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4.0 out of 5 stars
An Interesting Private Eye Novel, January 19, 2008
This review is from: 88 Ways to Die (Paperback)
88 WAYS TO DIE by Johnnie Mitchell: Interesting PI tale self-published by the author earlier this year. Black PI Ellis Mason is a small businessman in Chicago in 1988 who gets caught up in a murder case when the girlfriend of his client is killed. As he is pulled deeper and deeper into the matter he hooks up with Brad Royce, a big time agency owner who numbers among his clients a congressional candidate looking for dirt on a rival. It is Chicago, after all, so, its not surprising that Mason and Royce are soon swimming upstream in a river of murder, greed, and political corruption. As with many self- published efforts, this book could have benefited from some tighter editing, more street time and less "bed time." I hope Mr. Mitchell does well enough to produce some more, as Mason could potentially be Chicago's answer to LA's Eazy Rawlins.
--Jack Quick Bookbitch.com
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Politics and Blackmail, August 14, 2002
An ex-con, two detectives-different agencies, two women working for a brokerage firm, an international finance mogul, a local politician and a campaign manager; were somehow connected. A determination of how, will give the solution to the mystery 88 WAYS TO DIE. The ex-con hires detective Ellis Mason to keep tabs on his girlfriend.
The Congressional candidate hires detective Brad Royce to find dirt on
a political rival; which involves tailing the rival's girlfriend. The detective's paths cross when the women they are following are both
murdered. The ex-con is arrested for killing his girlfriend and the
other woman's death is charged to a drive by shooting. But the police
believe because the women knew each other, the killings are related.
Now that addresses the ex-con, the detectives, and the women at the
brokerage. But that is only the tip of the iceberg, what roles do
the campaign manager and the international mogul play in this puzzle? That is what the dectectives have to find out. 88 Ways To Die is an intriguing story set in Chicago during the
Presidential Election of 1988. Where everyone seemed to be caught in
a web of murder, dirty politics, shady deals and high profile women.
The intrigue however was over shadowed for me because there were too
many names to remember, too many secondary characters and not a clear
picture of who the primary characters were. I would love to have been
able to focus my attention on 'whodunit', instead my focus was on who
the players were. I do suggest you pick up a copy and figure this one
out for yourself. Reviewed by aNN Brown
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Good Fast Read, May 1, 2002
Set in Chicago during the presidential election of 1988, Johnnie Mitchell's debut mystery, 88 WAYS TO DIE, introduces African-American private detective, Ellis Mason. Ellis is hired by ex-con Armad Drew for a simple case--following Armad's girfriend, Donna Beck, who he suspects is cheating on him. But the case quickly becomes complicated when Donna is murdered and Armad is arrested for the crime. When Armad begs Ellis to help him, Ellis reluctantly agrees not knowing what he's getting himself into. Ellis discovers that Donna's murder is only the tip of the iceberg and after one of his own employees is murdered, soon find himself teamed up with Brad Royce, another PI who happens to be working for a congressional candidate. Both men find themselves attracted to Francine Darden, a beautiful co-worker of Donna Beck's who has secrets of her own and is the link between both men's cases. Ellis and Brad find themselves up to their necks in murder, blackmail, corruption, and politics and must find their way out before they're the next victim's. Johnnie Mitchell tells a good story and introduces a strong character in Ellis Mason.
The book would have been greatly enhanced by editing as the typos proved to be a bit
of a distraction. At 162 pages, I would have liked for the book to have been a little
longer. Otherwise, I look forward to reading more of Ellis Mason's adventures and will
be curious to see if he teams up with Brad Royce next time around.
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