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Mark Mallen novels #2
Critical Damage
When ex-cop and recovering junkie Mark Mallen is asked to track down two very different girls who have gone missing, he doesn't think twice about putting himself in harm's way to find them. Bloodied and bruised, Mallen shakes down the pimps and hustlers who could crack the cases wide open, leaving no stone unturned in San Francisco's criminal underground.
But something isn't right. Somebody's trying to scare Mallen off, and it's no ordinary street thug. With heat coming at him from all angles, Mallen's search for the truth leads him to men who will stop at nothing to make sure their twisted desires never see the light of day.
- GenresMystery
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2014
14 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 5, 2014
Critical Damage by Robert K. Lewis is a highly recommended gritty crime novel that provides nonstop action and frantic pages turns. It is not for the faint of heart; there is plenty of violence. If you are looking for PI novel that features a flawed antihero who operates in the dark, seedy underside of San Fransisco, then the Mark Mallen series will be right up your alley. The series started with Untold Damage and continues with this second book, Critical Damage.
shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/2013/04/...
Mark Mallen is a former cop and recovering drug addict. He and his friend Gato return in this second book. Two girls are missing and one of them is Gato's sister, Lupe. Lupe is a prostitute, so she may have fallen into trouble due to her own activities, but the other missing girl is the daughter of the mayor. What could these two girls possibly have in common? What Mark discovers is chilling and disgusting - and much bigger and more dangerous than anything Mark has ever tangled with before.
Lewis is a good writer who has the ability to deftly capture an action scene, as well as the dialogue, which makes Critical Damage a captivating novel to read. This is definitely not a cozy mystery, though; the subject matter gets down and dirty as the case progresses into the world of pimps, prostitutes and the criminal underworld.
It might help to read the first novel, Untold Damage, and then this second novel, Critical Damage. There is definitely a third Mark Mallen novel in the future.
My review copy was courtesy of Robert K. Lewis.
Excerpt
issuu.com/llewellyn/docs/978073873623...
shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/2013/04/...
Mark Mallen is a former cop and recovering drug addict. He and his friend Gato return in this second book. Two girls are missing and one of them is Gato's sister, Lupe. Lupe is a prostitute, so she may have fallen into trouble due to her own activities, but the other missing girl is the daughter of the mayor. What could these two girls possibly have in common? What Mark discovers is chilling and disgusting - and much bigger and more dangerous than anything Mark has ever tangled with before.
Lewis is a good writer who has the ability to deftly capture an action scene, as well as the dialogue, which makes Critical Damage a captivating novel to read. This is definitely not a cozy mystery, though; the subject matter gets down and dirty as the case progresses into the world of pimps, prostitutes and the criminal underworld.
It might help to read the first novel, Untold Damage, and then this second novel, Critical Damage. There is definitely a third Mark Mallen novel in the future.
My review copy was courtesy of Robert K. Lewis.
Excerpt
issuu.com/llewellyn/docs/978073873623...
Want to Read
March 10, 2019Synopsis: when Mallen is asked to track down two missing girls, he shakes down the pimps and leaves no stone unturned. But something's wrong.
April 13, 2019
A very good hard-boiled mystery and just the genre I was in the mood for. Lots of action, and the sexual violence against women wasn’t too off-putting.
May 16, 2014
I received a copy of this book for free from the author for review purposes, all opinions expressed below are my own.
I read and reviewed the first Mark Mallen book, Untold Damage last year as part of a TLC Book Tour. So I was really excited to be contacted by Mr. Lewis himself about reading and reviewing the second Mallen book. I was definitely on board!
I took a gander through my review from Untold Damage, just to try to refresh my memory a little bit before I sat down to write this review out. I can tell you that I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one!
In this particular installment, the prediction I had in last year’s review came true, Gato most definitely asked Mallen for a big favor. His sister had gone missing and he came to Mallen for help. In the end, though, they both had to help each other to get out of the mess they found themselves in.
I still really like Mark Mallen. There’s just something about his character. And I’m pleased to say that (so far) he’s staying clean! I want him to stay clean so badly. If not for him, then most definitely for his daughter, Anna. I think I warmed up to Gato more in this installment than I did in the previous book. Yes, he did end up asking for a big favor from Mallen that definitely got them involved in more than they could have ever imagined, but his intent was pure … he just wanted to find his sister. I think Mallen and Gato would definitely be the kind of guys you would want as friends, they will do anything to help their friends out.
The action in this book was non-stop from just about page 1. I read the first 80 pages in one setting and was bummed that I had to put it aside for other obligations. I kept trying to figure out how on earth Mallen and Gato could get themselves in such trouble in such a short period of time! The writing was very good, but the language is not for the faint of heart (if that bothers you in a book). If you like gritty, non-stop action, with a flawed main character that you want to succeed more than anything, then this book is most definitely for you!
I really can’t say enough about this book. I loved it. Really loved it. And I love Mark Mallen’s character. And after perusing Mr. Lewis’s blog, I discovered that there will be a 3rd Mallen book! Yay!
Overall, a book that I highly recommend. If you haven’t met Mark Mallen yet, do yourself a favor and read Untold Damage. [You could read this book first, but I think you need to have the background information the first book has to really understand who Mark Mallen is.] If you have met Mallen, then don’t hesitate to pick this one up – I really, really, really liked it … and dare I say … I think this book is even better than the first!
I read and reviewed the first Mark Mallen book, Untold Damage last year as part of a TLC Book Tour. So I was really excited to be contacted by Mr. Lewis himself about reading and reviewing the second Mallen book. I was definitely on board!
I took a gander through my review from Untold Damage, just to try to refresh my memory a little bit before I sat down to write this review out. I can tell you that I loved this book just as much as I loved the first one!
In this particular installment, the prediction I had in last year’s review came true, Gato most definitely asked Mallen for a big favor. His sister had gone missing and he came to Mallen for help. In the end, though, they both had to help each other to get out of the mess they found themselves in.
I still really like Mark Mallen. There’s just something about his character. And I’m pleased to say that (so far) he’s staying clean! I want him to stay clean so badly. If not for him, then most definitely for his daughter, Anna. I think I warmed up to Gato more in this installment than I did in the previous book. Yes, he did end up asking for a big favor from Mallen that definitely got them involved in more than they could have ever imagined, but his intent was pure … he just wanted to find his sister. I think Mallen and Gato would definitely be the kind of guys you would want as friends, they will do anything to help their friends out.
The action in this book was non-stop from just about page 1. I read the first 80 pages in one setting and was bummed that I had to put it aside for other obligations. I kept trying to figure out how on earth Mallen and Gato could get themselves in such trouble in such a short period of time! The writing was very good, but the language is not for the faint of heart (if that bothers you in a book). If you like gritty, non-stop action, with a flawed main character that you want to succeed more than anything, then this book is most definitely for you!
I really can’t say enough about this book. I loved it. Really loved it. And I love Mark Mallen’s character. And after perusing Mr. Lewis’s blog, I discovered that there will be a 3rd Mallen book! Yay!
Overall, a book that I highly recommend. If you haven’t met Mark Mallen yet, do yourself a favor and read Untold Damage. [You could read this book first, but I think you need to have the background information the first book has to really understand who Mark Mallen is.] If you have met Mallen, then don’t hesitate to pick this one up – I really, really, really liked it … and dare I say … I think this book is even better than the first!
April 21, 2014
I skipped over Untold Damage, the first book in Mark Mallen series, and jumped right into Critical Damage (this one, the sequel). That said, I had no problem getting into the story and was quickly hooked. I love a good “tough guys” crime story every once in a while and this one didn’t disappoint. The action is fast-paced and the dialog is realistic and entertaining – I especially enjoyed the banter between Mallen and Gato (Mallen’s buddy). In a nutshell, Mark Mallen, an ex-cop and recovering drug addict, is called upon to help find two missing prostitutes. One of the girls is Galo’s sister. The other is daughter of a big wig who chooses Mallen to help find his daughter instead of going to the cops because Mallen is that good and he didn’t want the negative press attached to his name. PI Mallen and Gato are an entertaining duo and are willing to do whatever it takes to find the girls and hunt down who’s responsible. The pimps and other bad guys have good reason for not wanting the girls found and are as equally willing to make sure Mallen and Gato don’t find out the truth. Good fight scenes, compelling plot, and a satisfying ending. Overall, this one’s a smooth read that I highly recommend. I look forward to the next book in the series and have added Untold Damage, the first in Mallen series, to my “to-read” list.
January 4, 2014
When a friend asks you to help him out, most people will say yes without question. When your estranged spouse asks for help with a private matter, you will do whatever you can. But for ex-cop and ex-junkie Mark Mallen, that means searching for both his friend's call girl sister and the daughter of the mayor of San Francisco. The two requests seem unrelated until Mallen realizes that he's stumbled onto something big and ugly and extremely dangerous. No one is safe.
The tension is palpable and the story moves fast and furiously. Unhappily, it comes to a grinding halt at the very end and leaves a whole slew of questions unanswered. Since this title is the second in the Mark Mallen series, I can only hope that the answers to my questions and a most satisfying ending will occur in the next installment.
Is the third book ready yet?
The tension is palpable and the story moves fast and furiously. Unhappily, it comes to a grinding halt at the very end and leaves a whole slew of questions unanswered. Since this title is the second in the Mark Mallen series, I can only hope that the answers to my questions and a most satisfying ending will occur in the next installment.
Is the third book ready yet?
April 15, 2014
I became a fan of ex-junkie, ex-cop, ex-husband Mark Mallen with the first book in this series, UNTOLD DAMAGE. CRITICAL DAMAGE sees Mallen further along in his recovery but still a struggling, underdog hero. (I especially love the scene in which he forces himself to go jogging with the line, "What the hell. I'll just try to take my rehab to another level.")
The subject matter is dark and gritty and definitely at the edge of my comfort zone, but the violence was never gratuitous. One scene especially could have tipped into gore and didn't. It did, however, leave me with a pounding heart and an inability to put this page-turner down until I'd reached the end.
Great characters who share a strong sense of right and wrong, a fast-paced plot, and fabulous guy banter make this an irresistible read. I will be first in line for Mallen #3!
The subject matter is dark and gritty and definitely at the edge of my comfort zone, but the violence was never gratuitous. One scene especially could have tipped into gore and didn't. It did, however, leave me with a pounding heart and an inability to put this page-turner down until I'd reached the end.
Great characters who share a strong sense of right and wrong, a fast-paced plot, and fabulous guy banter make this an irresistible read. I will be first in line for Mallen #3!
June 16, 2014
Picked this up at the library to have something to read while on a long weekend trip down to Mexico. I considered putting it down due to the nature of the crime involved, but managed to finish it. The dialogue didn't flow for me and I felt the ending was rushed. Not my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews