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Martin Preuss Mysteries #5
An Uncertain Accomplice
Twenty years have passed since Raymond Douglas went to prison for the kidnapping and murder of a local businessman’s wife. Now Douglas’s daughter has hired private investigator Martin Preuss to track down a previously-unknown accomplice to the crime—who may not even exist. But no sooner does Preuss get involved than he finds himself entangled in two murders, a family whose wealth has bought them nothing but trouble, a body discarded in a dumpster, and a web of deceit stretching across metropolitan Detroit from the megarich suburbs to a hardscrabble trailer park. AN UNCERTAIN ACCOMPLICE blends greed, misplaced loyalties, and the cascading effects of violence into a riveting crime novel that’s impossible to put down.
172 pages, Paperback
Published April 27, 2018
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 26, 2024
A young woman’s meets with Martin Peuess, now a private detective, to seek his assistance. Twenety years ago her father, Raymond Douglas, confessed to murder, was convicted, and recently died in jail. Prior to his death the man told his daughter that he was not alone in the murder. Now she wants that person to also pay for the crime. Before Preuss can open the case, Jackie is murdered and found in an area dumpster.
Although technically he no longer has a client Preuss begins looking into the murder. He discovers several people who could have been accomplices. Greed is a big motivator and the woman who was the original murder victim had an unfaithful husband and 2 sons all of whom wanted a chance at running her family’s business.
An Uncertain Accomplice is the 5th Martin Preuss Mystery, I have enjoyed them all. Each has an interesting cast of characters, great twists and turns, and are quick reads. The story’s reflect the author’s tremendous amount of research and there is never a dull moment. Author Donald Levin ensures that there is plenty of action for the reader to enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #Goodreads #AnUncertainAccomplice #DonaldLevin #MartinPruessMysteries #mysteryfiction #ebooks #OctoberReads #KindleUnlimited #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #StopBanningBooks
Although technically he no longer has a client Preuss begins looking into the murder. He discovers several people who could have been accomplices. Greed is a big motivator and the woman who was the original murder victim had an unfaithful husband and 2 sons all of whom wanted a chance at running her family’s business.
An Uncertain Accomplice is the 5th Martin Preuss Mystery, I have enjoyed them all. Each has an interesting cast of characters, great twists and turns, and are quick reads. The story’s reflect the author’s tremendous amount of research and there is never a dull moment. Author Donald Levin ensures that there is plenty of action for the reader to enjoy. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#EmptyNestReader #instagram #Goodreads #AnUncertainAccomplice #DonaldLevin #MartinPruessMysteries #mysteryfiction #ebooks #OctoberReads #KindleUnlimited #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #StopBanningBooks
May 19, 2019
I am beginning to fall in love with mysteries!!
The characters in this story were incredible. I enjoyed diving into this story and meeting Martin Preuss right off the bat. Preuss was an amazing detective that kept me wanting to follow him and crack the case with him. The character had a real feel to them, especially Preuss' son, Toby. Toby was my favorite character and I always had a smile on my face during the parts Preuss and Toby were together. Toby has a real shine that stands out within the pages of this story.
The story-line was phenomenal. This was an emotional thriller that kept me guessing from beginning to end. Levin did a fantastic job of keeping me in suspense and wanting to follow the clues with Preuss and solving the murder with one plot twist after another. I know that I have a new mystery writer to follow. I so want to read more and I highly recommend this read!!
The characters in this story were incredible. I enjoyed diving into this story and meeting Martin Preuss right off the bat. Preuss was an amazing detective that kept me wanting to follow him and crack the case with him. The character had a real feel to them, especially Preuss' son, Toby. Toby was my favorite character and I always had a smile on my face during the parts Preuss and Toby were together. Toby has a real shine that stands out within the pages of this story.
The story-line was phenomenal. This was an emotional thriller that kept me guessing from beginning to end. Levin did a fantastic job of keeping me in suspense and wanting to follow the clues with Preuss and solving the murder with one plot twist after another. I know that I have a new mystery writer to follow. I so want to read more and I highly recommend this read!!
August 12, 2018
In An Uncertain Accomplice you will find Donald Levin spun a mystery around one death that led to another death which led to yet another death. A Private Investigator, Martin Preuss, decided to take a case after the prospective client died. His curiosity got the wheels moving, but someone was determined he would not find the accomplice of a murder which happened almost 20 years previously. As Preuss unravels the connection the Seldon family had with the murderer, he finds there are many skeletons in this rich and influential family which someone is desperately trying to keep covered. With the initial murderer in prison, no one expected an accomplice when it did not come out in the trial, until the daughter sought justice.
Be prepared as you embark on this twisted mysterious thriller. Donald Levin gives this Private Investigator, Martin Preuss, an eye for details which the reader will enjoy, but makes him seem bigger than life as he cares for his special needs son. An Uncertain Accomplice is more than just a novel as you not only look into the process of detective work, but also the care of a child with cerebral palsy. This was well written and researched, making the reader feel they knew Preuss. I thought Levin would have brought Preuss oldest son into the book, but it ended hoping we would read more about both of these men and anticipating a sequel. I love the twist of the killer leading everyone around without the others knowing.
Review written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite
Be prepared as you embark on this twisted mysterious thriller. Donald Levin gives this Private Investigator, Martin Preuss, an eye for details which the reader will enjoy, but makes him seem bigger than life as he cares for his special needs son. An Uncertain Accomplice is more than just a novel as you not only look into the process of detective work, but also the care of a child with cerebral palsy. This was well written and researched, making the reader feel they knew Preuss. I thought Levin would have brought Preuss oldest son into the book, but it ended hoping we would read more about both of these men and anticipating a sequel. I love the twist of the killer leading everyone around without the others knowing.
Review written by Peggy Jo Wipf for Readers' Favorite
October 12, 2019
It's not uncommon for a mystery to have a twist that almost defies reason - a "gotcha" that seems to exist for the mere fact that the author desires an "I didn't see that coming" as an end-all. Levin weaves this story so masterfully that the dots make an incredible amount of sense. The storyline is sadly, utterly believable. It sadly speaks to the darker, colder side of humanity - the effects of which are beautifully mitigated by Preuss's son, who lives each moment with innocent, unbridled joy.
August 23, 2018
The most recent in a series of mysteries that will leave you frustrated just because you can't turn the pages fast enough to read what's going to happen next!! I highly recommend this excellent book!
December 22, 2019
Yet another wonderful installment of the Martin Preuss mystery series. This may be the shortest of the books, but it doesn’t skimp on story, character, or rich detail. As with Donald’s previous books, this story was engaging, vibrant, and filled with twists and turns. There were several occasions when I thought I knew where the end would take me, and I was wrong. I love being wrong. The twist presented in the final act had my head reeling and made me flip back a few chapters to find out how I had missed the clues. I didn’t mind that, though, the writing here is just that exquisite… re-reading passages was quite delightful.
I'm not normally a fan of this genre. It's not usually they type of book that I gravitate toward, but I enjoy the detective stories that Donald crafts. Each character is clearly interconnected, and in ways we don't often see right away. The plot itself is created in much the same way. Connecting pieces of a larger puzzle revealing secrets and also presenting clues that lay right before us... clues that we don't see because they hide in plain sight. When reading a Martin Pruess mystery, one gets the distinct impression that Donald has diligently done his homework. The police procedures, dialogue, jargon, and interactions between police, private investigators, and even the supporting cast are real, sincere, and cleverly presented.
Again, in this novel, we learn more about Martin through his close relationship with his son, Toby. There is a special bond between the two… but the best part about their relationship for me, is that in each instance that we see them interact, we learn about layers of Martin that we didn’t know were there before, and in each instance, it’s a beautiful surprise. On each occasion that Martin has with Toby, he invariably is led to a moment of clarity with the case he’s working on. It’s almost as if time with Toby is a meditation for Martin, to help him process the details, and perhaps a “normal” home life might not allow for this type of discovery.
I love that each of these books are microcosms unto themselves, and each is also connected to each of the other novels in the series. This means that each book is a wonderful adventure unto itself, as well as a beautifully connected adventure, one to the other.
I’m sincerely looking forward to reading the sixth installment, “Cold Dark Lies”, which will be launched on May 11, at the Color & Ink Studio in Hazel Park, Michigan.
Highly Recommended: Five Stars
I'm not normally a fan of this genre. It's not usually they type of book that I gravitate toward, but I enjoy the detective stories that Donald crafts. Each character is clearly interconnected, and in ways we don't often see right away. The plot itself is created in much the same way. Connecting pieces of a larger puzzle revealing secrets and also presenting clues that lay right before us... clues that we don't see because they hide in plain sight. When reading a Martin Pruess mystery, one gets the distinct impression that Donald has diligently done his homework. The police procedures, dialogue, jargon, and interactions between police, private investigators, and even the supporting cast are real, sincere, and cleverly presented.
Again, in this novel, we learn more about Martin through his close relationship with his son, Toby. There is a special bond between the two… but the best part about their relationship for me, is that in each instance that we see them interact, we learn about layers of Martin that we didn’t know were there before, and in each instance, it’s a beautiful surprise. On each occasion that Martin has with Toby, he invariably is led to a moment of clarity with the case he’s working on. It’s almost as if time with Toby is a meditation for Martin, to help him process the details, and perhaps a “normal” home life might not allow for this type of discovery.
I love that each of these books are microcosms unto themselves, and each is also connected to each of the other novels in the series. This means that each book is a wonderful adventure unto itself, as well as a beautifully connected adventure, one to the other.
I’m sincerely looking forward to reading the sixth installment, “Cold Dark Lies”, which will be launched on May 11, at the Color & Ink Studio in Hazel Park, Michigan.
Highly Recommended: Five Stars
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews