Grave on Grand Avenue

Ellie Rush #2

by Naomi Hirahara

LAPD bicycle cop—and aspiring homicide detective—Ellie Rush is back on patrol in the newest mystery from the award-winning author of Murder on Bamboo Lane.

Ellie stops for a friendly chat with gardener Eduardo Fuentes while patrolling one of Los Angeles’s premier concert halls. A few minutes later she’s shocked to discover him lying at the bottom of a staircase, clinging to life and whispering something indecipherable. Nearby, the father of Xu, a Chinese superstar classical musician, claims Fuentes was knocked down while attempting to steal his son’s multimillion-dollar cello—a story Ellie has trouble believing.

Meanwhile Ellie has issues of her own to deal with—like the curious theft of her car, a 1969 Pontiac Skylark. But after the gardener takes his last breath and Xu mysteriously disappears, it’s clear to Ellie she must act quickly before someone else falls silent…

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Asian Literature, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

291 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Naomi Hirahara is the USA Today-bestselling and award-winning author of multiple mystery series, noir short stories, nonfiction history books and one middle-grade novel. Her Edgar Award-winning Mas Arai series features a Los Angeles gardener and Hiroshima survivor. Her first historical mystery, CLARK AND DIVISION, which follows a Japanese American family from Manzanar to Chicago in 1944, won a Mary Higgins Clark Award in 2022. Her two other series star a young mixed race female LAPD bicycle cop, Ellie Rush, and a Filipina-Japanese American woman in Kaua'i, Lellani Santiago. She also has written a middle-grade book, 1001 CRANES. In 2025, the history book she co-wrote with Geraldine Knatz, TERMINAL ISLAND: LOST COMMUNITIES ON AMERICA'S EDGE, won a California Book Award gold medal. She, her husband and their rat terrier live happily in her birthplace of Pasadena, California.

Reviews

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: For those who follow my reviews, you know ninety-nine percent of what I review are cozy mysteries. This mystery is not a cozy. It’s somewhere between a cozy and a bit grittier crime fiction. But I feel it will appeal to all mystery readers.

Ms. Hirahara has written a gripping story in this second book of her Officer Ellie Rush Mystery series.

Her characters are intense and multilayered. One such character being the series lead, Ellie. She’s a good cop, and can be tough when times call for it. Her softer side shows in the loss of her car, The Green Mile, when it is stolen.

There are many twists and turns leading up to the “I didn’t see that coming” ending. And I really didn’t! I like it when a book shocks me.

Naomi Hirahara is an excellent author and a great voice in the mystery genre. I look forward to what the next book in this series has to offer.

[OpenBookSociety.com · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://openbooksociety.com/article/gr...

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Jeanie

Grave on Grand Avenue is an extremely well-written novel, giving the reader insight into the inner workings of the big-city police departments. Ellie Rush is in her second year as a cop, her first as a bicycle cop. Many of her peers are aware of her relationship to Cheryl Toma, her aunt and the Assistant Chief of the City’s police department which is like a strike one for who might want to be her partner. Her college degree is the second strike – as if being a woman on the force isn’t enough! Ellie is a very intelligent, hard-working young Japanese-American woman; she knows Little Tokyo in LA; bringing much to her team.

It is not a daily event for Ellie and her partner to get involved with a robbery or aggravated assault while on bicycle assignments, and it is quite by accident that she meets the weathered Mexican-American gardener who she interacts with briefly – then minutes later he is almost dead, having been pushed down a stairway by the father of the famed Xu, visiting cellist from China. The backdrop for these events is near the Walt Disney Concert Hall; descriptives of this, the garden, and the other neighborhoods show the reader the special beauty of each.

This case, and her best friend Nay’s growing friendship with the Xu’s and their publicist, lead the LAPD to one dead end after another while Ellie attempts to find Nay without causing problems with her job. The case clearly has international implications when the Xu’s, prevented from escaping by private jet, go off the grid – leaving behind all their luggage and Xu’s Stradivarius, valued at over $5 million. Afterwards, challenges occur from their home in China when they requested to return home.

The Green Mile, Ellie’s antique boat of a car, has been stolen, so she relies on her bicycle or public transportation to get around. The car was signed over to her from her paternal grandmother; the car had once belonged to her anonymous grandfather who had left before his son, Ellie’s father, was born. Who would want the old tank? The theft of the Green Mile will open the door to many old family secrets that she has been unaware of, secrets that threaten the peace and well-being of her family.

Grave on Grand Avenue would be one of what I would think of as an objective mystery – one that has more drama than humor. I like both equally well: both require diligence and intelligence to follow the clues and the labyrinthine plots, and one or the other will meet a reader’s preference on any given day. This novel is easy to begin reading and hard to put down; the reader is pulled into the opening scene with the missing car and learning about Ellie. This is the second novel in the series and can easily be read as a stand-alone

The characters and the LAPD are clearly urban with a different outlook and approach to crime solving than those in cozy small towns. That being said, the various neighborhoods have their own unique flavor as small towns would. The characters are very well defined and are emotionally and intellectually the equal of their small town counterparts. I like and respect Ellie, including her scholastic background, devotion to family, and goals. I actually enjoyed her friend Rickie in some ways, also. He has found his own unique ways of getting money – repurposing furnishings and other items found in his dumpster diving activities and selling them. It is surprising to me that Ellie’s closest friend is Nay, at least as seen in this mystery, as their priorities seem different in many ways. The reader is given an opportunity to see growth in Ellie as she faces the struggles of the unveiling of the family secret and the case with the gardener and the cellist while her friends and family are emotionally unavailable or involved in the tumult themselves.

The plot seems fairly straightforward, but it isn’t until late in the novel that the primary challenges, which include the Xu’s secrets, the secrets in Ellie’s family, and the absence of Nay are seen in actuality. I enjoyed having two mysteries within another, larger one, as well as having opportunity to see the growth of the primary character. This was an exciting novel that almost dared the reader to solve the puzzles of the mysteries, of which none were easy. I highly recommend this to people who enjoy young urban law enforcement mysteries, and those that appreciate more logic than intuition when reading a novel. Grave on Grand Avenue is the second in what I hope will be a long-running series, and I hope to also learn more about the Japanese-American culture in upcoming novels by Naomi Hirahara.

[Rinku · Rating 5 out of 5]

a fun read

Another great bicycle cop crime solving book. I loved the returning characters and all the humor. I hope she writes another book in this series.

[Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Ellie is patrolling one of Los Angeles’s premier concert halls she chats with gardener Eduardo Fuentes. Minutes later she finds him lying at the bottom of a staircase, clinging to life and whispering something indecipherable. The father of Xu (pronounced "Chew"), a popular Chinese classical musician, accuses Fuentes of attempting to steal his son’s multimillion-dollar cello and was knocked down as a result. But Ellie has trouble believing that account. Mr. Fuentes dies from his injuries and Xu goes missing. All while the department is scrambling to stop a rash of robberies from the Old Lady Bandit.

A substory has Ellie dealing with family drama when she discovers that the person who stole her beat-up 1969 Pontiac Skylark is a long lost relative with hidden agendas and a dark past.

Ellie Rush is half Japanese, and among her friends her career choice isn't appreciated. She has to deal with derision because she is a lowly bicycle cop and distrust because her Aunt Cheryl has the Police Chief job in her sights. Nay Pram is her best friend who puts distance between them during this book as she follows her journalism career that conflicts with Ellie's at times. Detective Cortez Williams gets little page-time, but his scenes show him to be a good influence for Ellie. Benjamin, Ellie former boyfriend, appears in this story again and there is some resolution between them. Aunt Cheryl is still ambitious but shows her family loyalty as well. Ellie's father takes the family drama poorly, which actually had me liking him for his struggle.

Ms. Hirahara displays Los Angeles as vibrant and busy with its big-city problems. She deftly flavors the book with the mix of cultures that shapes LA into its own unique identity. The plot was fine with the Old Lady Bandit case in the background and the struggle over a renowned musician's Cello resulting in death. But, I do have to say that neither story line had much immediacy to it, nothing that raised the tension to hurry and solve the murder etc. This low tension factor slowed the pace a bit as well.

The climax had one notable tense moment around the Old Lady Bandit case, but the resolution to the disappearance of musician Xu and his father was anti-climatic and matter-of-fact. The wrap-up emphasized how important the bond between her friends is and gives a positive note as well as a development with with Cortez that leaves the reader wanting more.

This second book had a tough act to follow from the debut book in this new series. It is a solid story with wonderful and fresh characters that lacked a suspenseful engine to ratchet-up the tension. All-in-all, I enjoyed the book and appreciate Ellie and her world.

Rating: Fine - A fun read, good but not stellar.

Series: 2nd in Officer Ellie Rush Mystery series

Obtained Through: Publisher for honest review

Join me at my book blog: Mysteries and My Musings
http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grave On Grand Avenue is the second book in the An Officer Ellie Rush Mystery series.

This is a great follow up to Murder On Bamboo Lane. While this series may not fall under the classification as a “Traditional Cozy” it is not to far away. Violence and bad language are at a minimum. I have discovered classical music late in life and was very happy to read a book that embraces this area of music, more than a casual mention of a composer or their works. But in no way does the reader need to be a devotee of classical music.

Ellie is devastated to find that her 1969 Buick Skylark, that she fondly calls The Green Mile has been stolen right out of her driveway, without her knowing. When she arrives at the station she calls Detective Cortez Williams to report the theft. At one time Ellie had hoped there could be a romantic relationship with Williams, but she has pretty much given up hope now. Williams explains that he has been tied up on the Old Lady Bandit case and will turn over her information to the Robbery Department. Then she and her partner, Johnny Mayhew head out on patrol. They are in front of the Walt Disney Concert Hall and as Ellie is going up the steps she hears a disturbance sees a gardener falling down the steps. As she goes to investigate she hears someone yell the man, Eduardo, has tried to steal the valuable cello of his son, Xu, a renowned cellist. Soon the PR representative of the concert hall appears and tries to claim it was simply precipitated by the alleged attempted theft. Nay, Ellie's best friend and a reporter for a local campus newspaper are able to attend Xu's concert, while at the reception after the concert, Nauy meets Washington Junge, a translator for Xu and his father. Nay decides to spend some time with Junge with the hopes of gathering information as to what happened for a news article for her paper. Ellie's friendship with Nay is on the skids, expecially when Ellie learns that Xu, hid father, Washingon Junge and Nay are at a private airfield getting ready to leave the area.

In addition, Ellie is upset to meet her paternal grandfather that she had known about. He was the one who had “stole” The Green Mile”, having kept an ignition key all these years. To make things even worse, he arrives at Ellie's door on Mother's Day with all of the family there. Lita punches him in the jaw and Ellie's father wants nothing to do with his dad. Aunt Cheryl is the only one wants to have anything to do with him and that is because he is sure he know who the Old Lady Bandit is and Aunt Cheryl, the Asst. LAPD chief would like to get this case solved.

I love this series and am looking forward to the next book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first book of this series, Murder on Bamboo Lane and finally had time to read the second. I have grown attached to Ellie Rush, a bicycle cop in L.A. and her whole family. They are all back and more them in this book. I worked in downtown L.A. for several years and loved that many of the street and areas were so familiar to me. But I have also have grown to love Ellie and her family with the exception of long missing grandfather. That is why I was disappointed that there will be no third book. I was hoping to read about how she made detective. But life is short and there is nothing that I can do about it.

There are two mysteries going on at the same time, a gardener falls down the stairs of a high proile Chinese musicians abode and Eliie's Green Mile (1969 Buick Skylark is missing. I prefer the second mystery to the first because Ellie learns interesting details about her family history. It is a great mystery but I recommend that you read both books of this series so that you do not miss any of Ellie, the bicycle cop.

[Mark Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ellie is on patrol new the Walt Disney Concert Hall when a gardener is pushed down the stairs by the father of a famous Chinese cellist. What lead to that? Meanwhile, she gets a tip on a series of bank robberies from a very surprising source. With the professional and personal implications of both cases complicating her life, can Ellie solve the cases without making too many waves?

Even with two mysteries I did feel the personal life portion of the book overshadowed the mysteries at times, causing them to be underdeveloped. However, I still really did enjoy the book. Ellie and the rest of the cast are very real characters, and you can’t help but be drawn in to the story. I was turning pages quickly to find out what would happen next.

NOTE: I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Holy Mother of Bon Jovi. I'm really liking this series. I read a lot and its rare for me to find a book I just love all around. There is nothing new about the plot. There is nothing unheard of going on between the pages of this book. But the characters, the attention to detail, the interactions between everyone involved. This was fun and really interesting to read. I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. The series continues to grow which and I hope continues on with the same caliber of writing. Five Stars! Two thumbs up!

[Mariya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need a third book, and there's no third book. What am I gonna do now?

[Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ellie Rush is intensely dislikeable due much in part to being ableist, classist, slut shaming, and discriminatory. Despite being published in 2014, Ellie is hardcore pro-cop and has complete disdain for anyone who is low income or from a non dominant identity group (Hispanic, first generation immigrant, ship workers, incarcerated, just to name a few).

