Never knowing where his next case will come from, Private Detective Jarvis Mann is thrilled when his voicemail is lit up by the sexy tones of a lady looking to hire him. Successful business woman Emily White with girl next door looks, is certain someone is stalking her and wants Jarvis to track down the elusive shadow. Even with three suspects, an ex-husband who lives to play softball, a sexist pig ex-employee and a mystery man who he encounters with painful results, Jarvis believes it's all in Emily's head until a killing in her home convinces him otherwise. Further complicating matters a powerful business man and crime boss becomes involved muddying up the case, leaving Jarvis the prime suspect in the brutal beating of one of the possible stalkers, threatening to put his PI career on ice. Navigating through each twist and turn in the case, and the affections of two desirable women both with an agenda, Jarvis uses dogged determination and razor sharp wit in Tracking a Shadow that moves across the Denver landscape with each shift in the sun.
Award-winning Author R Weir lives in the Mile-High City with his family, where the Rocky Mountain High isn't always achieved with an herbal substance. When not glued to the computer, he relaxes by enjoying the outdoors and traveling in his motorhome. His writing delves into genres with gritty investigators exploring mystery, crime, suspense, and thrills, with involved plots and unexpected twists. Featuring former US Marshal Hunter Divine, a dire, determined man searching for salvation in his broken life. Private eye Jarvis Mann is tough and snarky, with as many faults as virtues. And his newest series featuring retired police officer Donnie Steel and his K-9 companion, Kogel. Characters exhibiting traces of his sense of humor, though he’s not nearly as tough and fearless. Though no evil stands a chance against his written word!
Be sure to visit R Weir’s author webpage (https://rweir.net) for information about new releases, to sign-up for his newsletter and receive a free eBook. Also reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or via email; for he loves to hear and interact with readers.
Jarvis Mann wasn’t your average run-of-the-mill Private Investigator. Although he liked money just like the next guy, there were two key components that Jarvis demanded of his potential clients. First, never lie to him about the facts of your case and second, have his retainer up front and be able to foot the bill for his services. If you can handle those two things, Jarvis was your mann (chuckle).
This is what he advised his newest potential client, Emily White. What struck Jarvis as odd is that Emily didn’t seem to have any issues with his rules—and not only did she not have any issues with his rules, she had plenty of money to back her up. Jarvis was excited to do business with the beautiful businesswoman. The only problem was, Jarvis didn’t think the pretty little lady had much of a case. So, you’re wondering what was Emily’s problem? A stalker! Emily was convinced someone was following her to do her harm, but why? That’s what Jarvis wanted to know as well. Since Emily didn’t have a problem being truthful, she began laying out the possible suspects who was stalking her.
As Jarvis begins taking notes, after carefully folding her freshly inked check in his shirt pocket, one thing was becoming very obvious. This woman had to be nuts. What she described sounded like what most women go through with men, especially when she was a real looker, which Emily definitely was. Jarvis begins to shadow Emily to get a sense of her daily routine, when strange things and occurrences begin to happen, which gives Jarvis pause. Perhaps Emily wasn’t imagining things after all? As the reader follows the clues and the would-be suspects, it will become crystal clear that what you see isn’t exactly what you’ll get!
This was a fun book to read on so many levels. First off, Jarvis was a quick-witted wise ass that made following him a pure pleasure. He made me laugh so many times with his sarcastic sense of humor. There were times when Jarvis made some errors, which you may find were a little obvious, but after getting to know the character, you’ll soon discover his actions suited his personality well. This is the first time I’ve read Weir and he’s written a very suspenseful, old-fashioned private investigator type of novel. I couldn’t get enough of Jarvis. Not to mention, I so enjoyed his name. It’s not one you read a lot in books, so that was quite refreshing.
What I also loved about this character is that he may have appeared to be an average type of guy, but he was one who could kick major ass, which he needed those skills for some of the shady characters he met along the way. All-in-all this was a quick read that worked up fast to get you going and kept you going. A definite page turner. The characters felt real and brought a lot of mystery to the story line. Weir did an amazing job keeping the reader’s interest.
I give Tracking a Shadow five looks through the magnifying glass. This was a humorous suspenseful tale about sex, money, power and greed. With those ingredients thrown in the mix, you have a recipe for a great suspense novel. Well done, Weir, I’m definitely a fan!
