Crow's Landing: A Virgil Cain Mystery

Virgil Cain Mysteries #2

by Brad Smith

Jack-of-all-trades Virgil Cain gets tangled up in an old crime surfacing from the waters of the Hudson River, in this second novel in a series from Brad Smith.

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES VIRGIL CAIN GETS TANGLED UP IN AN OLD CRIME SURFACING FROM THE WATERS OF THE HUDSON RIVER IN THIS SECOND NOVEL IN A SERIES FROM BRAD SMITH.

For Virgil Cain, a day of fishing on the Hudson River yields more than he bargained for when, while pulling up anchor, he hooks on to a mysterious steel cylinder. As word of Virgil’s strange catch spreads around the local marina, it draws the attention of a crooked city cop, who seizes both the cylinder and Virgil’s boat. Soon, an old drug deal gone sour surfaces, and to get to the bottom of it—and to get his boat back—Virgil teams up with a captivating single mom, Dusty, who knows far too much about the cylinder and the pure cocaine it contains. The landscape is soon cluttered with the dealer who claims ownership of the cylinder, his murderous sidekick, and a wild card in the form of a crazy Russian cowboy. Virgil and Dusty find themselves trapped in the middle and desperate for a way out.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2012

About the author

Brad Smith was born and raised in southern Ontario. He has worked as a farmer, signalman, insulator, truck driver, bartender, schoolteacher, maintenance mechanic, roofer, and carpenter. He lives in a eighty-year-old farmhouse near the north shore of Lake Erie. His novel, "One-Eyed Jacks" was nominated for the Dashiell Hammett Prize.

Some of his books that have been published include One-Eyed Jacks (2000), All Hat (2003), Busted Flush (2005), Big Man Coming Down The Road (2007), Red Means Run (January 2012) and Crow's Landing (August 2012).

Follow Brad on Facebook at http://on.fb.me/uQYcIw.

Reviews

[Sean Peters (A Good Thriller) · Rating 4 out of 5]

JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES VIRGIL CAIN GETS TANGLED UP IN AN OLD CRIME SURFACING FROM THE WATERS OF THE HUDSON RIVER IN THIS SECOND NOVEL IN A SERIES FROM BRAD SMITH.

For Virgil Cain, a day of fishing on the Hudson River yields more than he bargained for when, while pulling up anchor, he hooks on to a mysterious steel cylinder.

As word of Virgil’s strange catch spreads around the local marina, it draws the attention of a crooked city cop, who seizes both the cylinder and Virgil’s boat. Soon, an old drug deal gone sour surfaces, and to get to the bottom of it—and to get his boat back—Virgil teams up with a captivating single mom, Dusty, who knows far too much about the cylinder and the pure cocaine it contains.

The landscape is soon cluttered with the dealer who claims ownership of the cylinder, his murderous sidekick, and a wild card in the form of a crazy Russian cowboy. Virgil and Dusty find themselves trapped in the middle and desperate for a way out...

Brad Smith is growing on me so quickly after reading the first two in the Virgil Cain books I am addicted to this author and his great character Virgil Cain.

Virgil Cain is just so likeable, just an ordinary person, looks after a farm, worries about his horses, cows and baling, but at the same time gets into to trouble, a stubbornness, a very great dry humour which adds great humour to the story, but really annoys the villains, but the ladies cannot help like this character. He will not walk away, but is just an ordinary guy, no super hero.

Written with great tightness, realistic, sensible, funny, well paced all the way through, great characters from our bad cop, to a crazy Russian to a tough broad.

Straight onto number three in the series...And I recommend this series, this author and his books.

Start reading... A clear four stars

In real life he has been a farmer, lives on an old farm, and still does carpentry. He has some other serial books as well and some westerns.

[Kayla Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book from a first reads giveaway here on goodreads!

Wow, this was a very enjoyable book! When I first started reading it, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I haven't (yet) read any of Brad Smith's other books, which means I never read the first book in this series. Luckily, you don't need to read the first book in order to enjoy this one! This book was a nice surprise and I was really thrilled to be given the chance to read it.

Brad Smith is a great storyteller! Once the story picked up, I was definitely flipping through the pages as quickly as possible wondering what was going to happen next. At first, I thought I wouldn't like this book as much because there wasn't much mystery to it. The story follows all of the major characters, so I got a good idea of who everyone was and what their intentions were early on. I was wrong though! Knowing what kind of people all of the characters were was still a lot fun and I think I found myself worrying even more than usual about what was going to happen when some of these characters crossed paths with each other.

The characters were all great and felt very real. Virgil Cain is a fantastic protagonist and I especially loved his "I just want my boat back" mentality! Dusty was awesome and I loved how she was able to take care of herself. While I did find myself super annoyed and completely loathing "the bad guys" (well... one in particular) some of their thoughts were really funny! Yuri was HILARIOUS!!! Oh boy, would it be bad if I admitted he might be one of my favourite characters in this book? Once you meet him, the things he says and his cowboy persona are just plain priceless. Plus, have you ever heard of a Russian cowboy named Yuri? That was just too funny.

The writing was nice and easy to follow. This book is definitely a fast read, and would be perfect for a lazy day if you wanted something exciting to read without much trouble. I really recommend this book and will definitely be checking out Brad Smith's other books in the future!

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this through FirstReads

Crow's Landing. Hmm. As my first book ever received from a FirstReads giveaway, I was impressed by the speed and efficiency of the delivery. I also liked that the cover remained the same, but that the back cover spoke of the book to come.

I've never read anything by Brad Smith and I don't profess to be an expert in the Mystery genre. I'd say I know more than your average person simply because I took a senior class in high school focusing on the Mystery and Suspense genre. I read Wilkie Collins, Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe.

So I can tell you with all sincereity that this is NOT a mystery. Not in the traditional sense. There were very few red herrings. With all the different point of views included, it was impossible for it to keep to the script. There wasn't much suspense either, because of the multiple points of view. I've seen this done before. But third person omniscient leaves little to the imagination.

So then, what was this?

Why, I say nothing more than good old adventuruous fiction. This is a story for those who enjoy small towns and suburbia and can appreciate the minds of characters from those areas. This is not about people with higher learning. These people farm, they fish, they construct buildings, they go to bars, they work, they sleep. They have very few extracurricular ambitions - unless you count drinking, smoking, gambling, and sports. They are all still GOOD people. They're just not the people I hang around in a city.

Yet in spite of this, this book was good. Virgil and Dusty were fun. Dusty was a very strong female, and as someone angry with the trend towards unrealistic heroines like Bella Swan and Ana whatever her name is, I can appreciate her. She kicks butt and she's not too much of a Mary Sue doing it either (for those who don't know, a Mary Sue is a far too perfect female hero whom all the boys love and who is too super powerful). The other bumbling characters just added to the story.

This book was written very basically, like you would imagine a movie. Brad Smith is not a master of prose. But he can tell a story.

Why did I rate this a four?

Because in spite of how basic this book was, it was memorable. It was good, it was clever, and in spite of all it offered me, I feel I liked it more than average.

Try Brad Smith. For all this and more, he does not disappoint.

[bethanyangharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pace = 8 // People = 9 // Originality = 7 // World Building = 8 // Enjoyment = 8 // Relationships = 7 // Style = 8 therefore 4 stars

I picked this novel up in a book sale and it cost me all of around $4. My expectations weren't too high going in and I only grabbed it off the sale shelf because it sounded like a decent enough mystery low key thriller. But it really delivered and I quite enjoyed it.

Just on 300 pages and with a quick pace, swapping between the characters we were reading about, really had me flying through it. The plot itself wasn't anything revolutionary but it was fun like a fast and furious movie. You know what's going on, you've seen it before, but you still go to the movies to see it because its normally good bang for ya buck. In this case good bang for your BOOK (haha I think I'm so funny). The characters were definitely my favourite aspect. Specifically Virgil, a level headed and loyal farmer who is just a tough looking good guy, and Dusty, a builder and single mum who is introduced to us by using a nail gun to nail a guys a hat to a desk who just slapped her bum (sexual harassment style). The mystery element itself, not too complicated and no revelations that had me shocked, but enjoyable none-the-less.

I recommend this if you want a quick, fast paced, mystery with some really loveable (but not soft) characters. Bonus points if you like fishing or Russian cowboys.

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book I finished far too quickly! Crow's Landing by Brad Smith is the second book featuring Virgil Cain. I read the first book - Red Means Run - and was hooked.

Virgil is still working his farm, but decides to play hooky one day and head out fishing in the boat he restored over the winter. While pulling up anchor to come back in, he hauls in a strange steel cylinder. Back at the marina, he padlocks it to his boat and goes to the local diner for something to eat. And comes running back out when he sees some guy taking off with his trailer, boat - and the cylinder. When he protests, he gets a gun shoved in his face and told it's police business. Now, Virgil was curious about that cylinder, but damn it, he wants his boat back. So, he heads down to the police station. And is told that there hasn't been a boat impounded and they have no idea what he's talking about.

I thought we might see more of Claire Marchant this book - a local cop Virgil got involved with in the last book. But Smith introduces a new character - Dusty - a single mom with a checkered past - and more than a little knowledge about that cylinder. And when Virgil and Dusty cross paths...

"Since he was a kid, he had possessed a propensity for getting into trouble, some of it of his own accord and some of it purely by accident. Just last year, for instance he'd been arrested for murder, escaped jail, fell under suspicion for a second murder, and was finally shot in the earlobe by the woman responsible for both. If that couldn't be categorized as a propensity for getting into trouble, Virgil didn't know what could." Virgil's in it again.

Smith has created strong personalities that immediately spring to life. Virgil Cain is very laid back, thinks before he speaks and observes before he acts. But still waters run deep - there's a lot more to Virgil than meets the eye. He's been described as a 'laconic charmer' and I don't think I could say it any better. Smith has created just as strong a female character in Dusty - she's strong, fearless and tough. I hope we get to see her again too - or that Virgil does. With two such great protagonists, readers of both sexes will enjoy Crow's Landing.

I love the sly, quirky sense of humour Smith injects into his situations, characters and dialogue - along the lines of of Elmore Leonard.

This isn't really a traditional mystery book. What it is though, is a helluva good rollicking tale, populated by crooked cops, a crazed Cossack cowboy, a cool as a cucumber con.......and Virgil - 'cause really, he just wants his boat back.

Loved it! Fans of Virgil Flowers and Jack Reacher would enjoy Brad Smith's writing.

[Amy Lignor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is no surprise to begin a review of a Brad Smith novel by saying that this is - yet again - an excellent thriller.

As we begin, readers find themselves a few miles north of Athens - a small town located in New York State - with a man named Parson and his lady friend sailing on the Hudson River. While on the boat, Parson sees another craft headed directly for his and proceeds to go to a hiding place, remove a stainless steel box, and throw it overboard. Directly after this ‘odd’ moment occurs, Parson dives into the river and swims for shore. Although he hears men board his vessel and begin speaking to the woman left behind, Parson does not turn back - even when she calls out to him over and over again in the night.

Moving ahead seven years, readers meet up with Virgil Cain, a handyman of sorts who they’ve met once before. Going fishing in the Hudson, while pulling up anchor, Virgil receives a surprise in the form of a sealed steel box covered in seaweed and slime. Returning to the marina he and his cohorts attempt to figure out what’s inside. However, when Virgil spots a man trying to steal his boat who identifies himself as an Albany policeman - things go from ‘odd’ to thrilling.

Add to this a ‘criminal’ who comes out of the woodwork and claims that he’s the owner of the box and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s more than a little crazy when he goes after Virgil with a vengeance - and readers have a book they will NOT put down.

Not only is this an incredible adventure, but it’s also an extremely emotional story. Being that this is the second Virgil Cain story, readers will sincerely hope that it’s not the last!

Until Next Time, Everybody,
Amy

[Gloria Feit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes a protagonist has to go looking for trouble; other times trouble has a way of finding the protagonist. In the case of Virgil Cain, trouble usually finds him - - in spades. In a previous entry in the series, he was arrested for murder and had to break out of jail to exonerate himself. In the current novel, he just goes fishing, and lands in a heap of difficulties.

When he anchored in the Hudson River, the last thing Virgil expected to reel in was a stainless steel cylinder containing 100 pounds of pure cocaine. But that’s what happened when he lifted his anchor and the cylinder was attached. As a result, he becomes involved with a crooked policeman who seizes the cylinder and Cain’s boat, the original owner of the contraband who threw it overboard seven years previous, and others, all seeking to make a score by taking possession of the dope.

It is a well-drawn tale, with little real mystery but plenty of plot and action. A well-written story, tightly developed, “Crow’s Landing” is the second in the series, and definitely warrants a third. Recommended.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crow's Land­ing, the sec­ond Vir­gil Cain mys­tery after Red Run, is rife with lowlifes, tough broads, sleazy cops, crazy Rus­sians, drug deals, shoot-outs, and one hard-working pro­tag­o­nist try­ing to keep it all straight and get his boat back. Vir­gil is a arche­typal pulp hero, gruff enough to be taken seri­ously as mus­cle and smart enough to know when the grift is on. Find­ing him­self unwill­ingly linked to a miss­ing drug ship­ment, Cain has no choice (by his reck­on­ing, any­way) but to play one side against the other. It’s a clas­sic sce­nario, but hey, Smith works it gang­busters. Crow’s Land­ing is a gritty yet smooth Hud­son River breeze, a great way to spend some qual­ity time with per­sons you’d be unlikely to sit next to on the bus.

Read the full review here.

[Barry Hammond · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading this I was sorry not to have picked up Smith's "One-Eyed Jacks," which I'd come close to reading a few years back but other books had taken precedent at the time. I'll have to go back to it at some point. Very much enjoyed the character of Virgil Cain, who is a complex and extremely interesting person as portrayed in this story. All the surrounding characters are also well-drawn, especially the women, and the criminal elements are likewise realistic and believable, even Yuri, the Russian cowboy. Parsons, the drug-dealing car restorer, was a credible villian, as was the corrupt cop, Hoffman. All in all a satisfying crime story. I'll definitely read another of Brad Smith's any time. - BH

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a ride! I am thoroughly enjoying this author - and this second in the Virgil Cain novels is a whing-dinger. Virgil has spent the winter on the farm restoring and improving on a very old cedar strip fishing boat and even finds time to do a little fishing amid the turmoil of preparing his fields for summer on the farm. But then the boat is stolen, trailer and all, after he brings up a 4-foot stainless steel canister, welded shut, from the Hudson River bed. This tale is filled with laughs and sighs, a story to keep you up too late. Virgil WILL find his boat. The cops aren't interested after he tells them he paid $50 for it before it was repaired and restored, so he will have to find time off the tractor to run it down. His state police girlfriend when she returns from Italy might be of help but also could be a hindrance. Only time will tell. I grew up on a farm, so loved the details of daily travail in the fields and stock. Would have liked to see more of Claire, but maybe next time. Number 3~ Shoot the Dog. Can't wait.
REVIEWED ON OCTOBER 21, 2023, at Goodreads, Amazon Smile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.

[Norman Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast moving book and entertaining. I did enjoy it, but I decided to remove a star because I thought the main character, Virgil Cain, was a bit of a jerk.

After he inquired about the policeman who had taken his boat and was told that no such policeman had taken his boat, he could have had an entirely different outcome if he had told the police that, in that case, someone impersonating a policeman had stolen his boat. Impersonating a policeman would likely have interested the police a lot more than the boat. He should also have mentioned the cylinder while he was at it; there were plenty of people who had seen it. He did, in fact, consider this course of action and rejected for reasons that I can only describe as "necessary to the plot".

By the way, I doubt the Albany police are as bad as this makes them look.

There are a lot of loose ends, too. What happens after the police find the bodies all over the Adirondacks? What happens to Parson? Does Dusty get the down payment for her house? Does someone come to get the Percherons?

Plus: stereotyping!!

[George F Greenwald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair adventure story. Murder does occur, but it is never a mystery since they occur very much in the open. So it is hard to call this a murder mystery. I found that some of the interesting factors that Brad Smith mentions never are resolved in any manner. So I wonder whether one has to read the follow-on books to find out what does happen. One of the strange ideas presented is that an object of interest is made of stainless steel. One of the characters has this item x-rayed. Interesting. Metals don't usually pass x-rays unless very the devices used are extremely powerful or the metal is very thin. When used in the context of this story, it would have been helpful to give the reader some idea of how the object was examined with a relatively low powered x-ray device.

Stil in all, it was entertaining, and except for some printing errors held my interest for an entire day of reading.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent read- my 2nd Virgil Cain mystery - and I was very close to rating a full five stars. An interesting plot, plus well-described, unpredictable characters makes for a great yarn! As you might expect, Virgil wins out in the end, but not with any action-hero special effects. He's a calm, thoughtful, hard-working dude, who is unfazed by gun-toting bad guys. I look forward to reading many more by this author.

[J. Alston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so much fun. I love Virgil, so witty and noble while also being relatable. What I like most about these stories is that they make sense. Virgil is just looking for his boat, and gets pulled into this wild mess. I love the characters and the plot. I hope Smith adds more to this series.

[Rick Goff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second of The Virgil Cain Mysteries. Smith is a wonderful story teller, spinning good yarns peopled by amusing characters, be they white hats, black hats or gray hats. I’ve very much enjoyed three of his novels and I’m sure to read more. I would shelve him with Tom Kakonis, Elmore Leonard and James Swain.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Virgil Cain #2 and I enjoyed it as much as #1 - 5 stars. Unfortunately there looks to be only 1 more Virgil Cain and so far I haven't liked his other work quite as much (All Hat). I do have several more of his books however and am motivated to read them. Hopefully they'll be better than All Hat.

[karen bagdon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos!

OK, I am officially in love with Virgil Cain! I enjoyed his second adventure as much as the first, and I really will be following this easy-going, interesting, smart character from now on.

[Rob Leininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four and a half stars, which rounds up to five. This felt like an Elmore Leonard novel but with better dialogue. Interesting characters, odd plot, but . . . interesting. I'll read his next novel next, SHOOT THE DOG. Not that I want any dogs shot. I like dogs. A lot.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second in a series. I hope the third is coming soon.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story.

[Jenna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story again. Really liked the dusty character.

[Daphne · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book I have read from this author. Liked it and will look for more

[debbie ragan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I love Virgil Cain he is a true hero. Had a good sarcastic sense of humor and does not give up

[Barbara Goessling · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am hooked on Virgil Cain Mystery’s. The way Brad Smith writes keeps me wondering what is coming next. A thrilling second book, I’m ready for another.

[Rodd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Brad Smith's writing. I wish he was more prolific.

[Sandra K Ragghianti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

The book is like watching an old western-1 you know how it will end— but the ride is good. Enjoy!

[Robert M. Galbraith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is every bit as good as the first book in the series. Lovable characters and a good convoluted story line. I intend to get the third book.

[Chad Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a really good book I liked all of the action that was in it and I am glad I read it it was an quick read for me

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read. I almost put it down a few times but it came through in the end. Enough suspense to keep me reading I love the sarcastic humor from Virgil.

[Billy Lockhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Virgil Cain, my type of guy.