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Pete Culnane Mysteries #2
Running Scared
Nick Rice knows someone is after him. He doesn't know who, and he doesn't know why. Efforts to determine either or both are unsuccessful. This morning, during his daily run, he concocts a sure-fire solution. For the first time in weeks, he relaxes. St. Paul investigators Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney are together again. They must determine if a horrific crash on Wheelock Parkway was accidental or deliberate. Their step-by-step investigation uncovers secrets that leave more than one person running scared.
228 pages, Paperback
Published August 28, 2013
17 people want to read
About the author
S.L. Smith
9 books21 followersA lifelong resident of Minnesota, I was born in Saint Cloud and attended Saint Catherine University in Saint Paul. The tall iron fence surrounding the campus provided a sense of security for this small-town transplant. Over the next four years, I grew to love the Twin Cities, in part because of the Minnesota Twins and my love for baseball. After graduating, I rented an apartment a few miles from Metropolitan stadium and rarely missed a home game.
During my thirty-two years with the state department of public safety, I worked with law enforcement and fire officials at the state, county and municipal levels. Those interactions assisted me with writing mysteries, but were just the starting point. Without the help of a friend who spent thirty-five years as a cop, I would never have ventured into writing police procedurals. He contributed to my understanding of the perspectives of my two protagonists, Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney Thankfully, this friend is still a resource. He proof reads each manuscript and performs a reality check on the law enforcement aspects.
Publishing family memoirs helped fine tune my research skills, and taught me to contact everyone in the book. I used that tactic on the first Pete Culnane mystery, Blinded by the Sight, and included those who assisted in the acknowledgments. That paid rich rewards as I worked on books two, three, and four in the series. An investigator in the medical examiner’s office provided a foot-in-the-door with the head of homicide at the Saint Paul Police Department, and with a retired investigator (detective).
I’m always amazed by how willing the professionals are to help. The Saint Paul Fire Marshall and an emergency medicine physician patiently and graciously answered my questions. Taking it a step further, I spent four days at the State Fair, while working on Murder on a Stick. While there, I spoke with law enforcement and fire officials. I questioned at least fifty food vendors, and an information booth volunteer. A ticket booth supervisor gave me the lowdown on their procedures. True to form, I was bent on getting the facts right. If I didn’t know the answer, I researched it.
My Road to Publication:
My first encouragement to become an author came from my maternal grandmother. She told me how much she enjoyed the letters I wrote her.
Creative writing became my avocation when I decided to try my hand at writing the type of books I devoured—mysteries. I completed my first novel in 1996, but filed it away and decided to try again. Finished book two, found an agent, and anxiously awaited a publishing contract.
Meanwhile, I believed someone must write a memoir, commemorating the life of my maternal grandmother. No, not just because she liked my letters. :-) Being a realist, I knew it was me or no one. I took up the cause. Made several attempts, was never quite satisfied. Finally, I decided to start with my moments at her death bed.
Like the other versions, I sent this one to a sister who is still my go-to critic and proofreader. She said, “This one is perfect. I laughed, and I cried.”
I could identify with that assessment. I cried while typing it.
Well, to make a long story shorter, that memoir became a memoir of both of my mother’s parents, and all four of her grandparents. Couldn’t stop there. Dad’s family deserved equal time. For four years, I dedicated every spare moment to these memoirs—and none to writing novels.
After completing the memoirs, I had yet to see an offer from my agent. The theme of that novel was no longer in the forefront, so I did a major re-write.
I dove in and, true to my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, spent every available minute writing. The completed novel was Blinded by the Sight. This time, before taking on the world of publishing, I paid a writing instructor to evaluate the manuscript. My final question was, “Does it merit publication by a major publisher?”
She said it did, but suggested limiting the t
During my thirty-two years with the state department of public safety, I worked with law enforcement and fire officials at the state, county and municipal levels. Those interactions assisted me with writing mysteries, but were just the starting point. Without the help of a friend who spent thirty-five years as a cop, I would never have ventured into writing police procedurals. He contributed to my understanding of the perspectives of my two protagonists, Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney Thankfully, this friend is still a resource. He proof reads each manuscript and performs a reality check on the law enforcement aspects.
Publishing family memoirs helped fine tune my research skills, and taught me to contact everyone in the book. I used that tactic on the first Pete Culnane mystery, Blinded by the Sight, and included those who assisted in the acknowledgments. That paid rich rewards as I worked on books two, three, and four in the series. An investigator in the medical examiner’s office provided a foot-in-the-door with the head of homicide at the Saint Paul Police Department, and with a retired investigator (detective).
I’m always amazed by how willing the professionals are to help. The Saint Paul Fire Marshall and an emergency medicine physician patiently and graciously answered my questions. Taking it a step further, I spent four days at the State Fair, while working on Murder on a Stick. While there, I spoke with law enforcement and fire officials. I questioned at least fifty food vendors, and an information booth volunteer. A ticket booth supervisor gave me the lowdown on their procedures. True to form, I was bent on getting the facts right. If I didn’t know the answer, I researched it.
My Road to Publication:
My first encouragement to become an author came from my maternal grandmother. She told me how much she enjoyed the letters I wrote her.
Creative writing became my avocation when I decided to try my hand at writing the type of books I devoured—mysteries. I completed my first novel in 1996, but filed it away and decided to try again. Finished book two, found an agent, and anxiously awaited a publishing contract.
Meanwhile, I believed someone must write a memoir, commemorating the life of my maternal grandmother. No, not just because she liked my letters. :-) Being a realist, I knew it was me or no one. I took up the cause. Made several attempts, was never quite satisfied. Finally, I decided to start with my moments at her death bed.
Like the other versions, I sent this one to a sister who is still my go-to critic and proofreader. She said, “This one is perfect. I laughed, and I cried.”
I could identify with that assessment. I cried while typing it.
Well, to make a long story shorter, that memoir became a memoir of both of my mother’s parents, and all four of her grandparents. Couldn’t stop there. Dad’s family deserved equal time. For four years, I dedicated every spare moment to these memoirs—and none to writing novels.
After completing the memoirs, I had yet to see an offer from my agent. The theme of that novel was no longer in the forefront, so I did a major re-write.
I dove in and, true to my obsessive-compulsive tendencies, spent every available minute writing. The completed novel was Blinded by the Sight. This time, before taking on the world of publishing, I paid a writing instructor to evaluate the manuscript. My final question was, “Does it merit publication by a major publisher?”
She said it did, but suggested limiting the t
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 10, 2013
Please note: The review/critique of this book (which was donated to The Magnolia Blossom Review for the sole purpose of a review) was completed by John C. Laird based on a rubric designed by the site’s owner, L. Avery Brown. John has graciously allowed the owner of the site to post this review on her Amazon profile page. If you would like to read the entire review which includes an in depth author interview – please visit The Magnolia Blossom Review’s site online today! Thank you.
And Now for the Review...
Review prepared by John C. Laird
1 Book Title – 5 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention right away? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Would you glance at it and then forget it? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book titles?
JCL: An obviously catchy title; 'Running Scared' could engender any number of scenarios for the reader--none of them appealing. In relation to this story it is also an appropriate title, and could apply to either the victim running from his pursuer, or the suspect running from the police.
2. Book Cover – 5 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Did it look like it was haphazardly thrown together? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book covers? Did it help make the title more effective?
JCL: A good cover, reflecting the story. Someone running down a deserted road at night--scared, running from someone? The picture is stark, the title 'Running Scared' is bold--white on dark--the font ragged, eye-catching and well placed. The author's name and the line 'Second Pete Clunane Mystery' is also positioned nicely.
3. First 500... – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Thinking of the first 500 (usually about 2 pages) words of the book, do you think the author provided enough incentive to urge the reader to continue? What stood out to you the most? Were you captivated after a couple of paragraphs? Did the 1st sentence grab you? Did you get to around the 500 word mark and didn't have a clue where the story was going?
JCL: The book starts with a prologue. The victim believes that he is being watched and followed by someone, although he never sees his pursuer. But after the initial uptick in intrigue the author goes into too much back story and mental 'what-ifs', effectively bogging down the intro and failing to 'hook' the reader as much as the author could have.
4. Blurb Effectiveness – 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: Now that you've finished the book, please take a moment to look back over the blurb. How effective do you think the blurb will be to potential readers? Did the author write a blurb that was enticing and went along with the story? (10) Was the blurb lacking? (5) Was it entirely too long or too short? (1) Do you have any suggestions for the author to make it more effective?
JCL: The blurb is okay. It initiates the dilemma for the victim, then switches to the police investigators and their efforts to determine whether they have an accident or a crime on their hands. After the victim's line 'For the first time in weeks, he relaxes', the author switches to the investigators and a traffic accident (we assume involving the victim). I believe adding a sentence after that line, something to suggest/hint at what happened to him when he relaxes, would have helped better hook the reader.
5. Age Recommendation/Genre Classification – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Age Recommendation - If the book is entirely too young/juvenile for the intended age group? Is it entirely too mature? (Please take into account swearing/sexual scenes/drug use, etc... Genre Classification - Was the book listed as a thrill ride of a read but was more of a bumper car ride (sort of all over the place)? Was it listed as a mystery and you simply had to turn the page to find out 'who did it'?
JCL: Pretty tame for a police mystery. No gratuitous sex, no excessive violence, no swearing. I'd say 12+ could handle this. This is classified as a mystery, a criminal investigation by the police. An overabundance of details failed to make it a 'page turner' for me. More on that later.
6. Presentation/Format – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the 'innards' of the book follow a clear, concise, standard format throughout the book? Or did you have a hard time keeping up with paragraphs or dialogue? Were multiple fonts used? Were they distracting?
JCL: The formatting and presentation of the book was impeccable. Paragraphing and dialogue were clear and concise. The author followed all the rules.
7. Theme/Originality – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was this book similar to something you may have read before? If it was a retelling - did the author make it feel fresh and just different enough that it kept you involved? Or was it formulaic and a 'rehash' of a popular tale/current 'pop' genre? OR - is this the first time you can recall ever reading a book with theme/setup/etc of this particular title?
JCL: This was a mystery involving a police investigation. And as such it conformed to the 'crime, investigation and resolution' parameters that normally define the genre. Other than the initial question of accident vs. crime, the author followed the normal formulaic treatment of the 'who-done-it'. Nothing really out of the ordinary.
8. Description/Enhancement – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the author use descriptive language and 'all those extra little things' to make it the best it could be? Did you feel it was too sparse in description? Did the author go OVER board with the description?
JCL: The author did a good job in her description of environment and characters. When it came to the details of the investigation, it was too good...
9. Intrigue - For the Reviewer: 8 of 10
Did you want to turn the next page because it was SO good? (10) Was it interesting but you didn't quite have an urge to keep reading? (5) Did you think 'I wonder if we have Twinkies in the pantry? Mmmmm, Twinkies' while you read? (1)
JCL: The intrigue was blunted by the overabundance in detail. It seemed to be 'too much of a good thing'. Too often I found myself wanting things to speed up, to move on.
10. Grammar/Mechanics – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was the book pretty darn flawless? (10) Did you see more that 5 or 10 'jump out' at you mistakes in grammar or the actual mechanics (verb tense, noun/pronoun agreement, misused words) ? (5) Did you feel it was a chore to read because it was riddled with errors? (1)
JCL: Perfect grammar and mechanics. Flawless. I couldn't find anything amiss. Whoever did the editing did a mighty fine job; the author should keep them on the payroll.
11. Overall Impression – 7 of 10
For the Reviewer: When all is said in done - did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it to others?
JCL: The author is an excellent writer. And having a 30-year career in law enforcement, I can attest to the fact that she faithfully did her homework and research on police procedure. She was meticulous, detailing all the steps of the police investigation, including wide ranging suspect/witness interviews and answering all the pro and con questions. Too much detailed description. This was one of several problems for me as a reader.
Besides excessive investigative details bogging the pace down, the author included and named too many secondary characters--enough so that I had trouble keeping them all straight. Also, the primary characters, their relationships and histories did not seem to be developed adequately. Plus, there was no action, thrills or chills. The only real action scene was a foot chase involving a cop and an 18-year old high school suspect, and this near the end of the story.
My personal suggestions would be: less prolonged investigative detailing, fewer secondary named characters, primary characters/relationships/histories developed more fully, and a little more action thrown in. Again, the author is an excellent writer, but I believe that this is a case of 'not seeing the forest because of the trees'. Obviously, this was not a 'page turner' for me because of the reasons I enumerated. But for readers that don't need a faster pace, in depth characters and the 'thrills and chills', but are looking for a mystery involving a detailed and convoluted police investigation--this book could be for you.
The Bestowing of the Blossoms...
Now that the review is in and all the numbers have been totaled, S.L. Smith's book Running Scared: A Pete Culnane Mystery (the 2nd in a series), has earned a total of 86 out of 100 points giving it a very solid 4.5 blossoms. However, as Amazon does not utilize a fractional system for rating books AND because the book scored closer to 5 blossoms than 4 blossoms…The MBR is pleased to give this S.L. Smith’s Running Scared 5 shiny stars! Way to go! We at The Magnolia Blossom Review wish every success in the world to S.L. Smith as she goes forward with her mystery series revolving around the character 'Pete Culnane' as well as any other books she might be penning, too!
And Now for the Review...
Review prepared by John C. Laird
1 Book Title – 5 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention right away? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Would you glance at it and then forget it? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book titles?
JCL: An obviously catchy title; 'Running Scared' could engender any number of scenarios for the reader--none of them appealing. In relation to this story it is also an appropriate title, and could apply to either the victim running from his pursuer, or the suspect running from the police.
2. Book Cover – 5 of 5
For the Reviewer: Did it grab your attention? (5) Was it ho hum? (3) Did it look like it was haphazardly thrown together? (1) What do you think the author might consider for future book covers? Did it help make the title more effective?
JCL: A good cover, reflecting the story. Someone running down a deserted road at night--scared, running from someone? The picture is stark, the title 'Running Scared' is bold--white on dark--the font ragged, eye-catching and well placed. The author's name and the line 'Second Pete Clunane Mystery' is also positioned nicely.
3. First 500... – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Thinking of the first 500 (usually about 2 pages) words of the book, do you think the author provided enough incentive to urge the reader to continue? What stood out to you the most? Were you captivated after a couple of paragraphs? Did the 1st sentence grab you? Did you get to around the 500 word mark and didn't have a clue where the story was going?
JCL: The book starts with a prologue. The victim believes that he is being watched and followed by someone, although he never sees his pursuer. But after the initial uptick in intrigue the author goes into too much back story and mental 'what-ifs', effectively bogging down the intro and failing to 'hook' the reader as much as the author could have.
4. Blurb Effectiveness – 9 of 10
For the Reviewer: Now that you've finished the book, please take a moment to look back over the blurb. How effective do you think the blurb will be to potential readers? Did the author write a blurb that was enticing and went along with the story? (10) Was the blurb lacking? (5) Was it entirely too long or too short? (1) Do you have any suggestions for the author to make it more effective?
JCL: The blurb is okay. It initiates the dilemma for the victim, then switches to the police investigators and their efforts to determine whether they have an accident or a crime on their hands. After the victim's line 'For the first time in weeks, he relaxes', the author switches to the investigators and a traffic accident (we assume involving the victim). I believe adding a sentence after that line, something to suggest/hint at what happened to him when he relaxes, would have helped better hook the reader.
5. Age Recommendation/Genre Classification – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Age Recommendation - If the book is entirely too young/juvenile for the intended age group? Is it entirely too mature? (Please take into account swearing/sexual scenes/drug use, etc... Genre Classification - Was the book listed as a thrill ride of a read but was more of a bumper car ride (sort of all over the place)? Was it listed as a mystery and you simply had to turn the page to find out 'who did it'?
JCL: Pretty tame for a police mystery. No gratuitous sex, no excessive violence, no swearing. I'd say 12+ could handle this. This is classified as a mystery, a criminal investigation by the police. An overabundance of details failed to make it a 'page turner' for me. More on that later.
6. Presentation/Format – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the 'innards' of the book follow a clear, concise, standard format throughout the book? Or did you have a hard time keeping up with paragraphs or dialogue? Were multiple fonts used? Were they distracting?
JCL: The formatting and presentation of the book was impeccable. Paragraphing and dialogue were clear and concise. The author followed all the rules.
7. Theme/Originality – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was this book similar to something you may have read before? If it was a retelling - did the author make it feel fresh and just different enough that it kept you involved? Or was it formulaic and a 'rehash' of a popular tale/current 'pop' genre? OR - is this the first time you can recall ever reading a book with theme/setup/etc of this particular title?
JCL: This was a mystery involving a police investigation. And as such it conformed to the 'crime, investigation and resolution' parameters that normally define the genre. Other than the initial question of accident vs. crime, the author followed the normal formulaic treatment of the 'who-done-it'. Nothing really out of the ordinary.
8. Description/Enhancement – 8 of 10
For the Reviewer: Did the author use descriptive language and 'all those extra little things' to make it the best it could be? Did you feel it was too sparse in description? Did the author go OVER board with the description?
JCL: The author did a good job in her description of environment and characters. When it came to the details of the investigation, it was too good...
9. Intrigue - For the Reviewer: 8 of 10
Did you want to turn the next page because it was SO good? (10) Was it interesting but you didn't quite have an urge to keep reading? (5) Did you think 'I wonder if we have Twinkies in the pantry? Mmmmm, Twinkies' while you read? (1)
JCL: The intrigue was blunted by the overabundance in detail. It seemed to be 'too much of a good thing'. Too often I found myself wanting things to speed up, to move on.
10. Grammar/Mechanics – 10 of 10
For the Reviewer: Was the book pretty darn flawless? (10) Did you see more that 5 or 10 'jump out' at you mistakes in grammar or the actual mechanics (verb tense, noun/pronoun agreement, misused words) ? (5) Did you feel it was a chore to read because it was riddled with errors? (1)
JCL: Perfect grammar and mechanics. Flawless. I couldn't find anything amiss. Whoever did the editing did a mighty fine job; the author should keep them on the payroll.
11. Overall Impression – 7 of 10
For the Reviewer: When all is said in done - did you enjoy the book? Would you recommend it to others?
JCL: The author is an excellent writer. And having a 30-year career in law enforcement, I can attest to the fact that she faithfully did her homework and research on police procedure. She was meticulous, detailing all the steps of the police investigation, including wide ranging suspect/witness interviews and answering all the pro and con questions. Too much detailed description. This was one of several problems for me as a reader.
Besides excessive investigative details bogging the pace down, the author included and named too many secondary characters--enough so that I had trouble keeping them all straight. Also, the primary characters, their relationships and histories did not seem to be developed adequately. Plus, there was no action, thrills or chills. The only real action scene was a foot chase involving a cop and an 18-year old high school suspect, and this near the end of the story.
My personal suggestions would be: less prolonged investigative detailing, fewer secondary named characters, primary characters/relationships/histories developed more fully, and a little more action thrown in. Again, the author is an excellent writer, but I believe that this is a case of 'not seeing the forest because of the trees'. Obviously, this was not a 'page turner' for me because of the reasons I enumerated. But for readers that don't need a faster pace, in depth characters and the 'thrills and chills', but are looking for a mystery involving a detailed and convoluted police investigation--this book could be for you.
The Bestowing of the Blossoms...
Now that the review is in and all the numbers have been totaled, S.L. Smith's book Running Scared: A Pete Culnane Mystery (the 2nd in a series), has earned a total of 86 out of 100 points giving it a very solid 4.5 blossoms. However, as Amazon does not utilize a fractional system for rating books AND because the book scored closer to 5 blossoms than 4 blossoms…The MBR is pleased to give this S.L. Smith’s Running Scared 5 shiny stars! Way to go! We at The Magnolia Blossom Review wish every success in the world to S.L. Smith as she goes forward with her mystery series revolving around the character 'Pete Culnane' as well as any other books she might be penning, too!
March 25, 2021
Wasn’t a bad story, had the makings of a decent whodunnit but it never really went anywhere very interesting. Also, it was pretty dull and the dialogue was, at times, just awful.
December 5, 2013
Running Scared is an action packed drama centered around who was the culprit in the nearly deadly kill of Nicholas Rice. What Rice feared most, yet shared little, would come upon him in the form of a stalker no one would have believed the identity of. Author S.L.(Sharon) Smith has used her expertise in writing with her psychology background and flair for investigative crime suspense in what I would term as a well crafted masterpiece.
The investigative duos systematic well thought of questioning would only create more questions as to who drove the LeSabre and what was the motive. Smith will take you through family and neighbor questioning, high school student investigations, and the ultimate foot chase that would reveal more than would be anticipated.
The saying "never judge a book by its cover" surely applies to this thriller as does a deeper look into the heart and motives behind one's actions. What begins as a secretive affair would spiral into life changing reality for both the Rice and Norman families. So many questions to answer on every turn. The drama and suspense will keep you glued to your seat for hours. This crime thriller will not lose you from 1 character to the next but will flow with an excellent readability and no down time to catch your breath. Not only will your perspective change but so too will your empathy barometer.
This life scenario was complied by the extensive appreciative help Smith gained from law enforcement, chief investigators, fire marshals, and emergency medicine Physicians. It's up front drama, with plenty of twists and turns, is a page turning book I highly recommend.
The investigative duos systematic well thought of questioning would only create more questions as to who drove the LeSabre and what was the motive. Smith will take you through family and neighbor questioning, high school student investigations, and the ultimate foot chase that would reveal more than would be anticipated.
The saying "never judge a book by its cover" surely applies to this thriller as does a deeper look into the heart and motives behind one's actions. What begins as a secretive affair would spiral into life changing reality for both the Rice and Norman families. So many questions to answer on every turn. The drama and suspense will keep you glued to your seat for hours. This crime thriller will not lose you from 1 character to the next but will flow with an excellent readability and no down time to catch your breath. Not only will your perspective change but so too will your empathy barometer.
This life scenario was complied by the extensive appreciative help Smith gained from law enforcement, chief investigators, fire marshals, and emergency medicine Physicians. It's up front drama, with plenty of twists and turns, is a page turning book I highly recommend.
May 26, 2014
I read this book with my mother's encouragement. Crime and suspense novels are no longer "my thing" even though she raised me and my sisters on a healthy diet of John Sandford and Stephen King. One fateful midnight in my 30s, I pondered why every night I was 100% positive a serial killer was lurking in the shadows of my kitchen...Curious...The author of this book and its prequel, "Blinded By the Sight" visited with her book club and my mother was simply delighted. "She is going to be a REALLY FAMOUS crime writer soon," she gushed. Maybe so, but she is not there yet.
I read "Running Scared" previous to the first in the series because my mother said she liked it better. Now that I have finished both books, I understand why, but I must disagree with mother dearest. One MUST read the first book in order to get a sense of characterization. Jumping right into Running Scared, the reader will get a cleaner story-line with more defined suspects,concise clues, and foreshadowing. S.L. Smith really seems to know police protocol, and she graciously left out some of the tedious details from this second novel that made the first novel a little uneven. "Running Scared" has the briefest of details on the main characters physical appearance and then jumps right into the mystery. maybe this is what mystery readers want? I'm certain the darling Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson would disagree.
I read "Running Scared" previous to the first in the series because my mother said she liked it better. Now that I have finished both books, I understand why, but I must disagree with mother dearest. One MUST read the first book in order to get a sense of characterization. Jumping right into Running Scared, the reader will get a cleaner story-line with more defined suspects,concise clues, and foreshadowing. S.L. Smith really seems to know police protocol, and she graciously left out some of the tedious details from this second novel that made the first novel a little uneven. "Running Scared" has the briefest of details on the main characters physical appearance and then jumps right into the mystery. maybe this is what mystery readers want? I'm certain the darling Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson would disagree.
January 23, 2014
Contemporary, Mystery, St. Paul, Minnesota
Nick Rice knows someone is following him. He just doesn’t know why or even who. If he could figure out who he just might be able to figure out why. While doing his daily morning run he finally comes up with a solution that should be able to help him with who and why. It also gives him the first chance to start to relax after weeks of dealing with the stress of the unknown.
Pete Culnane and Martin Tierney are investigators for the St. Paul Police Department. They are put on a case where they must figure out if a horrific crash in an accident or if it was deliberate. With every step they take and each clue they uncover they come up with more people that had a secret to hide. It also gives them too many people as a suspect.
This is a mystery that will keep readers trying to figure out just what is going and who might behind what is behind it all. With all the suspects the reader is given several to choose from and with each clue that is revealed it gives the reader a fantastic whodunit to try and solve. With several twists and turns the story gives the reader a very enjoyable read. This is actually the second book in the series but is easily read as a stand alone. For readers of mysteries this is one that will be sure to be very much enjoyed.
August 10, 2016
Nicholas Rice, modest, unassuming, runs to keep fit, suspects that someone is stalking him, but cannot figure out who or why. One morning, he is struck by a car and badly injured. Peter Culnane and his partner set out to investigate what appears to be an accident, but things don’t add up. The car was stolen and no sign of the driver. There is nothing to do but follow normal police procedure and start digging into everybody’s life who knew Rice: his work associates, friends, and neighbors. Slowly, the pieces start falling into place, revealing revenge plot that went badly wrong.
With ‘Running Scared’, S. L. Smith presents a superbly written work filled with exquisitely crafted dialogue, immersing the reader into some of the less glamorous aspects of police work. Peter Culnane and his partner have an engaging relationship that relieves the tedium of lengthy interviews and sifting through fiddling details. S. L. Smith keeps the reader guessing, like a good mystery should. The only flaw I can find with this book are the laborious interviews that go into unnecessary specifics. If someone wants to experience and understand how police conduct an investigation, this novel will be rewarding.
With ‘Running Scared’, S. L. Smith presents a superbly written work filled with exquisitely crafted dialogue, immersing the reader into some of the less glamorous aspects of police work. Peter Culnane and his partner have an engaging relationship that relieves the tedium of lengthy interviews and sifting through fiddling details. S. L. Smith keeps the reader guessing, like a good mystery should. The only flaw I can find with this book are the laborious interviews that go into unnecessary specifics. If someone wants to experience and understand how police conduct an investigation, this novel will be rewarding.
May 5, 2017
RUNNING SCARED by S.L. Smith is the second Pete Culnane Mystery of a "Who Done It" genre. This book was very entertaining although predictable. The author has taken great pains to make the story believable including the part where Nick Rice has been slammed into a tree by a Buick LaSabre. Pete Culnane is the first on the scene of the accident and tries desperately to keep Nick Rice alive.
The most interesting part of this book besides the story line and characters is that it reminds me of the television series Dragnet. Pete Culnane reminds me of Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner reminds me of Officer Carl Goldman. Pete is the all serious almost monotone Sgt. Joe Friday who is all business of the two detectives in the book and the other guy Martin Tierney is much like Officer Carl Goldman who takes life as it comes and is giving Pete Culnane his older partner quite the ribs.
Because I loved Dragnet the series this book was quite pleasant and fun to read. I would have to say that this book is good for young adults and anyone who simply wants a fun read. One thing I liked about this author's style is it stayed on target the whole length of the book, was well written, and a very easy read.
http://www.amazon.com/review/RYJUZ9XL...
The most interesting part of this book besides the story line and characters is that it reminds me of the television series Dragnet. Pete Culnane reminds me of Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner reminds me of Officer Carl Goldman. Pete is the all serious almost monotone Sgt. Joe Friday who is all business of the two detectives in the book and the other guy Martin Tierney is much like Officer Carl Goldman who takes life as it comes and is giving Pete Culnane his older partner quite the ribs.
Because I loved Dragnet the series this book was quite pleasant and fun to read. I would have to say that this book is good for young adults and anyone who simply wants a fun read. One thing I liked about this author's style is it stayed on target the whole length of the book, was well written, and a very easy read.
http://www.amazon.com/review/RYJUZ9XL...
January 6, 2014
Well written descriptions of the events that keep you guessing as to 'who done it' throughout the entire book. I love the relationship between Pete and Martin and their bantering back and forth. Great job! Can't wait for the next one. I'm hooked on these Pete Culnane Mysteries!
November 4, 2015
Intelligence, well thought out. I felt I was a tag along for the investigation.
I chose to read this book after meeting the local author.
Enjoyed the use of real locations.
Would recommend for those interested in crime investigation. Or the classic who done it mysteries..
I chose to read this book after meeting the local author.
Enjoyed the use of real locations.
Would recommend for those interested in crime investigation. Or the classic who done it mysteries..
January 1, 2014
I really enjoyed this book, it is a mystery thriller with just enough action to be interesting and not so much it makes you crazy. I didn't figure out the mystery and was delighted at the ending,
March 20, 2016
Strong beginning but plateaued quickly, not as good as the first
September 20, 2016
Another entertaining book by this author. Will be requesting the 3rd book in the series. Good mystery.
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