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Skin Kadash #2
Chasing Smoke: A Skin Kadash Mystery
Portland homicide detective Skin Kadash just wants to survive cancer treatment so he can get back to the work he loves. When his partner tries to drag him into an unofficial investigation of a series of deaths, he's not interested - he's dead-dog sick and doesn't need the grief - until she reveals the victims all suffered from cancer themselves, and all had one thing in common with Skin. His oncologist.
The deaths are all apparent suicides; the police have closed the book on them. Then a mysterious young woman, daughter of the first victim, surfaces and insists the dead men were all murdered. Before her story can be probed more deeply, she disappears, leaving Kadash with no support from the cops and little to go on except a nagging belief the missing woman knew more than she revealed. Kadash is left to chase elusive leads among the bitter and broken widows of the dead men. Struggling with his own illness and with a growing rift between himself and his partner, Kadash finds himself entangled in a web of resentment, jealousy, and deceit. Ultimately, he finds that not is he only seeking a missing woman and the truth about the dead men, but also the meaning of his own life in the face of his impending mortality.
The deaths are all apparent suicides; the police have closed the book on them. Then a mysterious young woman, daughter of the first victim, surfaces and insists the dead men were all murdered. Before her story can be probed more deeply, she disappears, leaving Kadash with no support from the cops and little to go on except a nagging belief the missing woman knew more than she revealed. Kadash is left to chase elusive leads among the bitter and broken widows of the dead men. Struggling with his own illness and with a growing rift between himself and his partner, Kadash finds himself entangled in a web of resentment, jealousy, and deceit. Ultimately, he finds that not is he only seeking a missing woman and the truth about the dead men, but also the meaning of his own life in the face of his impending mortality.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
Audible Audio
First published November 1, 2008
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
Bill Cameron
27 books48 followersBill Cameron is also known as W.H. Cameron.
Crossroad author W.H. Cameron raises backyard chickens in Oregon, and shapes unruly words into captivating people caught in harrowing situations in his writing room. As Bill Cameron, he’s the critically-acclaimed author of the edgy and stirring Skin Kadash mysteries, including County Line. His young adult mystery Property of the State, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016.
In a starred review, Kirkus described Property of the State as, “An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action.” Booklist said, “Joey’s intense, gripping narration of his heartbreaking life will haunt readers.” Publishers Weekly said of County Line, “Contemporary sharp-edged noir doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s mournful novel featuring ex-cop Skin Kadash.” New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain described Day One as “an utterly engrossing page-turner.” In the Vancouver Voice, Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun said, “The body count is positively Shakespearean, but in Cameron’s vision of P-town’s dark underbelly, love really is strong as death. Maybe stronger.” Chasing Smoke received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist declared, “it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”
In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. Lost Dog was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. Cameron’s short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year, First Thrills, and A Beast Without A Name: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan.
Crossroad author W.H. Cameron raises backyard chickens in Oregon, and shapes unruly words into captivating people caught in harrowing situations in his writing room. As Bill Cameron, he’s the critically-acclaimed author of the edgy and stirring Skin Kadash mysteries, including County Line. His young adult mystery Property of the State, introducing troubled yet resourceful Joey Getchie, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2016.
In a starred review, Kirkus described Property of the State as, “An eminently satisfying series opener for mystery fans who want their downtrodden detectives to be appealing, clever, and unafraid of action.” Booklist said, “Joey’s intense, gripping narration of his heartbreaking life will haunt readers.” Publishers Weekly said of County Line, “Contemporary sharp-edged noir doesn’t get much better than Cameron’s mournful novel featuring ex-cop Skin Kadash.” New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Cain described Day One as “an utterly engrossing page-turner.” In the Vancouver Voice, Carolyn Schultz-Rathbun said, “The body count is positively Shakespearean, but in Cameron’s vision of P-town’s dark underbelly, love really is strong as death. Maybe stronger.” Chasing Smoke received a starred review from Library Journal, and Booklist declared, “it engages the reader on an emotional as well as literary level.”
