Double Take: a Hank Hammond, P.I. mystery featuring Lori Reed

by J.P. David

Hank Hammond, ink hardly dry on his private investigator business cards, never anticipated that a chance encounter with a pair of suspicious characters and a mysterious crate would change his life forever. But it did, and nearly ended his life...also very much forever. And the deeper Hank gets into his investigation, the more the danger spreads until ultimately imperiling other innocent--and not so innocent--people, including his client, wealthy octogenarian Walter Tompkins, the client's favorite grandson Richard, and Hank's reluctant investigating partner, legal assistant Lori Reed. Navigating the varied neighborhoods of Kingston Beach, California, from hilltop country club to Dumpster site, coastal marina to his own apartment, Hank unravels a series of crimes--past, current, and future--and with just the right combination of strength, skill, cunning, and luck, he might just be able to prevent the most virulent crime of them all.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

219 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2011

About the author

I can neither confirm nor deny that I write under the name of J.P. David as a condition of my participation in the Federal Witness Protection Program. What I can say is that I write in a small mud adobe building set back from a dirt road on the outskirts of a city in a western state, that I am currently working on TRIPLE THREAT, the second book in the Hank Hammond P.I. series, as well as on the suspense thriller THE PROJECT. Both of these books will be released in 2012.

I can also confirm that I have been employed in various assorted positions in more than three, but fewer than thirty states and that I have never technically been incarcerated unless you count the time I served in the vice principal’s office in Junior High.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

In addition to the information above, J.P. David is a graduate of the California State University at Long Beach with a degree in creative writing, and has a business background that includes supervising a staff of investigators much like Hank Hammond, P.I. of the DOUBLE TAKE and TRIPLE THREAT murder mysteries. He is a former general coordinator of a Mystery Writers of America satellite and has been a presenter at both Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon.

J.P. resides with his camera-shy wife and his dog (see included picture) in a rustic mud adobe home that is frequented by coyotes, deer, javalenas, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, gila monsters, bobcats, and the occasional human. He is an active volunteer in the community, with a particular interest in health and caregiver issues.

Reviews

[Frederick Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did you know you can warm up a pizza by tasering it repeatedly? This and other gems of modern private investigating work in today's Southern California are there for the taking in this funny, fast-moving mystery by J.P. David. I very much liked his lead character, Hank Hammond, a former store detective and before that football player, now carrying twenty pounds too much on his middle. Hammond is the right combination of cheerful and cynical, tough and tender as he chases around town after bad guys in a collection of classic cars. His all-knowing secretary, Lori, leads a cast of colorful secondary characters. I enjoyed this book.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hank Hammond, detective and ex-security guard, works out of a closet sized office smaller than his secretary's command post. He just got his first case. A murder investigation. It all began with tracking down a Fiat to a contakerous old man. From dumpster to country club, Hank's investigation draws him into a web of crime which he may never be able to unravel.

Double Take is well written and fast paced murder mystery. It contains plenty of laughs and action along the way to keep you entertained. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to the next installment.

[Deanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a signed edition of this book from the author through Goodreads First Reads and I'm glad I did.

This murder mystery was fast paced, humorous, and highly entertaining. With the bumbling lead Hank Hammond, a cantankerous client, an oh so precise thorn in his side legal assistant, and other colourful characters, the action never stops.

I look forward to many more Hank Hammond mysteries!!

[Evelyn Grabas · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read. Great story, fantastic characters, and Hank is a part unto himself. I almost fell off my chair laughing at times. He is a good, clean, non-boozing, non-bad assed, non-woman chasing, non-full of himself, at times comedic nice guy . Surprisingly self-depreciating for a P.I.- and I love him.
I highly recommend this book to one and all. If you like a good read, laced with a bit of comedy and a touch of possible romance, this is for you. If you are looking for Mickey Spillane, you're still looking. This is not him. Spillane can't hold a candle to this guy. I can't wait to read another in this series.
Thank you Mr. David. I was in a lousy mood when I picked up this book and finished it in great spirits. That means a lot and says mountains for the book, believe me!!! Pure, pleasurable entertainment.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novice PI makes good (in the end)

Hank Hammond, an ex security boss at a department store, branches out becoming on PI after losing his job. What starts out as curiosity watching a Fiat and a Suburban exchanging crates turns into a murder case and finding a missing grandson. With help from Lori, a beautiful office manager in his office, they try to put together clues to solve the cases - including one from his old place of business. Great supporting characters and a great plot. Can’t wait for the next Hank Hammond story.

[Barbara Hackel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly decent murder mystery investigated by a new PI who comes across alternating between bumbling and clever. I would have given it 4 stars if it had been proofread and corrected! So much to like, but when sentences are missing verbs, there is missing punctuation, and misspelled words are found, I can't validate a 4 star review.
I liked Hank and other characters, but the mistakes almost made me give up reading.

[Elissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Move Over, Paul Drake!
Modern noir, cell phones and pay phones both had their places. But this PI was gradually but genuinely appreciative of his secretary/sidekick's input. Perfectly narrated by Dan Gallagher, the story was entertaining and engaging with lots of references to '60s (and earlier) TV detectives. Delightful!

[Kay Jarr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining story

I like to a book with a plot to keep my interest and a couple of characters that I want to spend time with. Double Take had both. Hank and Lori and I will meet again. Thanks for a fun read.

[R.M.Gerling · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read.

Light, funny, got a little tired of the smirks. I’ll read the next one. Geo Metro problems also over done.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The strength of this book is the author’s amusing writing style. The story was not particularly interesting, but the characters were engaging.

[paulette sarelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mystery

Loved this book. It was humorous and fast moving. Loved the main character Hank who was a little bit of a dipstick. Good twist at the end.

[Janelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good sleuth

Enjoyable read. Possibly another girl\boy, male\female investigative duo worth checking out. Will have to see where this one takes us.

[Malissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun

This was a fun, light mystery. I loved the humor. I will look forward to reading more in this series.

[Elizabeth M Houlihan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific romp! I so enjoyed this novel for its pace, humor, reality of thought and constant surprises. My first read of J.P. David and I look forward to #2 in the series. Highly recommend.

[Rishika S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give Double Take around 3.5 stars because 3 seems just not enough!
Double take was everything a good detective novel needs to be. It was full of who-dun-it thought inspiring scenarios, mysterious circumstances that throw your guesses into a tussle, a detective who is in way over his head and a beautiful assistant who tries to save him from drowning! Throw in a couple of dead bodies, multiple close calls and a relaxed attitude that belies circumstances, and you have the thoroughly enjoyable novel that is Double Take.
J.P. David chose the first person style of writing, a choice that few make and one that not too many readers like. And even if you are one of those who doesn't like first person, this book may help change your mind. The story flows really smoothly, each seemingly random part making sense before you know it. The twists and turns are not shell shocking as such, but are definitely surprising and do leave you wondering.
The number of characters that the author introduces can get a bit cumbersome to keep track of, especially if you are in the habit of leaving a book aside for days before you resume reading. However, J.P. David has written a story gripping enough that you wouldn't want to leave it aside for too long; so catching up with the characters is not too difficult. And the best part about the book is, of course, Hank Hammond, detective (not-too)extraordinaire and all round gentleman who just wants to make his dream job come true when he finally gets a shot at it.
Hank Hammond is not your traditional hero-who-can-do-no-wrong kind of character. He is a realistic one who has his flaws, who knows his limitations and who has problems of his own. And that is the best part of him. He's a character who makes the best of what he's got, he's someone who challenges his limitations and he's someone who will go ahead and do what needs to be done, unaffected by doubt or experiences. Then, you have Lori Reed, his know-it-all assistant who helps him when she can, but not without her patented, derisive smirk! Full of spunk, Lori's one of the best parts of the book, leaving you wishing that there was more of her.
What I absolutely loved was the great chemistry between Hank and Lori. The two characters, so different from each other, learn to work with, and around, each other with every passing day and hour. Watching their tumultuous relationship evolve was one of the main reasons to keep the pages turning - it came with almost as many twists and turns as the case itself!
All in all, a great read! It moves fast and really smoothly, with its share of great humor that leaves you laughing out loud on many occasions! Recommended to anyone who enjoys a good detective/suspense novel and anyone who's looking for something light, yet engaging, to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed Double Take and am going to be looking out for the next one in this series. I just wish J.P. David would hurry it up!

[Elise Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of this book. J.P. David has created an engaging PI and his sidekick with an attitude. However, there were a few things that bothered me about the story.
At times it seemed like this book was written in the fifties or sixties. Hank Hammond discovers some of the information he needs to solve this case by contacting an ex-police officer buddy who can get confidential information from Social Security. With today's privacy laws, that wouldn't happen.
The other problems I had with this book had to do with the climax and to give details on that would give away too much of the story. I can say the pacing was a bit over the top for me.
Despite the problems, the book did keep me turning pages and I certainly would read another book by this author.

[Shirley Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hank Hammond was a security manager in a department store, but through his involvement in busting a huge drugs trafficking organisation, he decides to quit and become a Private Investigator.

He rents himself an office from a mysterious Mr Green, and with the help of Lori, Mr Green’s super efficient PA, becomes embroiled in a case, which gets bigger by the day. The case involves missing vehicles, missing people, a wealthy old man, murder and much more. With Hank and Lori’s combined efforts, the case is brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

Hank is a believable character and with Lori as his sidekick, they make a great team. Offering many more opportunities for more books.

Easy to read, light hearted, entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hank Hammond is a novice P.I. who is bumbling through a search for a wealthy man’s missing car. This was a light fast paced tale with echoes of a Stephanie Plum tale as the ex football player and ex store security man travels around in a rented mini while his corvette is in the shop. He is helped along by the secretary in the law office where he rents a small room for an office. A fun diversion from more hefty fare.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on GoodReads First-Reads contest and I am very glad that I did. This was a great story about a Private Investigator trying to get and then solve his first case. The book was a quick-paced, fast read that kept my interest throughout. I noticed that at the end of the book that the author was currently writing the second book involving Hank Hammond and I look forward to reading it.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads gift. Mr. David does a great job of telling a fast-paced, keeps-you-guessing story. His continual use of sarcastic wit is entirely enjoyable. I will be watching for more opportunities to read what he has written!

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, decent read. The main character is just starting out as a PI after working in department store security. A little more detail about cars and driving than suits my taste, but a good story.

[Michele Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a "light-hearted" detective novel - it reminds me of 60s and 70s PI TV - in fact, it references Magnum PI, Rockford Files, and others. It wasn't great, but it was okay until the final scenes, and then it just got stupid. Like a bad TV detective episode. No, worse than that.

[jamie whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow starter but worth reading

Slow starter but worth reading

I enjoy mysteries. This one was good. It started slow and dragged some, but it was worth reading. The next one should be even better.

[Nev Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average PI thriler

[Lucyloo]

good read

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. I skimmed a lot of it.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story, but confusing because I couldn't tell what decade he was in. He would reference modern technology at times and at others it would seem he was in the '80s.

[Gail Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable and funny.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a Simon & Simon or Magnum, PI fan, you will love this silly mystery romp. Will definitely be looking for more from this author.