Robert Lane (6)

Robert Lane is perhaps my favorite living mystery author. Jake Travis is squarely in line behind Travis McGee as Florida's #2 private investigator.

Jake's life is evolving. He now has two children, hostages to fortune. His relationship with Kathleen is changing. His relationship with his friends, especially Morgan is changing. We are carried along.

I'm not as enthusiastic about this book as I am about some earlier ones. It's a bit pale. In particular, Jake's friends and even his family appear too briefly and with little impact. One of the more interesting characters, who might have been used in a later book, is not developed. A lot of what happens takes place within Jake's head. I think the blandness results from the two timeline structure. We follow Jake's investigation today but with short chapters set in the early 70s are interspersed. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I don't care for split narratives.

Don't start your Jake Travis adventures with this one. Read it later.

I received a review copy of this book directly from the author.… (altro)

I have been big a Jake Travis fan since "The Cardinal's Sin" in 2015. I've read them all and recommend them to you. This is one of the better ones.

When we last met Jake and Kathleen they had just adopted a baby and Jake had sworn off violence and guns. I didn't bother to revisit the text and context of that promise to check it against the action in this book, but, never fear, Jake does not hesitate to do what needs to be done.

The story is a complex one that deals with Russian sleeper spies, international bad guys in the Ian Fleming mode, and a bunch of nefarious goings on, including delicate hints of the CIA and Jake's old life. With luck, this means a return to more rollicking adventures in future books. Let's go Mr. Lane.

I received a review copy of "A Different Way to Die" by Robert Lane from Mason Alley Publishing directly from the author.… (altro)

‘Pleasure and regret are rarely out of sight of each other,’ as a seemingly straightforward blackmail investigation takes on a life of its own. Blackmail and murder are just the tip of the ice burg that uncovers mystery, espionage and a plethora of revelations surrounding all of the players.
Lane writes with his signature intelligence and wit, which keeps things alluring, realistic and amusing. He gives just enough rope to have you making slip knots in your theories, then pulls it neatly taut in the end. This is another Jake Travis mystery that I couldn’t put down and kept me thinking when I had to.
*I received an arc from the author for an honest review… (altro)