The St. Paul Conspiracy

McRyan Mystery Series, Book 2

By: Roger Stelljes

Narrated by: Johnny Peppers

Murder... Greed... Treason... The morning after Halloween, the city of St. Paul awakens to find that a serial killer terrorizing the blue-collar working women of University Avenue has struck for the fifth time.

Thirty-two-year-old, fourth-generation St. Paul Homicide Detective Michael "Mac" McRyan thought his day was going to be less stressful. His day would involve paper work, coffee, and maybe even an early trip to the pub. Then his cell phone tells him his day is about to change. A body has been found in a high-end condominium between Summit and Grand Avenues; and it's not just anyone.

"Your day just got worse," Mac tells his captain. The victim is Claire Daniels, the Twin Cities' most prominent political and investigative reporter. Claire was stunningly attractive. She had blonde hair, blue eyes and a curvaceous body she worked on relentlessly. Claire was the desire of every man in town.

With the Daniels murder on top of the latest serial killer attack, the political and media pressure on the St. Paul Police Department only builds and places Mac in the middle of a dangerous and high-stakes murder investigation that will ultimately have national political and security implications.

New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Roger Stelljes delivers an action packed story in the McRyan Mystery Series. Vince Flynn described Roger as: "A powerful new thriller voice." Stelljes' vivid characters, his gift for gritty and real dialogue, as well as his uncanny sense of place and time, will put you in the middle of the action allowing you to feel the desperation of Mac McRyan and his fellow detectives.

©2006 Roger Stelljes (P)2014 Roger Stelljes

Good narrator - lots of details in story

This story had some twists and turns but most of them you could see coming. There was a lot of detail that sometimes had me zoning out while listening in the car but the narrator was good so that helped.

What a thrilling read

The first book was meh as a prequel but now I’m glad I continued this book is nothing like the first one you can tell the book was well thought. There was a fair bit of repetition in the dialogue and narration. I also didn’t like the portrayal of nearly every female as breathtakingly beautiful hard to believe and really quite sexist.

I am so pleased that I found the McRyan Mystery Series. This was the first in a series and was enjoyable. I am looking forward to the second book in the series.

McRyan doesn't disappoint!

What did you love best about The St. Paul Conspiracy?

I love the fact that McRyan is personally flawed and still is able to catch some breaks and do his job well just by trying to make the right decisions all the time. Case in point - the money he invested in his friends seem to be paying off.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that even though you can see what is coming most of the time, the story is carved so well that you are still engaged. I mean, it's obvious that Mac and Sally are going to get together - but I liked hearing it happen. The conspiratorial story was plausible as well.

What does Johnny Peppers bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Listening to a story allows me to better visualize the characters - I like listening to a novel much better than watching a movie adaptation - I still get to use my imagination while listening. Johnny Peppers has a good tempo and the characters are not over-the-top to distract from the story.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did not have an extreme reaction - it was not an emotional roller coaster like some books can be. But, I wasn't expecting anything more that what I received.

Minnesotans with southern accents?

I loved this story! Full of twists and turns and a little romance, as well. It's on the long side, but it kept me on pins and needles the whole time! Would they find the evidence before the bad guys?

But, I have a couple of complaints, one big, the other not so much. First, in the chase scene, how come the cops don't have mics that allow them to talk to each other? And, second (and this is the big one!): Why do most of the male characters have a southern twang in their voices? This is supposed to be Minnesota, heart of the Midwest! I grew up there, and people do not have that sort of accent. I also lived in the south for 10 years and know the difference! If you're going to narrate it without the Midwest accent, then at least leave out the southern accent! It made me cringe every time I heard it.

Prodigy cop, Mac, w brilliant sleuthing instincts!

This is a fast-paced, well-executed read. This is my second McRyan mystery. Loved it More than the first!

The surprise ending

I thought the narration of the female's vouce/s was weak. It seemed too slow and practiced.

I really liked this book, it keept my interest !

I really enjoyed this book.It held my attention.Best part was where they found the dics and reviled the real killer
as we never knew his real name..Also great story line.So true to crooked businesses.
Characters were real.

great story

love it. looking forward to hearing more in this series. Loved the narrator. keep interest till the end.

OK read and poor narration..

Let me start by saying this didn’t have to be 340 pages. It was so repetitive it was ridiculous. In a matter of 3 or 4 pages he repeated 3 times what evidence they had against the senator. If they’d been talking to some that was mentally challenged I might be able to see it but they were talking to THE senator, someone fairly intelligent. And they all ate and drank a whole lot. That was unnecessary, describing everything they ate from every restaurant they went to and what they drank at every bar and pizza at home and what they wanted on it. Really? Who cares? It causes skimming and that’s always a bad thing.

This author must really be from the Twin Cities or he has a great map. There were so many routes with every street name they took when following the suspect. Could have been a good murder/suspense if there hadn’t been so much unnecessary BS. It was based on finding a serial killer at the same time looking for whoever killed a popular investigative reporter. Actually, there were a few killings that were eventually intertwined. And,I don’t even remember one cop with a gun in his hand or a gun even mentioned until about 95% of the book. Not a shoot-‘um-up at all, except at the very end of the book. It was a decent book but there was too much skimming for me, too much filler. Plus, you knew exactly who the bad guys were at the very beginning of the book and I don't really like knowing that.

There was a slight romance in this but no sex whatsoever, a fade-to-black at about 39% but nothing more, maybe a kiss or two.

There was swearing and the F-bomb was used 52 times.

As to the narrator: One reviewer said this, “reader doesn't seem to create interest... Monotone!” And that’s exactly right. He does great voices, mostly, except Riley’s voice was horrible, but Johnny Peppers is so boring when he reads. No emotion whatsoever. He didn’t laugh, whisper (and there are times when you HAVE to whisper or the book just sounds really stupid), yell, grumble, mutter, NOTHING! WTH kind of narrator is that? And, how did he ever get 4 and 5 star reviews. I would have to pass on this narrator in the future.

Not so fast

If you could sum up The St. Paul Conspiracy in three words, what would they be?

Complex, twisty, character

What did you like best about this story?

I really like how there are almost two mysteries in one. It was a complex story, but very well put together.

What about Johnny Peppers’s performance did you like?

Mr. Peppers has a wide range of voices that he uses well to distinguish the characters. There were at least 10 character voices that he had to do and I enjoyed them all.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

They should have taken a page from Ms. Daniels book. Their lack of perfectionism came at a cost.

Any additional comments?

A great story with a great narrator really brings a book to life.