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Dan Mahoney #2
Rollover
A bank heist turns sleepy little Wagon Mound, New Mexico on its ear. It’s no straight-forward, demand all the money at gun-point, and run out the front door kind of robbery. It’s a sneaky tunneling that probably took months to complete and put the thieves in a room of safe deposit boxes—not the vault which held some two million. Safe deposit boxes? What could have made it worthwhile to bypass a cool couple million?
Maybe the one hundred and ten year old sapphire and diamond necklace belonging to eighty-five year old Gertrude Kennedy was the lure. United Life and Casualty carried a policy on it for five hundred thousand and sent their investigator, Dan Mahoney to sort things out.
But he didn’t quite get there when expected. Catching a ride when his Jeep overheats, Dan is the hapless passenger in a rollover that kills the driver and puts him in the hospital only to find out this was no accident. Someone wants him out of Wagon Mound at any cost.
He doesn’t scare easily. He hasn’t lived his life looking over his shoulder and he’s not starting now. But when fiancée, Elaine Linden, disappears and people close to the case turn up dead, maybe he should reconsider. The note slipped under his door in the dead of night says it all—“it’s not what you think”.
Maybe the one hundred and ten year old sapphire and diamond necklace belonging to eighty-five year old Gertrude Kennedy was the lure. United Life and Casualty carried a policy on it for five hundred thousand and sent their investigator, Dan Mahoney to sort things out.
But he didn’t quite get there when expected. Catching a ride when his Jeep overheats, Dan is the hapless passenger in a rollover that kills the driver and puts him in the hospital only to find out this was no accident. Someone wants him out of Wagon Mound at any cost.
He doesn’t scare easily. He hasn’t lived his life looking over his shoulder and he’s not starting now. But when fiancée, Elaine Linden, disappears and people close to the case turn up dead, maybe he should reconsider. The note slipped under his door in the dead of night says it all—“it’s not what you think”.
- GenresMystery
220 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
46 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Susan Slater
25 books37 followersSusan has lived in the Southwest for 32 years. The enchantment of New Mexico comes alive in her Ben Pecos series - The Pumpkin Seed Massacre, Yellow Lies, Thunderbird, and A Way to the Manger.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 16, 2015
This book seemed to be four or five books mashed into one. I felt it could have used a lot of editing, both copy and content. What begins as a mysterious car wreck turns into much more. That part is fine, but the further extensions seems forced and almost ridiculous.
November 3, 2017
Susan Slater had a good idea. Take an actual unsolved crime and suggest a possible solution in the form of a mystery novel. Insurance sleuth Dan Mahoney is a capable lead character surrounded by ordinary characters. The mix drags down the plot. The result is a slow moving read.
January 16, 2018
Enjoyed it.
May 9, 2024
Great read
August 11, 2014
Rollover by Susan Slater is the second book in the Dan Mahoney mystery series. Mahoney, an insurance investigator from Chicago, is sent by his company to Wagon Mound, New Mexico because a client’s necklace was stolen during a bank heist. United Life and Casualty will have to pay out a half a million dollars if the claim is valid, so they send out the best investigator they have.
Before Mahoney makes it into town, he and his Rottweiler, Simon are in a horrible accident that lands the investigator in the hospital. Simon is missing and Mahoney cannot communicate. Elaine, Mahoney’s girlfriend flies in to be with him. She helps him recover and stays to help him investigate the theft because he needs a hand and she really cares for him.
Mahoney talks to Gertrude Kennedy, the owner of the missing Tiffany necklace. It is a beautiful antique sapphire and diamond necklace designed by her grandfather as a gift to her grandmother. It has survived the fateful trip on board the Titanic. Gertie and her daughter Penelope really want Mahoney to find the necklace rather than pay the insurance money because it is priceless to them.
Things start heating up when Mahoney finds more questions than answers during his investigation. The thieves tunneled into the safe deposit box room instead of into the safe. The set up to the theft had to take so much time, it was quite possibly an inside job. For a tiny town, there is more than the usual number of suspects. Add attempted murder, kidnapping and an actual murder and this case may be too hot for Mahoney to handle.
Slater based her work of fiction on an actual unsolved bank robbery at the Norwest Bank in Wagon Mound, New Mexico in 1998. Like her fictional characters, the robbers tunneled into the safe deposit room instead of the safe. Unlike her work of fiction, the real bank robbery was never solved.
I loved the story, pace and characters in this mystery. All of the craziness in the small town setting was totally believable, by the end of the novel, I suspected everyone except Mahoney and Elaine. The pace was faster than a rollover accident, I couldn’t put it down until I read one more chapter. Until Ms Slater writes her next book in the Dan Mahoney series, I will read her other books, Flash Flood, Five O’clock Shadow and O to 60. I suggest you do too.
Copyright © 2014 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review
Before Mahoney makes it into town, he and his Rottweiler, Simon are in a horrible accident that lands the investigator in the hospital. Simon is missing and Mahoney cannot communicate. Elaine, Mahoney’s girlfriend flies in to be with him. She helps him recover and stays to help him investigate the theft because he needs a hand and she really cares for him.
Mahoney talks to Gertrude Kennedy, the owner of the missing Tiffany necklace. It is a beautiful antique sapphire and diamond necklace designed by her grandfather as a gift to her grandmother. It has survived the fateful trip on board the Titanic. Gertie and her daughter Penelope really want Mahoney to find the necklace rather than pay the insurance money because it is priceless to them.
Things start heating up when Mahoney finds more questions than answers during his investigation. The thieves tunneled into the safe deposit box room instead of into the safe. The set up to the theft had to take so much time, it was quite possibly an inside job. For a tiny town, there is more than the usual number of suspects. Add attempted murder, kidnapping and an actual murder and this case may be too hot for Mahoney to handle.
Slater based her work of fiction on an actual unsolved bank robbery at the Norwest Bank in Wagon Mound, New Mexico in 1998. Like her fictional characters, the robbers tunneled into the safe deposit room instead of the safe. Unlike her work of fiction, the real bank robbery was never solved.
I loved the story, pace and characters in this mystery. All of the craziness in the small town setting was totally believable, by the end of the novel, I suspected everyone except Mahoney and Elaine. The pace was faster than a rollover accident, I couldn’t put it down until I read one more chapter. Until Ms Slater writes her next book in the Dan Mahoney series, I will read her other books, Flash Flood, Five O’clock Shadow and O to 60. I suggest you do too.
Copyright © 2014 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review
August 15, 2017
I recieved this First Reads Goodreads Giveaway book for an honest review.
I love whodunnits. The traveling investigator finding and solving crimes in different towns. Sometimes the crime seems simple, but then after a few twists and turns, the crime becomes more. Whodunnits always seem to be one of those quick reads for mysteries. They are the bread and butter. I would consider Rollover by Susan Slater a whodunnit. A mighty good whodunnit.
I like how Slater sets the reader up for immediate action. You begin reading the book thinking "here is a guy off to check out a bank robbery. Okay, whatever", but then the namesake of the book happens. All in the first chapter you are left wondering what will happen to the main character Dan Mahoney.
I haven't read the first book so I don't really know Dan Mahoney all that well. However, the way the book is written, it doesn't seem like you need to read the first book to grasp on to the characters. Rollover reminds me of PBS Masterpiece Theater mystery shows. No, Dan Mahoney isn't a Sherlock or Poirot. And he is most certainly not Miss Marple. Mahoney is Mahoney. But, the caliber of the writing and the twists and turns made me feel like I was watching a good old fashioned mystery. Or at least reading one.
You meet a slew of interesting characters and learn the ins and outs of a small town in New Mexico all the while traveling through a mess of a crime with Mahoney. Slater writes a believable caper and an interesting story that makes me want to read more of her books. Looks like the first book will be in my bookshelf eventually.
I love whodunnits. The traveling investigator finding and solving crimes in different towns. Sometimes the crime seems simple, but then after a few twists and turns, the crime becomes more. Whodunnits always seem to be one of those quick reads for mysteries. They are the bread and butter. I would consider Rollover by Susan Slater a whodunnit. A mighty good whodunnit.
I like how Slater sets the reader up for immediate action. You begin reading the book thinking "here is a guy off to check out a bank robbery. Okay, whatever", but then the namesake of the book happens. All in the first chapter you are left wondering what will happen to the main character Dan Mahoney.
I haven't read the first book so I don't really know Dan Mahoney all that well. However, the way the book is written, it doesn't seem like you need to read the first book to grasp on to the characters. Rollover reminds me of PBS Masterpiece Theater mystery shows. No, Dan Mahoney isn't a Sherlock or Poirot. And he is most certainly not Miss Marple. Mahoney is Mahoney. But, the caliber of the writing and the twists and turns made me feel like I was watching a good old fashioned mystery. Or at least reading one.
You meet a slew of interesting characters and learn the ins and outs of a small town in New Mexico all the while traveling through a mess of a crime with Mahoney. Slater writes a believable caper and an interesting story that makes me want to read more of her books. Looks like the first book will be in my bookshelf eventually.
