Ray's Reviews: Ragtime Cowboys by Loren Estleman and The Axeman of Storyville by Heath Lowrence

Two Michigan authors have recently released intriguing books, both set in 1921. Each author liberally takes liberties with the real facts but still provide intriguing entertainment.

"Ragtime Cowboys" by award-winning Whitmore Lake author Loren Estleman (Forge Books, $24.99) showcases two main characters, Dashiell Hammett and Charles Siringo, who worked at one time for the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

Both were writers and political opposites, making this fast-paced tale is great fun. It's sprinkled with many real individuals, including Wyatt Earp and Will Rogers.

Earp hires Siringo to find out who has stolen his valuable horse; Hammett joins in on the quest. Soon they're fighting for their lives against a deadly serious, mysterious, slippery assailant.
After a few misadventures, they end up at Jack London's California Ranch; London has died, but his wife and daughter may have some answers.

There's more than a horse chase involved; solving one mystery opens the gate to another much more serious matter, a major political scandal.

Powerful Joseph A. Kennedy is aptly portrayed as a prosperous and quick-thinking, risk-taking bootlegger with lofty aspirations for his son.

Estleman, who has written over seventy novels, deftly combines aspects of the fading Western era and rising movie industry in an excellent novel with an unexpected conclusion.

"The Axeman of Storyville" by Lansing author Heath Lowrence (Beat to a Pulp, $6.35) is the latest in the western series originated by Edward A. Grainger.

This atmospheric novella features Gideon Miles, who's now retired and has moved to New Orleans with his wife, where they've opened Viomiles, a popular jazz club.

He's trying to forget his past, when he was one of the first Blacks in the U.S. Marshal Service. His plans are changed when a local madam asks for help after prostitutes are hacked to death by an axe-wielding murderer.

The bloody, violent tale occurs shortly after a very real series of similar unsolved murders that took place in New Orleans.

Miles must deal with racism as well as eager money-hungry thugs from the Black Hand; his investigation reveals a believable, unusual motive.

Lowrence has written "Miles to Little Ridge" featuring the same character and five other books. His short story collection "Hawthorne: Tales of the Weirder West", came out earlier this year.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop,

has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find this book and other great titles

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on  May 25, 2014.

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Ray's Reviews: John Sanford's Field of Prey

"Field of Prey" by award-winning author John Sanford (Putnam $28.95) is a gripping, gritty, powerful tale of death and deception.

It's the 24th in his exceptionally popular series starring Lucas Davenport, who's in charge of Minnesota's elite Bureau of Criminal Apprehension unit.

This time, Davenport's crew is called in to investigate a complicated case - dead bodies of at least 15 women have been discovered in a hidden cistern on a rural farm.

The murders seem to date back over 20 years; Davenport's wondering why there's been no connection between the cases of the missing women.

The nasty killer and his unusual accomplice are introduced early in the book; there's an abundance of blood-spattered violence.

This is a solid police procedural with many unexpected twists and turns; there are few useful leads, making it more challenging for Davenport and his crew.

As the investigators work to figure out who's behind the series of murders, the body count increases; more skeletons and bones are discovered.

Davenport believes that the main suspect lives in one of the small rural towns; he just can't come up with the right piece of the puzzle. The wily serial killer makes devious plans to shift attention elsewhere.

Even Davenport's adopted daughter Letty gets involved in the search, coming up with useful, relevant insights. It's likely that she may soon have a nifty spin off series of her own.

Intense media coverage doesn't help the situation, instead adding additional problems. The killer changes his plans, stalking a new, unsuspecting victim, increasing his violent efforts.

Sandford's compelling page-turner showcases strong characterization with many familiar faces, even if they aren't always in the forefront. The dialogue flows smoothly; the convoluted, skillfully crafted plot has some real surprises.

While it's always best to start at the beginning of a crime series, following the character's growth, you really can't go wrong with any of the "Prey" books.

If you're a longtime Sandford fan, this is a tale you won't want to miss. He and co-author Michele Cook have written "Uncaged", a new young adult thriller, scheduled for release in July.

Sandford is the pseudonym for John Camp, a Pulitzer Prize winning former journalist, who's written over a dozen other books. 

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing's Curious Book Shop,

has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find this book and other great titles

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on  May 18, 2014.

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Ray's Reviews: Death Comes Quickly by Susan Wittig Albert, Rosarito Beach by M.A. Lawson, and Everything to Lose by Andrew Goss

Three recent crime novels feature women in peril in varying degrees. One's an herbalist/investigator, another is a DEA agent and the third is an out-of-work mom with serious problems.

"Death Comes Quickly" by the prolific Susan Wittig Albert (Berkeley Prime Crime, $25.95) is the 22nd in her popular series starring herbalist, ex-lawyer and amateur sleuth China Bayles.

When her friend Karen Prior is attacked in a mall parking lot and dies a few days later, Bayles decides to investigate. She discovers that Prior was involved in a student filmmaking project about a murder that took place fifteen years earlier.

The convoluted plot involves Mexican artwork and much more; tasty recipes are included.

Albert fans will certainly be satisfied; newcomers may also enjoy her three other series of mysteries.

"Rosarito Beach" by M. A. Lawson (Blue Rider Press, $26.95) introduces Kay Hamilton, a sexy DEA agent who's just been assigned to San Diego.

She has moved there from Miami, where she used her wiles to topple a drug cartel. Soon she's on a similar mission, trying to bring down an international drug czar, using his brother as bait.

Things don't go quite as planned (putting it mildly!); there's lots of violence and unexpected plot twists. One character appears that will change her life forever.

If you enjoy reading about drug dealers, gangs and smart heroines, you'll live this one, the first in a new series. M. A. Lawson is a pseudonym for Mike Lawson, who's written eight taut political thrillers starring Joe DeMarco.

"Everything to Lose" by bestselling author Andrew Gross (William Morrow, $26.99) showcases Hilary Cantor, a woman who's just lost her job. She's got a deadbeat husband and a son with Asperger's - but her problems are about to become much worse.

Cantor's driving down a dark road when a deer runs in front of the car ahead of her. That car swerves off the road and into a tree.

She rushes down to investigate, discovering that the driver is dead. She finds a satchel with $500,000 on the car's floor and hides it.

The pulse-pounding tale gets considerably more complicated as she's stalked by a nasty killer who wants the money back, regardless of cost. Gross doesn't disappoint his legion of fans; it's a riveting, tense tale of suspense.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed crime novels and Michigan books regularly since 1987.

Find this book and other great titles

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on  May 11, 2014.

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Ray's Reviews: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by GAbrielle Zevin

Gabrielle Zevin will be discussing her writings and signing books 

on Wednesday at 7 pm at Schuler Books, 

Eastwood Town Center, Lansing.

"The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry" by Gabrielle Zevin (Algonquin, $24.95) is an intriguing tale that focuses on the life of Fikry, owner of a small new bookshop located in an old Victorian house on an island off the East Coast.

It's entertaining escapism that starts off a little slow, but soon becomes considerably more interesting. The main cantankerous character goes through a remarkable metamorphosis, after an unexpected, life-changing event.

Full of quirky, unusual characters (including a police officer, a book sales representative and a soused author), the compelling tale is tough to put down. At times, however, there are unpredictable occurrences that stretch believability.

Zevin, who's written five books for young adults plus two other novels, is in fine form with a memorable tale about life, love, risk-taking and growth.

It could easily be produced as a made-for-TV movie. "Fikry" is a great novel for beach reading and would be an excellent choice for a book club discussion group.

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed books regularly since 1987.

Find this book and other great titles

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on  May 7, 2014.

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Book Review: Mission: Shanghai by Les "Buzz" Harcus and In Hiding by Timothy Sheard

Two recent self-published paperbacks deal with a quest for a lost love that has unexpected results. Each focuses on a darker slice of reality, exploring intriguing relationships and sexuality.

"Mission: Shanghai" by MSU graduate Les "Buzz" Harcus (Sandhill Publishing, $15) is an intriguing, vivid tale that follows three strangers who meet on a 1945 military flight from the U.S. to Shanghai.

They discover they're each searching for a lost love - distinctive women that they had to leave behind in 1941. Dallas Thompson is a veteran war correspondent seeking a young Chinese girl who saved his life in Nanking.

Two marines are looking for other women; on is trying to find his wife, while the other wants to track down a cute Chinese girl he fell in love with.

There are many unexpected plot twists as the three men attempt to complete their missions, operating under exceptionally extreme time sanctions.

The China Marines face many challenges are they deal with thugs, prostitutes and out-of-control soldiers in their quest.

Harcus, who lives in Mancelona, writes from experience - he was on a four-engine Marine Corps prop-driven transport plane that flew from Tsintao, China to other locations in the late 1940's.

He's also written seven other fast-paced novels, including "Tainted Treasure", "Web of Greed" and "Surrender in St. Thomas". His email address is lesharcus28@msn.com.

"In Hiding" by Timothy Sheard (Hardball Press, $15) focuses on Peter Davies, who's searching for Angie, the woman of his dreams, who has disappeared.

His journey takes him deep into the underbelly of a sordid New York City, exploring unfamiliar areas involving sex trafficking, brothels and forced prostitution.

Davies gets help from unusual sources, including his cybernetic expert neighbors and a hard-working cop. His quest becomes a bit more bizarres as a radical feminist group intervenes, breaking into brothels and rescuing women held captive.

Although Davies wants to join the group, he's stymied; he feels he must prove himself and find Angie at all costs. While Davies is initially more of a harmless deviant, other characters are not; violence abounds as the novel progresses.

Sheard has written seven other crime novels including his Lenny Moss series; this is a dark, twisted and memorable tale. His email address is timsheard@hardballpress.com.

　

Ray Walsh, owner of East Lansing’s Curious Book Shop, 

has reviewed Michigan books and crime novels regularly since 1987.

Find this book and other great titles

at the Curious Book Shop, an independent 

book shop in East Lansing, founded in 1969.

Curious Book Shop

307 East Grand River Avenue

East Lansing, Michigan

517.332.0112

This review was originally published by the Lansing State Journal on  May 4, 2014.

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