The Boat Man

Reed & Billie Mysteries #1

by Dustin Stevens

Detective Reed Mattox, just three months removed from the death of his partner, has turned invisibility into an art form. Switching to the K-9, taking over the graveyard shift, moving to a farmhouse miles outside of Columbus, his every move has become predicated on putting as much distance between himself and the outside world as possible.

That distance is shattered though when bodies begin turning up in The Bottoms, the poverty-stricken section of town he is assigned to patrol. Grisly, horrific scenes start to pop up in the middle of the night and the overburdened precinct has no choice but to put Reed on it.

Now operating far outside of his comfort zone with a Belgian Malinois for a partner that attracts attention wherever they go, Reed is forced to unravel the murders, taking him clear across the city and back years in time, to an event that some very influential people will do anything to keep buried...

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Detective

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 11, 2015

About the author

I originally hail from the midwest, growing up in the heart of farm country, and still consider it, along with West Tennessee, my co-home. Between the two, I have a firm belief that football is the greatest of all past-times, sweet tea is really the only acceptable beverage for any occasion, there is not an event on earth that either gym shorts or boots can't be worn to, and that Dairy Queen is the best restaurant on the planet. Further, southern accents are a highly likeable feature on most everybody, English bulldogs sit atop the critter hierarchy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Saturday night spent catfishing at the lake.

Since leaving the midwest I've been to college in New England, grad school in the Rockies, and lived in over a dozen different cities ranging from DC to Honolulu along the way. Each and every one of these experiences has shaped who I am at this point, a fact I hope is expressed in my writing. I have developed enormous affinity for locales and people of every size and shape, and even if I never figure out a way to properly convey them on paper, I am very much grateful for their presence in my life.

To sum it up, I asked a very good friend recently how they would describe me for something like this. Their response: "Plagued by realism and trained by experiences/education to be a pessimist, you somehow remain above all else an active dreamer." While I can't say those are the exact words I would choose, I can't say they're wrong. I travel, live in different places, try new foods, meet all kinds of different people, and above all else stay curious to a fault.

Here's hoping it continues to provide us all with some pretty good stories...

Reviews

[Terence M - [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-Stars ^ 4.0-Stars ... "I Liked It+!"
This was a sensible police procedural and credible in the main, although it seemed odd from the start that only one detective, Reed Mattox, and his K-9 partner, Billie, were assigned to pursue an extremely violent multiple killer known as "The Boatman".

I enjoyed the interaction between Reed and Billie, the dog proving herself competent and useful during the investigation and not just appearing occasionally as a snarling and scary 'show-pony'. Narration by Charles Constant was very good, without being intrusive.

Clever, Audible! I was offered this book from their "Audible Plus" library at no charge, and the ploy worked😊. There are eleven more titles in the "Reed & Billie" series and I am strongly tempted to try at least one or two more, which, of course, will mean needing to use some valuable Audible credits in the process!

Dustin Stevens - Reed & Billie #1 - The Boat Man
Audible Plus Audiobook: 07:39 Hours - Narrator: Charles Constant
From my Listening Activity:
Feb 19, @ 33%: "After back-to-back DNFs, this book is sounding very promising! @33%, the dialogue is snappy, but not terse; the Belgian Malinois (Billie) is working well with her new handler, Detective Reed (Mattox), who is credibly managing a new role; and the narration is very good.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another mini review as I attempt to catch up on some older downloads. Either I'm getting better at picking books or have no control when it comes to those featuring a dog. I suspect it's the latter.

This police procedural is set in Columbus & introduces us to cop Reed Mattox & sidekick Billie, a Belgian Malinois. After Reed lost his human partner, he transferred to the K9 unit & eventually met Billie. She was a bomb-sniffer in Afghanistan who ended up back in the states after also losing her human.

Reed initially chose to work nights in an effort to avoid people & responsibility. His patch is the gritty, poverty stricken part of town known as The Bottoms. After coming upon the scene of a gruesome murder, he ends up saddled with leading the investigation.

In alternate chapters, we spend time with a man bent on revenge. An unsolved crime from the past robbed him of everything that mattered in his life. The police quietly shelved the investigation & if they won't go after those responsible, well....he has his own methods (yikes!).

I really enjoyed this. The story behind the murders is gripping & heads off in surprising directions. But what makes it a compelling read is the relationship between Reed & Billie. They have a lot in common. Both are adapting to new realities & have difficulty working with others. Neither is really interested in having a new partner but as the story progresses, initial wariness gives way to trust as they learn to depend on each other.

Reed, Billie & the killer are all trying to make sense of life changing events, albeit in very different ways. It's a well paced & atmospheric read that will have you thinking about the true meaning of justice. And did I mention it has a dog?

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book and I especially loved Billie. Billie was a female Belgian Malinois who became the partner of Columbus, Ohio Detective Reed Maddox. The dog was a perfect partner since Maddox was determined to NEVER take on another human partner. The dog was a military bomb sniffer whose original handler died while attempting to defuse an IED while stationed in Afghanistan. She has been assigned to the K9 unit as a police dog in Columbus, Ohio. These are two kindred souls if I ever saw any. I thought as I read that this man must have never lost his heart to a four-legged creature. He has no idea of the heartbreak that he will encounter there. The "Boatman" is the antagonist in the story...a serial killer who we only see identified by that name... for Charon from Greek mythology, who carries souls across the rivers Styx into the world of the dead. It's a wonderfully written and presented story. It's essentially a tale of vigilante justice. I found it to be both intense and extremely enjoyable. I will search for more of Billie and Reed.

[Michael Slavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

89% 4 and 5 star reviews with 1,200 reviews on Amazon, so it is good.

This is a pretty straightforward detective story that takes place in Columbus, Ohio.
Detective Reed’s partner is killed before the story begins and Reed must have a new partner so he gets assigned Billy. To me, Billy is the best part of the story. Billy is a retired military dog that is now Reed’s partner.

-Billy, the dog, is wired with tons of energy. I like it.
-Someone is chopping people up with a Samurai-type sword.
-There is a gang connection.
-There is some high-level cover-up.

It was very easy to read and I enjoyed it.

Mike Slavin
Author of award-winning thriller Kill Crime

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out as a three star book because, despite the gruesome killing, the delivery was a bit flat and I thought - here comes another standard police procedural. Once the lead detective, Reed Mattox, started to slowly connect the dots that linked the series of grisly murders it got more interesting. I likes the way the leads were slowly but steadily developed. I especially liked Reed's partner, the dog Bille, and that she had an important role in the final denouement.

So in my scoring system the book finished at about 3.75 stars. You almost (note almost) felt sorry for the Boat Man, for the horrific things that were done to turn him from Joe Average in the killer Boat Man in the first place, but vigilante justice opens up a whole can of worms for obvious reasons.

[Dwayne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good police procedural. The partnership of Reed and Billie is what sets this one apart from other similar crime-search-resolve stories. Well-written and edited.

[Jordon Greene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steven's The Boat Man is a great crime thriller the comes together piece-by-piece right up to the end. You can sympathize with both the protagonist and the antagonist of the story while being astounded at the same time. I think I've found a new favorite series. Oh, and the Audible narration is great!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much pain and trauma in this story. It was well done for the most part. Just had a little problem that I mentioned when I was 80% done with the story but it didn’t take too much away from the overall storyline. I love Billie. And I love that despite having some issues, it’s clear that Reed is going to make progress. I recommend this book!

[Booknookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can read more of my reviews at my blog The Book Chick.

Flat revenge story in a mediocre beginning on a new series, more suitable for TV. That is how I would, in few words, describe The Boat man by Dustin Stevens. It is in no way a bad book really. But I cant say that it is overly good either. It is in between good and bad. An okay story with some issues when it comes to the writing but still okay. I did like it. But I have to many issues to love it or to feel the desire to continue.

First of I did feel that the beginning was pretty strong. Reed is more or less a depressed character, working with a dog because he cant stomach to have a human partner again. You do not get to know exactly what happened but you get enough clues to pretty much piece it together yourself. Mistake number one. I don’t like that kind of mystery and secrecy where you have to figure it out on your own kind of way, when it is such a huge part of the history and the future of the characters. And then in the end you do not know more than you did in the beginning. But perhaps Stevens has a ulterior motive with it, what do I know. I’m just a reader. Mistake number two I feel is how flat the book is. I’m not kidding when I say that I actually fell asleep 8 o’clock one evening (usually fall asleep around 11 – 12) because of the writing. It is quite flat and boring. And he keep repeating the names. Reed did that, then Reed went there so Reed could do that while Reed felt that and knew Reed had to get home so Reed could do that later. Then there was the boat man went there, the boat man did that, the boat man felt that, the boat man run away. Goddammit it drove me nuts.

But other than that, it is a good book. The plot is interesting, believable and has a little suspense and depth. It is probably me who is to sensitive and keep finding stuff to complain about. He has a lot of books and most of them has really high ratings, so apparently there are people who like it more than I do. Unfortunately, I just don’t feel Stevens is the author for me. A three star rating yes, but not strong enough to make me want to continue the series.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lean police procedural featuring Detective Reed Mattox and his Belgian Malinois canine partner Billie. Together they investigate and pursue an elusive killer in the "Bottoms" section of Columbus, Ohio. This fast moving thriller only lacked in depth back stories of Detective Mattox and his newly assigned Marine Afghanistan Veteran partner Billie. Both compelling lead characters in a strong debut of a series.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mystery and thriller I couldn't put down. Besides, I feel in love with the dog.

What a complex plot that was a joy to follow. The hard-working detective and canine partner Billie simply hooked my interest. Descriptions are so vividly written that you see, smell, and feel everything. Yet, I did not anticipate the resolution of this entertaining book.

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good police procedural featuring a detective and his K-9 partner.

Reed Mattox and Billie are on the trail of a serial killer. The killer's motive, however, is revenge, not random killings. Also involved are the politics of the Columbus, Ohio police department for which Mattox works.

Any reader who read Robert Crais' novel Suspect with officer Scott James and Maggie will enjoy this novel as well, I think.

First of a series but no cliffhanger involved.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A policeman who lost his partner has gone into the K-9 Corps to cope with the grief. He's bonding with his dog, but still isn't sure of himself or the new partnership.

He's called into a homicide where the body is mutilated. And then there's another body. The pressure starts to increase...

The setting of Columbus, Ohio is unique. I don't think I've ever read a book set there.

[Laz the Sailor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very average mystery. The detective is conflicted. The villain is justified. The motive is spilled by one participant with very little motivation. The intrigue is minimal.

Worst, the dog is kept in the car for most of the story.

It didn't suck, but I won't be reading more in this series.

[Claudia Stadler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Buch "Der Fährmann" wurde von Dustin Stevens verfasst und erschien 2019 beim Papierverzierer Verlag.

Dem Autor gelingt mit diesem Buch ein gelungener Einstieg in eine neue Reihe rund um Reed Mattox und Billie. Die Charaktere sind toll dargestellt und Reed Mattox mit so vielen unterschiedlichen Ecken und Kanten dargestellt, dass man sich förmlich vorstellen kann, wie er neben einem grummelt.
Auch die Beschreibung der Orte sind ausgezeichnet gelungen, so dass man sich diese vorstellen und dem Kopfkino freien Lauf lassen kann.
Der Schreibstil ist angenehm und flüssig zu lesen. Auch die wechselnden Perspektiven und der Hund Billie runden den Thriller perfekt ab.
Interessante und unerwartete Passagen machen das Buch sehr vielschichtig.

Jeder, der Thriller gerne liest, ist mit diesem Buch hier bestens beraten.

[Sandra Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read.

First time author, for me. A detective, whose partner was killed, was assigned a new partner. A K-9, named Billie. They work together to solve a bizarre homicide ring.

[Sherry Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting crime drama. Told from two points of view. interesting twists. Loved the dog partner.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first of the Reed and Billie series, and despite being uneven, provided some decent entertainment. I read Steven’s second entry in this series quite a while back and gave it just two stars, but apparently I’d forgotten about it long enough to download this freebie from BookBub.

I like the K-9 aspect of the story, but lament that the author didn’t really maximize the potential that this offers. The book drags through much of the first half, but picks up nicely towards the end, which elevated it from 2.5 to 3 stars.

The plot is pretty straightforward, and Stevens does a decent job making the “perpetrator” of the crimes both creepy and sympathetic. The melodrama quotient is too high for my tastes, which detracted from what might have been a better police procedural murder mystery type story. Familiar tropes such as the reclusive computer hacker who rarely ventures out of his mom’s basement, yet is able to provide Det. Reed answers in just minutes by invading secure databases, serve to move the plot forward but at the expense of originality.

So, as much as I like the dog, I think I’ve exhausted my interest in this series. My exploration of lesser known authors continues, but I’m beginning to get the itch for something more substantial. Winslow? Parker? Who knows?

[Jack A. Linn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MUST READ FOR MYSTERY LOVERS!

From time to time I like to break away from the best-selling authors and look for a fresh, new voice in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. I'm so glad I did with Dustin Stevens and The Boat Man. It's the best novel I've read in years -- as good as Sanford, Child and a few others, better than Patterson, Baldacci and a whole lot more! I don't want to give away the story, but Stevens skillfully ties an ancient tale from Greek mythology to a series of ritualistic murders taking place in a medium size Midwestern city. The protagonists are a scarred, young police detective and his new partner, a Belgian Malinois police dog. The antagonist is a cold-blooded killer, for sure . . . but one you may find yourself rooting for from time to time. I sure did! The plot is well developed. The characters are interesting. There's plenty of excitement as the story races to its end. And you'll be saying it's the best $2.99 you ever spent!

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book through Prime Reading, was pleasantly surprised and I love Billie, she’s my favorite character in this book by far.

[Golda Edwards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!

I love books about crime and police catching the bad guys. This one did not disappoint! I also love dogs so I enjoyed this story even more!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put this down. I thoroughly enjoyed this book

[james c jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good read, keeps your attention

[Sherrie Gallegos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa

My fav Reed & Billie book yet. The duo are on the hunt for a serial killer with a sword.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to give this "3", which I've rounded up from a 2.5. It's definitely a first novel, and that shows boldly in some of the clumsy structure and rather pedestrian prose. Could certainly have used a good editor to pull the pieces together. The story is interesting, and that's what saves this from the "1" or "2" rating I might have given it. Someone commented somewhere that "it seems as if everyone is writing a dog into their mystery book," and this book gives me that feeling. Billie (the dog) seems merely incidental throughout most of the story. Characters are poorly developed (including Billie's). And there are lots of plot details that could have been more finely developed to greatly improve the book. As I mentioned... could have used a good editor. It doesn't "stink," but it's definitely not praiseworthy. I plan to give the next in series a try, but if that doesn't show marked improvement I'm done with Reed & Billie. Sorry, Dustin. But find yourself a good editor and the rest of this series could be great. This could have been a very good book if you'd had one here.

[Elizabeth Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

crime thriller. Billy (who has tons of energy, so cute!) is a retired military dog - now Reed's partner. 7 books in this series. wowza. . . i have a lot to read. yeah! fast paced. well written. totally the cover pulled me in. well done. i am new to Dustin's work. i will read more. can't wait.

[Jakky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Page-turner. Suspense. Good vs. evil vs. worse evil vs. satanic evil. Good read.

[Ay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf 40%.

Failed to retain my interest.

[Jenny R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boat Man is the first book in a new detective series by Dustin Stevens. Detective Reed and his new partner Billie, a K-9 police dog find themselves under pressure to solve a gruesome serial murder case. I found the Boat Man to be a very interesting character. Well written and a great storyline. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Joan Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good K-9 crime book