Tahoe Trap (An Owen McKenna Mystery Thriller) (Volume 10)

Good plotting, interesting characters. Fun for those who are familiar with Tahoe and the surrounding arera. Not too much swearing. (today's authors seem to think it necessary to drop the f word at least every other page - Borg avoids that).

I love, love, love the Owen McKenna Mystery Thrillers by Todd Borg. They stand out on their own, as well as a fascinating series where he touches on everything that is currently happening, and how it happened. No spoiler alerts from me, though. I will continue to buy Todd Borg's books.

The Owen McKenna books all follow a fun, chewing gun for the brain, formula. Private detective with his faithful dog Spot at his side. Spot is a Great Dane. Other enjoyable characters inhabit his life as well, and he lives at Lake Tahoe, incorporating landmarks that those who have been there will be familiar with.
But this book got preachy about the "illegal immigrant" issue, trying to sway opinion through a sympathetic character. Bit of propoganda I wasn't looking for when I reached for this book. Oh well.

This book has likeable characters with interesting twists and turns. Enough detail has been provided that if you have visited Tahoe you can imagine where they are as the book progresses. The ending was a little abrupt but a nice wrap up.

Tahoe Trap (Owen Mckenna Tahoe Mystery)

Another Todd Borg thriller...suspenseful til the end. Each one of Todd's books sets a theme and he follows it throughout, giving interesting information while keeping readers on the edge of their seat. I have read all of his books and can't wait for the next one! Excellent- I highly recommend it!

This is another superb mystery in the Owen McKenna series. I have read each of Todd Borg's books in this series and each has been an enjoyable read. I enjoy reading a mystery that gives enough clues that I can begin to guess the culprits (and a few times I have) but also brings the story to a satisfying conclusion that ties together all the details with credible and clever connections. This book, Tahoe Trap, included references to previous cases and continued the development of the characters of Owen, Street, police allies and, of course, Spot!
This particular book kept me reading to see how the fate of the young boy would be resolved. The ending was very satisfying.
Thank you, Todd Borg, for creating such believable characters that I wish I could meet them. I met you at the Festival of Books at USC last Spring; asked you about the continuation of the characters and setting in the books, and then proceeded to read the entire series. I will be watching for your next book.

This was my first Owen McKenna mystery and I enjoyed the book. The plot was interesting if a bit far fetched....fire ants and pepper sauce???? Very well edited - a real plus when reading kindle books. i will read more of these books just because it was entertaining and moved along at a good pace.

Really enjoy the Owen Mckenna Tahoe Mystery series and this one is no exception! One thing bothered me, however. Does a condemned house have electricity? That kept popping up in my mind, but just a minor distraction. That being said, I love the series and don't like to start a new book until I can be sure I'll be able to read it non-stop. I found my first Todd Borg book when visiting family in the Lake Tahoe area. Each time I've read a new book, I can picture where everything is taking place. A plus for me. When I am visiting the area, I think of the location of Owen's office and Street's lab and where the mysteries have taken place. And, of course, I keep an eye out for Spot! Looking forward to the next Owen Mckenna Tahoe Mystery!

As usual Todd Borg has another interesting and entertaing book. With his main character Owen McKenna and his wonderful dog Spot, a mystery, set in the beautiful Lake Tahoe area, is again investigated and solved. Love his books!

I usually enjoy his books, but this one was farfetched and very unbelievable even for fiction! It will be awhile before I read another book by Mr. Borg. I can understand why it was a free Kindle book.

HAVE ALL TODD BORGS BOOKS.
HAVE JUST FINISHED THE WHOLE SERIES AGAIN ON MY KINDLE.
HOPE HE KEEPS UP THE GOOD, INFORMATIVE DESCRIPTIONS OF HIS TALES.
IN NEW ZEALAND OUR SOUTH ISLAND WOULD GIVE TAHOE A RUN FOR ITS' MONEY.
KEEP ON WRITING !
MAI

Owen, Street, and Spot are at their best. Not only do they solve a mystery they address current social issues as well. As usual I finish a "Tahoe" book and eagerly (actually impatiently) await the next.

First Line: Paco Ipar awoke to the night fear.

When private detective Owen McKenna answers his phone at 6:30 AM, a young boy's voice cries out, "Help me!" Getting as much information from the terrified child as he can, Owen contacts the police before he and his Harlequin Great Dane, Spot, jump in the Jeep in an effort to locate Paco.

They find him in the forested mountains not far from Lake Tahoe. Paco witnessed his foster mother's murder, and the only way he could escape the notice of the killers was to hide in the back of their truck. Miracle of miracles, Paco managed to escape-- but now there are two hired thugs from Las Vegas looking for him so they can tie up loose ends.

Neither Paco, an illegal immigrant, nor McKenna have the slightest idea why the two killers are after the boy, but McKenna realizes that the killers are not going to stop until their job is done. The only way the detective can see to put an end to the boy's terror is to set a trap... with Paco as bait. This trap is the ultimate in high risk because if McKenna's plan goes wrong, the boy will die.

I know this book is published by Thriller Press, and I know it's listed as a thriller, but that seems such a misnomer. Perhaps I'll start a new subgenre: Thriller with Heart, because Tahoe Trap (and all the other books in the series) have plenty of it. The plots are high octane and the action is faster than a cheetah on speed, but those elements never, ever assume more importance than the characters.

As a former homicide detective, McKenna has a good working relationship with the local police, and he helps them whenever he can. He has a steady relationship with an intelligent, attractive entomologist, and no one has a better sidekick than the Harlequin Great Dane (His Largeness himself), Spot. What makes this tenth book in the series so special is that, for an intense period of time, a child becomes an important part of McKenna's life-- something McKenna doesn't care for at all.

One of my favorite comedians, W.C. Fields, is credited with saying, "Never work with children or animals." McKenna has already broken that rule once with Spot and lived to tell the tale (several times), but Borg's decision to have him deal with Paco is a piece of genius. Paco has learned to be distrustful of people; more often than not he uses an extensive repertoire of shrugs instead of speech. And right now, the only other living being he seems to place any trust in at all is Spot. Everyone McKenna turns to tells him that he's the best person to care for the boy. McKenna-- the man who's never wanted children.

I think I smiled through all the scenes in which McKenna interacts with Paco. He uses a combination of close observation to discover what makes the boy tick and common sense: treat the boy as an intelligent human being. Tell him what's going on. Give him some say in the decision-making process. Paco's been through a lot. He needs to feel as though he's got some measure of control over his own life. McKenna may not want children, but he genuinely cares about people, so he does just fine.

The villain of this piece is sickening, and although some readers may take offense at McKenna using a child as bait in a trap, you have to know that, with characters like Owen and Spot, everything will turn out well.

How well? I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book and find out for yourself. If you're anything like my husband and me, you're going to find yourself reading all the rest of the books in the series, too.

4+ stars. With Borg's Tahoe series, you never get a bad one. It's just a matter of 4 or 5 stars. Most of my reviews have been 5.

This story follows a very familiar formula, but that's okay... it's a formula that works and provides us with a familiar cast of very likable characters.

These books don't pretend to be something they're not. They are pure, fun, escapist mysteries (not necessarily 'thrillers' but they often lead up to a thrilling end). Some of them might arguably go a bit too far for plausibility - this one with its Home Alone titular sequence, and its bizarre antagonist/motivation, but that's what these books are supposed to be. The settings, characters, and story telling are all wonderful. And sometimes you learn something too.

I'm surprised by the small handful of reviewers that described Borg's books as dull or slow. I have to wonder what it is they are looking for because I find them all to be very fast reads, with well paced progression that keeps you turning pages. In fact, Borg has become one of my favorite fiction writers of all time, and this series is definitely my favorite series.

Because of a few oddities, and less inclusion of some of our regular characters, I would not recommend this as the FIRST Todd Borg you read ('Deathfall' should probably be the first) but by all means, don't skip this one.

My biggest problem with this book... it's my last one! I've now read them all and have to wait!

I've been hooked on the Owen McKenna series since I first read "Tahoe Deathfall." The suspense and story lines are adicting. I love getting to know Owen, Spot, Street, Diamond, Ramos et al. When I finish each book I feel like I'm leaving family members knowing I won't see them for a really long time!
"Tahoe Trap" hooks you from page 1 and never lets you go. The only down side is that it ended and now we have to wait so long for the next one.
Even if you're not a dog-lover you'll fall in love with Spot. A bonus in the Owen McKenna series is the detail and accuracy of the Tahoe basin and surrounding areas. Love that he name drops some of our favorite wineries in Eldorado County.
If you haven't read any of Borg's Owen McKenna books - give yourself a treat and buy one or all of them and visit Owen at Lake Tahoe!

My original introduction to Todd was at a craft fair in Sacramento, CA, last fall. My mother and I bought 2 of his books and after reading them, I immediately ordered the rest. I became fully entrenched in the lives of Owen, Spot, Street and all the rest of the `Tahoe' gang. I was hooked! And, after a much-too-long wait, Todd Borg has once again fulfilled my expectations. With the usual array of entertaining characters, Todd has woven an amusing and exciting tale of intrigue and suspense.

I was initially disappointed at Todd's interjection of such a politically explosive subject of illegal aliens; however, without spoiling the end I will say I was happy to see the necessity.

Another page-turner.

About the book: Ten-year-old Paco witnessed the murder of his foster mother and made a desperate call to Tahoe detective Owen McKenna for help. McKenna searches for the foster mother's body and her van, while hiding and protecting Paco from her killers. He doesn't turn the case over to the authorities right away as Paco would be discovered as an illegal immigrant and deported, even though he grew up in the U.S., speaks only English, and has no ties to his home country, Mexico.

The mystery at first seems to revolve only around the foster mother, who was involved in an elaborate scheme to collect information about wealthy residents in the Tahoe area. Paco's life is in danger as he witnessed her murder and was seen by the killers as he ran from them.

I enjoyed the view with McKenna in his Jeep (figuratively) as he drove around Tahoe, from misty mountain to dry desert to scenic beach, searching, following, investigating in order to find the killers. McKenna enlists Paco's help to concoct and prepare an elaborate trap for the killers, hence the title of the book. Super clever! I though it was unusual for McKenna, with his dog Spot, to do so much for Paco, to boost the boy's confidence.

More twists in the plot toward the end of the book turn the mystery into an even more suspenseful thriller. McKenna is a likeable guy who turns out to be a superhero himself.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary ARC for possible review.

Oh boy another adventure with Owen and his Great Dane Spot!

I love reading about all the familiar places in Tahoe.
And if you haven't been to this area you can get a feel of it from Todd's books.
There's even a map so you can track down Owen's adventures.

From the first few pages of "Tahoe Trap" you are hooked or should I say trapped!?
Owen's on a mission to save a young boy named Paco who's the target of killers.
Although quiet, Paco is very clever. You'll be cheering him along as he and Owen
get into situations that will keep you on your toes wondering how they will survive.
And as always Spot will worry you.

I think in this book we see a softer side of Owen in his interaction with Paco.
We already knew he was a kind man in his treatment of Spot but now you can be sure he is.

Come along on a roller coaster ride with all the characters we have grown to love.
As always Todd has done great research. I always learn something new from his books.

Once you get into this book you'll find it hard to put down..............spend the day in Tahoe!

Now I await book eleven!
Think I'll reread one of his older ones.
"Tahoe Avalanche" was my first Todd Borg book and still remains my favorite.

Tahoe Trap, an excellent addition to Todd Borg's Tahoe Mystery Series, starts with a phone call to Owen McKenna from a young boy named Paco who is in the back of a truck careening down a road near Lake Tahoe. The boys just screams "HELP ME!!" McKenna tries to get Paco to talk to him but all the boy can say is that he is trapped in the back of a pick-up truck near Tahoe and two men who are driving the truck have murdered his foster mother, Cassie. The men do not know that Paco had jumped into the truck and also didn't know that he had witnessed the murder of his mother. McKenna, using all the police authorities in the area are trying to pin point Paco by using the GPS in his phone and McKenna finds out that the two men are contract killers from Vegas that use stun guns on their victims and then smother them with plastic wrap.

They do find Paco and Owen takes him home as the boy is an illegal and the only person that took care of him was Cassie. Paco knows a lot about gardening that he learned from Cassie and he also goes to school to learn English. McKenna doesn't know why these men are after Paco but, wants to catch them as, if he doesn't, they will keep after the boy. So, McKenna and his police cohorts hatch a plan, using Paco as bait, to catch them.

This is a wonderful story and a one-day read. Of course, my favorite character is a big dog, named Spot that I thoroughly love. Good Job and I'm looking forward to the next Tahoe Mystery.

An illegal immigrant, a foster mother, an undercover agent, a "large" dog, thugs, murders, and Lake Tahoe are the essence of this thriller.

You will fall in love with the almost-silent, unemotional Paco and feel his pain for the life he has lived for the past ten years. You will also have respect for McKenna who has no children of his own but who is taking on the responsibility of protecting Paco and being a father to him.

The dialogue between characters is wonderful, and the descriptions of the scenery and settings takes you right there enjoying the moment or fearing for your life along with the characters.

I have never read a novel by Todd Borg even though Tahoe Trap is his latest book out of ten. He is an outstanding author with great attention to the reader's reactions to the book's situations. He draws you right into the action, and the end definitely has a lot of action. You will be on the edge of your seat. Excellent author and book with a great deal of research.

Enjoy!! 5/5

This book was given to me by the author free of charge in exchange for an honest review.

Tahoe Trap by the excellent Todd Borg is the tenth Owen McKenna and Spot (cannot leave Spot out) mystery in the Lake Tahoe series. It is always a joy to catch up with the dynamic duo. Spot is a Great Dane, and he is as important to the story as McKenna. In Tahoe Trap, Spot comes through in his own way, as he always does. Without Spot's help, McKenna would not have been able to ....... Well, that would be telling, and that is never a good idea in a review.

The novel has an edge of your seat beginning featuring a young boy named Paco. The ending will not allow the reader to stop reading. There are twists and turns and surprises. I do not want to give too much away.

This latest Owen McKenna and Spot adventure will leave the reader with a desire to read the other Lake Tahoe mysteries and looking forward to the next episode in the life and times of Owen McKenna and Spot. For me, the next mystery cannot appear quick enough.