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"Shadows: A Jake Somers Novel"
Castle’s new novel SHADOWS follows the dangerous path that a woman’s life takes in response to the evil forced upon her as a child. The effect of her tortured experience is illuminated when a beautiful young girl’s body is discovered behind the office building that houses the Jake Somers Detective Agency. And then, when multiple murders occur across the city, and under similar circumstances, P.I. Jake Somers crime solving expertise is called upon by the police to help catch a serial killer. No problem, death on a college campus, illegal synthetic drugs and a maniacal murderer are all in a days’ work for Jake Somers.
266 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 4, 2014
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review
Oh Mr. Castle where have to been all my life?!
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
This by far, hands down was one of the best PI books I have read in a while. There was not one point in my reading where I was bored or wanted to put it down. You actually felt like you were there in almost every scene that Mr. Castle describes. It was very realistic and just an altogether great read. I actually was sitting in my living room with a book light while the family was watching tv so I could finish my book and god forbid if someone actually tried to touch my book!
In this book we meet PI Jake Somers. He runs a detective agency and usually works with the local DA’s office and the local police department. When a young girls body is discovered behind the office building of where MR. Somers has his business he is called into action. Here they start turning up multiple murders that seem to be tied together.
We soon find out that the illegal synthetic drugs play a big role in the murders and we soon get a little education on the making and distribution of these synthetic drugs. We also find out what women actually do at those cosmetic parties they are always running off to….
I love the characters. You can relate to them and Love them. I LOVE how close Jake Somers is with his mother and how his mother and wife team up against him and tell him pretty much what is going to happen and where they are going.
I love how his receptionist is like a big part of the family and not just the receptionist.
There is not one bad thing I can say about this book…
PICK THIS UP FOR A PAGE TURNING GREAT MYSTERY WEEKEND READ. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!
Oh Mr. Castle where have to been all my life?!
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
This by far, hands down was one of the best PI books I have read in a while. There was not one point in my reading where I was bored or wanted to put it down. You actually felt like you were there in almost every scene that Mr. Castle describes. It was very realistic and just an altogether great read. I actually was sitting in my living room with a book light while the family was watching tv so I could finish my book and god forbid if someone actually tried to touch my book!
In this book we meet PI Jake Somers. He runs a detective agency and usually works with the local DA’s office and the local police department. When a young girls body is discovered behind the office building of where MR. Somers has his business he is called into action. Here they start turning up multiple murders that seem to be tied together.
We soon find out that the illegal synthetic drugs play a big role in the murders and we soon get a little education on the making and distribution of these synthetic drugs. We also find out what women actually do at those cosmetic parties they are always running off to….
I love the characters. You can relate to them and Love them. I LOVE how close Jake Somers is with his mother and how his mother and wife team up against him and tell him pretty much what is going to happen and where they are going.
I love how his receptionist is like a big part of the family and not just the receptionist.
There is not one bad thing I can say about this book…
PICK THIS UP FOR A PAGE TURNING GREAT MYSTERY WEEKEND READ. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!
October 22, 2014
Shadows: A Jake Somers Mystery: Don Castle
You see a dark area or shape that appears to be a body coming between rays of light and a surface. Someone is standing in a doorway and she sees this outline, shape or profile but not the image. Sometimes life takes on a dark or shaded picture and your thoughts, the images you see and what you feel seem to be enveloped within this dark area. It’s as if a dark or black cloud has surrounded you and you cannot escape or find a way out.
Childhood fears can come back and take hold in the future if the event and what causes the fears is so traumatic and leaves lasting effects. A young child seeks warmth and safety from her new parents but instead finds herself a victim of a cruel man’s desires. Living within herself and never expressing her feelings this young child keeps silent. But, waiting in the distance just might be some hope as she finds her release in a dark and dangerous manner. Trained by these people to deal with the makeup and bodies of those that have gone to another world, this resourceful and demented teen uses her skills to eliminate them. Rationalizing her movements, her thoughts this person develops another persona and finds a way to live.
Shadows are not just this dark form or outline sometimes a person falls prey to someone’s wishes and wiles and rather than create their own life and live within who and what they are they follow this other person, become an inseparable companion and latch on to them hoping for their love and loyalty. Sometimes their image fades and all that is left behind is a Shadow! Acceptance, loyalty, faithfulness and love are just part of what this person expects and wants once he/she latches on to someone that makes them feel safe. But, when things spiral out of control and the one person he/she thinks they can trust gives them pause for thought of doubt what better way to eliminate all obstacles then Murder!
Former police detective Jake Somers has joined forces with the Dallas Police Department once again to solve several unusual murders. One of the victims was killed behind the dumpster in back of his office giving him the impetus to want to find out more. But, Jake is resourceful, observant and when he assesses the crime scene along with an officer, he observes some things that the young officer missed. The evidence is sparse; the victim is a young girl and the missing item quite obvious to the experienced eye. This is where things get complicated as the Captain of the police department contacts Jake to inform him of the murder and wants him to take hold of the investigation. A department shorthanded, understaffed yet quite capable of handling the case, Captain Huddleston requests his help and his team’s expertise. Jake Somers is an ex-detective turned private investigator. A woman is found murdered near Jake's Office and he is asked by Captain Huddleson of the police to investigate. Apparently the police are overloaded and need Jake's expertise to help on this case. Jake notices that the woman's shoes were taken as well as her purse. Bradford Master’s Technical Institute is the link that binds the first murder and the second one of another young student. Both girls found their way to this college and both needed extra money and began working for a cosmetic company. Each one caught in the web of their own needs and both caught up with one young professor whose main stay at the college might have been to teach chemistry but whose purpose was to gain access to the lab to create his own synthetic drugs and his own operation. Things get really complicated when Jake sends his operative, Steve Evans to a warehouse to check out it out and he is shot by someone who does not want what he’s found there known to anyone especially the police. Questions are asked of someone that is there and when left alone he is shot but not before he sees a body on the floor of another missing student.
This is more than just a murder it is about Jake, his relationship with his mother Josie and his girlfriend, Shirley who works in the DA’s office. Within this plot we also meet Maria, his receptionist and right hand person who you have to love. Just listening to deal with Jake and making sure that he stays on task is quite humorous. But, when his mother falls down, fractures her hip and then Steve is critically shot, things take a downward spiral. As Maria, who has just become engaged and has enlisted the help of both Josie and Shirley to plan what she calls a traditional Mexican wedding, puts her plans on hold and from there on things really take a dangerous turn.
Author Don Castle has done some very in-depth research in the field of synthetic drugs and through the DEA agent assigned to help him solve the case we learn how the drugs are made, what drugs are being created and how lucrative a business it is.
Mel Taggard dealt in both hardcore drugs and synthetic drugs, which is why he was lucky to get a position at BMT, and both girls that were killed were nursing students. But, Mel Taggard was the catalyst or the link between the students and the one person who thought he was so important. Wanting to reap the benefits of what he was offering this person went along with everything he did but the gullibility would pay off for him but for how long. Jealousies, rivalries and greed take over and the killer strikes again and this time it just might take the person down. Contacts might be there, access to the warehouse gone and a demented person who shares with readers in Chapter 14 as we enter the Needham Mortuary and Crematorium, and see the ashes left behind.
Throughout the novel we learn how in this case the interdepartmental cooperation is quite unique and information is shared among all branches: the police, FBI, DEA and with Jake. Most people would say in reality this is pure fiction but the author has created situations where the murder and solving the case is paramount and egos are pushed aside. Wouldn’t that be nice in the real world if everyone were on the same page!
The knowledge gained about the uses of synthetic drugs, how they are traded and the fact that there are so many that there are not enough guidelines and laws to cover them all is quite startling. Fake Marijuana and many other illegal drugs that these dealers can reproduce at a lower cost and yet some rebrand them and charge the buyer retail price for the real thing.
The similarities in the murders become quite apparent, as Jake’s powers of observation are quite astute. All of the victims are lying on their backs, a bullet in their foreheads; makeup is perfect and wearing great clothes. Each woman is beautiful the main flaw the gunshot wound.
What does a chemistry professor at BMT, a producer and dealer of these drugs, dead from what is now deemed a murder have to do with these women and a cosmetic company? At first released as a suicide a medical examiner taking a closer look sees needle marks in an area that Mel Taggard could never have reached and how the case becomes another murder for Jake to solve. But, with his mother in the hospital, Steve in critical condition Jake needs to enlist the help of someone else.
The disappearance of the two people that owned and ran the mortuary, the link to the cosmetic company and the necessity to have Steve protected leads Jake to begin to realize that the killer might be hiding in plain site. Questions are asked by many but one person seems to be honing in and asking too many. When Jake realizes that Steve’s life is in danger will the police back him up, with Nurse Groves, the nurse on his case comply and will he be able to convince them to change his room and set up a decoy. However, throughout the novel we learn more about his mother’s relationship with his girlfriend, the closeness he feels towards Maria and the one thing she asks for that he might not want to do.
As Josie appears to be getting well and her hospital room is filled with wedding caters, musicians and much more will Jake enter the room and find out his role or will he make a beeline for the door?
When the pieces finally fit together and two drug dealers pitted against each other learn what happens when Jake is on the case, a killer do diabolical might get away if they do not work real fast. An ending that ties it all together, a killer whose move will shock even Jake and wedding that won’t take place until the mist is lifted, the shadows are cleared and the sunlight suns brightly. Jake Somers is an interesting character that takes the definition of cooperation, understanding and unity to a whole other level.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
You see a dark area or shape that appears to be a body coming between rays of light and a surface. Someone is standing in a doorway and she sees this outline, shape or profile but not the image. Sometimes life takes on a dark or shaded picture and your thoughts, the images you see and what you feel seem to be enveloped within this dark area. It’s as if a dark or black cloud has surrounded you and you cannot escape or find a way out.
Childhood fears can come back and take hold in the future if the event and what causes the fears is so traumatic and leaves lasting effects. A young child seeks warmth and safety from her new parents but instead finds herself a victim of a cruel man’s desires. Living within herself and never expressing her feelings this young child keeps silent. But, waiting in the distance just might be some hope as she finds her release in a dark and dangerous manner. Trained by these people to deal with the makeup and bodies of those that have gone to another world, this resourceful and demented teen uses her skills to eliminate them. Rationalizing her movements, her thoughts this person develops another persona and finds a way to live.
Shadows are not just this dark form or outline sometimes a person falls prey to someone’s wishes and wiles and rather than create their own life and live within who and what they are they follow this other person, become an inseparable companion and latch on to them hoping for their love and loyalty. Sometimes their image fades and all that is left behind is a Shadow! Acceptance, loyalty, faithfulness and love are just part of what this person expects and wants once he/she latches on to someone that makes them feel safe. But, when things spiral out of control and the one person he/she thinks they can trust gives them pause for thought of doubt what better way to eliminate all obstacles then Murder!
Former police detective Jake Somers has joined forces with the Dallas Police Department once again to solve several unusual murders. One of the victims was killed behind the dumpster in back of his office giving him the impetus to want to find out more. But, Jake is resourceful, observant and when he assesses the crime scene along with an officer, he observes some things that the young officer missed. The evidence is sparse; the victim is a young girl and the missing item quite obvious to the experienced eye. This is where things get complicated as the Captain of the police department contacts Jake to inform him of the murder and wants him to take hold of the investigation. A department shorthanded, understaffed yet quite capable of handling the case, Captain Huddleston requests his help and his team’s expertise. Jake Somers is an ex-detective turned private investigator. A woman is found murdered near Jake's Office and he is asked by Captain Huddleson of the police to investigate. Apparently the police are overloaded and need Jake's expertise to help on this case. Jake notices that the woman's shoes were taken as well as her purse. Bradford Master’s Technical Institute is the link that binds the first murder and the second one of another young student. Both girls found their way to this college and both needed extra money and began working for a cosmetic company. Each one caught in the web of their own needs and both caught up with one young professor whose main stay at the college might have been to teach chemistry but whose purpose was to gain access to the lab to create his own synthetic drugs and his own operation. Things get really complicated when Jake sends his operative, Steve Evans to a warehouse to check out it out and he is shot by someone who does not want what he’s found there known to anyone especially the police. Questions are asked of someone that is there and when left alone he is shot but not before he sees a body on the floor of another missing student.
This is more than just a murder it is about Jake, his relationship with his mother Josie and his girlfriend, Shirley who works in the DA’s office. Within this plot we also meet Maria, his receptionist and right hand person who you have to love. Just listening to deal with Jake and making sure that he stays on task is quite humorous. But, when his mother falls down, fractures her hip and then Steve is critically shot, things take a downward spiral. As Maria, who has just become engaged and has enlisted the help of both Josie and Shirley to plan what she calls a traditional Mexican wedding, puts her plans on hold and from there on things really take a dangerous turn.
Author Don Castle has done some very in-depth research in the field of synthetic drugs and through the DEA agent assigned to help him solve the case we learn how the drugs are made, what drugs are being created and how lucrative a business it is.
Mel Taggard dealt in both hardcore drugs and synthetic drugs, which is why he was lucky to get a position at BMT, and both girls that were killed were nursing students. But, Mel Taggard was the catalyst or the link between the students and the one person who thought he was so important. Wanting to reap the benefits of what he was offering this person went along with everything he did but the gullibility would pay off for him but for how long. Jealousies, rivalries and greed take over and the killer strikes again and this time it just might take the person down. Contacts might be there, access to the warehouse gone and a demented person who shares with readers in Chapter 14 as we enter the Needham Mortuary and Crematorium, and see the ashes left behind.
Throughout the novel we learn how in this case the interdepartmental cooperation is quite unique and information is shared among all branches: the police, FBI, DEA and with Jake. Most people would say in reality this is pure fiction but the author has created situations where the murder and solving the case is paramount and egos are pushed aside. Wouldn’t that be nice in the real world if everyone were on the same page!
The knowledge gained about the uses of synthetic drugs, how they are traded and the fact that there are so many that there are not enough guidelines and laws to cover them all is quite startling. Fake Marijuana and many other illegal drugs that these dealers can reproduce at a lower cost and yet some rebrand them and charge the buyer retail price for the real thing.
The similarities in the murders become quite apparent, as Jake’s powers of observation are quite astute. All of the victims are lying on their backs, a bullet in their foreheads; makeup is perfect and wearing great clothes. Each woman is beautiful the main flaw the gunshot wound.
What does a chemistry professor at BMT, a producer and dealer of these drugs, dead from what is now deemed a murder have to do with these women and a cosmetic company? At first released as a suicide a medical examiner taking a closer look sees needle marks in an area that Mel Taggard could never have reached and how the case becomes another murder for Jake to solve. But, with his mother in the hospital, Steve in critical condition Jake needs to enlist the help of someone else.
The disappearance of the two people that owned and ran the mortuary, the link to the cosmetic company and the necessity to have Steve protected leads Jake to begin to realize that the killer might be hiding in plain site. Questions are asked by many but one person seems to be honing in and asking too many. When Jake realizes that Steve’s life is in danger will the police back him up, with Nurse Groves, the nurse on his case comply and will he be able to convince them to change his room and set up a decoy. However, throughout the novel we learn more about his mother’s relationship with his girlfriend, the closeness he feels towards Maria and the one thing she asks for that he might not want to do.
As Josie appears to be getting well and her hospital room is filled with wedding caters, musicians and much more will Jake enter the room and find out his role or will he make a beeline for the door?
When the pieces finally fit together and two drug dealers pitted against each other learn what happens when Jake is on the case, a killer do diabolical might get away if they do not work real fast. An ending that ties it all together, a killer whose move will shock even Jake and wedding that won’t take place until the mist is lifted, the shadows are cleared and the sunlight suns brightly. Jake Somers is an interesting character that takes the definition of cooperation, understanding and unity to a whole other level.
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
September 7, 2016
Private Investigator Jake Somers and crew investigate numerous murders happening around the city.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The predictability and the continued errors didn't keep me from enjoying this book. =)
November 15, 2014
**I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review**
Now crime novels are one of my favourite genres and as I haven't read one for a while I was looking forward to reading this as I thought it sounded interesting, like my kind of read. The story starts straight out with the discovery of a dead body outside Private Investigator Jake's office block. Eventually more bodies turn up and after investigation alongside the police department and the district attorney, the death can be related to a case he was previously investigating. We meet a lot of other characters in this book, including his office partner Steve and their receptionist Maria, Captain Huddleston from the PD, Jake's mum Josie and his girlfriend Shirley, the killer, and a few others who I lost track of in the end and had to keep checking back.
Due to the previous case relation, we keep hearing details from that case and the current one; they did fit together quite well and we could see clearly how they were related. Don seemed to have done quite a bit of research into synthetic drugs which featured heavily throughout the story. I did think though that the killer was revealed too early and it was quite obvious who it was from not long after we meet them around halfway through, which didn't give much structure to the rest of the story as it was just Jake trying to find them.
As well as these two cases being investigated, there is also a story line of Maria's wedding planning which features quite heavily and I didn't think it fit too well. It would have been better to just have snippets of it rather than feature as heavily as it did as I think altogether these three were just too much in one story. I can't really pick a favourite character as I didn't find them very engaging; I didn't really feel any substance to them and the conversation was quite repetitive. Because of discovering the killer half way through I thought the ending was quite abrupt too as there wasn't anything major to be expected or excited about.
If you are looking for an easy to read mystery novel involved with drugs and murder then this may be the one for you.
Now crime novels are one of my favourite genres and as I haven't read one for a while I was looking forward to reading this as I thought it sounded interesting, like my kind of read. The story starts straight out with the discovery of a dead body outside Private Investigator Jake's office block. Eventually more bodies turn up and after investigation alongside the police department and the district attorney, the death can be related to a case he was previously investigating. We meet a lot of other characters in this book, including his office partner Steve and their receptionist Maria, Captain Huddleston from the PD, Jake's mum Josie and his girlfriend Shirley, the killer, and a few others who I lost track of in the end and had to keep checking back.
Due to the previous case relation, we keep hearing details from that case and the current one; they did fit together quite well and we could see clearly how they were related. Don seemed to have done quite a bit of research into synthetic drugs which featured heavily throughout the story. I did think though that the killer was revealed too early and it was quite obvious who it was from not long after we meet them around halfway through, which didn't give much structure to the rest of the story as it was just Jake trying to find them.
As well as these two cases being investigated, there is also a story line of Maria's wedding planning which features quite heavily and I didn't think it fit too well. It would have been better to just have snippets of it rather than feature as heavily as it did as I think altogether these three were just too much in one story. I can't really pick a favourite character as I didn't find them very engaging; I didn't really feel any substance to them and the conversation was quite repetitive. Because of discovering the killer half way through I thought the ending was quite abrupt too as there wasn't anything major to be expected or excited about.
If you are looking for an easy to read mystery novel involved with drugs and murder then this may be the one for you.
February 27, 2015
I was blown away when I started reading this book. Finally a detective book written the way detective books are suppose to be written . I have been bored for awhile about detective books until I got this one. I couldn't put this one down. Meet Jake Somers P.I , he is put to work after a young girl is found dead behind his offices . He is drawn into the life of a serial killer and the world of illegal synthetic drugs and deaths on the college campus. But will he survive to figure out what and who is doing the killing
The characters in this novel are a very colorful group. Jake's mom and girlfriend are at the for front but the character I absolutely loved was Maria the receptionist , she seems to be the only one that is holding Jake together. The scene in the hospital room where Josie is placed after she fell and broke her hip was full of wedding caterers, he just throws his hands up and walks out . The characters are very well written and you laughed and cried with them . Maria holds everyone together when Jake's life starts to spiral out of control as he investigates the illegal synthetic drug trade . The author worked his characters very well and you will love all of them very much
The author did a very good job when he did he research on the drug industry especially the synthetic drug trade. Wow who knew there was that much synthetic drugs out there . The twists and turns were off the wall . One minute I had it figured out and the next min I was like WTH and oh my god moments . There are some very and I mean very intense parts in the book. They were offset wit h all the funny moments of the wedding planning. I was glad I really took a chance on this book . It was a great weekend read , or a good afternoon read on a snowy cold afternoon. So if you want to check out a good detective novel and have a couple of laughs along the way check it out
October 13, 2014
I received this book for a fair review.
Overview: When Jake Somers’s receptionist, Maria, finds the body of a college coed outside the back door of the office, it draws the detective agency into a murder investigation. Who is she? Who killed her? Where are her shoes? These are just some of the questions that Jake and the rest of Somers Agency, by which I mean Steve, has to answer.
Likes: Mr. Castle has a pretty good idea for this private investigative team. Jake is a great example of what a child should do in regards to his/her parents. Maria seemed to be not only a vital part of the business, but also another member of the family.
Dislikes: I didn’t care for how the antagonist was given a pass, seemingly, because she was crazy.
Conclusion: This was a good story. One that is especially great to start young teenagers down the road of the murder mysteries or suspense novels.
Overview: When Jake Somers’s receptionist, Maria, finds the body of a college coed outside the back door of the office, it draws the detective agency into a murder investigation. Who is she? Who killed her? Where are her shoes? These are just some of the questions that Jake and the rest of Somers Agency, by which I mean Steve, has to answer.
Likes: Mr. Castle has a pretty good idea for this private investigative team. Jake is a great example of what a child should do in regards to his/her parents. Maria seemed to be not only a vital part of the business, but also another member of the family.
Dislikes: I didn’t care for how the antagonist was given a pass, seemingly, because she was crazy.
Conclusion: This was a good story. One that is especially great to start young teenagers down the road of the murder mysteries or suspense novels.
October 4, 2014
Given To Me For An Honest Review
Don Castle's book Shadows: A Jake Somers Novel (Book 3) is a must read. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is a very good murder mystery about a serial killer. After multiple murders throughout the city, the police call on Jake Somers PI, to assist them in catching the killer. Is the killer a he or a she? Talk about a page turner. You'll keep turning the pages and turning them some more to find out. This book is so good. I recommend it to all. I look forward to more from Don Castle.
Don Castle's book Shadows: A Jake Somers Novel (Book 3) is a must read. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat. It is a very good murder mystery about a serial killer. After multiple murders throughout the city, the police call on Jake Somers PI, to assist them in catching the killer. Is the killer a he or a she? Talk about a page turner. You'll keep turning the pages and turning them some more to find out. This book is so good. I recommend it to all. I look forward to more from Don Castle.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews