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Icarus
Icarus, by David K. Hulegaard, is the first book in the Noble Trilogy and is the captivating account of Miller Brinkman’s investigation into the disappearance of one Jane Emmett. When MIller, a former deputy-turned-private investigator is approached by young Jessie Fryman, Jane’s best friend and confidante, he reluctantly, and unknowingly, involves himself in an age-old conspiracy rooted in the U.S. government and spanning the continents. Brinkman, a writer himself, is reunited with his true love, Charissa Burke, after a 15-year separation and is able to easily pick up where they left off a decade and half ago while working together to find Jane, identify the men in black, and discover a truth neither of them could have imagined exists.
Set in December of 1947 in Ashley Falls, West Virginia, Icarus, has all the makings of the tale of a wayward P.I.–at first glance. Random mysterious notes appear for Miller, gradually revealing bits of information hinting at Jane Emmett’s true fate. From the greasy spoon diner to the crooked small-town sheriff, Hulegaard has managed to include it all. Don’t jump to conclusions, though. Hulegaard has knocked it out of the park with this first in a series. Even with its little homages to the private detective pieces of old, he has fashioned a unique take on the mystery and has crafted a plot like no other.
Miller Brinkman is one in a long list of memorable characters, and the author paints exceptional pictures of each and every one. Beginning with Jane Emmett, herself, Hulegaard draws the most tangible sketches of his cast. Alyssa Noble, the seemingly small cog in what becomes a much larger wheel of inconceivable circumstances, is drawn so effectively in the narrative she seems to almost stand upright on the pages before the reader’s very eyes.
Hulegaard is phenomenal with the English language–truly. I don’t often find a book of this genre I feel compelled to complete in a single sitting, but Icarus, without a doubt, takes this title. There is much to be said for an author who can rope readers in within the first paragraphs–Hulegaard does just that.
One of the most compelling elements of Hulegaard’s work is his finesse with the flashback. Placed at intentionally strategic points throughout the book, they give insight–but not too much–into Jane’s whereabouts and the seriousness of her predicament. Each perfectly-timed detail in the backstory revolving around Jane’s disappearance sets the stage for a thrilling read. In addition, the author creates a beautiful blanket of emotion around Miller and Charissa with snippets of their conversations from years gone by.
Without a second’s hesitation, I am giving Icarus 5 out of 5 stars. Any mystery fan, fan of science fiction, or lover of the private detective style of writing of the 40s will lose him or herself quickly in this piece. There is no doubt in my mind Hulegaard is going to see a huge return on the investment of time he has placed in his Alyssa Noble series. Icarus is simply stunning–a must-read.
Pages: 233 | ASIN: B01MTZZVZA
Dead Air
Dead Air: A Glenn Beckert Mystery by Cliff Protzman is a thrilling mystery story. Glenn “Beck” Beckert runs the security for a radio station where his friend, Zito, from high school works. While this friend is working, he is shot in the head. Beck finds himself involved in the investigation and it turns out that the list of suspects is fairly complicated. Far more people had motive to murder his friend than he anticipated. The widow and the victim were both unfaithful, giving plenty of motive. He was also on the outs with the radio station stockholders that were looking to sell. Then Zito’s laptop uncovers a mystery all of it’s own.
Beck finds Irene, an old love, to help him unlock the mystery of Zito’s laptop. The laptop reveals even more than they both could have expected. Meanwhile, they start to realize there is still chemistry between them. Add in both mysterious and not so mysterious threats on Beck’s life, and you have the premise of this thrilling novel.
I felt like this novel did a fantastic job of utilizing a standard mystery format to deliver a thrilling and engaging story. A ‘whodunit’ novel that develops fascinating characters and puts them in some interesting situations.
I enjoyed the depth of each character, which is important in building suspense in a mystery novel. Cliff Protzman has fully realized characters with their own personal quandaries about right and wrong, which is refreshing. So many writers create characters that don’t adapt and flow through the story. It’s nice to see someone really put some thought and love into their character development.
What has really made this novel enjoyable is the way the mystery unfolds. It felt like the murder victim had many layers that Beck was slowly peeling off, one by one, only to find that the person at the core wasn’t who he appeared to be. In a way, many of the characters were that way. Each having their individual things they wanted the world to see, but as the story line and the investigation continued, we get to see the real person underneath the facade. Some of those people were nothing like what they wanted everyone else to believe they were.
Dead Air: A Glenn Beckert Mystery by Cliff Protzman is a well written dark murder mystery novel. The story was easy to follow with twists that I could follow. Get yourself ready for this novel; it was a fun read.
Pages: 321 | ASIN: B0765VNM1K
Exposure to the Underside
Brent Kroetch Author Interview
The Biggest Little Crime In The World is the third book in the popular Ham McCalister Series and follows the lives of two Las Vegas Homicide detectives turned private eyes. What was your inspiration for the setup of the story and how did that help you create the ending?
This one flowed naturally from the book before. Although each is written as a standalone so that they may be read in any order, the ending of each at least hints at the start of the next. In this case, the wedding between Drew and her beloved superstar was foreshadowed and thus the book began as such. And that led to the story arc, a rather natural extension of the characters and their responses to life, incidents both good and bad. The denouement arose from the investigation and, though the why and the who were a surprise to me, the ending was at least partially suggested by the plot outline developed before writing began. And it did tie nicely to the series, I am pleased to say.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
I love this question because it’s the foundation that makes writing such an enjoyable endeavor. The answer is that in this book, as in each I’ve written, the players never cease to surprise me. They say and do as they please, and take the plot in directions I had not anticipated. That despite the rather extensive plot and character outlines. It’s so much fun to run the other way from that which was anticipated. In sum, the characters act it out and they and they alone dictate the plot development.
