Tag: Crime Fiction

Border City Chronicles – Four More

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BORDER CITY CHRONICLES – BOOK 2 – 4 stars out of 5 – Editorial Review:

Detective Norm Strom is back, along with several detectives we already know. Our favorite detective relates four more stories of local crime in the Windsor area. Although more detailed in police procedures, each story relates a varied and interesting case file.

1. GONE FISHING – A fishing story that involves catching brutal attackers rather than fish and explains the failings of the judicial system in caring for victims.

2. THE HATFIELDS AND MCKAYS – A tale of a family feud that ends in murder.

3. VICTIMLESS CRIME – a narrative explaining the flaws in the system that is supposed to protect people from scams and frauds.

4. 30 YEARS COLD – A body of a man is discovered. Missing 30 years ago, the discovery shakes his family. This story of his death echoes your mind.

This book held my interest as Norm worked the various cases. The suspense and intrigue ran through the narrative and each story held different perspectives of police work. This book is a well-written story and its social and political implications gave a realistic feel to the plot-definitely a book worth reading.

Official Release Date: August 1st, 2023 – Pre-orders now available

The Accident – Linwood Barclay

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The Accident
by Linwood Barclay (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 10, 2023 

Reading the intro on the back of this book, I was leery, thinking it would be a yawner with a ho-hum plot. But thankfully, I was wrong. I guess what put me off was that the story was about Joe Citizen investigating a car accident that caused the death of his wife.
As I tread cautiously into the first few chapters, Linwood Barclay’s mastery as a story teller quickly grabbed my attention. What appeared to be a common tale told by a common man, slowly evolved into a good whodunnit mystery thriller.
Our protagonist in this story is not a super hero or even a dogged police detective. He is the guy next door who has a natural curiosity about his wife’s death. He has questions. And in seeking answers to the ones that keep him up at night, he starts to unravel a complex and complicated plot that keeps readers guessing throughout the whole book.
Kudos to fellow Canadian author Linwood Barclay for a very good read.

The Eye of God – James Rollins

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The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by 

James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Jun 01, 2023  ·  edit

really liked it

The Eye of God (Sigma Force, #9)
by James Rollins (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Jun 01, 2023  

An entertaining read, action-packed and fast paced, but all too predictable.
The familiar story…an elite special force sets out to save the world, getting hunted, shot and or stabbed along the way. Count on at least one or two of the secondary characters getting bumped off but the mai characters save the world at the very last minute (not really a spoiler alert) and live happily until the next mission comes along.
Rollins is a good author but he’s relied on the tried and true method of telling the same old story to secure readers. Personally, I prefer something out of the ordinary to pique my interest.
Having said that, I did enjoy the material about matter from outer space and the many things we really don’t know about our own universe.

Skim – by Steve Byrne

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Skim: Milk, Money & Murder
by Steve Byrne

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Apr 04, 2023 

What a great novel for author Steve Byrne’s first time out.
Skim is a prohibition era yarn, set in the City of Windsor during it’s nefarious rum-running days.
The story is about one man, a war hero, who wants to do better by his family and chooses to get involved with local gangsters who are tied into the renowned Purple Gang, and their illegal whiskey business.
Maurice “Moose” Ducharme uses his milk route to deliver black market Canadian Club whiskey to his booze-thirsty clients, taking a big risk by getting in deep with the local crime syndicate.
Being a bit of a Winsor history buff, the story kept me turning pages and routing for the underdog.
For anyone interested in local history, prohibition, and Windsor’s dark past, this book is must read.

Camino Winds – John Grisham

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Camino Winds (Camino Island, #2)

John Grisham (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Nov 08, 2022  

As far as I’m concerned, this novel doesn’t live up to Grisham standards. It was a slow starter and not what I’d call a page turner. But if you’re looking for a book that you can pick up and put down every other day or so, Camino Winds is a decent story.


The plot tries to accelerate and get you to the conclusion quickly but falls short and is more of a police procedural, with average citizens taking on investigative rolls, while trying to solve their friend’s murder.


The story combines the fury of a level 4 hurricane with the curiosity of a local group of authors and a book store owner. Use your imagination to fill in the blanks.

A Measure of Darkness – John & Jesse Kellerman

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A Measure of Darkness (Clay Edison, #2)
by Jonathan Kellerman, Jesse Kellerman

Edmond Gagnon‘s review, Oct 03, 2022  

I gave up reading this novel after 220 pages but I should’ve stopped way earlier. Nothing was happening and I didn’t see a satisfactory ending in sight.
I’ve read Jonathan Kellerman before and like his Alex Delaware character, who gets a phone cameo in this yarn. Maybe it’s just this story but I found the Clay Edison character a bore. Even his job as a Deputy Sheriff who’s main job was to discover the identity of murder victims. Boring.
The story started with a bang and several murders which seemed like plot would blast off from there, but then it fell flat as Edison spends hours searching the internet and making phone calls to track down a murder victim’s identity. I didn’t quite get all that and I’m a retired cop.
Maybe it all comes together at the end and he actually helps solve the murder case. Guess I’ll never know. I can live with that.

The 6:20 Man – David Baldacci

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The 6:20 Man by 

David Baldacci (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review – Sep 19, 2022 

I’ve read Baldacci before but not with the protagonist Travis Devine. I liked the character, he was real and easy to relate to, not a super hero by any means, just a good guy trying to do the right thing.
The story was different; a murder in the financial district, obviously committed to cover up something illegal. But the plot is not that simple.
Baldacci keeps us guessing as to who done it, then adds in a few more murders to confuse us even more. A few twists and turns of events and late surprises keep you flipping pages right until the end.
The pace was quick and the story was interesting. A good read.

My Audiobooks

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My first sale of an audiobook on Google Play

Can you hear me now?

I just sold my first Audiobook on Google Play.

All of my titles are listed and someone purchased a copy of Trafficking Chen.

Don’t worry about the serious commission I raked in, it doesn’t even cover the cost of an air filter for the new furnace and air conditioner we just put in the house.

I’ve had previous requests for audiobooks of my titles so it’s nice to know someone bought one.

Thank you listener 🙂

Pop Goes The Weasel – M. J. Arlidge

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Pop Goes the Weasel (Helen Grace, #2)
by M.J. Arlidge

Edmond Gagnon‘s review

Feb 27, 2022  

First off, after reading this book, I have no idea where the title comes from. There’s also a book of the same title by James Patterson.
One of the reviews says that M.J. Arlidge is the the next Jo Nesbo. I disagree.
I found the book a choppy read with a bit too much touchy-feely stuff for my liking, where we were told how the characters ‘felt’ at each and every turn. Perhaps that comes from the voice of female authors, since I find it more often than not.
I also think the author went overboard on female characters…the protagonist, antagonist, and most other characters, with the exception of two males. In any policing organization that I am aware of, that is just not the norm.
Other than those quirks, the story is a good read.

The Vanished Man – Jeffrey Deaver

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The Vanished Man (Lincoln Rhyme, #5)
by Jeffery Deaver (Goodreads Author)

Edmond Gagnon‘s review Feb 18, 2022  

I haven’t read much of Jeffrey Deaver but like his Lincoln Rhyme character. I’ve also see The Bone Collector movie. I wasn’t sure at first that I liked how the antagonist narrated his part in the story, but it was an important part of the plot and went to understanding the character’s motives.
The Vanished Man is the name of a particular illusion, performed by illusionists or magicians. And this story is all about magic and illusions – it has more surprises, twists an turns, than watching a motocross race on a dirt track.
The story is good and characters believable. I can promise that you’ll be fooled more than once reading this book and Deaver will keep you guessing right up until the end.