The Alcatraz Correction

by Reb MacRath

The second entry in the Boss MacTavin series is a stand-alone novel about the nation's greatest cold case. Here's another solid blend of mystery, humor and action, this time with a more settled and prosperous Boss.

The Rock Meets Its Match in Boss
Time: a few years after Southern Scotch. Boss's business, Boss Corrections, is doing very well. And, though still based in Portland, he enjoys extended stays in San Francisco with his fiancee. His new case there should have been a breeze, a chance to spend time with Mai Lin. But when his rich, ditsy client is killed before he can even begin, he's in a quandary--because he's been paid. The Scot in him says Take the money and go, but his Southern sense of honor insists that her death be Corrected. He finds a link between her death and the murders of two elderly men months apart, a trail that leads to Alcatraz. The great escape of '62, he learns, was only the start of a tale of revenge spanning fifty years. And Boss finds himself with just three days to help an unknown killer find the final escapee--or his kidnapped fiancee will die.

Trivia

--Boss takes over the narrative reins in this book. And the difference in tone is made clear at the start: less Mickey Spillane than Dash' Hammett.

--In a tribute to Richard Boone and Have Gun Will Travel, Boss now co-owns the King Richard Hotel in S.F. He stays there several times a year in a suite reserved for him. And at the end of this book he will move to The City, going wherever work takes him.

--The focus remains on the qualities that made Paladin great, not the cool gimmicks that everyone steals: e.g. the all-black working gear. Boss works for both honor and money. He will be paid what he is owed, though he still take occasional cases for free. He enjoys good food, good company. He roars with laughter and can also weep.

--The original title was Shark City: A Thriller with 3000 Teeth. The title's changed but, rest assured, at the end of this story those teeth will arrive.

--Boss acquires two new associates: Estelle and Dirty Boy.

Now load your Kindles...and let's Rock!

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Please see my Amazon Author Page at
amazon.com/author/rebmacrath

I had a long apprenticeship as a freelance journalist and reviewer before publishing my first novel, The Suiting, with Tor in 1988. Because of the supernatural twist, I was pegged as a horror writer and contractually bound to write one more. And those two led to still two more, these published with Dell Abyss. In 1993 I retired from the genre and went to The Desert to learn how to write the sort of books I love to read: thrillers as strong on style and wit as they are on suspense.

From 1993-2012 I completed eight books that fell into three camps: short Christmas chillers; crime tales starring Boss MacTavin, a Southern Scot, and inspired by Have Gun Will Travel; and, finally, a pair of books about writing and trad publishing. From now through the end of 2013, I'll release the lot as ebooks while completing a new tale starring Big Bad Boss.

Reviews

[Diane Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big, Bad, Boss fans start singing

A newspaper story reads, "San Francisco's favorite son, Lew Miles, was tortured to death at age 73 by a maniac..." and Boss is faced with two grizzly murders. He feels guilty. Boss turned down Lew's fiancée, Val Spark's application to have her lover "corrected for lying about his age" and again when she claimed, "something weird is going on." After haggling with the woman, he finally took the job at twice his normal fee, but Lew and his client died before Boss got started on the case.

He's obligated to make this correction. The situation gets complicated when Boss is stuck with a partner, Dirty Boy, who Val hired after Boss turned her down the first time. DB and Boss are determined to solve the mystery of the Lew's life and expose the psychopath who killed their client.

Who was Lew and why did he die in a warehouse with a window that looked at Alcatraz? Why did he build a "cell" hidden in his mansion? As Boss unravels the mystery, readers are led through a weird maze of facts and fables surrounding Alcatraz. The crazed killer slashes his way through victims without mercy and seems one step ahead of them. How can Boss and DB survive this case?

If you haven't been hooked by the cunning stories written by Reb MacRath, Boss will drag you into his writer's fan club. Boss is a gritty, one-eyed, "Southern Scott," a hero who hit rock bottom, suffered, and literally emerged as a new man. In this second book of the series, readers visit the seedy underbelly of San Francisco, meeting lowlifes and very scary characters. But if you're with Big Bad Boss, you're safe. Join the Boss fan club and you'll be singing his praises soon.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boss has returned. His Scottish burr blended with a southern drawl may lead some to think he is laid back however he is anything but that. In this second book about Boss Mactavin we find out more about his life, loves and ways of dealing with issues. He has been brought in by the lover of a brutally murdered San Francisco icon. By the time Boss gets to San Francisco the lover who hired him has been killed, too. In this book Boss will try to solve these two murders and during the course of his investigation he will be lead to an escape from Alcatraz that occurred in the 1960’s. Who escaped, who didn’t , who wants revenge, why do they want revenge, how will the Italian mob get involved, who will help Boss, who that Boss cares for will be helped or harmed, and how will Boss fare by the end of the book? The answers to the questions posed are puzzlers and as a puzzle solver Boss and his partners, friends and acquaintances will be required to deal with more than some may have bargained for.

The more I read about Boss Mactavin the more I want to know about him. Is he content with his life? Where does he spend his days? Who and what does he care about? What motivates him to stay in shape? How does he pick the cases he will take? What is his destiny and what will happen on his way to his final destination.

Reb MacRath’s excellent writing of the book Southern Scotch drew me in. This second book has tantalized me. I seem to be hooked and now need to know what will happen in Boss Mactavin’s life next.