Recently engaged private investigators, Atticus Wynn and Rosemary Sanchez, have both seen and experienced the dark and violent side of life. Nothing, though, has prepared them for the explosive murder case that they are currently working on. This is an investigation that threatens to tear their relationship apart as they struggle to solve a case that could either send them to prison or to the morgue.

Atticus' manipulative ex-girlfriend Claire bursts back into their lives harboring a secret about Rosemary's family that she exploits in order to force the couple to investigate the execution-style slaying of her lover. Taking the case thrusts Rosemary and Atticus headlong into the shadowy world of human trafficking and drug smuggling, while rendering them pawns in Tijuana cartel captain Armando Villanueva's bloody bid to take over the criminal underworld.

The Black Song Inside is a vivid crime thriller rife with murder and madness, threaded with moments of dark gallows humor and the heroism of two flawed and compelling protagonists who, if they can save themselves, may finally learn the nature of redemption and forgiveness.

I must say that while I enjoyed reading this book, it is definitely not for the faint of heart. The plot deals with some seriously dark issues, in a gritty and realistic way. For me, some of the profanity and racial slurs used made reading the story rather difficult, although it certainly enhanced the reality of the characters. I appreciated the thread of gallows humor that was present throughout the story and give this book an A! I will certainly be on the look out for more from this author to read in the future. ( )

The Black Song Inside. Carlyle Clark. 2012. This book was a pleasant surprise! It is several steps above the usual inexpensive Kindle download. Atticus is a private investigator in Southern California, and Rosemary is his sometime partner and fiancé. She is recovering physically and mentally from losing and leg in Afghanistan. Atticus is arrested and accused of knowing about a murder involving the drug cartel and human trafficking. Rosemary’s brother is a hood and is mixed up in the affair. The book is very violent and suspenseful and also funny at times ( )

I received this book in the "member give-away" for an honest review.
You might have a different opinion of this book but this is mine and I'm sticking to it...check out my other reviews to see if your tastes match mine before you take my word for it.

First let me start by saying that I never finished the book. I made it about 25% of the way through and just didn't have the interest in the story to continue.

The writing style of the author was actually pretty good and the editing (while not perfect) was done quite well. So you ask why I didn't finish? I am not 100% sure (lots of percentages in here) but I just never felt connected with the story or the characters.

I know it is fiction but I found myself shaking my head at some of things that happened. In a story, the events need to fit with the time/setting, etc...but I never felt that they did. Especially the way the police acted (won't say any more to avoid spoiling your read).

Also, I didn't care a thing for ANY of the characters. Like I said the writing was done well. The sentences flowed and everything but the characters seemed to be "mechanical". It was like watching people being forced into molds they did fit in.

Oh, and one last thing I didn't like...the mention of Antonio Banderas...really?

Overall: 2.5 stars ( )

Original review here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-black-song-inside-blog-tour-book...

The Black Song Inside is a crime thriller that really grabbed my attention from the get-go. I don't normally read books like this, but I am glad at jumped at the chance. We follow a couple named Atticus and Rosemary. They are both private investigators, so they have seen their fair share or chaos. But chaos has a whole new meaning when Atticus' ex-girlfriend, Claire causes a stir. Claire contacts him and happens to drop his name to some of the most dangerous men in the Tijuana Cartel. Atticus and Rosemary are put to the test when they must run for their lives when caught between two madmen.

This was quite a fun read, It was full of mystery and suspense that kept me at the edge of my seat. I really loved our main characters, Atticus and Rosemary. Atticus is a P.I. most try to avoid. He is a certified badass. I loved his humor and how smart he was. He really understood the criminals he was up against. Rosemary was a favorite though. She was in the army and lost her leg. She always stays in her home because she suffers from PTSD. She was behind the wheel of the car that blew up when she lost her leg. But she doesn't let that stop her. She is definitely one of my favorite heroines. Her one week spot really was her adopted brother, Johnny. Johnny gets into a lot of trouble. He is always running with the wrong crowd. Atticus knows he will never change, but Rosemary is still holding hope. I felt bad for her when it came to Johnny. You can see she loves him and wants to help him. There are a lot of characters in this book, but never once do you get them confused.

This story was really fast paced. This book isn't for everyone though. Clark made quite a realistic and gritty thriller. You could almost count this as a horror. Our characters have sadly been blackmailed in the middle of a war in the cartel. They don't know the why or the who. They need to get to the bottom of it before more people get killed or themselves killed. The villains are terrifying especially the one we first meet, The Priest. The Priest believes he is the right hand of God. Everything he does are directions given to him by the voice in his that he thinks is God. I love that we get chapters from his POV. It was scary as hell being in his head though.

This was an incredible story. It had me on the edge of my seat. The last few chapters were amazing. It was like watching an action movie. This book was wonderfully balanced. It was very raw and I loved the laughs that were thrown in with that. This book was full of action and great lead characters that were so freaking awesome. Atticus and Rosemary are such a great couple. I would love to see them tackle crime again. Like I said, this isn't my typical read, but it was so worth it. Definitely check this read out and I know you will love Atticus and Rosemary just as much as me. ( )

Great book. Kept me reading until it was finished. ( )