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Relentless
(Brick Kavanagh #1)
by
Cherry blossom season is Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful time of the year. But as tourists flock to the city, this year’s festivities are marred by the discovery of the naked body of a young woman floating in the Tidal Basin.
Veteran homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is assigned to the case. He’s shocked when he learns the victim is connected to another homicide ...more
Veteran homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is assigned to the case. He’s shocked when he learns the victim is connected to another homicide ...more
Kindle Edition, 368 pages
Published
December 17th 2019
by Oceanview Publishing
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Synopsis/blurb.....
Cherry blossom season is Washington, D.C.'s most beautiful time of the year. But as tourists flock to the city, this year's festivities are marred by the discovery of the naked body of a young woman floating in the Tidal Basin. Veteran homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is assigned to the case. He's shocked when he learns the victim is connected to another homicide which makes the investigation very personal for him. Brick's efforts to solve the case are thwarted by dep ...more
Cherry blossom season is Washington, D.C.'s most beautiful time of the year. But as tourists flock to the city, this year's festivities are marred by the discovery of the naked body of a young woman floating in the Tidal Basin. Veteran homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is assigned to the case. He's shocked when he learns the victim is connected to another homicide which makes the investigation very personal for him. Brick's efforts to solve the case are thwarted by dep ...more
Actually, this isn't a bad effort overall - certainly for a debut novel. At the same time, I have to say that compared with top-rated police series writers like Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware) or Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch), this one reads more like Dick and Jane.
In part that's because I just can't relate to a guy knicknamed "Brick" - even if (or maybe because) it comes as a result of his red hair. Beyond that, I'll compare it to old commercial for pasta sauce that proclaimed, "It's in the ...more
In part that's because I just can't relate to a guy knicknamed "Brick" - even if (or maybe because) it comes as a result of his red hair. Beyond that, I'll compare it to old commercial for pasta sauce that proclaimed, "It's in the ...more
Homicide Detective Brick Kavanagh and his partner, Detective Ron Hayes are assigned to investigate when a young woman is found floating in the Tidal Basin. Although no ID is found, Brick learns the victim was connected to another homicide. The case becomes very personal.
Ultimately a person of interest is arrested, but Brick is convinced that they have the wrong person. His attempts to find the real culprit is hampered by departmental policies and a rush to judgment by a senior officer not that i ...more
I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for a review copy of Relentless, the first novel to feature Washington Metro PD detective Brian “Brick” Kavanagh.
When the body of a young woman is found floating in the Tidal Basin Brick and his partner, Ron Hayes, are assigned the case. The discovery of a second body links the cases together and suddenly Brick is involved in a task force, but not for long as a quick arrest seems to resolve the case although he’s not so sure.
I enjoyed Rele ...more
When the body of a young woman is found floating in the Tidal Basin Brick and his partner, Ron Hayes, are assigned the case. The discovery of a second body links the cases together and suddenly Brick is involved in a task force, but not for long as a quick arrest seems to resolve the case although he’s not so sure.
I enjoyed Rele ...more
When homicide detective Brian “Brick” Kavanagh is assigned to the case of a young woman found floating in the Tidal Pool in Washington, D.C., the last thing he expects is a second murder to suddenly create an immediate and personal tie between himself and the victim. Hamstrung by a senior officer more interested in optics than actually solving crimes, Brick isn’t about to let this one slip through the cracks.
The premise was interesting, and with victims from Guatemala and ICE agents getting invo ...more
The premise was interesting, and with victims from Guatemala and ICE agents getting invo ...more
This debut novel by Shawn Wilson features homicide detective Brick Kavanagh who has been in the business for quite a while. He is called to the scene of the body of a young woman floating in the tidal basin of Washington as the cherry blossoms bloom. While he and his partner puzzle out who killed her, Brick learns that a young immigrant named Jose who works part-time at a bar that Brick frequents has turn't up for several days. He decides to help his friend the bar owner by trying to locate Jose
...more
It's cherry blossom time but for this debut it's also a time for a serial killer to be on the loose in and around DC area.