December 28, 2014
ROLLOVER is set in one of my favorite states, New Mexico. It's a rural setting where nothing is more than a 15 minute jog away, food comes from the convenience store or hours away in Las Vegas, and no newspapers are needed since everyone knows everyone else's business. In this second of a series, Dan Mahoney, an insurance investigator, arrives after a bank heist to ensure that a missing necklace is actually missing. Dan has a dog and a girlfriend, both of whom figure prominently in the plot.
Dan seems to be accepted by the local sheriff very quickly, and the two of them spend the book running around in ineffective circles. While several murders, an abduction, terrorist acts, and a theft take place, coincidences pile upon one another to provide a solution to each crime. The book steps over the line of plausibility in several instances, but if the reader can forgive this, it is a great read.
Dan and his girlfriend, Elaine, are both truly likeable people. Slater convinces the reader that they are worth rooting for -- and they both love Simon, Dan's Rottweiler. Good people like dogs, after all! Slater also does a terrific job with the location, and with this she does not overdo it. The remote, small town, where there's not much of any way for a young person to make a living, seems very realistic. The plains and forests surrounding the town are also well realized.
As long as the reader is willing to suspend a bit of disbelief, this is an enjoyable southwestern mystery.
Dan seems to be accepted by the local sheriff very quickly, and the two of them spend the book running around in ineffective circles. While several murders, an abduction, terrorist acts, and a theft take place, coincidences pile upon one another to provide a solution to each crime. The book steps over the line of plausibility in several instances, but if the reader can forgive this, it is a great read.
Dan and his girlfriend, Elaine, are both truly likeable people. Slater convinces the reader that they are worth rooting for -- and they both love Simon, Dan's Rottweiler. Good people like dogs, after all! Slater also does a terrific job with the location, and with this she does not overdo it. The remote, small town, where there's not much of any way for a young person to make a living, seems very realistic. The plains and forests surrounding the town are also well realized.
As long as the reader is willing to suspend a bit of disbelief, this is an enjoyable southwestern mystery.
March 1, 2015
Not very impressed with this novel. Reads like a cozy, as I said in an earlier update, which isn't a bad thing, but add the word 'romantic' and I think that sets the tone. For the entire novel. There's an awful lot of unnecessary detail, especially in the first half of the book. A lot of time spent on who is doing what where and what they're wearing. This isn't for reasons of suspense, nor does it add to the story; it seems a way to merely fill up pages with detail.
I did like the parts about the dog because it gives the MC some depth. Otherwise he's a bland, sort of ordinary person and is too similar to the local sheriff. I honestly had a hard time telling them apart when they're in a scene together. Who says what? Their lines are often interchangeable.
There's also a brief description of a mother who is totally over-the-top and over-written. In an effort to make her stand out, I suppose, but being close to the mother's age range I found it silly.
On the plus side, though, there are a lot of older-middle aged characters and some who are elderly. The author gets props for writing them in.
The mystery, though, not so mysterious, kind of blah, and who-cares, and wow, like I am so surprised? Not really. I kept waiting for things to happen but when they did I was underwhelmed. This was a book I had force myself to finish.
Poisoned Press, I am disappointed in you!
I did like the parts about the dog because it gives the MC some depth. Otherwise he's a bland, sort of ordinary person and is too similar to the local sheriff. I honestly had a hard time telling them apart when they're in a scene together. Who says what? Their lines are often interchangeable.
There's also a brief description of a mother who is totally over-the-top and over-written. In an effort to make her stand out, I suppose, but being close to the mother's age range I found it silly.
On the plus side, though, there are a lot of older-middle aged characters and some who are elderly. The author gets props for writing them in.
The mystery, though, not so mysterious, kind of blah, and who-cares, and wow, like I am so surprised? Not really. I kept waiting for things to happen but when they did I was underwhelmed. This was a book I had force myself to finish.
Poisoned Press, I am disappointed in you!
June 23, 2014
Getting a lift after a breakdown was never expected to turn into a can of worms. Dan Mahoney an insurance investigator is sent to resolve a claim for a necklace insured for half a million dollars, following a robbery at the Wagon Mound bank. Prior to his arrival in the remote town things start to go wrong when his car unexpectedly breaks down, a nice old man in his beat up truck offers a lift and before you know it he is in hospital. To follow on the author adds suicide / murder and all sorts of deception and lies mixed in with a tiny bit of romance. This book has been very cleverly crafted to keep feeding you excitement and information to retain your interest whilst keeping the climax for the end. Sometimes you find authors struggling to fill the pages, resorting to giving lectures or adding an irrelevant second storyline, not here Susan Slater sticks to the plot faithfully. The view is always from the investigators perspective, you are privy to all his meetings and also hearing his thoughts, so can you work it out, I couldn't.
This is the first book I have read from this established author, her second Dan Mahoney mystery, but is now into double figures as a whole. I now plan to read the first Dan Mahoney mystery and thoroughly recommend Rollover to any crime, mystery and thriller reader.
This is the first book I have read from this established author, her second Dan Mahoney mystery, but is now into double figures as a whole. I now plan to read the first Dan Mahoney mystery and thoroughly recommend Rollover to any crime, mystery and thriller reader.
August 25, 2014
Rollover is my first introduction to author Susan Slater. Rollover is a Dan Mahoney mystery and is published by one of my favorite publishers Poisoned Pen Press which focuses on mystery novels. PPP has a great track record with me so I knew I was in for a treat.
Rollover is set in the Southwest, in New Mexico specifically in the very real small town of Wagon Mound. It is generally a sleepy little town however a bank robbery quickly wakes everyone up! It is a complicated bank theft though...a tunnel has been dug that leads straight to the safety deposit boxes and ignores the vault. The object of the heist is a magnificent diamond and sapphire necklace belonging to an elderly woman. The necklace is insured by United Life and Casualty which sends insurance investigator Dan Mahoney to Wagon Mound.
Dan Mahoney is injured in a rollover on his way to Wagon Mound and ends up in the hospital which puts the investigation behind...but was this accident a deliberate action? There are plenty of questions and lots of twists and turns in this excellent mystery thriller! The reader is kept on their toes until the end.
Great read! What makes this story most fascinating is that the bank heist really did happen in Wagon Mound in 1988 but it was never solved. Looking forward to the next Dan Mahoney Mystery!
Rollover is set in the Southwest, in New Mexico specifically in the very real small town of Wagon Mound. It is generally a sleepy little town however a bank robbery quickly wakes everyone up! It is a complicated bank theft though...a tunnel has been dug that leads straight to the safety deposit boxes and ignores the vault. The object of the heist is a magnificent diamond and sapphire necklace belonging to an elderly woman. The necklace is insured by United Life and Casualty which sends insurance investigator Dan Mahoney to Wagon Mound.
Dan Mahoney is injured in a rollover on his way to Wagon Mound and ends up in the hospital which puts the investigation behind...but was this accident a deliberate action? There are plenty of questions and lots of twists and turns in this excellent mystery thriller! The reader is kept on their toes until the end.
Great read! What makes this story most fascinating is that the bank heist really did happen in Wagon Mound in 1988 but it was never solved. Looking forward to the next Dan Mahoney Mystery!
September 12, 2014
Rollover is based on an actual bank robbery in Wagon Mound, New Mexico, that is unsolved to this day. (Yes, the place actually exists.) Slater went there to interview residents and discovered that interest in the event was still intense. This book is her version of what she believed could have happened, and it's a fast-paced, engrossing story.
I enjoyed watching how Dan interacted with the residents of Wagon Mound as he tried to find out what really happened in that bank. He became very unpopular, very quickly. The bank heist was difficult to solve and kept me guessing till the end, due in part to the fact that the suspect list contained people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. Having Dan's fiancee Elaine there added some badly needed normality to the story because the author made it extremely difficult to pin any of the suspects down. She also uses the New Mexico setting to good effect, stirring emotions and increasing tension.
What I couldn't believe was how quickly I devoured this story. I'm definitely looking forward to more insurance investigations by Dan Mahoney!
I enjoyed watching how Dan interacted with the residents of Wagon Mound as he tried to find out what really happened in that bank. He became very unpopular, very quickly. The bank heist was difficult to solve and kept me guessing till the end, due in part to the fact that the suspect list contained people of all ages, genders, and walks of life. Having Dan's fiancee Elaine there added some badly needed normality to the story because the author made it extremely difficult to pin any of the suspects down. She also uses the New Mexico setting to good effect, stirring emotions and increasing tension.
What I couldn't believe was how quickly I devoured this story. I'm definitely looking forward to more insurance investigations by Dan Mahoney!
September 7, 2014
Susan Slater's Rollover is an excellent mystery. It doesn't just involve murders; there is so much other stuff going on in a seemingly sleepy small town!
The writing is very solid, the plot intricate and baffling -- though it did resolve neatly -- and the pacing excellent. All the characters, major and minor, are well-written and very real, and while the ending resolved the plot, there was left a lot of believable ambiguity among various people's motivations.
The premise is based on a true crime that (unlike in the book, which is pure fiction) remains unsolved. Intriguing!
This is the second book in the series, and I am eager to read the first. The first is definitely not required -- Rollover is a fine place to step in.
I received this book from rambles.com, an online reviewing magazine, in exchange for an honest review.
The writing is very solid, the plot intricate and baffling -- though it did resolve neatly -- and the pacing excellent. All the characters, major and minor, are well-written and very real, and while the ending resolved the plot, there was left a lot of believable ambiguity among various people's motivations.
The premise is based on a true crime that (unlike in the book, which is pure fiction) remains unsolved. Intriguing!
This is the second book in the series, and I am eager to read the first. The first is definitely not required -- Rollover is a fine place to step in.
I received this book from rambles.com, an online reviewing magazine, in exchange for an honest review.
September 11, 2014
I received this book free from Goodreads.
I enjoyed reading this book.
I loved that Susan took a real unsolved crime and wrote a fiction one around it.
The people felt real and the situations that made up the mystery seemed quite plausible.
I like the way the book ended with Gertie.
Hope the next book starts where this one ended.
Can't wait to see Elaine's reaction and what happens with Dan and Elaine next.
If your starting the series with this one like I did its easy to get into without needing to know anything that happened in the first two books. But if your like me you'll read Flash Flood and Five O'Clock Shadow to satisfy your curiosity.
I enjoyed reading this book.
I loved that Susan took a real unsolved crime and wrote a fiction one around it.
The people felt real and the situations that made up the mystery seemed quite plausible.
I like the way the book ended with Gertie.
Hope the next book starts where this one ended.
Can't wait to see Elaine's reaction and what happens with Dan and Elaine next.
If your starting the series with this one like I did its easy to get into without needing to know anything that happened in the first two books. But if your like me you'll read Flash Flood and Five O'Clock Shadow to satisfy your curiosity.
July 9, 2015
und, New Mexico (near Las Vegas, New Mexico) where a bank has been robbed and a valuable necklace missing. Dan Mahoney, an investigator with United Life and Casualty that had insured the jewelry, is sent to do what he does best—find the necklace. On the way he’s beset with a car problem and is picked up, fortuitously he thinks, by Chet who is driving what looks like a beat-up old truck. But the truck is not so, Chet didn’t just happen along, and he’s not an ordinary driver.
Eventually Dan gets a note that says it’s not what you think, and that’s exactly true. Always a good read from Poisoned Pen Press 2014
Eventually Dan gets a note that says it’s not what you think, and that’s exactly true. Always a good read from Poisoned Pen Press 2014
November 4, 2014
This was a first read book that I received free.
Quite an interesting read. Dan is an insurance investigator and there has been a theft of a bank. He is almost killed as soon as he gets there and things are very confusing. There is a lot going on but all is resolved in the end. Very entertaining and like the relationship of Dan and Elaine who are seeing each other and when Dan gets in an accident she comes back from Europe to be with him. Nice mystery.
Quite an interesting read. Dan is an insurance investigator and there has been a theft of a bank. He is almost killed as soon as he gets there and things are very confusing. There is a lot going on but all is resolved in the end. Very entertaining and like the relationship of Dan and Elaine who are seeing each other and when Dan gets in an accident she comes back from Europe to be with him. Nice mystery.
August 3, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. An insurance investigator, looking into a bank heist, the safe left untouched, although there was a large amount of cash in it. The only thing taken were jewels that were left in safety deposit boxes. I loved the southwest setting and found it very easy too get wrapped up n this book.
November 13, 2021
I am just amazed at how good this book is!!! It’s so twisted that you don’t know what’s going on until the end when it’s unraveled!!! This story is so well written and the characters are really definable. It was so good it was hard to put the book down!!! This author has a real talent for writing with a great imagination!! I look forward to the next book!!
July 21, 2021
Keeps you guessing right to the end!!
Very well developed storyline. Innocuous beginning with very interwoven characters. A sleepy little town with lots of plot twists. Highly recommended.
Very well developed storyline. Innocuous beginning with very interwoven characters. A sleepy little town with lots of plot twists. Highly recommended.
July 8, 2014
A very good mystery novel
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/rollov... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/rollov... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
July 5, 2015
Good, suspenseful mystery.
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October 7, 2014Page turner
I love a good mystery and this one definitely kept you guessing. I thought the characters were relatable and the situation could be very realistic.
I love a good mystery and this one definitely kept you guessing. I thought the characters were relatable and the situation could be very realistic.
December 14, 2014
the characters were flat, the story gets tied up too easily
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews