Customer Reviews

The Troubleshooter

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I just finished reading the Troubleshooter. It was a great story - since I went to business school in DC and worked there for 20 years, I knew the exact places in the book where the story takes place. It was very interesting to see how Jones was able to outsmart the drug dealers and how the entire community stands behind each other. I can't wait to read Austin Camacho's other books. It gives readers a look at real life outside of the Capitol of the U.S. Mr. Camacho's writing style was very easy to stay with and the entire story was so interesting you kept wanting to read but really didn't want it to end.

While third in the series featuring Hannibal Jones, the events depicted in this novel predate the novels "Blood And Bone" and "Collateral Damage." As such, it serves as a perfect introduction to the series for new readers and for those fans familiar with the series, explains how it all began.

Displaced by a fire in his apartment complex, Hannibal needs a new home, at least temporarily. With his new struggling business open less than six months and all records destroyed in the fire along with everything else he owns, Hannibal is devastated and contemplating a bleak future. Thanks to Cindy Santiago, daughter of his friend, Ray Santiago, he may get a new place fast.

Cindy works in a small law firm and one of the partners, Mr. Dan Baylor, has recently branched out into real estate as a developer. Cindy is sure that she can set up a meeting and Mr. Baylor will help Hannibal get a new place. They do meet and after Baylor checks with his staff, he informs Hannibal that nothing is currently available. The only possible exception and one that he is very reluctant to reveal, is in a building across the river in Anacostia. Infested with squatters and drug dealers, Mr. Baylor has been unable to get them out of his building despite repeated requests to the Police. The property, which he bought from the government and is intended to be developed for low-income housing, is costing Baylor every month and thanks to the squatters and drug dealers, he can't recoup his investment.

A deal is struck for Hannibal to clean out the building and provide security so that repair crews can go to work. Former government agent and now "troubleshooter" Hannibal Jones figures he has the bases covered and can have the building emptied permanently in less than a week. But, he is very wrong and quickly puts himself and those he cares about in great danger as the war for control between a neighborhood and the mob heats up.

Unlike the earlier two novels of the series, this novel is more of a character study and less a mystery. Little detective work is actually done since the dealers and other bad guys are quickly identified. As such, this novel shifts more into a vigilante style of justice work with Hannibal forced to repeatedly do battle at considerable cost to clear the building. Over the course of the siege, not only do we see how Hannibal came into being through insights into his character but we also see the beginnings of the romance between himself and Cindy Santiago. Several other recurring characters from the other novels make their introduction as well, explaining the tight bonds that exist.

Like the others in this series, this very enjoyable novel features tight writing, plenty of action, and intriguing characters. However, in so doing, some reviewers have mistakenly compared this author with Tom Clancy. Please do not be misled as this book and the others in the series have nothing in common with Tom Clancy novels. Both authors are writing books that do not share connections of style, character development, plotting, pacing, or anything else in common other than the fact they both release books printed on paper. Since Tom Clancy writes detailed techno thrillers making such comparisons meaningless and absurd, a better comparison might be made between Hannibal Jones to the "Lucas Davenport" character of the Prey series by John Sandford if comparisons must be made. Much like Lucas, Hannibal is an intense loner by his very nature and is very selective in his personal entanglements, romantic or otherwise. Much like Lucas, Hannibal does not tolerate evil in its many forms and is often conflicted as to the results and consequences regarding such confrontations. Much like Lucas, Hannibal is often pitted against forces that devalue human life at great personal cost.

Hannibal is fast becoming an old friend that this reader regularly looks forward to every time a new novel is released. This author and his three mystery novels to date are well worth the read and worthy of a place on your bookshelf.


Book Facts:

Troubleshooter
By Austin S. Camacho
www.ascamacho.com
Intrigue Books
www.publishinggold.com
August 2004
ISBN # 1-890158-63-1
Large Trade Hardback

Kevin R. Tipple (c) 2004

I met Austin Camacho at a Borders Express bookstore in Virginia a few months ago. He had his five books in his Hannibal Jones series at his table. Hannibal Jones - a troubleshooter who helps people. At the time I thought why not, it just might be okay, so I bought the first book in the series, The Troubleshooter, and the last book in the series, Russian Roulette. Well, Hannibal Jones is now one of my best friends. Great plots that takes place in the Washington DC area and very well-written. Enjoyed the books tremendously. I then immediately felt regret that I had not picked up the rest of the books in the series when I had the chance. Fortunately Austin Camacho will be back at the Borders Express bookstore soon where I am greatly looking forward to getting everything he has available. I highly recommend the Hannibal Jones books.

I heard about this book through the Kindle Korner. Since it is set in the Washington D.C. area, I was immediately interested. Having lived in the D.C. metropolitan area for most of my life, it was good to read about areas I knew so well. My father was a policeman in the 1970s and visited museums and monuments often. In this story we meet Hannibal Jones. He is known as a troubleshooter and can solve problems for people. His home is destroyed and he needs to find somewhere else to live. An opportunity arises that he cannot pass up. Hannibal is the best friend you could find but a strong opponent to those that was to cause harm to others. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a good mystery series.

I loved this book. The characters were very real to me and now I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

When trying to decide to read this book I ended up emailing Austin Camacho to find out which book came first. I found him to be a very easy gentleman to talk with. So I got The Troubleshooter and set about reading. The book just drew me in as I felt I knew each of these characters. Took me two nights to read this as I was reading another book at the same time. I can not wait to read the rest of this series.
There were no format problems with the Kindle.

I have just finished The Troubleshooter and am most impressed. I met the author at the Bouchercon conference this past weekend and after hearing him on a panel, went to the dealers' room, bought the book and started reading. Hannibal Jones is believable, interesting and I was "hooked" from page 1. Can't wait to read the other books in the series. Hannibal Jones is a character with heart and soul and I give this book 5 stars!

I loved this Hannibal Jones story. If Austin Camacho ever decides to give up writing, he should set up his easel. The descriptions of the people and places are amazingly vivid.

This was a great summer read which I finished all too soon in one weekend. At heart, this is a good story with interesting characters and little need to suspend disbelief. Camacho writes smoothly and paces the story well. The characters are interesting and not predictable, which is always a plus. He also writes great fight scenes. I'll recommend this to anyone looking for an action story set in the real world of Washington DC.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and you feel you know them, especially after reading the following books. His endings never leave you hanging, and the twists in the book are unique.