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Steve Hamilton: The Second Life of Nick Mason
“This isn’t freedom. This is mobility. Don’t get those two things confused.” Nick Mason is under contract. No signature appears on any document. Only his word to a crime lord who arranged his freedom a few years into his 20-year sentence. He is moved into a luxury condo where, food, drink, clothing and a…
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Andrew Case: The Big Fear
Opposing forces April 1st Release in his latest book, The Big Fear, Andrew Case brings us into the world of New York’s Department to Investigate Misconduct and Corruption (DIMAC) and it’s new head, Leonard Mitchell. The opening chapter of his book brings us aboard a strangely silent cargo ship where things go wrong for Detective Ralph Mulino. An…
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Terry Hayes: I Am Pilgrim
Two men, two missions, one conclusion A recommendation from a friend had me racing through this book and it’s not a short one. It’s billed as a thriller and it is, but there is backstory and reflection. We get to see the events that molded each man’s character and we see their intense…
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The Killing Lessons: Saul Black
Desperation & Loss Courage & Recovery Saul Black’s characterization of the lead investigator Valerie Hart is excellent. She’s smart, accomplished and damn good at her job. Stress has taken its toll however and her decline is marked by a serial killer case from years earlier. She becomes self-destructive and betrays her lover with another man. It’s not…
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The Last Witness: Denzil Meyrick
Retribution comes home to roost A villain thought dead for five years has returned to wreck vengeance and DCI Jim Daley is in stunned disbelief. Having attended the autopsy of James Machie, after he was assassinated in an assault on his prison bus, how can he possibly still be alive? At risk is Frank…
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The Professionals: Owen Laukkanen
Job market sucks? Don’t try this. Four young college graduates can’t find decent (translate: highly paid) jobs. Wait a minute, what about a kidnapping scheme to make money? It’s a simple process. Move from city to city, find and research a prospect, kidnap and collect a ransom of $60,000, release the victim unharmed, move…
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Trace Conger: The Shadow Broker
Caffeinated probing: Dark resolve Finn Harding wonders when exactly he crossed the line. It’s as ambiguous to the reader as to him but it’s a line which he straddles and a line which he leaps-over as circumstances necessitate. This is in keeping with a PI who has lost his license but continues to accept…
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Benefit of the Doubt: Doubtless a hit
Corruption, intimidation & malice How much can one disgraced cop take? Ben Sawyer is cop who is pissed-off most of the time. A forced resignation from the Oakland police department came from a brutal arrest. He broods and seethes reliving the act that lost him his former status as respected police officer on the fast track.…
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Diana Hockley: Overture to murder
Polish your spectacles & turn those pages Author Diana Hockley describes herself as an “Australian granny who writes, volunteers and loves classical music. Is rat-mad and has currently, four.” From this whimsical depiction comes an adept crime fiction writer who understands the rhyme and reason of a book. In the past you may remember…