"Reed Writes As Only A Cop Can.... Impressive And Dramatic." --Nelson DeMille Killing Has Become A Team Sport. To Win The Game, Detective Jack Murphy Will Have To Identify All The Players--Whatever The Cost. The body parts of a young woman have shown up in the town landfill and homicide detective Jack Murphy is on the case. But when the victim's identity is revealed, the horrific crime takes an even darker and far more personal turn. Nina Parsons was not only a deputy prosecutor, but the rumored lover of the man Jack's ex-wife is about to the Chief Deputy Prosecutor. Now Jack must battle not just his own fears and demons, but the political interference that ensues as he fights with all he has to expose the greed and power that can drive even good men to commit evil acts. Praise for Rick Reed and his novels "Det. Jack Murphy tracks killers through a political maze of lies, deception and dishonor that leads to a violent, pulse-pounding climax." -Robert S. Levinson "Everything you want in a strong characters, plenty of gory story, witty dialogue, and a narrative that demands you keep turning those pages." -- Book Reporter "Like The Cruelest Cut, The Coldest Fear is Reed at his thriller best! Reed thrusts the boundaries of his story forward to bring us along on a ride we won't soon forget!" -- Suspense Magazine "As authentic and scary as crime thrillers get."--Nelson DeMille "Put this on your must-read list."--John Lutz "A jaw-dropping thriller."--Gregg Olsen "A tornado of drama."--Shane Gericke Previously published as Final Justice
My writing career began in 2004 with the true crime book, BLOOD TRAIL. In 2009 I began writing fiction. Police thrillers based somewhat on my experiences as a Detective in the Homicide/Violent Crime Unit.
As of February 2020 there are nine thriller novels in the Detective Jack Murphy series published by Kensington Publishing.
My books have been translated and/or sold in many countries and can be obtained as eBook, paperback, and audio books.
Detective Jack Murphy returns to a landfill with heads cut off from bodies awaits
This is book three of a series, but any one can be read alone. Jack and his partner, Liddell, are two great cops trying to keep the people of their town safe. Jack still loves his ex,Katie, who has because engaged to the Chief Deputy Prosecutor,Eric,who is a known 'ladies man's. The murders are grotesque, there is great speech between the cops, and the scenes are intriguing, all the signs of a great police procedural.
THE DEEPEST WOUND by Rick Reed Jack Murphy Thriller #3
What a roller coaster ride! I don't know how the author could pack in any more adventure, emotion, danger, mystery, or thrills! I'll definitely be reading the first two in the series, plus the upcoming novel. Detective Jack Murphy is very much a "man's man," to the continuing dismay of his ex-wife Katie. Perhaps I should call him "the Clint Eastwood Sphaghetti Western" type: strong, silent, incredibly determined. He has never been responsible for the death of an animal, but he has killed several men in the course of his homicide duties.
When a deputy prosecutor in Evansville "disappears," and body portions start turning up at the local landfill and across the state line in Illinois, Murphy is hot on the trail. But the eventual revelations will rock the city and county, and leave a trail of fatalities along the way.
Jack Murphy is back in the third thrilling installment of the series. I found this one a bit slower than the first two, but it is still a good addition to the series.
Detective Murphy and his partner, Liddell Blanchard, are investigating body parts found in a local landfill, leading them to the gruesome case of Nina Parsons. As Jack navigates the investigation, he grapples with personal challenges, especially concerning his ex-wife Katie, who has announced her engagement to Chief Deputy Prosecutor Eric Manson.
He later learns that Nina Parsons was employed at the prosecutor's office, and tensions arise as Eric’s connection to Nina comes into question. His former sister-in-law, Moira, has recently started working there, raising his concerns for her safety. Other potential suspects are the prosecutor who is running for governor, Trent Wethington, and the county attorney, Bob Rothschild. Meanwhile, more headless bodies are found, and Jack and his partner Liddell struggle to find any links between the cases.
Adding to the twists, special investigator Brooke Wethington joins the case, though Jack initially doubts her objectivity due to her ties to powerful political figures. Jack’s turbulent relationships don't just stem from the case; his confrontational nature often ruffles feathers within the department.
In the end, Jack pieces everything together, but not without repercussions for those he cares about. This book is the third in the "Jack Murphy" series, following the fast-paced, suspenseful formula established in the previous entries. "The Deepest Wound" showcases the author’s real-life cop experience, making for an exciting read.
Detective Jack Murphy is back! For those who are unaware of this character and series, Detective Jack Murphy and his surrounding cast are incredibly unique. Murphy and his partner, Liddell Blanchard, are two cops who’re highly dedicated and incredibly good at their jobs and, like Sherlock and Watson, Crockett and Tubbs—with the wit and banter of Abbott and Costello mixed in—they are partners who make people want to read more.
