Threads: A Blaine Horney Mystery

by Kris Karrel

Why the ethics of this little side job had begun to nag as the miles passed under the tires, the Texas Ranger didn't have a clue. Wasn't like he was changing sides in the war on crime or anything. Not like he'd be stepping on any influential toes either. The double homicide was cold enough, a year old yesterday. And out of his or any Ranger's usual jurisdiction, way out, whole states out. Morrison, Montana, a town so small it didn't rate a dot on a map, any map he could find. Ten large under the table simply to finger the bad guy if he could--with or without enough evidence to convict Should be cut-and-dried easy. Especially for a Ranger with a psychic gift. A subconscious mental process he likened to a bloodhound sifting myriad scents in choosing the right one to track. When it worked. Always a downside to everything. Like the name on some mythical office should he ever strike out on his own. Horney Investigations. Beat Blaine Horney, PI, or B. Horney, Private Investigator, but not by much. What kind of clients could he expect to draw with that? A steady paycheck had a lot more appeal, for now anyway. Side jobs notwithstanding.

308 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2007

Reviews

[Genean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only wonderful characters a great measure of suspense with unexpected turns which see both good and bad bite the dust. Texas Ranger, Blayne Horney, has been offered a side job which sees him visit small town Montana to suss out a cold case murder of a woman and her child. His talents are such that he sees the trails of those who are to become persons of interest. Why? Blane has a physic talent that allows him to see auras and sometimes hear thoughts. This talent has made him well sought after as a cold case officer working in the murder squad.
No sooner than he arrives the town than a dust up begins & murder happens. Quinn Tarantino would be proud - for it seems a psychopath killer driven by greed lurks in the background of discontent. His daughter, a waitress, has been so abused from childhood she has become a cypher in his dealings. The rot is so entrenched in the town that by the end of the book 11 murders (incl. suicide) have occurred & our Ranger is left in hospital.
Although the author draws upon the prototypical measure of the Ranger profile & the more romantic view of the cowboy legends the characters hold their own as intelligent, feeling, respectful & concerned. Not all played straight or were endearing. Well written with no real 'dead' spots. Congratulations to the author.

[M.L. Bushman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ah, this one written under my pseudonym, Kris Karrel. I love the protagonist in this one, as much or more than I love any other protagonist of mine.