On Behalf of the Family

Detective Dave Mason Mystery #3

by Mar Preston

If You Think This Only Happens in Saudi Arabia, You’re WrongThis book has created a buzz because it’s an untouchable topicWhat is this? Is it a hate crime? Domestic abuse, honor killing, or what? A car arson fire claims the life of a beautiful young girl, a rich Muslim student at Santa Monica College. Detective Dave Mason of the Santa Monica Police Department must break through the family’s silent conspiracy surrounding her vicious murder. He is handicapped by fact that the eleven members of her family who share the mansion in the high-end real estate section of Santa Monica do not speak English. Or so they say.

The city is in turmoil, accusing the department of racism and worse. Mason makes a promise to a girl he never met that he will bring her justice; yet, he is drawn away from the turbulent investigation with a promise to the love of his life. Can he keep his promises to both of them when political blow back and an escalating demand for answers threaten every step he takes?



Detective Dave Mason is outraged to have to fight his own departmentA car arson fire ignites a firestorm of controversyThe community rises up against the police departmentEven his skeptical girlfriend thinks he’s wrongMason knows where the answer lies But he's stymied˃˃˃ And the clock is ticking Police procedural, Dave Mason, Santa Monica, honor killing, Kurds, Turks, Santa Monica College, car arson, thriller, police, Los Angeles, hate crime, domestic abuse, Hollywood

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Genres: Mystery, Crime

373 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 2014

About the author

I came to writing fiction late in life and am surprised to find myself the author of eight gritty police procedurals, five of them set in southern California and featuring Detective Dave Mason of the Santa Monica Police Department. He’s a good guy cop with a social justice warrior girlfriend.

I was a long-time Santa Monica activist and once divided my time between glitzy Santa Monica and a village similar to the one in Payback, the debut of my second series. But I assure you only nice people live there.

These books follow the Chief of the village patrol department and animal activist, and her sometimes boyfriend, a Sheriff’s Department homicide detective based in Bakersfield. Nothing Ever Happens Here is the third in this series.

I've distilled what I've learned writing whodunits into a series of 7 eBooks on “Writing Your First Mystery.” They are a pleasure to write, and I hope useful to new writers.

I'm a habitual do-gooder with a long track record of sticking my nose into good causes. I was a co-founder of the local SPCA in the mountains, a dog park, and picked up roadkill for my wildlife rehab buddies to feed the big raptors. I'd like to tell you that I have a writing and blogging schedule that I adhere to rigidly, but this is not true.

I like to write crime fiction because I get to think up fabulous lies and live with the kind of people between my ears that I will never meet in real life. I can also pretend I'm 5'10 and 28 years old. This also is not true.

In 2019 I upended a 40-year hiatus in California, 20 of it in Pine Mountain Club, where “Nothing Ever Happens Here” is set. and returned to my roots in Ottawa, Canada. I have almost convinced myself I can stand the Canadian winter.

Reviews

[Diana Hockley · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Author Alert program is marvelous and right on the ball! Within minutes of receiving notification that the latest Mar Preston book had been published, I got online and bought this terrific crime novel.

Intricately woven and beautifully presented, the plot follows the suspicious death of a young girl in a burning car. Dave Mason, desperate to find some "downtime" with his beloved Gina, is forced to continue the hunt for the killer - and the motive for the murder - with little sleep. The boss, the media and politicians - ever seeking a photo opportunity - are on his back for a "half hour TV program" solution. Within his team, there are stresses too, though the investigation plows ahead in spite of all hitches.

I loved this novel. Preston has written a true page-turner and her writing gets better with each book. I hope she is already working her fingers to the bone, turning out another Dave Mason thriller.

Highly recommended!!!!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Dave Mason is back again in this gripping and thrilling novel by Mar Preston. On Behalf of the Family is the third in this series.
Yasemin Sefak was found dead in a burning car at her college. Questions immediately arise of who killed her, why was she there and who owned the car that she was found in. I found this novel to be a page turner and I wanted to know what happened to Yasemin as much as Detective Mason by the end.
From the beginning the investigation is hampered by Yasemin’s family as well as the media. That she was a victim of a hate crime was quickly circulated by the media, even before the police had very much started their inquires. Another theory that came forth was the idea of an Honor killing. Had she a young Turkish girl of a Kurd family in done something in her family’s eyes that made it necessary in their belief to remove the stain of dishonor? I loved the twists and turns of this plot.
Detective Mason tries to balance his promise to Yasemin to solve her murder as well as spend quality time with his girlfriend Ginger. I wanted to like Ginger so much, however, I felt that he deserves someone to support him. It seemed that he regards her as someone out of his league so that he needed to do all of the compromising in their relationship in order to keep her. Perhaps I missed something by not having read either of the two previous books.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work. While this does read as a stand alone if you like to know about the characters back story I recommend you start with book one of the series.

[Timya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mar Preston

On Behalf of the Family

The Santa Monica PD is investigating the death of a young woman whose body is found in a burned out car. While most signs and past history point to a racially motivated hate crime, Detective Dave Mason has a gut feeling that it is something much darker.

On Behalf Of The Family is terrific police procedural from author Mar Preston. On the mystery side, it is a heart pounding, deadly game of cat and mouse that made it nearly impossible to put down. With every page turned, I felt a part of the chase, the urgency and the passion to catch the guilty. I'm quite sure there were moments my husband wondered why I was muttering under my breath 'Get him! Catch him! Don't let the bastard get away!'

It's also a fascinating but disturbing look into the Kurdish culture which is foreign to me. I found myself wanting to learn more while at the same time outraged by the archaic attitudes towards women which still exist today.

I can most highly recommend On Behalf Of The Family. Five stars and two thumbs up! Another winner from Mar Preston.

[Cathy Geha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mar Preston’s police procedural dealing with the murder of a wealthy Kurdish college student presents some historical information about the Turks, Armenians and Kurds and brings up the possibilities that Yasemin Safak might have been killed for any number of the usual reasons AND presents the idea that her death might have been a hate or honor crime. How Detective Dave Mason and his crew solve who killed Yasemin unfolds in an orderly manner presenting Yasemin and her family as they are seen and experienced by those on the investigative team. Interpreters are needed by the team and are added into the usual task of rounding up clues, interviewing and sleuthing that is required when on the search of murderers willing to burn a woman to death. I believe this book will perhaps open some eyes to the horrific situation women around the world, and even in Western countries, may face when dealing with family and the perception of honor.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning!

This story grips you from page one and doesn't let go until the end. A great read! A perfect example why Shira law must not be allowed in this country.

[Janet · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated 2.67

What is this? Is it a hate crime? Domestic abuse, honor killing, or what? A car arson fire claims the life of a beautiful young girl, a rich Muslim student at Santa Monica College. Detective Dave Mason of the Santa Monica Police Department must break through the family’s silent conspiracy surrounding her vicious murder. He is handicapped by fact that the eleven members of her family who share the mansion in the high-end real estate section of Santa Monica do not speak English. Or so they say.

The city is in turmoil, accusing the department of racism and worse. Mason makes a promise to a girl he never met that he will bring her justice; yet, he is drawn away from the turbulent investigation with a promise to the love of his life. Can he keep his promises to both of them when political blow back and an escalating demand for answers threaten every step he takes?

The underlying story line of this book is interesting. Family dynamics of a Kurd family moved to USA and the difficulties encountered in trying to fit in and understand American culture as compared to the Muslim culture in small Turkey town. The writing is disjointed. Lengthy sentences often require rereading. Out of the clear comes a subject without any introduction and no development. I now have better understanding of Kurd vs. other Turkish tribe culture. Most redeeming quality of this book.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent police procedural that covers both the exciting and the mundane that make up a detective's life. There are all of the nitty-gritty details that must be dealt with so that an investigation can move forward. Ms, Preston does a very good job of portraying all the pressures detectives are under to solve a case "yesterday", especially when it's high profile. The characters here are three-dimensional and come across as people the reader could know in real life and there is plenty of action. Granted, it's not always physical and it may be interviewing witnesses or research, but something is always going on.
I did have one issue with Ms. Preston's writing style, and that was the use of some characters' full names every time they were mentioned. I've seen other authors do this and I'm not sure of the reasoning. I promise I can remember a character's name from one chapter to the next. In my opinion, it comes across as a bit condescending on the author's part. Maybe not intentional, but that's how it feels for me.
I can't wait to check out the other books in this series and see what Mason and Delgado get into next.

[Elnora McCarthy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disgusting topic. I had this figured out from the beginning and it has left me ddepressed


Should have tossed it instead of taking the time to read it. These people don't belong! in this country. I read to be entertained not angered or saddened

[Kim A. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Very interesting story. Maybe a cautionary tale about American culture and our belief everyone else in the world thinks the way we do in the US. Very interesting position Mason found himself in and still has the wherewithal and drive to resolve the case.

[bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tragic story of a type that needs to be told. To me the MC seemed respectful. Just trying to get justice for the victims, regardless of the perpetrators' ID. 4*

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystifying

Very good book. Unfortunately, you get to see inside cultures that regard women as owned, with no will of their own. Unbelievable

[Marjo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Readers Review
On Behalf of the Family is a story of police procedure and a vicious crime set in Santa Monica, California. The plot begins with the murder of and the mystery surrounding a young Kurdish girl. Detective Mason is called out to a car arson death at the College. The victim is a teenage, rich Turkish girl, Yasemin Safak. Yasemin lives with her large family in the high-end real estate part of Santa Monica. Her family is rigid in maintaining their ancestral traditions which leads to many kinds of complications in the investigation. The Police are trying to do it ‘by the book’ to solve the crime. Mason is up against cultural differences, beset by the media, and under pressure to solve this crime in a hurry without political blow back.

The characters come alive in this story with the addition of interesting personal asides into their lives. Mar Preston has crafted the characters and subject matter with good research and background. Detective Dave Mason, the main character is likeable and keeps the reader pulling for him. His love Ginger, has a small part in the story but you cannot help wondering if the romance will bloom. There are many of characters to keep track of, but Mar’s ability to bring to life with great description helps the reader keep track. Mar's writing is captivating and free of clichés.

Make sure you have lots of time to read. This book is a fast read and you will not want to put it down for another day. I highly recommend ‘On Behalf of the Family’ and give a big five star rating. I will definitely search for more books by Mar Preston for my reading review list. Thank you Mar for the opportunity.
Read more here: https://bookread-mumswritings.blogspo...

[Marti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Car on fire in a parking garage. Body in passenger seat burned to a crisp. Euuie. Such a lovely place as Santa Monica has crime? And such gruesome crime?

This is a great police procedural, with Dave Mason, oh, pardon me, DETECTIVE Dave Mason, of the Santa Monica Police at the scene, along with an overeager female detective, Fredericks and his longtime partner Art Delgado working to solve what looks like something building up to be a hate crime. The victim was a young female, her distinctive totebag thrown free of the burning car containing a scarf. She is ultimately ID'd as a Muslim, the daughter of a very wealthy Turkish family.

What a great book this was. Dynamite plot, a likeable detective with a wobbly love life, and some interesting facts.

Do you know the story of the Genocide, as the Armenians call it? Around 1921, the Turks started pushing the Armenians out of that region and then stole their land. A forced march, on which many died. Others were slaughtered in their homes. Some say the Kurds did the slaughtering and grabbed the best land. This all happened more than one hundred years ago, and is vehemently denied by the Turks to this day.

See why I liked this book so much?

[Clark Lohr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sense of the absurd/extensive police procedural knowledge/understanding of big city politics, to include the effect of politics on the mindset of the police/ willingness to record, in the dialogue of the characters, the curse words we all know and think, even if we don’t say them out loud/sense of place as a character in the story, that place being Santa Monica, California & metro Los Angeles/the courage to confront a vicious cultural norm found in certain subgroups of immigrants routinely allowed into this country/ability to design an effective plot containing engaging subplots/ability to create 3D characters as necessary/ability to include matters of male emotional vulnerability/ability to mount social criticism following official delight and instruct protocols…all that and more, including dogs and cats. The highest compliment you can pay a crime fiction writer is to tell them they told the truth. Thanks, Mar Preston.

[JoyAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a true crime but a murder mystery of a young Kurdish girl found burned to death, her large & odd family living here in the states while trying to maintain their ancestral traditions. Complicating it is the police trying to solve the murder while tiptoeing around the family for fear of appearing to the media and their town as uncaring and uncouth brutes. I enjoyed the book, it's premise of a suspected honor killing and the back story of the main character, the detective trying to maintain a relationship with a woman for which he had deep feelings. Like many of the Kindle books I am seeing this needed editing badly. Words running together and misspellings etc. It did not detract enough from the story to be a problem to me but I just don't understand how any book gets published with so many errors. This is not just this book but many Kindle books lately. Easy light read.........

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in this book. The plot was fine and it had potential to be a good book but the writing was just too choppy. It jumped from scene to scene with no smooth transition. Some things were described in such minute detail that it became distracting, while other things were simply sprung on the reader. The writer tried to give more dimension to the police officers by adding details about their personal lives, but it seemed so forced and obvious in the way it was presented. Many of the characters were presented in a very odd way, such as referring to a character by name before he introduced himself, as if the reader was supposed to know that this character was a famous actor that the officers immediately recognized. As much as I enjoy detective stories, I will not be reading any more of this series.

[Dorothy Gagnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arranged Marriage Gone Bad

Detective Dave. Mason was investigating an Arson fire and the murder of what appeared to be one of the students on campus. Mason made his way around to search for any kind of ID. Then as luck would have it, they located an ID found near the scene...a book bag that could help to identify the victim.

Dave had all he could do to keep it together, so he could focus on who and why someone could hate said person so bad to destroy them in a such a heinous way.

Suspense, following clues and chasing any leads down, was Dave's priority to get to the bottom of finding the killer before it escalated into an all out campus scare and worse, another fatal killing.

[Mahree Moyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Mar Preston’s writing. I read her first book “Payback” and really enjoyed it. This was more serious, but she can write serious also. Her writing flows well. Her characters are clear and alive. As with “Payback” when the story ended, I was ready to read another of her books. I downloaded “No Dice” and will surely enjoy that also. I’ve changed my reading habits this last year to Indie writers, (I throw in a Grisham now and then). I have found so many good writers and have many favorites in the Indie world. Keep writing Mar Preston, you have a fan.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought Provoking Murder Mystery

Thought Provoking Murder Mystery

This is the first Mar Preston novel for me and I found it to be a fantastic story. Detective Dave Mason gets a horrible homer case with the horrific murder of a young Kurdish college student, Yasemin. Detective Mason has to follow the clues to find out how and why this young woman was savagely murdered while dealing with a Kurdish famine determined to follow their old country values. The story line will catch your attention and keep you turning the pages.

[Will Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the subject matter being something that I wouldn't normally go out of my way to read, I was impressed with the delivery. Preston delivered a well written piece with believable characters and a good flow. There were a few typos, but nothing that caused hiccups while reading. I am really looking forward to reading something else by this author!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

While I found the book to be a little draggy in places and the dialogue a little stilted at time; Dave was a very interesting protagonist. The mystery also kept me guessing and the subject matter was timely. She took an important issue- the Muslim religion and wove it in the plot without being heavy handed.

[Tracey Lampley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author packs mystery and suspense into this book. The setting, the characterization and the plot keep you turning the pages. If you’re up for a police procedural, this book is for you. I rate this book a four-star read.

[Frank M Fernholz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was ok but not one I would recommend

The book was ok but not one I would recommend

Not a bad detective book but not a lot of action or mystery. I was expecting some twists and turns but they didn't materialize.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprise, Surprise!

I thought at first that this would be a typical detective novel. Wrong! This was a study of people, cultures with a nice background of police work. Fun and educational.

[Irene Marie Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The terror that lives at home.

old culture and values war against the freedoms of their new country when a young girl is found dead in a burning vehicle parked at a local college. Is this a hate crime,or something far worse?

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A GOOD POLICE MYSTERY I ENJOY THIS STORY I LIKE DETECTIVE DAVE MASON WILL READ MORE OF THIS SERIES

[Rashmi Pant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Must hand it to the author who was brave enough to tackle the sensitive political topic of honor killing. While the book was well researched and novel, for me it lacked entertainment value.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

this was a bout the way are police departments a so held responsible to find these people from foreign countries that believe in honor killing.

[Sonja Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this book, challenging circumstances to solve the case due to language and cultural differences. I got the feeling this book was written just to get it done.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good