Book Description

IS THE WIDOWMAKER THE GUN...OR THE MAN?

John Locke has been many things -- lawman, bounty hunter, gun-for-hire. And when it comes to shooting, he's a dead shot with a six-gun or a rifle. Legends abound in the Old West depicting him as both a pillar of justice and a cold-hearted killer. The only thing folks know for sure is that Locke's dangerous -- and not to be crossed unless you have more guts than brains.

Locke's been hired to serve as a bastonero, the Master of Ceremonies, at the hanging of Ignacio Delgado -- a deadly bandit leader who, with his bandidos, has terrorized the town of Fredericksburgh, Texas. But while the townspeople are eager to see him hang, and his men are equally anxious to set him free, Locke discovers there are unseen forces manipulating events so that the wrong man may end up dead -- the Widowmaker himself! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

By the author of The Gunsmith
I received Robert J. Randisi's THE WIDOWMAKER #1 INVITATION TO A HANGING this morning. Started reading it at 9AM and just finished this 278 page book at 10:45AM.
If you don't buy any other western series book this month, get this one. It moves faster that any book that I've read in a loooong time. [I usually read about 2-3 books per week] While the characters don't seem to be totally fleshed out yet this series looks like it's going to be a winner, and I'm sure Robert will fill us in as he goes along. I'm hoping his publisher sees the same thing and keeps this excellent series going for a long time.

Steve Everett ... Read more

Book Description
Ted Shea thought he was a goner for sure. All the years he'dworked to build his Montana spread and fine herd of prime beef meantnothing if he couldn't sell them.And with a vicious rustler and his gangof cutthroats scaring all the hands, no one was willing to take to thetrail. Until Dan Parmalee drifted into town. A gunman and gambler with ataste for long odds, he wasn't about to let a little hot lead part him fromsome cold cash. But it doesn't take Dan long to realize this isn't just anyrun.This is a...BLOOD TRAIL TO KANSAS. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (7)

Frank, Mo Mo, and JFK.
The long and the short of it is that some Clyde is sending threatening notes to Dean Martin.

Dean is in town (the town being Las Vegas, 1960) with Frank, Sammy, Joey, and Peter to film the original OCEAN'S 11. Concerned for his friend's safety, Ol' Blue Eyes approaches Jack Entratter, the operator of the Sands, for help. Jack puts Frank onto Eddie Gianelli, a former Brooklyn street kid-turned CPA-now-turned pit boss, who knows everybody on The Strip.

As soon as Eddie G. starts asking questions, the bodies start piling up. After he's roughed up by a couple of torpedoes, Eddie starts taking it all very personally, and delves into his investigation with the passion (if not the professionalism) of Hercule Poirot.

Prolific thriller writer Robert J. Randisi has written a humorous and affectionate homage to the Era of the Rat Pack and to the vanished Sin City of the Fifties, where goombahs, celebrities, and everyday people lost fortunes, made fortunes and rubbed shoulders.

Bright and breezy though he is, Randisi is still writing Genre Noir and doesn't shy away from the drugs, hookers and shady deals that made (or make) up the seedy side of Las Vegas, but he doesn't obsess on them either. He is unsparing of the racism of the time: the outrage of some toward Sammy Davis Jr.'s impending marriage to Swedish actress May Britt, the mockery of Davis' Judaism, the disdain shown by white cops to a black detective, and the institutionalized segregation of Vegas are all mentioned in brief and summarily dismissed as ignorant by the diamond-in-the-rough Eddie, who blends with Casino owners, hitmen, showgirls, and The Boys quite comfortably, no matter what.

The Rat Pack and Friends (with cameo appearances by George Raft and then-Senator Jack Kennedy) move sparklingly across these pages. EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME is a great poolside read. Brief, snappy chapters move the story right along. Just about as light and fluffy as a murder mystery can be, EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME drips with ambience and that ring-a-ding-ding good feeling of the time.

The first in a new series, this little novel is a time capsule. Climb in and be transported.

You can almost hear ole Dean singing
Hey pallies! It's time to take a trip down memory lane to the glory days of the 1960's Sin City and go on a caper with the coolest cats who ever dunked their toes in the Sands Hotel and Casino swimming pool.

Yep, mystery writer Robert J. Randisi has started a new series featuring Las Vegas' beloved Rat Pack with Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime. The boys (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) are in town to film their first movie together, Ocean's 11. But before filming starts, the guys are having a blast taking the Sands by storm with their on and offstage hijinks.

As the title indicates, Dean Martin is the cat with the problem. Frank Sinatra asks Sands boss Jack Entratter for some helping trying to figure out who is sending death threats to Dino. Jack calls in pit boss Eddie Gianelli, better known everyone in Vegas as Eddie G. Although the guys know Eddie G., Eddie is just another clyde ("clyde was Rat Pack-ese for anyone who wasn't part of their group.") but he's wired into everything that happens in Vegas. Eddie gets a leave of absence to play gumshoe--and that's when the fists begin to fly. Before all is said and done Eddie takes a savage beating and the bodies start to pile up.

Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime is a homage to the Rat Pack, an illustration of how star-struck our society is, including a social commentary on the racial period of the time, with a mystery thrown in for good measure. It's a wonderful take-me-to-the-pool read that sure to bring smiles to those old enough to remember the Pack's antics and a history of those hard partying days and nights.

Robert J. Randisi is the author of the Nick Delvecchio and Miles Jacoby series. He is the founder and executive director of the Private Eye Writers of America, the creator of the Shamus Award, and the cofounder of Mystery Scene magazine.

Armchair Interviews says: In case you didn't get the play on words for the title, one of Dean Martin's biggest hits was "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime"--and you'll love this book!

Disappointing
Unlike the Rat Pack, this book does not deliver.It starts promisingly, but meanders along without focusing on the case at hand.That could have been an opportunity to paint a vivid picture of old Las Vegas, but no such luck.

The scenes with Pack members are best, but too few and seldom insightful.

Long conversations are depicted in glorious tedium.The characters' meal selections are listed, and character development gets left behind.

Worst, the "mystery" isn't.There is a too common practice among mystery writers: introduce the culprit early and cast no suspicion on him or her, then have them vanish while parading red herrings around in the hopes of getting the readers to forget them.Finally - haha! - look who it was.

'Sall I'm sayin'.

In fact, the whole resolution is a big gyp.Made me feel cheated.

This was one swingin' tale of mystery
I don't understand how this got by me when it was first published.... but I'm glad I found it here.Its a terrific tale of the Rat Pack at the apex of their fame in Vegas -- and the mystery ain't bad either.

Attack on the (Rat) Pack
The word on the street in Las Vegas is that if you need something done on the q.t., you call Eddie Gianelli.That's precisely why Frank Sinatra, in town to film Ocean's 11, reaches out to the Sands Casino pit boss when his fellow Rat Packer Dean Martin receives some threatening notes in the mail.Worried, Sinatra asks Eddie G. to investigate.Happy to do a favor for the singer, Eddie agrees, little realizing how his life is about to change--shortly after he starts asking questions, he's visited by two thugs who inflict a savage beating on him.Battered, but not deterred, Eddie digs deeper into the matter, putting his life on the line.

Perfectly blending nostalgia and noir, Randisi's latest should appeal to fans of Max Allan Collins and Ed Gorman's historical novels.Eddie G. is the perfect narrator, savvy, cynical, and tough, yet in some ways an innocent, based on his reactions to the many celebrities he meets (among them Joey Bishop, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and George Raft) over the course of the novel.Randisi captures the locale and the era perfectly, dropping readers into a 1960 Las Vegas as dangerous as it is seductive.Although he's careful not to judge the people of the time, he also manages to insert some telling social commentary into his narrative, as when he portrays the prejudice experienced by Sammy Davis Jr. over his pending interracial marriage, and by a black Las Vegas police officer, whose subordinates do not treat him with the proper respect.
... Read more

Book Description

On the run from the assassins who murdered his family, Ty Butler found a new way to survive: with a few good hands, a loaded gun, and a little luck. But lying low and keeping out of his hunters' gunsights is getting harder to do since he started earning a serious rep at the poker table—and especially now that he's made some new friends . . . named Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Doc Holliday.

Book Description

Ty Butler came from Eastern wealth&#8212but killers destroyed everyone who shared his name. Seeking a safe haven in the open West, he's found a home among the outlaws, tinhorns, and fugitives who gather at the gaming table. His skill at reading faces and cards has kept Butler in the money&#8212and it's kept him sharp and ready . . . for the assassins who're hunting him down.

Working his way to Dodge City, Butler finds the town in an uproar. A new law's in charge here where Bat Masterson carved his legend&#8212old, powerful, and dangerous grudges are about to explode&#8212and Ty Butler's caught right in the middle. When the gunsmoke clears, he'll have friends and enemies in all the wrong places. And to make it out of Dodge alive, he'll need all the aces he can get his hands on.

Customer Reviews (1)

Not much to it, but still fun
This is a pretty standard western, with some interesting color, name dropping of famous gunslingers, and not much else.There is little character development, the plot meanders, and it all seems to tie into a series of mysteries that barely resolve by the time the novel is over.However, the writing is clean, the occasional gunfights are brisk, and descriptions of the poker games are surprisingly fun.

I don't know if this is true in his other novels, but the whole book is written in short sections of one to three pages, making is a quick read.The Gamblers is an enjoyable way to pass a few minutes here and there.Certainly not great, but I'll probably pick up the sequel if I find it.
... Read more

Book Description
The sheriff of Epitaph, Texas, Dan Shaye was a hard but just defender of the law -- a devoted husband and father who kept the truth about his violent past from the townfolk he protected. But then the hardcase Ethan Langer gang galloped into town looking to rob the local bank. And when they rode out again, Dan's beloved wife Mary was lying dead in the Texas dust.

Now the time has come for Daniel Shaye to leave Epitaph, maybe for good, with his three motherless adult sons at his side. For the only justice that will serve is going to come from a rifle or a rope -- as the four Shayes band together to uphold a new law ... called revenge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Worth a read
Like many books by Robert Randisi this tale is dialogue driven. Due to this and short chapters of two or three pages in length this is an easy to read book.

There's not a lot of action until quite a way into the story but Randisi uses this to skillfully flesh out his characters, both good and bad.

The fact that not all the brothers hearts are into killing, instead of capturing and making the bank robbers stand trial, allows Randisi to include some thought provoking discussions on the right and wrongs of killing for vengeance and on the existance of God.

LEAVING EPITAPH is the first in what seems to be a trilogy and I am looking forward to reading the next two.

NEW ACTION PACKED SERIES-A MUST READ!!!!!
Epitaph Texas 1889. Ethan Langer and his gang were riding out of town at a full gallop after robbing the bank. Suddenly a woman appears in front of Ethan and he rides her down. The woman is Mary Shaye, wife of Sheriff Daniel Shaye. Now the hunt for Ethan takes on a vendetta for Daniel. Unable to find any willing townsmewn to help in the hunt for Ethan, Shaye deputizes his three sons, Thomas, James and Matthew. Now Daniel is on the trail of Ethan and his hard bunch with three inexperienced deputies. Shaye's sons learn more about their fathers past, even that at one time he himself rode the outlaw trail. Up north in South Dakota, Aaron Langer and his part of the gang had successfully robbed a bank and was now headed to Salina, Kansas where the two brothers and the gang were to meet and divide the money. Shaye and his sons along with the sheriff and his deputies had hopes of ending the career of both Langer brothers in Salina. Unknown to the lawmen, the Langer brothers and their Segundos were upstairs in the saloon when they were fired on by the gang members. Once the gunsmoke had cleared, the gang members lay dead or wounded while the Langers made their escape. Aaron heads to Nebraska while Ethan goes south to Oklahoma City. This forces Daniel to split with his sons. Shaye and James go north after Aaron while Thomas and Matthew follow Ethan south. The Shaye boys acted well in the saloon gun fight. But how will they react against two experienced outlaws with no back up except each other or Daniel? If Shaye's vendetta is successful, will he and his sons return to Epitaph and resume their duties as lawmen? THE SONS OF DANIEL SHAYE; LEAVING EPITAPH is a new ACTION PACKED series from Robert J Randisi that I hope to be reading about in the years to come.

Les ... Read more

Book Description
Young boys are being kidnapped and strangled to death in Chicago, while the same is happening to girls in St. Louis. Is there one killer driving up and down I-55, or two separate killers? Detective Joe Keough and his partner, Harriet Connors, are dispatched to the Midwest from Washington, D.C. to find out in another riveting murder mystery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

fast
A good read , A Joe Keough mystery novel. Duel serial killer's stalking Chicagoand St. Louis.An interesting twist at the end.

Best Detective Book in Last 10 Yrs
Don't walk but run out and get this detective book. Rich character development and a new interesting twist to the serial murderer genre, I highly recommend Randisi's new book. Each member of my family, who I am certain have the "detective story gene sequence" in their DNA, loved Bob's book! A read you will not regret!

Joe Keough returns to St. Louis.
Detective Joe Keough returns to his old stomping grounds when it becomes apparent that a serial killer is kidnapping and murdering young boys in St. Louis.It's a bittersweet experience for Keough for several reasons besides the killings.One is that he is now considered an outsider by local police, having spent the last year working for the Federal Serial Killer Task Force in Washington DC.Another complication occurs when he is brought face-to-face with his ex-partner Marc Jeter, with whom he has some very serious unfinished business.Finally, it appears as if the killer, or a copycat with a similar M.O., is snatching young girls off the street a few hundred miles away in Chicago, always within days of the St. Louis killings.Still, Keogh endures, relying on razor sharp instincts to bring the killer to justice, even as he deals with his recently diagnosed diabetes and the shambles he has made of his personal life.

The fifth Joe Keogh mystery finds Randisi in fine form, still capable of mesmerizing readers.Careful to offer plenty of action sequences, and to keep the suspense ratcheted up to barely tolerable levels, he also realistically portrays each of his characters' viewpoints and moral dilemmas.Thus, their actions are understandable, and their motivations clear; Randisi leaves it up to his readers to decide about the morality of their behavior.Although the finale feels a bit rushed and possibly a bit anti-climactic after everything that has come before, Arch Angels should prove a satisfying read for most.

fun serial killer investigation
So far the victims are all between the ages of eight and ten.The three strangled in St. Louis were female: in Chicago three boys were murdered in the same manner.Every couple of days a killing occurs.The police in both cities remain baffled over whether there is one culprit, two in tandem, or an originator and a copy cat as the I-55 serial killings of these little angels leave law enforcement officials feeling helpless and distraught.

Federal Service Killer Task Force Detective Joe Keough flies to St. Louis while his partner Harriet Connors travels to Chicago to help with the inquiries.The local cops are irate that these superstar outsider hired guns are perching in their territory, but that does not stop Joe and Harriet from taking over much of the investigations.Soon the DC based duo finds twin suspects, but are they the "divine" driven killers or is there something even more diabolical behind the serial murders of the angelic children?

