A former Air Force investigator comes out of retirement to find a killer, only to discover a massive government cover-up. Retired Air Force investigator Martin Collins lives a quiet life in rural Virginia, working as a local chief of police and consulting on military homicides. When he's called in to assist on a grisly triple murder, nothing can prepare him for the crime scene: Colonel Margaret Wildman and her two young children, their throats slashed, left to die in pools of their own blood. At first, there seems to be no motive for the murders. But as Collins digs through an increasingly puzzling maze of clues, he reveals a secret that leads to the highest levels of the government - and the military. Buried files reveal a link between Colonel Wildman and series of fatal airline crashes; political pressure to keep a secret grows, as does the body count. Collins finds his own life jeopardized as he closes in on the truth, culminating in a shocking confrontation on the floors of Congress.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
A former pilot who knows his way around the corridors of power on Capitol Hill as well as the Pentagon, Patrick Davis spins a believable yarn about the murder of an Air Force safety officer just before she was about to blow the whistle on a fatal defect in a popular airplane. Originally built for the Air Force, the G-626 accounts for nearly a quarter of the world's passenger fleet, but Colonel Margaret Wildman's evidence would have grounded it and destroyed a billion-dollar merger between Boeing and Global, the flawed plane's manufacturer. Martin Collins, a retired Air Force investigator who consults on military homicides, doesn't want to believe his service was involved in the death of the colonel and her two young children, but everything points to Wildman's immediate superior, Marcus Holland, who may have been acting on orders from higher up in the chain of command.
With a young special investigator who's got her own score to settle with Holland, and Simon Santos, an enigmatic detective whose wealth gives him entrée to the highest levels of military and political influence, Martin finds himself in a world of deals and deal makers even Simon can't access. Davis's skillful pacing drives the narrative to a surprising and explosive denouement, but long before that his complex and well-developed protagonists engage the reader's interest and empathy. Simon's past holds a secret that's the clue to his determination to solve this cloudy and complicated case, and Martin is still grieving his dead wife and trying to find his way as a single parent. The Colonel is a strong, muscular thriller that confirms Davis's promise as a writer to watch. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Set in a Washington, D.C., seething with politicos and lobbyists, Davis's third political thriller (after The Passenger) pits three unusual cops against a murderous conspiracy. When a female air force colonel and her two children are brutally tortured and murdered, a D.C. detective, an air force investigator and a rural Virginia police chief find themselves up to their handcuffs in suspects, motives, high-level obstruction, coverups and more bodies. It turns out that the colonel's death may be linked to a secret report she was preparing to present to Congress that would disclose the facts behind recent fatal airplane crashes, with implications for the entire U.S. transportation system. A series of gripping twists and turns and the revelation of a top-level conspiracy will keep readers on edge, and Davis adds ballast with well-drawn characters. Lt. Simon Santos, the D.C. detective, is a wealthy bachelor who does not shake hands, has a dark family past and takes some dubious investigative shortcuts. Capt. Amanda Gardner, the air force investigator, is a hard-boiled pro with a quick trigger who knows a bit too much about the leading suspect. Rural cop and former government agent Martin Collins, who narrates, is the steady influence who tries to keep the three from getting killed, fired, arrested by the FBI or crucified by the press. Refreshingly, Davis (an air force veteran) does not use technology or electronic gimmicks to solve the crime; instead, his protagonists rely on interrogation, legwork and old-fashioned cop intuition. We can only hope for more crime-busting drama from these gumshoes. Agent, Karen Solem at Writers House. (July 9) Forecast: The government conspiracy coverup at the heart of this story is a sure-fire element to attract readers. Davis's writing has improved with each outing, and this third thriller will undoubtedly establish his reputation.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great thriller,
This review is from: The Colonel (Hardcover)
Career military Martin Collins retired as an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel following twenty years of active duty mostly with the Office of Special Investigations. Shortly after leaving the service, Martin's wife dies from cancer. Martin raises their twelve-year-old daughter by himself even as he serves as Chief of police of Warrenton, Virginia. Occasionally, he performs investigative services for the Air Force, working as a liaison between civilian authorities and the military police. His current case centers on the professional murder of Colonel Margaret Wildman and her two children. Martin soon concludes that the children were murdered to get their mother to talk. Her refusal led to their death, her torture, and ultimately her death too. It appears as if the killers obtained what they sought. On the contrary, the victim worked in the Air Force Safety Office with no access to top-secret information, making the scenario painted by the physical evidence seems unreasonable. This leaves Martin and the other investigators shaking their heads as nothing makes sense. Patrick A. Davis has written an action packed thriller that will keep readers' interest until the final page is turned. THE COLONEL is a terrific novel because besides being well written the events appear plausible, which adds to airplane passengers playing Russian Roulette every time they fly. Martin is a wonderful person who gains reader empathy early and never loses it as his actions turn him into a real American hero. Mr. Davis is deservedly making quite a name for himself within the thriller genre. Harriet Klausner
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Well Written Military-Mystery Story,
This review is from: The Colonel (Hardcover)
I read this book and one of the author's other books, "The Passenger." Davis writes well and obviously intimately knows the kinds of characters, places, scenes, etc, that background his novel. Perhaps it is me and not Davis who is at fault for not awarding this book five stars, but I feel it is missing something. You are whisked along, helter-skelter, through a plot with the requisite twists, turns, and roller coaster plunges... but I want more. I want it to MEAN something. This book is solid entertainment, so maybe I am wrong to want it to snare me at gut level as well as taking me for a damn good carnival ride.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good mystery,
By
This review is from: The Colonel (Hardcover)
Martin Collins, a retired Air Force investigator who is currently the police chief of Warrentown, a small town in Virginia, is on occasion called upon by the military to help in criminal investigations. This time around they would like his help in solving a multiple murder. An Air Force Colonel and her 2 children have been slaughtered. Lieutenent Simon Santos, chief homicide investigator of the Arlington County PD, who requested Collins, is working it from the civilian side. As Collins and Simon work together, they find that the government and the military seem to be covering up a defect in a popular aircraft. Character development and a steady pace with many twists and turns makes this a good read. Secret files, misleading clues and many suspicious characters, will keep you guessing. Beware the power of bureaucracy. Recommended.
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