Runner by Tracy Clark

While you could actually read Tracy Clark’s latest Chicago mystery, Runner, without having read the previous three books, you can meet her PI, Cass Raines, and Cass’ found family if you start with the first book, Broken Places. However, Runner is the most...

The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton

When I reviewed Jeffrey B. Burton’s The Finders, I referred to the series debut as an intense, sometimes graphic novel with a remarkable dog. The second book, The Keepers, says “A Mace Reid K-9 Mystery” on the cover. Make no mistake, the cadaver...

The Mystic’s Accomplice by Mary Miley

Mary Miley, author of The Roaring Twenties mysteries, introduces a new series set in the same time period in Chicago. Prohibition, mobsters, speakeasies, seances. It’s a tantalizing atmosphere for a mystery. And, Maddie Pastore is the perfect courageous amateur...

Lucky Bones by Michael Wiley

I wasn’t sure what to make of Michael Wiley’s second book featuring ex-cop turned PI, Sam Kelson. While the first book was gritty, the second in the series has many more comic elements, although it is still violent. I finally decided  Lucky Bones...

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton

When Margaret Mizushima and Paula Munier blurb a book, it’s natural to expect a mystery featuring a dog. You’d be right with The Finders, Jeffrey B. Burton’s action-packed series debut. It’s an intense, sometimes graphic, novel about a...