Caturday Reads: Dead Storage
Dead Storage by Mary Feliz Kensington Books Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 18 Jul 2017
Review
Dead Storage is a mystery that brings up a lot of pertinent issues - immigrant rights, PTSD in veterans, and homelessness. Stephen, a veteran with PTSD and a good friend of Maggie, is arrested when he is discovered in a restaurant along with the body of the owner. Stephen refuses to talk until the witness, a teen who was born in the US but is missing paperwork is protected. He fears that police will take the easy out, accuse the young man (who is the sole provider for his grandmother and siblings) and deport him before he can prove his citizenship. Already caring for Munchkin, Stephen’s mastiff who was also attacked, Maggie begins her own investigation into the murder, looking for other potential witnesses. At the same time, Maggie searches for the young man and his family, who are desperately afraid but are in need of help and who hold the key to proving Stephen’s innocence.
Mary Feliz illustrates the troubles that immigrant families have when adequate information and legal assistance is not available. This is also echoed in the tales of homelessness, caused by lack of medical care and lack of access to government programs and assistance. Those eligible for assistance through the VA may not get it because of lack of paperwork and lack of access to the means for filing. Stephen is a veteran with PTSD who manages symptoms by long walks with his dog, but the police holding him have little way of dealing with his mental health issues. Dead Storage gives readers a lot to think about.
There isn't a huge mystery aspect to the novel, but there is a strong human aspect. The novel is well done and definitely thought provoking. Munchkin was particularly important because he was the means for Maggie to connect with Stephen’s acquaintances and to get otherwise reluctant individuals to trust and talk to her.
4 / 5
I received a copy of Dead Storage from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
-Crittermom
Description
As a professional organizer, Maggie McDonald brings order to messy situations. But when a good friend becomes a murder suspect, surviving the chaos is one tall task . . . Despite a looming deadline, Maggie thinks she has what it takes to help friends Jason and Stephen unclutter their large Victorian in time for its scheduled renovation. But before she can fill a single bin with unused junk, Jason leaves for Texas on an emergency business trip, Stephen’s injured mastiff limps home—and Stephen himself lands in jail for murder. Someone killed the owner of a local Chinese restaurant and stuffed him in the freezer. Stephen, caught at the crime scene covered in blood, is the number one suspect. Now Maggie must devise a strategy to sort through secrets and set him free—before she’s tossed into permanent storage next . . . “Fans of Feliz’s first book as well as newcomers to the series won’t be disappointed…Moves forward quickly with freshness, a few surprises and a couple of real scares.” —Kirkus Reviews on Scheduled to Death
