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No One Left to Remember
Washington DC, 1968: a college professor is found dead in the aftermath of the riots following Martin Luther King's assassination. Thirty-nine years later his son is found murdered in Fort Worth,Texas. Detective Caleb Shepherd is surprised that the seemingly routine case draws the interest of a major defense company, the senior senator from Texas, and a billionaire philanthropist.
As the investigation proceeds Shepherd uncovers an appalling web of betrayal and murder that had been hidden for seventy years. If this secret becomes known it will destroy the legacy of a respected family, ruin the career of an influential senator, and threaten the future of one of America's largest oil companies.
A seventy year old secret of betrayal and murder
As the investigation proceeds Shepherd uncovers an appalling web of betrayal and murder that had been hidden for seventy years. If this secret becomes known it will destroy the legacy of a respected family, ruin the career of an influential senator, and threaten the future of one of America's largest oil companies.
A seventy year old secret of betrayal and murder
ebook
First published October 30, 2014
3 people want to read
About the author
Raymond Barrie
1 book1 followerRaymond Barrie grew up in Texas and spent his earlier adult years in that state and Maryland, near Washington DC. Raymond and his wife moved to England in 2000 and have lived there since then. His reading interests on the fiction side have included Dostoevsky (in translation of course), Kurt Vonnegut, Kingsley Amis, F Scott Fitzgerald, Anthony Burgess, Margaret Drabble, Zola, Flaubert, Maupassant. His poetry interests include Wordsworth, T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats. More recent reading interests in literary fiction include Bellow, Roth, Franzen. Recent interests in the mystery/crime/spy genre and include Graham Green, John Le Carre, Kate Atkinson and a number of French mystery novelists.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 14, 2014
This is an excellent crime story full of suspense and well written characters. I have a personal liking for stories that link events from the past with the present and in this story two murders within the same family occur forty plus years apart and it takes a determined police detective to find the link and solve the crimes.
I liked the realism of the story and the link to historical events. The story traces important elements of American history with its references to slavery, racism and oil exploration.
As so often in life, we discover greed and power are the motivations behind the crime but there is a very satisfactory conclusion.
This is an enjoyable and exciting crime mystery well worth five stars.
I liked the realism of the story and the link to historical events. The story traces important elements of American history with its references to slavery, racism and oil exploration.
As so often in life, we discover greed and power are the motivations behind the crime but there is a very satisfactory conclusion.
This is an enjoyable and exciting crime mystery well worth five stars.
February 22, 2015
Compelling, with unexpected twists and turns
The story begins with Professor Roger Duprey obtaining possession of letters written in the 1930s and 40s relating to the oil industry. Shortly thereafter, Martin Luther King is assassinated and riots break out. Duprey dies.
Thirty-nine years later, Professor Malcolm Duprey has been murdered in Fort Worth, Texas, while he was there attending a conference. Detective Caleb Shepherd is assigned the case. Initially, it is thought that Duprey died as a result of mistaken identity by the local drug dealers. Shepherd soon discovers that Duprey and his colleague, Wilson, at Howard University had put together an algorithm for a company competing for a contract with Homeland Security. Without Duprey, the other competitor had a distinct advantage. The day Duprey met his demise he had been doing research at an oil exploration museum. The administrator there seems to be overly interested in the case. As Shepherd dwells deeper into the crime, he discovers that Duprey’s father, Professor Roger Duprey, was killed 39 years earlier. At that time, his death was pinned on the riots caused by unrest in the black community after the killing of Martin Luther King. When Shepherd requests the files, he finds there isn’t any info that would indicate a proper investigation had been completed. Shepherd speculates if there could be a connection. As the story unfolds, Shepherd unearths sordid details and the suspects continue to mount.
This is a well-crafted crime story full of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages to find out who were the culprits in the murders of both Malcolm Duprey and his father 39 years earlier. The characters felt genuine, adding to a very enjoyable read.
The story begins with Professor Roger Duprey obtaining possession of letters written in the 1930s and 40s relating to the oil industry. Shortly thereafter, Martin Luther King is assassinated and riots break out. Duprey dies.
Thirty-nine years later, Professor Malcolm Duprey has been murdered in Fort Worth, Texas, while he was there attending a conference. Detective Caleb Shepherd is assigned the case. Initially, it is thought that Duprey died as a result of mistaken identity by the local drug dealers. Shepherd soon discovers that Duprey and his colleague, Wilson, at Howard University had put together an algorithm for a company competing for a contract with Homeland Security. Without Duprey, the other competitor had a distinct advantage. The day Duprey met his demise he had been doing research at an oil exploration museum. The administrator there seems to be overly interested in the case. As Shepherd dwells deeper into the crime, he discovers that Duprey’s father, Professor Roger Duprey, was killed 39 years earlier. At that time, his death was pinned on the riots caused by unrest in the black community after the killing of Martin Luther King. When Shepherd requests the files, he finds there isn’t any info that would indicate a proper investigation had been completed. Shepherd speculates if there could be a connection. As the story unfolds, Shepherd unearths sordid details and the suspects continue to mount.
This is a well-crafted crime story full of twists and turns that kept me turning the pages to find out who were the culprits in the murders of both Malcolm Duprey and his father 39 years earlier. The characters felt genuine, adding to a very enjoyable read.
May 24, 2015
No One Left to Remember is a mystery novel with a slight emphasis on history—a hint of history, if you will. The inciting incident is the murder of a college professor in town for a conference. Detective Caleb Shepherd is the one responsible for finding his killer as soon as possible, as it looks bad for tourism, the conference, and just about everyone else in the city. The first half of the book follows Shepherd as he attempts to solve the murder while uncovering an occasional glimpse that there is something more going on behind the curtain. The second half of the book focusses on the unravelling of a conspiracy that spans the better part of the last century and could potentially destroy an empire.
There’s a lot to like in No One Left to Remember. I have a Master’s in history, so it was a lot of fun being able to kind of “learn” about the past along with Shepherd. The conspiracy is dense—perhaps a bit too much for its own good—but there are plenty of twists and turns that keep everything moving forward. Shepherd himself is unique—he was a philosophy professor before becoming a detective, and this fact infuses a number of situations. It’s also a very low-key mystery—there are only three action beats in the book, and they are certainly earned. Further, attentive readers will pick up on little snippets of description or offhanded comments that come in to play later—always a great thing for any reader to stumble upon.
My biggest criticism of the book is the dialogue. It is fully functional and gets all the relevant information across, but it suffers from being much too dry. Conversations with suspects can be very robotic, and there are a number of times a flashback or something similar would have benefitted the overall pace of the narrative. It can be especially rough when we meet a character who describes, in detail, their job over the course of a mountain of dialogue.
This leads to another concern—Shepherd and his cohorts do some off-page detectiving which leads to occasional “Gotcha!” moments in conversations with potential baddies. While this is fine, if a little jarring, coupled with the over-description in the dialogue it does leave me wondering why the audience wasn’t clued in certain developments.
But this is hardly condemnatory. No One Left to Remember is good at building suspense and sustaining a strong narrative.
There’s a lot to like in No One Left to Remember. I have a Master’s in history, so it was a lot of fun being able to kind of “learn” about the past along with Shepherd. The conspiracy is dense—perhaps a bit too much for its own good—but there are plenty of twists and turns that keep everything moving forward. Shepherd himself is unique—he was a philosophy professor before becoming a detective, and this fact infuses a number of situations. It’s also a very low-key mystery—there are only three action beats in the book, and they are certainly earned. Further, attentive readers will pick up on little snippets of description or offhanded comments that come in to play later—always a great thing for any reader to stumble upon.
My biggest criticism of the book is the dialogue. It is fully functional and gets all the relevant information across, but it suffers from being much too dry. Conversations with suspects can be very robotic, and there are a number of times a flashback or something similar would have benefitted the overall pace of the narrative. It can be especially rough when we meet a character who describes, in detail, their job over the course of a mountain of dialogue.
This leads to another concern—Shepherd and his cohorts do some off-page detectiving which leads to occasional “Gotcha!” moments in conversations with potential baddies. While this is fine, if a little jarring, coupled with the over-description in the dialogue it does leave me wondering why the audience wasn’t clued in certain developments.
But this is hardly condemnatory. No One Left to Remember is good at building suspense and sustaining a strong narrative.
January 18, 2015
The title may be, “No One Left to Remember," but you will remember this book long after you have read it. It is a first –rate thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from page one until the dramatic conclusion.
Intrepid Fort Worth Detective Caleb Shepard is trying to figure who murdered Howard University Professor Malcolm Duprey. The political machinery is trying to pin the murder on local drug dealers, but Shepard soon discovers that it may be tied to two earlier murders of people who might have been relatives of the dead professor.
The author impeccably captures the restless feelings of ennui that existed in 1968, when Duprey’s father was murdered during race riots following Martin Luther King’s death. For me, I was especially interested in the detailed perspective provided of how black people experienced this era.
As Detective Shepard and Duprey’s fiancé, Barbara Wilder, relentlessly track down clues from the past, it sent chills down my back as new witnesses came forward to shed light on the puzzle that seemed insolvable.
Detective Shepard asks a suspect, “Do you think that good works can undo an evil? Say if the good benefited thousands of people, perhaps hundreds of thousands, and the evil hurt only one person?” This is one of many questions that Detective Shepard will find the answer to.
The writing style is very enjoyable to read. Great dialog and strong characters. But, most of all, this book provides a thrilling story that you leaves you still trying to catch your breath up to the minute the satisfying end finally arrives.
Intrepid Fort Worth Detective Caleb Shepard is trying to figure who murdered Howard University Professor Malcolm Duprey. The political machinery is trying to pin the murder on local drug dealers, but Shepard soon discovers that it may be tied to two earlier murders of people who might have been relatives of the dead professor.
The author impeccably captures the restless feelings of ennui that existed in 1968, when Duprey’s father was murdered during race riots following Martin Luther King’s death. For me, I was especially interested in the detailed perspective provided of how black people experienced this era.
As Detective Shepard and Duprey’s fiancé, Barbara Wilder, relentlessly track down clues from the past, it sent chills down my back as new witnesses came forward to shed light on the puzzle that seemed insolvable.
Detective Shepard asks a suspect, “Do you think that good works can undo an evil? Say if the good benefited thousands of people, perhaps hundreds of thousands, and the evil hurt only one person?” This is one of many questions that Detective Shepard will find the answer to.
The writing style is very enjoyable to read. Great dialog and strong characters. But, most of all, this book provides a thrilling story that you leaves you still trying to catch your breath up to the minute the satisfying end finally arrives.
November 29, 2014
This is a murder mystery set in two time periods, the first in 1968, at the time of the Martin Luther King assignation, and the uproar protests this caused amongst the black community, then fast forward to the present day. It revolves around two murders, one an eminent professor killed during the unrest and riots of 1968, the second in the present day just happens to be the professor’s son.
The question is, are the two murders connected. It’s a job for intrepid Detectives Shephard and Delgado.
What follows is a fast paced thriller involving an multi-million dollar contract, the government and lots of other things thrown in.
The author is very skilled at bringing his characters to life, and allowing the story to flow so well. I never saw the end coming, and was quite surprised by what I found out. A very good crime thriller. Hopefully it is the start of a series.
The question is, are the two murders connected. It’s a job for intrepid Detectives Shephard and Delgado.
What follows is a fast paced thriller involving an multi-million dollar contract, the government and lots of other things thrown in.
The author is very skilled at bringing his characters to life, and allowing the story to flow so well. I never saw the end coming, and was quite surprised by what I found out. A very good crime thriller. Hopefully it is the start of a series.
November 28, 2014
So pleasantly surprised with this novel... I had no idea that Texas oil history could be so interesting! Raymond Barrie has taken what could have been a somewhat dry subject and turned it into a riveting page-turner of a murder mystery. Barrie weaves both past and present politics, corporate greed, racial tension, suspense, and intrigue in this very well-researched and polished story. His characters are gritty and real, and while the story itself is somewhat complex, his writing is spot-on in making it accessible and enjoyable. Even though I had an idea where the story was going, I hated putting the book aside and wanted to keep reading. I highly recommend this book. Kudos to the author!
December 4, 2014
Murder, Betrayal, Big Oil, and Flower Power
For anyone who lived through the turbulent late 60’s and early 70’s, this novel will be a treat. It’s a murder mystery of cultural opposites, the powerful and the poor. In the middle is a police detective trying to make sense of it all.
This is an excellent crime thriller. Rich in character grounded in recognizable events, with enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing and entertained. The story is also timely against the riots happening now; reminding us the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This book is very well written, crafted by a pro with strong characters sweeping across generations and social chasms. Once started it is impossible to put down. Highly recommended.
For anyone who lived through the turbulent late 60’s and early 70’s, this novel will be a treat. It’s a murder mystery of cultural opposites, the powerful and the poor. In the middle is a police detective trying to make sense of it all.
This is an excellent crime thriller. Rich in character grounded in recognizable events, with enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing and entertained. The story is also timely against the riots happening now; reminding us the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This book is very well written, crafted by a pro with strong characters sweeping across generations and social chasms. Once started it is impossible to put down. Highly recommended.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews