Cary Allen Stone Spotlight - Debut Novel in the Jake Roberts Series - After the Evil!

The face with the smile that floated past him reappeared, he couldn’t remember. Blaring in the background, he heard lyrics and hammering of heavy metal music. He recognized The Cult.

It’s the way that you feel

 It’s the truth in your eye 

Cause you’re up against the world 

And still you rise...

~~~

The song by The Cult had become her theme for killing...One of her victims may recognize it; others just heard the noise of heavy metal music. Lori would quickly recognize the type of man he was and she would begin making her plans. She did it for her daughter--because she hadn't acted for her before she committed suicide.

She visited her daughter's graveside often, talking to her until Emily started to talk back to her. Neither now trusted men, but how was Lori to know that her husband would do what he'd done??? And when she accepted it was true, it was too late.

Lori started confessing.
“Father, like yourself,
 I have taken the Lord
thy God’s name in vain.
I have not honored my
 mother or my father.
And I am about to break
the commandment—
 Thou shall not kill.”
 She looked deeply into his
wide, terrified eyes.
“Bless me Father,
for I must sin again.”
~~~

After she placed the duct tape over his mouth, it became very difficult to make out some of his words. “No” was muffled, but reasonably understandable. “Don’t” didn’t sound quite right, but she got the idea. She mimicked his muted pleas pretending to feel his fear and pain. It was the end of Father Anthony Moralli. He began his last day on earth on an airliner. His destination was a resort-gambling oasis, which coincidently included a well-stocked pond of young females. 

He was on what he liked to call a “personal pilgrimage.” The expedition had nothing to do with religion. Anthony simply wanted to, no needed to, get laid. To accomplish the task, it required leaving the confines of his parish to maintain the façade of his vocation. 

Father Anthony loved the whole religion thing— the ceremonies, hearing confessions, and especially saving lost souls. He planned to start saving his soul right after saving all of the others. 

After years of religious studies and training, he concluded it was beyond his comprehension to truly understand God, so he simply preached the commandments, and left the rest to God. What Anthony really understood were the basic physical needs of a man. He struggled with his vow of celibacy, finding it to be in direct conflict with his deep and firm conviction, that sex was a gift from God. To abstain, he believed, was a slap to the Creator’s face. The “Love thy neighbor” commandment was his favorite, and he took every opportunity to apply it to his life. Of course, that did not include molesting boys like some of his classmates in the seminary. He boarded the flight sans white collar, and slumped into his assigned seat by the window, in the emergency exit aisle.

~~~

After the Evil:

A Jake Roberts Novel

By Cary Allen Stone

I think I must have an attraction to homicide cops...you know, the white hat guy, even if he's somehow broken, he's always after the bad guy, out to protect the rights of the victim. So it was easy to decide to read and learn about Jake Roberts from the debut of his series... I had signed up to read After the Kill, and when I received it the author had offered the other three books. I had already started the fourth book and liked Jake Roberts, so Stone and I worked out a spotlight deal--and all of you reap the benefits of the author's offer! 

There is a very, very intriguing twist to this first book that totally fascinated me, so I'm going to be very careful not to mention it in this first review, even though it will come out in subsequent books... 

Let's go ahead and get more involved in the work of a serial killer, who turns out to be unusual because it's a female. She is trying to make amends to her daughter, who committed suicide after being assaulted by Lori's husband...

She quickly realized what kind of man her husband had been and his death was the kick-off to a string of men who were, what I call, two-faced. You know the type, they present one face to the world and hide another side of them in the darkness...

The book starts with her "taking care of" a priest who left his collar behind when he boarded her plane where she was a stewardess...

It finally hit me this morning who I would choose to have played Jake Roberts (I'm sure you'll recognize him). Jake is a special guy that has multiple sides to his personality. He falls in love quickly, is very loving with his female, as well as male friends, and yet is willing to take great risks when involved with a case, to get the job done. And he holds his thoughts and emotions close to his chest...


After waiting for over an hour, I recline on the couch, but shift into several uncomfortable positions. I can’t sit still. I hate having to surrender my thoughts and my emotions to him. God forbid I say something that causes him to take me off the streets. I would leave, except the department's policy requires all cops involved in a shooting, have to see the shrink. 
“I watched as the Molotov cocktail flew in an arc and crashed through the stained glass window. Jesus the Shepherd was at the center of the window only moments before.” I feel like I’m suffocating, cornered. The place and surroundings couldn’t help, but make you feel flawed as a human being. “The Molotov cocktail rolled across the sacristy floor spitting yellow and orange flames. Heavy, coal-colored, swirling smoke billowed out. Nothing could be done, while the blaze burned the house of God to the ground. Then the dark angel responsible, as if receiving an order directly from Satan, began the last barrage. The weapon discharged, and my windshield exploded. Shards of glass and debris flew all around me. I dropped to the pavement.” 
After a long swallow from the glass of water on the end table, the rest of my nightmare slips out. Easy Jake, don’t talk about anger in front of the man...

Abrams allows my words to hang in the air. His unnerving silence makes me squirm and twitch. Is he waiting for me to collapse? He asks a simple question with a calm voice. 

“Can you go on, or would you like to stop here?” 

That really cranks me off, so I blast back. 

“Hey, tell me what I’m supposed to do here, what I’m supposed to say, tell me how I’m supposed to heal.” 

Abrams answers with a calm, compassionate tone. “Jake, it doesn’t work that way. You had physical trauma from the gunshot, and the doctor prescribed a pill for the pain, but what’s in your head cannot be cured with a pill.” 

Dr. Thaddeus Abrams, mid-forties, is wearing his trademark heavy-rimmed, black eyeglasses. He is soft-spoken and polite. In addition to his own practice, he is included in the department’s payroll. A shooter like me is supposed to attend therapy once a week. Those who work through their pain can regain their life and career...

But Jake had one good memory from the visit with his psychiatrist, he had briefly interacted with a beautiful woman and knew he was already half in love again... Oh no, Jake's needing an emotional relationship, but is the time right?

Jake was on the new case, but Mika Scott, FBI, with whom Jake had once been involved, came in to take over. At that time, she didn't know it was a female who had left mutilated bodies over the country and who she had been following. Now she was faced with working with an old lover, with whom, she knew in her heart, she was still in love... Jake was having the same thoughts and difficulties of working with Mika...

And then the serial killer had taken out a pilot and then Jake's psychiatrist! What was going on?!

Why was Jake going to see a psychiatrist? Court mandated for a shooting that had really got to him. He'd killed on a case and the victim turned out to be a girl.  He couldn't forget it when he'd pulled off her mask...

I love Harmon Blackwell.

 He is there for me with no limits,

 or barriers. As he stands, 

he blocks whatever sunlight 

is shining through the shaded 

front windows.

 He looks interesting back lit. 

He leaves through the front door

 knowing it’s better to leave me

 alone for now. 

He’s gone before I can make another

smartass remark. 

After the door closes, 

I see my Glock lying beside me

 on the table. 

How easy it would be to end the pain.

~~~

“Hey Geronimo, you need to give it a rest. Why don’t you dig deep down into your inner man, and get back to respectable?”
 “I’m feeling like I’m already six feet down, just waiting for someone to cover me with dirt, and here you are with a shovelful.” I lean back, close my eyes again and think. She was just a kid. The next thing I know, I shout it. “SHE WAS JUST A KID!”
 “That kid put a hole in your arm. A few more inches and she would have put you in a hole.”
 “She would have done me a favor.” I fight back. I need sympathy, and I have no one else to get it from. I’m counting on Harmon to pull me up. The others talk about how lucky I was, but I’m not so sure. 
Harmon softens his tone for a moment, and asks a curious question. “Did you cry?” Tough guy Harmon never asked me that before...

~~~

Readers are totally involved with the thriller from the beginning--there is no mystery. Rather there is the suspense of what is going to happen next and how it is going to affect the various main characters. For me, I was already involved with Jake Roberts, the main character, and watching the various interactions with his close friends and loved ones. I must admit I was surprised with the end. But somehow relieved...Curious, wouldn't you think? 

This reader has found another hero to adore...Watch for second in series!


GABixlerReviews

“Cary Allen Stone is a brilliant writer of psychological thrillers and murder mysteries. He writes with a keen eye for detail–the graphic violence is chillingly realistic. He delivers a taut, darkly introspective, cunning and well-executed plot by leaning towards the fallible side of his characters. He understands the criminal mind avoiding the stereotypes that dominate crime thrillers. There is a good balance of chemistry and conflict, good and evil that fans will find enthralling. His characters become embedded in our psyches and the pace of his unraveling of his thriller is a ride not easily forgotten. Cary Allen Stone is an important name to watch. This is one superb crime writer!”––Grady Harp, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer Vine Voice

I was born in 1953 and received a Bachelor of Arts in 1976. In 1972, I started private pilot flying lessons and progressed to Airline Transport Pilot certification in 1978. I taught new students, flew twin-engine charters, corporate jets, and finally airliners like the B727, DC-9, B737, A300, and L1011. I was hired for my first airline job in 1982. I have flown throughout the United States and to foreign countries. One country wanted me to stay longer and kept my crew hostage inside my B727 until the State Department got us released. I currently fly for Southwest Airlines based in Phoenix, Arizona.

Growing up in South Florida, and aviation, has given me a very unique perspective of this planet we live on. Flying had a lot to do with getting me started with my writing. I was asked one day to fly a Citation jet for a famous film director who was scouting locations in the Caribbean. I spent ten days with Sir Ridley Scott. It was a turning point for me. I had just started to put words to paper. The trip gave me an opportunity to discuss my writing with him. He encouraged me to write and after the trip even reviewed some of my work.

Around 2005, while flying to Orlando, I met a famous movie star onboard and we talked about writing. He and I became collaborators. I wrote a few screenplays. That took me into the Hollywood environment for several years where I learned more about the perspective and technical aspects of the film industry. I had a lot of fun, met a great many celebrities, and even appeared as an extra in “The Dukes” although the final edit only showed the back of my head…twice.

Since then, I have continued to fly and write. I self-publish my books through Amazon and have a great time doing so under my Fine Line Books. I’ve written short stories and have authored a true crime case study of “filicide” titled Through a Mother’s Eyes. And I have written four fictional crime stories. My Jake Roberts series includes: After the Evil, Mind Over Murder, and After the Goode. I also have a cybercrime thriller titled Stealing Atlanta. I am currently writing my next Jake Roberts novel, After the Kill.

In the past, I have also done voice-over commercials, performed a non-speaking role in an AAA travel commercial, and performed stand-up on open mike nights at Bonkerz in Orlando, Punchline and Funny Farm in Atlanta. I once represented the United States with comedy/magic at the Night of Magic in Bogota, Colombia.

My significant other has believed in me through all these years and I couldn’t have done any of it without her. She is still at my side every moment.