This is the second in the Jarvis Mann Series, but first full length novel. The first was a short story introduction to Jarvis Mann: The Case of the Missing Bubblegum Card. Jarvis gets a call from Emily who says that there is someone stalking her. Jarvis takes the case, but has doubts there actually is a stalker until something happens in her home. Jarvis comes up with three possible suspects, but still has some doubts. There is a love interest that enters the picture for Jarvis.
I had my suspicions as to who may have been involved with Emily’s stalkings, but I was wrong. I liked Jarvis, but the only issue I had was that he needed to think a little more with his mind and less with “Jarvis Jr”. Sure, he can make that mistake once, but again after he knows he should not have done it in the first place?
There was also a twist 66% into the book that I did not see coming! I highly enjoy twists. And it explained why a certain character was involved, which I was wondering about.
The novel kept moving and never was slow for me. I really liked how R Weir referenced the Missing Bubblegum Card case towards the end. I also enjoyed how everything was wrapped up in the conclusion. I plan to read more Jarvis Mann novels!
**I received a copy from R Weir in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first Jarvis Mann book and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Even though he has no clue about women, and there are some twists and turns because of it, I enjoyed following his investigation. It was definitely hard to put down.
Jarvis Mann comes off somewhere between Sam Spade without inhibitions and Miami Vice gone rogue. Weir's private detective enjoys his vices but treads cautiously once he realizes he's been led by his baser instincts. With this new case, Mann has his work cut out for him, unraveling a mystery within a mystery and trying to figure out whose side will leave him the least damaged both physically and reputationally. The lady is not what she seems is truth indeed, and intriguing twists keep the pace chugging right along. Mann has his quirks. I'm afraid his classic muscle car isn't the best for undercover surveillance work, but someday he'll get the message. Meanwhile he's made some interesting friends in high places and managed to make a nuisance of himself in several Denver police departments while getting to the bottom of his latest stalking case. In the end, he shows his mushy side over pets and little girls.
For those who enjoy their PI stories with a good deal of steam, interview and social media use to unravel clues, a little procedure and a number of exclamation points. Review copy provided through VoraciousReadersOnly.com
The first in a new series, Denver Private Investigator Jarvis Mann takes on the stalking case of businesswoman Emily White. Emily feels she has been stalked for some time, not always by the same person, and she has a couple of persons who would have reason to stalk her, the details of those relationships she shares fully with him. There was an ex-husband who had stalked her previously, and an ex-employee who overestimated his worth to herself and her company.
Jarvis isn't sure she is actually being stalked and feels he can close this case quickly - until he notices as he is trailing Ms. White he himself has picked up a tail. And then Emily comes home to find her dog Opus brutally murdered in her kitchen.
I enjoyed the details of Denver living, and the protagonists are sympathetic and colorful for the most part. Jarvis is a cross between Sam Spade and Nero Wolfe with a touch ar Archie tossed in for good measure. I liked Emily and admired her calm acceptance of things that can't be changed and her attitude in general. Jarvis is an excellent PI, not too macho but not taking any crap. This is a series I will want to follow.
Tracking A Shadow is the first full length novel in the series of Jarvis Mann Detective Novel standalones, though it was recommended that I read the series in book order to fully grasp the references made to prior cases, as well as the character progression of Detective Mann. So I did just that, starting with R. Weir’s short story The Case of The Missing Bubble Gum Card, which is permanently free on Amazon.
Now before I jump into this review, I would like to let you know that independent and debut authors, or debut works hold a special place in my heart and I view them differently than the works of those who have at least one full length novel under their belt. Now with that being said please notice that I said view NOT review. What that means is that if I find errors, or something off with the writing I will mention it, but it will not dictate whether or not I read another book from the author. In fact I quite enjoy seeing how an author progresses as they write more.
Alright, now that I have said that let’s get to the review.
It read much like you would expect a private investigator’s case journal to read; full of detailed accounts of the suspects, as well as the movements of the detective. However, that great detail tended to take away some from the excitement of the chase. Even so, I was held in suspense and left jumping to conclusions as my brain scramble to guess who done it. R. Weir definitely has a knack for foiling the reader’s attempts at solving the case before Mr. Mann has his guy. It is my assumption that he always gets his guy. Even if he is no longer being paid to do so, curiosity and determination fuel him to seek resolution.
