Big Lake

Big Lake #1

by Nick Russell

When an armored car hijacking leaves two men dead, Arizona Sheriff Jim Weber takes the crime personally, because one of the dead men is his brother-in-law. His hunt for the killers leads him into a world of sordid sex, deceit, and violence, with a suspect list that includes jilted women, a family of anti-government survivalists, and the beautiful wife of the richest man in town.

With a plot that has more twists and turns than an Arizona mountain road, a cast of characters you won’t soon forget, and a shocking ending that shakes the town of Big Lake to its very foundation, this first book in the Big Lake series will keep you turning pages to the very end!

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Procedural, Ebooks

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Holly Bovee]

This was a freebooksy book and it was very good. The characters were great and a real twist at the end. You'll be glad you read it.

[Carol Burt]

This is first in a series of mysteries by Nick Russell. This book spends some time introducing us to the inhabitants of the fictional town of Big Lake. Following a shocking double murder, protagonist Sheriff Jim.Weber must solve the murders. For mystery lovers this book is the beginning of a rich spin through the series. Despite being about murders, it has some laugh out loud moments and keeps moving the reader along. I guessed the killer about midway through, but it didn't ruin the story. I'm going to read the rest of the series, although I'm not usually a mystery lover. Russell has here spun a tale about family, betrayal, and unimAginable loss that I will remember for a long time to come. I must read the secondbook!

[Mike Harris]

I'll give the series another chance. Some interesting characters.
But an editor would be nice.
Something didn't "phase" someone. Heck, maybe he's going through a "faze."

[Melissa]

Love this series.

[Jeffrey]

Some interesting characters and a good story. Good descriptions of the area and of the people. Can actually spot where much of the action is taking place on a map.

But wow, what a bazaar small town. At least 4 people are killed. Beyond that this small town has more people sleeping with others than Peyton Place. Almost hard to find a women who is not sleeping with someone else. the sexual innuendos are plenty. Yikes.

And then others are coming on to the sheriff. This man could be brought up on charges.

Ending was a bit hard to grasp, but I won't say why.

I might try the next one to see if it gets better....not sure

[Leek]

The good part is the ending was a surprise for me. Otherwise, the dialogue was mostly annoying…childish. There was every slangy cliché imaginable. The sheriff was never physically described, was he an older man, years of experience or young, raw at the beginning of his career. Somewhere, much further on in the book, there was mention of his being in school with another person, allowing us to deduct he was late thirties. But tall, short, fat, thin, dark, light? No mental image.

[Phil]

This is a police procedural western story that starts well and ends with a thud. The character development is good and the setting is perfect for the mystery. I recognize that I am in the minority here but the ending was so ridiculous that I cannot recommend this book.

[Jackie Roche]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in this series.

[patricia j. maynard]

Childish

This being his first book. Not bad . too many dumb jokes and saying. Way to much sexual harassment. Hope next one better.

[Patrizia]

4 stelle e mezza
Questo libro è apparso fra le raccomandazioni che fa GR in base ai libri che uno sta leggendo: la trama mi ispira e il costo no era esagerato, anzi il bundle coi primi 3 volumi era davvero a buon mercato, così ho deciso di dargli una possibilità. Devo dire che a me è piaciuto molto, ma il finale mi ha reso veramente triste: avevo ipotizzato che il colpevole potesse essere il personaggio che è risultato essere tale, ma avevo ardentemente sperato di essermi sbagliata visto che c'erano almeno un paio di altre buone possibilità. Confesso di aver tolto mezza stella per questo motivo e per il fatto che il protagonista ogni tanto sembra uno sceriffo del vecchio Far West, che fa lui le leggi. Però sono decisa a leggere anche i due volumi che ho già acquistato e poi decidere se proseguire la serie (al momento propendo per il sì).

[Ricki]

Like this better than the John Lee Quarrels series by the same author-it's not as hokey with cliches etc although the laughs between Sheriff Jim Weber and FBI Agent Parks are good.

There's an armored car heist along a deserted stretch of road and one of the victims is the Sheriff's brother-in-law. The heist is in another jurisdiction and the sheriff of Gila County, FBI Agent Parks and Sheriff Weber team up to exchange info on the investigation. There are a lot of characters to keep straight, a few more murders and when Jim uncovers the culprit it wasn't who I thought it would be. Plus the usual small town politics with the uncooperative mayor.

An ok mystery, read in one sitting.

[Diana Crook]

This has been my lucky week!

I have read several new authors, to me, and they've been FABULOUS!! I just finished Big Lake, by Nick Russell. I can't say enough good things about it! You really have to read it! If you like mysteries and enjoy trying to figure out who-done-it, then you need to read Big Lake. If you like characters, who feel like best friends and some funny banter and humor, then read this book! If you like a mystery book, where you will never guess the villain, then this book is for you. Thank you Nick, for having your books, in Kindle Unlimited! If not, I wouldn't be reading anymore of your books. And that would be shame.

[Ski Croghan]

A great start for a new series!!!

This is a new series and a new author for me. I enjoyed both of them. I was a longtime Arizona resident and am more or less familiar for all the places mentioned in this story. That always adds something to a story. When 2 armoured car guards are killed in the Salt River Canyon and $300,000 stolen it starts a rash of killings like this small town has never seen. Who would the guards have stopped for, out in the middle of nowhere? Why did the robber kill both guards? Why have other people been killed? How many will die before this is solved? All the answers are in this excellent book. Highly recommended.

[Joan]

This is a very interesting novel. The characters are well-drawn, although at times a little extreme; the plot is sufficiently complex and clearly presented; the writing style is mostly smooth and skilled; the surprise ending was quite sudden and not foreshadowed, but it worked. The author does need to hire an editor who will get rid of many of the extraneous apostrophes scattered throughout. Plural and plural possessive nouns were frequently miswritten; "it's" was used a number of times when the author meant "its." I expect to download more of this author's work.

[Jim]

I did like this one despite the really crazy twist at the end. I was building up thinking I had the killer all figured out when I knew I didn't. With the rug pulled out from under me I was truly stunned by the conclusion. With a likeable protagonist in Jimmy Weber and a slick side kick in FBI Agent Parks, this yarn had plenty of suspenseful plot twists to keep the plot very interesting. Colorful supporting characters were a huge help as well. I'm going to check out book two in this series soon. Check it out.

[Emz]

An armored car robbery with two dead guards has Sheriff Jim Weber's hands full with this case; his brother-in-law was one of the guards. With help from his FBI buddy, Jim must plod through the few clues and evidence he's got to piece together whodunit.

It's an interesting and entertaining read with a well-woven plot, along with well-rounded characters and plenty of suspects for Agatha Christie's and Inspector Clouseau's fans to choose from!

Overall, it's an enjoyable read, and I must admit I didn't see that ta-da ending coming.

[Sheryl]

Fantastic new series!

This book is hard to put down. It’s exciting and has some unexpected twists. I enjoyed the descriptions of the area, and the characters are fleshed out well. The sheriff had two murders to solve in his small town. An FBI agent comes to help, and they become good friends. There’s a crazy militia family there, an overbearing mayor, and the sheriff’s office staff and deputies. Very reminiscent of Longmire—that type of personality and town setting. I’m starting the second book in the series now and looking forward to more!

[M. O'Gannon]

Big Lake – Big Lake #1 – Published 2011 - ***1/2 - Sheriff Jim Weber is faced with the death of his brother-in-law in an armored car ambush. Good, fast read with a lot of interesting characters and a rural setting. Plenty of twists and turns and acceptable action level all though it is a little slow in the middle. Can’t help thinking about Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry when I was reading the book – not an accurate comparison but it kept coming to mind because Weber is too nice. Will read some more by Russell.

[Jessica]

I won’t be reading the next installment….

I hate writing bad reviews but I felt I must. I made it to page 68 before skipping to the end. Every female in this book was described meticulously but I have no idea what the main character, Jim Weber, looks like. He was older than his sister and he smoked nasty cigars. That’s it. None of the other male characters were described either. I don’t want to guess why this might be.
I won’t give spoilers but I thought the ending was all a bit ridiculous and it really doesn’t make me curious about the second installment in this series.

[C. Brian]

A good story that didn't reveal the murderer until almost the last page - and I would never have guessed the identity of the person!
However, for me (and, I suspect, for many others), the repeated blasphemy spoiled an otherwise good read. If Lee Childs can write the Jack Reacher novels (at least all of those that I have read) without recourse to such language, I fail to understand why others appear to be unable to do so!

[Marilyn]

Meh. It's always the least likely person who commits the crime and in this book it was no different. It's more intriguing when there is a tiny hint that then goes away and maybe comes back a second time. Plus the editor's confusion about "it's" and "its," plus the comma splices and lack of knowledge concerning the subject of a sentence and the object of a preposition was disconcerting. I won't be reading any more from this author.

[Thomas A Peden]

Superb book

I just recently discovered this fantastic author, read two of his other books, that have Florida as their location, then found this book with it's location being Big Lake Arizona.
Nick Russell has a style of writing that captures my imagination from the first page throughout the entire book, great description of the characters and the area.
I highly recommend this book and this author.

[M. Sprouse]

As I read this book, I alternated between thinking this was either brilliant or amateurish. The plot was terrific, with plenty of twists which made it unpredictable. It was the writing that at times seemed a little cornball or too forced. That I gave it 4 stars is a testament to its plot. Hopefully Mr. Russell will improve his craft in fiction. But 4 stars is 4 stars and I plan on buying the next in the series.

[Linda Pobanz]

Big

This is the second time I have read this and realized I didn't remember much about the book. It's been over a year and a lot of books. It's just as exciting and intriguing as I remember. It was good the first time and even better the second. I can't wait for my husband to read them!

[Craig Kingsman]

Some things in this story don't add up:
- A house where a single Mormon missionary lives. Nope. They're always in pairs
- A shooter gets away on a snowmobile but the never follow the tracks
- Sheriff department gets three new cars with radios and light bars on short notice from a local dealer in a small town

There are others.

I enjoyed the humor and I figured out the mystery early on.

[x]

Big Lake

Big Lake is a book very well written. One of those that once you pick it up there is no putting it down. It was an amazing read with so many twists and turns. I definitely did not expect or anticipate the final twist in this tail. I will definitely be reading many more of Nick Russell's books.

[Black Butterfly]

(FREE PRIME READ)
I WAS AT 63% AND I STILL COULD’NT FIGURE OUT WHODUNIT, SH*T! ARCHER IS MORE LIKE CLARABELLE THE CLOWN THAN HOWDY DOOTY, LOL. JIM WAS A LITTLE OFF HIS GAME WITH ALL HE WAS DEALING WITH IN HIS PERSONAL LIFE. OMG! SO MANY DEATHS AND THAT ENDING, THAT ENDING CAME OUTA LEFT FIELD. DAMN, BITTERSWEET. . . THAT WAS SO GOOD. ;D

[Angela]

An interesting beginning to this series

This was an intense and suspenseful story that keeps you guessing until the end. I wasn't thrilled with the ending, especially after the huge bombshell that was dropped, and then it just abruptly ended. Other than that, it was a great beginning to the series.
I would recommend this book.

[Bryngel]

When there is just one word or, perhaps, phrase clinging to my mind when I am trying to write down my thoughts about a book, I have decided to use just that (one word) when describing my thoughts about it. Well, here it is then ---> Rubbish (worthless, useless.)

(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is; I am Swedish).

[Phyllis]

Great mystery

I never read books twice but thus was the exception. The images of the area are so real you feel you are there. The plot is filled with twist and turns. The characters are vivid and you end up feeling you know them. Very entertaining.