Customer Reviews

Russian Roulette

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My rating 4.75 out of 5

This is a fast paced, twisting mystery! If you like the Alex Cross series by James Patterson you will like this series as well!

The writing is tight and crisp with a tone perfect for a private investigator mystery. In addition to the solid mystery, the author does a wonderful job with background descriptions including details of the smells and sights surrounding Hannibal.

This was my first Hannibal Jones read but won't be my last. Although it is part of a series I found it was fine to jump into this book. It is a very good PI mystery thriller!

Read my full review at:

[...]

A guy walks into a bar, looks up and down the deli menu and he'd like a ham and cheese on rye and an open-faced detective. Bartender says the only rye he's got is in a bottle, but as to the open-faced detective? Hannibal Jones is right there in the corner, nursing a vodka and coffee...and several bruises.

"Russian Roulette" was my first brush with Hannibal Jones and the thing about the character that immediately struck me was his completely open and straightforward approach to a case. No Sherlock Holmes here folks, as Hannibal is not a master of deduction. If Hannibal wants to know something, he simply goes to the individual, tells them what he is about and asks for information. And while a couple of buxom manipulating dames are included in the tradition of any good detective story, he's no booze, broads and bullets dick in the style of Mike Hammer either. One could liken him, perhaps, to a steely black pinball with shades bouncing where his leads take him throughout the D.C. beltway and beyond.

That brings up one fun aspect of the story. You never know what interesting locations you might discover while searching out clues. After reading the story, I found myself wanting to check out a couple of the sites introduced therein. Another thing I discovered while reading "Russian Roulette" was that I really liked Hannibal Jones, so much so that I was willing to become invested in his personal life and get emotionally involved when both his girlfriend Cindy and Hannibal's relationship with her are threatened.

This was a good read, and one could deduce the mystery if reading carefully. Now that I have been introduced to Hannibal, I think that I'll go check out some of his earlier case files.

Chris Hober
Falls Church, VA

In RUSSIAN ROULETTE, Austin S. Camacho's latest Hannibal Jones mystery, the thrills start on page one and never let up!
Hannibal is being forced to dig up the facts on a wealthy and well-connected Algerian who is set to marry the daughter of a deceased big wig within the Russian mob! Her old flame, Aleksandr Ivanovich (an enforcer for the same group of 'gentlemen') needs to know if his beloved will be cared for the way he thinks she deserves. To insure Hannibal's cooperation, Alexander gives an ultimatum: Protect the love of my life or lose yours! Given no choice, Hannibal sets out to get the information on a man who may not be at all what he seems!
All the while, Hannibal's girlfriend Cindy is unaware she is in any danger and is busy looking for her dream house she wants to share with Hannibal--but is he ready for that kind of commitment? Add in the fact that Cindy has a lot more money than Hannibal and his male ego may be getting in the way of his lifetime of happiness with the woman he loves. But before he can make any commitments, he has to save her life--without her even knowing about it.
In RUSSIAN ROULETTE, Hannibal gets to do what Hannibal does best--kick butt and take names--and he never even gets a scratch on those signature Oakleys!
This is hands-down and by far the BEST Camacho novel YET! The pacing is fast, the action is heart-pounding and Mr. Camacho's word choice is sublime! The pictures he paints with words are worthy of the term MASTERPIECE!
If you're only going to read one thriller this year--make it RUSSIAN ROULETTE, but read it TWICE!

You can get your thrills driving through the Rock Creek rollercoaster section of the Washington Beltway during rush hour or you can read Russian Roulette, yarnmeister Austin Camacho's latest Hannibal Jones volume. Mr. Camacho spins his mystery threads so masterfully and tightly that soon after entering the world of this page-turner you are hopelessly wound up in Toubleshooter Jones' latest caper. How does the Russian assassin find and convince Jones to take what appears to be a dead-end assignment? Ride with Hannibal through the streets and suburbs of Washington, DC, and be prepared to be surprised - and thrilled.
- Fred Apelquist, "You're Entitled to My Opinion, A Balanced Point of View"
[...]

Austin Camacho's Russian Roulette, the fifth book in the Hannibal Jones mystery series, is a hard-boiled detective novel about a D.C. troubleshooter who is coerced by Russian assassin Aleksandr Dimitri Ivanovich into taking a case. As Hannibal investigates the background of a wealthy African businessman for his client, blackmail plots, scandals, Russian mob money, and several dead bodies litter Hannibal's path.

Hannibal's mix of toughness and vulnerability make him sympathetic to the other characters around him. The relationship between Hannibal and Ivanovich develops into an uneasy partnership as Hannibal continues to search for the truth even after he was released from his obligation.

Camacho juggles a fairly large cast of characters, all with realistic motivations and personality quirks. He is a master at painting characters with details that leave you feeling like you know them personally. Here's how he describes Hannibal's person of interest Dani Gana: "He was aggressively handsome, wearing a day's growth of beard and the kind of self-possessed smirk that women are drawn to and men want to slap off any face they see it on."

Camacho lives in northern Virginia and it's obvious that he knows the Washington D.C. area. You can track Hannibal Jones's movements with a street map as he drives to Rock Creek Park, to Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue up to Rockville, to the corner where Florida Avenue crosses Connecticut at the Russia House, to Roosevelt Island. You can just see jam-packed roadways and sense the frustration of trying to find a parking space around Dupont Circle. It's right on target!

The book's strengths lie in its solid pacing and many creative plot twists and turns that wind up with a surprising ending. This book keeps you wondering who did it. The main suspect changes often.

Russian Roulette was the first book of the Hannibal Jones series that I have read. I enjoyed the book and want to read others in the series to see if the quirky hero is true throughout the series. I was bothered by Hannibal's tendency to rush from one scene to the next. I felt that when Hannibal was interrupted by a phone call, while questioning someone, that he abruptly left - left me wondering why he didn't finished what he started before moving on to the next clue? Just like my real-life friends, Hannibal doesn't always catch the obvious. In many respects, this character flaw makes Hannibal more human, and therefore believable. I found his behavior frustrating sometimes, but then I still like him.

The book is set in the Washington DC area and accurately reflects community. Well written, well researched and certainly worth the read!

Austin S. Camacho spent years as a military news reporter for the American Forces Network. He now works as a public affairs specialist for the Defense Department. He is the author of four previous Hannibal Jones mysteries: THE TROUBLESHOOTER; COLLATERAL DAMAGE; DAMAGED GOODS; and BLOOD AND BONE. He currently lives in Springfield, Virginia.

Hannibal Jones, troubleshooter extraordinaire, has a new experience when a well known Russian assassin pays him a visit in his office and convinces Hannibal, at gunpoint, to take his case. It seems that the love of his life (assassins have hearts too) is about to marry a rich, sleazy, African businessman of dubious morals. Gee, what a choice...assassin or crook! At any rate, Jones gamely takes the case when the assassin convinces Hannibal that his own girlfriend, Cindy Santiago, is at risk should he fail:

"'...But why would I take your case? Do you really think you can force me to investigate at gunpoint? I could walk out that door and just keep going. Or, I could call the cops and let them come in here and yank you out. Why on earth would I invest any of my time and energy into helping you stalk this girl who doesn't appear to need help or to be interested in you at all?' Ivanovich's voice deepened and became a bit harder, as if he wanted to be very sure that Hannibal understood him clearly.

'Because, my arrogant friend, I have very competent associates watching Miss Cintia Santiago, associate at Baylor, Truman, and Ray and daughter of Reynaldo Santiago who lives upstairs from you. My associates are invisible, obedient, and deadly. If you fail to find the answers I need about Dani Gana, your beloved Cintia Santiago will die.'"

With that motivation Hannibal Jones swings into action, with the menacing Ivanovich invading not only his psyche, but his personal space and life. Jones is game, though, and picks his way through a complicated maze that centers around the Russia House. Camacho employs his usual rich layers of plot; fascinating characters; and plenty of action to keep the reader mesmerized in his latest Hannibal Jones installment

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

This is one of my new favorites. I completely enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and kept me interested from the start to the very end.

The main character, Hannibal, in this book is tough and gritty and yet he still seems like a real life person, not dime store novel detective. He is required, at gun point, to look into the fiancé of a Russian assassin girl friend. The old girl friend is marrying an African Businesman and the Russian believes all is not as it seems.

As Hannibal digs into the background and starts looking at the people surrounding the African businessman he learns so much is not what it seems.

This book is not without a touch of humor too. It is funny that the Russian stayed in Hannibal's office while Hannibal was off detecting and looking for answers to the questions the Russian had about this fiancé of his old girl friend.

Overall, it is an interesting book with many twists and turns. It kept me interested and I really enjoyed it.

I may have to add Austin S. Camacho to my list of authors to follow and catch up on after reading his latest novel, Russian Roulette. I received the book for review before I left on vacation, and I would have been perfectly happy to have all of the Hannibal Jones series with me to read.

Jones is minding his own business, going along on his detective duties, when a new client shows up in his office... with a gun, an assignment, and a threat if Jones doesn't take the case. The client is a Russian assassin with contacts to the Russian Mafia. His love interest has decided to marry a person who purports to be a rich African businessman. The assassin isn't buying it, and wants Jones to see if this guy is really who he says he is. Jones has little choice, as *his* love interest might be hurt or killed if he doesn't take the job. But Jones quickly finds that very few of the players in this mystery are really who they appear to be. The African businessman has as many layers as an onion, the girl may have just as many layers and connections in her past, and the longer Jones digs, the more people start to turn up dead or missing. What starts out as an assignment he has to take turns into one that he can't put down until he figures out just who is who.

I enjoyed the character of Hannibal Jones much more than I expected. I probably would have gotten a bit more out of the book and character had I read some of the previous installments. For instance, there's a level of tension between Jones and his girlfriend Cindy Santiago. I'm pretty sure there's a back story that explains their love interest as well as the employer/employee relationship that appears to exist. But even without knowing that, the story was complete enough on its own. Plenty of mystery, suspense, and excitement to keep the pages turning.

Now all I have to do is track down the earlier installments to get caught up, and I'll be happy...

I met Austin Camacho at a local book signing in Fairfax Virginia. He introduced me to Hannibal Jones and his latest case "Russian Roulette". Mr. Camacho promised a "keep you guessing mystery" with action and intrigue, and he delivered.

I found this to be a very enjoyable book, the story is extremely well done and takes you on a fast paced adventure with strong characters, and suspense that builds to an action packed conclusion.

Hannibal Jones is an engaging character who comes to life with peeks into his relationships with his lady, his ride, his shades and his choice of fresh ground coffee.

For those familiar with the Washington, D.C metropolitan area, the local references add to the fun.

I will be ordering another in the series.