Synopsis:
A Hollywood studio exec comes home to find the dead body of a stranger in his ocean-view condo in this upscale Los Angeles suburb. Santa Monica Police Department’s Detective Dave Mason pulls his warring team together to link the body to a string of high-tech burglaries which has Santa Monica on edge.
The stakes rise as the investigation leads Mason away from Santa Monica to Hollywood to the Russian community to be warned off by the FBI and Homeland Security. A bungled take down results in two murders of key informants. Fingers are pointed. Mason is outranked and the Department blamed.
On the way to a resolution that restores the Department’s and Mason’s reputation, the burglar and a Chechen housewife find true love. While Mason has brought an international whodunit to an end, he finds his relationship with his activist girlfriend teetering on the edge.
My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this whodunit murder/mystery. Towards the beginning I believed that I knew what was going on, but little did I know! I love the author's style of writing and found this book very easy to read. The characters were well developed and the story line had me hooked from page one. This was the first book that I have read by the author and I can't wait to delve deeper into the ever so fascinating life of Dave Mason. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great Mystery/Thriller book :)
Author Bio:
What if a major gambling outfit tried to build a high-rise casino in downtown, upscale Santa Monica? What if one of the city councilmembers, like the ones I knew well, was murdered before she could cast the deciding vote?In Santa Monica development politics are blood sport. I love the city. It's built out to its glamorous edges, one of which is the Pacific Ocean. What gets built--and doesn't get built--stirs up hot disputes and marathon city council meetings.
Dave Mason, a homicide detective in the Santa Monica Police Department, came to me as a fully developed character when I saw two actual homicide detectives sitting in a black Crown Vic. They were there to monitor a crowd of old ladies, kids, and die hard activists marching to support hotel workers.
I loved the idea of playing with the dynamics between big money and big ideas that change the urban landscape. Just as fascinating are the interactions between cops and community activists.
What if the leader of the anti-casino campaign was a witness to the councilwoman's murder? The what if questions then came thick and fast. The plot quickly took shape. A possible romance? These two? Try getting them to agree on something.
I'm coming to the end of the editing process on my second Dave Mason novel, called Rip-Off, which is due in late 2011. Thanks to all of you who liked No Dice.
I was a burnt out academic researcher for decades, then grant writer, editor, and creative writing teacher. At the same time I was a political insider during Santa Monica's rent control and living wage wars. Getting a good mystery out of what goes on behind the scenes makes all those dreary council meetings worthwhile.
You can stalk Mar here:
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