will give you cold chills. I highly recommend this for every mystery reader. (And the paperback edition from Avocet is really beautiful.)

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!!, October 10, 2000

By 

Brian (New Mexico, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Insecurity (Momento Mori Mystery) (Paperback)

Miss grady is a close friend of mine, and i think that as a teacher of mine and as a friend, she is a really good author. The book is very suspense full, and very well writen in general. I was suprised at the way the plot turned out, and I thought that she deserves a Shamus Award.

Brian

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Impressive Debut, July 17, 2001

By 

Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Maximum Insecurity (Momento Mori Mystery) (Paperback)

As the author of a mystery series featuring a male Latino in a leading role, my path often crosses with PJ Grady's as we make our way around the mystery community's conventions. We frequently serve as members of the same author panels, and I am always proud to be part of the same panel as Ms. Grady. MAXIMUM INSECURITY is a terrific debut novel, and Matty Madrid is an amazing creation. Matty is true to life. Ms. Grady has a thorough understanding of the Hispanic culture of northern New Mexico. Matty accurately reflects her time and place. In MAXIMUM INSECURITY, Matty is hired to investigate the murder of a prison inmate. That murder proves to be merely the tip of an enormous iceberg of corruption. During the course of Matty's investigation, the reader learns much about this young woman PI and the world in which she operates. MAXIMUM INSECURITY was most deserving of its Shamus Award nomination.