Tuesday 29 November 2016

The Second Girl by David Swinson


Frank Marr used to be a great cop, but his drug habit got in the way and made him dirty. Now he is one of the best Private Investigators in Washington DC. Liked by most of the cops he used to work with - they don't know about his secret drug habit, they only know he was a great cop and friend who retired early from the force - and feared by criminals.

While breaking into a drug house to steal drugs, Frank rescues a captive teenage girl and becomes an instant hero. His police friends are clapping him on the back, and now Frank has been hired to find a second missing teenage girl by her distraught family.

I really liked Frank, although I felt I shouldn't like him at all. His drug habit, his violence towards those of the criminal fraternity who cross his path, all make me feel that I shouldn't like him, but despite all that Frank Marr is a decent guy, scarred by an unhappy childhood, and with a weakness he doesn't seem to want to do anything about fixing, deep down he is a gentle, caring guy.

The Second Girl is a fantastic crime thriller. Different, and with a deeply flawed protagonist, I loved this book and could not put it down. At times the drug use can be distracting and the mind boggles as to how Frank can function as he does. I found myself fearing for his future, and hoping that author David Swinson gives us more of Frank Marr in a second, and even though i know i'm being greedy, a third book! Because I don't want to leave Frank here, I want his story to go on, I need to know that he will be ok, but I can't see how his destructive way of life will not catch up with him soon, as really it should.

If you like your detectives flawed, and your crime gritty, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more by David Swinson. I hope he will give us more Frank Marr, but whatever his next book is about, I will be at the top of the queue come publication day!

My thanks to Mulholland books for providing me with a free pb copy of this wonderful book via bookbridgr.com

Monday 28 November 2016

Audio Book Review: Lady Justice Takes A. C.R.A.P. by Robert Thornhill



 Walter Williams is a 65 year old retired real estate agent, who may be tired of real estate, but he's not ready to sit in his rocking chair just yet. Unbelievably Walt decides to start a second career as a police officer and against all the odds he succeeds.

As a police officer Walt has loads of adventures, he goes under cover in a strip club, catches a murderer etc. There is lots of humor in this 'cozy' tale, the humor being of the 'men's locker room' type, with lots of references to male and female body parts, love making in old age, you get the picture. Much of it is witty, but a whole lot of it I just found crude. Maybe it's because I was listening to this book on audio, I don't know. There were lots of enjoyable moments, smiley moments and laugh out loud moments too, but much of it was also not to my taste and those moments over shadowed what otherwise would have been an enjoyable witty tale. Aside from my particular taste in humor, I thought the writing was excellent, the characters interesting.

As I said, I listened to this book on audio, and the narrator George Kuch, was a treat. He really captured the character of Walt for me and made him come alive in my mind. He was fabulous.

"I was provided this audio book at no charge by the author in exchange for an unbiased review via AudiobookBoom dot com".