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Murder In Missoula
Retired federal agent Joe Nicoletti is ready for a change. He dreams of a simple life, far away from Washington, D.C., where every street corner reminds him of his dead wife.
When he is offered a faculty position at the University of Montana, he sees it as a dream come true. A chance to start over.
He never dreamed he would have a second chance at love. He never dreamed he would become the prime suspect in a high profile murder case. He never dreamed he would be forced to undertake the most important investigation of his life. But dreams can turn into nightmares when there is Murder In Missoula.
A novel of love and attraction, both normal and perverse, friendship, sacrifice, ambition, innocence, dreams as harbingers of events to come, telepathy, clairvoyance, fate and destiny. All wrapped in a fast paced novel of murder and suspense.
When he is offered a faculty position at the University of Montana, he sees it as a dream come true. A chance to start over.
He never dreamed he would have a second chance at love. He never dreamed he would become the prime suspect in a high profile murder case. He never dreamed he would be forced to undertake the most important investigation of his life. But dreams can turn into nightmares when there is Murder In Missoula.
A novel of love and attraction, both normal and perverse, friendship, sacrifice, ambition, innocence, dreams as harbingers of events to come, telepathy, clairvoyance, fate and destiny. All wrapped in a fast paced novel of murder and suspense.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 17, 2015
54 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
May 27, 2016
Murder In Missoula, by Laurence Giliotti, is a fast paced novel of suspense and murder. The story intrigued me from the very start and I thoroughly enjoyed it til the very end.
Retired federal agent Joe Nicoletti needs a change. He needs to be away from Washington, D.C. where everything reminds him of his late wife. He is hoping for a teaching position at the University of Montana where he can escape to a peaceful place and settle down.
Soon after his arrival in Montana not only does he have a second chance at love but he becomes the prime suspect in a high profile murder case.
We quickly meet deranged pet groomer Charles Durbin. His creepy obsessions and kinky perversions are exposed to the reader as he stalks his victims.
The local police are satisfied they have found their suspect in Nicoletti due to an unfortunate series of coincidences. Nicoletti must find the killer not only to clear his name but also to save the life of the next victim.
Well-developed interesting characters that I would love to see in a future novel.
A great suspense thriller!
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in return for my honest review.
Retired federal agent Joe Nicoletti needs a change. He needs to be away from Washington, D.C. where everything reminds him of his late wife. He is hoping for a teaching position at the University of Montana where he can escape to a peaceful place and settle down.
Soon after his arrival in Montana not only does he have a second chance at love but he becomes the prime suspect in a high profile murder case.
We quickly meet deranged pet groomer Charles Durbin. His creepy obsessions and kinky perversions are exposed to the reader as he stalks his victims.
The local police are satisfied they have found their suspect in Nicoletti due to an unfortunate series of coincidences. Nicoletti must find the killer not only to clear his name but also to save the life of the next victim.
Well-developed interesting characters that I would love to see in a future novel.
A great suspense thriller!
Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC of this novel in return for my honest review.
November 30, 2018
Dull, predictable and lacking believability. One of the worst books I've read in recent times.
April 1, 2016
Joseph "Nico" Nicoletti is a retired DEA Agent, looking to move out of Washington, D.C. where he lived with his now deceased wife.
He's been offered a teaching position at the University of Montana; one he's seriously thinking of taking. He's had enough of death, and bodies, and illegal drugs and sees this as a dream come true.
He never thought he'd find someone to love, either, but then he meets Marie-Justine and he thinks that maybe ... just maybe ... his life is taking a turn for the better.
He never thought that days after meeting Marie-Justine, she would be murdered and Nico would be the prime suspect. But a psychiatrist knows who the killer is but is murdered himself before he could tell.
The reader learns early on just who the killer is. It's the things he does and the things he thinks that make him interesting. It's a compelling look into an abnormal mind. And now that he's 'dated' Marie-Justine, his next target is her best friend, Anne.
This is a well-written, fast-paced novel of suspense and murder. The characters are finely drawn. Nico and his friends would make a great series.
My thanks to the author / Chateau Noir Publishing - AuthorBuzz / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
He's been offered a teaching position at the University of Montana; one he's seriously thinking of taking. He's had enough of death, and bodies, and illegal drugs and sees this as a dream come true.
He never thought he'd find someone to love, either, but then he meets Marie-Justine and he thinks that maybe ... just maybe ... his life is taking a turn for the better.
He never thought that days after meeting Marie-Justine, she would be murdered and Nico would be the prime suspect. But a psychiatrist knows who the killer is but is murdered himself before he could tell.
The reader learns early on just who the killer is. It's the things he does and the things he thinks that make him interesting. It's a compelling look into an abnormal mind. And now that he's 'dated' Marie-Justine, his next target is her best friend, Anne.
This is a well-written, fast-paced novel of suspense and murder. The characters are finely drawn. Nico and his friends would make a great series.
My thanks to the author / Chateau Noir Publishing - AuthorBuzz / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
March 18, 2019
This book is fast paced and full of suspense and intrigue. Retired DEA agent Joe Nicoletti needs a change of pace and to get away from the east coast. The west he believes is the right place. He did not expect to be involved in a murder case or the prime suspect. Now he must work to prove himself innocent from not one but two murders. With the help of friends back east and a few friends, he has in the new town he begins to prove his innocence and find the killer at the same time. A very good book from start to finish which is always difficult to do. The book also had good characters also. Overall a good read. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
March 6, 2017
3.5 stars. Enjoyable detective story. A little creepy, a little twisty, likeable characters and a suitably evil villain. Only thing I didn't much like was the mystical, fated relationship with Marie-Justine--the book didn't need it, it didn't add anything, and was a bit over the top. But overall a good murder mystery.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a free e-ARC of this book.
September 26, 2016
Retired DEA agent Joseph Nicoletti is visiting Missoula, MT where he is a candidate for a new teaching position in criminal justice. He had visited Missoula with an old friend six months prior when a woman went missing. The novel opens with the discovery of that woman's body. Nicoletti lost his wife several years before his first visit and is having a difficult time moving on. He meets a woman at a faculty party, Marie-Justine, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. The two have an instant attraction but when Marie-Justine is murdered, Joseph is the logical suspect. He was the last person to see her after all and the evidence points in his direction. Now he must clear his name and catch the killer before another woman dies.
There is no real mystery here because we get a very detailed look into the mind of the serial killer. He is a very creepy and disturbed individual. I really don't recommend Murder in Missoula as bedtime reading! The suspense was well maintained throughout, leading to an explosive ending. I found Marie-Justine's premonitions of her death somewhat forced as well as the intensity of the attraction between the two. The supporting characters are well developed and believable. On the whole, I would recommend Murder in Missoula to fans of suspense and those who like a high "creep factor" perhaps more than I do. Thanks to Chateau Noir and NetGalley for a digital copy in return for an honest review.
There is no real mystery here because we get a very detailed look into the mind of the serial killer. He is a very creepy and disturbed individual. I really don't recommend Murder in Missoula as bedtime reading! The suspense was well maintained throughout, leading to an explosive ending. I found Marie-Justine's premonitions of her death somewhat forced as well as the intensity of the attraction between the two. The supporting characters are well developed and believable. On the whole, I would recommend Murder in Missoula to fans of suspense and those who like a high "creep factor" perhaps more than I do. Thanks to Chateau Noir and NetGalley for a digital copy in return for an honest review.
June 4, 2016
This is a face paced, well written thriller. Even though there is a major character reveal in the beginning, it is not a spoiler. It adds to the story and makes it more interesting. The author even pulls a George RR Martin on a character that you're really really rooting for, but it's necessary for the story to play out. I gifted this book by NetGalley and I loved it
April 20, 2016
I enjoyed this police procedural. The pacing was great, the characters interesting, and I was rooting for retired DEA agent Joe Nicoletti to solve the case and get the woman. A great vacation read.
I read this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I read this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm convinced that the unattractive cover kept me from opening the book for a long time, but now I'm glad that I did. I liked the mystery, and it kept moving forward quickly and with excitement until the end. I always like a mystery with short chapters because it seems to help the forward progress, and that was true with this book. Joe Nicoletti isn't the most appealing character, but he is a very knowledgeable and experienced investigator. His responses, as he gets deeper into the situation, are believable when he feels that he's tired of it all and when he lashes out, being impatient. I was a little concerned about his action when he started getting intense and going off on his own, but I liked his eventual introspection and acknowledgement of his feelings. Of course there are some main characters that we don't get to know well since they are murdered early in the story, but they play an important role, just the same. Plus they help us to discover the culprit, of course, along with the detectives. I liked that the small-town police department had a mix of officers--some capable and some less so. And they were willing to work with the out-of-town guys and had good attitudes and open minds.
All in all, this was a very good mystery, by a new-to-me author, and I felt compelled to keep turning the pages.
I'm convinced that the unattractive cover kept me from opening the book for a long time, but now I'm glad that I did. I liked the mystery, and it kept moving forward quickly and with excitement until the end. I always like a mystery with short chapters because it seems to help the forward progress, and that was true with this book. Joe Nicoletti isn't the most appealing character, but he is a very knowledgeable and experienced investigator. His responses, as he gets deeper into the situation, are believable when he feels that he's tired of it all and when he lashes out, being impatient. I was a little concerned about his action when he started getting intense and going off on his own, but I liked his eventual introspection and acknowledgement of his feelings. Of course there are some main characters that we don't get to know well since they are murdered early in the story, but they play an important role, just the same. Plus they help us to discover the culprit, of course, along with the detectives. I liked that the small-town police department had a mix of officers--some capable and some less so. And they were willing to work with the out-of-town guys and had good attitudes and open minds.
All in all, this was a very good mystery, by a new-to-me author, and I felt compelled to keep turning the pages.
August 31, 2019
A fast paced thriller/murder mystery following Nicolleti, a former officer who relocates to Missoula to teach and get away from memories of his late wife. Nicolleti quickly falls for Marie-Justine, who happens to look just like his late wife and she ends up murdered. Of course he is a prime suspect for it, and therefore goes on his own hunt for the real killer. I did feel like his relationship with Marie-Justine was super intense for the incredibly short time they knew each other, so this part was the hardest to overcome in the plot, but otherwise it is a very quick and fast who done it mystery. The other characters were great and had some good, and creepy details which made a great story.
May 4, 2017
Retired Fed Nicolleti seeks to move from New York to Montana after his beloved wife dies. A nice quiet university teaching position seems like it is just the thing to help him heal and move on. But Montana brings him multiple surprises. Almost as soon as he thinks he is falling in love, Nicolleti is embroiled in a murder investigation where all his years of law enforcement experience will be necessary in saving himself and other potential victims.
I sat and read MURDER IN MISSOULA in a day and a half on my Spring Break. Sitting all day reading is an English teacher's dream of a Spring Break, but what I mean is that this was time well spent.
MURDER IN MISSOULA reads a bit like a dimestore paperback, but this is not a condemnation. I imagine Giliotti's thriller in another time, perhaps the early 1980s, when my grandmother bought me 25 cent Readers Digest Condensed Books from library sales. MURDER IN MISSOULA has a similar condensed, lightweight feel. So if you don't have time for highfalutin big-L literature, don't worry: this is not that.
The damsel, hero, and villain are quickly sketched, and chapters alternate their focus: the newly-divorced French ingenue, a retired DEA agent, a dog-groooming stalker. There's also a spry old doctor with a Derringer who knows a little more than he lets on and a wry, gorgeous, pottymouthed, wealthy best friend.
These people all seem drawn from another era, before characters got the Mary Sue treatment, washing them of unlikable (and perhaps realistic) faults. Most of them smoke, and not just the bad guys. One character recommends a "cream rinse," a term I haven't seen on a bottle of conditioner since the late 70s. Nicoletti, name heroically shortened to a macho Nico, realizes he's had too much to drink when "his nose and upper lip were numb" but not soon enough to avoid a rotten salmon paste canapé. There's even a schmear of old-fashioned sexism running through. The police chief meets with "the county attorney and his good-looking female assistant." Two ex-law enforcement agents, buddy heroes, share an appreciation for an attractive realtor, and one leers, "I'd like to do some house hunting in [her] neighborhood." These are the actual good guys in this story.
Bad guy Charles Durbin amps up the cringe-factor when he enters Marie-Justine's home and pleasures himself with her panties. As a villain, he's practically a moustache-twirling blackguard. "Do you really think you can stop me, old man?" he growls. "You will pay for your failure, but not tonight." I imagine a silent-film damsel tied to a railroad track by his evil machinations. There is no real complexity to his character--you won't have to feel for this guy's humanity--so Durbin is easy and fun to despise.
But then the book takes a sudden left turn and you realize one of the main characters just got murdered. You stop and reassess--ah, there's potential here if Giliotti keeps taking those kind of risks in plot. What surprises await further ahead?
Sometimes those risks don't quite pay off, like the dreams that seem to link Nico and M-J, the suggestion that there is a destined, otherworldly connection between them, and how M-J is the almost doppelganger of his late wife. The purple prose love letter and spooky-ooky foreshadowing is made-for-TV melodrama. (But who doesn't love that?)
The ending comes quickly with violence after a race to save the "helpless girl"--though really, would you think a tough-as-nails journalist who grew up on a Montana ranch, one who actually carries a gun, to be helpless? If Giliotti wrote this tough cookie as if she really existed in 2016, she'd hand us the villain's balls and head on a platter.
Nico and Pandori's rugged bromance bantering is one of the highlights of the story, but you may, like me, have trouble seeing them as anything but diet Crockett and Tubbs (minus the pastels).
As I suspected, Giliotti has written fiction set in other times and places--I'm actually very interested in his 1930s French Inspector Gambrelli story. But if you've been missing the kind of suspense novels you used to pick up out of a spinning book rack at the K&B drug store thirty years ago, MURDER IN MISSOULA will hit the spot.
3.5 stars plus extra credit--THANKS TO LAURENCE GILIOTTI FOR BEING AWESOME!
[Receieved ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.]
I sat and read MURDER IN MISSOULA in a day and a half on my Spring Break. Sitting all day reading is an English teacher's dream of a Spring Break, but what I mean is that this was time well spent.
MURDER IN MISSOULA reads a bit like a dimestore paperback, but this is not a condemnation. I imagine Giliotti's thriller in another time, perhaps the early 1980s, when my grandmother bought me 25 cent Readers Digest Condensed Books from library sales. MURDER IN MISSOULA has a similar condensed, lightweight feel. So if you don't have time for highfalutin big-L literature, don't worry: this is not that.
The damsel, hero, and villain are quickly sketched, and chapters alternate their focus: the newly-divorced French ingenue, a retired DEA agent, a dog-groooming stalker. There's also a spry old doctor with a Derringer who knows a little more than he lets on and a wry, gorgeous, pottymouthed, wealthy best friend.
These people all seem drawn from another era, before characters got the Mary Sue treatment, washing them of unlikable (and perhaps realistic) faults. Most of them smoke, and not just the bad guys. One character recommends a "cream rinse," a term I haven't seen on a bottle of conditioner since the late 70s. Nicoletti, name heroically shortened to a macho Nico, realizes he's had too much to drink when "his nose and upper lip were numb" but not soon enough to avoid a rotten salmon paste canapé. There's even a schmear of old-fashioned sexism running through. The police chief meets with "the county attorney and his good-looking female assistant." Two ex-law enforcement agents, buddy heroes, share an appreciation for an attractive realtor, and one leers, "I'd like to do some house hunting in [her] neighborhood." These are the actual good guys in this story.
Bad guy Charles Durbin amps up the cringe-factor when he enters Marie-Justine's home and pleasures himself with her panties. As a villain, he's practically a moustache-twirling blackguard. "Do you really think you can stop me, old man?" he growls. "You will pay for your failure, but not tonight." I imagine a silent-film damsel tied to a railroad track by his evil machinations. There is no real complexity to his character--you won't have to feel for this guy's humanity--so Durbin is easy and fun to despise.
But then the book takes a sudden left turn and you realize one of the main characters just got murdered. You stop and reassess--ah, there's potential here if Giliotti keeps taking those kind of risks in plot. What surprises await further ahead?
Sometimes those risks don't quite pay off, like the dreams that seem to link Nico and M-J, the suggestion that there is a destined, otherworldly connection between them, and how M-J is the almost doppelganger of his late wife. The purple prose love letter and spooky-ooky foreshadowing is made-for-TV melodrama. (But who doesn't love that?)
The ending comes quickly with violence after a race to save the "helpless girl"--though really, would you think a tough-as-nails journalist who grew up on a Montana ranch, one who actually carries a gun, to be helpless? If Giliotti wrote this tough cookie as if she really existed in 2016, she'd hand us the villain's balls and head on a platter.
Nico and Pandori's rugged bromance bantering is one of the highlights of the story, but you may, like me, have trouble seeing them as anything but diet Crockett and Tubbs (minus the pastels).
As I suspected, Giliotti has written fiction set in other times and places--I'm actually very interested in his 1930s French Inspector Gambrelli story. But if you've been missing the kind of suspense novels you used to pick up out of a spinning book rack at the K&B drug store thirty years ago, MURDER IN MISSOULA will hit the spot.
3.5 stars plus extra credit--THANKS TO LAURENCE GILIOTTI FOR BEING AWESOME!
[Receieved ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.]
June 12, 2016
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the book in exchange for an honest review.
We have a new stranger in town - a tough, badass, retired DEA agent.
He is not looking for trouble, mind you. He just wants to settle down in the peaceful little town.
Too bad for him, a nasty (not to mention crafty) serial killer is also in town, and starting to claim his victims.
Even more bad when the poor DEA agent becomes a prime suspect in a murder committed by our serial killer.
Giliotti does not waste time creating suspense around the serial killer's identity - we know who he is right from the start, we even get a glimpse of how he thinks (exactly how you'd expect him to - creepy and messed up)
I found the plot and proceedings of the novel slightly similar to the numerous police procedural tv shows / movies I've watched but that did not stop me from devouring this book.
Murder in Missoula was a very engaging and fast paced read.
One thing though, since the book did not have too many characters, I would have liked to get to know them better. Some back story would have been nice.
Altogether, I found this book enjoyable, and wouldn't mind reading a sequel featuring Agent Nicoletti if there's going to be one!
We have a new stranger in town - a tough, badass, retired DEA agent.
He is not looking for trouble, mind you. He just wants to settle down in the peaceful little town.
Too bad for him, a nasty (not to mention crafty) serial killer is also in town, and starting to claim his victims.
Even more bad when the poor DEA agent becomes a prime suspect in a murder committed by our serial killer.
Giliotti does not waste time creating suspense around the serial killer's identity - we know who he is right from the start, we even get a glimpse of how he thinks (exactly how you'd expect him to - creepy and messed up)
I found the plot and proceedings of the novel slightly similar to the numerous police procedural tv shows / movies I've watched but that did not stop me from devouring this book.
Murder in Missoula was a very engaging and fast paced read.
One thing though, since the book did not have too many characters, I would have liked to get to know them better. Some back story would have been nice.
Altogether, I found this book enjoyable, and wouldn't mind reading a sequel featuring Agent Nicoletti if there's going to be one!
June 24, 2016
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Mystery novels always make me a bit nervous; there aren't many things worse than a boring, ridiculous mystery. But I didn't need to worry about this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved that we got to see from the murderer's perspective throughout. I think it added a layer to the air of mystery present in the book. It also made the rest of the story more believable and his actions extra creepy. Getting to see inside his head made him a multi-dimensional character, as opposed to the murderer tending to be a bit flat in murder mystery novels.
I was impressed by how well developed all of the characters are, especially given that we don't really know very much about most of them. I felt as though I genuinely knew and became emotionally attached to nearly all of the characters over the course of the story. I felt this most keenly with the victim; normally in murder mysteries you don't actually know the victim at all, you just see the investigation into their death. In this case we get to know the murder victim beforehand, which made me feel much more involved with the story when the murder and subsequent investigation took place.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good mystery.
Mystery novels always make me a bit nervous; there aren't many things worse than a boring, ridiculous mystery. But I didn't need to worry about this one. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I loved that we got to see from the murderer's perspective throughout. I think it added a layer to the air of mystery present in the book. It also made the rest of the story more believable and his actions extra creepy. Getting to see inside his head made him a multi-dimensional character, as opposed to the murderer tending to be a bit flat in murder mystery novels.
I was impressed by how well developed all of the characters are, especially given that we don't really know very much about most of them. I felt as though I genuinely knew and became emotionally attached to nearly all of the characters over the course of the story. I felt this most keenly with the victim; normally in murder mysteries you don't actually know the victim at all, you just see the investigation into their death. In this case we get to know the murder victim beforehand, which made me feel much more involved with the story when the murder and subsequent investigation took place.
I would recommend this book if you are looking for a good mystery.
October 20, 2016
Here's another book I got from Netgalley. I tend to select thrillers because I really do enjoy a good mystery, but this one left me wanting a bit more.
This story isn't exactly a mystery, because you know who the killer is almost from the beginning. Instead, you are trying to see if the killer will be caught, who will figure out the killer's identity, are there others involved, will an innocent person be arrested, and so on. I won't tell you if any of the above questions are answered, though, but I will say the book does have a resolution. Whether it was an appealing one is left up to the reader.
My biggest issue with this book was the lack of emotion from any characters. A woman is murdered and her best friend just drinks a lot of wine as a result. I understand trying to drown your sorrows, but no tears? No sadness? It just seemed really strange to me. The main character, who is involved with the murdered woman, just needs to find the killer. He doesn't show much sadness for the death, either. This was just really bizarre to me. Maybe I'm being too particular, but the characters just seemed really flat.
Overall, this was a pretty easy read, but not one that left me with tingles or anything. It was just a mediocre story.
https://beingfictional.wordpress.com/...
This story isn't exactly a mystery, because you know who the killer is almost from the beginning. Instead, you are trying to see if the killer will be caught, who will figure out the killer's identity, are there others involved, will an innocent person be arrested, and so on. I won't tell you if any of the above questions are answered, though, but I will say the book does have a resolution. Whether it was an appealing one is left up to the reader.
My biggest issue with this book was the lack of emotion from any characters. A woman is murdered and her best friend just drinks a lot of wine as a result. I understand trying to drown your sorrows, but no tears? No sadness? It just seemed really strange to me. The main character, who is involved with the murdered woman, just needs to find the killer. He doesn't show much sadness for the death, either. This was just really bizarre to me. Maybe I'm being too particular, but the characters just seemed really flat.
Overall, this was a pretty easy read, but not one that left me with tingles or anything. It was just a mediocre story.
https://beingfictional.wordpress.com/...
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May 28, 20164 Stars. I would like to thank NetGallery for offering me the chance to read this book in return for my honest review.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Most of the characters are likable and believable; however, there were a few issues with believability and for that reason, I did have to knock a star off. There wasn’t an overabundance of characters to remember, which I liked, the book was a quick read, with I felt tied up the ending nicely and didn’t leave me wondering or with unanswered questions. The one thing I did find interesting, is the reader does know who the killer is early on.
Joe Nicoletti, a widow and retired federal agent from Washington, D.C., comes to Missoula, Montana for a change and hoping for a teaching position at the University. When he arrives back to Missoula, the body of another woman has been found. She disappeared around the time of Joe’s first visit to Missoula, the local sheriff is suspicious of this coincidence and Joe becomes his first interest, which is until Joe becomes involved with Marie Justine who is the next victim. Joe gets involved not only to clear him as a suspect, but to help stop a killer before they can strike again.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. Most of the characters are likable and believable; however, there were a few issues with believability and for that reason, I did have to knock a star off. There wasn’t an overabundance of characters to remember, which I liked, the book was a quick read, with I felt tied up the ending nicely and didn’t leave me wondering or with unanswered questions. The one thing I did find interesting, is the reader does know who the killer is early on.
Joe Nicoletti, a widow and retired federal agent from Washington, D.C., comes to Missoula, Montana for a change and hoping for a teaching position at the University. When he arrives back to Missoula, the body of another woman has been found. She disappeared around the time of Joe’s first visit to Missoula, the local sheriff is suspicious of this coincidence and Joe becomes his first interest, which is until Joe becomes involved with Marie Justine who is the next victim. Joe gets involved not only to clear him as a suspect, but to help stop a killer before they can strike again.
December 31, 2016
Retired DEA agent Joe Nicoletti, arrives in Missoula, Montana at the urging of his long time friend, FBI special agent, Lenny Pandori. Joe is speaking at a law enforcement conference at the local University, but Lenny’s plan is to have Nicoletti take a permanent position teaching at the university.
Soon after Nicoletti arrives in Missoula, he glimpses a woman in a coffee shop who has an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. He is introduced to her, Marie-Justine, at a cocktail party and a relationship commences. However, when Marie-Justine turns up murdered, all the evidence points to Joe. Can he and Marie-Justine’s best friend Ann, who is a reporter solve the mystery together?
Will they be in time before the killer strikes again or Joe is incarcerated?
Murder in Missoula is a can’t put down mystery. A one sitting read! I am looking forward to more by this author.
Thanks Net Galley for the chance to read this book.
Soon after Nicoletti arrives in Missoula, he glimpses a woman in a coffee shop who has an uncanny resemblance to his late wife. He is introduced to her, Marie-Justine, at a cocktail party and a relationship commences. However, when Marie-Justine turns up murdered, all the evidence points to Joe. Can he and Marie-Justine’s best friend Ann, who is a reporter solve the mystery together?
Will they be in time before the killer strikes again or Joe is incarcerated?
Murder in Missoula is a can’t put down mystery. A one sitting read! I am looking forward to more by this author.
Thanks Net Galley for the chance to read this book.
January 8, 2017
This review can also be found at https://mcdawnreviews.wordpress.com/2...
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I got this book sometime over the summer but for one reason or another just couldn't get started with it. Once I finally did I wanted to do nothing else but read it to see what was going to happen next. I enjoyed very much the point of view from the killer. It gave us a little more insight into this crazy person and how he lived and viewed life. I was a bit disappointed at the victim as I was rooting for her right from the start but that's how some novels are and it's what makes them great. It was a fast paced book that kept my interest from the start. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I got this book sometime over the summer but for one reason or another just couldn't get started with it. Once I finally did I wanted to do nothing else but read it to see what was going to happen next. I enjoyed very much the point of view from the killer. It gave us a little more insight into this crazy person and how he lived and viewed life. I was a bit disappointed at the victim as I was rooting for her right from the start but that's how some novels are and it's what makes them great. It was a fast paced book that kept my interest from the start. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.
July 28, 2016
Laurence Giliotti knows how to write a really good murder mystery. Nicoletti, a retired Federal Agent is offered a job at a University where he thought his days of hunting killers was over. Of course, that was before a gruesome murder fell into his lap. Now he's on the hunt for this killer and he's not going to stop until he finds out who it is. A fast edge of your seat suspense novel. The characters were really well written and I could see them being brought back for another novel.
September 19, 2016
In the first part of this book I wondered if it had been written by a robot according to a standard formula. All the characters were stereotypes. However, as the story progressed the suspense developed, and eventually led to a satisfying ending. . It even had an unexpected twist. Nothing new or different, but a satisfying read.
July 30, 2017
This was an enjoyable crime novel. Joseph Nicoletti, former DEA agent, is in Missoula, Montana, to consider taking an adjunct professor position when a woman he meets (Marie-Justine) (and in whom he takes a possible romantic interest) is murdered and he is the prime suspect. He begins to suspect the murder might be the work of a serial killer and raises his suspicions with the police chief, who is focused on Nicoletti as the likely killer. Nicoletti sets out to find the killer, with the assistance of his friend, Len Pandori, FBI agent and the reason Nicoletti was in Montana, and Anne Bertone, the best friend of Marie-Justine. However, not wanting to jeopardize the career of Pandori or the life of Anne Bertone, he does not reveal all he knows and suspects; which ends up causing problems.
One of the strengths of the book is the characters, who are well-developed/full of depth and relatable/realistic. I particularly liked Charles Durbin, even though he is the villain (which is evident from early in the book, so this is not a spoiler). He is meticulous and thorough, but also burdened by his compulsions. There is a hint of creepiness to him, but he is able to maintain a veneer of normality when interacting with the other residents of Missoula, including the gossipy wife of the chief of the police. However, his thoughts and (his actions when no one is around to observe him) show how creepy he truly is and at times he has momentary slip-ups where his compulsion overwhelms his self-control and he risks drawing unwanted attention to himself. Although the reader knows the identity of the villain almost from the beginning, there is plenty of mystery as to what exactly he has planned and how he will ultimately be caught. My only real criticism is that denouement feels rushed.
I received a copy of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
One of the strengths of the book is the characters, who are well-developed/full of depth and relatable/realistic. I particularly liked Charles Durbin, even though he is the villain (which is evident from early in the book, so this is not a spoiler). He is meticulous and thorough, but also burdened by his compulsions. There is a hint of creepiness to him, but he is able to maintain a veneer of normality when interacting with the other residents of Missoula, including the gossipy wife of the chief of the police. However, his thoughts and (his actions when no one is around to observe him) show how creepy he truly is and at times he has momentary slip-ups where his compulsion overwhelms his self-control and he risks drawing unwanted attention to himself. Although the reader knows the identity of the villain almost from the beginning, there is plenty of mystery as to what exactly he has planned and how he will ultimately be caught. My only real criticism is that denouement feels rushed.
I received a copy of the ebook from Netgalley in exchange for a review.
May 23, 2020
I received an e-book from Netgalley in exchange for my opinion.
Joe Nicoletti is a retired DEA agent considering taking a teaching position at a university in Missoula to get away from the D.C. life and memories of his late wife. He ends up as a suspect of a murder and begins his own investigation.
The plot was fast-paced and thrilling. It’s one of those mysteries where you see the point of view of the murderer but the other characters don’t know who it is yet, so that added to the suspense. There was a fair amount of strong language.
You can clearly tell this book was written by a man. I mean, it’s one thing for the creepy serial killer to be checking out women’s bodies, but the protagonist does it a lot too, and I guess were not supposed to care because he’s a red-blooded male? At a party where he meets many of the characters, he checks out many of the women’s physiques, and since were currently seeing his point of view, we get his thoughts about how hot these women are. He even stares at a woman’s cleavage (but he can’t help himself because he’s drunk, so that’s ok?). He also bothered me because he figured out what was going on long before the end of the book but didn’t tell the police even though they were willing to listen to his insights at that point. Part of it was because he hadn’t followed police protocol to find things out, so they couldn’t have used the leads without further proof, but he seemed a little to eager to engage in vigilante justice.
This was probably a 2.5 star book, but the sexist behavior and only semi-likable protagonist bumped me down to a 2.
Joe Nicoletti is a retired DEA agent considering taking a teaching position at a university in Missoula to get away from the D.C. life and memories of his late wife. He ends up as a suspect of a murder and begins his own investigation.
The plot was fast-paced and thrilling. It’s one of those mysteries where you see the point of view of the murderer but the other characters don’t know who it is yet, so that added to the suspense. There was a fair amount of strong language.
You can clearly tell this book was written by a man. I mean, it’s one thing for the creepy serial killer to be checking out women’s bodies, but the protagonist does it a lot too, and I guess were not supposed to care because he’s a red-blooded male? At a party where he meets many of the characters, he checks out many of the women’s physiques, and since were currently seeing his point of view, we get his thoughts about how hot these women are. He even stares at a woman’s cleavage (but he can’t help himself because he’s drunk, so that’s ok?). He also bothered me because he figured out what was going on long before the end of the book but didn’t tell the police even though they were willing to listen to his insights at that point. Part of it was because he hadn’t followed police protocol to find things out, so they couldn’t have used the leads without further proof, but he seemed a little to eager to engage in vigilante justice.
This was probably a 2.5 star book, but the sexist behavior and only semi-likable protagonist bumped me down to a 2.
May 25, 2023
Starts a little slow, morphs into a procedural, then veers into Charles Bronson territory with a dash more professional realism. The bad guy is evil, self-aware, and smart. The cops and the protagonist act human and have character. The damsels in distress are by turns smart, not-so-smart, and dead. Inventive, twisty, and full of interesting prose-pictures. A really nice concoction. I liked it a lot.
June 8, 2017
This is the first book I've read by this author; it won't be the last. It is skillfully written and very interesting.
Read
August 28, 2024I didn’t read this book. I read a script called MISSOULA.
But it’s not in the database and it was 122 pages.
But it’s not in the database and it was 122 pages.
February 9, 2017
Thank you NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.
This book definitely had its ups and downs for me. I didn't particularly like or feel connected with any of the characters. I felt like we just watched their actions but they weren't very developed. I also felt the plot was similar. It had its parts that I enjoyed reading, but overall it was a bit flat and boring. We also jumped back and forth perspectives between the detective and the serial killer, so there wasn't any element of mystery or surprise to keep us guessing. If you are looking for an easy type thriller read, this may be for you.
This book definitely had its ups and downs for me. I didn't particularly like or feel connected with any of the characters. I felt like we just watched their actions but they weren't very developed. I also felt the plot was similar. It had its parts that I enjoyed reading, but overall it was a bit flat and boring. We also jumped back and forth perspectives between the detective and the serial killer, so there wasn't any element of mystery or surprise to keep us guessing. If you are looking for an easy type thriller read, this may be for you.
June 14, 2016
4.5-4.75 STARS
Retired DEA agent, Joe Nicoletti, is visiting Missoula as a guest lecturer for the Western States Law Enforcement Conference hosted by the University of Montana. Joe agreed to speak at the conference at the urging of his friend--FBI special agent--Lenny Pandori.
Lenny is a vocal advocate of Joe’s, endorsing him for a teaching position at the University. As an adjunct professor for the department of sociology, Joe would be at the forefront of a new criminology degree program that the university seeks to implement within that department. Although Joe is indifferent to his investigator position for a law firm in D.C., moving to Missoula for a teaching position is not necessarily on Joe’s future radar.
At a café in Missoula, Joe encounters a woman who has an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. The woman—Marie-Justine—is actually a professor at the University for the Department of Genetic Sciences. Meeting with her friend, Anne Bertone, the pair seem to be oblivious to a stranger’s lascivious attention directed towards Marie-Justine. But the stranger’s actions don’t go unnoticed by Joe, who senses something “off” by the odd man wearing a grey coat.
Joe and Marie-Justine’s paths cross once again, when they are introduced at a cocktail party hosted by the Dean of the University. Shortly thereafter, the pair embark upon a relationship. But when Marie-Justine suddenly turns up dead, all clues point towards Joe as the primary suspect in her murder.
In an effort to clear his name and to get justice for Marie-Justine, Joe teams up with Anne Bertone—a reporter on sabbatical from The Denver Poster—to find the person responsible for Marie-Justine’s untimely death. But when Joe discovers the lifeless body of another faculty member, Dr. Kimba, he is certain that the two death’s share a connection. Based upon information he received from Dr. Kimba prior to his death, Joe starts to put the puzzle pieces together. And as he does, Joe comes to believe that Anne’s life might now be in danger too.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of both Marie-Justine and Dr. Kimba is never withheld from the reader. In fact, early on, we discover the identity of Marie-Justine’s creepy stalker turned murderer. So, then the question isn't who killed Marie-Justine and Dr. Kimba, but rather, will Joe Nicoletti figure out the perpetrator’s true identity before he/she can strike again?
A psychological suspense novel, “Murder in Missoula” had me instantly enthralled. I loved getting inside the head of the killer, seeing the world through warped, delusional eyes. Getting inside of Joe Nicoletti’s head was just as interesting, as we’re given a front row seat to his investigative techniques.
There’s a spiritual element to Marie-Justine’s character that I found bothersome, odd, and simply out of place. To me, it didn’t lend itself well to the overall story, making it difficult for me to truly connect with her character. Marie-Justine aside, I found the rest of the story’s characters to be likeable and fairly well developed.
Although not perfect in its execution, “Murder in Missoula” is an intriguing, gripping story that I very much enjoyed. I didn’t mind the fact that the story didn’t offer up any true surprises along the way, because I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. But there were a few questions left unanswered; some loose ties still left dangling. Still, “Murder in Missoula” is a good, overall read, and one that I would highly recommend.
Retired DEA agent, Joe Nicoletti, is visiting Missoula as a guest lecturer for the Western States Law Enforcement Conference hosted by the University of Montana. Joe agreed to speak at the conference at the urging of his friend--FBI special agent--Lenny Pandori.
Lenny is a vocal advocate of Joe’s, endorsing him for a teaching position at the University. As an adjunct professor for the department of sociology, Joe would be at the forefront of a new criminology degree program that the university seeks to implement within that department. Although Joe is indifferent to his investigator position for a law firm in D.C., moving to Missoula for a teaching position is not necessarily on Joe’s future radar.
At a café in Missoula, Joe encounters a woman who has an uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. The woman—Marie-Justine—is actually a professor at the University for the Department of Genetic Sciences. Meeting with her friend, Anne Bertone, the pair seem to be oblivious to a stranger’s lascivious attention directed towards Marie-Justine. But the stranger’s actions don’t go unnoticed by Joe, who senses something “off” by the odd man wearing a grey coat.
Joe and Marie-Justine’s paths cross once again, when they are introduced at a cocktail party hosted by the Dean of the University. Shortly thereafter, the pair embark upon a relationship. But when Marie-Justine suddenly turns up dead, all clues point towards Joe as the primary suspect in her murder.
In an effort to clear his name and to get justice for Marie-Justine, Joe teams up with Anne Bertone—a reporter on sabbatical from The Denver Poster—to find the person responsible for Marie-Justine’s untimely death. But when Joe discovers the lifeless body of another faculty member, Dr. Kimba, he is certain that the two death’s share a connection. Based upon information he received from Dr. Kimba prior to his death, Joe starts to put the puzzle pieces together. And as he does, Joe comes to believe that Anne’s life might now be in danger too.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of both Marie-Justine and Dr. Kimba is never withheld from the reader. In fact, early on, we discover the identity of Marie-Justine’s creepy stalker turned murderer. So, then the question isn't who killed Marie-Justine and Dr. Kimba, but rather, will Joe Nicoletti figure out the perpetrator’s true identity before he/she can strike again?
A psychological suspense novel, “Murder in Missoula” had me instantly enthralled. I loved getting inside the head of the killer, seeing the world through warped, delusional eyes. Getting inside of Joe Nicoletti’s head was just as interesting, as we’re given a front row seat to his investigative techniques.
There’s a spiritual element to Marie-Justine’s character that I found bothersome, odd, and simply out of place. To me, it didn’t lend itself well to the overall story, making it difficult for me to truly connect with her character. Marie-Justine aside, I found the rest of the story’s characters to be likeable and fairly well developed.
Although not perfect in its execution, “Murder in Missoula” is an intriguing, gripping story that I very much enjoyed. I didn’t mind the fact that the story didn’t offer up any true surprises along the way, because I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. But there were a few questions left unanswered; some loose ties still left dangling. Still, “Murder in Missoula” is a good, overall read, and one that I would highly recommend.
Read
March 6, 2017This police procedural is one of my edits, and it's currently on sale for $0.99 (as of 3/6/17):
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2mtgvrq
iBooks: http://bit.ly/murderinmissoulaibook
Nook: http://bit.ly/murderinmissoulanook
Kindle: http://amzn.to/2mtgvrq
iBooks: http://bit.ly/murderinmissoulaibook
Nook: http://bit.ly/murderinmissoulanook
April 11, 2016
Joe Nicoletti, a retired DEA agent, is visiting an old friend, FBI agent, Leonard Pandori, in the small town of Missoula, Montana. Pandori is trying to entice Nico into taking a teaching job in the criminology department at the local university.
Nico is sitting outside at a café when he spots a woman with chestnut-colored hair who reminds him of his deceased wife, Kristen. A few minutes later, an equally attractive woman arrives to meet her friend. They are so caught up in their conversation that neither woman notices when a man in a gray coat walks by and briefly caresses the redhead’s braid. He does not linger. Instead, he hurries into a nearby dorm and makes his exit out the back entrance.
Some habits die hard, and Nico tries to follow the mystery man but loses him in the confusion of students in and around the dorm. Later that evening, Nico attends a cocktail party being hosted by a university dean. He meets Marie-Justine Cantrell, the redhead from the café. They spend the rest of the evening chatting together. The next evening, Nico meets Marie-Justine for dinner at an upscale French restaurant. She is celebrating the end of her 8-year marriage to a doctor still residing in California. After dinner, Marie-Justine takes Nico to a spot near the Higgins Street Bridge. Even though the evening is starting to get a little chilly, Nico takes off his down vest, and Marie-Justine slips it on. They talk about new beginnings and their dreams for the future.
Back at home, Marie-Justine writes a letter to her best friend, Anne, about meeting this new man who has come into her life. She is still wearing Nico’s vest when she notices that his engraved silver and gold pen must have fallen out of the pocket. Instead of waiting until morning, she gets into her car and drives back to the Higgins Street Bridge to look for Nico’s pen.
Meanwhile, when Nico returns to his hotel he finds a message from Dr. Kimba, a local psychiatrist. Dr. Kimba has been treating a male patient who has voyeuristic tendencies, and he is worried about whether this might be a stepping stone to something more sinister. Nico is too tired to return the phone call, and so he goes to bed.
The next morning, Pandori is called to a murder scene of a woman in her early forties. It turns out to be Marie-Justine. Upon further investigation, the detectives believe that the murderer might be a serial killer. Based on circumstantial evidence, Nico is the prime suspect.
Readers will be sure to enjoy this engaging murder mystery with a satisfying conclusion.
Nico is sitting outside at a café when he spots a woman with chestnut-colored hair who reminds him of his deceased wife, Kristen. A few minutes later, an equally attractive woman arrives to meet her friend. They are so caught up in their conversation that neither woman notices when a man in a gray coat walks by and briefly caresses the redhead’s braid. He does not linger. Instead, he hurries into a nearby dorm and makes his exit out the back entrance.
Some habits die hard, and Nico tries to follow the mystery man but loses him in the confusion of students in and around the dorm. Later that evening, Nico attends a cocktail party being hosted by a university dean. He meets Marie-Justine Cantrell, the redhead from the café. They spend the rest of the evening chatting together. The next evening, Nico meets Marie-Justine for dinner at an upscale French restaurant. She is celebrating the end of her 8-year marriage to a doctor still residing in California. After dinner, Marie-Justine takes Nico to a spot near the Higgins Street Bridge. Even though the evening is starting to get a little chilly, Nico takes off his down vest, and Marie-Justine slips it on. They talk about new beginnings and their dreams for the future.
Back at home, Marie-Justine writes a letter to her best friend, Anne, about meeting this new man who has come into her life. She is still wearing Nico’s vest when she notices that his engraved silver and gold pen must have fallen out of the pocket. Instead of waiting until morning, she gets into her car and drives back to the Higgins Street Bridge to look for Nico’s pen.
Meanwhile, when Nico returns to his hotel he finds a message from Dr. Kimba, a local psychiatrist. Dr. Kimba has been treating a male patient who has voyeuristic tendencies, and he is worried about whether this might be a stepping stone to something more sinister. Nico is too tired to return the phone call, and so he goes to bed.
The next morning, Pandori is called to a murder scene of a woman in her early forties. It turns out to be Marie-Justine. Upon further investigation, the detectives believe that the murderer might be a serial killer. Based on circumstantial evidence, Nico is the prime suspect.
Readers will be sure to enjoy this engaging murder mystery with a satisfying conclusion.
January 19, 2016
“He never carried the scent of business to the table of pleasure.”
Loner Charles Durbin, pet groomer and provider of all icky feelings, is fairly new to the small Montana town. This fresh start provides him with an opportunity to obscure his past and shield his immoralities from his new relationships. But as with any depraved person, he has already set his morbid sights on Marie-Justine and her best friend Anne.
Anne, a Missoula native, and freshly divorced Marie-Justine, have been best friends for years and are all but sisters. A college professor, Marie-Justine yearns for independence, but, in the same turn, is afraid of it. Nearly 24 hours after her divorce finalizing, she finds herself celebrating with retired DEA agent, Joe Nicoletti. He’s immediately smitten with her, seeing that she resembles his deceased wife, but he soon finds he’s more than attracted to her looks and they begin to fall in love.
In the few short days Nicoletti and Marie-Justine have been acquainted, a tragedy befalls Missoula, where fate unites good and evil together in an instant. Has Nicoletti arrived in Missoula and into Marie-Justine’s life in the nick of time to foil Charles Durbin’s malicious plan? Will the war against a serial killer be waged or prevented before it’s begun?
With a Law & Order: SVU quality, Murder in Missoula can easily be categorized as a classic murder-mystery novel, having a synonymous theme of hero versus villain, as the reader hopes good will triumph over evil. Although the villain was apparent, the chase to implicate and prevent him from doing further damage was riveting, challenging Nicoletti’s intuitiveness to be two steps ahead of Durbin.
Laurence Giliotti created several first-person voices throughout the novel, switching from dark and wicked to innocent and pure, an ability Giliotti practiced effortlessly. Charles Durbin’s active voice was concurrently interesting and disturbing to read, while Marie-Justine’s provided hope. Giliotti, author of the Inspector Gambrelli Mystery Series, deservedly made room for himself on the murder-mystery bookshelf.
**** 4 Stars
Murder in Missoula
by Laurence Giliotti
304 Pages
Published by Chateau Noir Publishing LLC in 2015
Genre: Crime, Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller
ISBN-13: 978-0990926627
*Disclaimer: This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review.
Gilt & Buckram . . . the framework that holds adventure.
Loner Charles Durbin, pet groomer and provider of all icky feelings, is fairly new to the small Montana town. This fresh start provides him with an opportunity to obscure his past and shield his immoralities from his new relationships. But as with any depraved person, he has already set his morbid sights on Marie-Justine and her best friend Anne.
Anne, a Missoula native, and freshly divorced Marie-Justine, have been best friends for years and are all but sisters. A college professor, Marie-Justine yearns for independence, but, in the same turn, is afraid of it. Nearly 24 hours after her divorce finalizing, she finds herself celebrating with retired DEA agent, Joe Nicoletti. He’s immediately smitten with her, seeing that she resembles his deceased wife, but he soon finds he’s more than attracted to her looks and they begin to fall in love.
In the few short days Nicoletti and Marie-Justine have been acquainted, a tragedy befalls Missoula, where fate unites good and evil together in an instant. Has Nicoletti arrived in Missoula and into Marie-Justine’s life in the nick of time to foil Charles Durbin’s malicious plan? Will the war against a serial killer be waged or prevented before it’s begun?
With a Law & Order: SVU quality, Murder in Missoula can easily be categorized as a classic murder-mystery novel, having a synonymous theme of hero versus villain, as the reader hopes good will triumph over evil. Although the villain was apparent, the chase to implicate and prevent him from doing further damage was riveting, challenging Nicoletti’s intuitiveness to be two steps ahead of Durbin.
Laurence Giliotti created several first-person voices throughout the novel, switching from dark and wicked to innocent and pure, an ability Giliotti practiced effortlessly. Charles Durbin’s active voice was concurrently interesting and disturbing to read, while Marie-Justine’s provided hope. Giliotti, author of the Inspector Gambrelli Mystery Series, deservedly made room for himself on the murder-mystery bookshelf.
**** 4 Stars
Murder in Missoula
by Laurence Giliotti
304 Pages
Published by Chateau Noir Publishing LLC in 2015
Genre: Crime, Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller
ISBN-13: 978-0990926627
*Disclaimer: This review was originally published in San Francisco Book Review.
Gilt & Buckram . . . the framework that holds adventure.
April 7, 2016
Joe Nicoletti has spent his professional life in law enforcement and is definitely ready for a change. An opportunity to become an adjunct professor in Montana coincides neatly with his recent retirement from the DEA, but the first morning of his exploratory visit puts him right in the middle of an old murder investigation. His FBI buddy reveals that a corpse has been discovered that is almost certainly the body of a woman who had disappeared a year ago.
Before long another murder has occurred, and in quick order, another. And because of an unfortunate series of coincidences, suspicions quickly lead to Nicoletti himself as the prime suspect in the first murder. The local police are satisfied to search for the evidence that can put Nicoletti away rather than broadening the search to find the real perpetrator, and they are certainly not persuaded by his speculations on the case. It is left to Nicoletti to find probable cause that the two recent murders are connected and may even be connected to the recently discovered body.
Nicoletti is a likeable guy, a lonely widower who may be ready for a new love interest, but has not lost his edge as an analyst of criminal behavior . There are some lovely women he meets at a party hosted by the university president who has invited him to lead a seminar as a prelude to him joining the faculty. The characters in the book are believable, likable and well defined. The plot moves quickly, pulling the reader into the web of fear that the killer spins.
The author chooses to introduce the reader to the actual perpetrator, a serial killer with some kinky perversions to go with his hyper ego and sense of superiority. He is careful not to call attention to himself and is confident that he is too well organized ever to be discovered. His stalking of his chosen women is chilling as he brazenly enters their homes when they are away, fondling their possessions and clothing, becoming intimate with their homes and habits. His downfall may be that he has confided in a psychiatrist, but surely he won't violate doctor/patient confidences. He'll be sorry if he does. Did I mention that the second murder is of a psychiatrist? But the police believe it was an accident....
I received this e book from NetGalley. It was published first in 2015 and is available through Amazon. I recommend it to mystery/suspense fans, and am hoping we will see more mysteries featuring Joe Nicoletti.
Before long another murder has occurred, and in quick order, another. And because of an unfortunate series of coincidences, suspicions quickly lead to Nicoletti himself as the prime suspect in the first murder. The local police are satisfied to search for the evidence that can put Nicoletti away rather than broadening the search to find the real perpetrator, and they are certainly not persuaded by his speculations on the case. It is left to Nicoletti to find probable cause that the two recent murders are connected and may even be connected to the recently discovered body.
Nicoletti is a likeable guy, a lonely widower who may be ready for a new love interest, but has not lost his edge as an analyst of criminal behavior . There are some lovely women he meets at a party hosted by the university president who has invited him to lead a seminar as a prelude to him joining the faculty. The characters in the book are believable, likable and well defined. The plot moves quickly, pulling the reader into the web of fear that the killer spins.
The author chooses to introduce the reader to the actual perpetrator, a serial killer with some kinky perversions to go with his hyper ego and sense of superiority. He is careful not to call attention to himself and is confident that he is too well organized ever to be discovered. His stalking of his chosen women is chilling as he brazenly enters their homes when they are away, fondling their possessions and clothing, becoming intimate with their homes and habits. His downfall may be that he has confided in a psychiatrist, but surely he won't violate doctor/patient confidences. He'll be sorry if he does. Did I mention that the second murder is of a psychiatrist? But the police believe it was an accident....
I received this e book from NetGalley. It was published first in 2015 and is available through Amazon. I recommend it to mystery/suspense fans, and am hoping we will see more mysteries featuring Joe Nicoletti.
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