Night Sorrows Introduces Rebekah McCabe as Main Character in New Series

I very much enjoyed this book, but it took extra time to read it. When I got the ebook without the cover, I immediately went on alert...

With over 50 years in writing reading and editing in one form or another, the last decade or so with books, I have found that some type of formatting issues can be very disruptive...

Night Sorrows is a complex, multi-faceted story and the author has worked hard to keep all sub-plots in the reader's mind... That's where the ebook issues occurred... Ebooks allow a lot of flexibility for the reader, but at the same time, it often affects the original typed story...In this book, Craig had inconsistent results for change of scene - I might say this is the worst problem faced by creators of ebooks and oftentimes fails... Instead of belaboring the reading problems, I just want to recommend that a writer use an actual break, such as ###, to show scene change. Since there is no consistency in a page, there is no way to effectively use space lines... The problem results in jarring mind jerks as scenes change without knowing and an entirely different topic and set of characters begin... I might add that too many scene changes in a row can also be disruptive.. 

Readers may decide whether this is important to them; the book would have been given a 5 by me, if not for the reading problems that occurred...

Night Sorrows:
A Rebekah McCabe Mystery

By Bill Craig

“I heard a noise and I turned, then my head felt like it exploded.  I saw stars and then everything went black.  I don’t know how long I was out, but when I came to, I felt helpless.  It was hard to make my body function.  I saw blood on the wall.  I wondered if it was mine at first, but then I finally realized that it wasn’t.  It couldn’t be.  Because, while it felt like my brains might be leaking out, they couldn’t be splattered down the wall for me to be alive,” Rebekah McCabe said. 

“You don’t like feeling helpless, do you?” Alexus Prince asked. “No, I don’t.” 

“So, feeling helpless . . . what did that make you feel like?” “Like I was a goddamn failure at the only job I ever truly loved,” McCabe replied. 

“Your work is very important to you?” 

“It is.  It defines me.” 

“Have you ever considered doing anything else?” 

“Not really, no.  I like what I do.” 

“Even when you fail?” 

“I never said I failed.  I caught the bad guy in the end.” 

“But your client was still dead.  You were hired to keep her alive.”

 “I brought her killer to justice.  I count that as a win,”

 McCabe sighed. 

“Interesting.  I see our time is about up.  I want you to think about this and tell me what you might have done differently, given the chance,” Alexus Prince told her. 

“There was nothing to do differently.  I caught the bad guy.  That was my job.” 

“It was, but that became your job only after your client was killed.” 

“It did.  I don’t let things like that stop me from doing what I was hired to do.  Caroline England hired me to find out who wanted to kill her.  I did that, and then I made sure that the son of a bitch was prosecuted.” 

McCabe looked over at Alexus Prince.  The psychiatrist was shorter and smaller boned than her, with thick black hair that seemed to hint at a Greek heritage.  Her brown eyes were large behind her designer glasses, her face impassive, as she looked back at McCabe.  Her make-up was minimal, her natural beauty didn’t require much enhancements.  She was wearing a pair of silk grey linen slacks with a maroon silk dress shirt.  Her nails were stylishly polished in a two-tone shade of pale blue and white.  

“I want to help you, Rebekah, but I can’t if you are going to fight me every step of the way.  Work with me instead of against me and maybe we can get the nightmares to stop,” Alexus told her. “Okay, I’ll try.  Coming to see you isn’t easy for me.  I’m not used to talking about my feelings with a stranger, even though we are friends.” 

“Is there someone you are comfortable talking with?” 

“Yes.  My Pap, back in Texas.” 

“Then give him a call, Rebekah.  See what advice he has to offer.  It might even help,” Dr. Prince said. 

“I’ll think about it.  Same time next week?” Rebekah asked. 

“I’ll make sure that you’re scheduled.” 

“Thank you, Doc.  I’ll see you then,” McCabe replied, standing and walking towards the door. 

“This will get easier, Rebekah,” Dr. Prince called after her. 

“I hope so,” McCabe sighed, before stepping through the door and closing it behind her.  McCabe looked at her watch.  She needed to get to the office and hopefully, she would get a new case to take her mind off what had happened to her in Caroline England’s apartment last month. Rebekah McCabe was sipping from her Starbuck’s cup of coffee when the door to her office opened and a very elegantly appointed, yet casually attired woman walked in.  She was a middle-aged woman, with blonde highlights in her hair and professionally styled makeup.  She wore expensive designer jeans, an expensive designer tee-shirt, and expensive Adidas sneakers.  She was very well put together.  Her eyes were a worried blue and her mouth was a tight red lipstick line across her face. 

“Can I help you? Bekah asked. “My daughter is missing.  I need you to find her,” the woman said, flatly. 

“Okay.  What is your name?” McCabe asked.  McCabe was a tall long- haired redhead with jade green eyes.  

“Jeanette Larson,” the woman said.  Bekah wrote it down. “What’s your daughter’s name?” 

“Courtney Larson.” 

“How old is she?” 

“She’s sixteen.  She looks older, something of an early bloomer, like I was.  Beautiful brown hair and brown eyes.  She’s about five-foot-five-inches tall, maybe a hundred and twenty pounds,” Jeanette sighed. 

“What was she wearing the last time you saw her?” 

“Blue jeans with rips in the legs, you know like the kids wear these days, and a pink tee shirt.  She has on BCBG flip flops and had her purse with her, a Dolce & Gabbana.  It is made of jean material, too, with sequins on it” Jeanette explained.  It was clear the woman just expected Rebekah to know the names of the attire that her daughter was wearing.  But, that didn’t put off Bekah.   

“Do you know why she left?” McCabe asked, raising her eyes at the coveted designer names worn by a teenage girl.   

“We had a fight.  I don’t like her boyfriend.  He is a f****** abusive jackass.” 

“Except Courtney doesn’t see it that way?” 

“No, she doesn’t.  She thinks that she loves him.” 

“You think she ran off with him?” 

“Maybe.  All I really know is that she is gone, and he is her boyfriend.” 

“That’s a lot, in and of itself.”

~~~

In announcing Night Sorrows, Craig declares that it might be his best book yet. I have not previously read anything by this author, but I can confirm that the story is very good... As the book opens, we meet the main character, Rebekah McCabe. She is meeting with her psychiatrist about how she is doing after her last case in which her client had been killed... 

We are also meeting one of Rebekah's new clients--Alexus Prince, her psychiatrist, early in the book, realizes she may have a stalker! And soon seeks help from Rebekah...

But Rebekah has just accepted a doozy of a case. A young girl's mother has come to seek her help in finding her. Her daughter has left home, possibly with a boyfriend. What Rebekah finds out is much worse...Giving away one thing that happens helps illustrate both the complexity and dangerous situation the young girl is in... You see, her boyfriend, owed money, and gave his girlfriend to them as collateral until he could get the money. You guessed it, by that time, Courtney Lawson was much more valuable than what her boyfriend owed him, so he was killed when he tried to free Courtney... A horrible situation suddenly got worse...

Courtney Lawson had already been taken by the entire group that now owned her and they figured she would be worth much more when they turned her out, drugged...

Rebekah used to be a cop, a good cop. We don't know exactly why she left, but there is some trouble between her and her former boss...could it be that he wanted a relationship that was not to be? Rebekah is now dating another officer so is able to gain access to information as needed.  Rebekah is tough and is willing to tackle anything that comes her way. But I liked the fact that she was also undergoing counseling to help her deal with the dangerous life she had chosen... 

We learn that she is from Texas and the rest of the family are Texas Rangers...They have become distant when she chose not to stay with the family legacy. All except Pop, who is a wonderful character that comes to clear his granddaughter's name... You see, her old boss had named her as a person of interest for the killing of the boyfriend, who was murdered soon after she'd met with him... Rebekah immediately goes rogue and moves in with a former retired Texas Ranger, who turns out to be the contact to get Pop on a plane...The two of them working together was one of the highlights of the book!

And while Rebekah and Pop works the missing girl case, her boyfriend cop, Mario provides protection for Alexis Prince, who definitely is being stalked...

Of course, Rebekah has gotten to know people...one of which is the head of the Russian Mafia, who agrees to get information on who might be dealing in Human Trafficking... Bodies start falling and Rebekah is being sought not only by the police but is now known by all those criminals who are involved!

And just when they find where the young girls are being held, one of the men holding her escapes and takes her with him...

The investigation(s) are well written and the action is fairly hot and heavy right from the first. For me, though, it was the personal life situations of Rebekah that pulled everything together and gave it the emotional impact that touches readers and has them looking for more... McCabe is a winning new series character...

I'm hoping the author takes the time to correct the setting separation issue and I'll be happy to increase the ranking to a five-star response... I'm still going to highly recommend it at this time, based on the storyline itself... Do check it out...

GABixlerReviews

I taught myself to read by age 4 and by age 6 I had started writing my own stories. I published my first novel at age 40, so it only took me 34 years to become an overnight success. Now at age 55, I have approximately 55 novels in print. I'm a single father with custody of a very energetic 10 year old son as well as his three older brothers and sisters. I have a large number of grandchildren and 1 great grand child.

I spent many years doing all sorts of jobs and learned something from each of them. Life is a constant journey and learning experience. Every bruise every scar we bear is a testament to what we have endured and forges us into the person that we are. 

All of my characters tend to grow through what they endure, so I have translated some of my experiences into theirs or to imagine theirs. I feel this makes them very relatable to the average reader and makes the reader care about what happens to them. While my mysteries seem to sell the best I still enjoy writing pulp adventure and science fiction and westerns. Look for a new mystery series later this year!

Chandler: Circle City Frame by Bill Craig

Indianapolis, Indiana. Arnie Grossman groaned as he opened his eyes. His head was killing him. It felt like somebody was using it to split firewood with a dull ax. He rolled out of his bed and barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up. He emptied his stomach into the toilet. After three minutes, he wiped his mouth with toilet paper and tossed it into the bowl before finding the flush handle and depressing it. The water swirled and took the mess down the drain before refilling. 
Arnie felt like he had been sucker-punched by Mike Tyson. He could barely remain upright as he made his way out of the bedroom. He turned on the lights in the living room. He froze as the lights came up. A woman lay on the floor in a pool of blood.
She looked familiar. She was young, barely out of her teens from the look of her. She had shoulder-length brown hair, pale brown skin, wide brown eyes stared lifelessly from her face. She had been well put together and he remembered she exuded a sensual aura of compact sexuality. 
Her name was Tiffany; at least that was the name she had given him down in the bar earlier in the evening. His stomach heaved, even though there was nothing left inside it. 
Arnie stumbled back into the bedroom and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. What was that private eye’s name? Oh yeah, Chandler. Arnie scrolled through his contacts until he found the number. He pressed call. It rang twice before a male voice answered.
“Chandler.” 
“Mr. Chandler? This is Arnie Grossman. We met at that thing for the Indianapolis Stallions? I need your help and I need it right now,” Arnie said. 
“Where are you, Mr. Grossman?” Chandler asked. Grossman gave him his address. It was up in Fishers.
“Give me about forty-five minutes, Mr. Grossman. Maybe less depending on traffic.” Chandler hung up and Grossman laid his phone back on the nightstand next to the bed. 
Arnie slipped his feet into his loafers. Forty-five minutes with the dead girl in his living room was going to seem like an eternity. He headed for the kitchen to make coffee. 
~ ~ ~ 
“What was that all about?” Mary Norman, his lover and secretary asked, sitting up in the bed they shared. The covers slipped off to reveal two perfect breasts. Chandler had already pulled on pants and shoes and was pulling a black T-shirt over his head. “It sounds like a new case,” Phillip Chandler replied. He was around six feet tall and slender with short dark hair and blue eyes. There was a scar next to his left eye, a souvenir from his days as a Deputy U.S. Marshal. He walked over to the dresser and slipped on his shoulder holster that held his Colt Commander .45 with finger-grooved Hogue grips and tritium three dot night sights. There were two spare magazines under the off side of the holster. 
“Does this new case have a name?” Mary asked as she threw off the covers and found her fluffy blue terrycloth housecoat. She pulled it around her tiny frame and tied the belt. Barefoot, she opened the bedroom door and Simba, the yellow tabby that had adopted Chandler, padded inside and rubbed against her legs purring loudly. Mary knelt and stroked his head, making him purr louder. 
“Men,” she smiled as she stood and headed for the kitchen to start coffee. Chandler had snagged his brown leather bomber jacket from the closet on the way out of the bedroom. “You weren’t complaining earlier as I recall,” he grinned at her. “That was before I got woke up by a ringing telephone,” Mary told him. 
“Touché,” he replied.
“So, does this new client have a name?” 
“He does. His name is Arnie, nee Arnold Grossman. He’s a businessman and philanthropist whose name had been in the Indianapolis Star a lot lately. While I go meet with him, why don’t you see what you can dig up on him on-line?” Chandler suggested. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and headed for the door to the garage. 
“Will do,” Mary called after him before the door into the garage closed. Mary started the coffee and then headed for the living room and the laptop that she carried back and forth from the office. She had come a long way from her days as a dancer at the Red Garter where she had worked under the name of Mary Blue. 
That was how she and Chandler had met. She had hired him to find a friend, another dancer that had disappeared after going to work a private party.

~~~

Starting a new book begins the adventure. Will it be totally new or will it provoke memories of a similar book? I was very pleasantly surprised when I started putting together the characters and the dialogue...and thought of my favorite author, Robert B. Parker, now deceased... I have no idea whether the author intended it, but, if he did, he certainly picked a writer/role model worthy of emulation... The main difference I saw was that the story and the dialogue was more street and contemporary. But there was the snappy crisp dialogue among the three main characters that brought a smile as we see the characters interact...

Chandler is the main character in the series. This is the third book, just out. I would have preferred to read the first two books, but the author provided sufficient flashback material to make the book easily free standing...

Chandler's client is Arnie Grossman, a local businessman and philanthropist, who has begun a building project to provide community centers for young people to get involved with sports and other activities rather than joining gangs... The key issue that each has been built in high crime areas--of course this is where they should be to do what they are meant to do. However, some would prefer to keep the kids in gangs and working for them in drug sales and more...

The criminal's plan--kill a young woman and put her in Arnie's room... It might have even worked if Arnie had not been sharp enough, when he woke up from a drugged sleep, to call for help from Chandler! And, wow, does he take over! Soon he has a lawyer for Arnie, gathers sufficient information to start his own investigation...and, of course, calls the police in.  Actually there is mutual respect if not total cooperation between Chandler and the assigned officer, but their interaction does add considerable support to what it happening and keeping readers current...

For me, this book was character driven and there are a number of interesting one to follow--even one of the villains proved to have a role with managing the gangs in his area. Of course, Chandler's methods of gaining his attention was unorthodox enough to cause offense initially, but was willing to later negotiate when it was important to both of them. 

Chandler is gutsy, confident and experienced to deal with just about any job he now takes as a PI...His background has prepared him, and while he takes swift action when needed, his moral fiber comes through to make him an exciting series main character.

Mary, Chandler's lover and now secretary also is a confident woman who readers will easily see has that full confidence from feeling safe with Chandler. Her past has been rough and she's willing to participate in any way needed but when it gets too dangerous Chandler and even his sometimes partner, Johnny Quick, will work to ensure she's kept from harm in a safe place...

Johnny Quick's character most aligns with Hawk from the Spenser series. I loved Avery Brooks in the series (and later in Star Trek) and could quickly see Johnny Quick being also played by Brooks. He can be so scary when he faces the villains but then we also see the soft side of him as he relates to his friends... Johnny Quick makes an excellent backup for Chandler when he needs help! 

Especially when the whole climatic action begins as the book comes toward the ending. These two men walk into danger, but even Johnny Quick questioned some of Chandler's decisions... even while being willing to walk alongside where Chandler led... Two Cool Dudes!

I thought the genre was more police procedure, so you know what is happening as the book moves forward. The action also moves it as a thriller when villains start going after villains and Chandler decides which group he's going to help... I thoroughly enjoyed the book and certainly recommend you check it out!


GABixlerReviews

Bill Craig taught himself to read at age four and began writing his own stories at age six. He published his first novel at age 40 and says it only took him 34 years to become an overnight success! He has been publishing steadily ever since that first book Valley of Death and now has 80 books in print or ebook. Bill is the proud father of four children ranging in age from 38 to almost 8. He has 7 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild. Mr. Craig has worked a wide variety of jobs over the years from private security and corrections work to being a grill cook and dishwasher. He has been a news reporter, done factory work and even a stint as a railroad clerk. He currently does customer service work to support his writing addiction. His ultimate goal in life is to break the record held by pulp author and creator of The Shadow, Walter B. Gibson, for writing the most works in a single year!