Charlie 316 by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro - Book Report #271

This story crackled from the page.  (I've always wanted to write that.)

I love a good police procedural because I like to see the behind-the-scenes work and influences at play.

Tyler Garrett is an exemplary cop and is often tapped to make public appearances to promote the Spokane Police Department.

One day, while making a routine traffic stop, he is ambushed and shots are exchanged.  By the end of the shoot-out, the man who was pulled over is dead, having been shot in the back by officer Garrett.

What transpires next involves politics, dirty cops, crazy theories and some damn cold decisions.

All of this felt very real and there were many moments where my heart beat just a bit harder.



One of my favourite passages described a bar where the powerful and connected go to have a drink;

Business and politics were discussed at every table.  If those subjects weren't to your liking, you could always move down the street to one of the cheap joints where depression and failure were served on tap.

Zafiro and Conway wrote a crystal-clear story and I found myself thinking how it reminded me of Robert B Parker's Spenser novels.  It was all about asking endless questions and tugging on threads.  You never know which detail will bring the whole mystery apart.

The twist of the story came as a complete surprise to me and I had to put the book down to catch my breath.  After that, the whole story took on a menace and I found myself physically leaning into the book while I read, my nose almost touched the screen.

This was a terrific read.

Highly recommended.

Frank Zafiro's website - http://www.frankzafiro.com/

Colin Conway's website - https://colinconway.com/

Frank Zafiro

Colin Conway

Book Report #76 - The Black Box by Michael Connelly

Out of respect for Michael Connelly I'm writing this post while listening to Sonny Clark's Dial "S" For Sonny originally recorded in 1957 on Blue Note records.

The latest installment of the Harry Bosch series finds Harry pursuing a 20 year old murder that occurred during the 1992 LA riots.  A Danish journalist was found dead in an alley a victim of an apparent execution.

While Harry reviews the information in the file he notices a small anomaly; a phone call logged 10 years after the murder inquiring about it.  By pulling on this thin thread Harry starts to uncover a much larger conspiracy that dates back to Operation Desert Storm of 1990.

At first I was caught off guard from the Desert Storm twist but leave it to Connelly to develop a gripping and believable plot.  I found this book to be quite the page-turner.  There were a couple little leaps in faith that I had to take; actions that I was surprised Harry took.

Unfortunately I found the climax to be a bit too "cinematic" for my tastes.  Like a bad TV episode, a surprising character comes to help Harry and the final chase to capture the Bad Guy made me groan in disappointment.

The novel was very good but the ending was botched, in my opinion.  The best part of the book was the musical suggestions I lifted from it. I always like tracing down the music that Connelly mentions.

Check out:
Art Pepper - http://straightlife.info/
Michael Formanek - http://www.amibotheringyou.com/index.html
Danny Grissett - http://www.dannygrissett.com/

Book Report #74 - Waist Deep by Frank Zafiro

You know what I love best about reading? 

Sure the characters and stories can take up a special place in your life but what I love best are the authors.

I read quite a bit and sometimes I'm compelled to contact the author.  I even have a letter, in a drawer, from the man himself; Elmore Leonard.  Yup, I wrote him and he wrote back.

Mostly contact is via email or this blog. 

Frank Zafiro and I have corresponded a few times over the years.  Not long ago he emailed me asking if I'd read Waist Deep yet.  When was the last time you've had an author contact YOU?

Well, I dug the book up, I have a kindle copy, and started to get into it. However I had to put the book aside twice in order to cope with work.

But that's the test of a good book; can you put it down and get back into it days or weeks later?  If you can you know you have a connection.  This book was like that.

Every time I read something by Zafiro I wonder why I don't read more of his stuff.  The answer is that there is so much stuff out there that I want to discover that I can't stay in one place for any large block of time.  You know it's true because I blog about books as I read them; I'm all over the map.

But what about Waist Deep?

It was excellent.  Zafiro has such a wonderful, deeply damaged character in Stefan Kopriva that I'm always wondering if his character will just curl up in the fetal position and give up on life. I really enjoy seeing how he keeps himself motivated and moving forward.

Clocking in at 263 pages this book is right in the sweet spot for mystery fiction.  I love the old stuff from the paperback area of the 50's and 60's where authors were "writers"; guys who bashed away at a typewriter all day long to make a living.

Zafiro is that kind of writer, think Mickey Spillane if you want a comparison to the kind of writer I think Zafiro is.  Hell, his output alone should tell you that this guy is writing as a career.  He's also one of the lucky ones who's just loving it too.

Perhaps his years on the Spokane PD has taught him him to write with the notion of getting to the point.  I love this.  I don't need 200 pages of exposition to make me feel good about buying a book.  I need a good story that kicks me in the ribs.

Waist Deep kicked me hard.  I have two daughters who are about the same age as Kris Sinderling, the subject of this story, so perhaps I could relate to her dad who hires Kopriva to find the missing teen.

In any case this is a solid story that I very happy to have read.

Book Report #57 - 'Til Death by Ed McBain

First published in 1959 this is the 9th book in the 87th Precinct series.

It was a little bit different for a police procedural in that the scene of the crime was an ongoing wedding reception.  Some points in the book did not stand the test of time too well; there were some glaring things that happened that would be unthinkable today.

A murder takes place in a secluded part of the Carella property, while the outdoor wedding reception for his sister and brother-in-law is going on.  In an effort not to ruin the party Detective Carella convinces the local police to process the scene from the neighbors yard, out of sight of the festivities.  Really?  I'm not convinced he'd be able to pull that off, even in 1959.

The brother-in-law is the target of some nasty death threats and Steve Carella convinces two of his colleagues to help provide security for the groom. Suspicion falls to an ex-platoon-mate from the Korean War who blames Tommy Giordano (that's the groom, soon to be brother-in-law) for the death of another platoon member.

But there is more to it than that; somebody else wants Giordano dead and is trying to make it happen at the same time.

There is an unsatisfying dangling plot element, either I missed the connection or it was left unresolved on purpose, but there is a rather stunning blonde accomplice in the story who's motivation is never explained.

The book was okay, certainly not one I'd read again, but it did have good dialog, humor and the story moved along nicely.  I'd have to say that missing this book would do you no harm, unless you are on a mission to read them all.  It's 211 pages, that's the Perma Book 35 cent edition, and won't hurt you to read it.

It is important if you want to read about Steve Carella's important life event.  Okay, I'll tell you; his wife, Teddy, gives birth to their twins!

Christmas Eve by Michael Connelly

This came from an ebook, purchased from the Kobo store, called "Angle of the Investigation" a collection of three short stories with Harry Bosch.

Connelly has a very clean way of writing that makes reading his stories effortless.

In this one Bosch investigates the death of a thief found in a pawn shop. There is also a touching side story about a saxophone found in the thief's apartment.

I've had the book for a while now; I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly's website is HERE

The eBook can be purchased HERE

The Bastard Mummy By Frank Zafiro

 One of the next generation of crime fiction authors that I keep an eye on, Frank Zafiro has a steady way of writing that is authentic and readable.

He's a talented short story writer with over 50 published in both paper and digital form.

Most of his novels and shorts are set in River City, a slightly fictionalized version of Spokane, Washington. (Ed McBain did the same thing with Isola, his fictional New York city.). I've often wondered why authors insist on creating new cities. Perhaps the actual city is missing key features the author(s) need or maybe it makes the writing simpler, in that you don't have to worry about putting a real business or neighborhood in a bad light; you can't offend anybody when describing a fictional place. In any case it's fun to read and its refreshing to have a story set somewhere other than New York or LA.

In "The Bastard Mummy" an artifact is stolen from the local museum. It's a straight ahead theft, no bodies present, at least no fresh ones, that relies on real detective work. Sure there is forensic work to help the investigation but this mystery is solved the old fashioned way, by interviewing the suspects, building a time line, hearing alibis and trusting instinct and intuition.

I also liked the casual sense of humor between the two detectives. You really get the feeling that they've worked together for a while and that Zafiro is also familiar writing about them. Which give an over all sense of confidence from the author that comes through on the page. I felt like I was in experienced hands while reading it.

Frank Zafiro

Frank Zafiro's website HERE

You can download the story HERE

Helping Out by Frank Zafiro

Stan, first introduced as "Sean's Dad" ask the narrator, Aaron, a cop, about some trouble he's having with his ex wife. She never sees the kid and when she does she exposes him to her partying and drug use.

Stan asks Aaron to check out his ex wife, just to get a cops-eye-view on things and to asses the safety to his boy.

Aaron knocks on her door and is invited in. A little while into the conversation the boyfriend comes home and, well, things get a bit complicated after that.

A fantastic story to kick off this collection from one of my favorite mystery authors.

Frank Zafiro

Book Report #45, Cop Hater by Ed McBain

First published in 1956, the first book in the 87th precinct series has finally come to eBook.

I love the detective fiction from the 50's and 60's, during the paperback hay day.

This story is a straight-up police procedural about a serial killer who's targeting cops.

It was very well paced, considering its the first in a series; I would have expected much more exposition. McBain seemed content in letting the story play out and only giving the reader the minimum amount of back story needed to tell the tale.

I was surprised at the level of sophistication forensics was at for the time. McBain went to great lengths to show police procedures as accurately as possible which makes for convincing story telling.

Ed McBain's website is HERE

If you want to buy the Kindle version, go HERE

Book Report #39 - The Drop by Michael Connelley

The Drop

by

Michael Connelly

Michael Connelly is a household name and his books are well reviewed everywhere so I'm not going to pretend that my thoughts are going to make much of a difference.

Connelly is actually on my must-read-in-order list but sometimes I'm loaned a book and feel that I should read and return it in a timely manner, plus his novels are so well written that a person can jump in at any point and not feel left out.  I've dabbled in Connelly's work and I've never been disappointed.  His plots are tight, his narrative is quick and his characters leap off the page fully formed.  Sometimes I like to cast the movie version of the books in my head; I still don't know who should be cast has Harry Bosch.

The Drop was another good read, in it Bosch solves two cases both of which have nice surprise twists.

Connelly is also good at giving his fans little treats along the way; I really liked his tip of the hat to Castle.  Connelly has appeared two or three times, as himself, on the show so it was fun to get a reference in the book.

It was a very enjoyable book.

The Bastard Mummy by Frank Zafiro - A short story review #1

The Bastard Mummy

by

Frank Zafiro

Here's another example of why I like this author.  Zafiro has proven to me that he's a versatile author.

In this story he stays within the world of River City but delivers a classic locked-room whodunit.  Laced with a classic cast of characters, from the snooty academic to an ex-con, officers Elias and Finch try to solve the theft of a valuable mummy.

This was a nice light change of pace but never forgetting the grittiness of River City.  The ex-con, in particular, was written with enough understated menace that you could feel the author was taking it easy on the reader.  This story could easily have been published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Nicely done.

Book Report #30 - Heroes Often Fail

Heroes Often Fail

by

Frank Zafiro

Wow!  

What a difference a second book makes.  

This guy Zafiro, gave us a pretty standard police procedural with his first book Under A Raging Moon.  Heroes Often Fail picks up about six months to a year after the events of the first novel.  Many of the same characters are back with the introduction of some new ones.  

The stakes are higher in this story; the kidnapping of a little girl, right off the street, in broad daylight!  Every parent's nightmare.

I thought I was going to get pretty much the same kind of story as the first novel; a standard and safe account of the men in blue of the River City Police Department.  With this second showing Zafiro shows us that he's not afraid to take us in a darker direction.  I got the feeling that this was his intention all along; get us hooked and then show us just how ugly the world can be.

This is by no means a splatter book, full of senseless violence or depravity (Like the cesspool Patterson plays in.) No, it is suspense in pure form; there are only two criminal acts in the primary plot line and Zafiro never exploits either of these crimes.  They are shocking because they happened but he does not go into any detail at all leaving the reader to his imagination.  Which feels like a nod, from the author to the reader, that he expects you to figure it out yourself.  It's almost as if he won't sink to the level of his antagonists; he's just telling the story to an intelligent person.  

