Customer Reviews

Five Star First Edition Mystery - Cracks In The Rainbow

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Were it not for the daffy reviews of this trifle, I would have been still.

How anyone can call this a police procedural is beyond me. Showing up in a squad room on occasion hardly makes it one. In fact it is the antithesis of a police procedural since the cops are part of a giant conspiracy which cuts our hero off from the normal cop procedures.

One reviewer can't figure out who dun it,but it is early on apparent that everyone did it and that's the problem.Another nation wide conspiracy to do something unpleasant to non whites just doesn't sell.

Just what will happen to almost half the population is never spelled out, but that's only a loose end.Not a particularly good book.

L.A. Homicide detective Rick Dover steps into a bigger mess than he ever thought possible when his partner, Stretch, is murdered with a car bomb. At first, Dover thinks it was a horrible one-car accident. Still, as he looks deeper into the mystery, he realizes that it could only be murder. But who would murder his partner? What cases were they working on that might drive someone to plant a bomb in Stretch's car? As he follows the trails of evidence and intuition, he learns that his partner's death is a result of something far more nefarious, frightening, and ...... deadly!

Dover's quest for justice is shared by his new partner, Falcon, and by Stretch's widow, Terri. All three characters will see their lives changed by their brush with evil, as their struggles for justice - and survival - grow ever more harrowing.

This is an excellent first novel in what promises to be an exciting and intriguing series. I can't wait for the next installment!

Rick Dover, a homicide detective, is determined to find the killers when his friend and partner is killed in a mysterious car wreck. He begins his chase with the confusing clue BLACKFLASH, a word taped to a card on his partner's computer. As he discovers dangerous evidence, Rick Dover must use his wits and police savvy to unravel the complicated mystery. The author, Mark Bouton, has a knack for compelling suspense and a fast pace that will keep readers turning the pages. Readers will appreciate the references to old-time movies and the use of delightful metaphors. This 5 star whodunit is a thrill ride for all mystery fans.

Mark Bouton writes books that move at a pace that makes it difficult to stop reading for the night. The plot of "Cracks in the Rainbow" is especially relevant in today's world, and written in language that captures the heart of the cultures involved in the story.

The story is so well crafted that even when I realized the identity of the bad guys I couldn't figure out how detective Rick Dover could put together a case against them, but then discovered there were clever plot twists yet to come.

It's clear that Bouton draws from his career as an FBI agent for his descriptions of detailed police work - it's fascinating to walk with him through the procedures. He's one of those writers whose next book is eagerly awaited.

Trust me on this one, if you like detective mysteries, police procedurals, movies, fast action, 3-D Characters, a read that keeps your brain scrambling to put the puzzle pieces together, trivia or all of the above, this book is for you. In a world full of books, very few stand out as true gems. This one delivers on all accounts.

Mark Bouton is to the detective mystery genre the way film noir is to the movies. Think Dirty Harry meets Lethal Weapon meets Mike Hammer, and you're on your way to catching the ride of your life on mystery's highway. The book literally zings through your hands with all the visual and explosive whomp of an action-packed movie, while the pages seem to turn themselves.

Bouton is definitely in a thrilling and temptingly unique class of his own. This is his second book and he just keeps getting better and better. With characters who reach out and whisper their very thoughts in your ears, cutting-edged excitement and enough celluloid references to make any film aficionado smile, there's no way you can put this one down until the very end. His FBI experience puts comes in handy, just putting that extra coat of polish on a great read. This book is one ride you can enjoy over and over again.

Anne Barringer

In Southern California, police detective Stretch drives to inform his partner Rick Dover what he has frighteningly learned on his own time when his Bronco exploded and went over the cliff. Officially it looks like Stretch took a turn to fast, but Rick has problems with this scenario because his friend was too good a driver who had driven this relatively mild curve many times. The autopsy reveals an anomaly that does not fit a gas explosion; the victim's testicles were blown away. Rick enlists an ATF pal Harsha to look at the remains of the vehicle and the accident scene. Harsha concludes a bomb was timed for Stretch to go over the edge.

Rick and his new partner Falcon begin finding evidence that Stretch was working on a dangerous case by himself. They find FBI documents on Stretch's computer and a hidden taped card with one word BLACKFLASH. Soon the cops, the Feds, and others will collide with no one expected to walk away unscathed.

Though why the victim pursued his investigation without the aid of his capable trustworthy partner seems a stretch, fans will appreciate this fabulous police procedural that step by step uncovers why the detective was murdered starting with proving a homicide occurred. The story line is cleverly devised so that readers see how the case begins with Rick's doubts that soon mushroom into a wild frenzied skirmish in which so called friendly fire might kill the hero. Mark Bouton provides a pleasurable who-done-it.

Harriet Klausner