Speed Metal Blues: A Dan Reno Novel by Dave Stanton - Great Series for Lovers of Hardboiled Crime!

Five minutes later we gunned it out of town under a cobalt blue sky. Cody's tires spitting dirt on the sun-warmed road, the radio blasting "Beer Drinkers and He3ll Raisers" by ZZ Top.
"God, I love this song," Cody said, cranking the volume, his palms pounding on the steering wheel, his green eyes charged with a secret energy, as if he were anticipating a salvation known only to him.
For as long as I'd known Cody, he'd avoided a static lifestyle. Downtime and boredom were his worst enemies. I imagined that in his quiet, solitary moments, perhaps when he was alone in his apartment at night, straight booze ight not be adequate to soothe the wounds of his past. His pain could only be extinguished by action, by confronting his demons, by violence. This was his defense mechanism, how he dealt with the grief of a father who abandoned him and an uncaring mother. Crazy as it sounds, living on the edge provided the balm for his unhealed scars. I'm sure psychology professionals would have a field day with this one, but his method for dealing with his paid was keeping him sane. Hell, in a world where criminally demented acts are routine. Cody was probably saner than most.
~~~

Speed Metal Blues:

a Dan Reno Novel

By Dave Stanton

In the world we live in, there is sometimes a fine line between the criminal and the men and women who go after them. Dan Reno and his buddy Cody are both ex-cops who left, fed up with the system in which they worked. Yet these chose to continue the fight against those who would do harm against others. This series is told from the point of view of Dan Reno. These books are definitely from the hard-boiled series, with a mix of noir. Those who enjoy either will, I believe, enjoy meeting Dan and Cody! I didn't mind it myself, either, except it does get violent--so be forewarned, especially due to the nature of two criminals "religion..." Check out his earlier novel Stateline... before you leave!

Dan is trying to make it as a PI and bounty hunter... He had just been contacted to try to find two accused rapists from New Jersey. Actually, both were into much more, including murder. One was a fairly easy find, except for the actual capture activities, that is...

When I finally tracked down Billy Morrison, he was in the middle of the most pit at Zeke's Bar off Highway 50. There must have been thirty sweat-drenched men in there with him, stomping and flailing to the music, their violent energy like a rebellion against humanity. I assumed they considered this dancing, but it looked more like a gang brawl. The death metal band on the small stage pounded out a relentless assault on the ears, the singer's guttural growls imploring the wild-eyes participants to main and kill the weak. My initial instinct told me to retreat to my truck and wait for Morrison to leave. Instead, I waded into the churning melee of knees and fists. That was my first mistake...

~~~

Then I saw flashing lights, and Sheriff Marcus Grier's
squad car bounced into the lot. The gangbangers
slowly retreated.
"What the hell is going on here?" Grier said, stepping
from his car, his hand on his holstered revolver.
"Good timing, Sheriff," I said. "This here is Billy
Morrison. He's got warrants in New Jersey for rape,
robbery and assault."
"You got paper on him?"
"Yes, sir. He skipped two months ago."
"What happened to his leg?" Grier said, his black
skin shining in the moonlight.
"He fuckin' shot me," I gestured to a group of about
ten men standing in front of Zeke's. They glared back,
arms crossed, feet planted wide. One shot his arm
straight out, middle finger extended.
"Did you have to shoot him?"
"I could have just curled up and let them kick the shit
out of me, I suppose."
~~~

Dan had thought there would be a slower pace and some quiet times when he moved to South Lake Tahoe. Fortunately he had made a positive connection with Sheriff Grier and was able to work with him, sharing and gathering information. What really was the issue was that the little town had become a route for trafficking drugs and the Mexicans were firmly entrenched. Until a group calling themselves the HCU [Hard Core United], had moved in, looking to take over... It was the HCU that had adopted rapist Morrison. And Reno wound up facing the whole group when he tried to leave with Billy. He was backing out, trying to leave, using his gun to control the crowd...not sure of the outcome, when he saw slashing lights and the Sheriff's squad car moving fast into the parking lot... Whew!

There are a number of minor characters that include the son of a former assassin and a brother-sister pair who have been befriended by Dan and Cody... Good thing!

Because the other rapist is also a Satanist and believes, and seems, he is unable to die! And he has set his eyes on the sister, who has become known because she's to be now working as a lounge singer in the Casino where all the action is taking place!

Seriously, the violence in this novel is not for some readers, but the story itself is a great novel for its genre. Readers will have to decide on this one. Myself, I always enjoy a novel with the good guys versus the bad guys...this one just gets more hard core than I would recommend to everyone.

There's more time at the Nevada bordellos, hard-core criminals versus the Mexican cartel seeing who will win the town, and even the mafia hiding under "new management." Cody is an interesting sidekick for Dan...In this novel, he has just discovered he may be a father and that causes him to take the brother-sister duet under his special care...

There was enough warm, caring scenes to keep the violence counter-balanced. Do check this one out!

"You know what?" Time to turn on the christmas lights."

"In October?"

I got up and hit the switches, and the bults laced around the trees outside came alive, the colors flashing and reflecting off the snow-covered ground.

"It's just beautiful, isn't it?" Candy said, her green eyes dancing in a kaleidoscope of red and blue. The jukebox kicked into Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition," and the twang of the fiddle brought a smile to my face...

As for my own life, I stay happy on a daily basis, and why the hell not? My house among the tall pines and granite faces is cheerful with a woman's touch, and I'm thankful every day for that. Damn thankful, because change is an inevitable as the turning of the season. That evil might again invade my life I have little doubt, but I never invest myself in that thought. That keeps me sane I suppose, or as close as I'll get.

~~~

GABixlerReviews

Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He attended San Jose State University and received a BA in journalism in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, pizza cook, debt collector, and technology salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley, and lives with his wife, Heidi, in San Jose, California.

Stanton is the author of five novels, all featuring private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons.

Sometimes Payback - Revenge Is Only Choice - Suffer by E. E. Borton

"Why do I make you watch each other suffer? Is it sexual?
Maybe, but it's always about control. It's about pain. I want
Paul to see everything I've done here; he has to see it. Do I
rape you? Yes, and Paul will know Caleb watched me.
Paul will know I was the last man on earth to fuck his wife
before I butchered her. I want him to know that both of you
were terrified and screaming in agony before I killed you.
I want your caskets closed. I want him to know I was the
last man on earth to see your mother's pretty face before
I destroyed it. I want him to know I was the last man on
earth to see you intact and whole. I own that now. I own
all of you...
~~~

He shut the front door behind him and took a deep breath after closing his eyes. It wasn't going to be easy taking himself into the dark place he needed to go, the dark place that made him a very effective hunter. On any other crime scene, he would've had hours to put himself behind the eyes of a killer. Limited to twenty minutes inside the villa, he pushed hard to find the darkness. In less than a minute, he began to transform from a federal agent into a murderer.
"I'm going to get her by car," whispers the killer. "The nosy neighbors behind million-dollar views might notice a strange boat tied to the dock. The front door is the best choice. It's more secluded.
"Does she know me? Maybe. Do I just walk in through the unlocked door and surprise her? No. If she doesn't know me, she might be on the phone or in the kitchen close to a knife. She has a chance to call for help or grab a weapon. I need to make her answer the front door."
The killer walks down the hall taking photos. "I'm inside and now I have you. I close and lock the door behind me. I subjue you first and then Caleb. Once I have control of your son, you'll do anything I tell you to do...
Walking into the bedroom, the killer gets a rush of endorphins when he see Caleb still bound and lifeless. He kneels down beside the small body. "Your mother doesn't care what I do to her as long as I don't hurt you. I lied to her. I needed to control everything in order to finish what I came here to do. I knew you were both going to die here tonight..."


S U F F E R

By. E. E. Borton

There is only one way I would ever recommend this book... It is to have the ending that it has... And for those who want to read about revenge thrillers, This Book Is Definitely For You...I find as I've gotten older and seen too much of this sad world, I tend to see revenge as a welcome action. And I loved what happened and how the book closed. Still, the book is very graphic, so I moved it to my adult blog to give you enough information to know what the book is about, without the potential access to children...

 Paul Freeman looked at this gauges and motioned to his friends it was time to surface. They had been down on the Shark Wall for more than forty-five minutes, and the setting sun was leaving with its light. Their favorite dive site was located ten miles off the southwest coast of New Providence Island, Bahamas. None of the three men wanted to leave the water... 
Friends since childhood, the three men stowed their gear and settled into their favorite seats on the planet, seats that rose and fell in a calming rhythm as the sea passed gently beneath them. They all attempted to get together for holidays and birthdays, with little success, but they hadn't missed the annual Bahamas Run since Paul bought his cruiser six years earlier. For nine days, they left the hectic pace of their everyday lives and turned into big kids with no supervision. The first sip of a cold beer mixed with the lingering salt on their lips is what insured they'd never miss the Run...
...You can bend her ear all you want tomorrow at lunch. Speaking of which, we need to head to dry land and get a good night's sleep. We have a long boat ride back to the house, and we need to get started early. She promised a low-country boil waiting for us on the dock."
"She couldn't get more perfect if she tried," said Evan.
"I do love that woman," replied Paul with a grin..."

~~~

...she wasn't expecting her visitor to be
 wearing the uniform of a Florida state
trooper.
"Mrs. Kathryn Freeman?" asked the trooper
looking down at his notepad.
"Yes."
"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said, closing the pad.
"Your husband, Paul, has been in a serious
accident."
"That's impossible," she said in defiance,
but with a shaky voice. "His car is in the
garage. He took our boat to the Bahamas
on a fishing trip...
"I'm sorry I wasn't clear, ma'am. It wasn't
with a car. He was involved in an accident
with another boat...May I come inside?"
..."I need to get my son. Is--is my husband
Okay?"...
"Let's get your boy and sit down so we can
talk, Mrs. Freeman."
"Right," she said, turning and walking...
Her heart was already racing when the two
darts delivering 50,000 volts penetrated
the skin between her shoulder blades.
~~~

Paul, Evan, and Grey were out in the water diving on the last day of their trip to the Bahamas, preparing to leave early the next day to get back home.

Kate blinked her eyes several times to
clear the blurry veil from her vision.
Her head throbbed with intense pain
as each heartbeat pushed blood through
the swelling lump on her forehead. She
was confused and terrified, but she
wasn't sure why. She started crying
when Caleb came into focus in front of
her. He was sitting a few feet away,
bound to a chair she recognized from
his playroom. Duck tape was covering
his mouth. She saw two thin trails of
dried blood running from the Taser
wounds in his chest and ending in a
red stain on the front of his Spiderman
shorts. He was staring at her.
~~~

That's where it was happening...  And there was nobody to help Kate and Caleb...

A man dressed as a state trooper came to her door to say that Paul had been in an accident.

She let him in...

The taser seared into her back before she could even reach Caleb, her son.

There was always a voice in his
head telling him to find the
animals and make them pay.
On that afternoon, he heard
the familiar voice of a child.
He turned to face the house when
Caleb called down to him.
It's time to go to work, Uncle Grey.
~~~

When Paul and his friends reached the dock, Kate was not there with the lunch as promised... Perhaps it was that special sense that Grey had that warned of trouble and he tried to keep Paul from being the first into the house...and then into the room where they had been left...

But he was unable to stop Paul from seeing what had been done to his wife and son... He would never be able to forget it...or live with it...

Even when the paramedics discovered later that Kate was still alive, Paul was lost, nearly in a trance... Grey immediately took charge, ensuring everything was taken care of, authorities, parents notified and a special request from his home office for guards to protect Kate, at least until they knew whether she was going to make it...

"Who am I talking with right now? Because it sure as hell isn't the Kate I know."
"The Kate you know is dead, Grey. She was murdered with her son and then died again when she found out her husband committed suicide. The only reason I'm alive is because the person who did this is still alive. I'm going to change that."

~~~

But two things happened. Grey was not permitted to be involved with the official investigation, even though everybody who was part of the family expected it...

And then Kate recovered months later and everybody, including her parents and sister, noticed that, beyond the loss of one eye and the cuts across her face and body, it was a very different Kate who was rising as if a phoenix from the fire...

This is the kind of book that I want to go on and on about what happens! After a horrifying beginning, I loved the ending of this and, hope that this will continue as a series... There must be a bit of Kate Freeman in me, because I wanted to be part of her team and participate in what happened! This is a dark book, so be sure you know what you will be reading! At the same time, This book spits out what is happening in today's world that just has to be stopped somehow... Maybe Kate Freeman has the right idea... Do let me know what you think! Highly recommended!


GABixlerReviews

Eric E. Borton served six years with Naval Intelligence in North Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. As a civilian, he served thirteen years with a rescue helicopter service in Atlanta, Georgia, where he currently resides. Learn more about the author and his other titles on his website at www.eeborton.com.

Stateline by Dave Stanton -- Hardboiled Crime Fiction at Its Finest!

Then a tormented female voice from the front
cried out, "Sylvester is dead!"
The crowd froze for a moment.
And then chaos ensued.

"I'm Deputy Sheriff Marcus Grier of the Silverado Sheriff's Department City of South Lake Tahoe." The ballroom was deathly still.
"I have soe terrible news to report. "There's been a tragic accident, and the wedding is canceled. I'm afraid that's all I can say now. Please exit the ballroom in an orderly fashion for your own safety.
Grier stepped down from the stage. A stunned silence engulfed the room, the moment was so abrupt and so utterly inconceivable that I thought it might be some kind of morbid practical joke. A hushed murmur rose from the crowd and built into a crescendo as people near the front surrounded the cops and beseiged them with questions. More people surged forward, a man fell and cried out in pain, and one officer pulled his billy club as he was pushed back against the pulpit. Another cop grabbed a bulhorn and told the crowd to stand back.

~~~


Stateline:
A Dan Reno Novel

By Dave Stanton

Author Blackie Noir
Playing Dan Reno

This is my first Dan Reno Novel and while I was reading I kept picturing Blackie Noir who writes noir novels. Stateline is hardboiled fiction which reminded me of his writing as well as my physical image of Dan...LOL... So sue me, I enjoy imagining the male characters, especially, in this type of book. Dan Reno is a PI who has gone through much and at one time hit the bottom...

During that time, he also got divorced...Interestingly, it is his ex-wife's niece that invited him to the wedding where it all started...  Then his ex, of course, had to call with her orders.

“Well, this is a fancy wedding, don’t try showing up in jeans.”
“Of course not.”
“And getting drunk would be totally uncalled for.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not drinking anymore,” I said.
“Or any less, I’m sure.”
I cleared my throat. “So, who’s the lucky groom?”

The bridegroom was the son of one of the richest men in California and was paying for everything including for invited guests... Dan needed to go, just to have some time away from his penny-pitching boss who was the type who wanted you in to work on time, even if you'd had an all-night stakeout! 

I knew Wenger would be pissed that I was bailing early, but he would have to live with that. Unfortunately, I had to live with it, too. It wasn't that I considered him a bad person, but as a boss, Rick Wenger was a tremendous pain in the ass.

"It's Dan, Dan Reno. How are
you? I felt awkward, feeling a
sense that whatever there was
between us in Salina may have
been a drunken illusion on my
part. She had been scared and
vulnerable, and I had treated
her kindly. Maybe there was
no more than that.
"I didn't think you were
going to call..."
~~~

BTW, these two quotes are direct from the author's site, so if you're thinking of getting this, go read more! Needless to say,  I loved the character although I'm not going into his sexual
exploits/love interests along the way--too many. I'll just mention a prostitute he had to track down that was the only one he contacted at the end of the case...LOL Can you tell I thoroughly enjoyed the book?!

Sylvester had been at his bachelor party the night he was killed. There were dancers there, but they weren't willing to party. So Dan had brought two hookers to his room and got
busy...

Before the night was over, Sylvester had a knife run through him, until it was coming out his back...

My eyes fell back to [ one of the killers]. I swore I saw his corpse shudder, then I had an eerie sense that his soul was leaving his body. For a second I felt his presence watching me. I froze, staring into air charged with electricity, then the sky flashed, and I saw his spirit being sucked into the earth, like sand falling through an hourglass in fast motion. I staggered back, the hair on my arms and back of my head standing straight out, my face on fire with needles and pins. A small dust twister appeared, danced around his body for a few seconds, then vanished.
                                            ~~~

Both prostitutes had disappeared... Another man who had been at the party was  then murdered just as the investigations were getting started. After talking with the local police Sylvester's father had sent for Reno, offered him a large sum up front and double that if he found the killer before the police did. He explained that he had no faith in the police he'd talked to and he wanted to ensure that justice was done, even if he had to do it himself...

Well, Reno was just about broke and had no option but to take it for the money! Wouldn't you? Well, maybe not, if you had known in advance what Dan would be getting into...but that was well into the case by the first time he was almost killed...

I chose Julia "before" image
to act for Samantha... because
of her personality at that time.
I love both of these great
female actresses who've
 played hookers...
Loved Pretty Woman!
~~~

Reno was able to learn that there had been two prostitutes in the room the night of the murder, so he was assuming they'd be looking for similar jobs in nearby areas...So readers will be spending time at a number of "the 19 strictly regulated bordellos" operating in the state... The first one he found was Samantha...

Most of the other characters with whom Reno gets involved is the many cops in the area in which he's conducting his investigation... which is going quite well, NOT like the police investigation which is going nowhere...In fact, a number of the cops appear to be bad guys and will go on your  "possible person of interest" list. So, I'll give you one hint... there's more than one bad guy/killer!!!

So when things were getting tighter and tighter, Dan talks to his friend, who has been doing some police checks for him, and who is a regular in this series, and he comes calling...and also almost gets killed! Yikes!

But why was this young man killed? Heck, in this book, even that is complicated! What's the picture of the Lake for? Well, Dan lost his beloved car as it was moving down the hill toward that lake.

At least he got one of those men who had pushed him over the hill to kill him... Get the feeling that most people didn't want Dan on this investigation?!

One of the small things I like about the book is what happens to the town sheriff... Stanton has covered all bases in the total case and left no strings hanging for us to wonder about. Dan Reno is a character that is so well drawn that you'll think you know him. He's definitely got the drive and methods to get the job done if you needed a PI. And even gets a girl at the end... And then there's Edward who is Dan's contact for his job... He not only turns out to become a friend and more...but Stanton adds a little side scene where Edward gets interested in visiting one of the bordellos that Dan keeps talking about...just to see what it's like, of course...

Enough, this is a hard book to review and not give too much away... There is so much action going that your reading time will automatically speed up to keep pace with how fast Reno is moving! LOL. Crime fiction aficionados, you'll be sorry if you miss this one!


GABixlerReviews

About the Author - Born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1960, Dave Stanton moved to Northern California in 1961. He attended San Jose State University and received a BA in journalism in 1983. Over the years, he worked as a bartender, newspaper advertising salesman, furniture mover, pizza cook, debt collector, and computer component salesman. He has two children, Austin and Haley, and lives with his wife, Heidi, in San Jose, California.

Stanton is the author of five novels, all featuring private investigator Dan Reno and his ex-cop buddy, Cody Gibbons.

Related articles

• Book Review: Stateline by Dave Stanton

Dark, Sexy Noir Heightens Tension in Latest Novel Open Wound by Blackie Noir!

1. Attention: Just got word that this book has been revised and updated and expanded... I already had that book as well so since I'm a fan of Blackie... I'll be reading it and will update this review... ASAP... GB  Kiss Me Evil is the new title so if you want to go ahead and get it...make sure it is the latest!
2. 
   
3. 
   Noir fiction is a literary genre closely related to hardboiled genre with a distinction that the protagonist is not a detective, but instead either a victim, a suspect, or a perpetrator. Other common characteristics include the self-destructive qualities of the protagonist. ...
   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noir_fiction
4. 
   

Trash had always said I was a mark, I guess somewhere down the line it was inevitable he would feel that it was up to him to prove it. Well, prove it he had. In spades.

~

Yet, Trina’s recent behavior gave me the mind-set, the fortitude, the fucking balls, to resist this most transparent, yet powerful, ploy. Fuck being a mark, I was through. Of course, having the insatiable Roxi waiting in the wings had a lot to do with my new-found resilience. It felt good when I shook my head, said, “Uh-uh. I’ll pass.”

~

Sad as I felt; and I did want to reach out, console Roxi, the singer, womanhood in general, there was another, stronger, reaction. I wanted to lash out, crush and maim, kill the motherfuckers responsible for that kind of pain and agony. What did that make me? Some dipshit with a Lancelot complex? Or, was I just another violence prone psycho? Or, and most disturbing to me, was I, as Trash had said, simply a mark. A stone sucker for a sob story.

~

“You fucking pussy. You got nothing left. You used to be down, Nicky. Had a set of balls on you man . . . Now? Shit. You’re worse than a mark, Nicky. You’re nothing. I don’t even know you.”

~~~

Open Wound

By Blackie Noir

So why did I start with the definition of Noir? Well, I've been somewhat unclear when I've read earlier novels by Blackie Noir. More Neo-Noir? So Blackie, I have to say that, with this novel, you've made it perfectly clear! And have created a true Noir novel, as defined by the experts, in my opinion. Wow! Whew! And Lots More of those emotional reactions!!!

Take for instance, the main character. Does he fit the definition? You bet! He's a victim and definitely self-destructive...

I liked him a lot...

But probably not for why you think...  I thought it was a perfect individual to star in this noir novel... But I also saw that he was indeed a mark... But he knew it, I think, and really didn't want to change.

The ending was perfect for me and I'll tell you why if you've read it and don't understand it...

The brass plate on his door read, Dr. Isaac Rosen. “Ike” to me. For over fifteen years Ike had tended to my basic medical needs. Trina’s too. He also did work above the norm, things related to my profession. On the two occasions I had sustained serious cuts, Ike had been the one who did the suturing. On things beyond the median he sought out, and referred me to, experts, the best in their specialties. Things like the surgeries to repair my right hand. Things, like the problem with my retina.

