Shakedown (Pinnacle Books Fiction) [Paperback]

Joel Goldman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Pinnacle Books Fiction | Publication Date: April 1, 2008

The lives of three people collide over mass murder at a Kansas City residence that Special Agent Jack Davis has carefully staked out for weeks. Kate Scranton, whose job is spotting lies for high-priced courtroom lawyers, is convinced that mild-mannered Latrell Kelly knows something about the crime. But Latrell is hiding far more than Kate can guess. And with Jack half-blinded by an imploding personal life, and someone on his own side leaking crucial information, they're headed straight for the ultimate danger zone...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A killer identified via a fleeting facial expression and behavioral cues turns a middle-aged FBI agent dealing with a disruptive disability into an unexpected hero in Goldman's latest terrific thriller (after Deadlocked). After the brutal murder of Marcellus Pearson, a notorious Kansas City drug dealer, the collateral damage includes his cronies; his young son, Jalise; Jalise's mother (and Pearson's girlfriend); and an older woman who witnesses the killer fleeing the crime scene. The shooter is Pearson's mild-mannered neighbor, Latrell Kelly, who harbors more than a few dark secrets behind his soft-spoken ways. FBI Special Agent Jack Davis understands secrets—he has seizures he's been able to hide until the Pearson crime scene makes him erupt into visible tremors. Davis must take medical leave, but conducts a private investigation that connects to another chilling puzzler involving his missing daughter, Wendy. Is her significant other, Colby Hudson, an undercover and possibly corrupt FBI agent, responsible? Davis's new girlfriend, jury consultant Kate Scranton, helps him deal with both cases by teaching him how to read faces using the Facial Action Coding System. Goldman's surefooted plotting and Davis's courage under fire make this a fascinating, compelling read. (Apr.)
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Review

"Fast, furious, and thoroughly enjoyable...classic - and classy - noir for our time." - Jeffrey Deaver (The Last Witness)"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 397 pages
• Publisher: Pinnacle (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786016108
• ISBN-13: 978-0786016105
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,071 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm in my fifth decade as a fourth generation Kansas Citian. I spent twenty-eight years as a trial lawyer and plan to spend at least as many as a writer. I started writing when one of my law partners complained about another and I suggested we write a murder mystery, kill the SOB off in the first chapter and spend the rest of the book figuring out who did it. So I did. Read the rest of the story on my website at www.joelgoldman.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Page Turner, May 31, 2009

By 

Doris E. Mendel "Book Junkie" (Leawood, KS, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shakedown (Pinnacle Books Fiction) (Paperback)

Shakedown was my first Joel Goldman mystery,but won't be my last. You will be inexorably drawn into the world of FBI agent Jack Davis,an unlikely protagonist with a tendency to shake at the worst possible moment. The characters are compelling and the plot twists will keep you turning the pages through to the satisfying end. A warning to all true detective fans, you will not be able to stop. I immediately ordered The Dead Man, and since consuming that in an afternoon, am hungry for more. I guess I will have to satisfy my cravings by going back to his prior series until he cranks out the next Jack Davis thriller.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast-paced and compelling thriller, May 6, 2008

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Shakedown (Pinnacle Books Fiction) (Paperback)

FBI Agent Jack Davis is in the process of getting divorced, he's fighting a never-ending battle to keep his daughter straight, he lost his son to a child-molesting killer, and he's afraid that his daughter's boyfriend may be a corrupt agent. Developing uncontrollable shakes is not the best way for him to deal with his problems, but that's what his body has decided to do. When he starts shaking at the scene of a mass murder--which took place on a group he was actually investigating--he's suspended from his job and given a strong message that he won't be welcomed back until the doctors give him the okay.

But Jack is certain he saw something in the darkness. He can't just back off and let the team he built mess up the case. And when he learns that his daughter might be involved, he becomes a bulldog after any evidence that will prove her innocence. In the meantime, he's got a sexy witness expert, and a sexy near-ex-wife who both seem interested.

Author Joel Goldman keeps up the suspense as Jack digs himself more and more deeply into trouble. Relying on friends, providing only partial information to his former co-workers in the FBI, and boning up on the techniques for reading microexpressions, Jack seems determined to learn the truth--no matter how much it hurts. For the most part, the story works. With his multitude of problems, Jack is sympathetic. That his dog loves him and two women are attracted makes him admirable, as well. Since he's doing the crazy things he does for his family, for his daughter, we're prepared to cut him a lot of slack.

Ultimately, Goldman relies a bit too much on coincidence. It's a coincidence that the killer happens to murder right when Jack is unable to see. Another coincidence when Jack catches a look at a possible suspect running from the scene. Yet another that he happens to learn about connections between his daughter, her boyfriend, and possible suspects--connections you'd think would be closely hidden. Still, the story is strong enough that I'm willing to cut Goldman a fair amount of slack.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Characters you will care about, April 13, 2008

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shakedown (Pinnacle Books Fiction) (Paperback)

Jack Davis is an FBI Special Agent in Kansas City. His wife is divorcing him and has already moved most of the furniture out of their house. Their only remaining child, Wendy, is out on her own and dating Colby, an FBI agent who is undercover - something Jack finds very risky. And now someone is systematically killing the crack dealers that Colby is involved with - and there are few clues.

In the middle of one crime scene, Jack suddenly gets the shakes and loses sight of a possible suspect. He is put on administrative leave and knows he's one step from his career being over - unless he can solve the crime. But officially he's off the case and without the resources that he is used to having.

He knows the suspects, he has questions, but no answers, and he has help from some unlikely friends, including a Kansas City Police detective and a psychologist who specializes in jury consulting and micro expressions - tiny fleeting facial movements that most people can't see, but that enable her to read people like a book.

Goldman does a wonderful job of painting characters that you can care about - including some of the people that end up being villains. His descriptions of Kansas City will make you feel as though you lived there. The ethical and psychological dilemmas he has given Jack Davis, including those surrounding the abduction and death of his son some years earlier, will have you feeling the same emotions of helplessness, anger, commitment, and hope that Jack does.

Armchair Interviews says: Book really touches emotions.