By His Own Hand

The Newberg Mysteries #3

by Neal Griffin

It looks like suicide.

The body of a young man has been found in the woods outside Newberg, dead from a close-range shotgun blast. The gun―his own―lies beside the body.

Certain things don’t add up for Detective Tia Suarez. Where did the fat envelope of cash in his pocket come from? Who called the police to report the body, then disappeared before the cops arrived?

The trail leads Tia to an institution for juvenile incarceration and to the leader of a local mega-church, a political and economic powerhouse in the region. Newberg’s mayor and the medical examiner keep trying to close the case.

But what if it isn’t suicide? What if this young man’s death is covering up something that will shake the town to its foundations?

Los Angeles Times bestselling author Neal Griffin burst onto the scene with Benefit of the Doubt, which introduced Tia Suarez, the only female―and Latina―cop on the police force in tiny Newberg, Wisconsin. Griffin’s compelling suspense novels show that big-city crime regularly plagues small-town America―that Breaking Bad is the rule, not the exception.


The Newberg Novels
Benefit of the Doubt
A Voice from The Field
By His Own Hand

Genres: Mystery

336 pages, Hardcover

Published April 17, 2018

About the author

Neal Griffin is a twenty-five year veteran of law enforcement who grew up in the kind of town he writes about. He often speaks about law enforcement issues and police ethics to civilians and fellow cops. Griffin has participated in special training at FBI headquarters. Currently serving in a department in southern California, Griffin is married and has four children. His first novel was Benefit of the Doubt.

Reviews

[T. Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Carol Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am almost finished with Neal Griffin's third published novel and I can't wait to discover who "dunit", but at the same time I don't want it to end. I have read his other two novels, BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT and THE VOICE IN THE FIELD. I really enjoyed the them and found myself escaping into the world of his well-defined characters. The books are easy reads and hard to put down as Mr. Griffin pulls the reader into his crimes and how they affect his crime fighters. The last two novels focus on Tia Suarez, a local cop in Newberg, Wisconsin, who has to deal with a "boy's club" in this particular law enforcement situation. She has quite a roller coaster ride as she deals with the outside world and her internal struggles. I highly recommend these three crime novels.

[audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A body is found in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of Newberg. Tia Suarez is uncertain whether to classify the death as a suicide. The evidence isn't adding up and the more she investigates the more obstacles are thrown in her path. Money, faith, lies, and deceit are tangled together in this high profile case. By His Own Hand is the third book in The Newberg Mystery Series.

I enjoyed reading By His Own Hand. It did feel like a filler story in the series though. It lacked the intensity and complexity found in the first and second book of the series. This installment was much more formulaic and predictable regarding the mystery.

It touched on some relevant issues regarding abuse of power in religious institutions. I enjoyed the different viewpoints explored through the variety of characters. It skimmed the surface and presented everything with a sense of detachment though.

I enjoyed catching up with all the familiar characters. The new characters also added variety and made me look forward to seeing more from them. I really love how all the books give a sense of continuity regarding the lives of the characters and the community of Newberg.

Overall, I enjoyed reading By His Own Hand and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

[Arlon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Neal Griffin book. Consider me an instant fan! Just like you would expect from a great crime story, By His Own Hand is full of twists and turns, but Griffin also does a fantastic job developing interesting, relatable characters, so much so that I didn't want to leave them. A critical twist in every single chapter, Griffin's ability to tell a tight and compelling story—where literally every word moves the story another step forward—is truly genius.

[Nimal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the characterisation of the protagonist - Tia Suarez, whose instinctive and impulsive decisions make her style of investigation interesting. Look forward to reading the other two novels by Neal.

[S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did not see the ending coming....

[Mitch Kemnitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to beat his debut but I think this was his best, yet. Intricately plotted with twists and turns I didn't see coming. Looking forward to the next!

[T-Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and plan to look for others in the series.

[Emily Neely · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could not finish this book. Too many stupid and difficult characters. It felt like the whole thing was negative.

[Augie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another outstanding book in this Police mystery series.

I look forward to reading the next available well written book by this author.

[Marlene Bessette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Now, that I read this book, I can say, I had lots of fun. Lots of twists and turns. All to keep you reading. In the end. the murderer was really a surprise!! Good Book!!

[Signora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Wisconsin, a police detective continues to pursue leads on a case everyone thinks is a suicide.

[Glen Guldbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Griffin’s third book featuring Detective Tia Suarez. Suarez is a strong, female protagonist with bulldog tenacity and an great investigative instincts. Her methods of police work are sometime unorthodox and get her in hot water with her superiors. She’s also battling the demons of addiction which represent another character in the book. I have really become a fan of Neal Griffin’s work and highly recommend all three books; Benefit of the Doubt, A Voice From the Field, and this one. Fans of Michael Connelly, John Sandford, Robert Crais, and T Jefferson Parker will enjoy this series. Cheers and happy reading everyone!!!!

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

What begins as an "obvious" suicide turns out to be...not so obvious and, perhaps, something else quite different.

Populated by number of interesting characters, some sleazy circumstances, and principled persons who keep pushing to discern between "apparent" facts and the true ones, this is a fast-paced book that affords a very good read.

If you are a fan of murder mysteries, and of events that take place in smaller, less familiar places, then it is likely you will be highly entertained by this book!

[Joy Landers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been a lower rating but the whiny technophobe detective redeemed herself by taking the newbie and showing him the ropes while solving the case with solid police work