Murder: Take Two

What has six legs, black stripes and kills people? A homicidal magician and the biggest tiger in his world-famous show. Murder will be hard to prove, though, because the dead guy never existed, all the evidence seems to have been eaten, and the victim’s corpse isn’t the only thing that has disappeared. When Maureen O’Brien suddenly vanishes, P.I. Blake Ervansky learns about her shocking former life, a past he doesn’t think he can live with. Then, before he can tell her their partnership is over, a call from a client in hysterics reveals that a recently solved case has come messily unsolved. Putting aside their own differences, Maureen and Blake circumvent a corrupt sheriff and draw closer to the truth, until Blake winds up in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse in which he’s the mouse, and the cat outweighs him by 400 pounds. It’s a cage match he won’t survive unless the skills Maureen learned in her dark past can neutralize the killer before Blake becomes cat chow.

Murder: Take Two (Murder Mystery)

By April Kelly & Marsha Lyons

Flight Risk Books

ISBN #978-0615645348

Price $14.95

396 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

"Fast-Paced, Easy Reading, With Fascinating Characters"

Ex police detectives Blake Ervansky & Maureen O’Brien are now working as private investigators at their E&O Investigations in Hollywood, when Maureen suddenly disappears. Her father tells Blake not to worry, she will be back, but can’t tell him where she is. Upon her return Blake learns that his partner was involved as an assassin with the CIA before coming to work in the BHPD, and this worries him. What is he doing working with a trained government assassin? But her background just might come in handy with their current assignment.  E&O is hired by a rich entertainer from Nevada to find her missing husband, who she suspects has been murdered by his magician partner.

Setting up camp is Madison, Nevada, where the magician has his compound with the caged tigers from his act, the investigators quickly learn that the killer has the sheriff and town in his pocket, and if they are going to prove their client’s husband was murdered, they will have to come up with a little magic of their own.

This is the second novel in the Ervansky & O’Brien series, and proves that the authors weren’t a one-hit wonder. This second novel, filled with intrigue and humor, takes up where the first novel left off. The prose is fast-paced, easy reading, with imaginative characters, and great plot. With no chapter breaks, it’s a reading marathon, as the reader hates to put the book down until the final page – and it’s almost 400 pages in length! The writing is humorous, while the dialogue is realistic, though the reader must keep in mind that this is Hollywood, where things might not be like they are elsewhere.  I got a real kick out of the scene where Maureen’s father breaks out in song with a waitress, like some Hollywood musical. Highly recommended for mystery fans, and any lover of entertainment.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

& Night To Dawn Magazine www.bloodredshadow.com

Murder In One Take

Det. Blake Ervansky is first on the scene when an Oscar-winning star is shot by his ex-lover. As lead cop on the case, Ervansky has everything he needs to put away Ali Garland: motive, weapon, videos of the murder and a dozen eyewitnesses, one of whom is his partner of less than 24 hours, Sgt. Maureen O’Brien. This is LA, the beating heart of show biz, though, so nothing is as it seems, even Ervansky’s new partner. Ali Garland appears to have been justified in defending herself with lethal force, but could this wide-eyed ingénue be the architect of an airtight double fake? Has she really pulled off the perfect murder? Ervansky and O’Brien will only unravel her skein of deceit when they turn to the same Hollywood magic that convinces audiences aliens can phone home, talking clown fish do search and rescue, and every hooker is just a nice girl waiting for the right millionaire.

April Kelly

Murder In One Take (Police Procedural)

By April Kelly & Marsha Lyons

Flight Risk Books

ISBN #978-0615645339

Price $12.95

324 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“You’ll really Not Want To Put This Book Down.”

Detective Blake Ervansky has just met his new partner, Sergeant Maureen O’Brien, and their first assignment together is to arrest a felon. But things quickly go haywire. Before they can reach the felon, a woman shoots and kills a man right in front of them. The victim is a popular actor, and the shooter, also an actress, was his lover. It looks like an open and shut case from the very beginning, and the reader knows who the killer is. Making the arrest, the woman tells them she thought the man was a stalker, mistaking her ex-lover for the stalker. All the clues point in that direction, but Sergeant O’Brien tells her partner the woman is lying. They can’t prove it, and the Grand Jury refuses to indict her. The father of the murder victim asks the governor to have Ervansky and O’Brien put on leave from the Beverly Hills Police Department, and into his employ to find the proof of guilt on the shooter.

Marsha Lyons

Although Detective Ervansky and Sergeant O’Brien are the main characters, there are many interesting side characters, well-drawn and fleshed out. There is a lot of good police work, some good guesses on the part of the investigators, and a bit of humor to keep the story from bogging down in too much dark seriousness that clutters so many mystery novels today. The writing is intelligent and excellently paced, the dialogue believable – and humorous. The copy I read was well edited.  There was one big problem, however, the novel had no chapters! I had to read the book in one setting, because I could never find a breaking point! Just kidding. This was a fun read, and I highly recommend it to all mystery lovers. You really may not want to put it down.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

Unnatural Murder

Unnatural Murder (Police Procedural)

By Connie Dial

ISBN #978-1579623692

The Permanent Press www.thepermanentpress.com

296 Pages

$29.00

Rating 5-Stars

“Pure Entertainment With A Good Mystery.”

Two murders in a sleazy part of LA at first looks like the simple killing of Drag Queens, men who dress as women; but the victims lead to a powerful councilman and his office; one victim was the son of a millionaire. This one wasn’t going to be easy for Captain Josie Corsino and her team of detectives; in fact, pressure was quick to come down for hands off. But the feisty captain doesn’t back down from her job, regardless of who she is up against.

This was another topnotch murder investigation by the Hollywood detectives under Captain Josie Corsino’s command, and they follow each lead no matter how high up it goes. Corsino stays focused on the case, even during a divorce, and the return of a man in her life she is in love with. There are also problems within her tight knit group, which she has to handle and keep peace between her officers.

It’s a pleasure reading police procedurals by someone who knows the ropes. The author worked a 27-year career with the LAPD working the streets of Hollywood as a narcotics detective, and eventually became the area’s commanding officer. Her Josie Corsino novels show that experience and dedication. This is the third novel in the Corsino series, and highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Detective Mystery Stories

The Shrinking Man

With Hollywood talking about remaking the great 1950s movie, The Incredible Shrinking Man, I thought I would share the paperback cover with everyone. Knowing Hollywood, I hope they do it right. I would hate to see this old classic turned into a comedy.