In 2012, County Line won the Spotted Owl Award for Best Northwest Mystery. Lost Dog was nominated for the 2008 Rocky Award and was a finalist for the 2008 Spotted Owl Award. Cameron’s short story, “The Princess of Felony Flats,” was nominated for a 2011 CWA Short Story Dagger Award. His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Portland Noir, Murder at the Beach, Killer Year, First Thrills, and A Beast Without A Name: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Steely Dan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 9, 2008
I picked up Chasing Smoke and couldn’t put it down until the book was finished. Needless to say I didn’t get much done but I had the pleasure of reading a really good book.
Skin Kadash is a Portland homicide detective on sick leave. Skin is fighting cancer and the fight takes all of his strength. When his former partner summons him to the scene of a suicide he is more irritated than anything else. The man in the jeep, Raymond Orwoll, has been shot and it appears the wound is self-inflicted. Prescription bottles in the jeep show the prescribing physician is Dr. Tobias Hern, Skin’s oncologist.
Susan Mulvaney, Skin’s former partner, explains that Dr. Hern’s name has shown up on pill bottles found at several scenes in the last few weeks. It seems a girl named Jerilyn Titchmer had shown up at police headquarters with a list of five names that she claimed were targets. One was her father Davis Titchmer. Jerilyn’s father had died of a self-inflicted gun shot the previous week. Two of the men on the list were already dead when Jerilyn turned over her list. That makes three dead and now Orwoll is the fourth.
In spite of his illness Skin begins an investigation on his own. He interviews family members of the men on the list that are deceased and meets with Abraham Brandauer, the last person on the list who is still among the living.
The police aren’t impressed with Skin’s efforts but nothing can stop him once his mind is made up to find out the true story of the apparent suicides.
Chasing Smoke is a good mystery with a dramatic conclusion. The author’s description of the suffering of a cancer victim is gripping. Skin spends a lot of time in a coffee house run by a gal named Ruby Jane. Ruby Jane is a character I would like to read more about. I am very glad I had the opportunity to read this book. As soon as I finished Chasing Smoke I ordered Cameron’s Lost Dog.
Skin Kadash is a Portland homicide detective on sick leave. Skin is fighting cancer and the fight takes all of his strength. When his former partner summons him to the scene of a suicide he is more irritated than anything else. The man in the jeep, Raymond Orwoll, has been shot and it appears the wound is self-inflicted. Prescription bottles in the jeep show the prescribing physician is Dr. Tobias Hern, Skin’s oncologist.
Susan Mulvaney, Skin’s former partner, explains that Dr. Hern’s name has shown up on pill bottles found at several scenes in the last few weeks. It seems a girl named Jerilyn Titchmer had shown up at police headquarters with a list of five names that she claimed were targets. One was her father Davis Titchmer. Jerilyn’s father had died of a self-inflicted gun shot the previous week. Two of the men on the list were already dead when Jerilyn turned over her list. That makes three dead and now Orwoll is the fourth.
In spite of his illness Skin begins an investigation on his own. He interviews family members of the men on the list that are deceased and meets with Abraham Brandauer, the last person on the list who is still among the living.
The police aren’t impressed with Skin’s efforts but nothing can stop him once his mind is made up to find out the true story of the apparent suicides.
Chasing Smoke is a good mystery with a dramatic conclusion. The author’s description of the suffering of a cancer victim is gripping. Skin spends a lot of time in a coffee house run by a gal named Ruby Jane. Ruby Jane is a character I would like to read more about. I am very glad I had the opportunity to read this book. As soon as I finished Chasing Smoke I ordered Cameron’s Lost Dog.
December 30, 2012
Chasing Smoke was not a disappointment, both in terms of the writing style I was hoping for and a good, hard-boiled mystery. The story was told in the first person of Det. Kadash, who is near the end of his career. He is also not working as a result of a temporary disability; bladder cancer. While convalescing, his partner asks him to help take a look at a death she is investigating, the latest in a series of deaths of cancer patients all seen by the same doctor as Det. Kadash. The deaths all appear to be suicides, but the daughter of one of the victims thinks they are murder. As Det. Kadash looks into it, he doesn't find much other than a few coincidences. In the process, he ruffles feathers that a lot of people would have preferred have been left undisturbed.
Like every good hard-boiled mystery, the protagonist has a difficult time following the rules, has an adversarial relationship with his supervisor, and is better at antagonizing the people he interviews than getting valuable information from them. He has sharp wit, razor tongue, and a gift for sarcasm. But he is also very introspective, although often seems ambivalent, about his career, love life, and cancer. Kadash seems likable to those who really know him, but sadly, that is a small group of people. And he doesn't seem to have a problem making the group smaller.
I enjoyed Chasing Smoke, especially the second half. My first impression about Bill Cameron was right: he is fun to read. A smartass of the first order!
Like every good hard-boiled mystery, the protagonist has a difficult time following the rules, has an adversarial relationship with his supervisor, and is better at antagonizing the people he interviews than getting valuable information from them. He has sharp wit, razor tongue, and a gift for sarcasm. But he is also very introspective, although often seems ambivalent, about his career, love life, and cancer. Kadash seems likable to those who really know him, but sadly, that is a small group of people. And he doesn't seem to have a problem making the group smaller.
I enjoyed Chasing Smoke, especially the second half. My first impression about Bill Cameron was right: he is fun to read. A smartass of the first order!
January 17, 2009
I was moved to pick this book up when I found myself intrigued by its description. Basically, a homicide detective, Skin Kadash, who's fighting cancer sets out to uncover the truth about a series of deaths - all of whom are linked to his own doctor.
I do believe this is the first novel I've read where the protagonist is fighting a serious illness all the way through. It adds an interesting angle. Many of your typical tough-guy mysteries involve the detective running about chasing baddies and getting into fights, etc. Not so here.. at points Skin is so sick he can barely stand. He deflects a lot of sympathy by seemingly going out of his way to be an ass, leading to his alienating people who might otherwise be allies. He's a great character.. complex, hard to categorize. Dealing with the question of his own mortality while still trying to puzzle everything else out. Doing stupid things and being honest enough with himself to admit he doesn't know why he did them. Rife with faults, but with enough redeeming qualities that he's not loathesome.
For all the fuss, the ultimate answer to the mystery is not terribly special. One might even find it anticlimatic. But in a way, I thought this book was more about Skin then it was about the mystery. And it does an excellent job painting a portrait of the man.
I do believe this is the first novel I've read where the protagonist is fighting a serious illness all the way through. It adds an interesting angle. Many of your typical tough-guy mysteries involve the detective running about chasing baddies and getting into fights, etc. Not so here.. at points Skin is so sick he can barely stand. He deflects a lot of sympathy by seemingly going out of his way to be an ass, leading to his alienating people who might otherwise be allies. He's a great character.. complex, hard to categorize. Dealing with the question of his own mortality while still trying to puzzle everything else out. Doing stupid things and being honest enough with himself to admit he doesn't know why he did them. Rife with faults, but with enough redeeming qualities that he's not loathesome.
For all the fuss, the ultimate answer to the mystery is not terribly special. One might even find it anticlimatic. But in a way, I thought this book was more about Skin then it was about the mystery. And it does an excellent job painting a portrait of the man.
February 4, 2015
Bill Cameron's Chasing Smoke plays out in present day Portland, Oregon--a city that Cameron claims for inclusion with other cities classically known for noir, for hard boiled crime fiction. Cameron has a sense of humor that's black as cancer, a disease around which he's built a nice, complicated case for his detective, the disaffected Skin Kadash, to solve.
Kadash is "police," he's not a PI, but he's on leave and dealing with bladder cancer--very possibly acquired from the heavy metals he's taken into his body over the years via tobacco cigarettes--when his partner calls him to take a look at an apparent suicide, which connects with other suicides--and all of them cancer patients,like Kadash.
Far from conventionally attractive, far from physically conditioned, and mega light years from a good team player attitude, Skin Kadash drags himself through a hella good mystery, trading barbs with everybody from bitter widows to boy prostitutes. Cameron's respectful use of police procedure and his knowledge of police culture grounds a really well structured novel that does what noir is supposed to do--take the reader on a journey to the end of night.
Kadash is "police," he's not a PI, but he's on leave and dealing with bladder cancer--very possibly acquired from the heavy metals he's taken into his body over the years via tobacco cigarettes--when his partner calls him to take a look at an apparent suicide, which connects with other suicides--and all of them cancer patients,like Kadash.
Far from conventionally attractive, far from physically conditioned, and mega light years from a good team player attitude, Skin Kadash drags himself through a hella good mystery, trading barbs with everybody from bitter widows to boy prostitutes. Cameron's respectful use of police procedure and his knowledge of police culture grounds a really well structured novel that does what noir is supposed to do--take the reader on a journey to the end of night.
February 21, 2009
Oregon based mystery by Portland author. So far so good but guy is a little too hard-assed sometimes.
Update: "Skin" Kadash is a homicide detective on leave to fight bladder cancer. I still think the guy was a HA and loose cannon in his investigative work especially since he was not supposed to be investigating suicides that were considered closed cases. BUT I guess there wouldn't be much of a story if he was milque-toasty and accepted all of the warnings to stop he was given by his superiors. I ultimately liked the book although I think the first book in this series a little tighter ("Lost Dog), but the author does an excellent job of portraying the grittier side of Portland which is juxtaposed with the higher end neighborhoods he visits. The ending is wide open for another, which I will look forward to reading. I would recommend this to readers who want a good hard-boiled mystery with a lone wolf male detective.
Update: "Skin" Kadash is a homicide detective on leave to fight bladder cancer. I still think the guy was a HA and loose cannon in his investigative work especially since he was not supposed to be investigating suicides that were considered closed cases. BUT I guess there wouldn't be much of a story if he was milque-toasty and accepted all of the warnings to stop he was given by his superiors. I ultimately liked the book although I think the first book in this series a little tighter ("Lost Dog), but the author does an excellent job of portraying the grittier side of Portland which is juxtaposed with the higher end neighborhoods he visits. The ending is wide open for another, which I will look forward to reading. I would recommend this to readers who want a good hard-boiled mystery with a lone wolf male detective.
September 10, 2011
I connected more with this book than with Lost Dog because this protagonist, Detective Skin Kadash, is a guy I can go the distance with. He's complex, complicated, and conflicted. He's fighting cancer, trying to stay off cigarettes, and working unofficially to solve a string of murders dismissed as suicides. The descriptions of Portland were terrific, although at times I found myself hopping over some of them - probably because it's all familiar to me and I didn't feel the need to be grounded in the setting like an out-of-towner might. And I have to admit to getting a little frustrated with Skin's failure to take the kind of care of himself the way a man in his condition should. I became less-than-sympathetic about his stomach pain when he got so involved in the case he didn't eat. But, hey, I can't go more than two hours without a snack - a reader less devoted to cheese crackers and cashews wouldn't be bothered by that.
January 27, 2011
This is basically a police procedural but I enjoyed it more for the character dynamics than the "whodunit".
Chasing Smoke follows Lost Dog in a "series" based in Portland,OR. Primary characters in Lost Dog play secondary role in this one while a police detective featured in previous book "stars" in Chasing Smoke. (I'm seeing more of these "inter-related" books lately and I like the concept.)
Detective "Skin" Kadash is on medical leave (undergoing treatment for Bladder Cancer) and is asked by his (former) partner to "take a look" at a case that may involve other patients at his Doctor's. Despite his pain and flagging energy ,he is like a dog not letting go of a bone to figure out all that is going on...at the risk of his career, his relationships, and his health.
I will definitely look for the next one by this author.
Chasing Smoke follows Lost Dog in a "series" based in Portland,OR. Primary characters in Lost Dog play secondary role in this one while a police detective featured in previous book "stars" in Chasing Smoke. (I'm seeing more of these "inter-related" books lately and I like the concept.)
Detective "Skin" Kadash is on medical leave (undergoing treatment for Bladder Cancer) and is asked by his (former) partner to "take a look" at a case that may involve other patients at his Doctor's. Despite his pain and flagging energy ,he is like a dog not letting go of a bone to figure out all that is going on...at the risk of his career, his relationships, and his health.
I will definitely look for the next one by this author.
February 1, 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed Cameron's first novel, Lost Dog, and looked forward to his second book, Chasing Smoke. I was not disappointed. For me the heart and soul of this book was not the murder plot, but the character of Skin Kadash, the detective being eaten away by cancer. In Chasing Smoke (a wonderful and appropriate title, by the way), we not only get to follow Skin's thought process as he untangles the deaths of a group of cancer patients, but his struggle, both emotional and physical, with his own illness. Well done!
