Boogie House

Rolson McKane #1

by T. Blake Braddy

Back in the days when Blind Lemon Jefferson walked the Earth, the Boogie House was a place where African-Americans could hide away on Friday and Saturday nights without being hassled by the white majority of Lumber Junction. Now it’s a rotten, hollowed out shell of a building, the kind of place where murderers dump their victims.

But that might not be all. When Rolson McKane stumbles onto a savage crime scene in the abandoned juke joint, he’s surprised the old place hasn’t been torn down. He’s even more surprised when the long-dead patrons get up and start partying in the middle of the night.

Rolson McKane is no stranger to misery, but the shock of realizing the supernatural is real might just be too much for him. Don’t get him wrong: he’s been haunted his whole life, just not by ghosts. The son of a son of a long line of drunks, he’s managed to amass a whole house full of demons, and they’ve destroyed just about everything: his marriage, his job as a local cop, his fleeting good sense.

Now that he’s no longer an officer of the law, Rolson has finally decided to do some actual police work. No one seems to be interested in the murder of Emmitt Laveau, save for Rolson himself, and his only allies are his bail bondsman, the woman he nearly killed, and the dead man who visits his dreams.

Genres: Mystery, Paranormal, Fiction, Supernatural

342 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 11, 2014

Reviews

[J. Saman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying that I don't normally read suspense or paranormal stuff. That said, I liked this story a lot. There was a tremendous amount to it and I felt the pace was perfectly done as new information was unfolded just when you needed it to be. The writing was masterful (not a word I use all that often). That alone was enough to suck me in, but the story did not disappoint and kept me guessing.
Rolson McKane is sort of a hot mess of a main character. An alcoholic former cop who stumbles upon a body in the middle on the woods. Things progressively become more and more complicated from here. This is the deep south and there are politics and agendas and even his addict ex-wife gets thrown into the mix. I really enjoyed were the strange dreams that we turn out to be way more than just that. We learn a lot of about Rolson and his past and even how it relates to the murder of Emmitt Laveau. I absolutely loved the way the killer was brought to justice. Very unique.

The mystery was well done and the characters well developed. I enjoyed the supernatural component to the story as it added a little something extra. I will say that (in my opinion) we heard and felt a little too much about Rolson's alcoholism. He wasn't the most likable or relatable of characters and I could have done without some of his hangovers. This is also my own person perspective because he was well fleshed out and his situations with his substance abuse are probably very accurate. His friends went out of their way to try and help him, or enable him. I didn't quite get why as he wasn't the nicest of people and didn't exactly reciprocate a whole lot. I think I was hoping for a bit more to happen with him in terms of his addiction other than his self-destructive path.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of murder mysteries and paranormal books.

[Robbie Cheadle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a supernatural thriller about a man who has hit rock bottom in life and then stumbles across the body of the son of a woman he nearly killed. Rolson is an alcoholic and spends most of his time drinking. His drinking has resulted in him losing his job and crashing into the car of a woman in the town where he lives. Fortunately for him, she is not badly injured or killed in the accident due to a stroke of good fortune with the way the car reacted to the impact of the crash. His wife is a drug addict who has left him for another man. She enters the story about 40% of the way through in a very unimproved state.

Strange visions and supernatural nighttime experiences, together with Rolson's guilt over the woman he nearly killed, leads him to promising her that he will investigate her son's story. There are a mixture of other characters in the book including a small town politician who wants to make the big time, his bodyguards/supporters and the grandfather of the murdered man who is psychic.

I found this book a bit difficult to read and finish. The story felt a bit fractured and the supernatural elements felt out of context for me.

The writing is good and very descriptive. The author has a lovely way with words.

[Linda Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure I was going to like this book but it really keeps you enthralled. The storyline changes rapidly and there is interesting foray into voodoo.

[Abhik Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got an opportunity to lap up this thriller after getting piqued by the cover and the story did not disappoint me. Rolson McKane is a vivid character, with flaws and heroism in abundance.

The book has been well written with boosters at the appropriate places. It does not let your attention waver for long. Splashes of the paranormal and gruesome crime make it thoroughly enjoyable. Best of all, the author paints a lasting portrait of the characters and the scenes...You cannot but be hooked.

All in all, very enjoyable. It was over before I started :)

[Paula Berinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I almost gave this book five stars, but it dragged for so long in the middle that I just couldn't. However, the writing is amazing and the story is good. Even though I guessed some of the secrets the author still fooled me at the end. Very enjoyable if you can get through the middle.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boogie House: A Rolson McKane Southern Mystery by T. Blake Braddy was a wonderful story to read. This story is writen by a brand new author for me. I loved reading it cause it was about murder and paranormal which I love to read about both and I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about paranormal things.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Steven Howes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be an unusual, interesting, and very disturbing murder mystery. The protagonist is Rolson McKane, a down and out former police officer in a rural Georgia town full of redneck cops, corrupt lawyers and businessmen, and just plain mean people. Rolson is an alchoholic whose drug addicted wife has left him. He has been fired from his police job for DUI after running into a black woman's car and injuring her. As he awaits his court date, visions and dreams lead him to an abandoned juke joint in the woods near his home where he discovers the battered body of a young black man who just happens to be the son of the woman whose car he hit . Finding the murderer becomes an obsession and his quest eventually places him in a number of dangerous situations and which unearth much unpleasant past personal and local history. It also involves a few encounters with a voodoo practitioner and more psychic and/or paranormal experiences.

