Michael A. Black

Very interesting, almost conversational tone to this book. I'm liking it so far. Definitely feels like I'm sitting at a table and the actor is telling me a story.

I think I'm getting spoiled by movies and TV, where the building, suspense, and clues are either more obvious or less scattered. This book is opening lots of empty closet doors, or so it seems. I have a suspicion about a character, but it would be a standard trope...

As I read, I'm definitely getting the sense that the main character show more is a Mary Sue of the actor, with what he'd hope would happen. Which is coloring my view of the book even more.

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Okay, so I am definitely either reading too many of these type books or something. The suspicion I had of one character proved to be true. In fact, I knew it the moment the character appeared on the page. Shoot, most of the last two chapters read like a cliché. Even the ending had that predictable trope like ring to it. One other twist I wasn't completely buying, really I still don't, though it does sound plausible.

For a fiction book by a stand up comic and actor, this probably isn't that bad for a first attempt. I could see places I'd tighten the prose, places where I'd add description, and places I'd just drop.

A good decent read when you really don't want to think... show less

I'll give Mr. Belzer this, at least he knows how write in his own voice and it's obvious he had a blast writing this book. While not as funny as I'd hoped it would be, it was nice to see a slice of New York you don't often see in books, like the Russians who inhabit Brighton Beach and the Russian mafiya which has reared its ugliness in recent years.

As with any book in this genre (accidental detective?) the situations are a little, OK, a lot improbable, but then it wouldn't be much fun to show more read otherwise, right? show less

Detective Colby is a champion worth rooting for! The tale starts off in his younger days when he and his partner Dicks have serial killer Morgan Lairds tracked down and on the run. The action grabbed me right away, pulling me into the story and never letting go.

The bulk of the story takes place years later in present-day Chicago. Colby and Dicks are still police detectives but Lairds has just been paroled. A new set of killings happen, looking just like Lairds’ work. This hits close to show more home for Colby and immediately he starts narrowing down the list of people who had access to the original files and photos on Lairds.

Meanwhile, us readers know who is behind the killings. There’s a medical laboratory that has been doing some interesting and cutting edge experiments with human cloning. This aspect gave the story a scifi thriller subplot which I quite enjoyed. The bad guys are little stereotypical but it was easy to hate on them and root for our hero, Colby.

There were few female characters, which I felt was a weak spot in tale. Leslie, a detective from Canada where one of the murders occurred, is in Chicago to work with the police in solving the murder. I forget her last name because she’s so often referred to by her first and her good looks and sexiness is the first thing always described. Unfortunately her main role in the tale is as a romantic interest and not as a detective. Bummer. The ladies could have added more to this story.

I liked that we readers know from the beginning who is behind the killings and why, yet we have to watch Colby figure everything out. He’s got so much stacked against him! A reporter (another lady who is mostly a sexy love interest) has some behind-the-scenes info on the old Laird murders and Colby’s bosses think he himself might be the leak. Then there’s trying to work out who would copycat Laird and why. Toss in a few more snags in the investigation and Colby has his hands full! This case could end his career!

The cat-and-mouse action kept me glued to the book. I really wanted Colby to win out but I wasn’t sure he would and I also worried that someone close to him would pay a hefty price for victory. The pacing was great and the ending was satisfying. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: James Romick gave a great performance. He had distinct voices for all the characters and his female voices were feminine. I especially liked his ability to portray the emotions of the various characters. His pacing was perfect and there were no technical issues with this recording. 5/5 stars. show less

Ex-cop turned P.I. Ron Shade gets two jobs in the space of a single day. First, attorney Rick Walters calls. Walters is preparing for a wrongful death civil suit against Dr. Todd Gooding, whose messy divorce and custody battle ended when his wife Laura was found dead. Walters has three weeks to prepare to face the hot-shot attorney and legendary P.I. who already got Gooding acquitted of the criminal charges. Long odds and a short time table make the case irresistible. Second, Lt. Bielmaster, show more with whom Shade has a long history of mutual dislike, asks for protection for his daughter from a low-life ex-boyfriend who is back in town. But is this a case of stalking or teenage love? Then, Shade’s manager calls with a longed for chance at the International Heavyweight Kickboxing Championship. It never rains, but it pours. Black, a police officer in the Chicago suburbs, maintains the pacing and tone of a police procedural while intricately weaving multiple plot lines together around a cast of interesting characters. Ron Shade's adventures began with A Killing Frost. show less