FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEWS
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THE FMAM MOSTLY MYSTERY REVIEW is the place to come
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write with the world! (Or, right in the world of write!) New reviews this month from: . Dr. Cynthia Clark . Harriet Klausner . Christine I. Speakman . C.E. Japhe |
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July 2008
Man Overboard
Lara Diamond
Electronic book Publication: February 2008
Cost $5.95
ISBN: ISBN 9781419914874
Publisher: A Cerridwen Press Publication
www.cerridwenpress.com
It was the time of speakeasies and murder.
The Author’s Note indicates “Man Overboard, while a work of fiction is based on a true disappearance. With that being the case, Ms. Diamond story’s is alive with sound, texture, and taste.
Ms. Diamond takes us back to the year 1928 to Ybor City, Florida. A time of Anglos and everyone else whether you were Spanish or Italian or Latin. A time of speakeasies and corruption. Here we are introduced to Billy Corazon…now known as William Heart. Mr. Heart is a private investigator whose father was killed during a time of political change. Billy didn’t change his name because of shame; he changed it to save his life.
Now, Nesta Edmunds wants Billy to find her husband. One problem, everyone swears the husband, EQ Edmunds, is dead. There’s even a witness to the accident – his mistress.
I thoroughly enjoyed “Man Overboard.” I heard the characters’ voices and felt the world around them. The corruption and double standards; the loyalty and hero worship of a man just standing up for what he believes in; the sassiness of those we would now call, players, but back then they were the devil-may-care socialites. The richness of life in the Italian neighbourhood of Ybor City shines throughout.
“Man Overboard” is the fictional equivalent of a snapshot of a time and place past, but never forgotten.
Ancient Laws
Jim Michael Hansen
Dark Sky Publishing, Inc., 2009,
376 pages
ISBN: 13:9780976924326
In this latest crime solving adventure, Bryson Coventry a Denver homicide detective finds himself in Paris hunting a killer he has been after for a long time. The killer had killed a young woman, gouged out her eyes and then placed then back in her head facing her brain. There had been a witness and now she was dead, in Paris, with her eyes gouged out and replaced facing her brain. Bryson rushes to Paris where his secret witness had moved in her own witness protection program. But where is her roommate? Did the killer take her as some sort of hostage or game? Bryson meets with his French counterpart, a very beautiful and sexy Detective, Fallon Le Rue. Fallon is willing to help Bryson in anyway, but she has her own agenda and is seeking a cold case, that of the murder of call girl who had been smothered with a plastic bag.
Back in the States, Jade Lafayette a young woman who works in a law firm receives news that her uncle Remy, an archeologist has been murdered, supposedly in a home invasion. Then her home is ransacked. That’s when she meets Alexandra who whisks her away to save her life. Who is Alexandra and what does she want? Who killed Remy and why?
Bryson updates an old sketch of the killer and Fallon as bait. Will they catch the killer? Did Fallon make a mistake putting herself out as bait? What secret is Fallon hiding? And what does Jade have to do with Bryson’s case?
Bryson travels the world in an attempt to catch a killer. To find out if he is successful, and the answer to these questions you’ll have to read ANCIENT LAWS.
Jim Michael Hansen has created a fascinating series for his lawman Bryson who pushes the envelope at times, follows his own rules, yet cares about the people he deals with. Bryson is the kind of guy that if you met him at first you’d be put off but then you adore him. His flaws grow on you till they become lovable character traits and you realize as flawed as he is, he has the best interest of others at heart, Mr. Hansen’s other cast of characters are colorful and not easily forgotten. His descriptions are vivid; their behaviors are distinct and purposeful.
Mr. Hansen’s writing is so strong and vibrant you feel as if you are right there with his characters. For example, as you read you can feel the ever so slight sway of the houseboat. You can hiss of a snake.
Once again, Mr. Hansen has written an excellent book!
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 5.
Crazy Fool Kills Five
Gwen Freeman
Capital Crimes Press, March 2007,
$14.95, 280 pages
ISBN: 978-0979996009
CRAZY FOOL KILLS FIVE is a Fifi Cutter mystery. Fifi is an insurance adjuster, sorta PI. She inherited an empty house when her father died. She inherited two half brothers, each from different mothers. One is a cop and one is a freeloader, Bosco who lives with Fifi.
In this book, Fifi has been following a former employee of Mr. Wong, who claims he hurt his back while working for Mr. Wong and thereby suing Mr. Wong for workman's comp. Fifi is out to get the money shot; the one that will prove he is a fraud. In the meantime Mr. Wong and Fifi's best friend VJ have taken on clients of plane crash. Mr. Wong is handling the executives on the plane and VJ is handling the widow of the unlucky man on the ground the plane crashed into.
Money is tight for Fifi and Bosco is no help. Fifi almost gets the money shot in the gym, but her camera is discovered. So Bosco conceives this elaborate plan to film the gym and the target, but then the target said that he committed suicide. Case closed. No case, no money, so Fifi offers to take his place as document clerk in the plane crash case. VJ asks Fifi to join them in court, and Fifi falls head over heels for Dan the enemy - opposing counsel. As the trial progresses, Fifi begins to wonder if her predecessor committed suicide or if he was murdered. Something big was amiss.
Gwen Freeman has written a fun, fast paced mystery, Fifi is fun, Bosco, is the dead beat most people know at least one of, and as the other characters come in and out, Ms. Freeman weaves a strong character driven story. I love this series. I wish Fifi would get a bed, she makes my back hurt (read the book to get why I say this :) ). Charming cozy!
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.9.
The Brimstone Murders
Jeff Sherratt
Echelon Press Paperback,
287 pages, $12.99
ISBN: 978-1-59008-522-7
Jimmy O’Brien is defending Robbie Farris accused of stabbing his college professor twenty seven times. But before the trial can start Robbie escapes. Jimmy is blamed for the escape and as such feels he must find Robbie himself to prove he did not help him escape. Jimmy seeks out Robbie’s mother, a drunk who tells Jimmy about the Preacher before she goes off into her own world. A preacher more like a cult leader. Barely back in the office, Jimmy discovers that Robbie’s mother has been murdered and he was the last one to see her alive. Now he must prove not only did he not help Robbie escape but he also did not kill Robbie’s mother.
His quest to clear his name brings him to an evangelist with plans to go nationwide. There is also a drug camp somewhere. But the quiet little town denies the drug camp and any knowledge of Robbie until one young girl risks all to meet Jimmy. Jimmy and his mentor Sol, hunt for the so called drug camp for teenagers and what they find is shocking.
THE BRIMSTONE MURDERS is a quick, easy read. It is a tad bit predictable but that does not detract from the story’s enjoyability. Mr. Sherratt’s secondary characters are fun. I especially like Jimmy’s secretary Mabel. She is a witty, clever lady -- delightful!
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.
Wash and Die
Barbara Colley
Kensington, January 29, 2008,
$22.00, 256 pages
ISBN: 978-0758222510
Charlotte LaRue owns a cleaning service in New Orleans - - Maid for a Day. She also owns a duplex that she rents the other half out to Louis, a former cop. Although Charlotte has a small crush on Louis, they have not entered the romantic mode. Charlotte is a widow and in this installment of the series, her son Hank and his wife are expecting their first child.
WASH AND DIE opens to Charlotte returning home from work to find an unwelcome guest sitting on her front stairs. Joyce, her tenant's crazy ex-wife. Louis is out of town on a job so Joyce has decided to wait for Charlotte. Joyce tells Charlotte that the psych ward she has been in has released her and she has no place to go could she stay just for a few days with Charlotte while she looks for her own place? Being a softy and ignoring common sense, Charlotte allows Joyce to stay with her. The next morning as Charlotte is leaving for work, Joyce rushes to her and asks for a ride. Charlotte eyes the tote bag she is carrying because it's hers. Joyce sees the look on Charlotte's face and says that she couldn't fit her lunch in her purse, and she figured Charlotte wouldn't mind as she was looking for a place to live. Okay, for anything that gets her out of her house sooner, thinks Charlotte.
Later that day, Charlotte is in the French Quarter and sees who she thinks is Joyce coming out of a pawn shop. She tries to catch up to Joyce but the woman moves to fast, so she enters the pawn shop. She asks the pawn broker what the lady who'd just been here pawned? But his reaction is over the top. He's screaming, and yelling and Charlotte rushes out. When she returns home the house is a mess and Joyce has the TV blaring. When Charlotte asks her about the French Quarter, Joyce denies it in a flip way. The next day, when Joyce says she's apartment hunting again, Charlotte searches her room, and finds some jewelry missing, but more importantly, the pocket watch that has been handed down, and she planned to hand down to Hank's baby, was gone.
She kicks Joyce out. They have words. Charlotte leaves for work only to return to lights on, the TV blaring again. She cursing Joyce as she enters her living room to see her living room a wreck, Then she sees her bird cage open ,her bird nowhere to be found, and, oh yea, Joyce dead on her floor.
I love this series; not just because I was born in New Orleans, but because Barbara Colley takes me back home. Through Ms. Colley's writing, you are right there with Charlotte, mopping, or playing detective, or talking to Joyce or Louis. Ms. Colley's writing transforms you from simple reader to voyeur - in the best way possible. For example, you can feel Charlotte's heart beat as she fights for her life. The auxiliary characters are charming, Louis, her niece NOPD Detective Judith, and her son Hank. WASH AND DIE and the entire series is just delightful, charming, easy to read, and well written.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I give is 5!
The Thieves of Faith
Richard Doetsch
Bantam Dell
$6.99, 544 pp.,
ISBN: 978-0-440-24289-5
Michael St. Pierre, retired thief with a heart of gold, makes a promise to a friend-break into the fortress of a shady art dealer and steal and destroy a valuable painting in order to keep it out of the hands of evil Julian Zivera. Mission accomplished, but he has no time to rest on his laurels. The dastardly Julian kidnaps Michael’s long-lost biological father and threatens to kill him unless Michael breaks into the Kremlin and steals a valuable artifact that is either the key to eternal life or the key to the destruction of all mankind, depending on who you believe. And that’s just in the first 150 pages of this 544 page epic. Michael joins forces with his ex-cop-turned-bar-owner pal and his widowed sister-in-law to retrieve the artifact.
Doetsch’s characters are interesting and somewhat sympathetic in an odd way. It’s hard not to want to slap his annoying sister-in-law (who is, of course, beautiful, and with who he, of course, falls in love). His biological father, a rich, powerful attorney, has not attempted to contact Michael since he gave him up for adoption as a baby. And it’s hard not to like Michael himself, a former thief who seems to inspire undying loyalty amongst his friends. The settings are exotic, and the historic details Doetsch intertwines in the story make for an interesting read.
The novel is certainly fast-paced, with plenty of plot twists. The double- and triple-crosses eventually makes the reader’s head spin. The book had potential, but the ending was bogged down in too many plot twists, villains (and our heroes, of course) surviving multiple explosions and gunfire, not to mention a kindly spirit who stops short of helping our heroes when the chips are down. By the end of the book, I was screaming “ENOUGH ALREADY!!”
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