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Murder at Tophouse
Officer Mike Denton can't shake the feeling that something isn't right. Since the shooting that nearly killed him, Mike has attempted to piece his life back together. Just when he thought things were starting to look up, false allegations leveled by his partner, Cal Granberg, have led to his suspension, and Mike begins to suspect that Cal may have played a role in the deadly attack. He has only one clue: a conversation he was never meant to hear involving guns in New Zealand.
Suspicious that he may have stumbled on an illegal gun trafficking plot, Mike sees his suspension as an opportunity to conduct an independent investigation into the shady actions of his ex-partner. He prepares for a month-long vacation to New Zealand to find the proof that would clear his good name but what he couldn't prepare for his lovely young New Zealander Skylie Yates, a woman with her own troubles. A dangerous enemy believes that Skylie is the key to finding a hidden fortune. The problem: Skylie claims to know nothing about the money. Now, Mike must set aside his own quest for evidence in order to discover who's behind the threats to the woman he's coming to care for. But when his two investigations collide and Skylie's life hangs in the balance, Mike finds himself in a race against time to unearth a corruption far deeper than he could have imagined . . .
Suspicious that he may have stumbled on an illegal gun trafficking plot, Mike sees his suspension as an opportunity to conduct an independent investigation into the shady actions of his ex-partner. He prepares for a month-long vacation to New Zealand to find the proof that would clear his good name but what he couldn't prepare for his lovely young New Zealander Skylie Yates, a woman with her own troubles. A dangerous enemy believes that Skylie is the key to finding a hidden fortune. The problem: Skylie claims to know nothing about the money. Now, Mike must set aside his own quest for evidence in order to discover who's behind the threats to the woman he's coming to care for. But when his two investigations collide and Skylie's life hangs in the balance, Mike finds himself in a race against time to unearth a corruption far deeper than he could have imagined . . .
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
32 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Clair M. Poulson
55 books298 followersClair M. Poulson was born and raised in Duchesne, Utah. His father was a rancher and farmer, his mother a librarian. Clair has always been an avid reader, having found his love for books as a very young boy.
He has served for forty years in the criminal justice system. Twenty years were spent in law enforcement, ending his police career with eight years as the Duchesne County Sheriff. For the past twenty years Clair has worked as a justice court judge for Duchesne County. Clair is also a veteran of the US Army where he was a military policeman. He has served on various boards and councils during his professional career, including the Justice Court Board of Judges, Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Utah Judicial Council, Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, an FBI advisory board and others.
In addition to his criminal justice work, Clair has farmed and ranched all of his life. He has raised many kinds of animals, but his greatest interest is horses.
Clair has served in many capacities in the LDS church, including fulltime missionary (California Mission) bishop, counselor to bishop, young men president, high councilor, stake mission president, scoutmaster, High Priest group leader, etc. He currently serves as a Sunday School teacher.
Clair is married to Ruth, and together, they have five children, all of whom are married: Alan (Vicena) Poulson, Kelly Ann (Wade) Hatch, Amanda (Ben) Semadeni, Wade (Brooke) Poulson, and Mary (Tyler) Hicken. Between them they have twenty-three children. Clair and Ruth met while both were students at Snow College and were married in the Manti temple.
Clair has always loved telling his children, and later his grandchildren, make-up stories. His vast experience in life and his love of literature has always contributed to both his telling stories to children and his writing of adventure and suspense novels.
He has served for forty years in the criminal justice system. Twenty years were spent in law enforcement, ending his police career with eight years as the Duchesne County Sheriff. For the past twenty years Clair has worked as a justice court judge for Duchesne County. Clair is also a veteran of the US Army where he was a military policeman. He has served on various boards and councils during his professional career, including the Justice Court Board of Judges, Utah Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Utah Judicial Council, Utah Peace Officer Standards and Training Council, an FBI advisory board and others.
In addition to his criminal justice work, Clair has farmed and ranched all of his life. He has raised many kinds of animals, but his greatest interest is horses.
Clair has served in many capacities in the LDS church, including fulltime missionary (California Mission) bishop, counselor to bishop, young men president, high councilor, stake mission president, scoutmaster, High Priest group leader, etc. He currently serves as a Sunday School teacher.
Clair is married to Ruth, and together, they have five children, all of whom are married: Alan (Vicena) Poulson, Kelly Ann (Wade) Hatch, Amanda (Ben) Semadeni, Wade (Brooke) Poulson, and Mary (Tyler) Hicken. Between them they have twenty-three children. Clair and Ruth met while both were students at Snow College and were married in the Manti temple.
Clair has always loved telling his children, and later his grandchildren, make-up stories. His vast experience in life and his love of literature has always contributed to both his telling stories to children and his writing of adventure and suspense novels.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
March 7, 2021
I just couldn’t. I just couldn’t go any further. 🤮
March 17, 2015
This story is mostly told in first person, from Mike's view. Mike is a detective with the LAPD and after being shot in the head and put on leave, he decides to go to New Zealand for a break. On the way there, he meets Skylie, who is heading home after college, and discovers that she has troubles of her own. It's a race against time to discover who is after Mike and who is threatening Skylie.
There were moments when I was really caught up in this crime story and there other moments when I wanted just a little more. This author does a really good job of drawing a reader into the suspense. He really knows his stuff and knows how to weave a good story. Being a woman and a romantic at heart, there were times when I wanted to see the relationships, romance, and friendships unfold instead of being told that they happened. For the most part, the story moved along at a nice pace, but there were occasional moments of too many things going on at once and it overwhelmed me.
I didn't feel that I knew Mike or Skylie really well, but I did like that they were both proactive and took charge of their situations, instead of sitting back and letting life happen to them. Mike was quite mature for a late-20s man and I liked that he was a clear thinker. Although Skylie was in her early-20s, she was clever and resourceful.
I really like a book that takes a unique setting and places twists, turns, and suspense into it. I've read books by this author before and will continue to do so.
Content: Mild romance; moderate violence (deaths, blood, kidnapping, etc--not graphic or gory); no language or religious elements.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
There were moments when I was really caught up in this crime story and there other moments when I wanted just a little more. This author does a really good job of drawing a reader into the suspense. He really knows his stuff and knows how to weave a good story. Being a woman and a romantic at heart, there were times when I wanted to see the relationships, romance, and friendships unfold instead of being told that they happened. For the most part, the story moved along at a nice pace, but there were occasional moments of too many things going on at once and it overwhelmed me.
I didn't feel that I knew Mike or Skylie really well, but I did like that they were both proactive and took charge of their situations, instead of sitting back and letting life happen to them. Mike was quite mature for a late-20s man and I liked that he was a clear thinker. Although Skylie was in her early-20s, she was clever and resourceful.
I really like a book that takes a unique setting and places twists, turns, and suspense into it. I've read books by this author before and will continue to do so.
Content: Mild romance; moderate violence (deaths, blood, kidnapping, etc--not graphic or gory); no language or religious elements.
*I received a copy in exchange for an honest review*
March 24, 2015
Mike Denton is a good guy and police officer. Life happens to him and turns his world upside down. He faces many personal trials, but continues to push ahead and do the best he can. His big problem, he has a corrupt partner who sets him up for a suspension and release from the force.
This book is told from Mike's perspective. The voice is in the first person. Events unfold through his experiences and thought process. Clair Poulson did a great job at keeping the story consistent and interesting. I enjoyed the plot twists, detective work, and action.
At first it appears as if there are two separate cases going on. Mike meets a young woman, Skylie, on an airplane headed to New Zealand. His protective nature immediately takes over when it appears as if she is in danger. It quickly becomes apparent that the cases are linked. The story and plot take off from there taking the reader on an adventure with danger and mystery.
There is violence in the book.
This book is told from Mike's perspective. The voice is in the first person. Events unfold through his experiences and thought process. Clair Poulson did a great job at keeping the story consistent and interesting. I enjoyed the plot twists, detective work, and action.
At first it appears as if there are two separate cases going on. Mike meets a young woman, Skylie, on an airplane headed to New Zealand. His protective nature immediately takes over when it appears as if she is in danger. It quickly becomes apparent that the cases are linked. The story and plot take off from there taking the reader on an adventure with danger and mystery.
There is violence in the book.
June 25, 2019
Listened to it. Didn't like how dumb the police seemed.
May 14, 2021
Listened to this on a road trip. We enjoyed it more than most of Poulson’s books.
February 28, 2015
One of his best!
March 21, 2021
Oh my good gravy, the writing in this book is terrible. I have read so many well-written books over the years (even if the story was lacking), I didn't even know it was possible to publish a book that was so poorly written. I mean, if a main bad guy is being chased in his car and then hits a tree and dies, that would be an awesome scene to really play out for the reader to engage with and imagine. Instead, it was said basically like that in two sentences of the book. Such a missed opportunity! And there were many more instances like that.
This author has several more books published as well, likely because he has experience in law enforcement and criminal justice so he can write about it, but he's not a great writer. Plus, his books are clean and don't have any language (which I find in nearly every book I read these days). So if you are more interested in clean books than good writing, he'd be a good author for you.
This author has several more books published as well, likely because he has experience in law enforcement and criminal justice so he can write about it, but he's not a great writer. Plus, his books are clean and don't have any language (which I find in nearly every book I read these days). So if you are more interested in clean books than good writing, he'd be a good author for you.
June 7, 2023
A generic murder mystery suspense but still worth the read.
Office Mike Denton gets shot in the line of duty. Once trying to return to work he gets put on suspension while awaiting a psych evaluation. He feels that it is unwarranted & like something is wrong. He plans to spend his suspension in New Zealand while investing a hunch he has about his partner. Mike believes his partner, Cal to be a crooked cop. On his plane ride to New Zealand he becomes involved with a women named Skylie who seems to have a stalker.
Office Mike Denton gets shot in the line of duty. Once trying to return to work he gets put on suspension while awaiting a psych evaluation. He feels that it is unwarranted & like something is wrong. He plans to spend his suspension in New Zealand while investing a hunch he has about his partner. Mike believes his partner, Cal to be a crooked cop. On his plane ride to New Zealand he becomes involved with a women named Skylie who seems to have a stalker.
June 11, 2024
Looking for clean mystery. This might have fit the bill, but the writing was so bad. Do you remember learning about "show not tell" in English class? This author must have missed those lessons completely because he tells you every thing with high repetition of the exact same phrases. It was hard to get through. It had the pieces for a good story. I liked the Detective. Gun-smuggling to New Zealand, where they have strict gun laws, was an interesting plot point. Mistaken identity. Surprise victim. Too bad the writing was so flat and monotonous.
May 10, 2019
This writing style didn't work for me. The scenes lacked immediacy and there was a lot of summation even when there needed to be action. The story could have been interesting, but the author told us everything before we even had a chance to wonder about it. The level of coincidence was on par with Douglas Adam's probability drive, too. I eventually gave up and skipped to the end and I don't think I missed a thing.
September 1, 2020
I liked this book, and give it a solid three stars. It was filled with mystery and suspense, with a touch of romance. The body count was higher than the usual books I read of this genre though.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The reader uses a New Zealand accent for the local characters. I enjoyed that, and it helped differentiate the large cast.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The reader uses a New Zealand accent for the local characters. I enjoyed that, and it helped differentiate the large cast.
December 8, 2020
I thought it was okay.
I love the fact that it is a clean book, no sex or foul language.
I hate books where people fall in love immediately. That is completely unrealistic. Attraction is understandable. Wanting to get to know someone more is understandable. A deep and profound love isn't.
I gave this book a 3. I didn't hate it but I didn't really like it either. It was okay.
I love the fact that it is a clean book, no sex or foul language.
I hate books where people fall in love immediately. That is completely unrealistic. Attraction is understandable. Wanting to get to know someone more is understandable. A deep and profound love isn't.
I gave this book a 3. I didn't hate it but I didn't really like it either. It was okay.
June 22, 2019
I couldn't even finish this (I quit about half way through). I found the writing insipid. Way too many silly, unnecessary adjectives. I gave it 2 stars because I liked the story. I would have liked to see how it turned out...but just couldn't stick it out.
August 25, 2021
Bumping into Skylie Yates, Mike Denton literally falls for the catalyst to clearing his name and reputation as an LAPD Detective. Lots of action and danger for the couple and Skylie's family. Interesting setting among the Maori people of New Zealand.
September 5, 2017
One of the best mysteries I have read.
Excellent, perfect in every way.
Excellent, perfect in every way.
January 6, 2018
a lot of twists and turns. Easy read and kept me interested.
April 19, 2018
Very poorly written, it was really annoying to read this book.
June 28, 2019
Nonstop Action
This mystery is a well written book with nonstop action, romance and beautiful scenery.
The book has well crafted excitement with believable outcomes, Bravo!
This mystery is a well written book with nonstop action, romance and beautiful scenery.
The book has well crafted excitement with believable outcomes, Bravo!
November 2, 2019
There are a lot of twists and turns and of course romance and murders. Some of the dialog is juvenile, but the story is good.
November 8, 2019
Great read mate!
August 10, 2020
Good story line, writing a little weak, not quite up to his usual standard, but enjoyable. The pace was good, but no surprises.
April 1, 2022
This worked as a good crime novel AND a travel guide - I am ready to go to New Zealand!!
May 29, 2023
I enjoyed this one! A good mystery, some heart break, and romance.
July 6, 2023
Well-written, good story. Clean for content even though it is a crime novel / love story.
March 28, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. It had plenty of twists and turns and unfolds at a good pace. I couldn't put it down. Very good
March 28, 2015
Mike Denton is a police officer who has a run of bad luck at the beginning. When he recovers, he gets suspended and decides to set out on his own to get answers to what happened to him. All clues lead to New Zealand so he travels there and quickly meets Skylie Yates who is headed home to New Zealand. Skylie is in a dangerous situation and Mike decides to help her but it doesn't take long before he realizes that his troubles might be linked to hers.
There are lots of characters and situations introduced throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing how they all came together at the end. Mike and Skylie are thrown into danger together right from the beginning so we don't get to see a normal relationship progress between them. They are always looking over their shoulders for several people who are constantly after them. I didn't feel too connected to them as a couple but I understood their attachment to each other.
I have read quite a few of Clair Poulson's books and enjoyed them all but it's been a while so I was excited to read his new release! There are multiple reasons I enjoy his books: the main characters don't get off easy and deal with some tough situations, they are suspenseful and clean and I know I will be satisfied at the end. This one didn't disappoint in those areas. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because I felt like it was heavy on the theories behind what was happening and, while interesting, it slowed the story down at times. There's also one character who seemed like a danger to them the entire time and then all of a sudden, he was fine and it just seemed a little abrupt to me. Also, the wrap up happened so fast and I wanted a little more at the very end.
There's still a lot to like about this book and if you're a fan, you won't want to miss this one. The last part of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I'm looking forward to reading more of his books in the future!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
There are lots of characters and situations introduced throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing how they all came together at the end. Mike and Skylie are thrown into danger together right from the beginning so we don't get to see a normal relationship progress between them. They are always looking over their shoulders for several people who are constantly after them. I didn't feel too connected to them as a couple but I understood their attachment to each other.
I have read quite a few of Clair Poulson's books and enjoyed them all but it's been a while so I was excited to read his new release! There are multiple reasons I enjoy his books: the main characters don't get off easy and deal with some tough situations, they are suspenseful and clean and I know I will be satisfied at the end. This one didn't disappoint in those areas. The reason I didn't give it five stars is because I felt like it was heavy on the theories behind what was happening and, while interesting, it slowed the story down at times. There's also one character who seemed like a danger to them the entire time and then all of a sudden, he was fine and it just seemed a little abrupt to me. Also, the wrap up happened so fast and I wanted a little more at the very end.
There's still a lot to like about this book and if you're a fan, you won't want to miss this one. The last part of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! I'm looking forward to reading more of his books in the future!
I received a copy of this book to review. My opinion is 100% my own.
Mel's Shelves
March 13, 2015
I've never read anything from Clair Poulsen before, but this sounded intriguing so I thought I'd give it a try. I will admit that I don't love the cover (and we all know what a cover snob I am and the white background totally threw me) so it took me awhile to actually pick the book up and start reading it.
Mike seemed like a good solid person who had a lot of tragedy in his life. I know he was supposed to be a young detective, but I just kept picturing someone older so when he connected with Skylie it was weird until I remembered he was supposed to be younger.
There wasn't much to Skylie. We don't really get to see her and Mike's relationship develop, we are just kind of told that it does, so while I didn't love her, I didn't not like her either.
I don't know anything about cops and police work, but everyone in the book acted different than other cop books and movies I've seen :) and let's face it, I just really struggle with first person writing. I guess I feel like I'm being told stuff instead of just being in the story with someone. For parts of the book the perspective changes, and I enjoyed that writing a lot. I was able to really get into the story in those parts. Plus, it made me want to visit New Zealand really bad :)
I appreciate the clean writing. A lot of junk could have been thrown in there, but there wasn't any, and it's nice to be able to read something like that. So while this particular book wasn't my cup of tea, I will try more from this author.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
Mike seemed like a good solid person who had a lot of tragedy in his life. I know he was supposed to be a young detective, but I just kept picturing someone older so when he connected with Skylie it was weird until I remembered he was supposed to be younger.
There wasn't much to Skylie. We don't really get to see her and Mike's relationship develop, we are just kind of told that it does, so while I didn't love her, I didn't not like her either.
I don't know anything about cops and police work, but everyone in the book acted different than other cop books and movies I've seen :) and let's face it, I just really struggle with first person writing. I guess I feel like I'm being told stuff instead of just being in the story with someone. For parts of the book the perspective changes, and I enjoyed that writing a lot. I was able to really get into the story in those parts. Plus, it made me want to visit New Zealand really bad :)
I appreciate the clean writing. A lot of junk could have been thrown in there, but there wasn't any, and it's nice to be able to read something like that. So while this particular book wasn't my cup of tea, I will try more from this author.
*I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
August 20, 2015
This is about an LA cop named Mike Denton whose crooked partner and sergeant have dealings with a Maori gang in New Zealand, and they get their captain to make Denton take a forced leave. Denton, who has overheard his partner’s calls to the gang leader, decides to see what he can find out in NZ and books a flight to go there. While on that flight, he meets a girl who narrowly escapes a hit by one of the gang members. They become romantically involved during the course of their journey as they try to figure out her connection to the gang and try to exonerate him and catch the bad guys.
This was a good story, and there were some interesting plot lines, but it was a little cluttered with the number of bad guys and cops (in both New Zealand and Los Angeles), and it seemed like Denton was always getting phone calls with updated information. This wasn’t necessarily bad, in a way, because it enables us to know what is going on elsewhere concurrently, but it is a bit confusing for a casual reader (and I must admit that I have short attention, so maybe it's just me) to have so many people to remember. Since Denton speaks in first person, but the narrative is third person when describing the girl’s actions (they are separated midway through the book, but I won’t spoil how that happens here), so it wouldn’t be out of place for those updates to also be in third person.
Still, it’s a good story that I enjoyed, and it makes me want to visit New Zealand (where my brother served a mission to Auckland) to see the places described.
This was a good story, and there were some interesting plot lines, but it was a little cluttered with the number of bad guys and cops (in both New Zealand and Los Angeles), and it seemed like Denton was always getting phone calls with updated information. This wasn’t necessarily bad, in a way, because it enables us to know what is going on elsewhere concurrently, but it is a bit confusing for a casual reader (and I must admit that I have short attention, so maybe it's just me) to have so many people to remember. Since Denton speaks in first person, but the narrative is third person when describing the girl’s actions (they are separated midway through the book, but I won’t spoil how that happens here), so it wouldn’t be out of place for those updates to also be in third person.
Still, it’s a good story that I enjoyed, and it makes me want to visit New Zealand (where my brother served a mission to Auckland) to see the places described.
March 16, 2015
Clair M. Poulson is DEFINITELY one of my favorite authors!
His books are AMAZING!
Officer Mike Denton has had a hard few months...
One thing after another just keeps going wrong.
After being shot life was really hard, but he now feels that things are finally getting better.
Then his supervisor surprises him with false accusations against him.
Forced to take a vacation, Mike chooses New Zealand as his destination.
Unbeknownst to his department, Mike isn't going there for rest and relaxation...
He is going there to follow a lead that might prove that his partner, Cal Granberg, is involved in something illegal.
One clue leads to multiple clues and Mike finds himself involved in:
* Multiple murders
* Illegal gun trafficking
* A kidnapping
* And more
GREAT TWISTS bring all these cases together...
Can Mike figure it all out AND clear is name?
LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! IT!
I really loved the details that bring this one alive!
SO. SO. SO. GOOD!
DO NOT miss out on this one!
His books are AMAZING!
Officer Mike Denton has had a hard few months...
One thing after another just keeps going wrong.
After being shot life was really hard, but he now feels that things are finally getting better.
Then his supervisor surprises him with false accusations against him.
Forced to take a vacation, Mike chooses New Zealand as his destination.
Unbeknownst to his department, Mike isn't going there for rest and relaxation...
He is going there to follow a lead that might prove that his partner, Cal Granberg, is involved in something illegal.
One clue leads to multiple clues and Mike finds himself involved in:
* Multiple murders
* Illegal gun trafficking
* A kidnapping
* And more
GREAT TWISTS bring all these cases together...
Can Mike figure it all out AND clear is name?
LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! IT!
I really loved the details that bring this one alive!
SO. SO. SO. GOOD!
DO NOT miss out on this one!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews