Customer Reviews

Pattern of Wounds (A Roland March Mystery)

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When we first met Roland March, he was "Back on Murder," thanks to J. Mark Bertrand, of course. Let me tell you something, I was never so thrilled to read a debut such as that. And I was itching so bad for the chance to read "Pattern of Wounds," I seriously couldn't sit still! Well, the itch has finally been scratched, and I'm still squirming in my seat. Bertrand does not disappoint, and I'm ready for more!

Roland March is looking for another killer. This killer is one who does it by stabbing, and a young woman is only the beginning. March put a man behind bars ten years back, and this murder has the same traits. March has the right guy, right? If the correct man is behind bars from ten years ago, then who's pulling these murderous stunts?

If that weren't enough, March is harassed with a series of e-mails straight from the killer. And while that can be intimidating, conflicts at work and in his marriage don't make life any easier for this man. Things are a lot closer than they appear to be, and it isn't going to be pretty in the end.

Make no mistake about it, "Back on Murder" was simply amazing. And "Pattern of Wounds" is pretty close behind. Bertrand puts his stories together like a seasoned professional, so if people compare him to Michael Connelly or Jason Pinter, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Man, I can't wait for his next release!

Pattern of Wounds by J. Mark Bertrand is the second book in the Roland March series about a disaffected Houston police detective. March has recovered some since the events of the previous book, Back on Murder. His marriage is back on track, although he's a bit worried about wife, Charlotte's newfound faith, and he's working murder cases again. This time it's a young woman found stabbed to death in a swimming pool that opens up March's old wounds. When this new murder appears to be connected to a decade old murder that March become nationally famous for closing, his life as he knows it is about to end. Bertrand is such an intelligent writer; his are the type of books I recommend to people who insist that they hate Christian fiction and that it's all cliched or badly written. Bertrand's March is angry and hurting at the world because of his scarred childhood as well as the darkness he sees daily through his job. He can't believe that there could be a loving God who could see all of this pain and refuse to act. His refusal to believe is so sympathetic, readers will find themselves empathizing with him, even when he is so very, very wrong. March is a poignant and intelligent hero and anchor to the series. Bertrand uses him to expose culture's obsession with serial killers and the frustrations of being a police officer and seeing only the worst in humanity. The story is complex and unpredictable, but it's March who really pulls readers into the story, making it feel very real and personal. Bertrand smartly reveals more of March's personal history and demons in this book, as well as shaking up what readers thought they knew about him. This is the rare series that will get better with each book.

This is the second book in the March Detective series. I had never read the first book but after reading "Pattern of Wounds" I purchased the first book. Now I hate having to wait till next year for the third book.
You seriously get taken into this world. This book is about a series of murders involving a knife, a pool and a past murder that was already solved. March has to prove to everyone that the 13+ other murders have nothing to do with him murder case. While doing this he is also searching within himself. His wife attends church and has been wanting him to do this as well. She in-lists their neighbor to talk to him but detective march pushes away. However he is starting to ask questions in himself. I'm hoping in book #3 we'll see him find God.
The book is written so well and so detailed that sometimes I would think I was trying to find the killer or when going for a walk late at night I found myself thinking about the killer and his obsession of knives, women, and water. Yes, this book is that good.
I love detective books and I love that this one is clean, yet fun to read. I would recommend this book to those who love authors like John Grisham, James Peterson, or Dean Knoontz I think you would love these books.

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Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Available at your favourite bookseller from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group

One of my all-time favorite novelists is mystery writer James Lee Burke, whose books mix gritty realism with poetic descriptions. I somehow missed the debut novel by Mark Bertrand, but his second, "Pattern of Wounds," has secured my allegiance as a fan. Not only does Bertrand give us a flawed and three-dimensional protagonist, such as Burke's Dave Robicheaux, but he infuses his story with the same uncertainty and sorrows of real life. That makes it a memorable and refreshing read in this market.

At its core, "Pattern of Wounds" is an intelligent mystery as opposed to a slam-bang thriller. Like any good mystery, it starts out with a corpse. This particular corpse bears a pattern of unique stab wounds. The story takes its time setting things up and unveiling new truths, even as it heads toward a fiery showdown. We want to know whodunit, and Bertrand's lead character guides us through a maze of suspects and motives. It is Roland March who investigates the homicide in his role with the Houston police. He also deals with questions concerning a previous case that could be connected, and looks deeper into a painful scenario from his own childhood. These three plot threads weave in and out, forming a tapestry that is rich in color and meaning, while requiring the reader to stay alert. Bertrand doesn't bang us over the head with themes or symbolism, but lets those elements seep through the tapestry in their own good time.

Roland March is a great character, driven by a moral code, haunted by things in his past, and struggling with questions about God, good, and evil. He has as much empathy for the fates of his suspects as he does for the victims, even while he hunts down those same suspects with a vengeance. He is not perfect. He can be stubborn at times. But ultimately he wants to see justice prevail. And in "Pattern of Wounds," he sees just that.

Except for on the last page. The last paragraph. Last sentence. Then again, maybe it is justice in light of his own actions. We shall see how it plays out in book three. In the mean time, I need to hurry back and tuck book one under my belt.

This was an amazing piece of criminal suspense fiction. I had to read it a lot slower than most because not only am I looking for the clues behind the murders but also trying to solve the crime before the end. Forget it, I now see that I am not a police detective. This one had me guessing, re-guessing, second guessing and in the end, I got it wrong.

There are some unique aspects of serial killings in this book and the twists and turns make you feel like you have arrived at a location thinking you have the map in hand but after looking at it more than once, you realize it's the wrong map after all.

Kudos once more to J. Mark Bertrand for writing his sequel using the character of Detective Roland March. While he tries hard to succumb to the rules as much as he can, he finds that sometimes you have to bend the rules in order to solve the tougher crimes. LOVED this one and can easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars for making me work at finding out who did it. Now I have to wait to read the next one before the manhunt begins again.

If like me, you love trying to solve a great mystery, then this is the book for you. I received this book compliments of Christian Blog Alliance for my honest review and will make sure to add this reader to my personal watch list.

I downloaded "Back on Murder" to my Kindle and got sucked into it right away. I read it in two sittings. I downloaded "Pattern of Wounds" immediately after finishing that book.

If anything, the characters are even more complex in this book. More of what led up to Roland March's decline prior to "Back on Murder" is exposed and the conflicts between him and his former friends are front and center as this plot unfolds. Conflict between good and bad can be boring. Conflict between good and good where perspectives are different and trust is frayed is anything but.

Again, everything was foreshadowed but twists and turns abound as each layer of the plot was exposed. Even more than in "Back to Murder" I was so certain that I had figured out the crime (I hadn't) and then the plots (there are a handful of them woven tightly together) went sideways yet again.

All the loose ends get wrapped up without cheating by the author. Bertrand can write in the same league as Robert Crais, Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles, and my other favorite authors in this genre. I will be reading book number 3 but alas, I will have to wait awhile.

Homicide detective Roland March is back on murder ... again. This time, his pride may be getting in the way of the investigation. Will he be able to check his pride, at least consider the fact that he may have previously convicted the wrong man in one of his biggest cases - enabling him to look at the details objectively?

J. Mark Bertrand has successfully engrossed readers again into the gritty, raw, and pressure-filled life of a police detective. In a recent interview with Family Fiction magazine I read the author felt that each book in this series tackled a current cultural obsession. The first book dealt with what he called 'the missing white girl syndrome', but that this second novel tackled our fascination with serial killers and our need to place blame elsewhere, sometimes creating patterns in non-related crimes in order to try to make sense of the randomness of murder.

As someone who admittedly watches too many crime dramas (the Closer, Bones, Law & Order ... ) I love this series. One thing this series has that the TV dramas do not is an ever-increasing sprinkling of Christian characters that continue to work on the main character to examine what he truly believes, and how he appears to others.

A wonderful book that will appeal to both men and women who like crime dramas and would enjoy seeing God turn a good cop around ... though the journey to that may have a lot of bumps along the way. I would also say that reading the first book of the series, Back On Murder, is not necessary to making this second one in the series enjoyable, but I imagine many will be looking for it after they read this one - eager for more!

How does one review a book that stole your breath and your mind? How does one convey the sheer shock in a book that just grips you from the very beginning and doesn't release the hold on your throat?

I guess I did.

Pattern of Wounds delves deep into the new world of gritty Christian fiction. From the moment Homicide Detective Roland March walks onto the murder scene and exits in the last shocking twist, you're drawn into his world. You're taken to a place that not many readers get to see-the dark side of a cop's life and one who is not a Christian. For me, this is the kind of fiction I love to read. (Yeah, I'm not all about the Happily Ever After Ending.) This book is more character driven than plot driven, the murder (plot) is a prodding point, forcing Roland to look into things from his past and what he's become. And all along the way there are the little reminders of what he could have if he just accept that his life is not his own to control.

For writers trying to break into this market on the platform of writing edgy Inspirational/Christian fiction, you need to get these books, study, and learn from J. Mark Bertrand. I'm serious!

Pattern of Wounds is a fine addition to this budding series, and I look forward to catching up on the first book Back on Murder, and anticipate the next book.

Pattern of Wounds is the second "Roland March Mystery" from Bertrand. I haven't yet read the first, but my interest is certainly piqued. In this relatively classic who-done-it, a girl is found brutally murdered and grotesquely positioned near her landlord's swimming pool. The pursuit for the killer starts out routine enough, but quickly intertwines with one of March's earlier cases which is now being challenged on appeal, and is soon intertwined with a possible serial killer case connecting dozens of deaths around Texas. Suspects come and go, and the case heats up when March's wife is brutally attacked in his house. The action builds to a series of discoveries that break open the case.

Pattern of Wounds is published by Bethany House, putting it squarely in the traditional "Christian fiction" world, but it breaks out of the mold in a number of ways. The most prevalent way is that its main character, Roland March, isn't a Christian but is instead a skeptic, sometimes ignoring and sometimes wrestling with his wife's faith. And while Christian themes are present, in sometimes powerful ways, it's not preachy, and there are no facile or obvious conclusions drawn. March comes off as an honest character, and an authentic one. And the book is better for it.

I greatly enjoyed Pattern of Wounds, a thoughtful, plausible, and authentic murder mystery with much to offer. I'm glad to recommend it. Thanks to Bethany House for the review copy.

J. Mark Bertrand weaves together an intriguing tale of murder, yet the story is far more about relationships than the solution to the murder. Bertrand's characters are a microcosm of the world; the religious, the wicked, the observers, the reactors, the engaged and the disengaged, the political, and the humble. As this story unfolds these people appear as actors on the stage, and in them we see the people we know around us.

March's humility, yet stubborn tenacity, make him the type of character we want to know more about. Thus in this story we discover his aversion to religion, yet his willingness to admit there may be a higher spirituality than he experienced as a child forced to attend church. He seems to know what he is doing, yet at times his stubbornness does not allow him to see as clearly as others see, yet he does finally admit he needs to see through the eyes of others in order to see more clearly himself. His love for his wife is evident, though he does not always seem to be able to express it in ways she needs.

More than a mystery novel, Pattern of Wounds, is a study of human nature. Read it and see how you find your own identity.