Deadly Flare-Up: A Richard McCord Novel

by L.R. Pendleton

Sex, drugs and missing money! An ex-con, a stripper, a dentist, and a psychologist, all have one common thread: former Southern California District Attorney, turned private investigator, Richard McCord. What starts out as a simple case quickly explodes into multiple murders, a Mexican drug cartel connection, and temptations from a vivacious exotic dancer, which may threaten his serious relationship with a beautiful psychologist. McCord is never one to walk away from danger, but this time could be different. He's convinced someone is out to kill him, or to frame him for murder, and he's determined to find answers, that is, if a bullet does not stop him first!

Genres: Mystery

226 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2015

About the author

L. R. Pendleton (Linda Pendleton) has written in a variety of genres: nonfiction, mystery novels, historical fiction, e-courses, comic book scripting, and screenplays. She is an award-winning author, and co-wrote several books with her late husband, Don Pendleton, creator of The Executioner, Mack Bolan Series; the Joe Copp Private Eye Series; and the Ashton Ford Psychic Detective Series.

She has a daughter and son, four grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters. She resides in California with her Ragdoll cat, Max.

Books of Fiction by Linda Pendleton
Catherine Winter Private Investigator Series:
Shattered Lens, Book 1
Fractured Image, Book 2
Shifting Focus, Book 3

Sound of Silence
The Unknown, A Novel
Deadly Flare-Up, (L. R. Pendleton)
Corn Silk Days, Iowa, 1862
Roulette: The Search for the Sunrise Killer, Don and Linda Pendleton

Comics:
The Executioner: War Against the Mafia, Don and Linda Pendleton
The Executioner: Death Squad, Linda Pendleton

For more on her nonfiction books, please visit her website at www.lindapendleton.com

Reviews

[Glen]

L.R. Pendleton is Linda Pendleton, wife of Don Pendleton. He created the Executioner series (and universe), and several other successful series. She was also close friends with Richard Prather, creator of the Shell Scott series. She even edited his last book. I got this hoping the talent of the legends rubbed off on her.

Unfortunately, it didn't.

The skeleton of a good story is here. Richard McCord, a PI with a tragic backstory, is hired by a dentist on a run of the mill case that balloons into a gigantic case with drugs, strippers, and the Mexican Mafia.

The sinews and flesh is missing. The setting, the characters, the tension and conflict are just not there. I had high hopes of an undiscovered classic, but this is at best, an average PI story.

[Robert]

I bought this novel out of curiosity after I found out that L.R. Pendleton is Linda Pendleton, wife of Don Pendleton, creator of one of my favorite fictional characters, Mack Bolan, the Executioner. I'm glad I did. Linda's character Richard McCord isn't as hard core as Mack Bolan, but he is tough, troubled, well-drawn and likable. The murder mystery is twisty and not easy to guess. And there's some interesting character development in McCord through the course of the story. It definitely made me want to explore more of Linda Pendleton's books.