Strait Over Tackle (Flip-Flop Detective/Sam Strait) by Colin Conway

 

You might know the author of the 509 Crime Stories and the co-author of the Charlie-316 series already. This is his PI style series.

Former deputy Sam Strait has been snowbirding and comes back home to discover a dead body in his home. He decides to investigate himself and ends up getting involved with a tough female bodybuilder, several thugs and more.

Sam is a fun character. He might be an ex-cop, he's not the tough guy you might expect. His fighting prowess puts him pretty much into cozy territory. He's also really more of an amateur sleuth than an unlicensed PI type. His rules of living are amusing, one of which is to never go where he cannot wear flip-flops, hence the title of the series.

The story has some nice pacing. Not too fast, not to slow. It feels like an entertaining stroll hand in hand with Sam. There seem to be a few somewhat open plot points in here, but overall a nice story.

Will be back for more.

White Lines (John Tyler) by Tom Fowler

 Former Spec Ops veteran John Tyler is working as a mechanic. When a woman brings in her Porsche but never returns to it he starts to investigate. Soon he is clashing with a drug cartel who decide to get him out of the way. Together with his old Army buddy and hacker/PI C.T. Ferguson (of Tom Fowler's other series) he takes the fight to the bad guys. There's also a subplot where his ex-wife is trying to scam him and his daughter. 

The John Tyler series is different from the C.T. Ferguson books in the way these are action thrillers, not detective stories. Mr. Fowler is really good at writing fast-paced action and he shows that off here as well. The dead bodies pile up, things go boom and gunfire rattles. It can become a bit repetitive at times though and reminded me a lot of the first book in this series.

Nice book for folks who think the Jack Reacher books can get too slow. I do hope the next one has a bit more beat to it's bones, story-wise.

Hallmarks Of The Job / Aloha Boys: A P.I. Tales Double Feature (Stanley Melvin / Morriss Ronald Boyett) by Frank Zafiro / Michael Bracken

 

I saw love this idea of combining two PI novellas in one book. I loved the first one and the second one turned out to be pretty awesome as well.

In Frank Zafiro's Hallmarks of the Job,we meet PI Stanley Melvin. He's no superheroic or tough Spenser. But when he gets involved in a routine case his neigbor points out the case is full of hardboiled detective novel tropes. He will need to toughen up a bit! It is a pretty quirky and fun story. I really could identify with Stanley and the plot was really inventive.

In Michael Bracken's Aloha Boys, we read about Private investigator Morris Ronald “Moe Ron” Boyette who lives above a tattoo place. A homeless woman hires him to find her missing half-brother. He gets involved with some dirty secrets of a University. Bracken's prose is effective as always. The plot is neatly tied up and there is not an unnecessary word. Bracken's huge experience in short stories pays off in this longer format.

First Shot (Grant Fletcher) by John Ryder

 It is pretty obvious Lee Child's Jack Reacher was a big influence on this one. Ex-military loner with good detective skills shows up in a small town to deal justice. I guess that is starting to become a genre of it's own. So, this might be seen as a Son of Reacher instead of Son of Spade.

Anyway, the story is about the mentioned military loner called Grant Fletcher. He is enlisted by an old army mate to investigate the disappearance of his daughter. He encounters some unfriendly citizens as well as a smart and attractive FBI agent.

Fletcher as a character isn't that unique at a first glance. However, he has an interesting traumatic backstory which both adds extra spice to the story as well as the character. The fact he's a father adds something to his character as well.

The FBI agent, Zoey Quadrado, is a pretty well-rounded and strong female protagonist. It looks like she will be a series regular. That could be interesting and take away Fletcher out of standard Reacher territory.

There's a lot of action scenes in here, which seem to be taken right out of an action movie. These, together with the story behind Fletcher's trauma are definitely the strongest points of the story. The main investigation was a bit thin and could have used some surprises.

I like the setup at the end where we get a hint at how Fletcher and Quadrado will get into new trouble.

All in all, not a bad new series for those who can't get enough of Reacher and want just a little extra spice to the formula.

Romeo's Rules (Mike Romeo) by James Scott Bell

 Ex-cage fighter Mike Romeo helps out a woman with missing kids after rescuing her from an exploding church. He ends up getting caught and tortured. Luckily, after some time with a PI and fighting in cages he has the skills to strike back. And there's that ex-Mossad sidekick to help him out.

Lots of the story is a pretty straightforward hardboiled thriller. Some fights, some investigations, some twists. Mike is a wisecracking tough guy like Spenser or Elvis Cole. However, he is even more intellectual than Spenser is. As a kid, he read a lot of books and he still continues to do so. The result is that Mike gets in some pretty nice oneliners and deep thoughts. That makes him pretty unique, but also, to some readers annoying. I really liked it though. There's also his dark past that is slowly uncovered that makes Mike an interesting character.

As a writer of several writing instruction books it is no surprise Mr. Bell keeps the story moving, the dialogue fast and natural and the descriptions brief enough not to bore. All in all, good writing, enjoyable character. I will be back for more.

Serenity Stalked (Shelby Alexander) by Craig A. Hart

Shelby Alexander, retired boxer and fixer gets involved in a serial killer case when his lady love is endangered. When the killer tries to set him up for a murder he has to face the local law, who are not a fan of him after he took down some local criminals the hard way.

I liked how Shelby had his doubts about his younger girlfriend. Shelby himself is a good, aging tough guy in the Eastwood manner.

The writing is pretty tight and readable. The pacing is good, the dialogue attractive. The plot, however, is a bit thin.  

I am not a fan of scenes written from the POV of a serial killer and this book has a lot of chapters of those. That's the stuff of those thrillers featuring profilers, not a good PI novel. Not that the POV was badly written, it does create the effect the writer has probably been looking for, making him a crazy and scary individual.

A nice, quick read. Nothing more, nothing less.

Below The Line (Mike Millek) by Steven Jankowski

 

As many of our favorite hardboiled characters do, Mike Millek has a boat. He's also a limo driver for the stars in Hollywood. When one of  his client, a music producer, ends up dead he also ends up with a lot of cash in his hands. He decides to keep it, which gets him into all sorts of trouble. 

Not so much a PI story as a noirish tale this one is full of people who only think about money and sex. Millek is a nice enough guy, but has some characters flaws when it comes to his morals. Of course Hollywood is a great place to be the background for this kind of tale. The fact the author has inside knowledge of Hollywood and owned a boat himself brings some authenticity to the book, which I enjoyed.

There seemed to be a bit too much of ''tell instead of show'' in some places and it took quite some pages to get the story started. A bit too much time was spend talking about Millek's background in my opinion. Still, there is some atmosphere to the story and enough action and double crossing to make it a good read.

Blood On Canvas (C.T. Ferguson) by Tom Fowler

 The C.T. Ferguson series always reads like you are watching a TV show and this one does more then ever. 

In this one Ferguson tries to find a stolen painting that is exceptionally bad. Why would anyone steal that is one of the biggest mysteries.. What follows is a fast-paced story with Ferguson taking on some drugrunners ending in an action-packed finale.

I love the concept where Ferguson works for his clients without pay, but gets paid after closing the case by his rich parents. This concept, and the pacing of the series always keeps me coming back.

This one might go a bit overboard for me in the NCIS-routine though. Just a bit too much Feds showing up, almost too much action and too much computer wizardry. It just became more of a thriller than the kind of PI mystery I love. I should say though, that the computer stuff is believable (Fowler works in IT) and not the Sci-Fi stuff you see in the Magnum reboot and the NCIS shows. Also, I will admit Tom Fowler writes great action scenes. What I like about how he does that is that he uses minimal description of the fights which really makes you ''see'' the action in your mind without slowing down the scene. There's some nice ass-kicking in this one.

You can pick up this novella as part of this bundle: https://books2read.com/deadsilent/

PI Tales Double Feature: Crimson Smile (Rick Malone) by Michael Pool & The Path of Jackals (Fennec Suleiman) by Hunter Eden

 I am a sucker for novellas, having written quite a few myself. I think it is a great idea to combine two novellas in one book. This way you have the page count and price tag to help the book get noticed on Amazon and still can tell strong, shorter stories. What I like about the novella format is you can get right to the story, keep the action going without boring the reader. 

The first tale is a Rick Malone one by Michael Pool. The fact Michael is a real-life PI gives the story a nice authentic feeling. Malone is hired to prove a wealthy woman killed her husband in self-defense. What follows is an interesting tale with a nice surprise ending. Although Malone's character isn't very unique, the plot and investigation was pretty enjoyable.

The second tale features a very original PI. Not only is the story situated in Egypt, but the protagonist, Fennec Suleiman is one of a kind. He's got some kind of brain damage that causes him to see the form of Anubis. This Egyptian mythological character gives him advice during his investigation of a missing young American girl. The story isn't for the faint of heart and veers a bit into horror territory sometimes. Not surprising as the author, Hunter Eden, has been writing in that genre a lot. It gives a nice dark look at our current Youtuber-culture in a chilling and exciting story. This should win a Shamus Award!

Great, fast-paced reads. Looking forward to more in this format.

Don't Shoot The Drummer (Lou Crasher) by Jonathan Brown

 Lou Crasher, the drummer/PI is back in action. When a gang of criminals robs houses that are ''tented off'' for fumigation he is hired by the mother of a security guard that was killed by the gang to track them down.

The criminals turn out to be an interesting bunch and we have some chapters from their P.O.V. Lou is always a cool character, the drumming angle is nice and he can be a pretty tough guy.

Unfortunately there is no mystery and the plot didn't really grab me as much as the first novel in this series. I will be reading the next one in the series to hang out with Lou again but hope the plot will be more interesting.

The Mechanic (John Tyler) by Tom Fowler

 

Having enjoyed Tom Fowler's C.T. Ferguson books for some time now I was excited to read the first full-length John Tyler novel. Somewhat of a departure from the PI novels that the Ferguson series consists of I did enjoy it. This is more of a straight action thriller kind of book in the Lee Child/Jack Reacher vein.

John Tyler is a single dad. He retired from the army some years ago. Recovering from PTSD, he now works as a mechanic. When his former commander, who has a big bone to pick with Tyler gets out of jail and threatens Tyler's loved ones he has to pick up arms once again.

While the plot is rather thin and John is perhaps a bit less original a character than C.T. Ferguson the pacing is enjoyably fast. What Fowler excels in, is describing really cool action scenes. He hands you just the correct amount of detail so you can see the action in your hand without slowing down too much.

And though the plot is a bit thin, it does set up the stage for the series quite nicely. I am interested in finding out how Tyler gets involved in a new adventure in the second book. I do hope the plot will be a bit more interesting.

Blood Sisters (Shea Stevens) by Dharma Kelleher

A woman is on the run from her powerful husband, asking former confidential informer Shea and her Athena Sisterhood Motorcycle Club for help. That causes quite some trouble, just like the rival biker gang that the Athena Sisterhood helped put in prison getting back on the streets. And then there's the matter of Shea's adopted child who is feeling ill.

What follows is a gritty, action-packed story with my favorite lesbian protagonist. I love how Shea is both tough and vulnerable. The feelings she has for a female cop are so well described. The love she feels for her stepdaughter are so genuine. Shea is such a kind and loving woman as well as a tough biker/warrior. The combination works. Not your standard PI character and infused with a huge dose of rock 'n' roll attitude her adventures are a delight to read.

I loved the first two entries in the series. This one is even better.

The Desecration of All Saints (August McKenzie) by Alan Lee

 

When I started reading this one I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I'd already read the first in this series which I'd enjoyed but couldn't remember the "voice'' being so influenced by Crais and Parker. You know, the whole witty, self-depreciating one. As the story progresses the voice becomes more its own though.

What is left is a fairly solid detective story where PI Mackenzie August is hired to prove a clergyman is not the gay sex fiend he is being accused of being. During his investigation August has to switch sides and gets involved with a kidnap case. There is a nice deeper layer about the nature of evil and the position of religion and the church in modern day society.

Some things that made the read extra enjoyable were the talks August has with his adopted baby Kix and with his sidekick, US Marshal Manny. As an interesting subplot we have August's relationship with his big love Ronnie.

Billed as a standalone somewhat outside the series (taking place between the first two novels I understand) this is a nice pretty quick read. Alan Lee won me over to check out more in this series.

The Wanted (Elvis Cole) by Robert Crais

 

Of course Elvis Cole and Joe Pike rule. They may be updated versions of Spenser and Hawk but I think they are fun characters/ This particular novel isn't the best one in the series though.

Elvis is hired by the mother of a teenage kid who seems to have some way too expensive stuff. It is sort of like my own 2013 story featuring Lenny Parker, but besides the concept it is a very different story. 

Anyway, the kid turns out to be in a new life of petty crime but has gotten his hands on something two thugs are after. Cole enlists the aid of his sidekick Joe Pike of course and sets out to find the kid (and his girlfriend) before the bad guys find them.

The bad guys are pretty interesting. They start out as basic everyday thugs but get a backstory which makes them less standard evil. 

There's some fun banter between Cole and a hacker kid. Besides that there is some emotional scenes concerning Cole's old love Lucy and her kid, Ben.

Crais knows how to write a fast-paced story and I like how he is economical in his prose. The story itself is a bit thin for the number of pages it is. I would have fit it in a novella. 

Chasing Shadows (Drew Patrick) by Jason Richards

 Faithful readers of my blog know I don't mind a book with a lot of the standard tropes. After all, the tropes are what make the PI genre great. This one might have done well to add something new to the mix though.

Ex-FBI agent Drew Patrick is hired to find out if indeed a woman's daughter is being led down the wrong path by a young man. It turns out she is right which has him up against some thugs. There's  a sidekick in the Joe Pike / Hawk mode who shows up all of a sudden. The story and the thugs reminded me of The Wanted by Robert Crais which I will soon review. The writing style is very much in the Robert B. Parker / Robert Crais style as well. Perhaps a bit too much.

It sounds interesting Patrick's girlfriend is a PI herself but she just shows up as a Susan clone to Patrick's Spenser.

I'm afraid this one just didn't do it for me. The writing was fast-paced enough to finish, but the action, plot, mystery or characters didn't stand out.

Ballast Point Breakdown (Rolly Waters) by Corey Lynn Fayman

In this fourth novel in the Rolly Waters series the guitar-playing private detective gets pulled into a strange case involving dolphins when a woman crawls from a boat on fire and screams about the return of Arion. The investigation touches some weird and interesting areas like dolphins used for warfare, a very dysfunctional family and the involvement of a punk rocker and animal-rights organzations.
There are so many things pulled into the story that it can get a bit confusing sometimes. I have to applaud the author though for making this a tale very different plotwise from most PI stories. The characters are very original. I especially enjoyed Rolly's dad who gets some very funny lines.
And of course, I love PI's who are involved in the music biz like my own Lenny Parker.

Rolling Thunder (Hammerhead Jed Ounstead) by A.J. Devlin

I just loved the first outing of Jed Ounstead. The wrestling setting and the light sense of humour were awesome. Things get better with this one. The comedy is amped up a bit more and the setting is not only wrestling but also the very interesting roller derby world.
Ex-wrestler Jed Ounstead (now a PI in his dad's firm) is asked by his old friend Stormy Daze to find her roller derby coach who's gone missing some time ago. Investigating he ends up in an S & M club, clashing with a shady rich guy who has his own TV show and more colorful characters than you see on any wrestling show. And then there's those two women he loves but cannot decide on.
There's so many laughs, funny situations and oneliners that I chuckled every page. Don't get me wrong, stuff can get pretty dark as well. And while Jed can be a laidback guy he can get very dark, brooding and gritty as well.
I just love Jed's archetype psycho sidekick Declan! Not only is he a deadly fighter his lines are so incredibly crude and funny... Yeah, this one has everything I love about the genre. Action, laughs, attractive women, mystery.
This one proves the first novel (Cobra Clutch) was not a one hit wonder. Can't wait for the third book.

Forceful Intent (Porter) by R.A. McGee

In the PI world you have the Lew Archers, the Philip Marlowes, Matt Scudders... And you have the Mike Hammers, Jack Reachers and Joe Pikes. This one falls in the last category. Porter is pretty much a man's man and absolutely a man of action. I must say his accountant sidekick and the name of the author made me think a bit of Travis McGee as well.
Porter (no last name in Spenser and Parker style) is an ex-FBI agent who is now working as a private investigator. When an old friend asks him to look into the disappearance of a young girl he clashes with street gangs and a very wealthy and evil psychopath. He gets some help from a lovely detective (bit of a tired trope, but hey, it's hardboiled pulp so who cares).
Porter is a very hardboiled guy, reminding me as I mentioned before of Reacher. He is sometimes a much a vigilante as he is an investigator. Sometimes he can even come over as a bit of an asshole. But it was those traits that made this novel so enjoyable to me as the story itself is fairly standard.
I'm going to read more of this series.

The Blues Don't Care (Bobby Saxon) by Paul D. Marks

What  a time for this book coming out. It is situated in WW II but is very topical now. Bobby Saxon is the only white musician in an all-black band. When one of the bandmembers get accused of murdering a racist Bobby is asked to investigate. It turns out Bobby is pretty good at investigating for an amateur. As you might expect this is not just a mystery but also a story about racism in the forties. What you don't expect is the incredible twist that will surprise you a few chapters in. It is this surprise that adds an extra layer that allows Saxon to give even some more extra social commentary.
I hate saying a book transcends the genre and I honestly usually don't like books that do. This one however does and might win some awards because of it.

Lost Tomorrows (Rick Cahill) by Matt Coyle

I have read all books in this series and the ride over to this one has been great. The series started with PI Rick Cahill being suspected of killing his wife and him quitting the force as a result. Now he gets the chance to avenge her death.
When his former partner gets killed in a hit and run he's hired by her sister who suspects her death might not have been an accident. This has him investigating his own wife's death again and forces him to discover if he is willing to act as judge, jury and executioner.
As always Matt Coyle writes a well-paced crime novel that has room for mystery, action but also good characterization. Rick Cahill is a true anti-hero, always having to choose between right and wrong like my own Noah Milano. Always an inspiring read.