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Pepper Keane #2
Bluetick Revenge
In the bestselling tradition of Robert B. Parker and Elmore Leonard comes Mark Cohen’s second novel featuring Colorado private eye and former Marine Corps JAG Pepper Keane.
It doesn’t seem like a bad idea when Pepper Keane agrees to steal a champion bluetick coonhound from the leader of a sadistic biker gang. After all, the dog also belongs to the biker’s missing girlfriend, Karlynn Slade. And though Karlynn stole three hundred grand from him, she’s not entering the Witness Protection Program without the prized pooch. Karlynn’s attorney asks Pepper to keep an eye on her until the feds are ready to help her disappear. But when Pepper also accepts payment from the biker to “look” for Karlynn, things get a little tricky. Soon, Pepper loses Karlynn, the biker puts a price on his head, gangs in every direction are after him, and there’s still an unsolved murder that’s begging for his attention....
It doesn’t seem like a bad idea when Pepper Keane agrees to steal a champion bluetick coonhound from the leader of a sadistic biker gang. After all, the dog also belongs to the biker’s missing girlfriend, Karlynn Slade. And though Karlynn stole three hundred grand from him, she’s not entering the Witness Protection Program without the prized pooch. Karlynn’s attorney asks Pepper to keep an eye on her until the feds are ready to help her disappear. But when Pepper also accepts payment from the biker to “look” for Karlynn, things get a little tricky. Soon, Pepper loses Karlynn, the biker puts a price on his head, gangs in every direction are after him, and there’s still an unsolved murder that’s begging for his attention....
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 20, 2005
7 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
About the author
Mark Cohen
119 books11 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
August 27, 2007
BLUETICK REVENGE (Private Investigator-Colorado-Cont) – VG
Cohen, Mark – 2nd in series
Mysterious Press, 2005- Hardcover
Pepper Keane is a former Marine JAG, former founding partner of a Denver law firm and is now a PI for that firm. His former partner asks that he steal a bluetick coonhound from a biker gang leader in order to get the leader's wife to testify against him to the U.S. Marshals. But a dognapping turns into babysitting the witness, to trying to find her when she runs away, to perhaps finding the killer of Keane's bother years before.
*** I had read the first in this series, "The Fractal Murders," which I enjoyed, but this was even better. His style reminds me of the very best of Robert Parker--sense of place, great characters and dialogue—without the things which have begun to bother me. I very much enjoy the relationship Keane has with his friends, family, and even with the witness. There's no pretentiousness, or annoying girlfriend, but there is humor although people keep telling Keane he's not as funny as he thinks he is, good action and suspense. It was an exciting, enjoyable read.
Cohen, Mark – 2nd in series
Mysterious Press, 2005- Hardcover
Pepper Keane is a former Marine JAG, former founding partner of a Denver law firm and is now a PI for that firm. His former partner asks that he steal a bluetick coonhound from a biker gang leader in order to get the leader's wife to testify against him to the U.S. Marshals. But a dognapping turns into babysitting the witness, to trying to find her when she runs away, to perhaps finding the killer of Keane's bother years before.
*** I had read the first in this series, "The Fractal Murders," which I enjoyed, but this was even better. His style reminds me of the very best of Robert Parker--sense of place, great characters and dialogue—without the things which have begun to bother me. I very much enjoy the relationship Keane has with his friends, family, and even with the witness. There's no pretentiousness, or annoying girlfriend, but there is humor although people keep telling Keane he's not as funny as he thinks he is, good action and suspense. It was an exciting, enjoyable read.
September 17, 2020
Sad that he only wrote two books, and this is number two. Great story though. I wish he had wrote more books.
April 26, 2010
RATING: 3.75
Colorado private eye and former Marine Corps JAG Pepper Keane was introduced in THE FRACTAL MURDERS. In BLUETICK REVENGE, the second book in the series, Pepper faces a world of trouble. At one time, Pepper was a partner in a law firm (Keane, Simms & Mercante); but that kind of life really wasn't for him. He's content to live in a remote area and do PI piecework. His current assignment is to protect the girlfriend of a sadistic biker gang leader named Thad Bugg. Karlynn Slade is about to go in to the Witness Protection Program in exchange for testifying against Bugg. Karlynn insists that Keane dognap Prince, Bugg's champion bluetick coonhound, as a condition of testifying.
In an ironic development, when Karlynn goes "missing" from his household, Bugg hires Pepper to find her and the dog (who is currently romping with Pepper's 2 hounds in the yard). Keane plays both ends against the middle and uncovers quite a financial imbroglio. All bets are off, though, when Karlynn takes off and Pepper has no cards in his hand.
Cohen has taken full advantage of the setting used for the book, and the plot is well developed and wide ranging. That being said, there was one thread that I could have done without, and that was the ultimatum placed on Pepper by his girlfriend, who wanted him to agree to adopt a Chinese child. Since they have not even made a real commitment to one another, this was irritating, to say the least.
Pepper Keane is an interesting and different character, funny and smart. But I really had issues with his ethics. How could he be hired to oversee Karlynn in preparation for the Witness Protection Program and at the same time take a job trying to find her for someone else? And then there's the plot thread where he and a friend are tracking down Bugg's ill-gotten gains and taking them for their own.
Although I enjoyed the book overall, the issues that I had with it placed it solidly in the "average" category for me.
Colorado private eye and former Marine Corps JAG Pepper Keane was introduced in THE FRACTAL MURDERS. In BLUETICK REVENGE, the second book in the series, Pepper faces a world of trouble. At one time, Pepper was a partner in a law firm (Keane, Simms & Mercante); but that kind of life really wasn't for him. He's content to live in a remote area and do PI piecework. His current assignment is to protect the girlfriend of a sadistic biker gang leader named Thad Bugg. Karlynn Slade is about to go in to the Witness Protection Program in exchange for testifying against Bugg. Karlynn insists that Keane dognap Prince, Bugg's champion bluetick coonhound, as a condition of testifying.
In an ironic development, when Karlynn goes "missing" from his household, Bugg hires Pepper to find her and the dog (who is currently romping with Pepper's 2 hounds in the yard). Keane plays both ends against the middle and uncovers quite a financial imbroglio. All bets are off, though, when Karlynn takes off and Pepper has no cards in his hand.
Cohen has taken full advantage of the setting used for the book, and the plot is well developed and wide ranging. That being said, there was one thread that I could have done without, and that was the ultimatum placed on Pepper by his girlfriend, who wanted him to agree to adopt a Chinese child. Since they have not even made a real commitment to one another, this was irritating, to say the least.
Pepper Keane is an interesting and different character, funny and smart. But I really had issues with his ethics. How could he be hired to oversee Karlynn in preparation for the Witness Protection Program and at the same time take a job trying to find her for someone else? And then there's the plot thread where he and a friend are tracking down Bugg's ill-gotten gains and taking them for their own.
Although I enjoyed the book overall, the issues that I had with it placed it solidly in the "average" category for me.
June 6, 2010
#2 Pepper Keane. I enjoyed this more than the first. The love interest loses steam in this one, but the story is stronger. Motorcycle gang members, skinheads, dogs – all made for good reading. The biggest drawback was the way Cohen had Keane sort of stepping aside to speak directly to the reader to explain the past. It worked as well as it did only because the entire book is written in the first-person. Keane’s character is well developed; others in the book less so.
October 30, 2010
It was a pretty good book. It was hard to put down. I red it in less than one day, because of that. I especially like the fact that he wrapped all the sub-plots up and the end of the book. I always hate it when you are left hanging on parts of the book and only the main point of the book is wrapped up. If you like an adventurous mystery, this is a good book for you.
May 10, 2010
This is a fun read but with a good intellectual bent so the language is as much a treat as the story. I especially liked the take on interracial harmony - as in, harmonize, or else! :)
January 23, 2012
This was a fun read as the setting is Nederland/Boulder Colorado, and the characters and action keep things rolling! (I loved living there.)
April 2, 2013
This is a detective type story. Lot of fun to read- - easy read. The hero must kidnap a dog! Then the fun begins. light read but engaging.
January 11, 2016
A good book, better story than the first one in the series. I enjoyed reading.
September 14, 2014
Pepper steals dog from motorcycle gang guy. Jayne is in China.
He watches guy's wife for a couple of weeks, loses her, finds her.
Interesting how he investigates.
Good.
He watches guy's wife for a couple of weeks, loses her, finds her.
Interesting how he investigates.
Good.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews