An engrossing mystery that shines a bright light on its ardent sleuth.
An American cop dives into a serial killer case and tackles his inner demons in this police procedural.
Detective Marvin Sludge’s 2 a.m. call takes him to a murder scene in an unnamed American suburb. A United States senator’s son is dead from a single gunshot in his home. But there are 22 spent shells near the body. Sludge guesses the killer placed the shells there intentionally—a sign that the victim is the first of 22. Indeed, homicides with the same M.O. follow, giving local detectives and the FBI a string of dead ends. The investigation takes its toll on Sludge, who’s likely been suffering from PTSD after a brutal mission during his special forces days. His department’s annual psychological evaluation puts him in touch with a shrink, who offers to treat him away from his superiors’ prying eyes. But church may be the key to overcoming his “dark turmoil.” Though Sludge previously scoffed at religion, he has a change of heart when the Bible gives him the solace and answers he yearns for. The murder case in Schulte’s novel, despite the title, constitutes only about half of the engaging narrative. The true focus is Sludge and his path to hopefully finding enlightenment and peace. Still, he leads several investigations, and the author meticulously details police work, as cops comb and try piecing together evidence. These unfortunately entail some mundane particulars, such as a federal agent’s explaining spreadsheets, as well as vague descriptions (for example, “amnesia drug”). But Sludge’s stirring personal journey is worthwhile. Readers watch him evolve from a gruff, cynical loner to a man who willingly discusses such profound topics as death, love, and compassion. While most of the supporting cast fades in the background, Sludge’s ambitious rookie partner, Bill Braskey, stands out—aiding the senior detective both at work and in his private life.
An engrossing mystery that shines a bright light on its ardent sleuth.Pub Date: July 20, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66423-819-0
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 11, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
As the prosecutor sadly observes: “All this because of a dead buffalo.”
Idyllic Catalina Island turns out to be just as crime infested as the rest of Los Angeles County in the latest series launch by the creator of Harry Bosch, Renée Ballard, and the Lincoln Lawyer.
Det. Sgt. Stilwell has been bounced off the county homicide squad and rusticized to Catalina, where the exclusive Black Marlin Club won’t admit even four-term Avalon Mayor Doug Allen to full membership and the most serious infraction seems to be the killing and cutting up of a buffalo, presumably by Henry Gaston, who operates Island Mystery Tours when he’s not threatening endangered species. All that changes with the discovery of a body sunk in the surrounding waters. The corpse, most recognizable by its streak of purple hair, is that of Leigh-Anne Moss, a Black Marlin server recently fired for fraternizing with members and guests she sees as potential sugar daddies. Stilwell is sufficiently invested in her murder to compete vigorously over jurisdiction with Rex Ahearn, the LA County homicide detective who kept his job when Stilwell lost his. Their rivalry, fueled by mutual contempt, is only the first hint that Stilwell will end up fighting his counterparts in law enforcement and local government at least as hard as he fights crooks like hit man Merris Spivak and Oscar “Baby Head” Terranova, Henry’s boss, who comes under sharper scrutiny when Henry disappears and ends up dead himself. Connelly handles his hero’s obligatory romance with assistant harbormaster Tash Dano and his increasingly wary alliance with assistant D.A. Monika Juarez with equal professionalism, and if the wrap-up leaves some loose ends dangling, well, that’s what franchises are for.
As the prosecutor sadly observes: “All this because of a dead buffalo.”Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780316588485
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: April 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 2025
These letters from some important executive Down Below, to one of the junior devils here on earth, whose job is to corrupt mortals, are witty and written in a breezy style seldom found in religious literature. The author quotes Luther, who said: "The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." This the author does most successfully, for by presenting some of our modern and not-so-modern beliefs as emanating from the devil's headquarters, he succeeds in making his reader feel like an ass for ever having believed in such ideas. This kind of presentation gives the author a tremendous advantage over the reader, however, for the more timid reader may feel a sense of guilt after putting down this book. It is a clever book, and for the clever reader, rather than the too-earnest soul.
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1942
ISBN: 0060652934
Page Count: 53
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 17, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 1943
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