The tidal basin is where 'Brick' and his partner first find a woman floating face down.
The remainder of the story is a bunch of missteps with more dead bodies, more medical examiner errors, and more craziness that just doesn't jive smoothly with the plot.
Departmental red tape and politics prevents much of the truth from being released and justice from being served.
With this s ...more
The tidal basin is where 'Brick' and his partner first find a woman floating face down.
The remainder of the story is a bunch of missteps with more dead bodies, more medical examiner errors, and more craziness that just doesn't jive smoothly with the plot.
Departmental red tape and politics prevents much of the truth from being released and justice from being served.
With this s ...more
Good Read Late
In my opinion this author is not like Michael Connelly, just my opinion.
Loose in the beginning but much better later.
In my opinion this author is not like Michael Connelly, just my opinion.
Loose in the beginning but much better later.
This book lacks many of the elements you would expect in a murder mystery. There is no trail of clues or foreshadowing to assist the reader in trying to solve the crime. There is one red herring late in the story. There were two insertions that represented the killer's actions and thoughts, but they seemed so disconnected. The murderer is revealed near the end but I couldn't even remember his role in the story and it just seemed like the author pulled him out of thin air. I did not like the endi
...more
I received this book through the Read Now program on "NetGalley".
This story begins with Brick and his partner being called to a murder scene at Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. The victim is unknown. Later, Brick has gone to his favorite bar when he learns that one of the workers has not shown up for the last few days. Eventually he and the nephew of the bar owner go to Jose's apartment to check on his status. Upon arriving at the scene, he discovers that Jose has been killed and his sister is mi ...more
This story begins with Brick and his partner being called to a murder scene at Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. The victim is unknown. Later, Brick has gone to his favorite bar when he learns that one of the workers has not shown up for the last few days. Eventually he and the nephew of the bar owner go to Jose's apartment to check on his status. Upon arriving at the scene, he discovers that Jose has been killed and his sister is mi ...more
Happy book birthday Shwan Wilson
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vote Weathering With You
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Savage Hunger
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This book is shown in one of my polls
, give your support to the authors and give it a vote. Or vote by genre.
Most appealing book genre featuring
Book Birthdays December 17th
If you like
Fantasy, Romantic fantasy
vote Weathering With You
If you like
Thriller, Pshycological Thriller
vote Relentless
If you like
Romantic suspense
Vote
Savage Hunger
VOTE HERE ...more
This is a murder/mystery novel, which is also something of a whodunnit.
The main character, with the colourful.nickname Brick, is called upon to examine and investigate a floater in the nearby docks. The floater appears to be the body of a young girl. The mystery deepens when her boyfriend is traced, for he too has been murdered - this time in his flat. Yet he was known in life to have been an upstanding young citizen with everything to live for: whatever could have been the motive for this coup ...more
The main character, with the colourful.nickname Brick, is called upon to examine and investigate a floater in the nearby docks. The floater appears to be the body of a young girl. The mystery deepens when her boyfriend is traced, for he too has been murdered - this time in his flat. Yet he was known in life to have been an upstanding young citizen with everything to live for: whatever could have been the motive for this coup ...more
The first chapters of this book made me want to put it down and never see it again. The writing was the problem. Everything the characters said made me roll my eyes.
I don't know if things got better or I got use to it but after those first chapters, I started liking the book, but not loving it. The characters were meh. So was the plot. It felt familiar all the way through. Certainly not adding anything to the plethora of these types of books but enjoyable enough.
The reason I've taken two stars o ...more
I don't know if things got better or I got use to it but after those first chapters, I started liking the book, but not loving it. The characters were meh. So was the plot. It felt familiar all the way through. Certainly not adding anything to the plethora of these types of books but enjoyable enough.
The reason I've taken two stars o ...more
Shawn Wilson’s book, “Relentless,” belongs, perhaps, to a new subgenre. While mysteries tagged “cozies” ask to be read with a cup of hot tea and “hardboileds” demand gin, “Relentless” could be paired with an espresso, double shot, straight up. I have read scores of mysteries. This one is different, in an enjoyable way.
The story is, indeed, a police procedural. And, it is a mystery. (The clues are there; most are quite subtle.) But, in tone, this book is a bit chatty. Brick Kavanagh is likable, l ...more
The story is, indeed, a police procedural. And, it is a mystery. (The clues are there; most are quite subtle.) But, in tone, this book is a bit chatty. Brick Kavanagh is likable, l ...more
Washington, DC homicide police detective, Brick Kavanaugh, is investigating the murder of a young woman whose body is fished from the Tidal Basin. To his shock, the young woman is the sister of a hard working young Guatemalan man, Jose’, who has been working at a local pub. Then Jose’s body is discovered at his apartment, the gang symbol for MS-XIII with his body. The local ICE agents round up a few gang members, one confesses and the MPD wraps up the case. Brick has his doubts, it was too easy.
...more
Gritty and timely hard-boiled detective showcasing the ominous side of the nation’s capital.
Relentless features an angst-ridden protagonist, who is very well-developed .
With a thicket of subplots, Relentess held my attention, as Wilson took me on a roller coaster ride with steep climbs and twisting turns.
Analysis: All the tropes will be familiar to those of read police procedurals. Relentless was a solid, entertaining character-driven story if rather predictable. With a slow buildup, the story ...more
Relentless features an angst-ridden protagonist, who is very well-developed .
With a thicket of subplots, Relentess held my attention, as Wilson took me on a roller coaster ride with steep climbs and twisting turns.
Analysis: All the tropes will be familiar to those of read police procedurals. Relentless was a solid, entertaining character-driven story if rather predictable. With a slow buildup, the story ...more
Brick and Ron catch a new case when the body of a young woman is found floating in the Tidal Basin. The style of writing makes for easy reading. The book includes great personal interactions that contribute to the entertainment value. The characters are unique and different, and they are developed in depth. The investigation leads to a murderer, but not after serious issues, which include Brick quitting his job. The descriptions match well with my knowledge of DC, and should be educational for t
...more
'Relentless' started off as a fairly ordinary crime story with significant potential. It featured likeable characters, good pacing and a touch of drama.
It is deeply unfortunate that the plot did not make all that much sense. This book could not decide if it was a serial killer suspense story, a typical cop shop / detective drama or a legal thriller. The ending was extremely disappointing and in many ways it did not make sense.
Wilson would have done better to choose one theme, focus on it and gi ...more
It is deeply unfortunate that the plot did not make all that much sense. This book could not decide if it was a serial killer suspense story, a typical cop shop / detective drama or a legal thriller. The ending was extremely disappointing and in many ways it did not make sense.
Wilson would have done better to choose one theme, focus on it and gi ...more
I went back and forth with this book. Sometimes I really liked it and sometimes I didn't. It started out as a by the numbers procedural. And then it got more interesting with the connections between the characters. As we got to the middle, it flipped and I was hoping it would make a big change. I don't feel that the author took real advantage of the twist that could have offered. The ending seemed to be rushed and didn't follow the evidence of the story so far. I was hoping that the threads woul
...more
Parts of this book are good and parts not so much. The story had promised, but wasn't totally realized as the book proceeded. It is unusual to have good guys who drink and smoke and use a bar as HQ, but that is OK.
I wanted to really like the police detective, but he was a bit one dimensional, especially when he was dealing with the attorney.
The wrap up was a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of it being a bit cliched and the how and why didn't seem to make sense to me.
I think there is pos ...more
I wanted to really like the police detective, but he was a bit one dimensional, especially when he was dealing with the attorney.
The wrap up was a bit of a disappointment, both in terms of it being a bit cliched and the how and why didn't seem to make sense to me.
I think there is pos ...more
This is a book for fans of detective stories such as the Harry Bosch series or Amos Decker series. Brick Kavanagh is one of the good guys and is very likable. He’s trying to do his job to the best of his ability just as most of us are. He works with some unsavory people who are only looking out for themselves. Brick has a small network of people he cares about and when his job and his personal life meet it makes doing the job even harder. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy detective s
...more
I enjoyed the beginning, I thought there was good interaction between Brick and his partner and the author has a good knowledge of the story location. I felt that the other interactions in the story fell flat. The plot development seemed disjointed and didn't really flow to the conclusion of the story. Other than a couple of chuckles at the beginning of the story, I really didn't feel anything.
I received the kindle version of this book through Goodreads Giveaway which is the reason I am explaini ...more
I received the kindle version of this book through Goodreads Giveaway which is the reason I am explaini ...more
It took me a little while to get into the story but once I connected with the character of Brick, I wanted to know what would happen next. In many ways, this was a mystery novel like many others. In some ways, it felt like I might have read it before; but there were enough twists in the plot to keep the book interesting. Some unexpected and sad developments caught me off guard. Overall, a pretty good read.
Strong entry into a very crowded field as hard-boiled cops and murders can be found in abundance. But Wilson’s entry is welcomed. The plot development and characters are well-developed. The story moves at a a quick pace, and keeps the reader coming back for more. Hopefully there will be more stories to come as well. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Based on this one, I wouldn't read any others.
Some may find the one-liners charming, but it seemed that every sentence between cops ended with a one-liner--which to me, was just filler.
Nothing really happened in the book until my kindle counter read 50%, and frankly, i only finished it because of (very) mild curiosity and nothing else to do this afternoon.
If you are in the mood for Harry Bosch, go for the original. ...more
Some may find the one-liners charming, but it seemed that every sentence between cops ended with a one-liner--which to me, was just filler.
Nothing really happened in the book until my kindle counter read 50%, and frankly, i only finished it because of (very) mild curiosity and nothing else to do this afternoon.
If you are in the mood for Harry Bosch, go for the original. ...more
A solid entry to a new hard-boiled detective series set in Washington, D.C. I live near D.C. and the setting details were spot on. There was good character development of the main detective Brick Kavanaugh and the plot was pretty solid. I look forward to more books in this series.
Thanks to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and the author Shawn Wilson for a digital review copy. This book was published January 7, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley, Oceanview Publishing and the author Shawn Wilson for a digital review copy. This book was published January 7, 2020
RELENTLESS by Shawn Wilson
This gripping debut mystery by Shawn Wilson introduces Brian ‘Brick’ Kavanagh, a relentless detective married to his job - until two haunting murders and an intriguing defense attorney turn his life upside down. Well-plotted and fast-paced, with rich, layered characters and authentic dialogue and settings, this one will have you at the first sentence and keep you guessing until the last.
Helaine Mario
This gripping debut mystery by Shawn Wilson introduces Brian ‘Brick’ Kavanagh, a relentless detective married to his job - until two haunting murders and an intriguing defense attorney turn his life upside down. Well-plotted and fast-paced, with rich, layered characters and authentic dialogue and settings, this one will have you at the first sentence and keep you guessing until the last.
Helaine Mario
This had some elements of a good mystery story, but the ending came completely out of nowhere. It seemed rushed at the end with contrived methods of tying up loose plot points.
I would look at a subsequent book to see if there was advancement is the plotting. This was a first mystery for this author.
I would look at a subsequent book to see if there was advancement is the plotting. This was a first mystery for this author.
Thank you to author Shawn Wilson for this free Kindle copy of Relentless. And to Goodreads for hosting the opportunity.
It's all here: A good underlying story, cast of characters, pace, surprise ending. Except for some minor editing issues, I thought this was very well done. A good read. ...more
It's all here: A good underlying story, cast of characters, pace, surprise ending. Except for some minor editing issues, I thought this was very well done. A good read. ...more
Really enjoyable read! Light and easy but suspenseful enough to be a good page turner. As I got towards the end, I found myself rationing how many pages I could read at a time. I didn't want the book to end as I was enjoying the read so much.
...more
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