The Ways of the Dead - Neely Tucker - Review AND Giveaway

It's no secret that crime novels and thrillers are my favourite type of book to read. I'm always on the lookout for new authors in these genres . And it's always a good bet to see a blurb from one of my favourite authors. Such is the case with Neely Tucker's debut fiction novel The Ways of the Dead.

"If this is Tucker's first novel, I can't wait for what's coming next." - Michael Connelly

I love opening scenes that grab my attention right away and have me wondering what's next...

1999. Teenager Sarah Reese takes lessons from a celebrated dance instructor in Washington, DC. But the studio is on the wrong side of the tracks. And Sarah is in the wrong place at the wrong time.....

Sarah's case garners lots of attention as her father is the Chief Judge of the Federal Court. And it catches the eye of reporter Sullivan Carter as well. But Sully sees a bigger picture - there's more to this story. And no one seems to want him to uncover it....

The best protagonists for crime books are the walking wounded, the ones who buck authority, the ones who just can't let things be or let justice go unserved. Sully Carter fills the bill on every count. He's battling PTSD, alcohol and anger issues, his bosses and manages to step on toes everywhere he goes. He's also a confidant of the one of DC's crimelords. Flawed but driven.

Neely's dialogue is effortless and believable. The plotting was really, really good. Actual events in the 1990's were the inspiration behind the book. But Neely takes his novel in directions I didn't predict. (another big plus)

Neely's background is rich and wide and varied. His own experience as a journalist is evident in his writing. Neely's descriptions of time and place were vivid and I had strong mental images of the streets and back alleys of the neighbourhood.

The Ways of the Dead is gritty, grim and oh so good. I wholeheartedly agree with Michael Connelly's blurb - I too will be watching for the next book in this series. Read an excerpt of The Ways of the Dead.

You can find Neely Tucker on Facebook and on Twitter.

And thanks to the generosity of Viking Books, I have a copy of The Ways of the Dead to giveaway to one lucky reader! Simply leave a comment to be entered (and a way to contact you). Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Closes July 19/14.

Giveaway - Third Rail - Rory Flynn

Rory Flynn's new novel, Third Rail, releases on June 10/14. And I have a copy to giveaway to one lucky reader! Crime and mystery fans, this is one you'll want to get your hands on - it's the first in Flynn's Eddy Harkness series.

What's it about? From the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt:

"At crime scenes, Eddy Harkness is a human Ouija board, a brilliant young detective with a knack for finding the hidden something—cash, drugs, guns, bodies. But Eddy’s swift rise in an elite narcotics unit is derailed by the death of a Red Sox fan in the chaos of a World Series win, a death some camera-phone-wielding witnesses believe he could have prevented. Scapegoated, Eddy is exiled to his hometown just outside Boston, where he empties parking meters and struggles to redeem his disgraced family name. 

Then one night Harkness’s police-issue Glock disappears. Unable to report the theft, Harkness starts a secret search—just as a string of fatal accidents lead him to uncover a new, dangerous smart drug, Third Rail. With only a plastic disc gun to protect him, Harkness begins a high-stakes investigation that leads him into the darkest corners of the city, where politicians and criminals intertwine to deadly effect.

With a textured sense of place, a nuanced protagonist, and a story that takes off from page one and culminates in a startling finale, Third Rail has all the elements of a breakout mystery success."

"A powerful new voice in crime fiction. A generally nice guy in Boston.

Credit: Sandy Poirier

 Rory Flynn is the pen name of acclaimed novelist Stona Fitch, author of five previous novels, including Senseless, now an independent feature film and a graphic novel. In 2008, Stona founded the Concord Free Press, a independent publishing house that publishes and distributes original novels, asking only that readers make a voluntary donation to a charity or person in need, then pass their book on. The CFP has inspired generosity throughout the world and created a new approach to publishing that has earned praise from publishing visionaries and readers. Stona lives with his family in Concord, Massachusetts." You can keep up with Rory Flynn on Twitter.

Sound like a book you'd like to read? One copy up for giveaway - simply leave a comment to be entered. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends June 14/14.