August 14, 2012
This is a really good detective novel, which not only got me hooked but also had me completely bamboozled as to who 'done it' and why.
It was also from a slightly different point of view than most detective stories. The main character is a detective (of course) who's on leave while he's being treated for bladder cancer. His ex-partner asks him to look over her notes concerning a series of suicides, and he begins investigating on his own.
Recommended - as long as you don't mind a bit of rough language.
It was also from a slightly different point of view than most detective stories. The main character is a detective (of course) who's on leave while he's being treated for bladder cancer. His ex-partner asks him to look over her notes concerning a series of suicides, and he begins investigating on his own.
Recommended - as long as you don't mind a bit of rough language.
December 3, 2009
Skin Kadish is a detective on leave from the Portland police force while he fights cancer. The character development was fantastic - Skin doesn't play the political game at work but leaves you genuinely wishing he would get out of his own way sometimes.
The book left me wanting to know what happens next between the ambitious partner who had approached him for help (because Skin plays outside the rules) who Skin subsequently went totally out of bounds on.
The book left me wanting to know what happens next between the ambitious partner who had approached him for help (because Skin plays outside the rules) who Skin subsequently went totally out of bounds on.
April 9, 2011
My book discussion group has as its next read Lost Dog by Portland author Bill Cameron. I finished Lost Dog, very much enjoyed it, and was pleased to know that our librarian liked it as well, so much so that she picked up a couple of Cameron's other books.
In Lost Dog, the homicide detective Skin Kadash plays a secondary role; this time he's the featured player. Cameron's books, once you pick them up, are pretty difficult to put down. Good reading.
In Lost Dog, the homicide detective Skin Kadash plays a secondary role; this time he's the featured player. Cameron's books, once you pick them up, are pretty difficult to put down. Good reading.
November 5, 2010
Detective “Skin” Kadash is one of the best characters I have met in a long time and he appears in one of the best mysteries that I have read in a while. Extra bonus - Portland locale.
See Sarah's excellent review:
Awkward Librarian Review
See Sarah's excellent review:
Awkward Librarian Review
September 12, 2012
This was about a guy on medical leave from his job as a detective due to cancer. His old partner asks him to follow up with a case that looks suspicious and it drags on, and on, and on. It finally wraps up in the last 30 pages or so and even though it give all the answers you are looking for, it fell very flat to me. I am just glad it is over.
September 16, 2011
Chasing Smoke was an awesome story, I loved the fact that it took place in Portland, being from Oregon I was able to recognize a few of the streets and sections of the city. All in all the story had a nice flow to it.
November 29, 2011
On leave while battling cancer detective Skin Kadash gets involved in a series of men murdered that were made to look like suicides. The connection? They all go to his cancer doctor, too.
Third in the series--liking them very much.
Third in the series--liking them very much.
September 15, 2008
This is a good police procedural with great character development, at least for the main character.
March 29, 2009
Police Procedural set in an angry hot Portland.
Read
January 22, 2009I really like the main character "Skin", a barely still on the force cop suffering from bladder cancer. Really picks up speed after the halfway point.
April 20, 2009
Bill Cameron is an author to watch. Loved this book. Can't wait for the next one.
September 15, 2009
pretty realistic, I thought.
January 4, 2010
A loner detective on leave because he has cancer is sucked into an investigation into the supposed suicides of four men who were patients of the detective's doctor.
March 14, 2010
This is the first book I've enjoyed written in fppt. Evidently when I read Bill Cammeron, Humphrey Bogart is the narrator. It's his voice!
June 8, 2010
Ok, not great.
June 19, 2010
Really good book. Wish I had his Lost Dog book. I'll have to look for it at Powell's in Portland next time I'm there.
January 1, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Besides glimpsing places in Portland that the author displayed so well, the twists and turns kept me guessing until nearly the end.
January 17, 2011
Good, very good! 286 pages
September 23, 2011
Loved this book. After reading one of his other books, I had to get them all!
November 1, 2011
confusing.
September 26, 2009
The description was more interesting thatn the book.
September 16, 2013
I had a hard time getting into the book, but it was well worth the time. Strong writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews