What do you think?
Rate this book
A Dead Issue
Mark Cameron does not want to be groomed to take over the family business empire. He wants to find his own path in life—like his father did. But when his half-brother comes to town, that path takes Mark to the center of a felony homicide investigation as a person of interest. He plays a dangerous game, balancing between being a key witness and a prime suspect as Detective Devereaux doggedly searches for that one clue that could put Mark behind bars. Meanwhile, the vultures circle the investigation and tear into the family fortune, gorging themselves with payoffs, extortion, and ransom. Mark’s world is spinning out of control and he must find a way to make it stop. There is only one way. Someone must die.
294 pages, Paperback
First published July 3, 2013
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 27, 2014
Everything was piling up on Mark Cameron. An independent Young man that wanted to make his own way, all it got him was driving a beater and working at MacDonalds. Instead of driving a Beamer and a position in his rich father's business. Not to mention the work for the old farmer. It was that last that really got the trouble started.
Along with his half brother, same mother, they'd returned to the farm to pick up the wallet he'd left there. After all, it held his last thirty-three dollars.
There they met the old man shooting off his gun, a 1911 Colt automatic and yelling, falling down the stairs, and eventually dying of a heart attack.
When they were setting up an alibi, looking for a drug dealer, better a pot charge than murder, they found him dead and his supplier hunting them.
It was like sharks in the water as more and more were trying to get a piece of the action. Mark's father was rich after all.
And then there was Deveraux, the cop that, although friendly, was obviously looking to connect Mark to the deaths.
John Evans has given us a crime novel of smooth prose, moving the plot briskly along as young Mark Cameron keeps trying to work his way out of trouble.
Recommended.
Along with his half brother, same mother, they'd returned to the farm to pick up the wallet he'd left there. After all, it held his last thirty-three dollars.
There they met the old man shooting off his gun, a 1911 Colt automatic and yelling, falling down the stairs, and eventually dying of a heart attack.
When they were setting up an alibi, looking for a drug dealer, better a pot charge than murder, they found him dead and his supplier hunting them.
It was like sharks in the water as more and more were trying to get a piece of the action. Mark's father was rich after all.
And then there was Deveraux, the cop that, although friendly, was obviously looking to connect Mark to the deaths.
John Evans has given us a crime novel of smooth prose, moving the plot briskly along as young Mark Cameron keeps trying to work his way out of trouble.
Recommended.
August 23, 2014
Thanks for the good read, John Evans.
You know what I like best about Evans’ new novel, A Dead Issue?
The characters. I love that I really want him to write another book about Mark Cameron and Detective Devereaux. Those two—the protagonist and the antagonist—as well as folks like Dusty, Cameron senior, Liza Lovell, and maybe even bad-guy Cash, all grew on me and made me want to see them more. This is not only to enjoy them in another story, but to see how their relationships with each other grow and change. Does Mark please his dad by taking on the family enterprise? Do they grow close? Does Liza stay in the picture?
That’s not to mention the plot. The book is a thriller, with our main character in danger throughout. Evans manages to weave in just enough turns and spins to keep the reader guessing up to the end. Another strong element in the novel is Evans’ treatment of Devereaux’s detective mind. The guy is sharp and determined, and the reader gets to see how the good guys and bad guys try to predict his moves.
Suspense grows richer if it is tinged with humor, and we are treated to plenty of humorous moments through the story, especially where Dusty is concerned.
You know what I like best about Evans’ new novel, A Dead Issue?
The characters. I love that I really want him to write another book about Mark Cameron and Detective Devereaux. Those two—the protagonist and the antagonist—as well as folks like Dusty, Cameron senior, Liza Lovell, and maybe even bad-guy Cash, all grew on me and made me want to see them more. This is not only to enjoy them in another story, but to see how their relationships with each other grow and change. Does Mark please his dad by taking on the family enterprise? Do they grow close? Does Liza stay in the picture?
That’s not to mention the plot. The book is a thriller, with our main character in danger throughout. Evans manages to weave in just enough turns and spins to keep the reader guessing up to the end. Another strong element in the novel is Evans’ treatment of Devereaux’s detective mind. The guy is sharp and determined, and the reader gets to see how the good guys and bad guys try to predict his moves.
Suspense grows richer if it is tinged with humor, and we are treated to plenty of humorous moments through the story, especially where Dusty is concerned.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews