Dustin Stevens

I loved the book and I especially loved Billie. Billie was a female Belgian Malinois who became the partner of Columbus, Ohio Detective Reed Maddox. The dog was a perfect partner since Maddox was determined to NEVER take on another human partner. The dog was a military bomb sniffer whose original handler died while attempting to defuse an IED while stationed in Afghanistan. She has been assigned to the K9 unit as a police dog in Columbus, Ohio. These are two kindred souls if I ever saw any. I thought as I read that this man must have never lost his heart to a four-legged creature. He has no idea of the heartbreak that he will encounter there. The "Boatman" is the antagonist in the story...a serial killer who we only see identified by that name... for Charon from Greek mythology, who carries souls across the rivers Styx into the world of the dead. It's a wonderfully written and presented story. It's essentially a tale of vigilante justice. I found it to be both intense and extremely enjoyable. I will search for more of Billie and Reed.… (meer)

Another mini review as I attempt to catch up on some older downloads. Either I'm getting better at picking books or have no control when it comes to those featuring a dog. I suspect it's the latter.

This police procedural is set in Columbus & introduces us to cop Reed Mattox & sidekick Billie, a Belgian Malinois. After Reed lost his human partner, he transferred to the K9 unit & eventually met Billie. She was a bomb-sniffer in Afghanistan who ended up back in the states after also losing her human.

Reed initially chose to work nights in an effort to avoid people & responsibility. His patch is the gritty, poverty stricken part of town known as The Bottoms. After coming upon the scene of a gruesome murder, he ends up saddled with leading the investigation.

In alternate chapters, we spend time with a man bent on revenge. An unsolved crime from the past robbed him of everything that mattered in his life. The police quietly shelved the investigation & if they won't go after those responsible, well....he has his own methods (yikes!).

I really enjoyed this. The story behind the murders is gripping & heads off in surprising directions. But what makes it a compelling read is the relationship between Reed & Billie. They have a lot in common. Both are adapting to new realities & have difficulty working with others. Neither is really interested in having a new partner but as the story progresses, initial wariness gives way to trust as they learn to depend on each other.

Reed, Billie & the killer are all trying to make sense of life changing events, albeit in very different ways. It's a well paced & atmospheric read that will have you thinking about the true meaning of justice. And did I mention it has a dog?… (meer)

This review was originally posted @ Readers' Muse

Kidnapping, Ex-Con Uncle, Criminal masterminds. These three words in the summary of the book made me go for it. My kind of book really.

The story begins with cattle being branded in a rusty ranch. A frantic phone call from the twin sister( Alex O'Connor) of narrator (Felix “O” O'Connor) stating that her daughter has been kidnapped interrupts the branding process. “O” drives to his sister's place and uses his old prison connections to try track the kidnapper and rescue his niece. (I found that cattle branding interrupted by a phone call extremely amusing!)

One prisoner leads to some equal rouge outside prison who then washes his hands off and points to another criminal, who finally points to the original bad guy.

Our narrator “O” takes matter into his own hands in spite of the police involved and follows that criminal link to take down the bad guy finally and get back his kidnapped niece.

This is the story line put real blunt sans the twists that are actually present in the book. But then, if you pick this book expecting melodramatic twists or strategic turns, you are sure to be disappointed.

The writer, Dustin Stevens has used very simple language and has followed a very mellow style of narration. No frills attached. Just bang on to the point. Yet somehow he manages to convey all sorts of emotions ranging from that protective instinct of a brother to the innocence of a child.

When a book involves kidnapping of a child, writers tend to make it thoroughly dramatic. At times they go overboard. But thankfully that didn't happen with this book. A bit of a drama is okay. But overdoing drama kills of the suspense element.

One other thing which I loved about the was that, the characters weren't exactly complicated. The plot certainly was fast paced but not too fast making the readers lose track of what exactly happens.

There was only one thing I didn't exactly like. The chain of criminals. One leading to another is fine. But one leading to another leading to another isn't exactly “interesting”. When the third criminal came, I sort of became weary. I just wondered of this one was going to lead to another.
Nevertheless, it was worth the read for someone like me who can't just get enough of thrillers.

VERDICT: It's definitely a book to read if you like reading thrillers.

RATING: 4/5
… (meer)