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Detective Ivy Bourque #1
The Color Red
The Color Red brings the twisted Balkans to Boston and Cape Cod. A Slovenian-born billionaire and his second wife are found dead, hanging side-by-side at their pool. Some say the man was giving away his fortune; others say he was once an oligarch. Who’s the killer? Old Soviet operatives? His butler, his son? Balkan relatives? Detective Ivy Bourque and her team encounter many suspects, but none of them have a motive. Why would someone kill a benevolent rich man without an apparent enemy in the world?
250 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2023
2 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
A.M. Potter
3 books53 followersA.M. Potter writes detective fiction, which he calls North Noir, set in Northern USA and Canada. He grew up in Canada and the USA (Nova Scotia and Boston). He's traveled the world, working dozens of jobs. Like any good detective, he knows both sides of the thin blue line.
As for reading, he reads everything: all genres, fiction & nonfiction.
NEW SERIES. The first novel in A.M. Potter's new DETECTIVE/MYSTERY SERIES set in New England was released on March 20, 2023.
TITLE: The Color Red
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
The second novel in the series was released on September 4, 2024.
TITLE: Silver Moon Rising
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
Silver Moon Rising has been nominated for an Edgar Award (Best Original Paperback) and an International Thriller Writers (ITW) Award (Best Series Novel).
“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” - Publishers Weekly
For more info, see A.M.'s author site and the blog posts below.
As for reading, he reads everything: all genres, fiction & nonfiction.
NEW SERIES. The first novel in A.M. Potter's new DETECTIVE/MYSTERY SERIES set in New England was released on March 20, 2023.
TITLE: The Color Red
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
The second novel in the series was released on September 4, 2024.
TITLE: Silver Moon Rising
PUBLISHER: Stark House Press, California, USA.
Silver Moon Rising has been nominated for an Edgar Award (Best Original Paperback) and an International Thriller Writers (ITW) Award (Best Series Novel).
“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” - Publishers Weekly
For more info, see A.M.'s author site and the blog posts below.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 12, 2023
A billionaire and his second wife are found dead, hanging side-by-side at their pool. Detective Ivy Bourque and her team interview many suspects, but are unable to determine a motive.
Andy Potter, the author, is Canadian but the setting for this book is Boston and Cape Cod. This story has many similarities to the true life murders of Barry and Honey Sherman of Toronto Canada in 2017. The book is very well written and I really liked Lieutenant Ivy Bourque as a character but not so much her partner Eller (I don't think his first name is ever mentioned). He was a bit nasty and rude. For some reason the story didn't capture my attention and it took me a really long time to read it despite the fact it's less than 300 pages. I don't think this is a fault in the book and can only assume I wasn't the right reader for it since the other reviews as of now are all 5-star. I'd still recommend the book to fans of police procedurals and would definitely check out another book in the series.
My thanks to A.M. Potter, the author, for sending me an electronic copy of this novel to read prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: March 20, 2023.
Andy Potter, the author, is Canadian but the setting for this book is Boston and Cape Cod. This story has many similarities to the true life murders of Barry and Honey Sherman of Toronto Canada in 2017. The book is very well written and I really liked Lieutenant Ivy Bourque as a character but not so much her partner Eller (I don't think his first name is ever mentioned). He was a bit nasty and rude. For some reason the story didn't capture my attention and it took me a really long time to read it despite the fact it's less than 300 pages. I don't think this is a fault in the book and can only assume I wasn't the right reader for it since the other reviews as of now are all 5-star. I'd still recommend the book to fans of police procedurals and would definitely check out another book in the series.
My thanks to A.M. Potter, the author, for sending me an electronic copy of this novel to read prior to publication. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: March 20, 2023.
April 18, 2023
First off, I want to thank A.M. Potter for reaching out to me and asking me to read and review his book in exchange for an honest review. I am forever grateful.
The Color Red is the first book in a series about Ivy Bourque. And I really enjoyed this one. I almost never buy looks like this in a bookstore. But because I started reviewing books, and almost never say no to any book whatsoever, I got introduced to so many different genres and I absolutely love that.
