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The 509 Crime Stories #5
The Value in Our Lies
Detective James Morgan believes in a different set of rules—for the cops.
A violent and ruthless gang has its sights set on Eastern Washington. The Spokane Police Department’s Criminal Task Force receives the unenviable assignment of confirming this rumor.
As the senior detective of the CTF, Morgan leads by example. It has earned him respect from other officers, suspicion from the brass, but unmistakable fear from the criminals he contacts. And that is precisely the way he likes it.
When a new drug hits the street, Morgan believes he knows who is behind it. He’s not going to let anyone or anything stop him from proving that truth—even if it means he needs to bend the law in the process.
The Value in Our Lies is the fifth book in The 509 Crime Stories, a series of novels set in Eastern Washington with revolving lead characters. If you like hard-hitting police procedurals with compelling personalities, then grab this book today.
A violent and ruthless gang has its sights set on Eastern Washington. The Spokane Police Department’s Criminal Task Force receives the unenviable assignment of confirming this rumor.
As the senior detective of the CTF, Morgan leads by example. It has earned him respect from other officers, suspicion from the brass, but unmistakable fear from the criminals he contacts. And that is precisely the way he likes it.
When a new drug hits the street, Morgan believes he knows who is behind it. He’s not going to let anyone or anything stop him from proving that truth—even if it means he needs to bend the law in the process.
The Value in Our Lies is the fifth book in The 509 Crime Stories, a series of novels set in Eastern Washington with revolving lead characters. If you like hard-hitting police procedurals with compelling personalities, then grab this book today.
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2020
About the author
Colin Conway
85 books134 followersAre you on BookBub? You can follow Colin there at: www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-conway
Colin Conway is the creator of the 509 Crime Stories, a series of novels set in Eastern Washington with revolving lead characters. They are standalone tales and can be read in any order.
He also created the Cozy Up series which pushes the envelope of the cozy genre. Libby Klein, author of the Poppy McAllister series, says Cozy Up to Death is “Not your grandma’s cozy.”
Colin co-authored the Charlie-316 series. The first novel in the series, Charlie-316, is a political/crime thriller that has been described as “riveting and compulsively readable,” “the real deal,” and “the ultimate ride-along.”
He served in the U.S. Army and later was an officer of the Spokane Police Department. He's owned a laundromat, invested in a bar, and ran a karate school. Besides writing crime fiction, he is a commercial real estate broker.
Colin lives with his beautiful girlfriend, three wonderful children, and a codependent Vizsla that rules their world.
Colin Conway is the creator of the 509 Crime Stories, a series of novels set in Eastern Washington with revolving lead characters. They are standalone tales and can be read in any order.
He also created the Cozy Up series which pushes the envelope of the cozy genre. Libby Klein, author of the Poppy McAllister series, says Cozy Up to Death is “Not your grandma’s cozy.”
Colin co-authored the Charlie-316 series. The first novel in the series, Charlie-316, is a political/crime thriller that has been described as “riveting and compulsively readable,” “the real deal,” and “the ultimate ride-along.”
He served in the U.S. Army and later was an officer of the Spokane Police Department. He's owned a laundromat, invested in a bar, and ran a karate school. Besides writing crime fiction, he is a commercial real estate broker.
Colin lives with his beautiful girlfriend, three wonderful children, and a codependent Vizsla that rules their world.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
January 2, 2021
wow what a very good book. this series is very solid . This book and the 2nd and third book go toe to toe with Harry Bosch and Michael Connelly. This guy can flat out write. The first book was very good but was a first book in a series. The second book was outstanding. This book being the fifth was balls to the wall great. The main character was excellent. The story very solid. It moved at a great pace. The dialogue was top notch and it had a very solid ending. This series is about the same homicide and narcotic department but feature different detectives-this was the second time for this detective. He is one complex narcotics detective/ slash homicide. he see everything in a shade of gray. He walks the line of being a good cop and going over into the dark side but he gets things done. The more I read about him the more I really like his character. In book three he was a main secondary character but what an asshole. This book is more flushed out. It is a solid complex story. Three of the five books of this series have landed on my favorites list which is hard to do-very very impressive. I wrote the author and look forward to book 6 with Nash. He is the second best police homicide-detective writer in the world almost equal to Connelly. Give this book a big spin but read the series in order. The first book is a solid 4 it is the fourth best but then the series takes off
May 5, 2023
The Value In Our Lies by Colin Conway
509 Crime #
James Morgan is a career police officer working with a small team that deals with a variety of hot issues based on what is needed at any given time. The team is a motley crew but there for one another whatever happens. In this book the team is tasked with finding out about a gang moving north to their territory but there are many other issues James is dealing with, too.
James is growing on me. He is a complex man that believes he is on the side of right even when he is doing things that are questionable in the eyes of others and no doubt not in line with the law. He has been on the job for decades and is skilled in getting the job done. His moral rules seem flexible at times, but it seems he has some lines he will not cross. I liked the way he looked after his confidential informants, worked cases, and interacted with his team. I am still a bit on the fence about whether he is a good man but at the same time I don’t see him as truly evil.
There were a number of issues touched on in this book that had me thinking about race, gangs, good vs evil, law &order, right vs wrong, what is okay and what is not, the treatment of others, manipulation, blackmail, drugs…so many things.
What I liked:
* The writing, and story
* The police procedural aspects
* The side issues James was caught up in
* Being reminded that life is not black or white but that there are shades of gray
* That I spent time thinking about James and the choices he made
* Detective Senai – I felt her comment on the value of lies was intriguing and found her an interesting character
* The other members of James’s team
* The complexity of the story
* All of it really except….
What I didn’t like:
* The men that I was meant not to like
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
509 Crime #
James Morgan is a career police officer working with a small team that deals with a variety of hot issues based on what is needed at any given time. The team is a motley crew but there for one another whatever happens. In this book the team is tasked with finding out about a gang moving north to their territory but there are many other issues James is dealing with, too.
James is growing on me. He is a complex man that believes he is on the side of right even when he is doing things that are questionable in the eyes of others and no doubt not in line with the law. He has been on the job for decades and is skilled in getting the job done. His moral rules seem flexible at times, but it seems he has some lines he will not cross. I liked the way he looked after his confidential informants, worked cases, and interacted with his team. I am still a bit on the fence about whether he is a good man but at the same time I don’t see him as truly evil.
There were a number of issues touched on in this book that had me thinking about race, gangs, good vs evil, law &order, right vs wrong, what is okay and what is not, the treatment of others, manipulation, blackmail, drugs…so many things.
What I liked:
* The writing, and story
* The police procedural aspects
* The side issues James was caught up in
* Being reminded that life is not black or white but that there are shades of gray
* That I spent time thinking about James and the choices he made
* Detective Senai – I felt her comment on the value of lies was intriguing and found her an interesting character
* The other members of James’s team
* The complexity of the story
* All of it really except….
What I didn’t like:
* The men that I was meant not to like
Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
April 22, 2021
The prose is pretty rough
Prose that could use an editor's sandpaper, and likely benefit from three or four editors using sucessively finer grades of sandpaper, is usually not my thing. But Colin Conway's plot, characters, and dialog are raw but right.
In this book the protagonist is not a nice man, nor even close to it. He is, however, compulsively readable. Mr. Conway apparently enjoys writing implausible characters, and despite the roughness of his prose, does so well enough that this is the fourth or fifth of his books that I have enjoyed.
So if you are new to the 509 series, try any book. This is not a standard hero series, but a nuanced collection featuring a different protagonist with esch book. If you like one them you will probably like them all.
Prose that could use an editor's sandpaper, and likely benefit from three or four editors using sucessively finer grades of sandpaper, is usually not my thing. But Colin Conway's plot, characters, and dialog are raw but right.
In this book the protagonist is not a nice man, nor even close to it. He is, however, compulsively readable. Mr. Conway apparently enjoys writing implausible characters, and despite the roughness of his prose, does so well enough that this is the fourth or fifth of his books that I have enjoyed.
So if you are new to the 509 series, try any book. This is not a standard hero series, but a nuanced collection featuring a different protagonist with esch book. If you like one them you will probably like them all.
February 3, 2021
Great Book and Hook Too Short left Dangling
Conway has delivered a great series of books. This one has a great story line...but you are short sheeted and left high and dry like the Saturday morning movie serials which were a thing of the past...but Conway revived. I feel like he recd call from agent ripped out of typrwritter or justvstopped and tranmitted what was in file. Ending is a cold flash of water in face....very abrupt. The plot etc are great....just don't like being driven up and dumped at cliff.
Conway has delivered a great series of books. This one has a great story line...but you are short sheeted and left high and dry like the Saturday morning movie serials which were a thing of the past...but Conway revived. I feel like he recd call from agent ripped out of typrwritter or justvstopped and tranmitted what was in file. Ending is a cold flash of water in face....very abrupt. The plot etc are great....just don't like being driven up and dumped at cliff.
September 25, 2021
Complete disappointment
I read the preceding books and really enjoyed which made this one all the more disappointing. I quit reading about 10 pages in. Main character who is a cop makes his informant have sex with him. Here is a clue for writers doing series: if you want us to keep reading, don't make the main character an a---hole.
I read the preceding books and really enjoyed which made this one all the more disappointing. I quit reading about 10 pages in. Main character who is a cop makes his informant have sex with him. Here is a clue for writers doing series: if you want us to keep reading, don't make the main character an a---hole.
March 16, 2021
Life in the police force.
This story deals with how officers get things done by using lies to help things along. By stretching the truth they end up solving cases both inside and outside of the department.
This story deals with how officers get things done by using lies to help things along. By stretching the truth they end up solving cases both inside and outside of the department.
April 29, 2021
Really Wanted to Dislike This Detective
Colin Conway does an excellent job of writing a book about a detective who works on the edge. Is he honest or dishonest? Is he working to stop crime or allowing crime?
Excellent read!
Colin Conway does an excellent job of writing a book about a detective who works on the edge. Is he honest or dishonest? Is he working to stop crime or allowing crime?
Excellent read!
June 23, 2021
Didn't like the cop
I have really liked his other two books. However, was only two pages in when he got a head job from a professional lady. Nope, don't like my heroes with muddy feet.
I have really liked his other two books. However, was only two pages in when he got a head job from a professional lady. Nope, don't like my heroes with muddy feet.
August 2, 2021
Always enjoy good series with familiar characters. Big fan of mysteries and detective series. This series features a group of detective, and tells stories from different perspectives of the different detectives.
February 4, 2024
Morgan is hard to like or hate. Although he’s a loyal to his fellow officers, he isn’t a Team player. He twist things around to make situations turn out the way he thinks they should. He doesn’t cross the line, but his ties are definitely walking on the line.
I loved learning more about him.
I loved learning more about him.
August 13, 2024
I enjoyed reading your book. A glimpse into the complicated life of a cop. Sometimes they seem to bend the rules a bit but I truly have a lot of respect for the police. Looking forward to reading more.
June 16, 2021
Excellent
Morgan bends the rules and mocks some of the partners from prior books. That is kind of fun. He is an interesting combination of good and bad traits
Morgan bends the rules and mocks some of the partners from prior books. That is kind of fun. He is an interesting combination of good and bad traits
December 25, 2021
Not a great read, although it's believable that a cop would "color" way outside the lines to get things done, the story doesn't build up to why. The cop is bent from the first few pages.
June 27, 2024
Never I thought that
Detective James Morgan would take the lead character in this 509 series. He has some very questionable ethics and way of working but I kinda of like him
Detective James Morgan would take the lead character in this 509 series. He has some very questionable ethics and way of working but I kinda of like him
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews