Stillborn Armadillos - Book 1 of the John Lee Quarrels Series by Nick Russell

 

A couple of notes as I begin... I was trying to contact the author because the book copyright states clearly that excerpts may NOT be used even for reviews... So I'll be talking about the books from my own thoughts without any ability to share the actual writing. Please note also that there are mistakes, not many, but sufficient to be aware that a final editing was never done. Also, the book I got for my reader is NOT what I later found to be provided on my desktop format. I have no idea why, but as I already noted to the author, the pages were unnumbered, and at least once, I lost location of where I had left off reading. Don't ask me why. other than to say that Fire does that frequently if you lay your reader down on an uneven surface... Not LOL

In any event, once I discovered that the desktop version was different, I decided to not talk about the books in the order in which this book presents them. Given that I will be discussing the books as opposed to my regular review format, you should realize that the comments and thoughts are purely my own--sometimes opinions--sometimes flashbacks--sometimes editorial... And, more importantly, as most of you already know, I will be correlating the material presented in a somewhat comparative analysis with what is happening in the world right now, on a daily basis. I'm going to try this first book that I just finished and see how it goes. As you know, I normally use short excerpts to pinpoint issues and explore the content, but since, apparently, the fear of AI related to book content being illegally used is growing, I will be exploring how to adjust to those authors who require that I seek permission before any use. In any event, feedback about how you feel about my adjustments to copyright restrictions are, as with any other issue, always welcome...

Amazon Book Description - Life is already complicated enough for John Lee Quarrels, what with his estranged wife dropping in for unannounced sleepovers, her oversexed sister tempting him, his pot smoking ponytailed grandfather growing his own stash, his Elvis obsessed grandmother, and being caught smack dab in the middle of a power struggle between the Sheriff and Chief Deputy. But when a road construction crew unearths the skeletons of three murder victims, John Lee suddenly finds himself on the trail of a killer who may well have died long before the deputy was even born. And then a mysterious sniper begins shooting at deputies...
As sultry as a Florida back road in August, as mysterious as the South's live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and as deadly as a copperhead strike, New York Times bestselling author Nick Russell's new John Lee Quarrels series is sure to hook you from the first page and keep you reading late into the night.
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Small town USA is the setting for the books I've read thus far... As I mentioned yesterday, I immediately thought about the fact that in the first term for the republicans as they began movement toward Project 2025's attempt to control us, there was an emphasis that they had already started at the local level to influence for their plans and to begin control... We saw an emphasis on banning books, disruptions of school boards as movement toward a tighter control for our citizens was begun...

In the books thus far, there is one blatant factor. There are always local "rich" men, leaders of the community who "think" they have the right to control our lives... Interestingly, however, Russell also includes the extreme of the other side of the small town people... Discovering the individual people within each story is, therefore, a highlight to be watched... 

Because within a small town, apparently, it seems that everybody knows about everything that is going on... And, as with today's world, individual reactions are based upon where you are "seen" in relation to the "class" of people in which you live...

Let me quickly point out that, for me, I was influenced by this obvious use of people and their relationships to each other was quite offensive. That doesn't mean that I've never had similar feelings, it merely shares that "my feelings" are based upon, oftentimes, a very different base of beliefs. I found myself often reading the books more from a sociological standpoint as opposed to content of the storyline.

What do I mean by that? Well, for instance, I have no idea what the title of this book is supposed to represent... LOL... Now talk about coons or deer that scamper around my area, and I'm fully involved. Add some cats or dogs, and I've got friends to enjoy while I read... But talks among men as it relates to sex and competition was too much of a reminder of how deadly that can and has become as we watch television each day...

Take John Lee Quarrels as the main character... and how his character is developed. My first reaction was John Boy from The Little House on the Prairie... I mean, do small towners actually use two names each time you talk among friends? In any event, his personal life is interesting. His interaction with family is stranger... and yet, the man, himself, is somebody that most women will immediately respond to. But not know what to say about him... Interested in knowing more?

Well, often in a small area, we have nepotism as an issue... relatives getting jobs because they are familialy connected. John Lee's boss, is also his father-in-aw. This becomes an issue because John Lee is an excellent officer, but supposedly reports to another man, who is also familialy connected and feels he should be the Sheriff--as opposed to reporting to his brother-in-law... So there is constant friction by the supposed boss being bypassed... Also, in a small area, we learn that sex is an open discussion option, so readers will know all about John Lee's life in that area...

But let's start at the beginning. Often an officer will be involved in providing security to construction site activity. It was there that, as digging was occurring, a human bone was discovered. In fact, ultimately there were three old bodies that had been brought to the surface... And, once site review was made, they learned that each of the men, later confirmed as Black, had been shot in the back of their heads.

This, then, becomes an ongoing investigation led by Quarrels and a need to search old records when the age of the skeletons were confirmed. That occurred when the first few bones didn't match and the digging spread out from that original discovery... And, almost immediately somebody attacked the group, firing from a distance into the cop cars!

Once it was determined that the skeletons were from Black men, the issue of slaves was considered. But the timing and the ages of the skeletons soon eliminated that they had been slaves... One major find at that time was a small object that could not be defined with a purpose... Finally, a local historian provided sufficient information to pull up an historical fact on earlier camps to collect turpentine... On the other hand, John Lee learned that what was called Turpentine had been a product of a company that was still located in town... At some point in the past a discovery was made that there had been six camps which might have used the small token to be worn by the workers who lived in the various camps. Using these to identify the workers.

This was one of the connections that came to mind... That is, the fact that, supposedly, slavery had been abolished, but many Black people, attempting to find some type of work, were often caught into the same type of corruption of rich cotton growers... The product just changed... And, workers might have been of more than one race, but treated just as badly... Those who controlled men in the camps, I picture, as the type of men now working with ICE... Yes, it was a job, but it was also a method by which racial bias was often displayed, often resulting in death for the workers... The small ID could be used and often was worn around the neck. Indeed this small item had the initials of the company name.

John Lee soon was talking with the company leader but he claimed he knew little about what was going on back that far in the company's history... But John Lee soon was dealing with who was shooting up cop cars as well as who might have murdered the three Black men so long ago...

An interesting connection between many of those John Lee interacted with was a slightly different version of ICE of today, where they go into various locations without benefit of warrants or other legal  authority. This theme runs through the small town areas in the various books, with militia-type individuals--or Klan--who used guns and threats against any law officer who tried to come on to their property... As of now, I don't have a handle on why these people felt that they could prevent the law from coming on their land... Perhaps when there is a conflict between what the law is actually trying to do, versus what the individuals believe is right or wrong? Certainly we have learned of the correlation being used by those who now walk our streets masked and with guns aimed and ready...

It was the murder of Ray Ray that brought the entire community up in arms... Ray Ray stuttered, but was so involved, kind, and caring that it didn't matter... He paid with his life... And how he died was something that called for action of various sorts...

As the book ends, readers are confronted with an ending that has little to offer... When those involved lie to the police officers or blame others as seems to be a standard operating procedure for many small town business representatives, we are confronted with one major result.

The problem of communication moves from the very bottom of civilization all the way to the top... The question is what to do when the people with legal authority are prevented from acting... by parents who choose to support their child rather than acknowledge that accountability is required... Two boys had decided it would be funny to scare a cop... The cop thought he was being killed, or could be... The mother attacked John Lee for pointing out that her son could be killed...

All I have to say it that if the small town of these books represent what actually exists in the United States...there is every reason to consider that the lack of proper training and accountability does indeed begin in the families... And, when power and money becomes a factor, it only gains strength, longevity and moves upward and outward... creating chaos...

John Lee had the scars to prove it. That mother used her claws and dug into his face, not caring that her son was actually to blame--or, perhaps, she was actually the one to be jailed...

Are we generating the world we live in through the type of parenting being done? Yet, those who are parents are often stopped from dealing with problems due to lack of money, some type of abuse, or out-of-control problems in the family that are rarely handled or even attempted because the parent is not able to handle the responsibility.

Have we reached today's crisis through ignoring the needs of those who need the most help? Statistics seem to support that to be true... Decades have gone by while one political party not only refuses to deal with gun control, but also garners financial support for retaining policies about gun control as not being needed...

Are our children being stillborn because there are no longer clear guidelines with families, local governments, federal government and across the world?

Like Nero, do we allow supposed leaders at every level to fiddle while Rome burns to the ground... and then blame anybody and everybody other than ourselves or those we voted for, at any level, including our religious leaders, to actually get away with murder???

A final thought re this series... Quarrels, in developing John Lee as his main character achieves something that many writers have not... He has put together a story that is intriguing enough to pull readers in at the same time, that his main character has sufficient moral character to allow readers to know exactly how he feels about various situations... and yet provides a layer of ongoing humor that both surprises and delights...

Watch for the next book soon...

GABixerReviews

The Fear of Winter: A Kidnapping Crime Thriller: Book One by S. C. Sterling - Music Playlist!

 Tom hung on every word, like he was reading the final chapter of a suspense novel. “Did you see her after that?”

Barely audible Kevin sang the second verse of “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys while drumming along on the steering wheel. His eyes remained focused on the flashing lights in the rearview mirror. After a few minutes, the door to the Colorado State Patrol car opened, and the trooper started approaching his vehicle. Kevin ejected the cassette, then rolled down the window. Leaning back, he waited patiently. The trooper shined a flashlight in Kevin’s face for a couple seconds, then aimed it at the passenger seat, then the backseat, then back to Kevin. “Where are you heading?” “Home. I just got off work,” Kevin said. “Where’s home?” “Off Highway 9 south of Kremmling.” “Have you had anything to drink tonight?” “No sir, I never touch the stuff.” “Good for you. Can I get your license, insurance, and registration?” “Yes sir.” Kevin removed his license from his wallet, then rummaged through documents and maps in the glovebox until he found his insurance and registration. He handed them to the trooper. “Please sit tight for a few minutes.” Kevin watched the man walk back to his patrol car in the rearview mirror. “You are doing so good,” Kevin whispered. “And if you stay quiet, I won’t make this any worse than it has to be.” He started humming the melody of “Good Vibrations”, watching cars drive by, oblivious to the situation. Ten minutes later, the officer returned. “Do you know why I pulled you over?” “I don’t.” “Your passenger-side taillight is out.” “Really? I had no idea,” Kevin said, turning back to look. “I’m going to let you off with a warning tonight, but if I see you again and that light isn’t fixed, I’ll have to issue you a ticket.” “Thank you very much, and I’ll get it fixed first thing tomorrow.” “Have a good night and drive safe,” the trooper said as he walked away. “You as well. God bless.” Kevin rolled up the window and watched the patrol car drive toward the horizon and out of sight. When he was confident it was gone, he stepped out of the car and made his way back to the trunk. He delicately slid his hand across the metal. “You were so good,” Kevin whispered. He slid the key into the lock and turned it. The trunk popped open, and he stared down at the girl, who lay motionless on the carpet. Terror was seared into her eyes. Her hands and feet were bound with zip ties, and her mouth was covered with duct tape. Kevin put his hand on hers, and she squirmed. “Nothing to worry about, sweetie, it’s only me,” he said while caressing her soft hair. The girl tried to yell, but it was muffled. Her eyes were bulging. “I’m sorry, sweetie, but it’s just me and you. No one can help you now. No one.” Kevin leaned into the trunk and hovered over her. “I promise you, this will all be over soon.” He slammed the trunk, got back in the car, put it in drive, and pulled onto Highway 40. 

Kevin Strand was Colorado’s second most notorious serial killer only behind Ted Bundy. Six confirmed victims, and some speculated the number could have been closer to twelve or fifteen. All the victims were abducted in Grand County, mutilated, burned in a steel drum, then scattered on his four-acre property outside of Kremmling. Almost two dozen forensic scientists and members of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation had spent ten days searching the property, and the largest human remains they found was the left foot of his first victim, Diane Moore...

The Case of the Stolen Case by Carl Brookins and Chance to Get to Know Sean Sean, the Main Character. and PI Extraordinaire

 

I shut off my pager and sat down. The record I’d selected, an old piece by the original Brubeck trio, filled the room and suppressed the routine sounds of any barroom. The blend reminded me of the first time I’d heard “Take The A Train” by this jazz trio, in a smoky night club in Washington, D. C. But, that’s another story. 

I’d picked a table toward the rear of the place. There were lots of choices; only two others were occupied. “I’m meeting a friend,” I said to the dark-haired waitress. She was wearing faded jeans and an oversized gray sweatshirt that said Property of Michigan State University Athletic Department across the chest. “While I wait, I’ll have a Sam Adams ale if you stock it.” “No problem,” she said and turned away. I was tempted to ask her if the legend on her chest referred to her or the shirt, but thought better of it. Catherine wouldn’t have approved. When she brought me my beer I asked, “You have sandwiches here?” “Yeah, sure. Do you want a menu?” “No, thanks. I was just confirming something.” She smiled and walked away. The place was starting to fill up. 

Ten minutes later, Jerome Ford walked in, hesitated and found me. I ordered him a Sam Adams and waited while he loosened his tie. “Very obscure and very nice little bar you have here, J. I had to go around the block because I missed it the first time. No parking lot, either.” Jerry smiled. “That’s the way we like it. Finns has been in the same family for generations and they own the building outright. When I was starting out as a lawyer, I did a few legal errands for them. So,” he smiled after a long draught from his glass, “to what do I owe the pleasure?” I opened my mouth to reply and then paused to watch a tall woman in a business suit step to the juke box and punch in some coins. What came out, to my pleasure and surprise, was Peggy Lee singing “Hot Coffee.” 

I looked at Jerome. He smiled a little smile at me. “This place is a real anachronism, Jerry. I’m surprised you let me in on the secret.” “I figure you and Finn’s are compatible and you won’t be telling all your yuppie friends about it. What can I do for you?” “It appears to me there is a roving band of jolly scam artists running a pretty sophisticated operation. They’ve probably worked on both coasts. They run various scams, including some white-collar crime. I don’t know all the players yet, but I’m working on that.” 

“So far it sounds pretty ordinary. What’s your interest?” “This seems to be an organized group that’s been together a while. It looks like they haven’t been splitting the take. Instead, they’re stockpiling some of it to finance later deals.” Jerome’s eyebrows went up. He took a slug of Mr. Adams’ finest ale.  “Another thing they are doing. They find local investors, people who will pony up some money for a cut of the results. Then the out-of-towners move in and start churning the real estate market, buying and selling quickly to inflate their profits, mostly distressed properties or homes in less than affluent neighborhoods. They work with willing inspectors, real estate salespeople and an S&L or bank or two. They also do an occasional armed robbery and some petty stuff.” 

“What for? Walking around money?” “I guess. They appear to have run up against some local competition here. At least, that’s how I interpret what’s been going on.” Jerome nodded and I could see he was not unfamiliar with the situation. “That’s right,” he said. “There happen to be some people already operating a real estate scam., mainly in Hennepin County, but here in Ramsey County, too. They didn’t take kindly to out-of-town competition. In addition to which they figured, rightly it happens, that if things got too active, it’d call down the heat quicker.” I said, “The guy running the local deal is unknown to me, but I think I know the name of the head honcho for the outside gang. Armond Anderson. Other people involved with him appear to be the brothers Talbot, a new contractor operating in Bloomington named Jake Logan, and one or two other bad sorts. How’m I doing?” Ford smiled. “Very good so far, Sean. We have lots of suspicions but few facts. Yours tally with what we know. 

I assume the Jake Logan you’re mentioning is the same one who turned up at that Foundation fund-raiser and offered a big chunk of cash from Mr. Anderson. The one we met there. Am I right? It would be entirely too coincidental if there were two Jake Logans. I don’t get why Anderson did that, though” I nodded and swigged from my own beer. “Such a coincidence would never be possible in a detective novel. Of course, in real life things like that happen almost every day. Howsomever, it is indeed, the very same J. Logan. It sort of turns my stomach, but the money will be useful to the foundation. Maybe we should not take these people down until the pledge is fully paid.” Ford laughed. “You have an evil mind, Sean, a very evil mind. One of the factors that bothers us is this.” He paused to consider his words. “Some of these mutts have been in and out of town before. We have some intelligence--” “As different from facts,” I interrupted. “As different from verifiable facts,” Ford went on, “that this roving gang planned something here around six years ago. For unknown reasons, they never went ahead with it.” I thought about that. I wondered if Ford and his cohorts in the courthouse had a link from the money presumably in the aluminum case, to this Anderson. I owed Jerry Ford a lot and I both needed and wanted to keep him as a friend. At the same time, I wasn’t eager to reveal that I’d been suckered into retrieving the money stolen in the Grand Pharmacy murder case. Even if I was almost certain now that the money was tied to Armond Anderson and his gang. I thought I had the money and that Anderson would come after me. I was going to use the case as bait to try to extricate Catherine’s cousin Mordecai. If I could. 

You've got Spenser, Philip Marlowe, Father Martin, Mike Hammer, Nero Wolfe, Vi Warshawski, Sam Spade, Easy Rawlins, Hercule Poirot, and Sherlock Holmes as, perhaps, favorite PI characters...but do you recall, the most famous PI of all? 

Sean Sean...

What? You've never heard of him? Well, until recently I may have heard of him, but I never met him...in novels I'd read. And, Yes, I had read books with all of the other PIs listed above... so I've had a solid background upon which to judge Mr. Sean, don't you think? 

I still miss Robert B. Parker and Spenser. Spenser was not only a top PI, I loved the writing of Parker, even more... In fact, early in my work with authors, I would often refer beginning authors to Parker to get a handle on how to write without lots of superfluous... words... 

On the other hand, those PIs that I enjoyed most were ones that were flaunting the past custom of writing in the third person and never speaking to the reader... For me, Sean Sean has become the best in this area. Sean only appears in a small number of books...too small in my opinion. Sure, the author could have tired of writing him and went on to other horizons... But, really, I, an avid reader of PI books, wish I had many more to binge on! I've now picked up all of the available books. Today's book is not the first,  and I've already started another, but I want to go back to the first and continue on so that my knowledge of this intriguing character is expanded as much as possible. All of the books are free-standing, meaning, the case(s) is solved in each book. What does expand, of course, is the readers' knowledge of the main and other characters and how they interact routinely... It's kind of like meeting the family of your boyfriend, don't you think?

One of the major things I like about Sean is his constant referral to his training manuals...you know, when he pulls out a novel by Philip Marlowe, which is obviously one of his favorite mentors in all things that could happen within the PI bailiwick... Other authors or their main characters are often mentioned for background...

And, if my memory serves me right, Sean, like Spenser, is the only PI who has a female love interest to enhance the intrigue and sometimes fear of being connected on a long term to someone who may get pulled in unwillingly to a case...

For some reason, Sean talks a lot about being short. I had to think back to Mickey Rooney's 5'2" before I could remember any man who was short but had leading movie roles... 

Then I thought of Michael J. Fox and knew he was the character I would choose to be Sean NMI Sean. 

My name is Sean NMI Sean. Answering requests and pleas for help is how I make my living. Sometimes I even get to save a blushing female person from whatever form of dragon is in pursuit. That doesn’t happen often, mind you, and I don’t ride a pale horse. My current ride is faded blue, sired by Ford out of Detroit. I don’t actually like horses. Mostly I take jobs that require me to ferret out wrongdoers of low-level chicanery, the kind of cases the cops have too many of and too few resources to spend on. Occasionally, the requests for help evolved into something major. Not often. Now I was answering the call. Actually, two calls. Earlier in the day I took the first call at my office from Sally Belassario. He had a friend in trouble and would I talk to his friend. Since Sally was who he was, I said sure, tell the guy to call me. I promised Sal I’d tell him when the appointment was, so he could be there too. The rest of the day, the guy didn’t call. Actually, nobody called the whole rest of that day. Nobody called the next day either. My business wasn’t what you’d call thriving at the moment. Might be the economy. But at ten-ten the next night, this particular night, the phone rings and it’s some guy I don’t recognize who then hands the phone to Sally himself. Would I come to such and such an address? “When?” I asked. “Instantly,” Belassario said. His voice had a mournful, late-night, too-many-cigarettes back-of-the-throat scarred kind of tone. Belassario, being who he is, and who he knows, I agreed, silently mouthing my objections to having to leave the comfort of my house on such a nice, relaxing, summer night. That was twenty minutes ago. The smell got stronger. I went left on Raney, following Belassario’s instructions. I drifted along the street for a block, the finely tuned engine under the hood of my ride making barely a whisper. My ride didn’t have a name. No loud hoof-beats. No flowing mane, no slashing hooves. I saw flashing lights ahead. After cresting a small rise in the street, I could see the source of the flashes, just two blocks away. My gut and my nose told me I didn’t have to look at house numbers any longer. Good gut and nose reactions are useful things for a PI to have. That’s what I am, remember? A PI, a shamus. A de-tec-a-tiff. I’m pretty good at what I do, in spite of certain physical shortcomings. There are those who have suggested the biggest part of me is my ego. It’s also good for a PI to have a head, or at least a working brain, somewhere close by. Flashing blue lights atop a Saint Paul PD patrol car that pretty well filled the next intersection led me to draw up to the curb. I carry an honorary Ramsey County Sheriff’s badge which the county bestowed on me a few years back. Sometimes it gets me through auxiliary police...

Only thing about being short as a PI is that you need to be well-trained in all aspects of potential violence, which Sean was, to ensure he could handle the jobs he was asked to handle. Sean had hoped to become a police officer, but failed the height requirement...

In addition, Sean is intelligent and makes sure he figures out how to take care of himself by making adjustments to his living... Like always parking facing the front so he can leave early...but also to ensure that a bomb or other unwanted items can be placed in his trunk... And, of course, he checks his vehicle in all other ways before he drives off... One other thing and don't ask me why. Sean wears red Ked tennis shoes all the time...well, almost all of the time unless he needs to escort his lover in a tux... or, as he sometimes does, wears all black, including a very old pair of tennis shoes to be able to break in where he knew he'd have to be very careful...and discreet...

And one other thing I loved about Sean. He even thinks...in...prose!

Dunkin’ Donut coffee shop, I probed my memory cells and dredged up the Grand Pharmacy event. The robbery and killings six years ago had happened on a night very like the one I was currently driving through. It was a dark hour, a witching hour, one of those wee hours of the night when mists swirl; when shadows collect around the edges of narrow pools of wan yellow light cast down by the street lights that march in soldierly rows along the boulevards and avenues of the city. It was that time of night when strange rustlings are heard in the trees, when bats and owls drift on silent wings through the urban forest searching for their unwary prey. It was a time when other predators stir and skulk. It was a time when active imaginations sometimes go into overdrive. It was a time when everyone but nightshift workers and evildoers and fools are tucked up in bed behind locked doors and barred shutters. Nuts. What it was, it was about two-thirty in the a.m. of an extremely hot, still and sticky summer night. As I recall it...

As with most PIs, Sean has developed many types of people as connections. In this case, Sean has been contacted by one of those who may be a little shady, but, nevertheless, Sean knew that it was important to retain this relationship. So they agreed to meet at a specific address... When Sean got there, the house was on fire! And when Sean met his acquaintance, he learned that he was being asked to investigate a man who happened to live in the building. About a cold case that had happened many years ago...

Unfortunately, the man who was going to be further investigated, turned out to be in the house when it burned down. The good thing was that there had also been a chance that five children were in the building. They weren't. So only a bad guy died, taking with him his  knowledge! Nevertheless, Sean was asked to proceed. The task was to find a case that had been stolen from the site of a robbery that took place at a pharmacy... and had never been found. Word on the street was that the case held millions of dollars!

I put on some Les Paul. He was a pioneer in multi-track recording back in the forties and fifties and created an electric guitar style that is still unsuccessfully emulated by a lot of today’s musicians. Paul was a huge influence on the popular music culture and I understand that Gibson still markets a Les Paul guitar.

Sean has cats and loves music...so, of course, that was part of my attraction to his life. Sean also talks to the audience. I find it extremely refreshing--if it is well done. You know, it is humorous, and often has Sean thinking to us about what his plans are to handle his latest case... Sean lives in the St. Paul-Minneapolis area so we learn a lot about what's happening there and where the good places are to eat--or not!

Sean also doesn't carry often... Of course, part of the reason is because when he has to carry a heavy gat around all day while traveling around talking to possible witnesses... the weight tires him out... After all, he doesn't even weigh 140 in wet clothes! 

So Sean solves the case, of course... But he just keeps on talking...

So, with little else to do, I went through them again, looking at the illustrations, the titles. Like Dutch Sax with the seductive strings and orchestra of Dolf van der Linden. Right. Dutch Sax? Is their sex, er sax different from ours? 

Then I laid my hands on an album I knew I had, but had misplaced for years. Frances Faye: Caught In The Act. Recorded by GNP Crescendo records which also issued an album with Helen Gurley Brown called Lessons In Love. 

I put F. Faye on the turntable, cranked up the volume and built myself a drink. Several hours later, at about two a.m. with images of those albums in my head I came mostly awake in my chair. On my stumbling way to bed, I began to get the glimmer of an idea as to what my next move should be. 

So over the next days or weeks, I'll be sharing more about Sean Sean and his PI exploits... through the rest of the series... I hope using this first post to tell you all about Sean, will ensure that you plan on coming back!

God Bless

Gabbie

The Lincoln Lawyer and Hieronymus Bosch Together - Wow, Michael Connelly! This turned into a true Fan Page!

Got to say, I was excited when I realized that both of Connelly's magnificent characters were characters in his latest book! He's apparently done it before, but I hadn't had the chance to read them... Bosch is my favorite and has a long, wonderful series, but the Lincoln Lawyer--a lawyer that conducts his business out of his Lincoln car--is unique and calls to our hearts of wanting to do a job, exactly the way we want to! Cool, right?

Both of the story lines in this novel are exceptional--one much more heartwarming than the other, a search for a serial rapist. Harry handles each in his usual fact-by-fact-then-act fashion which I've loved since I first met him years ago. He's not exactly a rogue cop, more one who sees no value in dealing with bureaucracy, time-consuming procedures, et. al., but still has a heart that drew him in to law enforcement and has never let go. At the same time, he's dealing with losing his daughter to college and determinedly tries to reach out to her, trying for a meal during his times in her area for the job...hating that texts seem to be the only way they are communicating these days...

In fact, he's working for free with a small town, San Fernando Police Department, because they are short of money and personnel, but also just to keep him in law enforcement, even with no pay. He has been assigned cold cases, but soon pulls together that they might be dealing with a potential serial sex offender...

This case becomes especially troublesome when they realize that the officer who was working the case with Harry had disappeared! She had decided to go alone to a house search and would have been dead if Bosch had not quickly pulled facts from which action took place!

At the same time, he has been sent for a secret PI case by a multi-billionaire elderly man who is looking backward and forward, knowing that everything he's worked for will transfer into greedy hands. He hires Bosch to secretly search for a possible heir from a short love affair which his parents destroyed. But she had been pregnant at the time... Bosch's investigative skills have never been more brilliant with this extremely cold case!

It was a wonderful bit of serendipity that I saw this latest book, given the change of direction for future novels...and here is one fan who is anxious to see more of this type of book... The hunt for the missing heir led Bosch into an investigation that crossed the years, first, discovering the answer, only to have Bosch continue until he responded to the total wishes of his client... 

On the way, however, his client died and was later declared murdered... I was floored when Bosch single-handedly solved that case to surprise...and frustrate...the assigned investigators! I loved it!

It is only at the end that we discover the reason for the book's title. I can only say that I would have loved to actually see the sculpture created to support the title...A truly impressive and perfect ending to the novel...

Upping the complexity of his books with two different but complete story lines sets readers up for the potential expansion of our favorite character, Bosch, getting into anything and everything in the future... By the end of this book, he has accepted a temporary paying job while his partner is on medical leave...It seems like a perfect place for a man like Bosch whose only desire is to serve the public... 

By the way, did you know Amazon has a Bosch series?!

Kudos to Connelly!  His new direction in this novel should prove to engender this unbelievably talented author into a revival and expansion that will keep his wonderful character fresh, responsive to change, and perhaps even attacking some of the issues faced in today's world.  Surely, you read Michael Connelly???!!!

GABixlerReviews

Michael Connelly is the bestselling author of twenty-eight novels and one work of nonfiction. With over sixty million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into thirty-nine foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. A former newspaper reporter who worked the crime beat at the Los Angeles Times and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, Connelly has won numerous awards for his journalism and his fiction. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly's 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 bestselling novel, The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times bestsellers include The Crossing, The Burning Room, The Gods of Guilt, The Black Box, and The Drop. Michael is the executive producer of BOSCH, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his bestselling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver. He is also the executive producer of the documentary film, SOUND OF REDEMPTION: The Frank Morgan Story. He spends his time in California and Florida and is currently at work on his next Harry Bosch novel, THE WRONG SIDE OF GOODBYE, which was published November 1, 2016.

Defying Death in Hagerstown by John Paul Carinci Combines Cold Case with Wonderful Wisdom of a Great Lady...

Row houses is my only real memory of traveling to Hagerstown when I was young and had relatives there. Being from the country I was shocked at how close the houses were to each other! Yet this style of building was and is still used in that part of Maryland. Hagerstown, in fact, was the home of my one and only relative who had written a book! Raven's Ghosts, by my cousin Harry David Renner, published in 1979, centered on the Normandy invasion and my cousin by marriage's role as Sergeant Chris Raven. Even then, I was forming my own evaluation of books. Most of the relatives were shocked at the language. Me, I loved it, and quietly concluded to myself that the language used was in context to men in wartime, and certainly did not detract from the quality of the writing... nor the story line...

defying Death in Hagerstown

By John Paul Carinci

"There are only two ways to live your life: one, as though NOTHING is a miracle, and the other, as though EVERYTHING is a miracle."--Miss Lolita

A small group of people was gathered
around an older woman in a wheelchair.
We headed toward them. I studied her
a distance: an old face with coke-bottle
glasses. She had a full head of hair,
fixed short and neat, a woman with just
a few extra pounds and not frail like
many older women I have seen. Miss
Lolita was laughing with the women
near her as we approached...
"Come close," Miss Lolita said. "I can't
see you."
"Uh, sure. Okay," I agreed.
"Closer, please!"
I went within three inches of her glasses
before she said, "Oh, that's so much
better."
..."You know, I'm legally blind, not deaf,
Sonny!"
...I was suddenly impressed with this
ancient woman who had all of her
marbles. It appeared to me that Lolita
was a straight shooter; she didn't pull
any punches and spoke her mind freely.
And why shouldn't she at her age?"
~~~

Here is another positive statement
I repeat a couple of times per day: "I
feel healthy, I feel happy, I feel terrific.
I like myself. I like myself, I like myself.
I will be successful; it's inevitable,
because my aggressiveness will lead
to opportunities for my success. I can,
I will, I want to. All things are possible
through belief in myself and the Lord,
and with his help, I can accomplish
anything.
~~~

In today's book, I met a wonderful female character who would have been alive during the time I was visiting Hagerstown and beginning my thoughtful analyses of books I was reading. Her name is Lolita Croome--she was 110 years old, living at the time of the book's being written. I do hope she is still alive and well there in Hagerstown, spreading her wisdom, wit, and wonderful words to everyone, and especially those living in the cheerful happy environment where the story is set.

Lou Gerhani is a newspaper reporter with the Washington Gazette, who has been steadily going downhill--he's heartbroken and cannot get over the loss of his lover. Drinking much more than usual, everybody around him can see he is self-destructing. His friends care; his boss threatens firing if he doesn't get over "it..." In fact, he has just been given what could be his last assignment if he doesn't come back with an award-winning story!


She began, "Thank you, Lord, for this new and glorious day.
As I look out my window, I see a beautiful blue sky with gorgeous
white clouds slowly passing by. I thank you for this new and
glorious gift of a new day of life. But I don't realize why I have
been chosen to receive this gift of life while so many others
have been taken away. I will not waste this day. I will squeeze
from the grapes you have given me, Lord, every drop of juice,
not wasting one drop, as this could very possibly be my last
day on earth. And if it is my last day on earth, it will be my
finest last day on earth. I thank you, Lord, for all of the
precious gifts you have given me throughout my life, but
most of all I thank you for this extra precious gift of a new
day of life." She smiled at me and said, "There is more, but
I gave you the meat of it."
"You call them self-suggestion statements. You really are the
Wise One, as people call you!"
"I am as equal in value as anyone else is," she said lovingly.
"The reason they are self-suggestions is because as you
repeat the statements to yourself, your inner mind accepts
them and retains them in your brain for later retrieval.
The positive statements create the mental blinders, and
the negativity bounces off."
"Miss Lolita, what you say makes perfect sense. But you
have a special way of explaining things in easy-to-understand
language."                                                         ~~~

"I will persist until I succeed. I was not
delivered unto this world in defeat, nor
does failure course in my veins. I am not a
sheep waiting to be prodded by my
shepherd. I am a lion, and I refuse to talk,
to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will
hear not those who weep and complain,
for their disease is contagious. Let them
join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of
failure is not my destiny. I will persist
until I succeed." --Miss Lolita 

Oh yeah, he's really thrilled with the story...he has to head to Hagerstown, Maryland and interview a woman who is 110 years old. He pictures her as so old that she probably has dementia and wonders how in the world he can produce a good story. Nevertheless, he realizes that his ogre of a boss means business and heads home, stopping along the way for his usual drinks. The man behind the bar, to whom he has cried the blues many times, determines, however, to make his friend listen--he needed to work on changing things...He also hears the same feedback from his long-time barber and his close friend at work. Their advice seemed to have helped because Lou quickly started doing some research on Maryland, Hagerstown, and the local history.

Almost immediately he hones in on a 90-year-old cold case! Three young women had been brutally murdered in 1923...

His investigative mind quickly noted one major thing--the woman he had been sent to interview would have been living at that time! 

Once he started thinking along those lines, there was no stopping Lou... Award-winning article? What about solving a murder case that had never been solved!?! But how do you talk to a witness of a murder when she is older than any other person he had ever known?!

Notice the row houses included in this trailer!

Not only was Miss Lolita the oldest and wisest woman he'd met, shortly after he had met her nurse, Miss Lolita shared that she'd had a vision about their falling in love... So readers have a romantic relationship to enjoy while all of the murder attempts are occurring...

Because as soon as it was known that a newspaper reporter was coming to Hagerstown, the news spread fast. And when Lou had stopped as he entered town to get gas, the attendant was so excited about his being there that he spent time asking him questions while Lou began his normal information-gathering discussions... It was only because Lou had gone into the rest room that he missed being there when that attendant was shot! Later, everybody wondered if that had not been the first attempt to kill Lou since he was later poisoned--and when that didn't work, another attempt was made...

By that time, everybody knew that Lou, while here to interview Miss Lolita, also was very interested in the murders that had occurred in 1923. Strange dreams started soon thereafter when Lou actually was dreaming of the murders and seeing items that could be of help in identifying the killer. What was amazing was that when Miss Lolita loaned him her personal diary of that year, he learned that she had also had visions of what had happened!

The only question was would he be killed before he was able to use the information to work on and solve the crimes?!

Got to say that the crime solving was almost overpowered by the meeting of and interaction with Miss Lolita and all of the inspirational wisdom she shared with those in need, She had been unable to return to the experiences of the crimes, but she knew that her diary would be of help...or was it she who had provoked the dreams that he was experiencing. Perhaps Miss Lolita was an angel... No matter whether she was, readers will thoroughly enjoy meeting this kind but feisty Centenarian!

And the cold case investigation was tantalizing and intriguing... Highly recommended! 

GABixlerReviews

John Paul Carinci has been a successful insurance executive and president of Carinci Insurance Agency, Inc., for more than 38 years. 

John is also an author, songwriter, poet, and CEO of Better Off Dead Productions, Inc., a movie production company. 
As a worldwide published author, some of John's works include: An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed, The Power of Being Different, In Exchange of Life, Share Your Mission #5, A Second Chance , The Psychic Boy Detective, Better Off Dead, Better Off Dead In Paradise, An All Consuming Desire To Succeed, Defying Death In Hagerstown, Awesome Success Principles and Quotations, and A Gift from Above. 

John is also co-writer of the screenplays: Better Off Dead, A Second Chance, and Better Off Dead in Paradise, which were all adapted from his novels, and may one day be produced as motion pictures.

John's three self-help books, The Power of Being Different, An All-Consuming Desire To Succeed, and Awesome Success Principles and Quotations, have been translated and published in many foreign countries. John's latest novel, Defying Death In Hagerstown, is currently available.

included just for the fun of it...

Forensic Entomologist "Bug Man" Series Gains New Fan!

Image via Wikipedia

Forensic entomologist Nick Polchak lives

 in a world of maggots and blow flies

 and decomposing bodies.

No wonder he’s still single.

But Nick has finally found a woman

 as strange as he is—

dog trainer Alena Savard, 

a woman who can seemingly talk to animals, 

a person so odd and reclusive

 that some think she must be a witch.

 It was a match made in heaven. 

(From Book Blurb)

Nick of Time:
A Bug Man Novel




By Tim Downs




One of the ways you could tell if I personally enjoyed a new book and author is to check if I buy more of his books... I just added all of the Bug Man series to my shopping cart! I'm a forensics science fan from years back...


Nick of Time has a surprise ending, for both readers...and for some of the characters! How cool is that! I knew I wanted to go back and read more about the bug man! Ok, for those who will wonder, yes, he reminds me of Grissolm. For me that is a good thing since we lost Grissolm on TV, so you, also, might want to meet Nick Polchak...

Nick Polchak is going to be married. To Alena Savard. Alena trains dogs but also saves them from being destroyed. She lives on a mountain alone with those dogs, and has been there since she was 10, having only the local minister and his wife as caregivers. Not a witch; she's definitely a dog whisperer...

She's perfect for Nick...

And for Nick that decision, once made, is no longer taking up much thinking time. So when he is specifically requested by one of his friends to attend the next Vidocq meeting, a group of forensics professionals who would meet to solve cold cases or special cases presented to them by local police offices, he sees no problem in going even though their wedding is scheduled for that coming Saturday. Nick's friend was working on a cold case and had explained that he needed a bug man to help figure the final details out.

Nick promises to call Alena at 9:00 PM, setting a specific time because Alena must come down off of her mountain to be able to use her new cell phone. Problems begin when:

Nick's friend doesn't show up at the Vidocq meeting and he decides to visit his home. There he discovers that he has been murdered... Sooooo, Nick "later" enters the home, even though there is no admittance through crime tape, and is soon arrested.

Are you fascinated by forensics? 

Learn how to turn your fascination into

a great career at 

Forensic Science Colleges.org*

Thus, he is not able to call Alena as promised...

Once Nick gets out of jail, he decides he must investigate his friend's murder. He believed it was likely that the cold case he had been working on was what led to his murder, so naturally he started working on that case... The trail leads him into the Poconos. One contact is made by Nick, to the minister, so that Alena at least becomes aware of where he is--in the Poconos, where they are supposed to go Saturday--but on their honeymoon! You're right, on the second night gone, he also cannot place a call at 9:00!

So while Nick is doing a great job of investigating, Alena is fuming, but then begins to doubt Nick's love and commitment. Will he be there for the wedding Saturday? Well, she wasn't going to wait to find out. She chose three dogs--a tracker, a cadaver dog, and one for protection--and got in her truck and headed for the Poconos!

There is an underlying wit in Downs' writing that is contagious. And when you have Nick and Alena together as a couple, you just cannot thoroughly enjoy the similarities, yet many differences, that forged their relationship. Let's just say that the bug man knows insects much better than women. Until, perhaps, it is too late?

A little humor, a great story, murder mysteries, wonderful human and animal characters, and a chance to learn more about forensic science and entomology in particular... What more could you want? Highly recommended!

Book Received Via
Book Sneeze


GABixlerReviews
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