This book starts off with Rollo Novak and Katrina Hayden. They are swimming and enjoying themselves. Until their butler Zupan finds them hanging in the pool and contacts the police. Ivy Bourque is quickly on the scene and concludes it is either homicide or a double suicide.
Another detective, Victor Eller, joins her in her investigation and together they are trying to find the truth.
What I love most about this book is that the book describes every step Bourque makes. We follow the entire investigation, every lead, and every single detail is written down. I loved that. It made me investigate the case alongside Eller and Bourque. And that made it really exciting to read this book.
I loved how some promising leads turned out to be nothing. And how much intuition plays a part in an investigation as well. And how tiny and fickle some reasons are for committing an horrendous double murder.
I also wonder if the author was ever a police agent and if this is how cases exactly play out or not. Either way, I loved it. The ending was a little rushed compared with the beginning of the book. And I was stunned how quickly a certain POI confessed. But that might also be the way it often goes. So I don't mean it as a negative thing.
I missed a little bit of character building within the characters. The book is mostly focussed on the case and the details. I wish we learned a bit more about the characters and what makes them thick. I think that would have added to the story and made it even a bit more exciting. Now it felt a bit subdued at times.
But overall a really good book. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4 big stars from me.
The Color Red is the first book in a series about Ivy Bourque. And I really enjoyed this one. I almost never buy looks like this in a bookstore. But because I started reviewing books, and almost never say no to any book whatsoever, I got introduced to so many different genres and I absolutely love that.
This book starts off with Rollo Novak and Katrina Hayden. They are swimming and enjoying themselves. Until their butler Zupan finds them hanging in the pool and contacts the police. Ivy Bourque is quickly on the scene and concludes it is either homicide or a double suicide.
Another detective, Victor Eller, joins her in her investigation and together they are trying to find the truth.
What I love most about this book is that the book describes every step Bourque makes. We follow the entire investigation, every lead, and every single detail is written down. I loved that. It made me investigate the case alongside Eller and Bourque. And that made it really exciting to read this book.
I loved how some promising leads turned out to be nothing. And how much intuition plays a part in an investigation as well. And how tiny and fickle some reasons are for committing an horrendous double murder.
I also wonder if the author was ever a police agent and if this is how cases exactly play out or not. Either way, I loved it. The ending was a little rushed compared with the beginning of the book. And I was stunned how quickly a certain POI confessed. But that might also be the way it often goes. So I don't mean it as a negative thing.
I missed a little bit of character building within the characters. The book is mostly focussed on the case and the details. I wish we learned a bit more about the characters and what makes them thick. I think that would have added to the story and made it even a bit more exciting. Now it felt a bit subdued at times.
But overall a really good book. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. 4 big stars from me.
July 7, 2024
The Color Red by A.M. Potter is a mysterious thriller that will make you think.
Detective Ivy Bourque is on the job, and her first gig in this new series is trying to solve the mystery of why a Slovenian-born billionaire and his second wife, Rollo Novak and Katrina Hayden, are dead. They've been murdered hanging by their beautiful pool. There's many ways this can go down. Was it a jealous ex-wife? His family trying to get his fortune? An old friend? Old Soviet operatives? There's so many ways this story can go, but Ivy and her team have it covered.
I really liked this book. I always enjoy a good thriller and mystery when the story is set up that you can piece it together as you go along. I think this book was set up just right, being creatively mysterious and giving just enough away to keep you on your toes. We follow Ivy the whole time and see how she unravels the mystery, one step at a time. And you definitely get annoyed a few times at the leads... but she'll get there.
I will say, this book can come off as slow for the first quarter. I found it a little difficult to pull myself in, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump. Once I got into the book, I was glued and needed to know how it was going to end. I did find after 50% it goes a bit faster, but that could just be because I was out of my little slump.
I highly recommend this book to readers who love mysteries, crime, and thrillers. This book might be a little different than your typical read, but it sure packs a punch.
