Sometimes you know that your foe of the moment has no future. That he is too far down the wrong road so you put him down because you have to end his misery. That and you can rescue the three young girls held in the back of the van. It is just part of the job.

The woman in his living room also has a job in mind. A far more personal job for the man who used to be Special Forces and now is a vigilante killer working out of Los Angeles. A job that is complicated and also very much needs doing in the short story Daughters by Nathan Walpow.

Told in the first person, this is a hard edged fast moving short story featuring a nameless and very interesting main character. Borderline sociopath with a touch of humor our antihero is very much of the opinion that the world is a place that needs cleaning up after on a fairly frequent basis. One can’t reveal much about the short story without giving away too much, beyond what has been said above, but there are a couple of twists in this tale that help create a mighty good read.

Daughters
Nathan Walpow
http://www.walpow.com
Self-Published
August 2015
ASIN: B014GBR6SC
E-book
14 Pages
$0.00

I picked up this free read to read and review thanks to the author mentioning it on Facebook.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

https://www.amazon.com/author/kevintipple
Reviews and More http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/kevintipple/

When you solve the murder of an alligator as well a few other things you get a reputation for getting things done. Truman Smith might prefer to sit at the house on Galveston Island, but Dino comes to drag him into yet another fine mess. Though, at first, it doesn’t appear to be that big a deal. At least not like last time with the hunt for Outside Harry.

According to Dino, Lance Garrison wants to see Truman. Because of their past history dating back to High School and a broken nose he contacted Dino to spread the word.  Not only has he made a decent amount of money for Dino, Lance did all right for himself as he made plenty of money on the stock market while working for a brokerage firm there. He had a gift, made a ton of bucks, and came back to build and live in a fancy house with a view of the bay. If a major storm comes churning through the Gulf the house will be toast, but in the meantime the views of the sunsets are spectacular.

So too is the sight of Anne who is sitting a couch in Lance’s house when Dino and Truman arrive. Anne was a special love in High School long ago. The sight of her rattles Truman to the core as he still has incredible feelings for her. She is married now and older, but she still has Truman in ways he can’t fully explain. According to Anne, her father-in-law asked for Truman specifically and Truman still would like to make Anne happy if he can.

Out in the Eagle Lake area north of Houston near a little town called Picketville, Red Hineman (Anne’s father in law) manages quite few acres for Lance Garrison. Thanks to government program the land is a natural habit for water fowl and other birds. One of those is the Atwater Prairie Chicken also known as a grouse. With only 108 or so in the world, including forty or 50 in captivity, the bird is a very endangered. Now, somebody has killed one by shooting it. The dead bird was placed in such a way to make a clear statement. The government sent somebody to investigate, but all he did was massively annoy Red.  Lance is involved in the bird project and wants Truman to go poke around and see if he can figure out what happened before the Feds impose penalties and take other actions.

Lance is a jerk always has been and always will be, but he is willing to pay $500 a day plus expenses. Not only is it a chance to make Lance pay for his help, it is also a way for Truman to spend at least a little time with Anne. So Truman agrees and before long is dealing with a cast of suspects including a possibly crooked sheriff, the local militia, a radio host sure the government is about to attack any minute, small town politics, and more in The Prairie Chicken Kill: A Truman Smith Mystery by Bill Crider.

Fourth in the series that began with Dead on the Island this read finds Truman Smith once again in a strange case as he moves around Southeast Texas. As this was first published in the mid 90s, it does not follow the current fad of dropping a body during the first three pages or feature an incredible hook in the opening sentence. Instead of the current gimmicks all the rage, it features a read that opens with introducing the characters and their relationship, the premise or initial mystery, and then builds slowly and steadily from there as events make things more and more complicated.  A little darker in tone than most of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series, Truman drinks his Big Reds and gradually puts the clues together in a case where nearly everyone is a suspect. Plenty of twists and turns fill the read making The Prairie Chicken Kill: A Truman Smith Mystery by Bill Crider another very good read.

The Prairie Chicken Kill: A Truman Smith Mystery
Bill Crider
http://www.billcrider.com
Walker And Company
http://www.bloomsbury.com
July 1996
ISBN# 0-8027-3282-8
Hardback (also available in audio and e-book formats)
208 Pages
$20.95

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015

https://www.amazon.com/author/kevintipple
Reviews and More http://kevintipplescorner.blogspot.com/
https://www.pinterest.com/kevintipple/

Doak Miller has done a few things over the years. At one time he was a cop with the NYPD. Then, as is often the case, he left the force under some possibly question ale circumstances. Taking with him what he had earned and learned over the many years of service he moved elsewhere and started anew while missing a bit the old job. While he could get by on his NYPD pension there was no harm in obtaining a private investigator license. There was also no harm in making contacts with the local law enforcement.

That small effort led to a rare job by the way of Sheriff William Radburn of Gallatin County awhile back. It worked out well as he seemed to fit the role of an undercover hit man pretty well.  So, the good sheriff would like him to do it again. This time the target is one Lisa Yarrow Otterbein, wife of George Otterbein. She has made it known in certain circles that she would like to be rid of her wealthy husband as soon as possible. In short, she wants to hire a hit man and the person she spoke to used the information to make a deal with the sheriff on another matter.

The plan concocted by the sheriff and Doak is for Doak to wear a wire and pose as a hitman from South Jersey in to take Lisa Yarrow up on her contract. At least that is the sheriff’s plan. Doak Miller has a far different idea based on a fantasy he has always had. If Lisa Yarrow looks anything close to the picture the good sheriff has showed him she fits the bill perfectly from a visual standpoint. The question is whether or not she can fit the bill in other ways.

And, of course, if he can get away with it.

This latest read from author Lawrence Block by the way of Hard Case Crime is a very good one. Filled with interesting characters, classic noir movie references, and an edge to it in the Florida heat, Doak Miller develops a plan and works it at a steady and ultimately nerve racking pace. Everything he does is done for a reason and that includes indulging other desires here and there along the way. Violence is a large desire in him and takes many different forms including sex.

Sex in various ways with various people either directly or by way of talking about it is a large part of The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes. As such the book is a very adult novel and very explicit. It should be avoided if you are not looking for a hard edged noir that works on every level or you prefer your books to include recipes, crafts, or cats.

Simply put, The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes is a classic noir story with all the trappings from start to surprising finish. One would not expect anything else from the author or the publisher. A mighty good read that does not disappoint and is highly recommended.

Don’t just take my word for it. Check out Bill Crider’s review and a short review from Gerald So.

The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes
Lawrence Block
http://www.lawrenceblock.com
Hard Case Crime
http://www.HardCaseCrime.com
September 22, 2015
ISBN#978-1-78329-750-4
Hardback (also available in audio and e-book formats)
240 Pages
$22.99

I received an ARC by way of the author’s publicist in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2015