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86th out of 195 books
—
165 voters
Pattern of Wounds (A Roland March Mystery #2)
by
J. Mark Bertrand (Goodreads Author)
For Detective Roland March, his latest case has become personal. March doesn't know the young female who was stabbed to death, but he thinks he recognizes the crime scene. Nearly ten years ago, March gained national fame as the subject of a true-crime book. But now this crime scene bears eerie similarities to that one. And whispers begin to emerge that March may have put t...more
Paperback, 367 pages
Published
July 2011
by Bethany House Publishers
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Title: PATTERN OF WOUNDS
Author: J. Mark Bertrand
Publisher: Bethany House
July 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0638-2
Genre: Fiction / Suspense
Detective Roland March is on the case again. This time, it’s personal. Very personal. So much so, that I almost didn’t recognize him. The issues involved in the latest string of murders have touched him at the core of his very being, and he will never be the same man again.
This is not a book for the comfortable Christian who has it all figured out. Through his detectiv...more
Author: J. Mark Bertrand
Publisher: Bethany House
July 2012
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0638-2
Genre: Fiction / Suspense
Detective Roland March is on the case again. This time, it’s personal. Very personal. So much so, that I almost didn’t recognize him. The issues involved in the latest string of murders have touched him at the core of his very being, and he will never be the same man again.
This is not a book for the comfortable Christian who has it all figured out. Through his detectiv...more
Pattern of Wounds is the second "Roland March Mystery" from Bertrand. I haven't yet read the first, but my interest is certainly piqued. In this relatively classic who-done-it, a girl is found brutally murdered and grotesquely positioned near her landlord's swimming pool. The pursuit for the killer starts out routine enough, but quickly intertwines with one of March's earlier cases which is now being challenged on appeal, and is soon intertwined with a possible serial killer case connecting doze...more
I found Pattern of Wounds a great detective book. After being called to a scene of a woman that is murdered March has a rough road ahead of him. He realizes that the scene looks very familiar, it is staged to look like a case he had previously worked on. The case takes many twists and turns as March tries to find out what really happened to this woman. In the course of working the case he finds out who his friends are, who he can trust, plus goes through some challenging times in his marriage. H...more
Roland March helped convict a man of murder, so when a similar murder takes place, Roland is determined to find out if he put away the right guy or if there is a copycat murderer. When the murderer begins sending Roland cryptic messages and even tries to hurt Charlotte, Roland's wife, the investigation becomes personal. Will Roland catch the murderer before there are more victims?
This is the first book I've read by J. Mark Bertrand, and I wasn't disappointed. The storyline is tightly written wit...more
This is the first book I've read by J. Mark Bertrand, and I wasn't disappointed. The storyline is tightly written wit...more
PATTERN OF WOUNDS, by J. Mark Bertrand, is one of the best Christian fiction novels I've read, and easily compares to Steven James for Christian fiction and Michael Connelly for police procedurals. Every page features a new twist in the plot, and in the end Bertrand delivers a complex murder mystery filled with characters that are full of depth and emotion.
Roland March, Houston Homicide Detective, is called to the murder scene of Simone Walker, a beautiful young woman murdered poolside at the ho...more
Roland March, Houston Homicide Detective, is called to the murder scene of Simone Walker, a beautiful young woman murdered poolside at the ho...more
Friday, December 4th it snowed in Houston. That was yesterday and this is now on a Saturday night. While the rain falls on the city of Houston, a body lays half in and half out of the heated swimming pool behind a posh home. If you don’t look closely, it almost seems as if she is reaching for something on the pool deck.
The young woman is dead and the wounds across her back tell part of the story. Too perfect, too neat, the stab wounds aren’t what killed 24 old Simon Walker. She had been a houseg...more
The young woman is dead and the wounds across her back tell part of the story. Too perfect, too neat, the stab wounds aren’t what killed 24 old Simon Walker. She had been a houseg...more
My thoughts…
In all fairness I have to say that I have not read the first book in this series. I’m sure that there are some elements of the story that you would understand better if you read the first book first. Having said that, I enjoyed the book and didn’t feel like I didn’t know what was going on.
This book is what I would call edgy. If explicit details offend you, then move along to your next book. But, if you are looking for something that feels real and tells it like it is, then this is y...more
In all fairness I have to say that I have not read the first book in this series. I’m sure that there are some elements of the story that you would understand better if you read the first book first. Having said that, I enjoyed the book and didn’t feel like I didn’t know what was going on.
This book is what I would call edgy. If explicit details offend you, then move along to your next book. But, if you are looking for something that feels real and tells it like it is, then this is y...more
This was an amazing piece of criminal suspense fiction. I had to read it a lot slower than most because not only am I looking for the clues behind the murders but also trying to solve the crime before the end. Forget it, I now see that I am not a police detective. This one had me guessing, re-guessing, second guessing and in the end, I got it wrong.
There are some unique aspects of serial killings in this book and the twists and turns make you feel like you have arrived at a location thinking you...more
There are some unique aspects of serial killings in this book and the twists and turns make you feel like you have arrived at a location thinking you...more
I haven't read the first book in this Roland March series, but it wasn't a hindrance to my either understanding or enjoying this book.
I felt that the main character, Roland, could use some work on his personality, but maybe that will happen as more books are added to the series (and it is probably an honest portrait of a real person).
Other than that, the book held my interest and kept me thinking of possible guilty people. Mysteries are my favorite genre and this book is right up there among t...more
I felt that the main character, Roland, could use some work on his personality, but maybe that will happen as more books are added to the series (and it is probably an honest portrait of a real person).
Other than that, the book held my interest and kept me thinking of possible guilty people. Mysteries are my favorite genre and this book is right up there among t...more
I really admire Christian writers who write mystery/suspense. J. Mark Bertrand is one of the best. I love his Roland March series. His imagination is amazing. Where does he come up with all of these ideas?
Roland March is a guy that is very human and he makes mistakes and learns from his mistakes. He is just like a regular person. It seems like most of the police force is against him, but he always stays with his convictions and it works out in the end.
This was quite a grisly murder, but extrem...more
Roland March is a guy that is very human and he makes mistakes and learns from his mistakes. He is just like a regular person. It seems like most of the police force is against him, but he always stays with his convictions and it works out in the end.
This was quite a grisly murder, but extrem...more
The book begins with Detective March being called away from his wife's Christmas Party. A woman has been sadistically murdered, and the more he looks at the scene, the more he feels like he has been here before. Then he remembers, but the murderer has confessed and is prison. There has been a book written about the Fauk murder and included was a picture of the crime. This crime he is sure is staged to mimic!
This is the second book in this series, and I'll have to read the third to find out every...more
This is the second book in this series, and I'll have to read the third to find out every...more
The return of Roland March is finally here! And it was worth the wait. This book is an excellent blend of fresh murders, a past case of Roland's and a serial killer. Roland March is smack dab in the middle of politics, mayhem, lies and betrayal and everyone is out for themselves. All Roland wants is to solve his case, keep his past case complete (and that murderer behind bars) and keep his nose clean (or not). But then his family is threatened and he starts to wonder if maybe the cases from past...more
Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand is the second book in the Roland March series about a disaffected Houston police detective. March has recovered some since the events of the previous book, Back on Murder. His marriage is back on track, although he's a bit worried about wife, Charlotte's newfound faith, and he's working murder cases again. This time it's a young woman found stabbed to death in a swimming pool that opens up March's old wounds. When this new murder appears to be connected to a...more
"A brutal murder. An unraveling conviction. To catch the killer, Roland March must decipher the Pattern of Wounds."
It has snowed in Houston, TX which is unusual in itself. But on top of that, it is nearing Christmas and to put a damper on that, there has been a brutal murder. As detective Roland March takes on the case and begins to delve into the lives of anyone connected to the victim, stories don't match or they change. Everyone has a different take on the victim and their own opinion of wha...more
It has snowed in Houston, TX which is unusual in itself. But on top of that, it is nearing Christmas and to put a damper on that, there has been a brutal murder. As detective Roland March takes on the case and begins to delve into the lives of anyone connected to the victim, stories don't match or they change. Everyone has a different take on the victim and their own opinion of wha...more
This book grabbed me on page one and kept me reading. Author J. Mark Bertrand has a tight, satisfying delivery and uses some strong visual imagery. And Detective Roland March is a complex character well worth spending a novel with.
March follows up on every angle of the murder investigation, but he also trusts his instincts. As the story progresses, there�s a lot of getting it wrong before March finally gets it right. He blames others for allowing their biases to blind them to what he sees, but e...more
March follows up on every angle of the murder investigation, but he also trusts his instincts. As the story progresses, there�s a lot of getting it wrong before March finally gets it right. He blames others for allowing their biases to blind them to what he sees, but e...more
First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.
I had very mixed reactions with J. Mark Bertrand’s next installment to his March Roland series, Pattern of Wounds. There were parts I really liked and parts that I didn't like so much. The mystery was good with the usual twists and turns that surprised me.
Though will all that said, I’m really starting to seriously dislike Roland. He got on my nerves a LOT during Pattern of Wounds. He was just such a grump—and knew it! People would tell him all the time...more
I had very mixed reactions with J. Mark Bertrand’s next installment to his March Roland series, Pattern of Wounds. There were parts I really liked and parts that I didn't like so much. The mystery was good with the usual twists and turns that surprised me.
Though will all that said, I’m really starting to seriously dislike Roland. He got on my nerves a LOT during Pattern of Wounds. He was just such a grump—and knew it! People would tell him all the time...more
I like Christian love stories, but when it comes to suspense/thrillers, I get my fill from Lee Child, John Grisham, Robert Ludlum, and, yes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I just haven’t found a Christian author who can deliver in that department. J. Mark Bertrand may just be the exception.
Pattern of Wounds is gritty and dark. The writing is masterful; Bertrand has created a noir world that is completely absorbing.
The main character, Roland March, is the kind of wounded anti-hero that’s got you rooting...more
Pattern of Wounds is gritty and dark. The writing is masterful; Bertrand has created a noir world that is completely absorbing.
The main character, Roland March, is the kind of wounded anti-hero that’s got you rooting...more
2 1/2 stars. I bought this book from Goodwill as a Christmas gift for my dad last year. I read this to get a feel for the character Detective Roland March, since I plan on reading Nothing to Hide right after this. Honestly, I caught on to who the true killer was early on in the novel and I haven't read a murder mystery in years. Either my gumshoe days never really ended or this mystery wasn't so mysterious, after all. That being said, the novel itself was still an enjoyable quick read.
Enjoyable, but not as strong as the first. The religious arc that seemed to be carefully proceeding at about a ten book pace accelerated to about a three-book pace, which made it clunky and forced. The mystery itself was detailed and complicated. Bertrand does very well at keeping a distinctiveness between March's home, work, and social interactions. I guessed the killer's identity with @100 pages left, although that's not necessarily a weakness. Fun read.
Pattern of Wounds is the first book of Bertrand's I have read. I will definitely look for another book of his. The dialog and descriptions were a little bit clunky at times, but this writer keeps things moving and keeps you in suspense. There were so many different characters that I felt like I needed to take notes. It's a bit more than just a police procedural, due to the inner monologue of the complicated but sympathetic main character.
The first book in the Roland March series was good, and this one is better. What a cliff-hanger! I had already planned to buy the third book in the series, but the ending of this one guarantees I will do so very soon. Good writing, good characters, good plot, good everything. And it's simply wonderful to find an author who can tell a good story without a single word of profanity. Thank you, Mr. Bertrand. Hope you are busy writing your next book!
It'd been so long since I read Back on Murder, I'd forgotten how much I dislike Roland March. Self-destructive protagonists who just don't seem to get a clue, ever, really aren't my thing. There's nothing wrong with the book other than that - I just need a glimpse of redemption sprinkled throughout. Otherwise you get a book like this that just leaves you depressed.
I'm a J. Mark Bertrand fan, and I really liked this second book in the series. It was darker than the first one as Detective March seems depressed most of the time and neglects his marriage. I'm not fond of books that leave you hanging at the end. That's the only reason I didn't give it a higher rating. I love Bertrand's voice and style.
I finished it, but it didn't hold my interest well. In particular I found the ending weak. I kept wondering if I'd like it more if I'd read the first book in the series. As someone who lived in Houston for a year, I found the descriptions of Houston very familiar. It was evident the author knew the city.
I loved Back on Murder, so I had high expectations for Pattern of Wounds. The plot is very complicated and keeps you guessing till the end. Maybe not as good as Back on Murder but a great read.
Oct 09, 2011
Eva
added it
My complete review can be found on my blog.
http://vampirekiss1967.blogspot.com/2...
I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
http://vampirekiss1967.blogspot.com/2...
I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.
It is a mystery and a character study of people changing after finding Christ. The ending will leave you hanging.
Second book in the Roland March Mystery series. I love the realistic main character and the mystery.
Was a good mystery. I must say that I am not a huge fan of March but overall was well written.
I really enjoyed this crime book, but the end left me with some questions still....
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J. Mark Bertrand is the author of Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and the forthcoming Nothing to Hide, crime novels featuring Houston homicide detective Roland March. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston and lived in the city for fifteen years. After one hurricane too many, he and his wife moved to South Dakota.
More about J. Mark Bertrand...
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Jul 27, 2011 08:01am