Flat Spin

A Cordell Logan Mystery #1

by David Freed

When flight instructor and former military assassin Cordell Logan gets a request from his ex-wife to help the police with their investigation of her current husband's murder, he gets caught up in a dangerous, far-flung investigation.

Genres: Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Adventure

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

David was born on an Air Force base in the Deep South, grew up the son of a cop along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and decided to give writing a shot soon after realizing that his grade point average would never get him into medical school. As an investigative journalist, most notably with the Los Angeles Times, he chronicled affairs of state, all manner of catastrophes, and the activities of the US military, including Operation Desert Storm. He spent myriad hours hunting for smoking guns in dusty archives, meeting confidential sources in bars and parking garages, and digging through trash cans long after midnight. Along the way, he shared in a Pulitzer Prize and won a few other shiny awards that occupy a box in his attic. He later became a Hollywood screenwriter paid to pen mostly action movies that were rarely produced, and, later still, an asset working with the U.S. intelligence community. David has been a licensed pilot for more than 30 years. He is a contributing editor at Air & Space Smithsonian magazine, a special assistant professor of journalism at Colorado State University, and teaches creative writing at Harvard's Extension School.

Reviews

[Susan Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Noir without the Nasty

FLAT SPIN by David Freed is an amusing, exciting read, a who-done-it told by the main character, Cordell Logan, a flight instructor who can soar with the best of them. First and foremost, it is a fast-paced story, an attempt to catch a killer. But it is also about love and loss and the search for reconciliation in and around the mind of the hero.

Cordell Logan is down on his luck and asked to find the killer of Arlo Echevarria, Logan’s former boss and, earlier, his comrade in arms in a secret military assassination team. The dead man was also Logan’s ex-wife’s ex-husband. (Pause to savor this relationship.) At first, Logan refuses, but is persuaded to accept the commission by a large retainer from his ex-father-in-law. Using his aging Cessna 172—he calls it The Ruptured Duck—Logan searches for Echevarria’s murderer in and around the glitz capitols of the west coast. The Duck touches down in Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas, and the deserts of Arizona before the story ends.

From the start, the book held me hostage. Obviously the author knows about guns and airplanes, so the scenes of flight and fright were authentic and entertaining. The book begins with the assassination-style killing of Echevarria, segues into Logan’s instruction of a woman who should not be flying an airplane. We are introduced to a glib-tongued narrator who lives with Kiddiot, his wonderful cat, and rents a garage apartment from Mrs. Schmulowitz, his delightful landlady.

What makes the novel really interesting for me—aside from Mrs. Schmulowitz, Kiddiot, and some of the descriptions of flight—is the inner conflict of the character, Logan. On the outside, he concentrates on finding Echevarria’s killer while the real story is happening on the inside. In his mind, Logan yearns for enlightenment with the detachment of a Buddha, but is still enthralled by his ex-wife, Savannah. It is this inner story that resonates with me.

Whatever, it is a book sure to entertain mystery lovers and I highly recommend it.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoothly written with genuine humor, pitch-perfect dialog and absorbing authenticity, David Freed’s Flat Spin is a classic LA mystery with modern verve and style. The author’s expertise in his material is clear but never labored. He’s a journalist who shared a Pulitzer Prize for reporting on the Rodney King riots, he had an active security clearance from the DoD while reporting on Operation Desert Storm, and he’s a pilot with his own airplane, which makes the flight scenes vivid and enthralling. Add a sardonic sense of humor, wonderfully plausible and endlessly fascinating characters, and a protagonist who combines a top-secret past as a government assassin with present Buddhist leanings, and you have the ingredients of a really fine tale.

Listed as A Cordell Logan Mystery, this novel introduces the down-at-heels flight instructor, Cordell Logan, who struggles to pay his rent, shares the elderly Mrs. Schmulowitz’s garage with an obstreperous cat, knows far too much about bullets and bombs, and still hasn’t learned how to fall out of love with the wife who left him for his boss.

If you watched the short-lived TV series, Life, you’ll share my delight at revisiting this slightly skewed version of Buddhism, with the occasional sprinkle of bacon, guns, and wit. The ex-wife returns, asking for help. The Buddhist has to oblige. The rejected husband feels appropriate remorse when he insults her. And the contacts from a secret past combine with new friends and enemies in the LAPD to send Cordell flying and driving up and down the coast and out to the desert.

The writing pulls you in. The plot twists and turns like a plane in the wind. The wide skies haunt. And the protagonist and friends will have you searching bookstores for more. A fun, exciting, absorbing mystery with character and style, this one’s highly recommended.



Disclosure: I received a free bound galley from the publisher, The Permanent Press, in exchange for my honest review.

[Deanna]

DNF. Just couldn’t do it.

A combo that just isn’t my preference...wisecracking, sexist in a way that would probably deny sexism, extra shots of testosterone, and just not enough of anything else to overcome the taste. Any of those things I can usually handle or shrug off in a book that overcomes or compensates for them. Here I was working too hard without wanting to.

[✨Susan✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for this private detective mystery. I liked this book on and off, parts were really good and full bodied and then it would go into a lull. The main character had some good humor and was interesting enough but I don't think I will continue on with the series. Ray Porter always does a fantastic job narrating.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is actually the first book in the Cordell Logan series by David Freed, but it is the 3rd one that I've read. I just love the protagonist. He is so funny and usually does the opposite of what polite society would deem appropriate. I like that unexpected element. He is quite the cynic and therefore he speaks my language. I also like the other characters because they are quite lively as well.

The author can weave a creative plot. I've enjoyed his story lines. They are well thought out. I look forward to reading more.

[Sarah Booth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm fairly ambivalent about this book. It's an interesting thriller mystery, but some pretty big flaws to go along with it. The main character claims to be a man who is studying Buddhism since his divorce and has read English Literature at university/Air Force Academy; if this is true he needs a better book on Buddhism as his version is bubble gum Buddhism and his pithy little quotes could be from fortune cookies. It sounds like a book he picked up about the subject for $1.99 while waiting on the supermarket checkout line. For someone who has read literature his relationship to the female sex and his ex-wife is purely one dimensional. The only reason he is still torn up about her is that she's hot. He doesn't seem to appreciate her or notice her on any other level or any other woman other than his landlady who is in her late 80s. A man who is supposed to read Buddhism, philosophy and great literature would find more to a woman, would need more from one, than just looks. He would also be attracted to her mind or need some sort of mental stimulus from her for the level of obsession he seems to have, but there doesn't appear to be anything more than her being hot. He's just horny and that takes away from you believing his character. His sarcasm does get a little tired, but I could live with that.
The landlady is a kick and a nice addition. His relationship with Kiddyiot (sp?) his cat is pretty funny, but you sort of wonder why he keeps the wee beastie around.
The end surprised me, but I guess it shouldn't thinking back, but it's been a rough week and I've been all but completely useless.
It's an okay adventure thriller, but you don't completely buy the main character and he can be a bit annoying.

[Bon Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm totally sold on this series. Super fun. Good laugh and humor. Lovable character. He's a pilot, former alpha operative, current buddhist, ex-husband... all secret ambitions of mine. Well, almost. And has a cat that's pushing his ass kicking button all the time, but somehow still cares for it better than for himself. There's also funny 90 year old lady landlord. And his ex wife doesn't seem to be wearing panties. All strong sale points.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Book source ~ Library

Cordell Logan is a flight instructor just barely keeping his business afloat when his ex-wife suddenly walks back into his life asking him to talk to the police about her current husband’s recent murder. She believes he was killed because of his past employment, something that he and Cordell shared. Because Cordell and Arlo were part of a special black ops unit, Cordell is reluctant to tell the police, or anyone, anything about their shared work history. Eventually he gives in and things go into a flat spin from there.

The best part about this story is the mystery of who is behind it all. The rest is so-so. Cordell himself is actually not very likeable. He’s a smartass without the charm of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden or the wiliness of JP Sloan’s Dorian Lake, both fantasy characters, I know, but Logan reminds me a bit of them. He does have a bit of the bulldog stubbornness to pull off his own investigation of Arlo’s murder not to mention the inside track with their past history and help from a techie friend in his old unit. The writing is a bit dry with some action thrown in here and there. Because he’s a flight instructor there is a LOT of flying info included. Great if you’re a fan of flying, not so much if you aren’t. Logan does have a cat though, and he cares for his landlady, so he’s not all bad. I’m just not interested enough to continue with the series.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an engaging, hilarious book, I had to look on Freed's website to see what else he has written. And was blown away that this is his first novel.

Rather than rehashing the events of the book (other reviewers have done that aplenty), I'll address the mechanics of the book. I'm not a pro, but I read a TON of books in this genre.

This book, I couldn't turn off. I experienced the very rare (while reading a book) sensation of laughter "bubbling up" and being unable to stop it. Freed does not tell a story; rather, he shows it, and does the same re. character development. The book is more verbose than film noir, but it has the same flavor (dark humor, hot chick, tough hero). Like Robert B Parker but more fluid and descriptive, with just enough detail but not so much I felt bogged down.

It's not all humor, though. Logan Cordell is a tough guy, fighting internal struggles that he tries to laugh off or rude-talk his way out of, but we see potential for a more fully developed person as the book comes to an end. He will only become more complex and rich in nature as this series continues.

I'm excited to watch Freed continue to develop his voice, deepen his plots, flesh out his characters in this genre. This book is only the beginning of what will become a kick-arse, top-notch, long-lived series.

[Clay Stafford]

Pulitzer Prize winning author David Freed’s first book about an ex-military assassin turned flight instructor is enough to make your head buzz. “Flat Spin” is a fast moving chase-em-down thriller with plot twists galore. I love the humor in the tense moments; reminds me of some of the best in the hard-boiled world. Wonderful writing, as one would expect from a journalist who has been shortlisted for numerous journalistic awards. I love the premise: find the killer of the man who stole your wife. The only thing I didn’t like was that the book came to an end, but that’s the way of all good things. Good thing about a book, though, I can always read it again. In this case, I will. This is definitely a book to add to your shelf.

From Amazon:

“David Freed’s first mystery is a stay-up-late-to-finish thriller. It’s also got some of the funniest lines – and characters – one is likely to encounter in any mystery, along with a tense and compelling plot and a most original protagonist.

Based in sunny Rancho Bonita – “California’s Monaco” as the city’s moneyed minions like to call it – Cordell Logan is a literate, sardonic flight instructor and aspiring Buddhist with dwindling savings and a shadowy past. When his beautiful ex-wife, Savannah, shows up out of the blue to tell him that her husband has been murdered in Los Angeles, Logan is quietly pleased. Savannah’s late husband, after all, is Arlo Echevarria, the man she left Logan for.

Logan and Echevarria were once comrades-in-arms assigned to a top-secret military assassination team known as “Alpha.” The only problem is, the LAPD can find no record of Echevarrias ever having toiled for Uncle Sam. Savannah wants Logan to tell the police what he knows. At first he refuses, but then, relying on his small, aging airplane, the “Ruptured Duck,” and the skills he honed working for Alpha, Logan doggedly hunts Echevarria’s killer.

His trail takes him from the glitzy Las Vegas Strip to the most dangerous ghettos of inner-city Oakland, from darkened, Russian Mafia haunts in West Los Angeles to the deserts of Arizona. But that’s the least of his problems. It is his love-hate relationship with Savannah, a woman Logan continues to pine for in spite of himself, that threatens to consume him.”

Readers will find Cordell, intrigued by Buddhism and still emotionally vulnerable from his divorce, an engaging protagonist… Freed, who shared a Pulitzer Prize for the L.A. Times coverage of the Rodney King riots, capably balances humor and serious themes. – Publishers Weekly


Tigers in Red Weather on Killer Nashville
My Other Reviews on Killer Nashville

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cordell Logan, retired black ops agent, current flight instructor and budding Buddhist disciple. With a stack of bills to pay, sits expectantly at his desk phone waiting for clients to call about flight instruction. But his phone never rings. Enter the long divorced but still hot ex-wife, Savannah, asking him a favor to investigate the shooting of her currently dead husband, Arlo Echevarria. Arlo, was a fellow black ops agent and Logan's best friend until he stole Logan's wife. Well Cordell almost celebrated when he heard Arlo Echevarria was dead, dancing a jig in his head. He could care less as to who was responsible. Still bitter, Logan refuses Savannah's request. Then his former father-in-law promises him $25 grand to look into the death of his ex-wife's husband, unable to turn down the cash, off he goes on his Cessna 172 to LA, Las Vegas, Arizona and Oakland following clues that lead to an array of characters.

The characters are really the best thing about this book. Cordell Logan who tried so hard to take the Buddhist view of every situation asking, 'What would the Buddha do?', which places a humorous twist on many bad spots he gets into. And miraculously making a few tight situations come to a peaceful resolution. And when all else fails, add a bit of cynical humor. Logan's wonderful elderly landlady, Mrs. Schmulowitz, who bonded with Logan over brisket dinners as they watch Monday night football together. He calls her a saint. "Wrong religion bubale" she replies. His tabby cat Kiddiot who never eats his cat food but is fat and indifferent. The mystery itself is OK but not the greatest. 3 1/2 stars. It was the sideshow of characters Logan meets and introduces that make the book. The wife stealing Arlo Echevarria glowing obituary alone is the best bit of fiction I have read in a long time. David Freed certainly knows a great deal about aviation but the story at times stalls despite the humor of the main character. Still the series has great potential and Freed has an eye for making characters. This is the first in a series and I am told the stories gets better so I may try another in the series.

[Syd (deertales) · Rating 1 out of 5]

if it wasnt for the audio book narration i would have never finished this book. ray porter does a fabulous job, per usual, and it amazes me the number of voices he has in his arsenal.

with that being said, this book was 12 hours of a man's crime fantasy. it was cliche, sexist, and irritating. the main character, cordell logan, despite having a pretty cool name, was simply obnoxious. he was supposed to be this funny, jaded, cynical good guy, but after the same spiel over and over again he just came off as an ass. his relationship with his ex wife, was overdone and inappropriate, and at the end downright unfulfilling because NOTHING came of their strained interactions throughout the book. (maybe that is set up for future novels but i wont be reading them). if logan said one more time "hey, i am a guy afterall" after saying something wildly demeaning about his ex wife / a random woman, i was going to throw my phone in the ditch.

oh and the ending was a "this is everything that happened behind the scenes" type moment. there weren't really any clues through the book to steer the reader in right direction towards guessing the 'who-dunnit', and that is pretty elementary of mystery writers.

kinda annoyed i didnt DNF sooner, but dammit, ray porter is just too good. his voice is like honey. live and learn i guess.

[LibraryGirl2008 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There’s an old maxim among warriors,” Flat Spin’s hero, Cordell Logan, informs us. “ ‘Trust me with your life, never your money or your wife.’ ” A former member of an elite black ops team, our protagonist was unfortunate enough to fall victim to this saying when his best friend and fellow soldier, Arlo Echevarria, stole his wife, Savannah. Now retired, Logan spends his days giving flying lessons to clueless college students and trying to scrape up enough money to pay the rent.

Things haven’t been going so well for his old pal Echevarria either—especially not since someone gunned him down in the entryway of his own home. And although Logan could honestly care less about bringing Arlo’s killer to justice, his unfaithful ex, Savannah, reappears in his life to pester him into solving the murder.

I have to say, what really makes this novel is its wise-cracking narrator. Although he’s a semi-practicing Buddhist (he does fall off the wagon now and again), Logan manages to aggravate everyone—from the police investigating Echevarria’s murder, to his well-meaning ex-wife. While the simmering tensions between Logan and Savannah border on the tedious, it’s overall a good mystery, and interesting enough to keep the reader turning pages to the end.

[Laureen Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This character, Cordell Logan, reminds me of Jack Reacher. He isn't as wealthy or unattached to owning belongings, but he is just as tough and loyal as Jack. I like this type of guy who still carries a torch for a former love, who thinks he's moved on, but really he hasn't. Logan's Buddhist aspirations are charming, especially when he quotes philosophy.

The audio book was narrated by Ray Porter and he does a fabulous job. His "airplane radio-speak" is flawless and I like when he does female voices--not falsetto, just lighter, softer. The Texas accent of Logan's ex-father-in-law is smooth and not overdone or hokey.

I'll be reading more of Cordell Logan's exploits, that's for sure.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid 3.5. Requires absolutely no commitment. Doesn’t wrench your heart or your head (or any other part in your particular person). Surprisingly 90s cliche, however; until the mention of relatively current terms like WiFi, I thought it was an old book. The hero is likable, engaging. The story is complicated enough without becoming confusing. The ending is tied up with a bow. Want to escape (I know I want to escape), this is perfect.

[Michael Huang · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as a commercial novel goes, not bad at all. Reminds me of Big Sleep, but not quite as surprising.

[Loy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hey I enjoyed this book
Logan was a wisecracking guy trying to help his ex wife

I might read other one - it might be too much wisecracking if you read them too close together.

But I enjoyed it

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cordell Logan was a former covert operative for the classified governmental agency, Tier One Ultra, code-named Alpha. He's now a down on his luck owner of a flight school, Above The Clouds Aviation in Rancho Bonita, California. Living in a rented converted 2-car garage, barely staying one step ahead of the bill collectors, the only asset he has is an aging 1973 Cessna 172, aptly named the Ruptured Duck, and a fat cat named Kiddiot. His life is in a flat spin ... can it get any worse? Apparently so when his beautiful ex-wife Savannah, who he still has feelings for, seeks him out and requests that he help the LAPD find the killer of her husband, Arlo Echevarria, Cordell's ex-boss and friend who had stole Savannah from him six years ago. Arlo and Cordell were both in the Alpha unit together, with the cover of running a marketing business. Cordell doesn't want to assist in the murder case, but when his ex-father-in-law, Gil Carlisle, a Texas oil tycoon offers $25,000 for his assistance, Cordell takes the money and finds himself back in the covert operations business while tracking down Arlo's killer, but there are people who don't want him to solve the murder case. In a true whodunit mystery style, Flat Spin will involve you in Cordell's journey to solve the murder case, are you ready for the ride of your life?

Flat Spin is a fast-paced whodunit mystery novel that will keep the reader sitting on the edge of their seat. The intriguing storyline is told from the first person narrative of the protagonist, Cordell Logan. The reader is drawn into coming along for the ride as Cordell goes back into the covert operations business to solve his ex-compatriot's murder. With a caustic wit and wicked sense of humor, Cordell is an engaging character that makes it fun to follow along on his quest. The author uses his extensive knowledge of flying, military covert intelligence operations and reporting to keep the reader enthralled with fascinating descriptions that only a person in-the-know could only provide. This dramatic and suspense-filled story has enough action, thrills, chills, twists and turns to keep the reader on the edge while trying to piece together all the clues and guess who the murderer is. With a supporting cast of characters that are fun and realistic, this story has it all: a beautiful ex-wife; a good ol' boy ex-father-in-law; an NFL loving, brisket making, hysterical Jewish landlady; LAPD police detectives; an old intelligence friend named Buzz; international counter intelligence agents and organized crime bad guys. The author does a wonderful job of intertwining all of the characters' involvement in the story, it makes for a more powerful, entertaining and compelling read. And just to add more fun to the story, the love-hate relationship between Cordell and Savannah is an intriguing subplot that reveals the emotional inner turmoil that has plagued Cordell for over six years.

Flat Spin is one hell of a barn burner of a story! With it's intriguing and intricate plot, the author keeps the reader in palpable suspense until the very surprising conclusion. This is one stunning mystery thriller that should be on every mystery fan's book list!


Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for my honest review and for hosting a virtual book event on my book review blog site.

Virtual Book Event: On Tuesday, May 29, 2012, author David Freed participated in a virtual book event with an Author Interview on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of “Flat Spin” By David Freed

After you read this book, read the second in the series, "Fangs Out" David's writing has improved immensely.

An advance reader copy of the book was sent to me in electronic form by the author for review. I found none of the formatting or typographical errors that typically plague such advance copies.

The moral of this story is that one should not mess with friends of guys who used to do black ops.

What happens to special agents after they “retire” from doing “black ops” for a living? Cordell Logan runs a flight school with marginal success. What happens when his ex-wife shows up in his dilapidated office and asks for help finding her husband’s killer? Is it further complicated by the fact that the recently departed is a former comrade in arms who stole her from him? Of course it does.

This is a well structured, easy to read, classic detective story. I give it four and a half stars for the plot. I would have given it five if some of the plot developments had been a little less predictable.

The protagonist’s character is extremely well thought out and expertly drawn. I wish more of the characters had as much depth. The ex-wife is well portrayed and exhibits a nice level of conflict. The ex-father in law is nicely drawn as well. Beyond these three characters, most of the rest are flat. With a plot that moves as quickly as this one does, some character development does get left behind. That is unfortunate. With the author’s keen sense of observation as demonstrated by his portrayal of his protagonist and the ex-wife, I feel he could have given the reader a deeper understanding of the secondary characters. Even so, I give the story five stars for the characters.

Technical execution was flawless and therefore gets five stars. I do have one quibble. I like acknowledgments as much as the next person, but unlike most of my colleagues, I think they should go at the end of the work where the reader has a better understanding of what went into the creation of the book. IMHO, the book should start at the beginning of the story. Commentary can come later.

The following passage is typical of the book’s pace and gives a nice example of the book’s overall “attitude” towards its characters and it subjects.

Several of Echevarria’s neighbors told police they’d heard him yell, heard what sounded like firecrackers, and glimpsed the killer through their windows. They described him as five-foot-five and 180 pounds. Or five-foot-ten and 160 pounds. Or well over six feet, on the thin side, with a long loping stride—kind of like Gomer Pyle, who used to be on TV back when TV was worth watching. One witness said the shooter was a Latino in his late twenties. Another said he was Arabic in his thirties. Two witnesses said the killer was a Caucasian with a West Hollywood tan. Still others described him as “Jewish-looking” or “the Italian-type” or even Indian—the tomahawk-chop-Geronimo kind, not the kind that worship cows and wrap goddamn bed sheets around their heads. Whoever murdered Echevarria was swarthy and clean-shaven. The witnesses all agreed on that. They also agreed on the getaway car: nobody saw one.

I did neglect one important facet of Mr. Freed’s writing. He is genuinely funny in places. It’s not the mean ugly kind of funny we see so often, but a lighthearted understanding of life’s absurdities. When you read this book make sure that you are in a place that when you laugh out loud no one will care.

OBTW... for those of you who do not understand aircraft, the title is itself a joke After you have read the book, look up what happens to pilots who find themselves in a flat spin. It’s not pretty.

[Christine B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit with about 1/5 of the book left. This book is an example of why I've started becoming more wary of trying new (to me) male mystery writers. While there are plenty of excellent ones out there, so many of the dude mystery novelists write protagonists who are just balls of racism and/or misogyny lightly masked with an overly macho 'sense of humor'.

It's certainly not the worst example of the genre, but it's not interesting. If the story had been more plot driven than character driven, I probably could have at least finished it. And generally, I am fine with writers following some (or most!) of the standard conventions of the genre (I like the genre, after all), with the detective who is down on his luck; but with a heart of gold; former military/black ops; 'tells it like it is'; always right, despite the world doubting his brilliance; incredibly hot/former model ex/love interest. This one just didn't seem to add *anything* new or interesting. I mean -- he tried a bit by making the protagonist a pilot with a really surface-level interest in Buddhism. Not enough to make it interesting to me, especially when the main character spends every interaction with his ex-wife whinging, moaning, and only seeming to view her as former property.

And I found his jokes annoying, not amusing.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read!

Cordell Logan is an ex-military weapon, able to do what was necessary. Since retirement, he has used his skills as a pilot to open a flight school. Maybe not the most lucrative flight school but he could hope. When his ex-wife calls telling him her husband was murdered, he has a reason to smile. When she asks his help, he has no problem saying no. When he gets a $25,000 check from his ex-father-in-law, he says yes and goes to have a talk with the police. And his life gets real complicated.

A smart, fast paced story that takes a murder, a beautiful ex-wife and a beyond wealthy ex-in-law and stirs in a highly trained corps of assassins (now defunct) and some great humor. Some twists, some turns, and some great ime in the sky.

I am looking forward to the next in a what I hope will be a long line of Cordell Logan mysteries.

I won this book on Goodreads.

[Patrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cliche, the Novel.

Ex-military? Check.
Beautiful ex-wife that still may be in play? Check.
Witty/old landlady with ironic twist? Playful banter in the face of danger? Beautiful women? Surly cops and quirky sidekicks? Check check check...

This book has all the tropes, and hardly any story. In fact, the story is built like a house of cards from said cliches. I'll be honest, some of them worked. I wouldn't have even minded it, if they were used more sparingly or if the story held my interest with the plot alone. I kept hoping that there would be more to the story that was being presented - most likely a symptom of reading better authors' works.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot is riveting, the setting intriguing, but what captured me was this writer's amazing skill in creating characters you really come to love. Cord is the man of every woman's dreams: strong, funny, mysterious, but sensitive in spite of himself. Samantha is alluring and deep. Even Cord's wacky 80's-something landlady is utterly adorable and hilariously funny. I was captivated from Page 1.

[Patty Hagar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. My brother, whom I love dearly, is obsessed with this author and series. Under much sibling pressure, I gave it a go. It’s a no. I do give the witty dialogue a star but the tired stereotypes are painful and cringey.

[Nickinadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read at least the first three books of this series several years ago and all I could remember was something about a pilot, a mystery, and a feeling that I really enjoyed them. Picking the series up again did not disappoint!

Cordell Logan is not your typical hero. He’s sarcastic, down on his luck, and likes his secrets to stay secrets. But he has a moral compass forged in the fires of combat and it will not allow him to sit on the sidelines when things go wrong. He’s endeavoring to be a good Buddhist, but finds himself daily disappointing the Buddha. This mixed with his wild adventures with flight students, his insane cat, and his Jewish landlady Mrs. Schmulowitz is enough to keep the reader entertained. Throw in some murder, and it’s a wild ride.

In this first book of the series, Logan is forced to look his past and his ex-fiancé in the face as her present husband (and the man she left Logan for who also happened to be one of Logan’s friends) is murdered. While Logan wants nothing to do with the sordid tale, as it’s already taken up too much of his life, he gets involved because he needs to know too.

This first book in the series is a fun, wild, passionate, messy mystery with characters the reader will either love or hate though no one can hate Mrs. Schmulowitz.

[Chowhound88 (a.k.a. Ralph) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good book.

[Taralyn Knox · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was really interesting and the narrator did a really good job. witty, sarcastic, and intriguing! can't wait to continue.

[Erin Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I was able to give half-stars, I might have given it 4.5, but went ahead with the 5 because it was so pleasant. Not going to win any writing awards, but truly an entertaining read.
I listed via audiobook, and the narrator was hands-down the best I've heard. He nailed the snarky, sharp wit of Cordell Logan and used inflection to realistically represent all other characters. Female, Russian, old, young, he hit them all on the head. I LOVED his style. The story was interesting, with a theme that wasn't overly cookie-cutter, but also not wildly complicated. The main character (Cordell Logan) is very easy to root for. Funny, smart, tough, confident but not cocky. Can't wait to read more of his adventures!

[J.A. Beard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:

Cordell Logan left behind the shadowy world of black ops for a more sedate life as a flight instructor in California. When his ex-wife comes to ask him to look into her husband's mysterious murder, Logan is a bit conflicted. The murdered man is both an ex-compatriot from Logan's black ops days and the man responsible for Logan's wife becoming his ex-wife.

Review:

Good prose, it is often said, is invisible. For all the careful consideration of word choice and sentence structure that a writer puts into a novel, if his or her labor is obvious, it's a jarring experience that interferes with the reader's ability to fully immerse themselves into the story.

My immersion into the mystery-thriller Flat Spin was facilitated by that sort of skillful yet invisible writing. The story is related to the reader by Cordell Logan, a down-on-his-luck flight instructor who used to work as a black ops operative. The author brings Logan to life with a distinct witty (and more than a little sarcastic) voice. A large portion of the fun of this book comes from his observations on existence and the murder case, as filtered through both his own background and his somewhat tortured (though often amusing) attempts to apply Buddhist philosophies to his life. He's a likable and competent fellow yet also has a vulnerable emotional inner life that is interesting without undermining him as a plausible lead in a story filled with danger.

Mostly though, he's well-actualized. The voice and the character development allow the novel to really read as if this unusually interesting fellow is just casually relating to you a story about how his ex-wife got him mixed up in a complicated murder case. When I started the book, I was a bit concerned that the black ops background was inserted so the book could head off into a more over-the-top action thriller direction. Although Logan is certainly competent when it comes to the fine art of inflicting harm, the action in the book is restrained. Sometimes less is more.

There's a relatively large cast of characters, many of which you'd expect in this sort of book: police officers, shady organized crime types, a beautiful woman in need of help,et cetera. Given the POV, none really receive the development the lead does, but they all come off as realistic, including the lead's cat.

Indeed, as far as realism, many aspects of the book are marked by great authenticity, in particular the flight sequences (the author is, among other things, a pilot). Some of the interactions with the police made me arch a brow or two, but I was enjoying everything else so much I didn't care.

Though the central mystery itself isn't necessarily labyrinthine in its complexity, it is skillfully executed with a nice balance between revelation and additional questions as Logan swims through the clues. There are also enough nasty sorts lurking around the plot that a palpable sense of legitimate danger follows Logan throughout the book.

4.5 Stars

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Cordell Logan, flight instructor
SETTING: California
SERIES: Debut
RATING: 3.5

Cordell Logan is a flight instructor who is really struggling to make ends meet and can’t even afford to do the necessary maintenance on his small plane. Help comes from a most unlikely source. His ex-wife, Savannah, shows up to let him know that her second husband, Arlo Echevarria, has been murdered in Los Angeles. Cordell and Arlo served in an elite military unit together, but their relationship fell apart when Arlo made moves on Savannah. Logan has never forgiven him but does feel some sort of obligation to look into what caused his death. The obligation becomes a reality when Savannah’s father pays him a sizable sum to conduct an investigation.

No one is willing to believe that Echevarria and Logan were part of a top-secret team of government assassins formed after 9/11 who terminated individuals across the globe who were deemed threats to the homeland. Could Echevarria’s death be related to that work? There does appear to be a connection to Russian intelligence agencies. Logan follows a long-winding trail to the truth, finding himself a target along the way.

Freed does a great job of developing an interesting plot and presenting a very authentic view of the world of private aviation. Logan is a likable character who has a great sense of humor. For me, the only deficiency in the book is his relationship with Savannah. He lusts after her constantly to the point of obsession. The possibility that they could reconcile fell flat for me. They didn’t get along particularly well, and there was not a lot of love being shown. The appeal seemed to be mostly physical.

FLAT SPIN is a debut novel, and Freed has everything that it takes to be hugely successful as a crime fiction writer. Other than the Savannah fixation, he has done everything well. The writing is assured and leavened with great doses of humor. Freed is a reporter who shared the Pulitzer Prize for his writing about the Rodney King riots. His military and flight background contributed to making FLAT SPIN authentic and engaging.