I liked this book a lot.  It was entertaining, with quick chapters that move the story along like a TV show.  It never slowed down in the middle third, like a lot of books do.  What struck me the most was the growth of the author himself.  He could have played it safe and had the story turn out like a TV show, but this is literature, you can get away with so much more; you're not trying to please the advertisers, the book has already been paid for so you can tell the story any way you think is best.  Zafiro took a turn into Noir and Hard Boiled fiction, something I am grateful for.

This is an excellent series so far and I'm looking forward to the third book Beneath A Weeping Sky.

Book Report #13 of 26 - Fat Ollie's Book by Ed McBain

Fat Ollie's Book

by

Ed McBain

This is a book I've had on the shelf for a while now.  McBain was a prolific writer of over 100 novels.  I don't quite know why I've never really gotten into his books.  He wrote primarily police procedurals and his writing style was very easy to read.

Part of the issue I had with his most celebrated series (the 87th Precinct books) was that he insisted in using a fictitious east coast city called Isola.  Which was New York city and it rubbed me the wrong way from the start.  Then he insisted it not allowing is characters to age.  His main detective Carella is always just around 40 years old.  Interestingly all of his novels were set in the present day so we get the follow the ageless Carella throughout the changes of the 50's to the 2000's.

Put that aside and you have an enjoyable series of novels.  There are all kinds of characters in the form of the cops that inhabit the precinct and the accompanying low-lifer's that inhabit a city.  There are usually two  crimes that are being solved at the same time in each book.

Anyway, straight ahead cop stories that are, usually, pretty good.

I hated the character of Fat Ollie, who is a detective from a neighboring precinct (the 88th) and thank God he's not part of the 87th because I'd have to kill myself.  He is a bigot, glutton and all-around asshole who wrote a terrible novel that is stolen form his police car.  The hard part of the book is that McBain makes us suffer through the text of this book!  But eventually I got into the rhythm of it and could simply laugh at it.

The story of the missing book was pretty fun and the case of the murdered politician was also well done.

Yea, I liked it.  As a matter of fact I'm going to try and track down the first three novels of the series which were written in the 50's and start from there.

Book report 2 of 26 - Heat Wave by Richard Castle

Heat Wave by Richard Castle

 

This is the first book to spin off of the Castle TV show and I recommend to read it first (not something I did) as the second books' tone will make more sense.

In any case - I enjoyed the book for the same reasons that I enjoyed Naked Heat; you have the "character"of Richard Castle writing a fiction based on the characters in the TV show.  Confused?  Don't be just start watching Castle on Monday nights - you can jump right in the show at any point.

I just wish I knew who is the ghost writer for the series - it's a lot of fun.

Next up - Non-Fiction.  Yikes!

Book Report #1 - Naked Heat by Richard Castle (1 of 26)

Click HERE to buy it on Amazon.ca

Hey, I met my first deadline early!  I gave myself plenty of time to get into the swing of things; my target date was the 28th.  I really had to focus on getting the book read, it's amazing just how many distractions there are in a day.

I'm a big fan of the ABC show "Castle" which starts Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic.  On the show Richard Castle, played by Fillion, is a famous mystery writer who gets himself teamed up with Detective Kate Beckett, played by Katic.  He follows Beckett and her team around for inspiration for a new book series that he is writing.

With many successful TV shows and movies you can eventually find what are known as tie-in books.  Which are usually just extra stories starring the characters form the show.  What makes this tie-in different is that the book is actually in the show itself.  There is no actual Richard Castle; Fillion is a fine actor but I'm sure he's no author, ABC is keeping the lid on who is actually doing the ghost writing but, to the shows' credit, the books are becoming best-sellers in their own right.

In the show, Castle bases his characters on the people of the NYPD that he is shadowing.  If you're a fan of the show these books (there are two, this being book two) are a fun read.  You get to see why some of the characters on the show are upset with what he writes.  It's a wonderful twist on a tie-in.

If you're not a fan of the show you won't have as much fun with it because the book relies on you having some exposure to the relationships of the TV characters.  But it does stand on it's own as a decent read.  I would suggest watching the show because it is first rate to begin with.