During the past few days I have read all four of this author’s books available on Amazon and I’m already a die-hard fan. Firstly the books are beautifully written. Although I’ve never heard of this author before I thought he must be a professional writer, but then I saw that he’s a lawyer – so I guess he’s good with words!
Each of the stories are very different but the author adopts the same format: the first chapter in each book is a scene-setter told in the third person and the remainder of the book is told in the first person from the point of view of (Mark) Kane. The main characters are beautifully drawn and for me they really come to life. Each book tells a different story but there is a continuity between them, so you find that there are references in each book to things that have happened before. For me this makes it seem like the characters are real. Mark and Lucy are both very likeable characters and the dialog between them helps to lighten the tension because the subject-matter of each book is serious, dealing with deceit, death, murder, kidnapping, blackmail etc.
Several characters make repeat appearances in the books – Jill, the forensic scientist, Lance, the dim-witted homicide detective and Tony the surveillance expert. Kane’s brother Duncan also appears in two of the books, but only on the phone. He runs a survivalist school in Vermont “not for people who want to survive in the wilderness, but for people who want to survive in dangerous places - like war zones.” I’ve a feeling that he’ll make an actual appearance in one of the books sooner or later.
The writing is refreshingly original with none of the tired clichés which lazier writers employ. Here’s a couple of examples: “she opened her mouth as wide as a yawning crocodile’s mouth”; and “she was as happy as a clam that had won the lottery and excited as a teenager about to go on her first date.” I think they both come from book four.
All the books in this series are well plotted and neatly finished. Another bonus is that the author has published the first 5 chapters of each book on his website so you can read that first to see if it’s your kind of book. He even lets you read the first few chapters of the as yet unpublished 5th book.
Although you can read each book in any order it’s best to read them in sequence. The first book serves as an excellent introduction to the characters and the dynamic between Mark and Lucy. There’s a wonderful line in chapter two of Forget-Me-Not where Kane is being admonished by Lucy. Kane says: ‘Lucy went into a minor sulk. I semi-capitulated; not many people in life are lucky enough to get two mothers I thought to myself.’
It’s not often I remember phrases and sentences from books I read. This one’s an exception.
This writer is able to elicit tension, suspense and plenty of humor in his books, as well as some tear-jerking stuff. I take my hat off to him. Five stars -more books please!
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More like FORGET ME NOT - MARK KANE MYSTERIES - BOOK ONE : A MURDER MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE THRILLER SERIES. A WHODUNIT WITH A TWIST IN THE TAIL.
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From the Publisher
A GRIPPING SERIES OF MURDER MYSTERIES
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR PARTNER?
Follow the adventures of U.S. private investigator Mark Kane, and his trusty sidekick, Lucy, as they travel throughout the States and as far afield as the Philippines and the UK to solve a series of baffling murders, kidnappings, and blackmail.
MORE THAN 55,000 COPIES SOLD
TEST YOUR MYSTERY-SOLVING SKILLS AGAINST BOSTON PRIVATE DETECTIVE MARK KANE & HIS SASSY SIDEKICK LUCY
MARK KANE MYSTERIES is a sequential series of standalone mystery and suspense stories featuring Boston private investigator Mark Kane and his longtime girlfriend, Lucy — a slightly oddball couple with a somewhat unconventional relationship.
When the series begins, in 2015, Lucy is employed as Kane’s long-suffering secretary but as the series progresses, she becomes, in turn, Kane’s assistant investigator and finally his partner in Mark Kane Investigations. For this reason, readers usually prefer to read the series in sequence. However, each story is complete in itself, so they can be read in any order.
Kane is a detective who favors logic and deduction over fists and guns although when required he can take care of himself. He is not averse to breaking the rules (and the law) occasionally in the interest of solving his cases, but he has a strong moral sense of right and wrong. As for Lucy, she’s a smart, sassy lady who gradually becomes Kane’s indispensable professional sidekick. Neither Kane nor Lucy is overtly romantic but beneath the surface, they have a loving relationship and a strong commitment to each other.
The series is told in real-time, and I strive for realism as far as possible but these stories are intended as entertainment, so a little ‘poetic license’ is sometimes required — they are, after all, fiction.
A synopsis of each story appears on each book's sales page.
This series is suitable for adults and teens.
FOLLOW THE ADVENTURES OF KANE & LUCY THROUGH THE FIRST THIRTEEN BOOKS IN THE SERIES
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MARK KANE MYSTERIES BOOK ONEForget-Me-Not is the first book in the series in which Kane investigates the background of a woman who claims to be the illegitimate estranged child and beneficiary of the estate of a wealthy woman who has recently died. Kane must try to determine if she is really whom she claims to be or a fortune-hunting imposter. |
MARK KANE MYSTERIES BOOK FOURIn Till Death, Kane gives in to the pleas of his secretary, Lucy, and hires her as his assistant investigator. Together they must investigate the blackmail of their client's wife without alerting her to their task. There will be more than one death before the mystery is finally solved. |
MARK KANE MYSTERIES BOOK ELEVENIn Retribution, Kane & Lucy take a vacation in England to attend a friend's wedding but find themselves unwittingly embroiled in the apparent murder of the brother of a local man; but if he was murdered what could the motive have been, and who was responsible for his death? |
ENJOY THE COMPLETE SERIES SO FAR... ALL TITLES ARE AVAILABLE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED
MARK KANE MYSTERIES - THE STORY SO FAR
From a long-suffering secretary isolated in a windowless office to a fully-fledged partner in Mark Kane Investigations, Lucy has finally achieved her dream! Join the intrepid duo as they battle their way through a series of baffling cases. Read a synopsis of the first nine books below:
Book One: Kane is tasked with finding out if the beneficiary of a wealthy Boston woman is who she is claiming to be - the illegitimate estranged daughter of the deceased - but a murder complicates the investigation.
Book Two: Kane finds himself mixed up in the world of international drug trafficking and it will take all his ingenuity (and a little help from Lucy) to solve the case.
Book Three: Kane & Lucy try to solve the murder of an American found floating in Subic Bay in the Philippines. It may be a vacation of sorts, but it's no picnic.
Book Four: Back in the States, Kane takes on Lucy as his new assistant investigator as they probe the blackmail of their client's wife. There will be more than one murder before they expose the truth.
Book Five: A young girl has gone missing during a road trip on route 66. Kane & Lucy need all the assistance they can get, from a local biker gang to the Springfield sheriff, before they uncover the shocking truth.
Book Six: Kane & Lucy investigate two cases simultaneously, one an apparent murder/suicide and the other a drug-related death in which Kane seeks the help of his brother Duncan, a former Navy SEAL.
Book Seven: Kane & Lucy's client is suspected of murder when his wife suddenly goes missing. There will be many twists and turns in the investigation before they finally discover the truth.
Book Eight: What appears to be the natural death of a former police officer is only the tip of the iceberg as clues emerge from a case he was investigating before his retirement.
Book Nine: Lucy plays a key role as they take on a cold case investigation into a murder of a young girl in which the only suspect is a dead man.
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Top reviews from other countries
Lakshmi
Loved this book, it's practical approach.
Reviewed in India on June 21, 2020
Graziella
Likable lead character and his sidekick with benefits
Reviewed in the Netherlands on December 26, 2016