The Dread Line: A Mulligan Novel

Liam Mulligan #5

by Bruce DeSilva

The Dread the latest Liam Mulligan novel from award winning author Bruce DeSilva.

Since he got fired in spectacular fashion from his newspaper job last year, former investigative reporter Liam Mulligan has been piecing together a new life--one that straddles both sides of the law. He's getting some part-time work with his friend McCracken's detective agency. He's picking up beer money by freelancing for a local news website. And he's looking after his semi-retired mobster-friend's bookmaking business.

But Mulligan still manages to find trouble. He's feuding with a cat that keeps leaving its kills on his porch. He's obsessed with a baffling jewelry heist. And he's enraged that someone in town is torturing animals. All this keeps distracting him from a big case that needs his full attention. The New England Patriots, shaken by a series of murder charges against a star player, have hired Mulligan and McCracken to investigate the background of a college athlete they're thinking of drafting. At first, the job seems routine, but as soon as they begin asking questions, they get push-back. The player, it seems, has something to hide--and someone is willing to kill to make sure it remains secret.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Humor

320 pages, Hardcover

First published July 26, 2016

About the author

Bruce DeSilva grew up in a tiny Massachusetts mill town where the mill closed when he was ten. He had an austere childhood bereft of iPods, X-Boxes, and all the other cool stuff that hadn’t been invented yet. In this parochial little town, metaphors and alliteration were also in short supply. Nevertheless, his crime fiction has won the Edgar and Macavity Awards; has been listed as a finalist for the Shamus, Anthony, and Barry Awards; and has been published in ten foreign languages. His short stories have appeared in Akashic Press's award-winning noir anthologies. He has reviewed books for The New York Times Sunday Book Review and Publishers Weekly, and his reviews for The Associated Press have appeared in hundreds of other publications. Previously, he was a journalist for forty years, most recently as writing coach world-wide for AP, editing stories that won nearly every major journalism prize including the Pulitzer. He and his wife, the poet Patricia Smith, live in New Jersey with two enormous dogs named Brady and Rondo.

Reviews

[John Bohnert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce DeSilva writes the kind of crime fiction that I love.
I've now read all five of his engrossing series set in Rhode Island.
I eagerly await the publication of number six.

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I see on the book flap of "The Dread Line" that Bruce DeSilva, the author, has written 4 other books. This is relevant because all 4 are coming home with me on my next trip to the library.

This was a great book--not only extremely entertaining, but also extremely well written. To be perfectly frank, I lost track of the number of plot lines it contained, but the main (and best) one was very timely and concerned the New England Patriots. And even that one has several subplots. A "bravo" to Mr. DeSilva's editors, also--this story is so tightly written it's like an overwound guitar string.

I will give one spoiler alert--animal lovers have some pages they are going to want to skip. Even with this caveat, "The Dread Line" is the most entertaining book I've read in several months. 5 stars, and happy to do it.

[Viccy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liam Mulligan used to be a reporter, but times change and newspapers have gone away. Now, he runs a retired mobster's bookmaking enterprise, which keeps him in beer money; writes a few on-line articles for a local news website, and works for his friend McCracken's detective agency. Mulligan is hired to investigate a robbery at a local bank that netted a few million dollars in jewels. Then the New England Patriots approach McCracken to investigate a prime candidate for the upcoming football draft, who may, or may not be, quite as clean as he appears on paper. And, to top it off, someone is torching dogs in Mulligan's little burg, which incenses him beyond reason, especially since he has just adopted two big dogs from the Animal Rescue League of Southern Rhode Island. Mulligan manages to juggle all these investigations with just the right amount of sarcasm, gun play and physical violence. Once again, Mulligan takes down the bad guys with help from his mob connections and violent friends. DeSilva handles the plotting well and the story line moves along at a rapid-fire pace. You won't put this one down until the end. With a shout-out to Tim Hallinan along the way, this one is highly recommended.

[Joe Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

DeSilva has done it again. From start to finish he keeps you entertained with a combination of humor and detective work. I flew through this book constantly anxious to turn the page and keep going. This book walks us through the adventure that a promising young football player allegedly has a sports gambling problem, and Mulligan investigates the allegations after being hired by the New England Patriots definitely worth the read!

[Anne Gafiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed trying to figure out the many mysteries that abounded in this novel. I was unsuccessful, so to me, the book deserves four stars! A fast, easy read. I enjoyed Mulligan, the main character -- and his soft spot for dogs, based on the author's pet canines. (I noted some editing mishaps...missing quotation marks and a homonym used. Spell checking would not have helped there.)

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

As The Dread Line: A Mulligan Novel by Bruce DeSilva begins, former newspaper investigative reporter and current part time private investigator Liam Mulligan gets a phone call from his boss, Bruce McCracken. They have a new client who is not happy with the efforts of the Jamestown Police Department or the FBI. Approximately, three weeks ago there was a robbery at The Pell Savings and Trust and the branch manager, Mildred Carson, wants a meeting.

Mulligan goes to the meeting and learns that early in September a wealthy customer came in to access his safety deposit box. The assistant manager and the customer went into the vault, opened the relevant box, and then were confronted at gun point by someone. They were soon helpless, the jewelry gone, and the person was gone with no one else in the bank aware of anything. Mulligan asks a lot of questions and soon he has a couple of ideas though things are slowed down because the wealthy customer does not want to cooperate.

Things are also slowed down by the fact that somebody is going around killing local pets. In limited detail that may upset some readers, it becomes clear that somebody is setting pets, dogs specifically, on fire to kill them. Like the recent events at the bank, local police have no clues or even a possible suspect.

If that is not enough, McCracken and Mulligan soon also have a major and potentially lucrative client, the New England Patriots. As any football fan knows, background checks and profiles of players about to be drafted in the NFL do not show everything. Things get missed. The Patriots have a record of missing some things in recent years and do not want to make that mistake again. There is an athlete with ties to the area that the Patriots may move up in the draft to get if he is as squeaky clean as he appears. Mulligan already knows for a fact that he isn’t. The real question is, how dirty is he?

These three main storylines and a couple of other ones eventually coalesce together in The Dread Line: A Mulligan Novel by Bruce DeSilva. Flashes of humor, plenty of action, and multiple mysteries make the fifth book in the series that started with Rogue Island another compelling and highly entertaining read. As noted earlier, what happens to several dogs in this book is horrific and may disturb some readers though it should also be pointed out that the descriptions are not gratuitous or excessive. Those few situations are handled very well by the author through Mulligan’s character and are not glorifying of it in any way.

I have been a fan of this series and The Dread Line: A Mulligan Novel by Bruce DeSilva is highly recommended as is the series.


My reading copy came from the Downtown Branch of the Dallas Public Library System


Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

my link text

This is book # 5 or 6 in a series. I had never read any of the others - the author does a good job of explaining things to you, you are not lost whatsoever. In fact, I was 1/2 way through before it dawned on me that this was a series.

The characters are fun and out there, but enjoyable. Dogs, Cats, Murder, Crime you name it, this has it.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better and better.
Please, sir, more Mulligan...

[Nick Rojas · Rating 4 out of 5]

DeSilva's Best

Of all the novels in the Mulligan series, this one was the best, and my favorite. Building off the momentum in A Scourge of Vipers, DeSilva breaks Mulligan out of the mold that he was put in in the first few installments, creating a more confident storyline that trusts the reader that they have read the previous tales. This story has so many tangled webs that come together quite nicely, and I enjoyed that this book didn't rely on one or two cases being solved. I thought the dialogue was much better than previous books, and the Jamestown location made me want to hop on 95 for 45 minutes and head down there. While I thought some of the dialogue towards the end was a little silly, I thought it helped move the story along. I'll be eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series.

[Mark Maddrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“[T]he purpose of life is just to live it” Liam Mulligan thinks in this mostly intriguing novel. There are multiple story lines that all entangle Mr. Mulligan, a former newspaper journalist who is not working as a private investigator along with some free lance writing work. The writing in these books is noir-ish, featuring witty dialogue and observations. The themes of the book involve the venality of the super rich and the nebulous area of gambling and sports. I enjoyed most of the novel but the plethora of stories meant there were multiple wrap ups and an extended denouement. There is also some really tough things that Mulligan does and dealing with that as a reader is tough. This was another enjoyable book, I suspect it is the last in the Mulligan series, I’ve enjoyed all five of them and will miss him.

[Mike Nettleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the final book of my Bruce De Silva binge reading. Liam Mulligan, the fired investigative reporter for a Providence Rhode Island is now plying his trade as a freelancer and part time private investigator. He's also inherited a lucrative sports bookmaking operation. He farms out the day to day operations to an honest but not-so-bright friend. In this story he's trying to help a potential first-round football draft choice clear his name and investigating the murder of a female bank executive. His personal mission is to track down a sicko who is abducting neighborhood dogs and setting them afire. Busy, busy, busy. Another good read with zip-zap dialogue, funny situations and a satisfying conclusion in which the good guys triumph over the Rhode Island (and Boston) sleazebags.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed this series. I still do, just not as much with this entry. Mulligan started out as a reporter but is now a private investigator and the change just isn't working nearly as well for me. It would also help this time if I was a major football fan. I'm not. Beyond wanting Michigan State to always win and Ohio State never to win, I don't really care much. Dread Line is about the NFL draft and the machinations behind the scene and I now know more about football than I expect I will ever need. The characters are good. The writing is excellent. The plot wasn't my cup of tea.

[Brucie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story almost caught my interest. Similar to the exploits of Spenser, the effective detective in Boston, but Mulligan lacks charm and integrity and sense of purpose. And the writing is crying for better editing, but apparently no one is embarrassed by poor proofreading any more. Too many words, too many cartoon characters, too many mistakes in word choice. I don't appreciate Cuban cigars and I don't appreciate this bare-knuckle hard-headed detective who chooses criminal activities and I don't appreciate DeSilva's attempt at crime fiction.

[Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this in two days. Liam Mulligan continues his life of investigation as a journalist, private detective and bookie. This time he is on Jamestown, RI researching a potential player for the Patriots, and also trying to solve the burnings of several dogs. Of course there is always the "rich" kid involved and a bank robbery thrown in for good measure. There may be a murder or two as well. Fun reading, and he does mention going through Warren RI.

[Malachi Antal · Rating 3 out of 5]

finely-written book with echoes of historic New England organized crime milieu.



subplots interwoven into the main plotline. crack open a can of Narganesett and, let the party flow where it might.

[barryid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce DeSilva's combination of action, humor, irony, insight into characters and knowledge of the myriad worlds of Mulligan make every book in this series better than the last. I loved this fifth novel in the series. He brings his characters to life, has guided Mulligan's life path along an easy to follow path and each novel stands alone. Unlike many other authors, he brings in touches of the previous works without seeming to dwell on them. I hope there is a sixth.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book. This is a fun book to read. Bruce DeSilva's writing is smooth, though the lead character is becoming more hard-edged. They are two very different authors but the prose and dialogue in this book remind me of James Sallis, because both have a pristine economy. You look up from the book and surprisingly note that ten pages have sped by without any real sense that any time has passed. The lead character, Liam Mulligan, is making the transition from reporter to private investigator, in the tradition of straight-shooting, tough guys with a heart of gold. It works here, though there is a bothersome moral conundrum that I hope informs future novels in the series. In summary, how can you not like a book that references Son Seals?

Back to Rhode Island
Dogs, thugs, murder and football
Good guys win, don't they?

[Nola · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun crime fiction/whodunit read. I found the novel to be entertaining and suspenseful. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves the Patriots, dogs, and crime fiction. An added bonus to me was that it took place in RI. In addition, I read this book without reading any of the earlier books in the series and it was fine, though there are quite a few characters to keep track of.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so bad it’s hard to believe it was written by the same author. Mulligan is now more or less a vigilante who is both a terrible shot and always pulling guns on people? Oh, and a killer. And the entire motivation of journalistic integrity was upended, and also he no longer lives in Providence so none of the good setting stuff is there, either. Bummer.

[Kimijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Dread, ex-reporter Liam Mulligan juggles shady side jobs, feuds with a murderous cat, and investigates a brutal jewelry heist while taking on a high-stakes case for the New England Patriots. But when a star college player’s dark secret surfaces, Mulligan finds himself in the crosshairs of someone willing to kill to keep it buried.

[Loy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fourth book about Mulligan.
He has left the newspaper business and is PI now.
It was okay - missed his friends at the paper.

He did use the connections he had from the paper in his detective work

I enjoyed reading about the small town in Rhode Island. Will read the
Next one to see how Mulligan and everyone is doing.
A side note. Enjoyed that he get two dogs.

[Carol Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good book in the Liam Mulligan series.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might give it a 3.5. A little too much of a stretch to believe at times. Entertaining however.

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read from Bruce deSilva and his Mulligan series. Fast paced, fun and great characters. Keep them coming!

[Brendan Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. Easy read with lots of interesting characters and references to places in Rhode Island and Massachusetts that I know well. Will have to go back and read the earlier Mulligan novels.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

favorite of the series!

[Sally Tomaszewski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad PI story, but I got serious Spenser For Hire vibes all the way through.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great series. Gritty mysteries, interesting characters

[Carolyn Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

another complex tale with many threads, threats, and murders.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had its humorous moments. Ok read.