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Martin Preuss Mysteries #1
Crimes of Love
One cold November night, police detective Martin Preuss joins a frantic search for a seven-year-old girl with epilepsy who has disappeared from the streets of his suburban Detroit community. Unwilling to let go after the county sheriff's office takes the case from his city agency, he strikes out on his own, following leads across the entire metropolitan region. Probing deep into the anguished lives of all those who came in contact with the missing girl, Preuss must summon all his skills and resources to solve the many crimes of love he uncovers.
Believable and sympathetic characters, fast-paced storytelling, and keen insight into the weaknesses that beset the human heart make this first Martin Preuss mystery impossible to put down.
Crimes of Love is a must-read for fans of Henning Mankell and Karin Fossum, as well as the Detroit-based noir of Elmore Leonard and Loren Estleman.
Believable and sympathetic characters, fast-paced storytelling, and keen insight into the weaknesses that beset the human heart make this first Martin Preuss mystery impossible to put down.
Crimes of Love is a must-read for fans of Henning Mankell and Karin Fossum, as well as the Detroit-based noir of Elmore Leonard and Loren Estleman.
284 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 9, 2020
Stories written by local authors that have familiar settings can add so much more pleasure to reading. The feeling of I know that place or yeah that sounds about right can really attach you to a story. This crime thriller was full of surprises with the initial mystery sort of snowballing into so much more. I was shocked, horrified and felt attached to the main characters. Definitely a fun read with a lot of twists and turns.
November 12, 2014
For those who enjoy murder mysteries, I highly recommend this book!
September 20, 2023
“A missing child was never just another case.”
Detective Martin Preuss is with the Ferndale Police Department. He’s good at what he does, and everyone knows it. Only Lieutenant Russo, the Chief of Detectives, refuses to acknowledge his existence. Preuss married Russo’s daughter and has been the bane of his existence ever since.
When word comes in of a missing 7 year old girl, Preuss is assigned to the case. Madison seems to have walked away from the family home on West Woodland - her parents reported her missing at 8:30 pm that evening. After Madelyn is missing for 24 hours the Oakland County Sheriff Special Investigative Unit is called in to take the case. Unfortunately for Preuss, Russo has laid out for the Sheriff all of his faults.
Preuss, who has his own demons to deal with, decides to continue the investigation on his own. He follows his gut as he seeks to find the missing girl before it’s too late. Leaving no stone unturned Preuss examines all possible leads from sex offenders residing in the area, to a mentally unstable neighbor, to an extreme church.
A fast-paced crime thriller with well-developed characters, an interesting plot and plenty of twists and turns. This book had me hooked from the beginning. Levin’s attention to detail and sharp insights enhance all of the elements one would expect in a police investigation. Crimes of Love is book 1 in the Martin Preuss mystery series. Book 2, The Baker’s Men, is on my TBR.
#emptynestreader #instagram #CrimesOfLove #DonaldLevin #crimefiction #ebooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #KindleUnlimited #5starbooks
Detective Martin Preuss is with the Ferndale Police Department. He’s good at what he does, and everyone knows it. Only Lieutenant Russo, the Chief of Detectives, refuses to acknowledge his existence. Preuss married Russo’s daughter and has been the bane of his existence ever since.
When word comes in of a missing 7 year old girl, Preuss is assigned to the case. Madison seems to have walked away from the family home on West Woodland - her parents reported her missing at 8:30 pm that evening. After Madelyn is missing for 24 hours the Oakland County Sheriff Special Investigative Unit is called in to take the case. Unfortunately for Preuss, Russo has laid out for the Sheriff all of his faults.
Preuss, who has his own demons to deal with, decides to continue the investigation on his own. He follows his gut as he seeks to find the missing girl before it’s too late. Leaving no stone unturned Preuss examines all possible leads from sex offenders residing in the area, to a mentally unstable neighbor, to an extreme church.
A fast-paced crime thriller with well-developed characters, an interesting plot and plenty of twists and turns. This book had me hooked from the beginning. Levin’s attention to detail and sharp insights enhance all of the elements one would expect in a police investigation. Crimes of Love is book 1 in the Martin Preuss mystery series. Book 2, The Baker’s Men, is on my TBR.
#emptynestreader #instagram #CrimesOfLove #DonaldLevin #crimefiction #ebooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramalabama #bookstagrammichigan #bookreviews #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #SeptemberReads #readalittlelearnalittlelivealittle #KindleUnlimited #5starbooks
April 20, 2020
Crimes of Love is the kind of book that keeps me turning pages to find out the answer to the mystery, and yet, I don't want to finish it because it is so good. Thankfully this is the first in the series. I can't wait to open the next book. Detective Martin Preuss is more than a single, dedicated detective. His back story and his son make him someone a reader can identify with as he is not only dedicated to his job, but also his family. So many surprises and shockers in this story. I engaged with it from page one through to the end. If you are a mystery reader, hate a lot of gore and blood, and enjoy a great crime procedure, then you will like Crimes of Love. Highly recommended!
May 25, 2020
"Crimes of Love" is very enjoyable mystery/thriller that blends traditional mystery elements with some fresh takes. Believably written characters set in a detailed location (it helps that I am from Michigan and know the area the book takes place in) but even if you’ve never been the locations are well described. Don has a different writing style than I am used to and it did take me a while to adjust to it (as with any author you aren’t used to reading) but the story and characters were enough to keep me hooked. Solid pacing, with good emotion.
September 7, 2021
The book was flat for the first third of the book. The pace picked up from there and it was very quick paced at the end. Also towards the end, you started to see some development of the MC. But near the end of the book, the author added a completely unnecessary way too dramatic chapter that felt like a middle schooler filling up the two required pages. I think there is hope for improvement in the series but I have too many books on my to read list to bother.
August 31, 2019
After meeting the author at a book fair, I had high hopes for this series. Disappointed. Style boring and choppy. Neither the story nor the characters grabbed me. A lot of Ferndale, MI and surrounding areas mentioned.
February 2, 2021
Many twists and turns
I really enjoyed this book. Very entertaining and easy to read. Hits all the notes - suspense intrigue sadness love
I really enjoyed this book. Very entertaining and easy to read. Hits all the notes - suspense intrigue sadness love
March 23, 2020
Excellent Martin Preuss mystery—best of the series. Levin is at the top of his game!
April 25, 2023
This was a very good read. Tough guy cop and gentle dad to a handicapped child. The disabled child is handled with the greatest of care in a very tender way. Tough guy bursts into bad situations that carry you along wonderfully.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews