Until Death

Sean Richardson #2

by James L. Thane

One of the city's most exclusive escorts has lost her little black book - and a brutal killer has turned it into a hit list. One after another, some of Phoenix's richest and most respectable men are turning up dead.

Troubled homicide detective Sean Richardson and his partner, Maggie McClinton, take lead on the hunt for a brutal, methodical killer stalking Phoenix's elite and meting out a very personal brand of justice. But when so many people share a secret that just might get them killed, the next victim - and the killer - could be anyone.

In this thrilling sequel to No Place to Die, the Valley of the Sun scorches even the cold-blooded.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Procedural, Thriller

321 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 2011

About the author

James L. Thane was born and raised in northwestern Montana and has worked as a janitor, a dry cleaner, an auto parts salesman, a sawyer, an ambulance driver and a college professor. While working as an historian, Thane wrote one non-fiction book and a number of magazine and journal articles. But he always loved reading crime fiction and so decided to take a crack at writing a suspense novel. The result was NO PLACE TO DIE, the first Sean Richardson novel. The next three, in order, are UNTIL DEATH, FATAL BLOW, and SOUTH OF THE DEUCE. Thane has also written two traditional mystery novels, CROSSROADS, which is set in Montana, and TYNDALL, which is set in South Dakota. He has also written two stand-alone thrillers, PICTURE ME GONE, which was released in 2022, and A SHOT TO THE HEART, which will be released on October 31, 2023.

Reviews

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

A stylish opening is soon derailed by flat, cardboard characters, wildly unrealistic interactions between cops and an upscale hooker who swings both ways, and lack of any vibrancy and movement within the narrative. It is also hampered on occasion by much too lengthy and detailed descriptions of everyday activities, as though to fill out a page count or try to breathe life and realism into a fairly good if clichéd story idea told so blandly that it reaches a point where it’s beyond resuscitation.

Though Until Death is fairly well-written, I sensed no life here, and the happenings felt very artificial. With the exception of the protagonist, Detective Sean Richardson, who has a few nice moments which I’ll talk about in a bit, I neither believed nor cared about anyone in this novel. A book in the crime/police/mystery genre, especially one with this plot, should be alive and exciting, perhaps a bit racy, yet it isn’t. There are many approaches an author can take in this genre, from elevated pulp with a sprinkling of social commentary within its narrative, to realistically gritty and brutal noir, and everything in between the two. What it can’t be is dull, and unfortunately, that’s what Until Death was for me — dull. Not low-key, but incredibly boring.

The basic premise is that an upscale hooker “loses” her client book, and soon it is apparent that the men listed in the book — though she swings both ways, this detail gets ignored quickly — are being killed, one by one. There is a client who may be too enamored of the petite blonde, and an ex-boyfriend who quite understandably was horrified to discover his girlfriend was working as a hooker, which caused a bad breakup — duh — which require questioning. There is also a second hooker named Kelly that Gina sometimes gets referrals from — like her female clients, this is fairly quickly forgotten. And of course, there is the entire client list, because Gina is a busy girl. As Sean Richardson and his partner Maggie McClinton begin the most unexciting investigation in history, more clients of that poor little thing Gina, get bumped off.

This had a really promising start, from a nice opening line to a good opening scene. I was hopeful it would lead to an engaging narrative. Sadly, it did not. Boy howdy, did it not. You’d think that a plot of this nature would have some spark, some action, maybe some tastefully alluded to intimacy, or even some frank questioning by cops. But it has none of that. Even when Gina Gallagher/Jennifer Bryan comes in to inform Sean Richardson that her client book has been taken, it’s somehow unbelievable. She’s coming in for a “friend” and it’s obvious to the reader, and should be to Richardson, that it’s for Gina. But when she finally gets around to that, Richardson genuinely acts shocked. Later, when Richardson and Maggie are questioning her, it’s more like Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas as cops, being woke-uber-sensitive to this weepy hooker (if she cries once, and feigns the innocence of a virginal teen, she does it ten times here), even to the extent that at one point Maggie apologizes for being insensitive. And wait, I almost forgot. Because they need to know how upscale the targets in her client book are, they need to find out just how much she was charging her johns. When she fusses about telling them, they Apologize to her like all cops would. Yep, it’s like that.

Elaborately yet needlessly described everyday actions, and boring, stilted dialog pepper the slow and predictable investigation. I can’t recall a single instance where an interrogation wasn’t too formal, too polite, nor can I recall a single nuance to the Gina character, nor an insightful description of her, that made her the least bit interesting — or worthy of the protagonist’s almost groan-worthy, ever so sensitive feelings for her. There are some nice, genuine moments here, such as Richardson recalling fondly his deceased wife, but even that is marred, because it is brought on by Richardson musing how this shallow, vanilla-hooker, in her “intelligence,” “independent spirit,” and (of course) “liberal outlook on life” — at $700 a pop — reminds him of Julie. Really? Where did any of THAT come from? It certainly didn’t come from ANYTHING I’d read preceding it. And it throws mud on the memory of Julie, a bad narrative move.

There’s a bunch of tangents that are boringly described and uninteresting, and I kept wondering why two particular people appeared to be of no interest at all to the detectives. I can’t say which two, but to me they were obviously of great interest in a story like this. Lo and behold, I trudge on to about 65%, and there in Part II, the reader gets everything from the killer’s perspective, and it’s one of the two people I’d been wondering about. It was shocking — not because we’re suddenly let in on who the killer is, but that all that stuff that came before, now seems, to a great extent, absolutely unnecessary. Perhaps if these chapters had been interspersed from an early point with the plodding and boring investigation, it would have been a better read, because these chapters through the killer’s eyes, giving us the reasons, the actions, are easily the best-written portions of the book. Unfortunately, they’ve come much too late for any reader who enjoys being swept away by a narrative.

How the original person who ended up with Gina’s client book got hold of it is never explained, nor their reason for having it in their possession. Even once there’s a fingerprint and another obvious indication of who the killer is, it takes a bit for Richardson to get it, and then we get some more tedious explanation about it. By the time the drawn out, boring climax came, I had more sympathy for the plight of the killer and why it was happening than I did the intended final victims. My wife told me to abandon it, because I’d shared with her all the trouble I was having with it, but having already marked it as reading, I trudged on, telling her it was me against the book now, and I was going to win. Such was my Sunday afternoon, wasted on something which is sadly somewhat representative of the series, which gets into some really needless graphic stuff involving women and children in other entries I took a look at.

I don’t make these statements lightly, or happily. Perhaps there is greater disappointment because the opening of Until Death held such promise, and a cadre of folks piling on this author's work with glowing reviews. To say that I abhor leaving a review like this for a book is beyond understatement. You will NOT see my reviews littered with them as you will some. I don't get my jollies out of running books, or authors down. I'd much rather read something I enjoy and talk about that, which is why 99.9% of the time I do.

As I said, James L. Thane’s book is fairly well-written overall. But it's dull. You keep thinking you should like it, should be interested, yet you can’t, and you’re not. Especially the deeper into the narrative you get. And it's not you, it's the book (and for me, the series). That has to be laid at the author’s doorstep. There’s too much cardboard here and not enough life. I intentionally didn’t post quotes and examples on this occasion, as I chose not to belabor the point. Too many allow other factors to influence their likes and dislikes, but I always try to be just about the book, what’s between the covers, the narrative and dialog, the writing. Sadly, this one was somehow worse because I wanted to like it, and couldn’t. That's as kindly as I can put it.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Men are being murdered and Phoenix cop Sean Richardson is on the case. When an escort comes forward saying all the men were listed in her missing appointment book, Sean and his partner Maggie race against time to warn the men. But the escort has someone threatening her as well...

I know it's terribly unfashionable to talk about author behavior but James L. Thane is one of the most personable and least intrusive Goodreads Authors out there. Not only did he not try to push his book on me, I actually had to shame him into sending me a copy to review.

Until Death is James' second novel and the second appearance of Sean Richardson as well. It's been a while since I read No Place to Die but it was easy to step back into Sean Richardson's life. Sean and Maggie are back and running down leads, trying to catch a killer and figure out who's stalking Gina Gallagher.

Until Death is James L. Thane's love letter to the police procedural but manages to steer clear of a lot of genre cliches. I felt like Richardson was a good cop without being some kind of super hero. Richardson is realistically haunted by the untimely death of his wife and prefers to be alone rather than bedding anything with a pulse like a lot of detective characters. Maggie McClinton and Gina Gallagher were both well-written characters, far from the cardboard cutouts found in a lot of tales.

I enjoy being mislead and not being able to pick out the killer in detective fiction and James had me chasing my own tail a bit. I sure didn't guess who the killer was. I did figure out who was stalking Gina but that wasn't as difficult to figure out.

Another thing I like about the Sean Richardson books is the setting. It's really refreshing to read a detective story that doesn't take place in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. The desert setting adds a little something extra to the tale.

You remember when one of your friends in college was in a punk band that you were afraid to see live for fear of them sucking? If James Thane were a punk band, he'd be The Clash. 4 out of 5 stars.

[carol. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not usually a person that keeps track of opening lines, or even pays them particular attention. However, the beginning of Until Death gave me a shiver of anticipation:

“When the meeting finally adjourned at five after nine on a Thursday night, Neal Ballard had twenty-two minutes to live.“

Perfect. The dispassionate language downplays the emotion, but the very phrase “twenty-two minutes to live” ramps it right back up.

I’ve put off reading Until Death because of the awkwardness of reviewing a friend’s work. In an effort at full disclosure, I’ll note I’ve been hanging around James over at ShelfInflicted and on Goodreads for some time. Despite the contact, he’s never offered a copy of the book or requested a review, a reticence I have always appreciated. You see, I tend to be both analytical and honest; more than once, my mouth has landed me in challenging situations. As a matter of fact, I’m currently in trouble for talking in a class, and, no, I am both serious and over forty. Let’s just say my time there is limited. At any rate, I shy away from reviewing friend’s books because I am uncomfortable not being honest, and because I have this drive to review what I read. Whatever. The point is, I hesitated, only trying the book when an Amazon deal came along. I really needn’t have been reluctant; Thane has a gift for writing, evoking images and characters that seem real.

Characters go beyond genre stereotypes. Although they may start at comfortably familiar places, Thane fleshes them out so that they feel unique, real people struggling with negotiating their emotions. For instance, we’re introduced to Detective Sean Richardson in a classic noir situation: “in violation of about fourteen department regulations, I was sitting in the lounge at Voce, working on a second glass of Jameson and listening to the Rachel Eckroth Trio.” Eventually we get to Richardson’s backstory, but by no means does he wear it on his sleeve. His partner, Maggie McClinton, is a classic foul-mouthed spitfire dealing with issues on the home front, but in this case, ‘Issues’ means a pastor boyfriend with children who is seeking greater connection.

Detectives Sean and Maggie catch a case where a man is brutally beaten to death in his garage. Unfortunately, a lack of leads and a plethora of other cases means the Ballard case gradually moves to the back burner. The big break comes the day that Gina Gallagher, a personal trainer, introduces herself to Richardson, hoping to share some crucial information–as long as he doesn’t charge her with prostitution. Gallagher has lost her weekly planner, and both Ballard and another recently dead man were part of her exclusive client list. Suddenly Richardson and McClinton have all sorts of leads to pursue.

Plotting had a number of twists and turns, one of which surprised me. It’s always a pleasure when a mystery writer can avoid telegraphing the solution. My biggest challenge with the story was a few change in perspectives that seemed to be used as a means of building tension. That’s not uncommon in more modern stories–perhaps a sign that authors (and editors?) are catering to reader attention-deficit–but it tends to work against my own preference. In this case, the added perspective was done well enough to add further insight into the characters, not only heightening plot tension. I enjoyed Richardson’s character, particularly his moments at home; the scenes of him listening to jazz while sipping whiskey were so vivid, I felt like I was in the room.

Overall, I recommend it, particularly to fans of J.A. Jance’s Detective J.P. Beaumont. And I won’t be afraid of reading any more of Thane’s books.

Thane’s entertaining interview over at Shelf Inflicted:

http://www.shelfinflicted.com/2013/12...


Cross-posted at my own blog, because. http://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2014/1...

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 4 out of 5]

”You’ll get up and dress while she slipped into the short pink silk robe that she retrieved from a hook in the closet. As she belted the robe, you’d take an envelope out of your pocket and leave it on the table next to the bed. She’d hug you close and give you a long lingering kiss. She’d tell you how much she enjoyed it, and how she couldn’t wait to do it again. Then she’d walk you down the stairs to the front door, give you one last soft kiss, and send you back out into your real life.

Of course you knew it was mostly an act. But at the moment, drawing the door closed behind you, you absolutely didn’t care. You were conscious only of the fact that you hadn’t felt this good since the last time Jennifer had worked her magic on you and that you wouldn’t feel this good again until the next time.”

Three men are murdered, and Detective Sean Richardson and his partner, Maggie McClinton, have no leads. There is nothing discernibly obvious that connects the three men until a very fit, tall, blonde woman, who looks like a candidate for Miss Arizona, walks into Richardson’s office and gives them what they so desperately need...a lead.

Miss Jennifer Bryan, AKA Gina Gallagher, knew all three victims. They were clients. She doesn’t sell flowers, nor does she sell real estate or life insurance. No, as Jennifer Bryan, she sells her time. She is an exclusive escort, pulling down $700 an hour. She doesn’t just pat their hands and hear about their troubles or be the arm candy for a dinner date with business associates.

She is a bit more hands on with her services. She has sex with them. At $700 an hour, she must be very, very good.

So you could say she is an exclusive, meaning a small clientele, hooker or prostitute, but those words are not easy to associate with Jennifer Bryan, and they certainly don’t fit the delightful workout trainer, Gina Gallagher. She is class. Jennifer is the seemingly unattainable dream, a beautiful woman who wants to have sex with you. For an hour, you can pretend if you wish. She can provide the girlfriend experience with all the trimmings of kissing and heavy petting. She is a woman that a man can easily become obsessed with. For an hour she can make you believe you are special. It is a natural tendency when we find something really wonderful that we want it to be ours and ours alone.

Is that what is going on here? Is this a case of obsession turning to murder?

Richardson, who lost his wife a short time ago, is not immune to her charms. Is he more attracted to Jennifer or Gina, or really can one separate the two? To be with one, ultimately you have to be with the other. It can become rather confusing, and Gina has at least one ex-boyfriend out there who had difficulty seeing Gina as someone separate from Jennifer. He becomes suspect #1, but as Richardson and McClinton dig further into this case and as more men are killed, they start to realize that there are several suspects and plenty of potential perpetrators, but who is doing what?

James L. Thane does a wonderful job developing the characters. We find ourselves worrying about Richardson, sitting at home in the dark, drinking scotch, listening to music on headphones in his empty apartment. We puzzle over how McClinton can possibly make a relationship work with a minister who has two kids when she isn’t even a little bit religious herself. Truly, one of those circumstances that if you marry the man, you marry his job as well. I really like Gina Gallagher, not just because she is beautiful and sexy, but because she is likeable and truly nice person caught in a horrible situtation. I found myself hoping she would prove to be girlfriend material for Richardson, even with the obvious complications. Making these characters real is what makes us even more invested in the plot. We worry about them. We speculate about them just like we do our real friends. As men continue to die, we can see that the killer is spiralling closer and closer to the center of this loosely connected universe...Gina Gallagher.

Can Richardson discover the truth in time?

The twists and turns and red herrings will keep you guessing until enough pieces snap into place and the face in the puzzle is revealed.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten

[Kemper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not going to pretend that this is in any way an objective review…..

Jim Thane has been a longtime Goodreads friend, and I’ve often pointed to him as the example of how we all wish authors would behave on here. Instead of pimping out his own books, he actually writes great reviews and interacts with others regularly They don’t call him Gentleman Jim for nothing, folks…

In fact, Jim is sometimes too polite for his own good because he’s barely drawn any attention to the release of this second book featuring Phoenix homicide detective Sean Richardson. As Sean and his partner Maggie are working on one case of brutal murder, a high-end prostitute named Gina comes forward with the information that someone has stolen her little black book containing all her clients and that someone has been murdering these men. As Sean scrambles to uncover the killer, he’s also still grieving for his recently deceased wife, and he finds himself increasingly intrigued by the beautiful Gina.

Like the first in the series, this is a police procedural, and there are enough valid suspects in play to keep a reader guessing until the killer is finally revealed. There’s also a very cool plot point based on technological twist that threw me for enough of a loop that I had to check with Jim to verify that it was a real thing and not something he invented for the story.

Sean makes for a sympathetic lead character with his grief providing a nice counterpoint to his no-nonsense police persona. He’s like a more polite Lucas Davenport or a more human version of Sergeant Joe Friday from Dragnet. It’s also a refreshing change of pace to read crime novels not set in New York, LA or Florida.

The fine folks at Shelf Inflicted did an interview with Jim Thane that includes one of the funniest and most epic answers ever to a question asked of a crime novelist.

Also posted at Kemper's Book Blog and Leafmarks.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following a string of brutal murders, a prominent escort reaches out to Det. Sean Richardson of the Phoenix P.D. advising that the dead men were all clients listed in her recently misplaced “little black book.” Despite Sean and his partner Maggie’s best efforts, clients continue to die. Can Sean and Maggie stop the madness before the culprit runs out of names?

James L. Thane’s Sean Richardson books are easy, enjoyable reads. Having said that, I wouldn’t want you to take that statement the wrong way. What I mean is that UNTIL DEATH (and its predecessor NO PLACE TO DIE) is a book that I could easily see someone devouring within one or two sittings. The pacing is excellent and the way in which the story unfolds make it extremely hard to put down (luckily, I have the Kindle app on several devices making finding time to read relatively easy).

While Sean Richardson is definitely the focal point, I’m not sure he would be as strong a character without the balance brought forward from his partner Maggie McClinton. Both work so well as a team that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. Their back and forth made certain scenes fly by and at times, had me laughing out loud.

Richardson is an anomaly in the world of crime fiction. He’s a likable detective, free of vices like alcohol or drugs and is both caring and compassionate when it comes to his work. While he is miserable having recently lost his wife, he doesn’t spend all of his free time pining over her. Sean’s memories of Julie have a way of weaving their way into the story naturally, creating a great deal of empathy on the part of the reader. Like Matt Scudder, Richardson seems like the kind of level headed detective I’d want on the case.

Jim is currently hard at work on the next Richardson story (as well as a stand alone crime novel) and you can bet I’m looking forward to visiting Phoenix again.

***

Also posted @ Every Read Thing.
Check out my interview with James!

[Cathy DuPont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today...April 12, 2015

">:D

On page 151 m/l. It was so wonderful this am when I woke up early and could immediately grab this outstanding book to begin where I left off last night.

And this afternoon it's raining so can't do household chores. Great time to read though. My favorite thing, reading when it's raining. And I can't put this book down.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Today...April 19, 2015

I discovered William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White's The Elements of Style in high school and it has been my ‘go to’ book, my bible, ever since. Reading Thane's books, I would guess that he’s read "The Elements of Style" as well. (In a nutshell and what I've gotten out of it most is...if you can say it in five words rather than 10, say it in five.)

Jim Thane is not only a writer but an avid reader and reviewer here on Goodreads and he obviously takes the comments made on books to heart. I think his sincere and continued participation on Goodreads is just one reason he’s such a smart writer.

In order to clarify, let me say that Thane believes in his readers and he knows his readers are smart enough to figure out the obvious. Therefore fewer explanations needed.

As luck would have it, Until Death was sandwiched between two other books which unfortunately were not quite worthy of my time.

With that said, I was able to draw comparisons that otherwise I might have missed.

For example in one of the other reads, a 20 year old college student had seen a 31 year-old woman dressed in lingerie and he thought she looked like she came from a pictorial in GQ Magazine. Ok, got it.

Then in the next sentence it's explained the reason he is aware of GQ. Really, an explanation is needed? It went on that he glanced at some GQ's when he was at the library where his mother works. Really?

So here's a 20 year old man who hasn't seen a GQ on the rack at the local 7-11 Convenience Store? Or at the gym? Or in hundreds of other places? The reader needs to know that the student saw it at the library where his mother works? See what I mean? Come on, gimme a break. Don’t write ‘down’ to me, I'm not stupid.

It was written like books should be written with short but descriptive sentences that put you in the scene. The reader didn't need any further explanation two sentences later. In a word, Thane’s writing is ‘tight.’

And dialogue? I love well written dialogue. Thane listens to people and knows how people talk to each other then can translate it to the written word. There's a lot of dialogue which I loved and it kept the storyline moving at a fast pace.

This is the second time around for Phoenix Detective Sean Richardson who fortunately isn't terribly flawed; he carries a little baggage but who doesn't? (I'm getting a bit weary of these flawed, I mean flawed characters.)

His partner Maggie balances Sean’s dedication and decision making. They seem to be more equal in all respects, more so than many other man/woman duos I've been reading recently of the same genre.

My only request is that I would like a more prolific Jim Thane. But that’s just selfishness on my part and writing would definitely take him away from what he loves, reading. I couldn’t ask that of anyone.

P.S. I’ve said more than once that I have the brightest, funniest, most thoughtful and polite group of friends than anyone else on Goodreads. And I just said it again.

However let me add that James (Jim) Thane is always the consummate absolute unequivocal gentleman. Well based on his answers to FAQ on his homepage:
James L. Thane Home Page FAQ

Read this book, you won't be disappointed.

[Larry Bassett · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a reader like I am who likes to know a little bit about the author, you will enjoy reading this online interview with Jim Thane: http://www.shelfinflicted.com/2013/12....

This is Jim’s second book in the Sean Richardson detective series. Jim is not a star yet but he has a nice way of filling out the pages of a book. I find him enjoyable to read. He gets into his story right from the first sentence on the first page in the first chapter:

When the meeting finally adjourned at five after nine on a Thursday night, Neal Ballard had twenty-two minutes to live.

Kaboom!

In Thane’s first book he explores the relationship between a captive victim and her captor/rapist. In this book we experience the developing relationship between the homicide detective and the prostitute whose client book has been stolen and has apparently become the hit list for a serial killer. I enjoy how the humanity of imperfect and even bad people is explored with sensitivity and realism.

Sometimes in mystery series there are aspects that repeat as we watch the protagonist develop over time. Since we know that there is a third book in the Sean Richardson pipeline from the earlier linked interview, it may not be too soon to begin to look for those small, telltale markers: the brand of alcohol or the personalities of partners, the keywords that us fans love to notice. The In-N-Out Burger place! In this case both books have the murderer working off a determined list of victims. While this does not seem to be a likely plot pattern, I am surprised to find such a big similarity in back to back books. Time will show us the way to make sense of this plot twist. We do know that Thane likes to pile up the bodies in pretty quick succession!

I learned something from this book that will help me the next time I have a homemade rum and Coke: buy the Coke imported from Mexico next time I am at the Kroger.

“Actually,” I said, “it’s even better than that. Not only is it in a bottle, but it’s imported from Mexico where they make it with real sugar rather than the high fructose corn syrup that American bottlers use . It’s excellent.”

This alone is worth the price of the free Kindle Unlimited!

I loved this book. It was entertaining and challenging in that special mystery book sort of way! I stayed up past my bedtime to finish it rather than wait until the morning. What a five star treat! (And I am not just saying that, Jim! I look forward to your next book. Might even pay money for it if I can’t get it for free!)

Accelerating up the street, I punched up Death Cab for Cutie on the CD player and said, “Bite me , Maggs.”

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this intriguing police procedural—the second adventure of homicide detective Shaun Richardson of the Phoenix police—a series of three seemingly unrelated shootings (all of men) suddenly comes into focus when a reluctant witness appears: a high class hooker who reveals to the police that each murdered men was one of her clients, and that all were listed in her appointment book, which has recently disappeared.

It is an exciting mystery, characterized by Thane’s expert use of subsidiary narrators who both clarify and complicated the mystery, and by the voice of Thane’s principal narrator too, the honest, mild-mannered, matter-of-fact Richardson, the kind of detective you can trust.

Sean’s personal life has undergone a great change: his wife has recently died, after a long period on life support, and Sean remains firmly in the grip of grief and loneliness. Meanwhile, his tough-talking partner Maggie, has doubts about her new widower boyfriend. She likes him, and she likes his two young daughter’s too, but she is afraid a serious relationship with him will be difficult to maintain if she continues with her police detective career.

This is a slow, absorbing mystery that ends—as it should—with excitement. I recommend it, and the other Richardson mysteries too.

[Fred Forbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a bit concerned about starting a series by a Goodreads friend. I mean, what if they sucked? Do I say so or skip it out of respect for the relationship. No worries. Like his interesting reviews on GR, James writes in a style I prefer - linear, clear, concise with an intriguing plot and excellent description of the locations. Crisp is probably a good description.

The plot in this one revolves around who is killing the clients of a high priced call girl who happened to lose her appointment book. She, herself is an interesting character, as are the detectives working the case. The clients are interesting, if not always likable, and the story abounds with appropriate red herrings and twists to hold one's interest.

Good read, off to the third in the series.

[Andrew Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this, the second book in a series featuring Phoenix detective Sean Richardson, somebody is killing clients of an upmarket prostitute – or ‘escort’ as she prefers to be described. It seems that she’s somehow mislaid her appointment book which includes details of around twenty men who regularly avail themselves of her services. It quickly becomes apparent that the killer might be planning to work his or her way through the whole list.

It’s all very cleverly pieced together and it helps that the carryover characters – this pretty much amounting to just Sean and his female professional partner – both have interesting personal stories. The structure of the mystery has something of the feel of a John Sandford novel in the way we eventually get to watch events unfold through the eyes of both the cops and the killer, but here with a cop who’s less macho than Lucas Davenport and a long way from the horndog country bumpkin Virgil Flowers. In fact, in personality, Richardson is closer to John Verdon’s thoughtful sleuth Dave Gurney.

I really enjoyed this tale and quickly became fully wrapped up in the detective’s pursuit of a ruthless foe who left no clues. Perhaps the story is a little fanciful but I find that I’m now invested in the lives of the detectives and I want to know what’s happening to them outside of their working hours. Sean, in particular, is a man dealing with the loss of his wife at an age they should have been looking forward to building a family. This is a series I’ve now added to my ever growing list of those where I plan to work through every book.

[C-shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh, this is good! While I am not normally a fan of police procedurals, this one realistically portrays the frustration of an investigation without results, but without the story becoming dull. The subject matter is a bit prurient without being explicit. Characters are good and I am anxious to read about them in future books.

James L. Thane is a Goodreads Author who - unlike so many - is able to discuss other books without touting his own. Let me tout this one for him: It is a very satisfying murder story. I will buy more by the author.

[Eric_W · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first in the Sean Richardson series and liked it. This 2nd is even better

The mark of a good entertainment, regardless of genre, is being compelled by the story to get back to it and see what happens. Until Death meets that test handsomely.

Sean is still despondent over the death of his wife several months earlier and Maggie has her own romantic pressures. I liked the relationship between the two: supportive and friendly without the "jump-in-the-sack" syndrome that bedevils so many partner relationships.

A man is bludgeoned to death in his garage. There are no clues. Then three other men are gunned down in seemingly random fashion, except they had been killed with the same gun. Things get interesting when a high-priced escort comes forward to reveal she had lost her client list (in a day-planner, no less) and realized all three of the men had been her clients. Sean and "Maggs," are stumped; they have a plethora of suspects but all seem to have solid alibis.

By Part II some of the best suspects have been killed and a new one is revealed (I was surprised by who took the client book and his motive is never revealed.)

Really don't want to drop any spoilers in here. Just buy and read the book. Very enjoyable.

P.S. I would *really* like to meet Gina Gallagher.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I happen to like this author, not only for this particular series, but for his thoughtful and insightful book reviews folllowed by many goodreads subscribers. With that in mind, I shall also state that I’m going to deliver my review as I would for any author, as I’ve not met Mr. Thane nor have any personal connection.

So, Until Death, is a very well done police procedural that offers the reader enough plausible suspects and red herrings to keep him/her guessing until Thane reveals the answer. I was surprised, at first, when so early in the book I thought the killer had been revealed, and figured we were going to have a “thriller style” chase story for the remaining chapters. Fortunately, that was not to be the case, as I’d enjoyed previous books in this series for the interplay between the two princicpal detectives, Sean Richardson and Maggie McClinton, and especially enjoyed the manner in which Thane explores Richardson’s personal life.

The story is generally linear, and the pace picks up nicely towards the end, after the leads are followed and mistakes discovered. As for complaints, I have one or two, but can’t go into detail without giving too much away. Suffice it to say I was skeptical that the killer was as accomplished and calm as was portrayed, especially in the absence of any plausible or established background experience or training.

Aside from that issue, however, I found the story to be very good, building tension throughout, and thankfully expanding the possibilities for Sean to begin a new relationship following the death of his wife some time ago. I knew that wouldn’t happen in this story (despite my desire for it to be so), but hey, there clearly seems to be hope. Having read the series slightly out of order (ahem, a bad habit of mine), I know that hope definitely moves closer to reality in the future, but that’s just my preference.

I like the setting of Phoenix (the author makes his home there) and being a desert rat myself, I relate to many of the locales mentioned. It’s nice to see the desert southwest as the backdrop for a charge, rather than L.A. or N.Y..

So, now that we’re all more or less restricted to our homes, with lots more time for reading, here’s a suggestion:
Pour yourself a nice Jameson, settle back, open one of Mr. Thane’s novels, and indulge in a little good ol’ fashioned cop story. It might not be quite up to Ed McBain’s 87th Precinct status, but give the guy a chance... you might find yourself pleasantly surprised. I hear he’s coming out with a fourth in this very entertaining series and I, for one, look forward to it. Cheers.

[David Highton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second in the Sean Richardson series, and another strong police procedural set in Phoenix. A high class escort comes forward and explains that her lost contact book contains three recently murdered men. This is not a murder mystery, the author reveals the perpetrator in the second half of the book, but the narrative moves along with good pace as the investigation moves to the conclusion. Looking forward to the next in the series.

[aPriL does feral sometimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed James Thane’s ‘Until Death’, book two in the Phoenix detective Sean Richardson series. It is more of a procedural than the thrilling book one, No Place to Die. Nonetheless, it not only was an excellent read especially suitable for the beach, but it is well-thought out with no holes in the plotting whatsoever! This is a rare thing, gentler reader!

I have copied the book blurb:

”Phoenix has everything that comes with being the Sunbelt’s biggest boomtown—money, power, secrets, adultery, murder. It seems many of the richest and most respectable men in town are also clients of one very expensive escort, Gina Gallagher. When those upstanding husbands and fathers start turning up dead, seasoned homicide detective Sean Richardson and his partner, Maggie McClinton, start tracking down leads. But time is running out. The killer, desperate for some kind of personal justice, has Gallagher’s little black book and is working through the client list rapidly, methodically, brutally.

Meanwhile, Richardson has problems of his own. Haunted by the recent death of his wife, he falls prey to private demons and finds himself doing a lot of things he knows he shouldn’t.

The body count grows and the tension mounts as Richardson struggles with his own dark side while racing to stop a relentless killer.”

The blurb is somewhat hyperbolic, because Richardson does not exactly “struggle with his own dark side”. I think he did the right thing and so does he. There wasn’t much of a moral “struggle”, or really any question of resorting to a dark side. Oh well. The book itself was pure procedural excellence and very good!

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first noticed this book (second in a series) and thought the subject matter looked interesting. Then I saw that the author was one of our Goodreads authors. So I got it from the library.

Let me say first that I like this book. I gave it 4 stars. I recommend it. I say this because I'll be saying a couple of things that may sound a little negative. Don't be deterred by that. I think that this is a good read.

When I picked this one up and started it I found that at first the book seemed to be treading some pretty...well....well trodden ground. At first the book seemed to be closing in on cliche. It did however veer off and make a hard right turn into a nice twist. This was also buoyed up by some grand story telling and good writing.

There is a bit of graphic sex in the book (given the subject matter that can be understood). I don't think you will find any more than is needed for the subject and the story. The book's characters stay true to themselves and the book avoids the (possibly) expected ending but instead has the main character stay what he's been written to be.

So, I plan to look for more by Mr. Thane and I can recommend this one. Enjoy.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

UNTIL DEATH is the second book in the Sean Richardson series by Goodreads author James L. Thane, following the excellent first book No Place to Die.
Detective Sean Richardson from Phoenix, AZ is investigating a murder, and a call girl named Gina who has a clientele of some of the most affluent members of the community contacts him early on in his investigation to inform him this is not the first murder of one of her clients, and that the loss or theft of her book listing clients could be what the killer is using as a hit list.
Along with the murder, there turns out to be evidence of stalking and animosity towards Gina relating to her line of work and relationship with the men that she does business with.
Sean and partner Maggie combine their efforts to solve the case at the same time they warn possible future victims of the fact they could be the next target. Many twists and turns take place making several people involved with Gina possible suspects and until it is revealed which person or persons involved in the murders and staulking is responsible, it's difficult to guess who it really is/are.
Fine novel that lacks a lot of action, the first half of the book is really a solid who-done-it, while the second half describes who and why and follows the race against time to solve the case to protect against the possibility of future killings related to Gena's clients.
James L. Thane does a very good job of keeping interest in the case as it unfolds, and the setting in the Phoenix area provides a unique atmosphere providing a nice change of pace from books that take place in the few larger cities featured in the majority of books of this genre. Having formerly lived as a resident of the area, the locations mentioned in his books really adds to my interest in them.
I'll be looking forward to more books by James in the future, and hopefully more books in this series to come.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to Phoenix with Detectives Richardson and his partner Maggie McClinton as they look for a killer who is using an escort girl's client list for hunting. I started reading this book just before going out of town and ended up forgetting to bring it with me. I almost ordered it on Kindle so that I could finish it but managed to wait until I got back. This is a terrific second novel / police procedural by Jim Thane who uses Phoenix as his setting, illuminating the secrets in dark hearts beating within the valley of the sun.

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until Death by James L. Thane is the 2nd book in the Sean Richardson series. Detective Sean Richardson investigates the murders of men who are linked to an exclusive escort who has had her appointment book stolen. A superb police procedural where we see Detective Richardson still grieving his wife and coming to terms with being alone. His partner Maggie has her own relationship issues and the two of them make a terrific team. An enjoyable and captivating book.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Phoenix has everything that comes with being the Sunbelt’s biggest boomtown—money, power, secrets, adultery, murder. It seems many of the richest and most respectable men in town are also clients of one very expensive escort, Gina Gallagher. When those upstanding husbands and fathers start turning up dead, seasoned homicide detective Sean Richardson and his partner, Maggie McClinton, start tracking down leads. But time is running out. The killer, desperate for some kind of personal justice, has Gallagher’s little black book and is working through the client list rapidly, methodically, brutally. Meanwhile, Richardson has problems of his own. Haunted by the recent death of his wife, he falls prey to private demons and finds himself doing a lot of things he knows he shouldn’t. The body count grows and the tension mounts as Richardson struggles with his own dark side while racing to stop a relentless killer.

Phoenix can be a surprising city to many of us outsiders to the United States. America’s fifth most populous city and the only state capital with over a million inhabitants, it also “enjoys” (an odd choice of word to this Northern European anyway) an unbearably hot desert climate and is known as the “Valley of the Sun”. I spent a couple of days in Phoenix and Scottsdale (part of Greater Phoenix) visiting family members.

I've been Goodreads friends with James Thane for a while now and enjoy his reviews as our reading tastes are somewhat similar. I came across his second book Until Death and was most pleased as I've tried to find them at other times. Best wishes and happy Reading!!!

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read The Late Show by Michael Connelly, which was his 30th novel. Here we have Until Death, which is only James Thane's second crime story yet it is written with the same skill and confidence of Connelly's 30th. That is one hell of an achievement.
From the opening chapters the reader is instantly drawn into the story, and the characters are natural and believably written and the author avoids many of the clichéd stereotypes you find in other crime books.
Despite there being numerous murders throughout the novel Thane writes in a marvelous, easy going style that is a joy to read. I certainty hope to see further novels from him in the future.

[Max Everhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine you're a top-shelf "escort," and some whack-job gets a hold of your day planner and starts offing your clientele, one by one. What do you do?

In Until Death, Sean Richardson, a Phoenix homicide detective, is tasked with investigating a series of murders that seem, at first, to be unrelated. But then Gina Gallagher, an off-the-charts-beautiful call girl, comes into the police station and drops a bombshell: the recent homicide victims were all her clients. And her day planner, which contains the names of all her clients, has gone missing. From there, Richardson works the clues, and they lead him on a goose chase involving the men in Gallagher's life: a lawyer who turns out to have installed a secret camera in her apartment, an ex-boyfriend who takes pictures of her a la a peeping tom, and a host of other johns/well-heeled businessmen with money and motives to spare. Like in any good mystery, practically everyone has a motive, whether it be jealousy, revenge, or just general creepiness, and it takes a while--perhaps too long, in my opinion--for Richardson to sort through the motives and alibis and solve the case. However, in the end, he does, and the penultimate scene is dripping with tension and drama and well worth the wait.

For me, the women in this novel are what elevate Until Death above the many, many police procedurals lining the bookshelves. Gina Gallagher, a high-end escort/personal trainer, is anything but a stereotypical call girl. She is pragmatic and a calculating business woman, but at the same time she has a heart and a brain. Nancy Ballard, the grieving wife of the first homicide victim, is also interesting. I don't want to spoil the plot, but Thane does an excellent job of shifting the narration between Sean Richardson, the lead homicide detective on the case, and Ballard, who plays a significant role in the case's conclusion. From a reader's standpoint, I think that Thane captured the voice of an angry, grieving, and vengeful widow very well, and he does so without slowing down the pace of the narrative, which is paramount in a police procedural. While Gallagher and Ballard were certainly well-drawn, I most say I found Maggie McClinton, Richardson's partner, to be the most compelling character in the entire book. She is foul-mouthed, tough, and capable, and I am hoping to see much more of her in future novels.

Bottom line, this is a solid, highly-readable book, and I look forward to the next in the series. In the meantime, I will go back and read No Place to Die, the first in the series.

[GymGuy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one. Better than average. Since I live in Phoenix I thought the location was interesting. I know the area, streets, intersections, landmarks extensively, so I thought that was interesting. I thought there were a couple of mis-steps, however. He wrote that one of his characters had been on a bike ride on Happy Valley and then in Mesa. That would have been a rather long bike ride for a Sunday afternoon. I also thought it interesting that he failed to mention that that strange tower at the intersection of Scottsdale Rd. and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. was in fact designed by Wright himself and is one of those sacrosanct monuments---totally ugly, nonetheless (but who am I to judge modern art).

The story was interesting, however, it did loose some of my interest in that the MC and his trusty assistant spent about 2/3 of the book running around looking in the wrong places while the perp was right under their noses. I had this figured out by the book title, which gave away the whodunit aspect for me before I even got to page 1. So for that, and some really clumsy dialog, I have to knock this down to 4 stars.

[Marty Fried · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series, perhaps because I got hold of the audiobook version after starting out with the Kindle one - or maybe it was because the first one was free on Amazon, but I paid for this one (just kidding). I think that was a good way to go for audiobooks, as reading it at the beginning makes sure I don't miss anything important. The audiobook was well-done and very professional.

The story was easy to keep reading - an interesting plot, and interesting characters. It's refreshing to read a story where the hero is not trying to seduce all the women, and the women are not weak and dumb; both of the books in this series have strong female characters. This was a true whodunnit, and I didn't come close to guessing the culprit.

The author is one I followed for a while, and is now one of my Goodreads friends because his reviews are so good, and his taste is similar to my own. However, he never mentioned his books to me, and I read the first partially because it was free for Amazon Prime members. I'm glad I read it, and I will be sure to look out for any future books from him. It's always nice to find relatively unknown authors.

[Aravind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the riveting debut No Place to Die, Until Death reaffirms the quality of James L. Thane's writing. Right from the start, this fast moving thriller holds the reader's attention. The plot is gripping, and the execution is nearly perfect. The recurring lead characters of Richardson and Maggie are developing quite well and I am interested to know where they go from here. Apart from the suddenness of the big reveal, and the flimsiness of the root cause of all the killings, I enjoyed Until Death a lot. There is no way this series is not going to get better, and I am eager to follow it through.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another satisfying book from this author (and I'm hoping there'll be more). An interesting premise kicks off this murder investigation but, as the bodies mount up, the police are no closer to catching the killer and are running out of suspects. That is until our lead investigator thinks "what if..." Then it gets really hairy. Loved it.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book! Great characters and a brilliant story with lots of twists. I look forward to reading the first book in the series too. Highly recommended!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Richardson and his partner Maggie McClinton of the Phoenix Police department have a murder to solve, but no real clues how to solve it. The victim, Neal Ballard, is murdered in his workshop/garage one night just as he has gotten out of his car. Apparently attacked from behind, he has no defensive wounds but is beaten extensively with a crow bar. His wife finds his body and immediately calls the police. No finger prints, no blood other than Mr. Ballard's, and no hints that anyone is angry with him...that is, except a typed letter threatening him if he moves forward with a land development deal that threatens to shrink the size of a nature preserve.

Weeks go by with no real leads; that is until a citizen comes in who has noticed a connection in three recent deaths in the community that she has heard about on the news. They are all clients of hers and Mr. Ballard is one of them.

Suddenly there are several suspects, and more disturbingly, more deaths are piling up. Richardson and McClinton have their hands full, and may get their hands dirty as they face situations which may compromise ethics in order to protect the innocent.

The book is a page turner, with twists aplenty. Mr. Thane has written a police procedural featuring well defined protagonists with issues to deal with in their own private lives, but at the same time, they are professionals who notice the details and
Sean Richardson and his partner Maggie McClinton of the Phoenix Police department have a murder to solve, but no real clues how to solve it. The victim, Neal Ballard, is murdered in his workshop/garage one night just as he has gotten out of his car. Apparently attacked from behind, he has no defensive wounds but is beaten extensively with a crow bar. His wife finds his body and immediately calls the police. No finger prints, no blood other than Mr. Ballard's, and no hints that anyone is angry with him...that is, except a typed letter threatening him if he moves forward with a land development deal that threatens to shrink the size of a nature preserve.

Weeks go by with no real leads; that is until a citizen comes in who has noticed a connection in three recent deaths in the community that she has heard about on the news. They are all clients of hers and Mr. Ballard is one of them.

Suddenly there are several suspects, and more disturbingly, more deaths are piling up. Richardson and McClinton have their hands full, and may get their hands dirty as they face situations which may compromise ethics in order to protect the innocent.

The book is a page turner, with twists aplenty. Mr. Thane has written a police procedural featuring well defined protagonists with issues to deal with in their own private lives, but at the same time, they are professionals who notice the details and
Sean Richardson and his partner Maggie McClinton of the Phoenix Police department have a murder to solve, but no real clues how to solve it. The victim, Neal Ballard, is murdered in his workshop/garage one night just as he has gotten out of his car. Apparently attacked from behind, he has no defensive wounds but is beaten extensively with a crow bar. His wife finds his body and immediately calls the police. No finger prints, no blood other than Mr. Ballard's, and no hints that anyone is angry with him...that is, except a typed letter threatening him if he moves forward with a land development deal that threatens to shrink the size of a nature preserve.

Weeks go by with no real leads; that is until a citizen comes in who has noticed a connection in three recent deaths in the community that she has heard about on the news. They are all clients of hers and Mr. Ballard is one of them.

Suddenly there are several suspects, and more disturbingly, more deaths are piling up. Richardson and McClinton have their hands full, and may get their hands dirty as they face situations which may compromise ethics in order to protect the innocent.

The book is a page turner, with twists aplenty. Mr. Thane has written a police procedural featuring well defined protagonists with issues to deal with in their own private lives, but at the same time, they are professionals who notice the details and keep an eye on the end game. I enjoyed the read and look forward to more.

[Don Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3 1/2). How much fun was this? You are going 100 mph straight down the highway when all of a sudden you make a total left turn. No ease in, no brakes applied, no warning signs at all. Then you start back up again until you hit about 75 and there is the finish line. Wow. Sean Richardson is an overwhelmingly civilized and engaging protagonist, but the story helps him right along here as well. A fun concept, somewhat plausible, that rocks for as long as you can keep your eyes open. A hard book to put down. I can't wait to get to Fatal Blow and see what James Thane has in store for us next. Great stuff.