Title: The Beholder (Maddie Richards Mystery #1)
Author: DavidBishop
Review:
The 1st Det Sgt Maddie Richards mystery novel
by David Bishop. This is the first book I have read by this author and will not
be my last. Det Sgt Richards is a divorced single mother who is also a homicide
detective in Phoenix Arizona. She gets the call on a brutal murder which
becomes the second in a string of four. Made the team chief she has to deal
with a dearth of issues and false leads
before stopping the killer. Det Sgt Richards is well rounded character
which one can identify with while rooting for her success. I rate this novel at
five stars and look forward to many more adventures with her.
Thanks go to Frank for this review.
Published: Published October 13th 2011 by Telemachus Press
ISBN: B005VIEFD4
Page Count: 358
Quick
Review: 5 out 5 stars –
Why I Read
this Title: Bag sale
Synopsis: Maddie
Richards is an efficient and resourceful detective with a secret wish that she
could handle her messy personal life as well as she handles her work life. As a
homicide sergeant for the Phoenix, Arizona Police Department, she has one of
the highest solve rates in America. Her success leads her chief of police to
assign her a serial killer case. Some sicko the press calls the Beholder is
killing beautiful women. Her chief describes the case as "a career maker
or breaker, get me?"
She has an ex-husband
she still cares for, but who was bad for her and her ten-year-old son. Her
widowed mother who lives with her is both a blessing and a trial. And, oh yes,
her ex-husband has married an extremely wealthy and politically connected woman
who cannot give birth. So, Maddie's ex is filing a motion to obtain permanent
custody of their son, citing the risks attendant to Maddie's police work
endanger the boy.
If that were not enough,
the brother-in-law of the chief of police is using his position as an
administrative assistant to sexually harass Maddie. She could file a formal
complaint, but the good-old-boys network in the department is watching how she
handles the situation.
Further complicating
Maddie's life is two love interests: Gary Packard, a hunk who recently moved in
across the street, and Lincoln Rogers, a confirmed bachelor, who lives
thousands of miles away and works for the FBI.
As the case develops
Maddie learns that the victims all wore the same bra size. She must decide if
this is merely a coincidence or a criterion the killer uses when selecting his
victims. She also finds that each of the victims is somehow connected to the
Phoenix police department. This realization isolates her further as she must
pursue the killer without disclosing this theory to her department because, if
her suspicion is correct, the Beholder would learn she is closing in.
As the story races
toward its climax, Maddie is betrayed by those closest to her, and she begins
to believe her own name may be on the killer's list.
Author
Information: I was born in Washington, D.C. From there my
life likely mirrored that of a lot of my readers. We moved around. I got some
education. Played some sports, and got some more education. Prior to becoming a
novelist, I worked as a financial analyst determining the value of companies.
But let's talk about my current and final career, writing mystery novels.
As a writer, I conjure
up occurrences designed to quickly bring the story to a roiling boil. Along the
way, I invent people. Victims and villains and heroes are needed, as well as a
supporting cast. I make these people fun and interesting so you will welcome
them and introduce them to your friends. Primary characters need habits and
tics and talents, the qualities that bring them to life and make you love them
or hate them. You'll want to see them humiliated or hunted down, be successful or seduced.
My mysteries offer you
the opportunity to be challenged to find the villain from among the suspects.
Clues as large as a log or as tiny as a bump thereon are salted throughout the
stories. There are distractions in the form of false clues, called red
herrings, which point to someone other than the real villain.
Take a journey with me.
Laugh. Hold your breath. Cheer. Boo. The characters are rich and the plots are
grabbers. I promise that you'll be glad you came along. Some people don't like
golf or chocolate or even a hearty laugh. But I'll bet you like some of those
things and I'll bet you'll like my mysteries. Yours very truly, David Bishop.
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