Nothing Else Matters (Sam Casey Mystery) [Hardcover]

S.D. Tooley (Author)

Book Description

Series: Sam Casey Mystery | Publication Date: April 13, 2000

Detective Sergeant Samantha Casey is back after her debut in When the Dead Speak. Suspended from the force after her last case, Sam is having a difficult time adjusting to unemployment. But there are more unsettling changes in her life than unemployment.

When a staunch opponent of gambling is found murdered on a riverboat casino, Sam is hired by the owners to clear them of any involvement. The suspect is believed to be an assassin known as "Sparrow". Authorities can only identify him by the tattoo on the back of his hand. The deceased is carrying $50,000 in counterfeit money. Sparrow soon realizes the fee he was paid is counterfeit. Sparrow is one man you don't want to cross.

Sparrow plays a cat-and-mouse game with Sam's young computer friend, Tim, and matches wits with Sam. Just who is Sparrow? Why does Sam have dreams of hot lights, unbearable pain, and bizarre torture techniques? And why does she keep hearing a strange mantra in her head--"Other than survival, nothing else matters?"

Nothing Else Matters is a chilling mystery, with touches of humor and romance to lighten a dark and compelling plot. An excellent sequel in the Sam Casey series.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In Tooley's second Sam Casey mystery, the real puzzle is how the author manages to point the chaotic episodes that make up her heroine's life toward a logical ending. Detective Sergeant Sam Casey is half Sioux, half hothead, and something of a mystic. This time around Sam has married fellow cop Jake Mitchell and is expecting their child. She is also recovering from seeing her car blown up in much the same way her father was murdered years earlier and from the trauma of having another cop killed with her gun. Sam also feels Jake has somehow betrayed her because he has been promoted by the newly appointed and politically corrupt police chief who wants her fired. Enter a killer trained to stand the tortures of the damned, a clergyman with big bucks, a set of counterfeit plates in a bag. Add a dash of foreign intrigue, some mayhem, and a little mysticism, and you're just getting started with this story. Entertaining reading in what looks to be a solid series. Budd Arthur

Review

"The author, who spent six years as a casino dealer, effectively blends Native American lore with the world of riverboat gambling."
--Publishers Weekly

If you're searching for a strong female character, unusual plotting, and a terrifically suspenseful tale, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS is a must read.
--Wordweaving.com

"Entertaining reading in what looks to be a solid series."

--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Full Moon Publishing; First Edition edition (April 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0966602129
• ISBN-13: 978-0966602128
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,755,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual plotting, terrifically suspenseful tale., May 8, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nothing Else Matters (Sam Casey Mystery) (Hardcover)

Nothing Else Matters by S.D. Tooley blends romance, suspense and a touch of Native American culture with flair. With a fast paced plot and richly developed characters, this tale of suspense will hook its reader through the last page. The man has no true identity except the bird tattoo on the back of his left hand and the label Sparrow. A hired gun, he shows up at the River Queen Casino prepared for a hit. But someone else beats him to the murder of Reverend Everett Smith. The Reverend is carrying $50,000 in counterfeit money and Sparrow wants answers. He won't be anyone's fall guy. A rookie cop is dead and Detective Sergeant Samantha Casey is the prime suspect for the killing. Never mind the cop's neck was broken before three bullet's from Sam's gun entered his body. And never mind that she says she didn't pull the trigger. Suspended from the force, Sam seeks answers to the young cop's death before she has to have Jake's baby in prison. But when she goes to headquarters to submit her statement, she finds herself in the interrogation room being set up for Chief of Police Connelley's death as well. Jake: the father of her child and the man Sam blames for her suspension. Of course it doesn't help that this man she's secretly married to has been promoted and has taken her position on the force. Nor does it help that she blames him for keeping information from her on her father's death. With personal relationship and work on a course from hell, Sam needs answers fast. When the owners of the River Queen Casino want to hire her to investigate the murder of Reverend Smith, Sam steps up to the plate. Using the unusual gift of psychometry, or the ability to gather information from the auras surrounding objects, Sam gathers information the cops can't possibly suspect. By picking up a glass he held, for example, Sam sees Sparrow's left tattooed hand, and the game is on. Sam's extraordinary psychic gift provides an unusual inroad for solving crime, making Nothing Else Matters a terrific read. Furthermore, the characterization and the depth of complexity of the man known only as Sparrow is not only stark and brutal, but also heart wrenching. My sincere compliments to the author of this masterpiece. If you're searching for a strong female character, unusual plotting, and a terrifically suspenseful tale, Nothing Else Matters is a must read.

Cindy Penn Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Suspense and humor with a wicked twist of an ending, April 12, 2000

By 

Cynthia Chow (Kaneohe, Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nothing Else Matters (Sam Casey Mystery) (Hardcover)

Still mentally fragile and recovering from the betrayals Sam Casey suffered in WHEN THE DEAD SPEAK, the police sergeant must now face suspension, possible homicide charges, and a rocky personal relationship with fellow detective Jake Mitchell. This is either the worst or the best time for Casey to become distracted by a murder on a casino boat that involves a strip bar owner, CIA agents, a reverend, and a hitman. Tooley fills this mystery with lively characters, witty dialogue, and a pace that speeds up in the last half of the novel as Casey recovers some of her confidence and develops an unhealthy relationship with beanie babies. Native American culture and myths are also introduced as Casey uses the gifts from her heritage to see clues while foster mother deals with their reservation's desire for a casino. Romance, suspense, and mysticism all rolled up the lastest Sam Casey novel by Sandra Tooley.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Else Matters, April 12, 2000

By 

Barbara Buhrer "bookworm" (Bayonet Point, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Nothing Else Matters (Sam Casey Mystery) (Hardcover)

Sam(Samantha)Casey,suspended from the force,is having problems from having her car blown up and having a fellow officer killed with her gun. She is hired by the owners of a riverboat casino to investigate the murder of Reverend Everett Smith, an opponent of gambling. They wish to be cleared of his death. The Reverend is found to be carrying $500,000 in counterfeit money. There is a contract on Smith's life held by a hired killer known as The Sparrow. He has been hired to kill Smith,but someone beat him to it. When Smith is discovered to have counterfeit money,Sparrow learns that he,too, has been given counterfeit oney by his "employer".He vows revenge. There is a battle of wits between Sam and the Sparrow,who has a tattoo on his hand. Her search for the killer is complicated by the fact that the police investigation is being conducted by her husband,Jake Mitchell,who she believes was responsible for her suspension.Sam is half Sioux and has psychic powers. She has dreams of drugs and torture. The story is full of twists and surprises,especially the identity of The Sparrow. This is the second Sam Casey mystery. It is well-written,fast moving and suspenseful. There are moments of romance and humor. I enjoyed the book and hope that this will become a series...