This may sound overly complex which it is. However the author does an excellent job of tying the story together and explaining the background for each of important happening. I found the book to very well-written and enjoyed every minute of it although it was extremely dark at times. There are number of surprises at the end. I look forward to following Rolson McKane's escapades in the next book in the series.

[Mimi Davis Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

The spirits of truth

This is an interesting and entertaining ghost story,it kind of leaves me asking is my house in order. Is it or past which hunts us,and can we make it right,if it is!

[Linda]

Rolson McKane- ex cop- alcoholic- a wife that ran and then came back with a LOT of issues of her own.. Throw in some voodoo and a lot of Karma and you have Boogie House...

[Russ Troutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boogie House is the first of a three part series that follows Rolson McKane, a former detective who, after losing wife, now only works on one type of cases; cases of beer. Like the bottle in his hand, his life has pretty much reached the bottom when he drunkingly gets behind the wheel of his truck and nearly kills an elderly lady in town. On this particular day he didn't kill anyone, but it didn't keep him from encountering the dead. While taking a walk later that night he travels both through the woods near his house and to the 'other side', discovering the body and spirit of someone that had been missing for quite some time. Rolson digs up more than just that body on this night though, as he finds himself in a spiderweb of mystery and corruption. Rolson McKane is on the chase; chasing shots of whiskey with beer, chasing away his own demons, and chasing down a killer. If he's not careful, he may just end up on the 'other side' with the spirits he's using to help him solve this murder.

[Drew Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

So if James Lee Burke moved Dave Robicheaux's base of operations to South Georgia and tossed in some supernatural forces, you'd have Boogie House, the supremely readable first novel by Braddy. I'm curious to see where Rolson McKane goes next.

[Rosie Mcclurg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book it was a mysterious and a little spooky but there was a story there when you got past the spooky part. We all have problems and hurts to deal with and sometimes a guy seems hopeless when his values are deep and really caring. Liked the characters.

[Linda Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good book with a supernatural feel to it, my salute to you Mr. Braddy!

[Anita Nasr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though Boogie House is his first novel, T. Blake Braddy writes with the self-assurance of a seasoned author. He's got swagger; there’s a devil-may-care attitude in his storytelling that’s very appealing. And he has the right to be confident—he definitely has a way with words. “I stared at her for a while in the quiet pleasure of the afternoon.” Clever, unique descriptions like these are plentiful throughout the book and I really enjoyed them. But it was also a frustrating read. What seems to have been a slapdash editing job overlooks many typos, and more importantly, many instances where there was no agreement between the beginning of a sentence and its end. I also struggled through a few continuity issues, some of which I think have to do with the formatting of the ebook file.

Editing issues aside, Boogie House introduces an interesting premise, crossing the paranormal with the crime mystery. Things aren’t going so well for former cop Rolson McKane. His addict wife has left him, his drinking has gotten out of control and the demons of his past continue to haunt him. To make matters worse, he begins to experience hallucinations, the first of which leads him to discover the body of a murder victim. He immediately suspects Brickmeyer, the owner of the land on which the body was found, who has money and political aspirations. Rolson ignores the advice of about 12 people (I’m probably exaggerating) who tell him he should keep well away from Brickmeyer if he knows what’s good for him. In an effort to repay an old debt he feels he owes to society, he begins an unofficial investigation.

This is when you expect the down-on-his-luck protagonist to start earning your good will and support. The problem is that Rol is not very likeable. The man is clearly carrying a lot of baggage and it's quite irritating watching him not deal with any of it. With other such characters there's usually enough humour or sarcasm or a history of admirable actions to make up for the lack of traditionally likeable traits. Here there was nothing to help me warm up to him. He makes bad decisions (sometimes resulting in serious consequences for those who are trying to help him), he's a drunkard, he has trouble expressing feelings or reactions, and his investigation skills are desperately wanting. Granted, he’s having to deal with visions, and they were the best parts of the book for me, but I would’ve liked to see them put to better use instead of simply taking the place of a respectable inquiry.

Half way through the book, a sit-down with a mystic guitar player kicks off a more satisfying stretch. Still, the errors are a nuisance, and a crying shame. A sentence like “I watched the old man slide his way through some decades-old tragedy” is robbed of its beauty by the confusing one that follows: “He didn’t play for a long time, but he didn’t stop immediately, but when he did, it felt like exactly the right moment.”

The race issues addressed in the story give it depth and resonance; some of the historical scenes are difficult to read, as they should be. The ending came as a surprise—the murderer wasn’t at all who I thought it would be—and if you’re a fan of the procedural crime series, the setup for the crime-fighting Rolson McKane with his revelatory visions (and let’s not forget his buddy Deuce) will have you reaching for the next book.

[Laura Libricz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this 3.5 stars on account of the brilliant writing. There's a lot of clever passages in Boogie House, enough to keep me plodding through the story. This book is a lot of fun to read out loud. And although Rolson McKane is a very realistic character, it was hard for me to connect with him or even follow him around. When he discovers a dead body in the extinct old juke joint called Boogie House, he starts to poke around a local prominent property owner.
If you'd enjoy a well-written, clever book featuring a very damaged main-character-slash-detective and with lots of beer and Beam, then this one's for you!

[C. Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't praise this book enough. It is rich, dripping in Southern culture, has excellent character development the weaves them into your soul. The action is well paced, descriptions that plant you in every scene without dragging the pacing. The complexity of the story is as grand as any thriller I've ever read. I kept changing whom I thought did what until the very end. This is an absolute page-turner. I could not put it down last night and stayed up until 3:30 AM to finish it.
If you like murder mysteries, thrillers, Southern cultural stories, you will LOVE this book.
Most highly recommended!

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book to read for a Goodreads challenge because I needed a book with a house on the cover. The problem with reviewing a book like this is that I had such a hard time getting into the story. I pushed forward thru the book in the hopes that it would pick up. Unfortunately, it just never did. The MC was always drunk so I really couldn't relate to him much. I really didn't care for any of the characters. The book isn't horrible but it simply didn't interest me. Overall, this book wasn't for me.

[Joni Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunted Investigation

A small-town packed with history, feuds, grudges, and lost dreams is where Rolson McKane hits rock bottom. An anti-hero of sorts, Rolson uses his time to stir up the locals to find the killer of a young black man. Driven by unseen forces, he puts his life on the line to expose the killer.
Plenty of surprising twists and memorable characters keep the reader going to the shocking end.

[wanda york · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rambling take with super natural under current. An ex cop with serious drinking problems and we drug addicted wife who is thrown into a murder. Asked by the victims mother to help solve the crime a woman he also came close to killing in a dui incident.

Lots of twists and turn lots of old secrets speckled with supernatural occurences. Jumped around a bit too much but a good read

[Gary L. Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gripping And Intense Read.

This is a book that is well written. The characters and locale come to life in a vivid and believable way. It contains a mystery that shows how the past affects the present. Murder, racism and the supernatural are weaved together in a spell binding way. I have already purchased this authors novella and next novel. I am already a big fan of this author.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something happened to his family and him in the past. He does not talk about but everyone knows. He was a small town cop which he blow when he had an accident. He drinks heavily. A man is murdered but no-one is interested so he looks into it. Will.he.find out what happened? Who.did it? Can he stop drinking? See how he gets on

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Reenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engrossing mystery

This book grabbed me from thw very beginning. Rolson McKane is sort of an antihero, but he tries hard to do thw right thing. If you're a fan of Joe Lansdale's Hap and Leonard series, you'll like this.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, was an AWESOME READ!!

Boogie House, was an AMAZING read, full of life in the South. The good and the bad. Not really anything surprising to me there, being Southern born myself.
As a Southerner, we are raised on stories such as this. Sad, but some times, too true.

[Nat Burns]

Good story

A little repetitive in some cases but a good read nevertheless. The ending was a nice surprise and the slow reveal was well done. I did note that the lead character was so dysfunctional that it was hard to relate to him.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the story at times bogged down and this reader was unsure of finishing, it did provide for a pretty good read overall. The crimes to be solved mixed with the paranormal created an unusual but satisfying reading experience. 3.5 stars

[C.E. DeJoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird who done it novel

Not my cup of tea. Story laced with paranormal events and the main character was difficult to understand. He was a disgraced alcoholic former cop. The mystery itself would have ok but the convoluted way it was told made it hard to follow.

[william lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strangely maybe possible. Not!

I am a big fan of Burke’s books and his encounters with civil war soldiers, etc. This tome goes way beyond into dreams and spirits rather naturally. Not every day fare but good for a change.

[Lynn Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for fans of flawed heroes.

Reminded me of James Lee Burke and John Connolly. Rolson is a very flawed man trying desperately to do the right thing in spite of himself. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Mary Stenvall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the book, more than the first time I read it. Reminds me of James Lee Burke. It's that moody, surreal tone, the touch of paranormal, that keeps you reading. The book slogs down a little at places but picks right back up. Not a quick read, savor and enjoy.

[Keith Paxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Braddy's writing, style and character development. Not a bunch of super heroes, just well developed characters complete w/ plenty of flaws trying to solve problems. Throw in some bizarre issues to the plot and it's a good read.
Nice work, Braddy