Though Joe and Harriet are an interesting duo whose teamwork makes this serial killer investigation work as the latest of what seems like the zillionth serial killer novel offers quite a stretch of a solution to the murders.The story line moves at a leisurely pace more suited to a cozy belying that a killing machine or two is preying on the preadolescent populace.The territoriality of the local police seems genuine though one would hope that they would welcome outside expertise.ARCH ANGELS is a solid tale, but the climax and the feel that they have all the time in the world to stop the culprit(s) takes away from the latest Keogh tale.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description

Professional gambler Ty Butler knows he should keep moving to stay ahead of the killers who wiped out his family and are now gunning for him. But when a serious card player finds a challenging game in an honest house, he wants to stay awhile.

Customer Reviews (1)

STUD POKER PROFESSION


This book is the 3rd to be released in a series by Robert Randisi caled "The Gamblers". I have the other two books on order, but started with this as it arrived first.

Having several other western novels on shelf by Mr. Randisi, I knew what to expect: well written, action oriented, all interwoven with an interesting story.

Ty (short for Tyrone) Butler, our hero, is working his way from Denver, Colorado, where he knew both Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson, through all the gambling halls in Texas prior to moving on to California. When his journey takes him to Fort Worth he is able to make connections with Luke Short due his prior introduction fromBat Masterson. Little Luke Short not only owns a half partnership in the White Elephan, but Luke is a gunman on the level with Wyatt, Doc, and Bat, only a little slower it is said than Ben Thompson.

Soon after meeting Luke, Ty enters a couple day's long poker game at Luke's emporium. After that, owning to whiskey, cards, and guns, events begin to move along with Luke Short calling on Ty to help watch his back. As difficulties arise any reader of the west knows who will show up: yep, that's correct, sheriff Jim Courtwright. How all this works out, well, you will have to spend some time reading this western as I'm not one for spoiling the book for you. But be assured with Robert J. Randisi writing the book all will offer a pleasing read.

And should you enjoy this one, hey, there are also two prior books to read also. The other two books are entitled: DENVER DRAW and BUTLER'S WAGER. Exciting stories with both being westerns with poker as a backdrop.

Read on, pards.

Semper Fi. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Randisi killer is on the loose

I got hooked on Robert J. Randisi's writing style when I reviewed the first of his Rat Pack series, Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime. So that meant that I needed to read everything he's written that's still in print. All but one of his titles at my local library were checked out, so I grabbed Cold Blooded before anyone else could snag it.

Cold Blooded features another Randisi-series protagonist, NYPD Detective Sergeant Dennis McQueen. When the first stiff, dead AND frozen, washes up on a Brooklyn beach, McQueen and his new partner, Detective Bailey Sommers, think it's odd, but it's just another murder in the city that never sleeps. McQueen's Lieutenant ships the case out of McQueen's hands and tries to convince McQueen to focus on breaking in Sommers who is new to the district and homicide.

McQueen reluctantly lets the case go, but when another and another pop up with the same MO, McQueen is sure that there is a serial killer loose in the borough. With warm weather, the body count dwindles and then picks up again when winter strikes, and it's as cold outside as the bodies that float.

In the last third of Cold Blooded, Randisi adds Owen Feinstein's point and view and lets the reader in on the mind of a murderer. The scene illustrating Feinstein's cruelty (scalding a small child's arms) is horrifying.

While finding the killer is center stage, Cold Blooded also deals with office politics, sexual harassment, and the need to follow your gut.

It was an easy read, however I was appalled at the number of typos in the text. I guess Cold Blooded is a testimony that publisher's need to re-hire proof readers.

Armchair Interviews says: If you like Randisi's other writing, you'll also like this book.

From our armchair to yours...

I basically love anything by this author
Randisi has done it again.

He has managed to write a police thriller that will keep you on your toes and make you feel as though the book should never end.

Although I thought that I had figured out the ending, it turns out that there are a few twists and turns in this one that I hadn't counted on.

Buy this book and enjoy an honest to goodness thriller. I have been really missing those lately. ... Read more

Book Description
Vegas, 1960. Gamblin', drinkin', and everybody's misbehavin'. Six months ago, while they were filming Ocean's 11, the Rat Pack needed Eddie Gianelli's help to track down the mug who was sending threatening letters to Dino. Now they're back for the premiere and it's Frank who needs Eddie's help. Seems a babe he was planning to meet in Sin City took a powder---leaving behind her luggage and a stiff in the bathtub. She's on the lam, and it's up to Eddie to find her and figure out if she's a victim or a killer. Once again Eddie teams up with his P.I. buddy, Danny Bardini, and the Jewish New York torpedo, Jerry Epstein, who never met a pancake he didn't like. Together they scour the neon streets, smoke-filled lounges, casinos, and seamy back alleys, dodging bodies and thugs with guns. But when Sam Giancana arrives on the scene, Eddie starts to wonder if he's going to be able to keep himself out of jail---and alive.Celebrity cameos spice up the action, and Mo Mo Giancana brings a dark presence to the story. Once again, Randisi, the man Booklist says 'may be the last of the pulp writers,' gives readers a tour de force of bright lights, hot dice, and drop-dead-gorgeous dames in this second novel in the exciting, acclaimed series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

homage to the Rat Pack
In 1960 during the filming of Ocean's 11, Sands casino pit boss Eddie Gianelli helped Dean Martin with a problem (see EVERYBODY KILLS SOMEBODY SOMETIME).So when the leader of the Rat Pack, Frank Sinatra tells Dino he has a problem, Dino suggests Eddie.

Frank explains to Eddie he has a female problem that has nothing to do with the two women the press connects him with.He asks Eddie to help him, but the pit boss cannot fathom what Frank is saying about the dames until finally he says the lady in question has vanished.Gianelli and his New York protector, Jerry Epstein search for the missing female as someone is bumping off people connected to the Rat Pack; Epstein assumes Mafia Don Sam Giancana is involved as money is the root of a potential gang war between the mob and the pack.

The key to the second Rat Pack crime caper is Robert J. Randisi's adoring homage of the members while also bringing them to life especially Frank this time.The story line is fast-paced while enabling the readers to meet the Rats up front and personal even as the original Ocean's 11 film is about to hit the big screen and an apparent mob war between a gang that uses real bullets and a group that uses Hollywood glitter seems imminent.The mystery is light but fun as it is more a mechanism for the readers to meet the rat Pack so that baby boomers and other fans of the recent Ocean's movies will enjoy LUCK BE A LADY, DON'T DIE.

Harriet Klausner
... Read more

Book Description
When Claire Hunt is sent to host her home shopping program on location in the Big Easy she and her husband, Gil, cannot resist having him come along. A book dealer back home in St. Louis, Gil is eager for the chance to poke around in the French Quarter's shops. The food, the history, the mystique--all of it delights the couple . . . until they're meeting with the Voodoo Queen, Auntie Laveau.The strange woman presents the duo with a collection of miniature Mardi Gras masks, hoping Claire will sell them on the air during her show. However, when the real Auntie Laveau is found murdered the police begin an official investigation. As the Hunts unwittingly become entangled with Louisiana's supernatural subculture Gil finds himself embroiled in the search for a missing girl who may or may not become the next victim. As he, himself, becomes endangered Claire and her son, Paul, frantically search the French Quarter for her husband before he can become a victim of the Voodoo Queen as well. But wait. Auntie Laveau is dead-or is she? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A romantic mystery that reads quite well
After her last involvement in a homicide case, Claire Hunt wants to avoid trouble at all costs.When she and her husband Gil visit "Auntie" Laveau in New Orleans about selling masques on her segment of a home shopping channel, Claire realizes "Auntie" is an imposter.

Before returning to their home in St. Louis, the police question the Hunts.Someone killed Aunt Laveau and Claire's name was found in her apartment.Gil returns to New Orleans to identify a person in the hospital who the police believe posed as Auntie Laveau for the Hunts.Someone kidnaps Gil, leaving it up to his spouse, who refuses to wait for the police to act, to find him.

Robert Randisi & Christine Matthews have written a fascinating mystery that provides readers with an insider's view of voodoo practitioners and their impact on believers.In THE MASKS OF AUNTIE LAVEAU, the voodoo subculture permeates the entire Big Easy, making the plot feel gothic-like.The two protagonists are endearing individuals whose love for one another has no bounds even conquering fear as proven by Claire's willingness to dive head first into trouble for her beloved.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Book Description
When Sam McCall got word his pa had died, something seemed suspicious. And even though he and his brothers hadn't been home in twenty years, they wanted the truth. But as soon as they got back to Texas, a posse of hired guns opened fire. Turns out the new owner of their old ranch didn't exactly cotton to having them around. Yet they're determined to find out what really happened to their pa--and make their hometown of Vengeance Creek live up to its name. ... Read more

Book Description

A Debt to the Dead

Customer Reviews (1)

Riveting
I love this book. It is a classic western with lots of action from true heroes of the west.

Daniel Shaye and his sons, Thomas and James, respond to a woman who claims her son was fathered by Matthew Shaye, their deceased son and brother.

Intrigue surrounds the young mother dragging the Shayes further into danger. When outlaws threaten the town over the young mother, they can't help become involved.

One son died for his principals. Daniel doesn't want to lose another son but the choice is theirs, and law enforcement is in their blood.

In a swift and satisfying ending, the Shayes bring justice to the outlaws and find the answers to questions about Matthew.

Well done, Mr. Randisi. This is the first book of yours I have read and I can't say enough good things about it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Not worth the time.
I don't know who recommended this book to me, but it was a mistake.Protaganist Keough has the usual personal demons as well as his "do good" attitude.He has been transfered to "police hell" for beating up a child molester.He then proceeds to see something in a crime that is being ignored by everyone else in the NYPD due to politics.

If you want to read a good series with "personal demons", read something by James Lee Burke.If you want to read about police procedureread something by Dan Mahoney.

There are too many good books out there to be wasting time and money on somethng like this.Hopefully Randisi will improve with experience.

Formulaic, but Good
Alone with the Dead is a police procedural that follows all the rules.We have a working class detective named Joe who is ruled by a moral compass that few people in his department have.When Joe Keough finds the body of a young high school student, brutally raped with a rose inserted inside of her, he has a feeling that the death was committed by a copycat of a notorious serial killer named "The Lover."Others within the department, however, do not share his theory and are quick to lump the killing with the others.

This, however, does not sit well with the actual serial killer, who goes out of his way to absolve himself from the blame.Joe, goes against his superiors, The Lover Task Force, and the copycat killer himself, to reveal to the public that there are in fact two serial killers.

But when a friend of Joe's is brutally stabbed to death in his own home, the finger points to a boss within the NYPD.It is then that Joe realizes that he has made enemies both within the department AND outside in the mean streets of New York.The interesting part of the story is when one of Keough's few supporters in his investigation is The Lover himself!

If you are a fan of police procedurals, this is a good one.It has a solid (but thinly veiled) mystery, very appealing characters, and a pacing that keeps you reading from the prologue to the epilogue.

I did think the characters were quite clche, but it only added to the realism of the voice that Randisi creates.I previously knew Randisi by the anthologies that he put together, finding his tastes in the crime/noir literature to be quite phenomenal, however, I was impressed by his writing style.

I thought the story was very realistic.It is something that I could actually see happening and could make a very good film (or at least a made for TV movie).Being a fan and writer of the mystery/crime genre myself, I love a good story and this one was pretty good.

Randisi Mysteries Rate the Best
I'm not much of a reviewer, but I've read all of Randisi's Joe Keough books. The hero, the villans and the mysteries are all first class reading enjoyment.

Proficien t but unexceptional serial killer tale
The book introduces a new character from the prolific Mr Randisi -a NY cop named Joseph Sean Keough ,downgraded for his robust attitude towards the rights of child molesters .The city is in thrall to a serial killer ,dubbed The Lover ,for his habit of leaving a rose on the nude body of his female victims.He has an imitator ,Kopycat ,whose idolises the Lover and seeks to emulate him .Keough suspects the truth -that there are two killers but the chief of the Task Force set up tp investigate the crimes chooses ,cynically to demand the new killings are treated as the work of the Lover ,despite clear differences in the age of victims and the type of roses left behind.Its head Lieutenant Slovecky is determined to gain rapid promption and the more crimes ascribed to the Lover ,the better for him when the killer is convicted.
Len Swann ,a task force member ,collaborates with Keough to expose the truth but is murdered and the case for the two killer theory is kept under wraps to the considerable annoyance of the Lover who is appalled at the new crimes.
The tale is one of overlapping hunts- the hunt for the killer of Swann,andthat for thetwo serial murderers .
The actual resolution of the crimes is not due to any great detection and relies heavily on coincidence -something the writer covertly acknowledges towards the close of the book .What is of striking interest however is the portrait of a corrupt and venal NYPD ,riddled with blackmail and run with more ofan eye

for publicity and politics than in the interest of the general public.
The Department does not come out of the book at all well -at least in its upper echelons and the portrait makes uncomfortable reading in that regard.
Marked down for the perfunctoriness of its resolution of the crime which depends too heavily on being in the right place at the right time.
Worth reading if you like urban thrillers without too much bnlood snd gore

Good concept,but what happened?
This is an incredible for a book.You have one serial killer called "The Lover", who places a rose on his victims body.Someone reads about it in the local paper, and he wanted to "give hornors" to the "Lover", by being a Copycat killer. Just one problem, the Lover isn't flattered, he's mad.Sounds like a *great* idead for a book, right?Well somewhere alone the way, it falls apart.I guess the biggest problem I had was how the "Lover" was caught.There was very little cat and mouse play between Keough (the lead detective) and the Lover.

Randisi has a decent wrtiing style that will probally keep the reader hooked, but I feel that so much more coulde have been done with this book.

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad read, I just expected abit more. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Robert Randisi is the founder and executive director of the Private Eye Writers of America, the creator of the Shamus Award, and the cofounder of Mystery Scene magazine. With such an impressive résumé, one wonders why his latest mystery novel is so leaden.

Blood on the Arch is another in Randisi's series of St. Louis mysteries (see also In the Shadow of the Arch) starring Joe Keough, a New York City detective transplanted to the Midwest. Joe's the St. Louis department's "number-one homicide man," on the scene whenever a tricky murder threatens to baffle lesser minds. This time, Mark Drucker, who has shadowy but definite political connections and ambitions, has been bludgeoned to death in one of the trams that shuttle tourists to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Drucker had been up to his ears in the misappropriation of city funds, and a lot of solid citizens had been gunning for his political, if not actual, demise. As he delves into Drucker's past, present, and future, Keough must negotiate cranky public officials, suspiciously unhelpful lawyers, and a personal dilemma or two.

Unfortunately, Randisi's characters are shallowly drawn, the plot dully incoherent, the denouement astonishingly nonsensical. The reader looking for well-written Midwestern mysteries with a tinge of political graft would be far better advised to turn to Sara Paretsky's V.I. Warshawski series (Tunnel Vision, Blood Shot). One hopes that Blood on the Arch is a momentary aberration, and that Randisi's next foray into authorship will better fulfill his dedication to the private-eye genre. --Kelly Flynn ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Tried a little too hard
to make this hard to figure out until it lost some of its credibility.A simpler plot line would have worked better.However, it's still fairly entertaining.If you're a knowledgable mystery reader,you'll probably figure it out anyway.

Pretty Good
Robert Randisi is a good writer.I've enjoyed all his books,and "Blood on the Arch"is no exception.I read the book in 2 days.Joe Keogh is an interesting character.Short chapters,lots of conversations-what more couldyou ask for?Ha!

Fast moving....but
Blood on the Arch had a very interesting, and at times, complicated mystery about it.What I particularly enjoyed about the book was Detective Joe Keough's desire to solve the murders.It was refreshing to read abouta character who thought more about his job (solving the murders), than hisown career (the harrasment suit). The one big downside to the book revolvedaround its ending.The author never goes into any detail regarding why themurders were taking place.He does talk about the land developmentopportunities, but it was few and far between.

This is the first bookthat I have read in the Detective Joe Keough series, I just hope that thenext one is a little more developed than this one.

good read
Although Detective Joe Keough has worked in St. Louis for less than a year, he has attained the reputation as the city police force's number one homicide cop. After stopping a gruesome serial killer, Joe is a hero on apar with home run slugger Mark McGuire.

Joe's latest case takes him tothe Gateway Arch where he finds the bludgeoned body of the personresponsible for his new home and job in St. Louis. Joe deeply believes heowes it to Mark Drucker to solve the case by bringing the murderer tojustice. Joe quickly realizes he knows very little about his mentorincluding how Mark earned his money. As Joe digs for clues and answers,another homicide directly linked to the Drucker case occurs. Keough slowlywades through the city's movers and shakers determined to uncover the trutheven as his inquiries leave some individuals very nervous about what thepersistent detective will learn.

Robert J. Randisi has written anelectrifying police procedural novel that will makes fans of the sub-genreextremely happy with this special work. BLOOD ON THE ARCH moves at a veryrapid pace, with many delightful red herrings interwoven into the plot tofool Joe and the audience. Though the subplot about his health bringsreaders closer to the Joe, the protagonist is clearly a maverick whofollows his own moral beliefs when it conflicts with the rules. This, inturn, leaves readers wondering about the enigmatic Joe and wanting moretales to learn more about his past and present motivations.

HarrietKlausne ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A 5 STAR MUST READ WITH ACTION AND EXCITEMENT!
Marshall Kyle Maddux of Cromwell, Kansas was dogging the trail of Lucas Freeling and the two hardcases riding with him. Kyle catches up with the trio and in the ensuing shootout he is wounded. Kyle kills Freeling and the other two men ride off. Just then a shot rings out and Maddux is downed by the Backshooter. Three years later and retired from toting a badge, Kyle is getting restless. Running a ranch is not enough for the former lawman. Now Maddux's former deputy Joe Hannibal is Marshall of Cromwell. During this time the Backshooter has twelve victims to his name. Joe brings Glenn Wilkes, who is employed by the Pinkerton Detective Agency, out to Kyle's ranch to meet Maddux. Wilkes claims the Pinkerton's have been hired by the family of one of the Backshooter's victims to bring him to justice and wants Kyles help in tracking this man killer. Wilkes believes Walker Bogart may have done some of the killings attributed to the Backshooter. Bogart also has a price on his head the and Wilkes plans on collecting the bounty. Walker Bogart is hoping to lure Maddux out of retirement, kill him and enhance his reputation. Maddux, along with Hannibal and Kyle's ranch hand, a half-breed Kiowa John Shadoweyes agree to help Wilkes. In the town of Ceremony in New mexico, Bogart has taken control of the town. Walker is also holding Anne Redmond captive. After stops in the towns of the victims of the Backshooter and with information gathered along the trail, Maddux and his comrades head for New Mexico. The man hunters finally catch a break when the Sheriff of Dennison, NM informs Hannibal that Bogart has taken over the town of Ceremony. Maddux, Hannibal, Shadoweyes and Wilkes ride to Ceremony for a final showdown with Bogart. In this little town in New Mexico, guns will blaze and men will die, but who? BACKSHOOTER is filled with plenty of action, excitement and some great lines. BACKSHOOTER is a 5 STAR MUST READ. Randisi is among the best authors writing today. ... Read more

Book Description

When legendary gunfighter John Locke is hired to ride shotgun on a fat payroll wagon bound for Turnback Creek, Montana, it's more than a job. It's a chance to reunite with his old riding partner, ex-Marshal Dale Cooper. The pair go back a ways, and though Coop no longer wears a badge, he wants to hit the trail one more time. But the going is not easy. There are sidewinders in the shadows, ready to pilfer the loot for themselves.

Once they get to the ramshackle town, the trouble really starts, as the pair must make a perilous trek to the remote mining camp itself, with death lurking behind every boulder and crevice. Armed with hot lead, cold steel, and an iron will, Locke and Cooper know that in this fight, there will be no winners -- only survivors. But Locke soon learns that the true danger lies closer than he thought.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

ENJOYABLE WESTERN


Take two men who have been friends for 25 years, have ridden many trails together, and are now possibly on one of their last. One is a "money" gun or gunslinger, the other a tracker and bounty hunter. The one a deadly shot, while the other can track anything moving day or night. Both are educated one from back east college, the other a half-Indian, agency educated by his school teacher mother. And there you have a combination of personalities that will entertain you through the 260 pages of this most recent western from the pen of Robert J. Randisi.

Faulkner is the 'money' gun and Henry Tall Fellow is the tracker, both are being paid to be on the the trail of the Jack Sunday gang, a bunch of no goods who have been raiding and murdering at will. Though many law officers have no love for either a gunslinger or abounty hunter, several have wished both Faulkner and Tall Fellow the best of luck, with one even telling the duo to be sure and put an extra bullet in Sunday when they catch up to him.

Robert Randisi is an excellent writer who writes excellent westerns. This one is right up there with his best.

Recommended by this ole western bookaroo. And if you like this one, his newest release, TEXAS IRON, will be released soon from Leisure Book westerns.

Semper Fi. ... Read more

Book Description
Including new stories from New York Times bestselling and Edgar(r) Award-winning authors, this collection is moody, menacing, and as unpredictable as the jazz music it celebrates.

With stories by Michael Connelly, Peter Robinson, Robert Ferrigno, Laura Lippman, Max Allan Collins, Julie Smith, Craig Holden, John Lutz, John Harvey, Billy Moody, Ed Gorman, Martin Meyers, Les Roberts, and Christine Matthews. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good for jazz fans
This volume of short mystery stories all connected to jazz should be a favorite for those who love both. The stories' settings range from "the jazz age" to contemporary, from New Orleans to St. Louis. Many of them are peppered with names that true jazz aficionados will recognize. Authors in the anthology are: Craig Holden, John Lutz, Martin Meyers, Max Allan Collins & Matthew V. Clemens, John Harvey, Peter Robinson, Bill Moody, Michael Connelly, Les Roberts, Julie Smith, Ed Gorman, Laura Lippman, and Rober J. Randisi, who also edited.

The good:
A wide variety of stories and styles.
If you're a big jazz fan, you'll enjoy the inclusion in many of the stories of jazz greats.

The bad:
If you're not a big jazz fan, the references may leave you cold or confused.
Some of the stories were of the literary, see-how-smart-I-am variety, and not really mysteries at all.

The verdict:
Best for literati jazz fans, but there are still a few good stories for the rest of us.

Great Collection of Short Mysteries With A Jazz Flavor
My greatest fear when reading collections is that they will be uneven. Not here. These are all very good. They all keep the readers attention and move quickly. Time settings were from the the late 1920's till the not too distant past. I really enjoyed this and am going to purchase books by the authors I was not previously familiar with.

Murder and All That Jazz quite copacetic
The mystery anthology seemed to be dying a slow death in the '90s with the onset of the fast-food, summer beach, cats-and-recipe detective novel and the reluctance of bestselling authors to waste their sweat on the short story form.

But the anthology's now coming back with a vengeance. Penzler's sports mystery anths. and McBain's knockout new collection Transgressions come to mind. But this one came out of nowhere: A straight-to-paperback, little-trumpeted (pun intended) theme anthology that features a new Harry Bosch tale (Connelly's the one true modern heir to Chandler and a great break from the armies of Top 10 hacks out there). I'd have paid the book's price for this one alone: A police procedural with a clever mystery, a hearteningly Chandleresque Christmas moral, and a glimpse into Bosch's troubled past and affection for jazz. Connelly demonstrates here that you can write short and still deliver the goods. There's also a rare Milan Jacovich story (Les Roberts deserves more of that fame we seem to ladle on burgermeisters like Grisham, Cornwell, and Robin Cook), and additional P.I. treats by Julie Smith and Laura Lippman. That ain't enough for you, we got original Lutz, Randisi, Gorman, and Max Allan Collins. $6.99 for a feast like this? I'm glad I skipped my double-Thickburger lunch that day. You should enjoy!

Magnificent collection of writers in the key of jazz.
Most authors express the belief that the short story is the most difficult format to execute. Developing characters and advancing plot(s) in the space limitations can tax the most gifted of writers.

Leave it to Robert Randisi to assemble a collection of fascinating short mysteries with a jazz theme that belie the conventional wisdom.

His "Murder and All That Jazz" boasts a roster filled with Edgar, Shamus and Agatha winners.

The baker's dozen tales all sparkle...my particular favorites were penned by Laura Lippman, Les Roberts, Michael Connelly, Julie Smith and Mr. Randisi.

A pleasure from start to finish. Enjoy this one and get an introduction to some writers you may not have known.
... Read more