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Duplicity
Sometimes, a city needs a ruthless detective willing to cross the line.
Recommended for fans of Davenport, Hammer, and Bosch.
_______________
Mystery woman, Morrigan Doyle, is in prison.
Finn Doyle, her son, has ties to the Irish mob in New York. He became acquainted with Harry Starke when Harry was investigating his mother’s billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. But Finn has an agenda of his own and wants to hire Harry to “find a friend,” Matteo Rossi.
Rossi, a low-level thug, a soldier in the Irish mob, is missing and Finn is worried, thinking someone has “offed him", and he wants to know who.
Initially, Harry turns Finn down. But, as they say, curiosity kills the cat, and Harry, ever the curious cat, does a little digging and finds that Matteo’s mother and girlfriend are also looking for him.
Finn, however, is nothing if not persistent and, taking into account the new information, Harry reluctantly agrees to take the case, for a fee, of course.
Thus Harry and his team embark on an investigation that takes him back to New York, following Matteo, a trail of bodies, and a litany of misinformation until… Well, as always, there’s a twist in the tale; more than one, in fact.
Pre-order your copy of Duplicity now and be among the first to read Blair Howard’s gripping new mystery thriller.
Get your copy at this special preorder price today.
Recommended for fans of Davenport, Hammer, and Bosch.
_______________
Mystery woman, Morrigan Doyle, is in prison.
Finn Doyle, her son, has ties to the Irish mob in New York. He became acquainted with Harry Starke when Harry was investigating his mother’s billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. But Finn has an agenda of his own and wants to hire Harry to “find a friend,” Matteo Rossi.
Rossi, a low-level thug, a soldier in the Irish mob, is missing and Finn is worried, thinking someone has “offed him", and he wants to know who.
Initially, Harry turns Finn down. But, as they say, curiosity kills the cat, and Harry, ever the curious cat, does a little digging and finds that Matteo’s mother and girlfriend are also looking for him.
Finn, however, is nothing if not persistent and, taking into account the new information, Harry reluctantly agrees to take the case, for a fee, of course.
Thus Harry and his team embark on an investigation that takes him back to New York, following Matteo, a trail of bodies, and a litany of misinformation until… Well, as always, there’s a twist in the tale; more than one, in fact.
Pre-order your copy of Duplicity now and be among the first to read Blair Howard’s gripping new mystery thriller.
Get your copy at this special preorder price today.
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 2, 2024
53 people are currently reading
3 people want to read
About the author
Blair Howard
284 books339 followersBlair C. Howard is a Royal Air Force veteran, a retired journalist, and the best-selling author of more than 50 novels, including the international best-selling Harry Starke series, and 23 travel books. In 2021, having been fascinated by the heavens almost from childhood, and a SciFi fan for almost as long, he decided to try his hand at writing a military space opera. His first journey into this genre resulted in the Sovereign Stars series. Book 1 in the series, Avenger was quickly followed by Gods of War and Armored Fleet.
Blair lives in East Tennessee with his wife Jo, and Jack Russell Terrier, Sally.
Blair lives in East Tennessee with his wife Jo, and Jack Russell Terrier, Sally.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
June 14, 2024
I had an interesting experience with Duplicity. I have read most of Blair Howard’s many books and have enjoyed every one. For some reason, I had trouble with this book. I found myself frustrated because I couldn’t figure out who had murdered whom, who the good guys and the bad guys were, and I had an overwhelming feeling of confusion throughout most of the book. As I pondered how to write a review, I realized that my feelings reflected how Harry felt during this investigation - tired, out of sorts, confused, in pain. Not only was I enjoying the reading experience, I was picking up on the emotions and physical ailments of the main character. While Harry usually appears as a superhero, this time he showed his human frailties. Every once in a while a book can do this to me, bringing me to a level where I am pulled into it both mentally and physically. That rated it a 5-star for me!
May 31, 2024
Oh Mr. Blair, what a rollercoaster ride culminating at 3am this morning.
Harry would never accept a assignment from a mafia boss, especially one like Finn Doyle, an Irish Mafia boss based in New York, an Irish mafia boss whose mother had caused Harry and his team so much trouble, but Harry being Harry was curious, why did Finn Doyle want him to trace his "friend" Matteo Rossi? so much so that he was prepared to plant a huge amount of cash on the desk, it couldn't just be friendship, or could it ? Finn was jolly and affable on the outside but underneath he was as hard as nails and would stop at nothing to get what he wants.........why did he want Matteo ?
Matteo Rossi was a low grade Mafioso and Harry's curiosity was peaked when Tim could find no footprint, if Tim couldn't find a footprint then no one could, Matteo was a ghost, but why?
This story is like a maze, so many clues leading to dead ends and only one leading to the exit, there are so many players, all with a story, everyone talked and everyone lied, Harry knew that they were lying and was frustrated, he needed to find Matteo but with everyone spinning him a story it was looking impossible, was Matteo dead or was he alive ? Where did the infamous Italian mafia boss, Enzo Massino fit into the plot ? This story is action packed, has nail biting suspense, red herrings, car chases and an escalating body count. When it became clear that Harry and Heather's lives were in danger Kate and her team were the cavalry for which worried Amanda was eternally grateful.
Much I as tried, I didn't see the end coming and I wonder if Harry has a new nemesis in Finn Doyle, a well deserved five stars.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.
Harry would never accept a assignment from a mafia boss, especially one like Finn Doyle, an Irish Mafia boss based in New York, an Irish mafia boss whose mother had caused Harry and his team so much trouble, but Harry being Harry was curious, why did Finn Doyle want him to trace his "friend" Matteo Rossi? so much so that he was prepared to plant a huge amount of cash on the desk, it couldn't just be friendship, or could it ? Finn was jolly and affable on the outside but underneath he was as hard as nails and would stop at nothing to get what he wants.........why did he want Matteo ?
Matteo Rossi was a low grade Mafioso and Harry's curiosity was peaked when Tim could find no footprint, if Tim couldn't find a footprint then no one could, Matteo was a ghost, but why?
This story is like a maze, so many clues leading to dead ends and only one leading to the exit, there are so many players, all with a story, everyone talked and everyone lied, Harry knew that they were lying and was frustrated, he needed to find Matteo but with everyone spinning him a story it was looking impossible, was Matteo dead or was he alive ? Where did the infamous Italian mafia boss, Enzo Massino fit into the plot ? This story is action packed, has nail biting suspense, red herrings, car chases and an escalating body count. When it became clear that Harry and Heather's lives were in danger Kate and her team were the cavalry for which worried Amanda was eternally grateful.
Much I as tried, I didn't see the end coming and I wonder if Harry has a new nemesis in Finn Doyle, a well deserved five stars.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.
June 2, 2024
I received an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This is another great read in the Harry Starke series. The story begins with Finn Doyle, the son of a foe Harry dealt with earlier, that wants to hire him to locate Matteo Rossi, a friend, who has gone missing. Harry is hesitant to take the case since it involves possibly two mobs. Harry eventually agrees after receiving a large fee and he and Heather head to NYC to start the investigation.
Upon arriving in NYC, Harry and Heather meet with Matteo's mother, his son's mother, the Italian mob boss and a bartender. These meetings did not provide any additional information that would help. They planned to do a follow-up the next day. That plan is changed when Harry receives a call from his office that Matteo's driver's license had been found at a murder scene in W.V. Harry and Heather flew down to find out what they could. With the discovery of the license, Matteo was thought to be the killer.
After viewing the scene and deciding that Matteo was not responsible, Harry receives a call from Finn. Harry and Heather were planning to go back home to Tenn which was what Finn was currently at. On the flight back, Harry caught the flu and was out of action for a few days. Once he returned, things got interesting with the discovery of Matteo's relative living in Harry's hometown.
To discover what events happened upon Harry's return, how Kate played a role, why Matteo was on the run and how it all finished, then you need to read this book.
This is another great read in the Harry Starke series. The story begins with Finn Doyle, the son of a foe Harry dealt with earlier, that wants to hire him to locate Matteo Rossi, a friend, who has gone missing. Harry is hesitant to take the case since it involves possibly two mobs. Harry eventually agrees after receiving a large fee and he and Heather head to NYC to start the investigation.
Upon arriving in NYC, Harry and Heather meet with Matteo's mother, his son's mother, the Italian mob boss and a bartender. These meetings did not provide any additional information that would help. They planned to do a follow-up the next day. That plan is changed when Harry receives a call from his office that Matteo's driver's license had been found at a murder scene in W.V. Harry and Heather flew down to find out what they could. With the discovery of the license, Matteo was thought to be the killer.
After viewing the scene and deciding that Matteo was not responsible, Harry receives a call from Finn. Harry and Heather were planning to go back home to Tenn which was what Finn was currently at. On the flight back, Harry caught the flu and was out of action for a few days. Once he returned, things got interesting with the discovery of Matteo's relative living in Harry's hometown.
To discover what events happened upon Harry's return, how Kate played a role, why Matteo was on the run and how it all finished, then you need to read this book.
June 3, 2024
Captivating Start to Finish
The characters in the Harry Starke series have become so familiar to me and I always wait in anticipation for Blair Howard’s next book. His plots are well paced and you can’t help being caught up from start to end.
Harry is asked to find Matteo Rossi, a missing person with no footprint. No bank account, credit cards, no phone. Nothing to trace him down. The man asking him to take this case is Finn Doyle, a leader in the Irish Mob in New York…and this man’s mother is pure evil. She nearly cost Harry his life in a previous case. Harry resists the case but his staff want him to take it and so he does.
There are many twists and turns which keep things hopping and leave you breathless at times. Leads that end no where. People who want Matteo found but each one is lying and withholding information. You will enjoy Harry’s close knit team and Lt. Kate Gazzara ,who was his partner during his years as a senior homicide detective, ends up involved in the case.
The characters in the Harry Starke series have become so familiar to me and I always wait in anticipation for Blair Howard’s next book. His plots are well paced and you can’t help being caught up from start to end.
Harry is asked to find Matteo Rossi, a missing person with no footprint. No bank account, credit cards, no phone. Nothing to trace him down. The man asking him to take this case is Finn Doyle, a leader in the Irish Mob in New York…and this man’s mother is pure evil. She nearly cost Harry his life in a previous case. Harry resists the case but his staff want him to take it and so he does.
There are many twists and turns which keep things hopping and leave you breathless at times. Leads that end no where. People who want Matteo found but each one is lying and withholding information. You will enjoy Harry’s close knit team and Lt. Kate Gazzara ,who was his partner during his years as a senior homicide detective, ends up involved in the case.
June 28, 2024
After his experience investigating the now-imprisoned Ponzi schemer Morrigan Doyle, Harry did not really want to get involved with her son, Irish mob boss, Finn. Finn approached Harry to ask for help in finding his “best friend”, Matteo Rossi, a low-level mob thug, who had gone missing a month earlier. Rossi had kept a very low public profile: Tim, Harry’s IT guru could find almost no information about the man. The team were able to collect only sketchy or mis-leading comments from people they interviewed, with several appearing to have more knowledge than they shared. This is a well-written story with lots of action, twists, and personal danger to Harry and the team. It kept me on the edge of my seat, reading well into the night when I should have been sleeping, right through the satisfying finish. I thoroughly enjoy Mr. Howard’s writing, having read more than two dozen of his books in his several series. I have not been disappointed by any one of them.
June 20, 2024
Harry reluctantly takes on a case with ties to the Irish & Italian mobs. Finn Doyle provides $150K in cash to convince Harry to look into a case of a missing best friend, Matteo. With little to no information to go on and no digital footprint, Harry & Heather travel to NY to meet with Matteo’s mother and girlfriend, the mother of his son.
Harry and Heather are called away to Charleston,WV when Matteo’s driver license is found (planted?) at the scene of a murder. Frustrated with the lack of any information on Matteo and fearing he is dead they return to Chattanooga and get Kate involved when another person tied to the case turns up dead.
Many twists and turns. Had me guessing until the very end. I love it when Harry & Kate work together.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this review.
Harry and Heather are called away to Charleston,WV when Matteo’s driver license is found (planted?) at the scene of a murder. Frustrated with the lack of any information on Matteo and fearing he is dead they return to Chattanooga and get Kate involved when another person tied to the case turns up dead.
Many twists and turns. Had me guessing until the very end. I love it when Harry & Kate work together.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this review.
July 17, 2024
Harry gets a visit from a member of the Irish mob in NYC who happens to be the son of Morrigan Doyle whom Harry investigated in a previous case. He says he’s looking for his friend, Matteo Rossi, a low-level member of the mob, who disappeared a month ago. Harry is curious as to why a mobster from NYC would engage his services in Chattanooga, TN. Surely the mob must have their own resources to locate people. Why haven’t they found him? Against his better judgement, Harry decides to take the missing persons case. As Harry and his team start investigating, they soon get the idea that several people know something about what happened, but they aren’t forthcoming. What follows is a trail of misinformation and lies creating twists and turns. You will be surprised, as Harry was, at very end. This is another thrilling story in the Harry Starke series. Buy it, read it, and enjoy!
June 3, 2024
Duplicity (The Harry Starke Novels Book 23), my sixtieth read from author Blair Howard. 248-pages of well-written and enjoyable, edge-of-your-seat detective fiction, thoroughly entertaining, as always! Howard seemingly has opened the door to the question of "is it time for Harry to step aside? Is time/age catching up with him?" But then there's the ending... As Howard expands his writings over 4 primary characters it has improved all four. I always look forward to the next work from Howard. A Blair Howard book is like a visit from an old detective friend. I received a Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." The gifting of this book did not affect my opinion of it. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
May 31, 2024
Finn Doyle, Morrigan’s son, comes to Chattanooga from NY to hire Harry to find his best friend, Matteo Rossi who has disappeared. Harry has no desire to work for the Doyle’s, the Irish or Italian mobs but his own curiosity about Matteo who is pretty much a ghost other than his birth certificate and an old driver’s license. People all know and like him but a paper trail is totally nonexistent. The search takes Harry and his team to New York, West Virginia and finally back home. There are twists and turns all over the place and lots of action. The climax is not what one would expect from murderers for hire and mob bosses. Fun and fast reading.
May 31, 2024
Finn Doyle, a known senior member of the Irish Mob from New York shows up at Harry's door seeking assistance. A young man, supposedly Finn's good friend, has disappeared and he wants Harry to help find him. Harry's past experience in dealing with the mobster's mother suggests he really should pass this one up, but he agrees to take on the case. This is a tale that will definitely keep you engaged as Harry and his team work to find the young man and determine the truth of the matter in spite of conflicting evidence, suspicious characters, dead bodies, and repeated attempts to get him to drop his inquiry.
June 3, 2024
Harry reluctantly takes a missing person case. Finn Doyle wants Harry and team to find his missing friend, Matteo. There is no information about Matteo which makes the search nearly impossible. Harry has to travel to New York and then West Viriginia all the while dead bodies keep showing up, but no Matteo. Can Harry find Matteo and just why does Finn want to find him so bad? Exciting story, lots of action and will keep you guessing until the end. Definitely recommend this next story in the Harry Starke series.
June 4, 2024
Harry Stark is at it again. He’s drawn into taking a case that he really doesn’t want. I guess he was made an offer that he couldn’t refuse.
The story moves along at a fast pace with multiple characters involved. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and unable to put this book down (at least I was) until the final page. Blair Howard writes fast-paced, intriguing stories with great characters. Every book is better than the last!
I received an advance copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
The story moves along at a fast pace with multiple characters involved. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and unable to put this book down (at least I was) until the final page. Blair Howard writes fast-paced, intriguing stories with great characters. Every book is better than the last!
I received an advance copy of the book and am voluntarily leaving my review.
June 4, 2024
What a confusing case. Finn Doyle comes to Harry with a missing person case. He wants to find Matteo Rossi, who is literally a ghost. His trepidation about taking the case from an Irish mobster, especially after dealing with Morrigan Doyle, is legitimate. He did accept the fee and started working to find Matteo. Lies abounded. Information was difficult to locate. There were dead ends in more ways than one. Nothing made sense. Will Harry unravel the strings? Loved the book. I think you will, too.
June 23, 2024
Once again Blair Howard has produced a book that is well written and entertaining. The storyline is intriguing and the characters are engaging. I did notice that Harry seems more short of patience in this one, and wondered whether it was because this was a missing person case or because he is tired of the physicality of the jobs he takes on. Time will tell and until then I’ll keep hoping for another installment in this long running series.
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
I received an arc of this book and voluntarily provided a review.
July 1, 2024
Harry is asked to find Matteo Rossi, a missing person with no footprint. No phone,no bank account or credit card. How does one find a person that seems to not exist? The person hiring Harry is Finn Doyle, the son of a foe that Harry dealt with before. Harry is not really sure he wants to take this case.
Rollercoaster of a ride,and I had to put the book down to take care of other things, which was not easy to do.
Captivating, entertaining story that kept me guessing.
I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.
Rollercoaster of a ride,and I had to put the book down to take care of other things, which was not easy to do.
Captivating, entertaining story that kept me guessing.
I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.
June 1, 2024
As the case progresses, Harry is reminded of why he should run, not walk, away from any case that has a hint of mob involvement. It starts as a simple missing person case. But the more questions that get asked, the less he learns that will help him find Matteo Rossi. And everyone seems to be either lying or at least holding back information. There's plenty of danger along the way along with some dead bodies and several twists until the case is resolved. Another great read in this series.
June 4, 2024
An excellent detective mystery with a well written storyline and outstanding realistic characters. Very enjoyable read with plenty of action, lots of suspense, and several twists/turns. Henrey and crew struggle to find their man with all the deceit and lies they receive for info. An unexpected ending awaits you at the end of this tale. A page turning read that I highly recommend. An excellent book and series written by an outstanding author.
June 8, 2024
Here is a new one for Harry and his team, they are hired by Finn Doyle to find his friend Matteo Rossi, who has been missing for a while. However, others are trying to find him too and he is no where to be found. This was full of twists, you never knew who was friend and who was foe. When I talk comes together at the end it surprised me! A really good read that kept me wondering. I received an arc and the views and opinions are my own.
June 9, 2024
Every time I read a book by Blair Howard I think it's his best yet. This one felt more dark and edgy than usual, which I enjoyed.
I like when other members of the team have a larger role than usual - this time it's Heather.
As usual, there are many twists, turns and surprises in the plot, which kept me guessing until the end.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
I like when other members of the team have a larger role than usual - this time it's Heather.
As usual, there are many twists, turns and surprises in the plot, which kept me guessing until the end.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
June 11, 2024
I have read all of Blair Howard's books and am always excited to see a new one. Duplicity is no exception. It keeps you engaged from the first page to the last not knowing how things will turn out. It is a stand alone book but when you read the whole series you get to know and love the repeat characters and feel like you are a part of the team. Love the fact that they are what I would consider "clean" reading. No gratuitous violence or sex scenes. Just a great mystery that you can't put down!
June 17, 2024
Duplicity starts out with someone wanting to hire Harry to find a missing person. Harry doesn't want to take on the case but finally agrees to take a look at it and then decide if they will take it on. After dipping into it, the team wants to take it on so Harry agrees.
This is one of Harry's most mystifying cases. It kept me engaged from start to finish. I think it just may be one of the best books in the series or at least of the ones I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
This is one of Harry's most mystifying cases. It kept me engaged from start to finish. I think it just may be one of the best books in the series or at least of the ones I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
May 31, 2024
I love Harry Starke, the main character in this set of books. Blair Howard is an awesome storyteller and each book builds on the main characters. Harry leads his team on a missing person case which is difficult enough but when the missing person has connections to the mob, lookout for lots of action and plenty of questions that seem to have no answers. Another great book and a must read.
June 1, 2024
Harry Starke finds himself tangled up with another mystery connected to the Irish mob
as he seeks a missing man , he finds himself at the wrong end of a gun, and the wrong end of offensive maneuvers- more than once
tangled allegiances and betrayals, with Harry and his team trying to sort through it all, and minimize the pain and fallout
suspense, action and drama
as he seeks a missing man , he finds himself at the wrong end of a gun, and the wrong end of offensive maneuvers- more than once
tangled allegiances and betrayals, with Harry and his team trying to sort through it all, and minimize the pain and fallout
suspense, action and drama
June 1, 2024
Finn Doyle is a member of the Irish mob. Harry Starke has had dealings with him in the past. Doyle comes to Harry and asks him to find his best friend who is missing. Harry has reservations about working for Doyle but takes the case. Doyle cannot be trusted, and his motives may not be what he says. Another great story line.
June 22, 2024
I look forward to reading a Harry Starke book as soon as it is available, i am just drawn into the universe. This one felt different, Harry was more human in expressing the concerns that he had with this assignment. I could feel his conflict whilst reading. It was an absolute brilliant read. I was so engrossed and I had to keep going until the end.
June 24, 2024
An excellent, well written, fast paced novel. Harry and his team reluctantly take on a missing person case which leads them on a merry dance and pushes Harry to the limit. Twists and frustration as the case unfolds. Highly recommended. I received an ARC copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2024
Yet another great Harry Starke Book action packed and encompassing some faces from the past. Chilling and ruthlessly engaging as you delve into the murky world Blair Howard manages to assimilate so easily. Harrys getting older though so it’s nit that easy any more.
I received a free ARC and this is my genuine opinion. Loved it
I received a free ARC and this is my genuine opinion. Loved it
June 25, 2024
Harry managed to get himself tangled up with Irish Mob in this wild read. No one wants to cross the mob, which means no one wants to tell the whole truth. The result is that Harry and his team have a real hard time sorting it out. This makes for quite the page turner as we, the readers, feel Harry's pain and keep reading, trying to figure out out ourselves.
July 12, 2024
Harry and his team along with Lt. Kate Gazzara and her trusty sidekick Samson come through again in a story full of surprises. Harry is hired to find a missing person tied to the Irish and Italian mob. This takes him from Tenn. to NYC and to W. Va. Hard to believe some of the characters in this story full of lies and deception.
June 2, 2024
Another worthy read in the Harry Starks series of books, with the usual good story line that keeps you guessing and the twists and turns that keeps you interested, I read and thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend highly
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews