Michael A. Draper's Blog, page 9

Them Bones, them dry bones

Looking for an entertaining novel to pass the time on rainy days? Try Craig Johnson's"Dry Bones."

In the story, skeletal remains of a large dinosaur are discovered. The uniqueness of the skeleton, the size and condition of the remains place its value at around eight million dollars.

Now, the fun part,  Part of the land where the dig is going on is on Indian territory. A permit is necessary to excavate this area and guess who doesn't have one?

The archaeologist wants the skeleton for High Plains Dinosaur Museum, the Indian tribe where the skeleton is found want it for an Indian Museum. The family of the land owner have plans of their own.

Complicating plans further, The elderly landowner is found dead in a pond populated by large turtles who have dined on parts of his bones. (could this be in revenge for those ordering turtle soup at their favorite restaurant?)   The parts of the body that are missing make determining the cause of death difficult. Normally an autopsy would be ordered but Indian tradition doesn't permit autopsy unless suspicious cause of death

Sheriff Walt Longmire has the unenviable task of sorting out these issues. This happens just when his undersheriff, Vic Moretti returns to Philadelphia where her brother is shot. Her brother, Michael, a patrolman with the Philadelphia P.D. is also the daughter of Walt's daughter, Cady who was on her way to visit Walt with her five-month-old baby.

Craig Johnson packs all these elements together like a new deck of cards. As a grandfather, I found Walt's befuddlement over getting ready for his grandchild's visit entertaining. What the heck is a back & play? Who knows how to put one together? It's great that Walt has friends.

Walt's character is well developed, realistically portrayed and likable. The story is top notch.

"Without the rocks, the stream would lose it's song." Proverb

U.S. District Judge, Diane Manchester is abducted just prior to her determination on the case against a Colombian drug lord. Complicating matters is that Diane is age forty-three and eight months pregnant with her first child.

Max Freeman, private investigator, and former Philadelphia cop, works for Diane's husband, Billy, a black lawyer from Philadelphia who preferred to remain behind the scenes, juggling law and investment work.

No words are uttered by Diane's abductors. Her head is covered and she can't see  the people who are holding her captive.

Officials are perplexed because there is no follow-up ransom demand. Since Diane was working on the case of the Columbian drug lord, Max speculates that it might have a connection with that.

With funds and input from Billy, Max looks into Diane's prior cases. Billy gives Max the details of the most likely cases where Diane sent a person to prison and now that person's sentence is over and they might be free from prison and want a revenge kidnapping.

The premise of the story is sound but Diane isn't permitted to talk to the people who abducted her, and they don't talk to one another in her presence.  Author Jonathan King fails to create a sympathetic character. Even though Diane is past her eighth month in pregnancy and worried about her child, the reader will find it difficult to relate or sympathise with  her or her wealthy husband.

One minor character, one of Diane's abductors, is a young woman and she feel remorse for abducting Diane.
This character is sympathetic as we share her thoughts as Diane attempts to communicate with her about the baby.

The middle section of the story was slow and the conclusion was a surprise, perhaps too much so without sufficient foreshadowing.  I enjoy the work of Jonathan King and will look forward to his next novel.

Devil or Angel, whoever you are

In "Devil's Harbor," we learn of Nick Finn, a Marine Interdiction Agent for Customs and Border Protection.

Nick and his partner (who is Nick's brother-in-law) Diego Jimenez track a phantom boat off the Los Angeles coast. However the boat disappears before they can reach it. However, they do come across a floater that had lost parts of the floater's body to sharks.

Not long after the above events, they see a suspicious boat that refuses their order to stop. When they catch the boat, a gunfight erupts and Nick kills the shooter in self defense.

Things begin going badly for Nick after this shooting, Nick's wife, Mona, a top notch attorney asks Nick to see a counselor about the shooting but he refuses and takes solace in alcohol.  Mona helps him in the beginning but can't reason with him about the alcohol so moves out of the house.

As people begin doubting Nick, drinking becomes his crutch. When another person close to him is killed, Nick has a mountain of guilt and decides to continue searching for the killer by himself.

He looks into the boat that had been connected to the floater. The captain is Linda Blake. Through circumstances, Nick is forced to work with Linda and they travel to Mexico where Linda adds another element to the story.

There are many twists to the plot and it becomes a cat and mouse story with mounting suspense.

The last segment of the story is powerful but there were too many villains and Nick's spiritual awakening was long in coming.

3 1/2 stars moving to 4 for powerful conclusion.

dead money run GIVEAWAY

                                                           GIVEAWAY

If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time As I was enjoying "Dead Money Run," by J. Frank James, I associated the hard boiled character of Lou Malloy with Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. The fact that Hammell was a former Pinkerton Detective helped him with creating realistic dialogue and that is what there is plenty of in this novel. I'm sure that if Humphrey Bogart was with us today, he could play the part of Lou Malloy on the big screen.
Lou Malloy is released from prison after serving fifteen years for robbing a casino of fifteen million dollars. A few months prior to his release, Lou received a letter telling him about his sister's murder. As Lou later learns, his sister, Susan, was doing something honorable when she was tortured and murdered.
The action packed story has Lou (think Sam Spade) taking one step at a time, eliminating gunman and getting closer to who was responsible for his sister's death.
Lou has the good luck to team up with Hilary Kelly, a private eye, hired by the insurance company who paid the claim to the Indian Casino for the money Lou stole. Hilary is suppose to befriend Lou and have him lead her to the money but she falls for him and becomes his partner.
Various criminals are after Lou and he is able to dispatch them with ease. (I'm still seeing Bogart with the gun and maybe blowing on the barrel of his gun as he shoots another goon.
There are a number of levels to the story. On one hand there is the family love Lou shows for Susan. She was only fifteen when he was sent to prison. He seems to feel an inner regret that he wasn't there to protect her. We also see the friendship and emotional connection between Lou and Hilary. Finally, there is the friendship between Lou and Crusher, Lou's powerful protector in prison and right hand man in this story.
Overall, this is a gem of a story as if one of the classic hard boiled novels was recently found and released.
Don't miss it.
GIVEAWAY RULES:1  Be a follower of this blog2. Use link below and see review on Amazon. At the end of that review when they ask if the review was helpful, indicate "YES"3. Under comment section of THIS blog, leave your email address (for contact purposes) and indicate that steps 1 &2 are complete4.  Giveaway ends June 18, 20155.  Giveaway open to all6.  This is for an ebook copy of "Dead Money Run"

http://www.amazon.com/review/R18SEYU8COTTE/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00EJ7108G

"First the tide rushes in and plants a kiss on the shore" Lyrics

In "The Journal of Popular Culture," Scott R. Christianson writes about tough talk and wisecracks. "...the hardboiled detective/narrator talks all the time to the reader. He talks tough and he talks smart but mainly - as the narrator of the story as well as the protagonist - he talks a lot."

As an example of the above, Robert Parker's wonderful P.I., Spenser, demonstrates in Parker's "Stardust," published in 1990.

Spenser is asked to protect a spoiled, temperamental TV star, Jill Joyce. She stars in TV's Fifty Minutes and has been filming the TV show from Boston.

The story in "Stardust" seems realistic as we learn that someone has been harassing Jill and she demands protection. She shows that on the TV show she may be a star but off screen she's something else.

When violence erupts and someone on the TV crew is killed, Spenser goes into action to find the killer.

Jill drinks to excess and seems like a sex starved nymphomaniac, but underneath her outward persona, Spenser recognizes fear and vulnerability.

He investigates her background and learns things that make him sad to see. How can someone who had to rise above misfortune gain the public spotlight? And, at what cost?

There are lessons of endearment and loyalty that Spenser demonstrates to his own love, psychologist, Susan and we see the empathy Spenser shows for a number of people associated with Jill whose lives have also been shattered.

For a dish of mystery topped with a flavoring of humor, this can be the main course.

If You've Got the Money, I've Got the Time

As I was enjoying "Dead Money Run," by J. Frank James, I associated the hard boiled character of Lou Malloy with Dashiell Hammett's Sam Spade. The fact that Hammell was a former Pinkerton Detective helped him with creating realistic dialogue and that is what there is plenty of in this novel. I'm sure that if Humphrey Bogart was with us today, he could play the part of Lou Malloy on the big screen.

Lou Malloy is released from prison after serving fifteen years for robbing a casino of fifteen million dollars. A few months prior to his release, Lou received a letter telling him about his sister's murder. As Lou later learns, his sister, Susan, was doing something honorable when she was tortured and murdered.

The action packed story has Lou (think Sam Spade) taking one step at a time, eliminating gunman and getting closer to who was responsible for his sister's death.

Lou has the good luck to team up with Hilary Kelly, a private eye, hired by the insurance company who paid the claim to the Indian Casino for the money Lou stole. Hilary is suppose to befriend Lou and have him lead her to the money but she falls for him and becomes his partner.

Various criminals are after Lou and he is able to dispatch them with ease. (I'm still seeing Bogart with the gun and maybe blowing on the barrel of his gun as he shoots another goon.

There are a number of levels to the story. On one hand there is the family love Lou shows for Susan. She was only fifteen when he was sent to prison. He seems to feel an inner regret that he wasn't there to protect her. We also see the friendship and emotional connection between Lou and Hilary. Finally, there is the friendship between Lou and Crusher, Lou's powerful protector in prison and right hand man in this story.

Overall, this is a gem of a story as if one of the classic hard boiled novels was recently found and released.

Don't miss it.

I received a free book for an honest review.

Can killing be good?

A sister's love for her sister comes to the front in Allison Leotta's "A Good Killing."

The story was inspired by the real-life Jerry Sandusky case and captures the reader's attention from the first page and keeps running.

Anna Curtis is a sex crimes prosecutor in Washington, D.C. She puts her career on hold and comes to Michigan to defend her sister Jody from a murder charge.

Small town life is depicted and the love of football is well illustrated. High school football dominates the life of Holly Grove, a town not far from Detroit.

Owen Fowler,the town's beloved football coach is dead and Jody Curtis is charged with the crime.

The pacing of the story is right on the mark as current action is separated from the incidents of Jody's life as a fifteen-year-old. She is a high school athlete competing in the high jump and searching for something she could do that would surpass her older sister who is a star and a college student at that time.

Coach Fowler becomes Jody's mentor and life seems grand. Then, something happens and Jody's dreams are shattered.

Anna shows intelligence and determination as she defends her sister. She's coming from her own emotional roller coaster as she has just called off her wedding.  A high school friend and Afghan War vet and amputee, helps in the investigation. He is well described and the kind of character the reader will want to succeed.

The dialogue flows smoothly and small town life jumps from the pages. It's the kind of story the reader will want to turn the pages gripped with the suspense and emotional upheaval of the story.

I received a free book in return for my honest review.

Murder on Easter Island

In a complex story that travels from Oklahoma to New York City to Easter Island, Daniel "Hawk" Fishinghawk uses his skill as a detective and his keen intelligence to help solve difficult mysteries.

Daniel is considered the best of the best in the NYPD. The Commissioner is contacted by the U.S. State Department to assist the Chilean Government with a unique murder on Easter Island. A killer there has been killing tourists at night and cannibalizing their bodies.

Daniel gets right to work and learns the history of the island which the natives call Rapa Nui. He also learns the language from a legendary woman who is ninety-four-years old. She reminded me of granny on the Beverly Hillbillies with her gutsy attitude and determination.

The killing of tourists has been kept out of the news because of what it would do to the tourist trade but when another person is murdered and cannibalized, the news gets out.

The Chilean government sends a new detective out who brings in his own investigators and mostly ignores Daniel.

The story is divided into three books, in the first, the murders and investigation takes place; in the second book, Daniel goes into a cave like structure and is transported back in time. He learns what happened in Rapa Nui to cause someone to want to murder tourists to their land. He also falls in love and becomes a hero to the natives. Book three brings him back into current time to deal with the killer and Daniel's new life.

This is a paranormal type of story where the reader must suspend their view of reality to be transported to the fictional and supernatural world.  Some of the action and the manner in which the time travel takes place wasn't explained to my satisfaction and I had difficulty with the story.

Free book for an honest review.

In love and War

In "Ruins of War," World War II history and a tormented serial killer combine for a satisfying and intelligent read.

Mason Collins is a former Chicago homicide detective who was fired from his job, allegedly, for accepting kickbacks.

He's assigned to Munich, Germany CID in 1945. The city is divided into military segments after the end of the war. Collins's first assignment is to view the victim of a murderer.  The action ratchets up as Collins gets an investigation unit working on the case and the killer selects his next victim.

There's a snag when Collins' boss would rather go after a gang that was partially made up of U.S. deserters and there was a connection to the U.S. while the killer had murdered a victim who was initially unidentified.

What particularly drew me to the story was the World War II setting and the vivid descriptions of Munich with bombed out buildings, multitudes of orphans, and many displaced persons. These DP's came from people who were freed from concentration camps, German and U.S. deserters, soldiers who came from counties where they were forced to fight for Germany such as Czechoslovakia and general criminals.

Mason shows his tenderness in helping to feed orphans and in his desire to do justice and find the killer - at all costs and the reader relates to him and hopes for his success.

The excellent descriptions of primary and secondary characters was another entertaining element to the story. The suspenseful story had me turning pages late into the night.

Recommended.

From time to time, life can seem helpless

"...ride along with this. You don't have to be bleeding to be hurt."

These words are spoken by Lucas Davenport of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

Travelers are a group who move from city to city, panhandling, not engaging in criminal activity, just staying on the move.

Syke and Henry are travelers who make contact with Lettie, a student at Stanford and Lucas Davenport's adopted daughter. Lettie befriends the couple and buys them a meal, then gives them her cell phone number when they tell her they will be in near her hometown in the future.

Later, Syke and Henry travel to a Juggalo Gathering. This is where groups of young people gather, paint their faces, smoke dope and dance.  Before going, they tell Lettie that there is one dangerous person who attends these gatherings, his name is Pilate and he enjoys inflicting pain..

Pilate is a Charles Manson type character. He is crazy and enjoys hurting and tormenting others. He thinks that runaways, homeless people or travelers make good subjects of his violence since no one would miss them. He has a group of followers, the women prostitute themselves and turn over their paychecks to him and the men do his bidding, stealing and selling dope.

There is quite a similarity between Pilate and Charles Manson. One of Pilate's early victims was a blond, pretty entertainer who Pilot mutilated and murdered. This event reminded me of Sharon Tate's murder by Manson. Pilate feels like a god who can do whatever he wants to a person without reprisal.

I have read many crime novels and am happy to say that John Sanford has created a fresh plot with clean, dialogue that flows like a police training film. The secondary characters are also unique and create a desire in the reader - to learn what will happen with them.