Book Review - New Relese: LETHAL BLUES (A Jarvis Mann Hard-Boiled Detective Novel #9) by R Weir

Happy to share my review of the Weir's new Jarvis Mann novel. Beware! It's not a "cozy" mystery.

About the Book (from Amazon)

Blue Pills flooding the streets of Denver 

Fentanyl ruining lives; friends and loved ones dying from the synthetic opioid 

A football star in search of answers to why one friend is dead and another missing

Dennis Gash reaching out to Jarvis Mann whose gumshoe days are in the past 

The case drawing him out of retirement and into the fray he thought he had left behind 

Jarvis rolling up his sleeves, flexing his muscles, and strapping on his 9mm 

Hunting for answers, digging deep into the depths of the Lethal Blues 

Going up against dangerous drug dealers and gangsters Who only care about their addictive merchandise and protecting their profit 

Where death sits around the corner waiting to claim all who dare to challenge them 

Jarvis ready to go mano a mano to protect his client from certain death!

Review

After Jarvis Mann's near death experience, he put his gumshoe work to the side, happy to open his bar, The Private Eye Tavern. Only history comes back to haunt him as the young boy who hired him when a baseball card went missing, comes to visit him. Only Dennis is now an adult, a professional athlete, and wants Jarvis to help him find the killer of his friend, Alfonso. Complicating the matters, another high school friend of both Alfonso and Dennis, has gone missing.

Reluctant as Jarvis is, his adrenalin kicks in. He's missed that adrenalin rush and he remembers these three friends from years ago. In no time, as Jarvis asks questions the families of all three young men are threatened as is Jarvis. The inevitable path leads to the flood of synthetic opiods, Lethal Blue, that is killing people. Jarvis is compelled to get it off the street. A tall order and one that almost gets him killed.

Weir again spins a great story, with references to issues and events of the day. There are twists and turns, warnings from all sides, including from April who has moved on. Jarvis doesn't give up. The pace is fast, the characters well-developed. 

Glad to see Jarvis isn't giving up his gumshoes, after all. For sure, if you liked the previous books in the series, you'll be captured by this one. If not, this can easily be read as a standalone mystery. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON

Check out the rest of the Jarvis Mann Detective series: 

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card 

Tracking A Shadow 

Twice As Fatal 

Blood Brothers 

Dead Man Code 

The Case of the Invisible Souls 

The Front Range Butcher 

Mann in the Crossfire

About the Author

Award-winning Author R Weir lives in the Mile-High City with his family, where the Rocky Mountain High isn't always achieved with an herbal substance. When not glued to the computer, he relaxes by enjoying the outdoors and traveling in his motorhome. His writing delves into genres with gritty investigators exploring mystery, crime, suspense, and thrills, with involved plots and unexpected twists. Featuring former US Marshal Hunter Divine, a dire, determined man searching for salvation in his broken life. While private eye Jarvis Mann is tough and snarky, with as many faults as virtues. Characters exhibiting traces of his sense of humor, though he’s not nearly as tough and fearless. Though no evil stands a chance against his written word! 

Be sure visit R Weir’s author webpage (https://rweir.net) for information about new releases, to sign-up for his newsletter and receive a free eBook. 

Also reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or via email; for he loves to hear and interact with readers. 

Email: author@rweir.net https://www.facebook.com/randy.weir.524 https://twitter.com/RWeir720

Book Review - New Release: MANN IN THE CROSSFIRE : A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel by Randy Weir

Synopsis

Is this the end for PI Jarvis Mann?

A surprising murder of an associate sends Jarvis on a trip to San Diego to investigate. A trail of clues direct him to a gang member who wants him eliminated, while a local detective agency is hot on his tail with nefarious plans of their own. Battered and beaten, Jarvis battles to forge on, tracking the evidence and directing him to a dangerous discovery that he may not be able to fight his way out of. Desperate for backup, with nowhere else to turn, he enlists lethal foes to render essential aid. Will these illicit associations spell the end of his career and possibly his life… 

For Jarvis is truly a Mann in the Crossfire.

Review

Jarvis has calmed down some, with nightmares still from the Front Range Butcher. His attorney and friend Barry has him checking out a cheating husband and Jarvis gets the goods and then some. Then out to San Diego to finish what his friend Rocky couldn't do - killed in a boat bombing like his wife and son. The plan is find out who put out the hits on Rocky and his family, when Rocky decided to try for a more "legal" and safe lifestyle. Somehow, as he recovers from one beating, the idea of a safer lifestyle resonates with Jarvis.

As with the others in the series, Jarvis Mann's sense of humor and sarcasm add to the story line. The pace of the story keeps time with the tensions and revelations, and the wait time for the key players to come forward. There are lots of pieces that need to come together to determine who ordered the hit on Rocky and his family, with drugs and gun running, and a few political comments as well. Throughout it all, Jarvis is a bit nostalgic, recalling his previous actions. Is there a future for Jarvis Mann? Not for me to say.

If you've liked the others in the series, you'll like this one. I dare say, I liked it better than the Front Range Butcher. First Jarvis Mann? It is a stand-alone mystery, but you'll like it better if you read at least some of the others, for context, first. For those of you who prefer clean reads and cozies? Pass on this one. This is a hard-boiled mystery with adult content.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON


Check out the rest of the Jarvis Mann Detective series:


The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card
Tracking A Shadow
Twice As Fatal
Blood Brothers
Dead Man Code
The Case of the Invisible Souls
The Front Range Butcher
Mann in the Crossfire

Book Review: THE FRONT RANGE BUTCHER: A Jarvis Mann Private Detective HardBoiled Mystery Novel (Jarvis Mann Detective Book 7) BY R Weir

Synopsis

Twenty-two years ago, the slayings began…
A new body nearly every month—front page news for all to read.
Gruesome in nature, the victims nearly all female
The killer terrorizing the residents of Colorado’s biggest cities.
Until one day the murders stopped…
No one knew who he was, his motive for slaughtering them…
…and why the itch to kill suddenly ended.

Now, more than two decades later, the urge has resurfaced.
Carved remains of loved ones left to be found, lives of families ruined…
…the slayings echoing an all too familiar case from a past once forgotten
Has the killer resurfaced again?
How many more will brutally suffer the same horrendous fate?

Hired to find the serial killer, private detective Jarvis Mann digs deep
Fighting FBI resistance, with life threatening danger lurking around every corner
His cunning leads to a man he must match wits with…
…a man the FBI can’t touch!
Cold and calculated, intelligent and coy, the man, wheelchair bound…
…holds the answers and the secrets.
For he is the only one who could be the evil manifestation of…
…The Front Range Butcher.

PI Jarvis Mann is back in his most dangerous case yet!!Enjoy every twist and turn of this page turning psychological thriller

Review

Jarvis Mann is asked, by none other than the father of the woman he wronged, to investigate a serial killer who terrorized the area 20 years ago and appears to some how have come out of hiding. He's killing again, in the same gruesome fashion. Jarvis also is working on a few other loose ends and trying to figure out life with a new lady friend. He keeps getting closer and just as it seems the answer is around the corner, there's another detour or obstacle or twist. In his usual persistent but sarcastic fashion, Jarvis follows it through, very afraid for the next, very personal victim.

This is the 7th in the Jarvis Mann series, but can be read as a stand-alone. Readers beware - this IS a hardboiled mystery, with graphic descriptions and adult content. If you like thrillers, a fast pace, and twists to a story, you'll like this latest adventure of Jarvis Mann.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON

REVIEW: THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE SOULS : A Jarvis Mann Short Story by R Weir

For a change of pace, here's to R Weir's latest in the Jarvis Mann series:

***THE CASE OF THE INVISIBLE SOULS SYNOPSIS***
With Christmas a few weeks away and happy these last few months had been quiet, Jarvis Mann decides to take on an interesting case. A homeless veteran knocks on his door with a story of how several of his homeless companions have been bribed and taxied away never to return. Taking pause to the man’s story at first, Jarvis digs deeper learning of plans to clear out the homeless. When the man is attacked, and seriously injured, Jarvis goes undercover, learning more about life on the streets than he ever knew, becoming one of the Invisible Souls in search of an answer.

Check out the other Jarvis Mann Detective Stories:

Dead Man Code: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel #5
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LY8JZND

Blood Brothers: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel #4
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019S6AQXW

Twice As Fatal: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel #3
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XTNTHWW

Tracking A Shadow: A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel #2
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQHVKJA

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card: A Jarvis Mann Short Story #1
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGEZNSU

REVIEW:

This is a well-written depiction of the vulnerability and struggles of the homeless, the back story for many of them. Parker seeks out Jarvis when his friends are being lured away from their shared space for some unknown job and never return - they just disappear. Jarvis does a little investigating and breaks a nose or two. He goes undercover to find the motive and uses the system to help them. A short read with a big message.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Review: DEAD MAN CODE by R Weir

JARVIS MANN RETURNS IN ANOTHER SPINE TINGLING ADVENTURE!!

***DEAD MAN CODE SYNOPSIS***
Cases come and cases go, but private detective Jarvis Mann can't land an easy one these days.

The cops are unhappy Jarvis digs into a murder case they closed, uncovering a crooked tech company, hell-bent on stealing their customers' IDs and US government secrets. Soon Russian mobsters and Chinese government goons arrive to bribe, threaten, beat, and finally kill, in an attempt to stop him and safeguard their criminal enterprise. Can he protect the life of the widow who hired him to find her husband's killer? Will the founder's beautiful and sexy ex-wife provide the key he needs to crack the case, as Jarvis slugs and shoots his way to a pulse-pounding conclusion…

Review

Jarvis is back but not without regrets from his last case and his break up with Melissa.  He agrees to look into the possible murder of a computer nerd - the police aren't thrilled as they want to close the case as a robbery gone bad. How complicated could that be? Some how, once Jarvis finds out the hard way that some Russians don't want him investigating and then the Chinese put him on notice as well, he's inclined to believe murder over robbery. 

In the meantime Melissa can't forgive him, but works for the lawyers who show up to bail out the Chinese and the Russians. Then there's Jarvis' usual charm and escapades with the ladies - Lindi comes through with information to help and April is certainly vying for his attention. In the meantime, the real hot shot hacker comes through.  Action-paced, not an obvious resolution, and Jarvis all the way. If you've liked the others in the series, Weir doesn't disappoint. This can be read as a stand alone. 

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book but this has not affected the content of my review in any way.

AMAZON

Be sure to check out the other Jarvis Mann PI stories:

Blood Brothers
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019S6AQXW

Twice As Fatal
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XTNTHWW

Tracking A Shadow
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQHVKJA

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGEZNSU

Book Review: BLOOD BROTHERS by R Weir

Synopsis:

Still recovering from his last case, which brought painful injuries and heartache, Jarvis picks himself up to help family out of a dire situation. A call from his sister-in-law leads him back to where he grew up. Big brother, Flynn, has dug himself a hole he can't climb out of, one filled with lies and deceit. Jarvis lends a hand, and is soon caught between Feds and gangsters, leading to peril for all involved.

With sharp tongue, nerves of steel, and fierce determination, Jarvis comes to his brother’s reluctant assistance. But can Jarvis save him from the depths to which he has fallen without getting them all killed? Coming to terms with his life growing up, and how he became who he is, Jarvis faces his past, present and future, and confronts an evil worse than anything he’s encountered before, one that may leave Jarvis, and all those he holds dear, dead. 

Review:

In this 4th installment of the Jarvis Mann series, Weir doesn't disappoint. Jarvis is personally involved and conflicted as he tries to ferret out the trouble his brother is in. He hasn't returned to his hometown in years and his memories are not of the happy kind, except for the girl who got away. When his brother is killed, it gets more personal. He calls in favors, but at what risk?

The story moves along at a good pace, the characters are well-developed. If you like a good mystery reminiscent of PI classics, you'll enjoy the latest addition to this series. Although necessary for the story, there is some sexual content and violence that may be offensive to same. Both Jarvis and his brother have some problems with infidelity. This is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone. Weir provides the necessary background from the previous book. On the other hand, reading this one first will spoil some of the fun from the first three. I've read all four and just want to know when to expect #5.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

Books in the Jarvis Mann Series:

THE CASE OF THE MISSING BUBBLEGUM CARD

TWICE AS FATAL

TRACKING A SHADOW

Links:
AMAZON
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

Book Review: TWICE AS FATAL by R Weir

Synopis (from Amazon)

Twice the business, twice the danger and Twice as Fatal. PI Jarvis Mann has two cases he is working, making his professional and personal life twice as difficult.

Ray Malone is a promising college football star whose career is derailed by injuries. When he disappears, close friend Jarvis is recruited by Ray’s father to locate him. After tracking him down a video is sent of Ray with the warning of it going public, threatening his career and those that love him.

Case two has landlord Kate Tanner hiring Jarvis to gather evidence against her cheating, thieving husband so she can divorce him. As Jarvis investigates he learns of the husband’s connection to a powerful man, with a dangerously perverted agenda that crosses into Kate’s life with deadly consequences.

Across the Rocky Mountain Front Range Jarvis tries to balance both cases, each dragging him deeper into different sleazy underworlds, jeopardizing him, his clients and their families. With danger and death all around him, he somehow must rescue everyone before this fatal business claims the lives of all involved, his life and the one he is growing to love.

Review:

Jarvis is back and his life is more complex as he tries to make his new relationship work while helping out his landlady and his friend.  He's traveling back and forth from Denver to Greeley and back, trying to find out secrets and keep secrets. One adversary has told him in graphic detail what will happen if he crosses them, but Jarvis may not be able to control all the players. 

This is the third in this series and as enjoyable as the first two! Jarvis has a good heart, but can find himself in trouble without the balancing act in TWICE AS FATAL. The plot is well developed and the pace is quick. He's on both cases because of personal relationships and still has to deal with some of the fallout from previous cases. That said, you don't have to read the books in order - this can be read as a stand alone - but why not read them all?  If easily offended, beware, there are some graphic scenes and adult content.

This is a new release and is currently only $0.99!

Purchase Link:

AMAZON

Previous Books in the Series:

Tracking A Shadow
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MQHVKJA

The Case of the Missing Bubble Gum Card
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JGEZNSU

Review: TRACKING A SHADOW (A Jarvis Mann Detective Novel) by R Weir

Synopsis (from AMAZON)

Never knowing where his next case will come from, Private Detective Jarvis Mann is thrilled when his voicemail is lit up by the sexy tones of a lady looking to hire him. Successful business woman Emily White with girl next door looks, is certain someone is stalking her and wants Jarvis to track down the elusive shadow.

Even with three suspects, an ex-husband who lives to play softball, a sexist pig ex-employee and a mystery man who he encounters with painful results, Jarvis believes it’s all in Emily’s head until a killing in her home convinces him otherwise.

Further complicating matters a powerful business man and crime boss becomes involved muddying up the case, leaving Jarvis the prime suspect in the brutal beating of one of the possible stalkers, threatening to put his PI career on ice.

Navigating through each twist and turn in the case, and the affections of two desirable women both with an agenda, Jarvis uses dogged determination and razor sharp wit in Tracking a Shadow that moves across the Denver landscape with each shift in the sun.

Review

Not a cozy mystery, but more suspenseful, this was a compelling read.  Jarvis Mann has to stay focused to help his newest client even if he's not sure he believes there is danger.  He systematically sets out to identify who is stalking this impressive and beautiful lady but something doesn't seem right.  On the personal side, he is drawn to Melissa, an attorney in the law office that represented his client five years earlier for her divorce.  Throw in an ex-employee womanizer, the ex-husband, the ex-consultant, and any other man who comes in contact with Emily, and Jarvis has his hands full.  He certainly doesn't need the two goons and alleged mob boss to further confuse matters.  A tangled web of deceit, but who is weaving it?  To his credit, as he muddles through Jarvis shows compassion and does seem to be making 'friends' with some members of the police department; Rufus puts a positive spin on the ending.

There are references to the short story, "THE CASE OF THE MISSING BUBBLEGUM CARD" but it is not necessary to read it first.  The ending suggests another Jarvis Mann Detective Novel in the making - I'm looking forward to it!