She is appalled that she gets spit on at the funeral of a gardener who is accused of attempting to steal a $5m cello. This occurs just after the family learned that the cops closed the case saying it was an accident as he was a criminal - despite the lack of criminal history. Ellie can’t believe his family and community would judge her based on the behavior of her fellow cops. She doesn’t once stop to consider that the root of the community’s anger and distrust come from being systematically disenfranchised and stereotyped by the cops. Instead, she constantly describes working class, immigrant, and Spanish speaking communities as suspicious, untrusting of the cops, and potential criminals. I mean, she won’t even let neighborhood kids ride her bicycle lest a photo be taken and she learns that the child is “associated with a gang.” Seriously, we’re going to assume all children are criminals and gang members based on the neighborhood they grew up in?

Ellie’s friends have pulled away from her due to her constant caustic judgment about dumpster diving and dating. Her family is in chaos and also unlikeable. Ellie and her father slut shame her grandmother. The entire family presumes that her formerly incarcerated grandfather is untrustworthy and inherently a criminal decades after being released from prison. Her grandmother, an international traveler, doesn’t know basic geography nor does she care to learn about the people or the cultures that’s she visits. She returns from a trip to Puerto Rico apparently not realizing that it is, in fact part of the U.S. or that Puerto Ricans are American citizens.

Ellie’s Aunt Cheryl is cold and calculating which is how she’s risen to the top of the LAPD. She could have actually been interesting if she wasn’t so one dimensional. If anything, this series should have been written from the perspective of Aunt Cheryl. Ellie is clearly a 50 year old masquerading in the body of a 20 something year old. Her personality and character are a much better fit for Aunt Cheryl where at least, we could have explored the moral gray areas and unethical things she was required to do to work her way to the top of the LAPD’s good old boys club.

I made it halfway through the book before I finally had enough. The mystery is so muddled that I have zero interest in finding out what really happened if it means spending one more page with these characters.

[Dawn Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve been introduced to a character as endearing and refreshing as Officer Ellie Rush. A, first-year, right-out-of college, hapa, rookie bicycle cop riding the streets of L.A., a town she knows well and loves more. The author makes her beat a character in and of itself. I find myself noting spots I’d like to visit on my next trip there. Ellie is surrounded by a trio of college friends with a penchant for meeting over ramen, an Asian tiger Mom, an eccentric paternal grandmother who is not Spanish but taught her the language, a spunky younger brother, a resilient and accepting engineer Dad, a powerful and politically savvy aunt who just happens to be the highest ranking female officer in the LAPD, and a maternal grandmother who peppers conversations and family drama with sage remarks. The characters and their close but complex relationships are so entertaining that I forgot about the underlying murder and mystery! I cannot wait for the next installment!!

[Beesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery series, much like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series except significantly more intelligently written than that franchise. It's "mystery lite," where the actual mystery is not terribly compelling, but dish about the characters keeps you turning the pages. As a bonus, the books have many L.A. references that are well done and enjoyable. My favorite character is the narrator's 84-year old grandmother, who provides comic relief. When told about the narrator recovering stolen bicycles, including one that cost $2,000.00, the grandmother says, "Why on earth would someone be riding around on a bicycle worth that much money? Don't they know that you can get a perfectly good one from Costco for a hundred dollars?" A good, fast read.

[Alton Motobu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emphasis on relationships - parent/child, grandparent/grandchild, brother/sister, college classmates, ex-boyfriend/girlfriend, etc. - centered around LAPD bicycle cop, Ellie Rush and her circle - all against a backdrop of murder and theft of a multi-million dollar cello. Ellie's family is especially interesting - a multi-ethnic blend of Asian, Latin0, and a recently discovered European strain. The murder is not especially interesting; what holds your interest is the series of quirky events that keep Ellie going. A character from the author's other series, Mas Arai, makes a brief but noteworthy appearance.

Disappointed that this seems to be the end of the series. Perhaps Ellie will appear in Mas Arai's mysteries.

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie Rush. Half Japanese/part Portuguese, 2nd year bike cop with the LAPD, niece of LAPD assistant police chief Cheryl Toma.

While on duty one day, she and her partner become involved in an act of aggression against an older Hispanic man working on the flowers at a downtown music venue. He's been pushed down some stairs and stands accused of attempting to steal an old valuable cello to be played that evening at an event.

Just to keep her on her toes, her old hand me down car has been stolen right out of her driveway. And the detective dude that she would like to spend time is busy with a robbery case and doesn't have much time for her.

Nor does her gal Nay, who's making her mark on the reporting world.

But wait! Her dad's dad comes into the picture! Oh what a mess!

