Shallow Grave (Pete Fernandez / Jackson Donne) by Alex Segura and Dave White

I used to love those special times characters like Superman and Spider-Man teamed up. Two great heroes from two creators, together. Showing their differences and what they had in common. So of course I was excited about this crossover between two other beloved characters, Alex Segura's Peter Fernandez and Dave White's Jackson Donne. Both writers love their comic books, so I was sure they would do a good job.
Fernandez is hired to find a missing person. During that investigation he asks Donne for help, as he was the PI who was hired before for the job. The catch here is that Donne is in prison but he still manages to do some more hands-on work than you'd think.
Extra cool points go to the fact the missing person is a musician. As an amateur rock journalist I love the music scene so with the added crossover thing this was the sort of read I love. Add to that it's a novella which form I absolutely adore as well this is a personal favorite.

Blind to Sin (Matt Herrick / Jackson Donne) by Dave White

Dave White cites both Richard Stark and Robert B. Parker as his main influences for his latest novel. Considering those are very important influences to my own Noah Milano stories (like the new Serving Justice) I was already sure to like this book, not to mention the earlier entry in this series was awesome.
As much, or even more, of a heist story than a PI story the Stark influence is obvious. Though, it is not just the plot that shows that influence. Also the prose, especially in the Donne scenes has the same feel to it.
In this novel Jackson Donne is freed from prison together with the son of basketball coach / PI Matt Herrick. Herrick's dad, along with a group of criminals intends to steal from the Federal Reserve together with Matt and Jackson. With this money Matt's mother could be saved from cancer.
Unfortunately, everybody has a secret agenda and there's lots of double-crossing and not much honor among crooks.
Meanwhile Jackson Donne makes the journey from PI to psychopathic sidekick as he comes to the conclusion he needs to become more pro-active. I loved the muscular prose of those Donne scenes and loved the way Dave managed to AGAIN breathe some fresh air in the PI genre without using dinosaurs, zombies or paranormal stuff.

Favorite Sons of 2016

Favorite Sons of 2016

This hasn't been my most active year as a writer or a reviewer, personal issues and work as well as my gig as rock journalist taking up a lot of my time. Still, I read some good stuff this year and here are my favorite PI reads of the year...


BEST PI NOVEL: An Empty Hell (Jackson Donne / Matt Herrick) by Dave White
BEST DEBUT: TThe Red Storm (William Fletcher) by Grant Bywaters
BEST NEW PI: Gus Murphy (in Where It Hurts) by Reed Farrel Coleman
BEST ACTION SCENES: The Second Life of Nick Mason (Nick Mason) by Steve Hamilton

An Empty Hell (Jackson Donne / Matt Herrick) by Dave White.

In a stroke of brilliance Dave White introduces his ''other'' PI, Matt Herrick (first seen here) to his main man Jackson Donne. The result is great!
A lot of bad people are looking for ex-PI, ex-cop Jackson Donne because men who used to be in his police unit are showing up dead. Potential victim Alex Robinson hires Matt Herrick, part-time PI to find Donne.
The story changes POV mainly from Herrick to Donne with some interesting flashbacks. There's a lot of movement in the story, and at times it gets a bit too much of a commercial thriller for me in scope and the ''evil supervillain'' qualities of the bad guys, but it never ever gets dull.
I love Herrick, basketball coach / PI who has the war trauma to give him some interesting backstory and how he is so different from Donne who is a lot more grizzled.
I remember reading Dave White's first short story years ago and it is amazing how good an author he has become, breathing life into the PI genre like Dennis Lehane did years ago with Gone Baby Gone.