A Southern gothic story takes the reader into the mind of a dangerous man who doesn't know he is so dangerous in "The Wowzer" by Frank Wheeler Jr.
Sheriff's deputy Jerry seems like the average Arkansas country boy. He has a girlfriend Maggie, the first woman he's ever really been close to, and they seem to have worked out a quiet life. Except for the fact that Jerry is also the enforcer for local drug traffickers (who are the sheriff's department) and has a cold-blooded streak. When Maggie finally gets to witness the other side of him and reads what exactly it says about him in his psychiatric file, she freaks out and runs away, causing Jerry to run after her. Even as Jerry comes after Maggie, shadowy men are following after Jerry too, and it seems like his boss may no longer want him around - at work or in life! Will Jerry confront the dark side of himself? Can he win Maggie back? Has he gone too far to be mild-mannered Jerry anymore?
This is a dark thriller of a man who is losing his grip on humanity every day and becoming something a bit more darker. With double crosses and dirty cops, it will please noir fans, but the narrating voice may be a bit tricky to read or at least take some getting used to.
"The Wowzer" is published by Thomas & Mercer. It is $14.95 and 296 pages long.
A TV producer finds herself drawn into the drama behind the scenes of a restaurant opening - and into a murder investigation in "Life Without Parole" by Clare O'Donohue.
Kate is working on a project about death-row inmates, interviewing them now that the death sentence has been revoked, when she is called about another project - the behind-the-scenes of a restaurant opening that her dead husband's girlfriend, Vera, is involved in! If that wasn't awkward enough, before Kate knows it, she's getting sucked into the lives of the two inmates she's interviewing, including one who claims he's innocent! Then one of the restaurant investors ends up dead and Vera's the prime suspect. She asks Kate for help. But as the danger around Kate intensifies, is someone tricking her?
Kate's character is a sympathetic one, someone who gets involved with her subjects against her better judgment. And that can mean being put in danger...
"Life Without Parole" is published by Plume. It is $15 and 275 pages long.
An FBI agent gets caught up in a case when he returns home in "Bloodman" by Robert Pobi.
Jake Cole has led a troubled life since he left home, one that lead to a drug addiction that damaged his heart and a lot of tattoos. Since then, he has cleaned up, married and had a child. His life seems finally on the right path. When his father has an Alzheimer's related accident, Jake returns home. There, he is pulled into a case of a brutal murder in which two people were skinned. His old friend, now working for the local police, thinks Jake's insights can help the case. And Jake begins to suspect the killer in this case may relate back to his mother's murder. But when the truth is uncovered, it may change Jake's life forever.
This is a twisty book with multiple shocks that will keep you guessing until the very last page. And the ending will grab you and not let go.
"Bloodman" is published by Thomas & Mercer. It is $14.95 and 436 pages long.
Contact Amy Phelps at aphelps@newsandsentinel.com