“You know Nick, Katrina . . . ? 
Well, you really are a lucky man.” 
“Right. Wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” 
He pointed at me.  “Don’t. That kind of talk makes you sound like a ‘fool’s luck’ recipient.” 
“Fool’s luck?”
“Yes, such as a fellow who has it all; wonderful wife, excellent health, respect of his peers, yet is too ignorant to appreciate his good fortune.”
 “Tell me something, Ike. This good fortune of mine, does it extend to the condition of my eye?” Smiling, he said,     
“As a matter of fact it does.”

~~~

 Nick has a multi-million dollar contract on the table, waiting for him to sign, when he's told that he will need to have surgery on his eye and he'll never be able to box again... After the anger, curses, and options are considered, he recognizes he has no choice...

The surprising thing is that he's more afraid to tell his wife, than to accept his future life...

Whether it was lust or love, Nick accepted his wife as she was--greedy. So he automatically feared that he would lose her when he was no longer making big money...

Which was true..

Her response was to tell him to go ahead with the fight and possibly lose his eye, and then afterwards have the surgery... Needless to say that even though he had been prepared, he was still crushed...

And let's face it, it was clear she had married him for his money... Now she was giving him an ultimatum. Fight or flight, for her! 

At times like this, he had to get out and get some air... Trash had been a friend for many year and kept his bike in his shop...

But when he arrived, there was somebody else who was working...And Nick liked what he saw! So did Roxi...

Still smiling, she reached out, touched my swollen cock, began to gently knead it through my jeans. Talk about a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming semi. The jade heat of her eyes was reducing me to roadkill. The firm even pressure of her fingers turning back the clock to the fevered released of a twelve-year-old boy at the hand of his first girlfriend. 
Trash's voice brought the time-machine to a screeching halt.     
"Roxi! What the fuck are you doing?"
The girl broke eye contact, dropped her hand, stood up. I took a few steps back, began breathing again. 
Trash grinned, "Fuck is that all about?"
Roxi grinned back, "Making me a new friend."
"Oh. That how you do it? 'hi my name is Roxi. How bout I such your dick, get acquainted?' That the proper etiquette?
"I wasn't sucking his dick." She looked at me, winked. "Yet."
"Yeah, well, I ain't paying you to suck his dick, shine his shoes, or whatever else you were doing down there. Besides, you're way late. Nick here is taken." 
Roxi stepped over to me, touched my nipple with her fingertip. I stepped back, she followed, wrapped both of her hands around my bicep. Squeezing, she said, "Taken? Maybe before me. Now? Looks ripe and read." 
Trash lit up, laughed, blowing smoke at us, "Shit. Give it a rest. Rox.

~~~

Roxi made it quite clear that she thought she could pull Nick away from his present lover. She was right. Thing was that she was different from his wife. She'd invited him to dinner, made at her home and Nick began to see what it would be like to be with somebody as a partner rather than a wallet...

Too bad that she had already made a deal that was sure to screw Nick over... But when they kept seeing each other, she confessed to Nick...

It seemed clear to me that money was not a big deal with Nick, except as it represented how much effort, work and pain had been involved in his getting it. But as things moved forward, he began to realize that none of his supposed close friends were able to be trusted--when his money was part of the equation!

Lots of sex, violence, and action in this novel, so if you don't want to read similar to what is here, please don't buy it... Some of the twists were given to readers, others were nasty to contemplate for Nick as well as we who are reading!

It seemed to me that Nick might have been an easy mark, but when it came down to how the individuals involved were treating him, in return, then he could become the aggressor. It also seemed sad to me, that, as a boxer, violence was more a part of the lives of others than the one who was fighting and winning to earn his money... 

For me, the novel was true to the genre... while the main character was...true to himself. An Excellent blend by the author! Enjoy...if you dare...


GABixlerReviews

Decades ago Raymond Chandler taught me the only French word I know . . . 'noir.'
Ever since, I've been jonesing for dark, hard-boiled, pulp style, crime fiction. From the genre's original innovators: Chandler, Hammett , Cain . . . to today's neo-noir stalwarts: J. L. Burke, Connelly, Pelecanos, Leonard, Teran, Lehane, et al.
Call me voracious. I devoured their work. Inhaled the dark smoke permeated ambiance where it all played out.
I read, and continue to read, them all.
It was while reading the newcomers, the young turks, that I decided . . . reading was no longer enough. I had my own tales to tell. Characters that kept nagging at me, urging me, beseeching me, demanding that I bring them to the page. Those who have met them through my work know . . . these are not gentle folk. Their petitions aren't meant to be taken lightly. So, in an attempt to appease those raucous demons, I sat down in 2000 and began my first novel . . . "Freeway Pigeons."
I completed "Freeway Pigeons" in 2001. That was the opening of a mysterious and magical door. Just what was behind that door? Lady, or tiger? Funny, I'm still not certain. Still, I wouldn't change things. I'd cross that threshold again in a heartbeat . . . undaunted. And why not, I've been blessed with a cornucopia of encouragement.
Who encouraged me?
Every writer, genius or plodder . . . visionary or hack, who ever made me laugh or cry, rage or sigh, become more aware or escape the doldrums. Every scribe, word-weaver or poet who had my heart trying to bang its way out of my chest or sing with the angels.
All of them. Man or woman, fresh or ancient, who moved me emotionally. Entertained and educated me. Kept long and sometimes lonely vigils with me. Gave me the unmitigated joy of a good read. THEY encouraged me . . . every last one.
I owe them.
I believe the best way I can repay that debt is through you, you the readers.
If I can deliver the joy, the escape, the spiritual catharsis of the coveted 'good read' to you, then at least a part of my debt has been paid.
* * *
Standard bio stuff: Started life on the cold coast (N.Y.C.) wended my way west to the land of sunshine, surf, and strange (L.A.).
Interests: Books. Books! Books!! Books!!! BOOKS !!!!!
Other interests: Music (as played / sung by others). Movies. Physical activities (running, free-weights, hiking). BIKES! (Harleys & old-Triumphs).
Bottom line: Family. (what it's all about)
*

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• Blackie Noir Presents the Long and the Short of It...

Muffin Man Coulda Been Better--By Cutting Half of the Book... Just My Personal Opinion, of course...

"Pushing herself backwards, away
from the face pressed close to hers,
Louise replied only with a prim: I
bed your pardon?"
"She noticed he was carrying some
kind of bagel in his hand. With eyes
peering between hat and scarf, the
half-hidden face repeated the question,
impatiently:
"I said: when do you think it's going
to start?"
"Louise uncomfortable being so close
to the strange, furtive face in the
gathering early evening gloom, voiced
another question in an uneasy voice:
"What are you talking about?
"His answer was a gruff, peremptory:
"Always questions; can't get a straight
answer nowadays. Listen, if you really
don't know anything, then you'd
better be careful..."

Guess that's why U.S. cops stick to
doughnuts!

Muffin Man*

Stephan Collina

I think I've read enough fiction by now that I sometimes resent authors that I know could do better but seemingly goes, instead, for what maybe will sell better... What would that be? Drugs and sex, of course...

"General, you know I respect you more than any
man alive. I'd like to help you out, I would, but
I've promised Emily I wouldn't go back.
"Abrams, beginning to speak even before Ed had
mouthed the last word: "Oh, don't give me that
bullshit. You were born to soldier.
"Ed: "Maybe, but I've had enough. And Emily and
me, well, it's been tough. I've changed. Fitting in
here is hard. I don't want to have to go through
all that again when it's finally over.
Abrams: "You can't leave a job undone, Ed. It's
not in your nature.
"Ed: It's tough, I'll grant you that. But a promise
is a promise...
"As soon as the General's car disappeared from
view, a frustrated Ed walked over to his daughter
and slapped her hard on the wrist, reddening the
skin, saying as he did so: "That's for being so
clumsy."
~~~

Believe me,, there are millions of people who do not take drugs, deal, or enjoy reading about the joys of sitting around being high and/or the promiscuous sex that accompanies those activities. I'm one of those individuals. It is just NOT fun to read about somebody stealing, taking, using, and talking about stealing, taking, using... In fact, it was boring. So much so, that many pages are skimmed and passed by since they add nothing but many--too many words to a book... IF you like the scene, then, hey, go for it! 

"Among the observers of the dawn but uncaring of its splendor, stepping out like two young birds furtively fleeing their nest, their strutting gait emphasizing the birdlike nature of their flight, were a giggling Adrian and Pete. Their prize was carried lightly under Pete's arm. Talking loudly as they walked, they were already reminiscing about the events of the preceding few hours...
"Leaving while the others slept had been Adrian's idea. Shaken awake by Adrian as he dozed half undressed, Pete had quickly and quietly agreed to leave, as he always did, and gently eased away from the similarly half-dressed sleeping beauty lying across him. Pete hoped he would see her again. She had been fun, he thought, superficially but genuinely, and wondered if she might still be there when he returned. He had not thought to ask for her phone number...
"They aimed to cache the box with a friend of his younger sister, who lived just around the corner and who Pete had been seeing secretly and regularly for some months. Sixteen years old, the young girl was besotted with him and their relationship was unknown to anyone except the two of them and Adrian. They reasoned correctly that it would therefore be a perfectly safe location, and one to which Pete could return at almost any time, and with a female bonus available..."

~~~

The book starts in 1968 while the Vietnam War was still "happening." I've read quite a few fiction and non-fiction books about the war--this was not too different. In fact, the idea of a world-wide group supposedly representing Christians has been done by others. This novel hones in on one soldier--a good soldier--who recognized the problems of the war and then being pulled out so that U.S. soldiers felt they should have been better led and actually done what needed to be done.

Now we know that many men came back with some form of PTSD. Ed seemed to be fine, but as he settled in, back home,  he would be contacted by earlier officers and asked to come back to Vietnam. Perhaps he should have, because he soon started a small group of his own... which led to his being noticed and picked by this group of Christians to come work for him... Obviously you can guess what he would be doing...

The most intriguing character in the book is Ed's daughter. Anne. She remembered her loving father before he went to war. Now she could not understand why he was treating her, and her mother as well, like he was...

She leaves home as soon as she can. Unfortunately, she ultimately got involved with the drugs and, although she doesn't know it, actually works for the same organization for which her father works.

Another character, David, had some potential, but got involved with friends who were users, as well as the ones who steal them, and then the drug dealing as well. His girlfriend--who makes it quite clear to readers that she has no deep love for David, soon has left him and moved in with a U.K. inspector who is also dirty and into drugs... David later meets and falls for Anne... Too late...

"On a late July Sunday, four years after his return
from Vietnam, everything abruptly changed. Where
before there had existed confusion and subjugation,
suddenly reigned clarify...Ed had made no special
preparation, except to have attended a Church service
in the morning, but he had uttered there no prayer
beyond the routine mutterings of the occasional
worshiper...
"...Ed turned to his wife, saying: Don't be afraid.
It's finally all clear to me...
"As part of his revelation, Ed knew he would have to
be patient in his explanations, circumspect with words,
and not only with his wife. Therefore, he patiently
replied: "I mean God has spoken to me. He has told
me what I must do...
"...create a Christian army, and of working both
within the system and without..."
~~~

"Within two years of leaving Vietnam for good, Ed in his unsuspected madness knew with absolute certainly that his devil was a real, living entity that had entered into his entrails, was connected directly to his brain, affecting and even directing his thoughts. It would no longer whisper phrases from outside, but speak its demonic commands and suggestions internally: wordless, unheard by others, but with meanings crystal clear to him...The demon became his constant companion, advising and directly him how to feel, how to react, how to behave with others around him. Ed would not be forced to react to its orders zombie-like, as in some dreadful b-movie but indirectly, sometimes after thought and reflection had convinced him of its truth and propriety. The demon's power over him became nonetheless absolute. Its instruction simply had to be followed.
                                                              ~~~

The novel continues on until 2001 and then ends with an allusion which some readers may or may not
understand...

I early on had some issues with the writer's style of presentation, contrary to routine sentence structure in novels, most commonly the use of colons which tended to be used instead of normal dialogue. There are also issues of extremely long sentences and/or
paragraphs. For me, reading the novel was tedious...

Bottom line, there was too much extraneous material that prevented the story from being easily absorbed. Throwing in the bits of immaturity of the drug users quickly pulls readers away from what could be a fairly interesting story line. I never did discover the significance of the title with the individual who would appear once in a while. Given the abrupt ending, it could very well be that all of this is still going on somewhere over in England by those fanatic individuals playing at "saving the world" for what they call their religion... We all know there are lots of those across the world, don't we? May we be saved from their reality inside and outside of a book...These comments are  just my opinion, of course...Check it out for yourself...


GABixlerReviews

Stephan grew up in the 1970s: a troubled time of recession, poverty, industrial disruption, political tension and terrorism. But for younger people, it was also a post-1960s wide-flared, drug-enhanced and extravagant-haired innocence.

Stephan later became a prominent businessman, acquainted with a number of high-ranking politicians. Stephen ran international technology businesses, spending a great deal of time in the USA and various European and African countries.

The Muffin Man grew from a combination of these unique experiences: his early knowledge of the sometime innocent business of drug dealing (although he never inhaled), and of the much dirtier businesses of covert political and military action, and of international business practices.

Stephan’s first novel explored the nefarious and complicated emotional and sexual relationships of a remote village in Wales, where he had spent his early years.

Stephan holds a degree in Philosophy. He is also a qualified commercial ship’s captain. He now lives quietly by the sea, and concentrates on his writing and related filmmaking activities.

Side-Kick Eleanor Visits to Tell About Armed and Outrageous by Madison Johns! Come Meet Her!

Eleanor had blue eyes that simply danced, and her well-wrinkled skin was covered with large moles, as if she collected them. Her thin, gray hair was curled today – her hair appointment had been only yesterday. When she laughed, which she did often, her whole belly shook.
"Why would I lock the door? I knew you’d be coming straight here after getting the paper. How is Roy this morning?" She giggled and tried unsuccessfully to stop. "You’re the one that has eyes for him, not me, Eleanor." "Really? Do you think he would be interested?" Her eyes danced suggestively. Ignoring her chatter, I held up the newspaper and handed it to Eleanor to read. She carried it to one of her white wicker chairs and sat reading the article before handing it back to me. 
"It said the same thing on the news this morning. The girl’s father is on his way here too," Eleanor said, putting her hand against her mouth as if someone else could hear her. "Word is that he is staying at Robinson’s Manor while he's here... 
"Put your hand down, and start acting serious for once. How in the world does he think he can get in there? They are always booked this time of year." 

"There is one suite that is always empty. I heard they remodeled it real quick like just to accommodate him." 

"Certainly not … the suite?" 

"One and the same." "The suite where Mrs. Robinson was raped and murdered?" I couldn’t believe it. "Nobody in their right mind would want to stay in… that room. Maybe he doesn’t know." "Beats me, but word is he wants to be close to the place where his daughter went missing." I cleared my throat. "Where exactly would that be, Eleanor?" 

"I was hoping you would ask. Not far from Quick Stop. It was the party store she was going to on Tuesday." I stood and walked back through the house with Eleanor hot on my heels. "You won’t find anything there. If the police haven’t found anything, what makes you think you will?" "Eleanor, I’m a concerned citizen, and it’s my god given right to get to the bottom of this. It could be related to Sophia’s disappearance. What if all of these cases are related?" Eleanor put her hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "Honey, I know you want to believe that, and I’m not saying you’re wrong, but it’s a long shot. I hope Sophia is still alive too, but Agnes, it’s been a year." I wiped away a tear that formed. "I know you’re right, but I have to do this." 

~~~

Armed and Outrageous

Madison Johns

I'm Eleanor and I don't mind being the sidekick for Agnes...she's got the smarts for solving mysteries, but I got...ahhh. where was I? Oh yeah! I've got fortitude! Or at least I used to have it 'fore all those shenanigans happened where I was working--but that's another story!

Agnes is my best friend--and I don't have many. At 82, there are slim pickin's for finding somebody that accepts you as you are and still sticks around...But I doubt I could live with the woman--she's just lookin' to git killed 'cause she never gives up until she solves a case and I'd like to live a little longer. Still, when those goons threw that Molotov cocktail into her home and burnt it to a crisp, I was sooo scared they'd finally got her! Who? Well, let me tell ya the story...

We spooned in our delicious concoction when

 Dorothy and Frank Alton walked in and hugged

 Sally, who’s their granddaughter. 

Eleanor froze with her spoon midway to her mouth,

 and chocolate syrup dripped down and

 rested on her cleavage. Frank drew his gaze

 as if on radar, openly staring at Eleanor’s 

now chocolate-covered chest. Dorothy’s eyes

 grew large when she saw Frank ogling Eleanor.

 Her nostrils flared, and she resembled a bull about

 to charge when the wife started to bark or so it seemed. 

 "It’s not my problem your husband knows

 a good look-in’ woman when he sees one." 

Dorothy cleared her throat. "Good looking?

Miss Melanoma." What I saw next baffled my mind. 

It seemed to happen in slow motion. Eleanor

 tackled Dorothy, dog and all. They scuffled on

 the floor and rolled around resembling a pair of flailing

 fish while the dog yipped and yapped up a storm

 to Frank's laughter. Eleanor got in a few punches,

 but Dorothy yanked her head back, and spat

 in Eleanor’s face. At this point, even Zeus had sense

 enough to retreat from the pair. Dorothy managed

 to make it to her feet, but as she tried to

 stagger away, Eleanor snatched her wig from her head.

 Gasps were heard about the room, and Eleanor

 lifted her head up and walked away.

 "I so showed that bitch," Eleanor said. 

Dorothy wasn’t through yet. I could see it when he

r eyes glazed over. She planted a tub of ice

 cream over Eleanor’s head, and cackled

 when she couldn't immediately get it off.

~~~

                                

First of all, Agnes is a retired Private Investigator, so it's kinda in her blood. But when her granddaughter went missin' there was just no stopping her! She even dug out her old ID even if it was out-of-date...

Sophia has been missing about a year and now a new one, Jennifer, has disappeared! Seems there had been others that are missing as well! Jennifer's father came into town and she immediately didn't trust him, but guess who came with him?! Agnes' former boss! Now, let me tell you, she'd always had the hots for him, but he was married and never paid much attention to my poor girlfriend... Once I saw him, I had to admit that he was one cool dude, even if he was younger than me...

Hey, I look when I can!

Now, I'm going to tell you something about this book! There is a scene in it about me... And it's just not true! That writer was trying to make us sexy ole broads and, of course, we are...but that scene at the senior citizens home...twasn't me! Why, everybody knows that I haven't been able to get down on my knees for "anything" for decades! 

A shame, really...

Well, Agnes did start finding clues--a shoe along the road where Jennifer was taken...

Then we found her boyfriend's cabin and he gave us her backpack which we promptly went home to dump and review...Wasn't much but everything helps a little and, of course, Agnes had to later turn the backpack over to the Sheriff, so we didn't even have that...Then her boyfriend got all beat up and so did Roy at the Bait Shop...


Buttttttt, well, I shouldn't tell on myself, but I really played a good one on the Sheriff! Now, what is it they say on TV--now, don't do this at home?

Welll, I did...when they came in unannounced to get that backpack!

"I’ll follow you to Eleanor’s and retrieve the backpack." He added. "I’d like to be home on time tonight."

 I stepped outside and felt a chill as if being watched. I got into the Cadillac and drove back to Eleanor’s house, followed by the sheriff. Once there, we walked into her house, and we both froze in our tracks. Eleanor stood buck naked in front of a fan. We were shocked, but from the look on Eleanor’s face, she couldn't care less. I’m not sure who was more shocked, the sheriff or me. 

Sheriff Peterson turned his back, and I’m sure he planned to gouge his eyes out later. Her rolls and sagging skin covered most of her private parts, but it was a sight I could have gone without myself. 

I handed the Sheriff the backpack, and he ran out the door. I heard him stumble in his hasty retreat. There was something about the sheriff’s demeanor that I just didn’t trust. He was hiding something. I wish I knew what. 

"Eleanor!" "What?" She smiled. "I was hot, and I needed to dry off." She giggled. "If I knew you were bringing a man, I’d have made my bed." 

"You’re not very choosy, are you?" She paused as if lost in thought. "Not at my age."

 "I left to question Kevin again." "Without me, no fair." Sticking her lower lip out, she looked even funnier. "Someone – they don't know who – beat the boy senseless, and he’s on his way to the hospital." "You think Jennifer’s dad tried to off him?" "Yes, that'd be my first guess, but he has an alibi. He was at the State Police Post filing a missing person’s report." "Likely story." Eleanor disappeared into the other room, then returned dressed in a low cut black shirt with matching Capri’s, still wearing her Ted Hose and tan canvas shoes. 

"What’s up with the sudden show of skin?" "It worked earlier. I like men to leer at me. It reminds me of working the streets in Saginaw."

Now while I was having a wee bit of fun here and there, Agnes had been getting reacquainted with her former boss, Andrew who was now single...I told you, right, that she'd always had the hots for him... Well, one night at my place, we had some drinks...nice little romance is developin'!

 I heard another explosion. The bullet struck a metal pan on the wall this time and ricocheted in the small shop until it stuck the only  man left standing right in the ass. 
"Freeze suckers," Eleanor shouted. She walked forward with a menacing look on her face. Her eyes darting between the men, her lips curled back into a snarl. She was holding a pink gun in her shaking hand. 
"You better listen to her," I shouted. I’m not sure if they felt intimidated, but they lit out into the back room. We heard clattering followed by screams and a growl. I could hear them kick the back door open, and we watched through the windows as the trio ran for their cars, leapt into them, and screeched onto US 23. Roy’s face mirrored mine.
 "Eleanor, where in the hell did you get that gun?" ~~~

But all that aside, our investigations were getting dangerous and shots were flying left and right--our car windows had to be replaced often! They definitely wanted us to stop searching for the killer, especially when Agnes realized that this just had to be tied into a cold family murder that had occurred years ago! Agnes had gone back to review that cold case and was on her way to talk to a guy who had once been a suspect...When we got there, he was dead, hung on a clothesline! With this murder, the state police officer even was willing to have us openly help with the case--of course we had to take a gun safety course, but I got my pink gun out and showed him I was ready! 

And I'm not even going to mention anything about the Mama coon...and her babies...

Well, sure, there's a great mystery to solve if you're into being a PI like my friend, Agnes...But, seein' as this was my first novel as a primary character, I just had to share some of what I got into! You know, Agnes saved me from slowly dying in an old people's home, so I owe her and heck, I even saved her life at least once from the goons! But I don't consider that payback! We're partners now, ya know...

Thanks so much for having me here at Book Reader's Heaven. I hope I told you 'nuf about this great cozy mystery debute and that you'll be following us in the next books! So, see ya soon!

Eleanor

GABixlerReviews

Amazon bestseller ~ Armed and Outrageous.

Author Madison Johns early days weren't spent writing -- they were spent dreaming. Her vivid imagination ran wild and took her places only dreams could. She read books, tons of books, they were her only friends. As a child, Madison Johns preferred to distance herself from other children her age, and had been described as a dreamer. Even as a small child, she remembers staying awake many a night fighting dragons, whisked away to foreign lands, or meeting the man of her dreams. She was a voracious reader of historical romance in her teen years and has always wished to one day journey to England, France, Ireland, and Scotland

The writing bug bit her at the age of 44 and she pounded out four books since that time. As the publishing climate changed she took a risk and decided to self publish, first a collection of two horror short stories geared for YA, Coffin Tales Season of Death.

Madison's caring nature had led her to work in the healthcare field, where she was employed as a nursing care assistant at a nursing home, and it was there that she was inspired to write her first mystery, Armed and Outrageous, introducing amateur detective, Agnes Barton. The book depicts two elderly ladies digging up clues with enough laugh out loud antics to make James Bond blush.

In late April of 2012 she released her first novel, Armed and Outrageous and it went on to become the #1 senior sleuth on Amazon.