I love the dynamic relationship between Drew and Ham. What were the morals you were trying to capture while creating your characters?
Drew and Ham are complicated by their exposure to the underside of life. As homicide detectives for the Las Vegas police department, they saw and experienced more that most of the underbelly of society. Both are imperfect characters in that both are inherently honest and rigidly law and order, yet both are not above bending the rules when the circumstances, as they see them, warrant the dishonesty therein. And both struggle with that dilemma, the eternal battle between that which we see as ideal and that which we refuse to allow, no matter the moral cost. It is a constant struggle for both, as each seeks truth and justice, rewards for their efforts, conviction of the guilty and protection for the innocent—this while refusing to bend to niceties when evil rises before them. Erasing evil, to the both of them, takes precedence over a simple genuflect to the rules.
What is the next story that you’re writing and when will it be published?
The next book is The Curious Case Of Ham On Wry. It follows Ham and Drew as they try to exonerate their client, U.S. Representative Harold Wry from a charge of murdering his Washington intern. I expect the book to available sometime next summer.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Ham McCalister and Drew Thornton, Nevada’s most accomplished private detectives, are on the hunt again. And this time it’s personal…
Shots ring out and two find their mark, just under the arch that declares Reno “The Biggest Little City In The World.” A crime, an assassination that the press will dub “The Biggest Little Crime In The World.”
That very day Ham McCalister had walked his dearest friend and business partner, Drew Thornton, down the aisle to wed her rock superstar betrothed, Russ Porter, one of the frontmen of the legendary band Truckee River. In that happy moment, what neither he nor Drew could have foreseen was the sudden tragedy that would greet them on the streets of Reno, mere minutes after the wedding bells chimed. For there, under that iconic arch, Russ Porter falls victim to an assassin’s bullet, along with an unknown second casualty.
While Russ is tended to at Reno’s finest medical center, by the state’s finest physicians, Ham and Drew race to uncover the who and the why behind the unspeakable evil unleashed in the aftermath of the wedding of Drew’s dreams. And then exact a revenge that she will personally inflict.
What they find, what they don’t’ expect, what they finally uncover, is The Biggest Little Conspiracy In The World.
The Biggest Little Crime in the World
The Biggest Little Crime in the World is the third book in the popular Ham McAllister Series and follows the lives of two LA Homicide detectives turned private eyes.
Once Ham walks his partner down the aisle to her famous love of her life, shots ring out and Russ Porter is shot. It’s rumoured that Porter has been shot and killed by an assassin with another unknown casualty at the scene. The duo go on the hunt to uncover the monster that did this and end up with a lot more than they bargained for. The duo uncover a crime that is quickly dubbed ‘the biggest little crime in the world’.
I enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, immediately threw you into the action and kept the suspense building from the first shot to the last chapter. This book kept me on the edge of my seat right until the very end.
I really enjoyed Drew Thorton as a character. I am a fan of strong female leads and that’s exactly what Thorton is within this book. She is multifaceted but also vulnerable and her character gets more dynamic as the duo go on a quest for revenge. When the revenge finally happens, I got chills.
However, the banter is a bit much to deal with at times between the duo. While reading this book, it felt like there was too much dialogue between characters that could’ve been explained in a sentence or two of descriptive writing.
The descriptive language in this book is something I truly enjoyed. The author has a varied vocabulary and this comes across in a few choice sentences, such as ‘lights and siren its fateful companion’ when describing an ambulance speeding away. I’ve never heard it be explained like that before and it was refreshing to read fresh prose.
The relationship between Ham and his son Dylan is very sweet as well. Although it’s not at the forefront of the book, it’s a nice reminder every now and again and the dialogue between the pair is nice to read. It was a welcome break from the fast paced nature of the book.
As I am not very informed about the lives of private detectives, this was a very interesting read. I keep forgetting that the world isn’t as black and white as I think it is so when Ham bribes a hotel manager in order to get access to some video tapes, I was shocked and yet reminded that this is what happens in the real world. Therefore, it is clear that Kroetch does a good job of immersing the reader while informing them of a world they might not know about.
Pages: 241 | ASIN: B0741PZ8SB
The Biggest Little Crime In The World
Ham McCalister and Drew Thornton, Nevada’s most accomplished private detectives, are on the hunt again. And this time it’s personal…
Shots ring out and two find their mark, just under the arch that declares Reno “The Biggest Little City In The World.” A crime, an assassination that the press will dub “The Biggest Little Crime In The World.”
That very day Ham McCalister had walked his dearest friend and business partner, Drew Thornton, down the aisle to wed her rock superstar betrothed, Russ Porter, one of the frontmen of the legendary band Truckee River. In that happy moment, what neither he nor Drew could have foreseen was the sudden tragedy that would greet them on the streets of Reno, mere minutes after the wedding bells chimed. For there, under that iconic arch, Russ Porter falls victim to an assassin’s bullet, along with an unknown second casualty.
While Russ is tended to at Reno’s finest medical center, by the state’s finest physicians, Ham and Drew race to uncover the who and the why behind the unspeakable evil unleashed in the aftermath of the wedding of Drew’s dreams. And then exact a revenge that she will personally inflict.
What they find, what they don’t’ expect, what they finally uncover, is The Biggest Little Conspiracy In The World.
LITERARY TITAN 