Bonus: Andy Potter is Canadian, which is always a win in my books. Support Canadian and indie authors, peeps!
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, A.M. Potter, in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Ivy Bourque is on the job, and her first gig in this new series is trying to solve the mystery of why a Slovenian-born billionaire and his second wife, Rollo Novak and Katrina Hayden, are dead. They've been murdered hanging by their beautiful pool. There's many ways this can go down. Was it a jealous ex-wife? His family trying to get his fortune? An old friend? Old Soviet operatives? There's so many ways this story can go, but Ivy and her team have it covered.
I really liked this book. I always enjoy a good thriller and mystery when the story is set up that you can piece it together as you go along. I think this book was set up just right, being creatively mysterious and giving just enough away to keep you on your toes. We follow Ivy the whole time and see how she unravels the mystery, one step at a time. And you definitely get annoyed a few times at the leads... but she'll get there.
I will say, this book can come off as slow for the first quarter. I found it a little difficult to pull myself in, but I was also in a bit of a reading slump. Once I got into the book, I was glued and needed to know how it was going to end. I did find after 50% it goes a bit faster, but that could just be because I was out of my little slump.
I highly recommend this book to readers who love mysteries, crime, and thrillers. This book might be a little different than your typical read, but it sure packs a punch.
Bonus: Andy Potter is Canadian, which is always a win in my books. Support Canadian and indie authors, peeps!
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free from the author, A.M. Potter, in exchange for an honest review.
Currently reading
July 26, 2024Kudos for The Color Red:
“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” ~ Publishers Weekly
“Smart, savvy protagonist. Potter keeps us guessing until the final chapter in this well-plotted clever mystery.” ~ Ken Haigh, Author of On Foot to Canterbury, shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, Canada.
“Great story! Well delivered and really well written. Five shining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.” ~ Vicky Coughlan, Instagram and Goodreads Reviewer
“An exhilarating murder mystery, The Color Red plunges the reader into rapid intrigue with clever insight and innovative twists. Creative and thoroughly entertaining.” ~ Bill Arnott, bestselling author of the Gone Viking travelogues.
“A winning read with fascinating suspects. Detective Bourque is wry, intelligent, and sympatico. What a great main character for a series.” ~ P. W. Tilley, Retired RCMP Detective
“Impressive series launch. Fans of intelligent procedurals will hope for a long series run.” ~ Publishers Weekly
“Smart, savvy protagonist. Potter keeps us guessing until the final chapter in this well-plotted clever mystery.” ~ Ken Haigh, Author of On Foot to Canterbury, shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction, Canada.
“Great story! Well delivered and really well written. Five shining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.” ~ Vicky Coughlan, Instagram and Goodreads Reviewer
“An exhilarating murder mystery, The Color Red plunges the reader into rapid intrigue with clever insight and innovative twists. Creative and thoroughly entertaining.” ~ Bill Arnott, bestselling author of the Gone Viking travelogues.
“A winning read with fascinating suspects. Detective Bourque is wry, intelligent, and sympatico. What a great main character for a series.” ~ P. W. Tilley, Retired RCMP Detective
January 21, 2023
I was given an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
This is book 1 in a new series by author Andy Potter and what a great story this was! The book grabbed me from the very beginning and it took me on a roller coaster of feelings. Detective Ivy Bourque is such a likeable character. Tenacious in her work. A strong woman who knows what she wants. The perfect yin to her partner’s (detective Eller) yang. Some well placed humour too. This book kept me guessing all the way to the very end (and this doesn’t happen very often). A well thought out story line, well delivered and really well written. I do recommend this book thus my 5 shining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There were a few words that stuck with me: “the human brain was a labyrinth. Anything could get inside it. The question was: what would get out?”
I don’t give away spoilers but I hope this is enough to make you read this great book. This murder mystery will keep you reading into the night!
This is book 1 in a new series by author Andy Potter and what a great story this was! The book grabbed me from the very beginning and it took me on a roller coaster of feelings. Detective Ivy Bourque is such a likeable character. Tenacious in her work. A strong woman who knows what she wants. The perfect yin to her partner’s (detective Eller) yang. Some well placed humour too. This book kept me guessing all the way to the very end (and this doesn’t happen very often). A well thought out story line, well delivered and really well written. I do recommend this book thus my 5 shining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There were a few words that stuck with me: “the human brain was a labyrinth. Anything could get inside it. The question was: what would get out?”
I don’t give away spoilers but I hope this is enough to make you read this great book. This murder mystery will keep you reading into the night!
January 22, 2023
THE COLOR RED is a winning read with fascinating suspects, among them, a gruff yet likeable butler, an insightful rich man, and a complex ex-wife. All are captivating, but the lead detective is more captivating. Lieutenant Ivy Bourque, Massachusetts State Police, is wry, intelligent, and sympatico. What a great main character for a series. And, oh, the ending is a doozy. Looking forward to more.
January 23, 2023
This is a superb police murder mystery. The writing is crisp and the story compelling until the very end. I was hooked at page #1 and couldn't put it down.
February 17, 2023
An accomplished whodunit told with verve and insight. Well-written, well-paced. Perfectly pitched ending. Looking forward to more Det Ivy Bourque.
February 11, 2023
The Color Red delivered exactly what I look for in mystery novels: a strong sense of place, sharp characters, a whip-fast pace, and a whodunit puzzle that baffles me until the end. A great read! Looking forward to the next Detective Bourque novel.
March 4, 2023
I was given an ARC of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I am a voracious reader of several genres and The Color Red stands out as a gripping, intelligent and well written detective story.
A stark blue start, great descriptive scenes, well portrayed characters, humor, and an interesting insight into the machinations of detection.
On occasion, the prose becomes somewhat heavy and my eyelids droop, but I guess that's because I cannot bear to put the book down; however it is easy take up the threads again, without having to turn back the pages.
I discern a tantalizing hint or two of where the story might be going, before being stunned by the astonishing denouement, which brings me in suitably rounded fashion right back to the color red, the crime scene, and a touch of philosophy.
An excellent start to what promises to be a must-read series.
I am a voracious reader of several genres and The Color Red stands out as a gripping, intelligent and well written detective story.
A stark blue start, great descriptive scenes, well portrayed characters, humor, and an interesting insight into the machinations of detection.
On occasion, the prose becomes somewhat heavy and my eyelids droop, but I guess that's because I cannot bear to put the book down; however it is easy take up the threads again, without having to turn back the pages.
I discern a tantalizing hint or two of where the story might be going, before being stunned by the astonishing denouement, which brings me in suitably rounded fashion right back to the color red, the crime scene, and a touch of philosophy.
An excellent start to what promises to be a must-read series.
March 17, 2025
A solid enough police procedural set in New England revolving around the murder of an Eastern European billionaire and his second wife. An entertaining tale with strong characters but for some reason I was never fully engaged with the plot or invested in the protagonist. Well worth a read but it didn't do it for me.
March 18, 2023
I loved the main character. Ivy Bourque is my kind of detective, a fan of David Bowie and Elvis Costello, a wine lover, an ocean swimmer, a woman with a great sense of humor. She's also a smart, no-nonsense detective. A very fine read.
March 20, 2023
After reading this book, I felt both entertained and satisfied. I don’t ask for more from a book. Det. Bourque was by turns philosophical, charming, and astute - a person I’d like to have dinner with.
March 23, 2023
A brilliant mystery and a worthwhile read. Murder is inherently dark, yet after reading The Color Red I felt uplifted. There was the usual justice that comes at the end of mystery novels when killers are found, but there was also hope. Not only was the case solved, the world was in a good place.
February 26, 2023
Clever mystery. Satisfying read. I’ll be watching for Potter’s next novel.
April 23, 2023
Classic whodunit. Quick pace, no filler. A likeable detective with a philosophical eye.
Well worth the read.
Well worth the read.
June 20, 2023
A fast-paced and engaging read. The story is excellent, as is the manner in which it was told. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews