Shawn Wilson

Brian Kavanagh (preferring his nickname Brick) enjoyed visiting Ireland in the first 3 months of retirement, recovering after trauma from his last case as a homicide detective. Brick never anticipated that his time on return home to Washington, D.C., would include a job offer investigating a cold case and helping his former partner Ron Hayes through an almost unfathomable personal experience.

Moving beyond a police procedural, the storyline illustrates the complexities of life for a newly retired officer. It also simultaneously elucidates whether, in the official capacity of a job using law enforcement experience and in the case of his partner Ron Hayes, there is the drama and tension created by schedules when personal and professional priorities overlap and are competing priorities.

I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series even more than "Relentless." The short chapters assist in ratcheting the suspense and twists in the cases. I’m ready to read Book 3 whenever available.

A Publisher’s Note at the end of the novel shares, "The two novels stand on their own and can be read in any order." However, I hope readers will read this series in order, although the stories stand independently, to fully appreciate the character development of all the recurring characters, especially the thoughts, motivations, and actions of Brick and his former partner Ron Hayes.… (altro)

2013. Cherry Blossom time in Washington, D.C.

Brian Kavanagh (aka Brick) and Ron Hayes are not looking at the beauty surrounding them. They are detectives in the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). A young woman has their attention, but she’ll never know. She’s the latest murder victim in the city.

The title "Duplicity" caught my eye while browsing on NetGalley. I learned it was Book 2 of a series and clicked over to purchase Book 1. The portrayal of the pairing of a veteran homicide detective and a younger man with a little over a year in Homicide felt realistic and added to the characterization, dialogue, and life perspective—each man contributing to the well-being of the other professionally and personally. Don’t miss meeting Brick. A relentless detective that evades law enforcement politics. He pursues justice. Justice for the victim. Justice for the family left behind.

I don’t know if I would have discovered this author independently and wouldn’t have wanted to miss her writing. Now it’s time to read "Duplicity!"… (altro)

In Duplicity, book two of the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series, author Shawn Wilson transports the reader back to Washington D.C., for another intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

After spending three months in Ireland, retired Homicide Detective Brian "Brick" Kavanagh returns to Washington D.C. to contemplate the next phase of his life. Brick is offered the opportunity to train criminology graduate students on how to investigate cold cases. A specific case investigating the three year old hit-n-run cold case of Lincoln University student Henry Yang intrigues Brick, and he agrees to investigate the cold case. Before starting the investigation into the cold case, Brick travels to Chicage to meet up with Nora Breslin, an Aer Lingus flight attendant that he met while in Ireland, but a frantic call from Brick's former partner, Homicide Detective Ron Hayes sends him back to Washington D.C. to help investigate the kidnapping of Ron's wife Jasmine and their twin babies. The two cases leads Brick on a complicated investigative journey when the hit-n-run cold case may have political implications, while the search for his former partner's family is intense and baffling, as he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together for both investigations.

Author Shawn Wilson weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale that follows Brick's investigations to uncover the truth behind the hit-n-run cold case, and the complicated kidnapping case of his former partner's family. I loved reading this action-packed story. Brick's observations and detail to the police procedure used within the investigations kept me intrigued as he slowly put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together for both cases, especially when there is complications, intensity, and danger around every corner.

The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as Brick's no nonsense and determined investigations uncovers a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues, while it will also leave the reader completely shocked by the surprise ending.

Duplicity has enough drama, tension, action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2022/11/duplicity-by-shawn-wilson-vbt...… (altro)

In Relentless, book one of the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series, author Shawn Wilson transports the reader to Washington D.C., for an intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

Homicide Detective Brian "Brick" Kavanagh and partner Ron Hayes investigate a woman's naked body found floating in the Tidal Basin. What looks like a classic murder case is anything but that when Brick discovers that the young woman is connected to another homicide case that is personal to him. When the investigation is turned into a circus, Brick is tired of the departmental politics, and after twenty years he decides to abruptly retire, but he is relentlessly determined to solve both homicide cases on his own.

Author Shawn Wilson weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale that follows Brick's investigation to uncover the truth behind both homicide cases. I loved reading this action-packed story. Brick's observations and detail to the police procedure used within the investigation kept me intrigued as he slowly put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together, especially when the real killer's intentions are not easily identified.

The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as Brick's no nonsense and determined investigation uncovers a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues, while it will also leave the reader completely shocked by the traumatic surprise ending.

I look forward to reading Duplicity, the second book in the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series.

Relentless has enough drama, tension, action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2022/11/relentless-by-shawn-wilson-bo...… (altro)