Sheri S. reviewed on 12/2/2011 + 56 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

What do you get when you cross a crotchety retired police officer with a learning disabled assistant and a Christian secretary? A book full of larger than life characters and a story that will hold your interest until the end.

Ray Quinn is a private investigator. After working for the Police department as a homicide detective for over 20 years, he is now his own boss. This book begins his journey on his second biggest case. Written from first person perspective, Ray journals his thoughts and steps to solving a case that is quite baffling to everyone involved.

Realistic. If I were asked to give one word to describe this book, this is it. Ray Quinn is a very well-developed character. His problems are real, not sugar-coated and reading the story from first person made me feel as though I was privy to his most private thoughts. His character was consistent. Mynheir should definitely get 5 stars on writing convincing real-life people.

The story gives the reader a real glimpse into the life of a private investigator and the homicide detectives too. The way that Ray thinks and the decisions he makes are part of this very captivating story. I was also fascinated by the method and procedures that homicide detectives follow while solving a case. The pacing of this book was another part of lending to its reality. While many times, fiction books will be sped up for thrill, this book did not do that. I have to admit that at times I was frustrated by the slowness in the pacing. However, after reading through and finishing the whole story, I realize that the gait of this book was another crucial element lending to the credibility of a non-fiction feel. Also, the who-dunnit was surprising to me, which was a huge plus!

I was pleased to learn that Mark Mynheir was a law enforcement officer for twenty-three years. No wonder he was able to write such a realistic, well-thought out, evenly paced, suspenseful mystery.

As far as the Christian message in this book? Dont read it for that. It will disappoint you. Ray Quinn is not a believer, nor is he even searching. His Christian secretary is a breath of fresh air for those of us who love the Savior. Still, nothing in the story was so offensive (even with Rays alcoholic tendencies) that I couldnt move past it.

My rating: Im going to have to give this book 3 stars, which to me means that it was a nice one-time read, though I had a few personal problems with it. However, I have to admit that Mynheir deserves a higher rating just for the realistic elements here. So though Im going to keep my rating at 3 stars, I will jump at the chance to read more books by this author.

I hope this review helps you to make your decision on whether or not to read this book. I think that it all boils down to personal preference.

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