In this case, the shadow Jarvis Mann is tracking is elusive. And the final findings left me with my mouth agape. Astonished at the author’s brilliance to fool me.
Alluring book cover picture, mysterious title will definitely get a reader attention. Many times the book doesn’t measure up, not the case with Tracking a Shadow. R. Weir has developed a character to match the picture and an intriguing storyline that relates to the cover. It’s a perfect start to the PI series of Jarvis Mann. Meet Jarvis, a good looking ladies man, witty with a good bit of sarcasm in his talk and in action, I mean action in more ways than hunting an unfaithful husband, he’s a character to love and never get enough of. This is all good for a series to start, but there has to be plots that keep you turning pages. This book has more than one storyline and figuring out how they relate makes the best reading. The writing is so compelling, I was shocked at shootings, in awe how characters were related and I couldn’t stop reading. So thankful there’s more of Jarvis Mann in my nights. If you like PI books with interesting characters and lots of action, I recommend this book.
When I received this book to read from the author and looked at the cover picture I wasn't sure what to expect. I had read the prequel (The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card) so knew I was in store for a good P.I. mystery. It did not disappoint with a well constructed plot with lots of twists and turns. You may be surprised when you realise what's at the bottom of the story ....... or maybe not if you read a lot of this genre. Reminds me of Sam Spade and Philip Marlow. I could hear the narration as I was reading and knew that everything would be explained at the end so I didn't need to fuddle my brain trying to work it out. I sat back and enjoyed the book.
If you like P.I. mysteries then I recommend this one.
At the end of the book, the author told his readers to "curl up to a delightful book." He definitely achieved a delightful read. Tracking a Shadow was filled with good descriptions and interesting characters. One character snidely called Jarvis Mann "the butler of detectives." This actually felt pretty true to me (but not in an insulting way) as a butler must be able to deal with all kinds of situations with skill and discretion and that sums up Jarvis to me. Of course, just like people that we know he is not perfect. This is a book that I will be rereading again.
I received this book from Voracious Readers for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. I did figure out "who done it" pretty early on, but this was still an enjoyable read. However, the main character - Jarvis Mann does have some unattractive characteristics. He is portrayed as a bit of a womanizer and does have the occasional habit of treating woman as less then. Other then that the story itself was intriguing enough to keep me interested.
I was so lucky to have found a new author that I had not read and WOW was I happy! This suspense was so good and right when I thought I had it solved the author threw me for a loop. I love the way he writes and loved this books. I can't wait to read more of his books. R. Weir hit a home run with this book!
Jarvis is my favorite. I love his quirky ways. This book is well written. I am glad that I found this author to mix in with my usual books. Give this Author a try. Also reviewed by Heather Ann's Book Reviews.
This book had many twists and turns that I didn't expect. Exactly what I appreciate in a good suspense. Haven't read a lot of books from male authors so the sexual tones and seeing the other point of view was interesting.
This is a slow starter for me, but Jarvis takes on Emily’s case as she has a stalker, problem being there are three suspects. This is a good story which has twists and surprise, and had me intrigued and hooked throughout. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
I thought that this, in the end, was an okay read. Started strongly (to me Jarvis was reminiscent of an Elvis Cole) but the poor judgement of the protagonist, his up and down physical abilities, and the telegraphing of the plot, reduced my enjoyment of the story.
I love this series. Each book has it's own case and when Jarvis gets a case man it's a rough one. This one is no different, talk about head games. This series is a must read.
Tracking a Shadow is a Jarvis Mann Detective Novel, by R. Weir. After reading the first book, ‘The Case of the missing Bubble Gum Card’, I fell in love with the old style detective story feel of the novel and I was hoping that feeling would carry through to any subsequent books. I am so happy to report that it certainly does carry through- the old style charm blends harmoniously with the contemporary dialogue and settings. I was intrigued to find out what the author (and Jarvis) had in store for me in this story. Jarvis Mann’s Private Investigating business has been a little slow, his bills are piling up and he could do with a few good cases to get him back on track. His jobs usually consists of looking into insurance fraud cases, or following a cheating spouse and being involved in messy divorce cases. The glamour of his job wore off a long time ago and he has become slightly disillusioned by his experiences. He is very happy when he turns his phone on one afternoon, to find a message from a woman who needs his help to track down her stalker. She sounds sexy and he wonders if the face and body will match the voice. Jarvis is a man’s man, who appreciates a good-looking woman. He is intrigued by her and makes plans to meet with her and discuss the case. Jarvis finds her to be sexy, smart and friendly. He discovers that she is divorced and has been stalked before by her ex-husband, Mark. But he isn’t the only person who could be stalking her; there are other suspects who come to light. Everything gets very complicated and dangerous when a crime boss becomes involved. The investigation ramps up and trouble seems to follow close behind. Things are not what they seem and there seems to be a few different agendas in play. When there is action, suspense, killing, lots of danger, mob connections, half-truths, enough twist and turns to make you dizzy, a sexy love interest, several suspects, people who aren’t what they seem, as well as an unhinged bad guy….. and a determined and witty detective- you know you are on to a winning story! This book had me guessing from the get go. The author has delivered a well thought out and beautifully written, multi layered story. There are so many twists and turns, I was in complete suspense, tearing my way through the book to find out what the heck was going on. In Mr. Weir’s own unique and masterful style, he has written incredibly detailed scenes, settings and characters. The dialogue is witty, funny in places and overall is quite descriptive. The characters are fully developed, as is the plot. The story had a great pace and the author did a great job in keeping the story, with all its various elements- flowing nicely. I like Jarvis a lot; his sarcasm, slightly jaded personality, witty banter and empathy- really appealed to me. I was intrigued by Emily and I was really surprised to finally discover the story behind her ‘stalker’. I also liked Melissa and would like to find out more about her in future books. The ending was not at all expected, but the author wrapped up the investigation and the story, really well! A very enjoyable book and I look forward to reading the next Jarvis Mann Detective novel!
Jarvis Mann is a Private Investigator in Denver. He has a small business set up in the living room of his place. He lives in a neighborhood where you shouldn’t walk the streets at night. He drives a 69 Mustang that if you called a classic would be an overstatement. But things have been going a little better lately. He’s been able to get some much needed tune ups on his car, actually has a cell phone now, and doesn’t have as many bill collectors coming for him.
Said cell phone had the battery go low while he was working on his car one day and the phone died. No big deal, it’s not like he gets too many calls. Sure enough, once he gets back to his place and plugs it in, he finds that he has missed a call. It’s a client asking for help. And the voice sounds quite sexy too! He takes the time to clean up and look his best before going over to meet her. She is as good looking as she sounded and she claims she needs his help with someone stalking her. She has a legit case and is most willing to pay his fee. Plus her check cleared. It will involve quite a bit of work, but it quite interests him. But this case turns into so much more than he ever expected. There seem to be many more people in the picture than he thought and they each seem to have their own story and agenda. Will he ever be able to get to the bottom of it all?
This is the second story I have read in this Jarvis Mann series, the first being a short story. I liked this longer novel. Jarvis is quite likeable. He reminds me of the type of PI from the older detective novels, although I do think he isn’t quite as gritty as he was in the previous short story. It has the street smart detective, the attractive woman who needs help, the beautifully detailed descriptions of everything around Mann that puts you right into the story. There are so many people in the stories, you will never know exactly what is going on. Plus the snarkiness of Mann makes you laugh at loud. I love a good detective novel and Weir pull it off beautifully. High recommended.
4 star review Tracking A Shadow is the second book but the first full length novel in the Jarvis Mann series by R. Weir. It can be read as a standalone. I have read the first short story which I enjoyed so I was looking forward to reading a full length novel about the detective. Private Detective Jarvis Mann is happy when he gets a call from a sexy sounding lady wanting to hire him. Emily White employs Jarvis to help try and track down a supposed stalker. Even though there are 3 suspects, including Emily’s ex-husband, Jarvis is convinced that Emily is imaging everything that is until there is a killing in her home. There were plenty of twists and turns in this story which made it a good read. I think that the character development in the story is good. At the beginning we get a lot of background information about the characters which I thought made the story more interesting to read and the final plot twist all the more exciting and no predictable. I liked Jarvis’ character although he did confuse me at times. Sometimes he came across as someone sophisticated and good at his job and other times as immature and only thinking with one part of his body! I think that the author did a good job with keeping the plot reveal until the very end – I have to say I thought I knew 100% what was going to happen but I was only half right! I also liked Melissa’s character so I really hope that we see more of her in future books. I’ve read a lot of books but this is the first that I have read by a male author and it was interesting to me how the more sexual scenes were written. Usually the scenes go on for ages and build up where as in this book there wasn’t much detail but I don’t see this as a negative thing I thought it was refreshing to not read pages and pages of what they did to each other and I felt that it fitted in well with the style in which the book was written. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more by this author and more about Jarvis – this private detective may just have me hooked!!
Jarvis Mann was feeling pretty lucky, as over the past few months, he’d scored some decent P.I. work that didn’t involve taking pictures of sordid affairs. Then he receives a voice mail from a sexy, female voice, asking for help. To his immense delight, he discovers that the voice does match the person, as a frightened, sexy Emily proceeds to tell him she thinks she’s being followed, by person, or persons, unknown. She has a history of being relentlessly stalked by her ex-husband, who one day, just disappeared. With very few clues to go on, Jarvis agrees to take the case, as Emily is willing to pay whatever it takes to find her stalker. Is it her ex-husband, or some other jilted lover?
The story starts out slow, as Weir fills in the background of Emily, Jarvis and a few other key players in this mystery. As Jarvis starts untangling the webs of deceit, he’s approached by a well-know mobster type. What does he have to do with Emily? There are plenty of twists and turns, as the list of suspects slowly dwindles. Jarvis also finds himself in a relationship with Melissa, which gets tangled up in the same webs of deceit. But who is lying?
The characters are well-developed, along with the plot and dialogue. I really liked Jarvis and his persona. I can see me tooling around with him in his classic Mustang. I also liked Melissa and I would love to see her and Jarvis find their way together again.
As for the plot, I must say I usually have most of them figured out way in advance. But this one had me guessing, which was fun for a change. I love puzzles. When the final culprit was revealed, we got to see what a subliminal, twisted mind they had. In this story, I felt sorry for the victims as well as the perpetrator.
If you love mysteries and thrillers, with a dash of romance, you’ll want to check out this book. I’m looking forward to the next one in the series. I give this tale 4 feathers.
“Tracking a Shadow” is a wonderfully written novel by R Weir about PI Jarvis Mann. It’s a hot, dry summer in Denver and Mann is at it again after he gets a call from a woman named Emily who wants his help tracking down her stalker. She has noticed random people and cars following her around, her door being unlocked when she’s sure she locked it and calls with no one on the other end and she’s worried it’s her ex -husband stalking her like he did around the time of their divorce. She can’t get the police to help her so she wants to hire Jarvis to help figure out who is behind the strange occurrences. Jarvis gathers as much information as he can from Emily about her divorce, her lawyer, her ex and any other possible people who could be stalking her. Armed with this information, he sets out to dig out the truth and help this beautiful woman get her life back. The more Jarvis uncovers about the case, the less he understands. Every suspect seems to be a dead end and every answer seemingly leads to so many more questions. While investigating, Jarvis meets the charming and intelligent Melissa with whom he hits it off with immediately. They quickly become close as his case gets more intense and more dangerous. Can Jarvis discover the truth before someone gets hurt? Can he unravel the lies mixed in with the truth and figure out who is responsible for the sinister deeds? This book was so riveting! I had a hard time putting this book down and couldn’t stop thinking about it when I had to work! It kept me guessing at every turn and nothing is better for me when it comes to mysteries! R Weir was skillfully able to weave a great mystery in with some more steamy moments in a way that can keep any readers attention! I love this series of mysteries so far and can’t wait to see what else is in store for Jarvis Mann. If you can ignore the more grisly bits to this mystery, you will easily be hooked like I am. This really is a must read mystery! I give “Tracking a Shadow” five stars!
“Tracking a Shadow: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel” by R. Weir is a gripping, fast-paced mystery that pays homage to the classic detectives while maintaining its modern, contemporary feel and tone. It continuously poses the question: Who can you trust. Jarvis Mann receives a call from a woman, Emily, about tracking down a stalker. He is immediately drawn in by this woman’s sexuality, which plays a large part throughout the whole novel. After interviewing Emily, two men become immediate suspects for Jarvis to check out and follow. His immersion in this case also gets Jarvis involved with a high-powered, ruthless businessman with possible underworld ties, who has a keen interest in the case. This deepens the intrigue of the novel. (And gives Jarvis a chance to showcase his impressive fighting skills.) The novel takes place in Denver, Colorado. I got a real feel for the culture of the city and its surroundings through Jarvis’ observations. However, the only time that I found the narrative slowed down is when Jarvis would describe in detail his routes from place to place. I imagine local Denver people might appreciate this. Another element of the novel I liked is that the villain(s) and suspects were given depth. We learned more about them so that they weren’t paint-by-numbers crime story characters. Jarvis himself is a likable character with his own set of sometimes infuriating flaws, but that only makes him all the more authentic. A guy’s guy, he enjoys sex, good food (and fast food cheeseburgers,) and coming to the rescue of sexy young women, but there’s a lot of depth to him as well, like his sensitivity over a dog’s death and his empathy in general for people. I recommend this book to people who like the mystery detective genre, as well as those interested in curling up with an enjoyable, mysterious book with well-drawn characters.
Emily is a client pursued by a husband, then ex-husband, stalker. For the ever hungry Jarvis, always looking for a case, Emily is the ideal client. Any client who accepts his explanation of how expensive an investigation is, agrees to his fees, and (by the way) mentions that money is not really a concern, pleases P.I. Jarvis. And she is hot. But the investigation hits a series of stalls and hesitation points because, although people are willing to talk to him, everyone seems to be telling only partial stories and half-truths. How can he find out the truth about Mark, the ex-husband? How does Richie, a complete slime ball pervert, figure in all this? Then there is the omniscient Godfather like Brandon who seems to know everything before Jarvis does.
This is an entertaining mystery read with quite a bit of suspense and a few surprises. Jarvis observes the slowly emerging truths and comments on his discoveries with a lot of understated humor. Emily’s character engages the reader. The reader wonders where Melissa went. That may be solved in a later book.
So why not 5 stars? As I read the first third of the book (by Kindle percentage) I was a bit put off by the writing in a choppy first person style. I began to look for pronouns other than “I”. After the first third of the book, I detected a change. It seemed to me the writing got better. It was as if the revision or editing process started after the first third of the book. Therefore, four stars.
And I changed my opinion from one I had after reading the Missing Bubble Gum Card (same author). After reading this book, I will read further works (especially mysteries) by this author. I am looking for Melissa.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Tracking a Shadow is the second book in R Weir’s series starring detective Jarvis Mann. One morning while coming in from working on his 69’ Mustang, Jarvis was thrilled to see a message lit up on his home office answering machine from a sexy sounding woman seeking his detective services. He quickly returns the phone call, and learns his new client is a business woman named Emily White, who believes someone is stalking her. They set up a meeting for that afternoon and Jarvis was pleasantly surprised when he realized Emily not only had a sexy voice, but was a naturally beautiful woman. After following up on a few leads and discovering Opus, the neighbors family pet, murdered in Emily's home, Jarvis narrows his list of suspects down to three main people: Mark Remington, a construction worker and Emily’s ex-husband, Ricky Ward, and ex employ of Emily's and all round sleaze ball who considers himself a lady's man, and an unknown man who has caused quite a few problems for Jarvis. Can Jarvis find Emily's stalker and turn him in or will this case prove to be more than he can handle? This is the second book I've read by author R Weir and I once again loved the descriptive detail he used throughout the book. I was a little disappointed in some of the choices detective Jarvis’ character made in this book, simply because I didn't think it went with the initial impression I received during the first book I read in this series. Overall I’d say Tracking a Shadow has the perfect mix of suspense, romance, and humor to make a great book! I look forward to reading the next book in this series Twice as Fatal: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel and would definitely recommend this book!
Tracking a Shadow by R. Weir is the second book of the Jarvis Mann detective series. It is also the first full length story of this fun series. The book starts out with our weary P.I. heading back to his apartment above the hair salon after a long day of working on his ’69 Mustang. He perks up quite a bit when he checks his voicemail to hear the sexy voice of a potential new client, Emily White. She is introduced as a successful business woman with a girl next door vibe. The sexy voiced client is sure she is being stalked, and wants to hire Mann to catch the culprit. There is no shortage of suspects with an ex-husband, disgruntled ex-coworker, and a mystery man. At first, Mann feels she’s being paranoid. He doesn’t think there is any threat. Then a murder takes place too close to home quickly changing his mind. Many complications ensue that place Mann, his career, and Emily in jeopardy. This second book sets a more adult tone with Mann intrigued by two women, Emily and Melissa. I love the inner dialogue of Mann, his sarcasm is at an all- time high in this novel. He truly is a man on a mission, determined to solve the case (and possibly snag the girl;). Really loved the dialogue and plot in this story. It was very well paced, never lagging or moving too fast for the reader. The women in this book were a bit of an enigma with Melissa disappearing without much explanation. This could be to really showcase Mann himself, or leave open the possibility of a future hook-up with Melissa. Without spoiling too much, I will say the mystery was solved in a believable well thought out satisfying manner. I really enjoyed this second book, and loved that the story evolved into a more adult setting.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tracking A Shadow is R. Wier's second novel. It is an enjoyable detective mystery.
The characters are well developed. The women are a bit mysterious, but aren't they always a mystery to men? Jarvis Mann, PI, is the leading character and the story is told in his voice. He is a normal guy--has some skills, charm and enough ambition to comfortably live from job to job. He is probably a little less cool then he thinks he is, but a likable character with some moral fiber. Emily White, who hires Jarvis, to track her stalker is terribly complicated. The remaining cast of characters add fully to the mystery and to Jarvis' question of who to trust?
The story is well paced; I never felt the plot dragged. While Mr. Weir did layout a fine trail of red herrings, there are sufficient clues for the reader to get a feel for where the mystery is leading (albeit not the exact answer). At times the dialogue felt flat, but that gave the story a classic gumshoe feel (a la 1940s film noir). I appreciated the fade-to-black sex scenes that didn't take over the story. Jarvis solves the mystery and negotiates the ending smoothly yet realistically. I won't give away the mystery by discussing the story in too much detail because the fun is in the journey.
Tracking A Shadow is a fun escape, and I'm looking forward to reading more Jarvis Mann mysteries.
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Tracking a Shadow is a book in the Jarvis Mann Detective Novel by R Weir. The title made me excited to read this book and having read The case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card I was really looking forward to this. Jarvis Mann is a Private Investigator that is just working to pay the bills. With bill collectors calling its important to start getting more cases, so of couse he couldn't turn down the chance to take a case from a beautiful woman. He never thought the case would be as twisty turny and complicated as it actually turns out. This was absolutely not my favorite character, and I had such hope after the bubble gum card case. It almost seemed like different characters to me. Emily white is a successful business woman just wanting to feel safe. After dealing with a stalker after then end of her marriage she never wanted to feel that again. I feel like the whole book was focused on her and her appearance, this got a little old to me. While I was initially excited by this plot it really seemed to take forever to get where it was going then it wasn't as climatic as I thought it would be. I didn't feel like I got a real good sense of who the characters were or their past, but instead I got a lot of filler about unimportant things. While I believe it is worth at least trying to read for the plot alone, this definitely seems like a read you would need to be interested in for it to work out. You will however read to the end once you start cause some of the twist are totally out of left field and complete surprises. I recommend this if you are looking for mystery that will keep you guessing.
Private investigator Jarvis Mann returns for R Weir’s Second book. After concluding more cases and his bank account being better off he receives a call from Emily in request for help with her “stalker”. Not one to turn down such an interesting case, he arranges to meet and discuss this further. Emily explains about her stalker but unable to give any concrete descriptions to help Jarvis, she explains about her ex-husband and his controlling manner that led to the demise of their marriage. She also gives details of another suspect in Rickie who use to work at her firm but was a player in all ways even trying to seduce her. With two clear suspects Jarvis starts his work by visiting them both and doing background checks, he comes to the conclusion they could both be involved but seems more inclined to one than the other. As the story evolves the plot thickens and more suspects are added to the tally, with Jarvis starting a new relationship with the beautiful Melissa the case seems to be more than expected at first. You are drawn into the twists and turns that the plot dictates, more players coming into the game and more seduction than our intrepid PI can handle and he can sure handle himself. Seeing more of his relationship with other characters in the book that are surely going to be seen in further novels and getting drawn into a web of deceit that comes to a dramatic conclusion, leaving Jarvis making deals with the devil himself. Great Story and a thriller to the end with the added details of seduction and romance.