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 1 out of 5]

These books are set in my neighborhood or very close to it - and there is some charm/pleasure of recognition. The details of the plot however? Blech. Leaving aside the apparent inability of anyone - including experts - to tell a reproduction from an antique - the protagonists insistance in unofficially involving herself in a case to which she has only a tangential relationship - "She just can't help getting involved with the case" - Why?

@ 67% I stopped reading. It's not bad enough that I couldn't finish - but why? I was wasting my time ranting to friends about a story I wasn't enjoying. I started reading other things I was actually enjoying. Contemplating finishing this & my chief feeling was boredom. So DNF.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie finds herself holding the hand of a gardener who fell from a height at one of LA's concert halls, minutes after chatting with him. The father of Xu, a Chinese superstar classical musician, claims Fuentes was knocked down while attempting to steal his son’s multi-million dollar cello. Which doesn't sound right, but how well can you know someone after one conversation?

Additionally, family drama increases, with Ellie's mysterious grandfather turning up after decades.

Why I started it: Finished the first book and I didn't want to face real life.

Why I finished it: Decent story, but there was no staying power. I'm already losing details.

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fresh off her rookie year, Ellie Rush, is still a LA Bike Police Officer. Here, she becomes involved in the death of a gardener, who was killed when allegedly stealing a priceless cello from a world renowned musician. Meanwhile, she has lots of family issues to deal with, including the appearance of her grandfather. This is such a refreshing series, since Ellie is still so idealistic about her job (as well as a bit naive). However, she's smart and hardworking. And, it's great to see her grow and how her old friendships develop. It's too bad there probably won't be any more of these characters. Shout out to the Mas Arai pop up.

[Richard Janzen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a couple of years since my last Hirahara book, and most of them were read quite a bit before that. So nice to find some of her books again.

I have to say that i am not yet a big Ellie Rush fan. Neither the characters, nor the type of cases, have really connected with me yet. I am a big fan of the Mas Arai series, so perhaps I'm still growing into an Ellie Rush fan.

Appreciate the stories that deal characters that reflect America, dealing with heritage and multi ethnicity.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since hearing Naomi Hirahara speak at LitFest Pasadena 2016, I have devoured every Mas Arai and Ellie Rush book. Hirahara writes about the LA I know and love.

The mystery at the heart of this Ellie Rush novel is flimsy. Family, friends, place---all flawed and deeply loved--are the real stars of this book.

I appreciated the cameo of Mas Arai.

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continues to be a strong mystery series, with all the politics of a modern police procedural set in LA -- and that's where it kind of bogs down for me. I think it's a great series, but I often read mysteries for location, and LA just doesn't do much for me. Solid mystery, good characters, not my bag.

[Glen U · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bike cop in LA and fake Stradivarius cellos. Sounds like an '80's TV show. But, none the less, an entertaining and interesting mystery by Naomi Hirahara. Kind of a cross between a procedural and a "cozy". Predictable and trying hard to be too many different stories in one, it was still a better than average read.

[Jeannette Hartman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not as focused as Naomi Hirahara's first Ellie Rush mystery. It almost seems like two mysteries meld together in one book -- Ellie's family history and mysteries and the death/murder of an elderly gardener at Disney Concert Hall at the hands of a famous cellist's father. It gets wild and muddled.

[Vontel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting progression from the first book, mostly building more family and friend history and relationships, along with growth in both. A good bedtime/upstairs book, not likely to keep a person reading all night, or to influence dreams.

[Kat Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. All the elements of a cozy mystery, but a tad more serious. Doesn't add anything new to the genre...others have done it better by being funnier, quirkier, darker or "first". Writing is good, but I expected something more unique from this author.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie Rush, young bicycle cop in Central Los Angeles, must investigate a serial bank robber, among other things.

Review at Cozy Girl Reads

[Ellen Dark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second Ellie Rush, bicycle police officer, book I've read. Enjoyed the book, but was disappointed to find out that so far there is no third book. In the first book Ellie had help in her investigations, but this time her friends are elsewhere, so she's on her own.

[Stephanie Tanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting mystery in the Ellie Rush LAPD bike patrol series. Ellie gets involved in three mysteries in downtown Los Angeles. Love the local setting and Naomi’s skilled writing. The characters are charming and captivating.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

good clean fun w/a likeable protagonist. Great for anyone who is interested in Japanese Americans in California, or LA

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although not a cozy this was a very enjoyable read. I hope we will be getting more in the life of Ellie the LAPD bicycle cop.

[Marjorie]

Easy and entertaining