In this new offering the partners, along with Liddell’s wife, Marcie, are attending an engagement party for Jack’s ex-wife Katie. Mixed in with the event is a ‘Welcome Home’ for Katie’s sister, Moira, who is fresh out of law school and eager to start work in the Prosecutor’s Office. Jack’s anxious to get away from the party because of Katie’s fiancé, a power hungry individual who Jack can’t stand to be around but, as luck would have it, is a prosecutor that he has to bump up against during the course of his police work.
Thankfully for Jack (although not for the victim), duty soon calls. Jack and Liddell are requested at a crime scene that involves the discovery of a young woman’s body parts found at the local landfill. The body parts are identified as Deputy Prosecutor, Nina Parsons – a woman very much admired by Katie’s ‘husband to be’. Add in a pair of hit men who are ex-special forces and extremely hard to bring down, who are doing the bidding of a severely sick individual, and you have a plot that is both beguiling and intriguing, to say the least.
This author knows suspense and does it well! Beginning his Jack Murphy series with ‘Cruelest Cut’ and ‘The Coldest Fear’, Rick Reed has gone from great to masterful with each new book. He can skillfully combine the gruesome with the witty and provide unbelievable endings each and every time!
"Jack searched for the right words and then said, " This one matches some particulars from Harrisburg and some from ours. So far none of ours had been left out in the open." He kept spinning the idea out. "Nina is the center of this. I'm sure of it. She's the only one the killer tried to hide. We haven't found any of the kill locations, but at Nina's house we found a lot of blood. That's the only time he screwed up. I've been asking myself why, and the answer I keep getting is that the killer knew Nina. She was special."......
Jack Murphy, my favorite cop, is back in this installment of this thrilling series. Body parts have shown up in the local landfill and Detective Murphy is on the case, along with partner Liddell Blanchard. When the head and arm of a woman are identified it hits close to home for Jack and his ex wife Katy. She's about to be married, but is it going to happen? Who killed Nina Parsons, and how is she involved with Katy and Jack's life? There are more heads, and then bodies, turning up in other places. Can Jack find out how it's all connected?
Katy's announced her engagement to chief deputy prosecutor, Eric Manson, but Jack is less than thrilled. Even though the story line is gruesome there is a sense of humor the detectives use to deal with the situations at hand. Particularly amusing is Jack's thoughts about Eric. Eric is somehow involved with Nina, even if it's the fact they were working together out of the prosecutor's office. Or is it something more he had going on? Powerful political types seem to be interested when they discover the identity of Nina. Jack is going to find out one way or the other what Eric's part is. Maybe Jack can keep Katy from marrying this guy after all.
Of course all the problems in Jack's life are not caused by the killers he deals with. Often his issues are much closer to home and among those who run the department. Jack has a way of ruffling co-workers and going against the grain on a regular basis. It's one of the charming qualities I love about this character that keeps me coming back for these books. Jack isn't like everyone else. His hard edges are what gets the job done when others can't figure it out.
In the end Jack puts everything together, but not without consequences for those he loves. I like how it ended! Definitely a set up for the next book in the series. This is the third in the "Jack Murphy" series. I was lucky enough to read and review the first two. See my reviews for "The Cruelest Cut" and "The Coldest Fear." I was immediately in love with this series! A fast action; cop/serial killer/suspense/ thriller. This book was previously released as "Final Justice." Written by an ex-cop with all the knowledge to make this series extremely realistic and thrilling.
Jack Murphy and his partner, Liddell Blanchard, are back, this time called to the scene of a crime, a landfill, where the body parts of a young woman have been found. Nina Parsons was a deputy prosecutor. Her boss, the Chief Deputy Prosecutor, just happens to be dating Jack's ex-wife, Katie and is involved up to his eyeballs in the case. Jack is positive the guy is lying and is at the top of Jack's suspect list. When more deaths occur, the victims' bodies dismembered, the detectives have their hands full trying to figure out what is going on. Then Liddell is attacked, viciously beaten by two men wearing masks and beating him with baseball bats. Now it's become personal for Jack who is determined to find who's responsible and bury them.
This was a fantastic read with plenty of twists to keep you entertained. I suspected the guilty party early on but it wasn't made clear until the end. To add to the appeal of the story, a special investigator is called in to help Jack when Liddell goes down but Brooke Wethington happens to be the niece of Trent Wethington, the prosecutor who is running for governor. Jack has his doubts about her ability to be objective but she proves herself worthy as time goes on. Jack's former sister-in-law, Moira, has just gotten a job in the prosecutor's office and is invaluable to his case.
I've loved these characters from the time I read the very first book in the series. Each story is filled with action and suspense and keeps you turning the pages. Can't wait to see what's next.
This was by far the best book in the series (although I have yet to read book 5). This is book 3 but works fine as a stand alone.
Murphy and Liddell are called out to a landfill when workers find a bodiless head amongst the rubbish, an arm is also later recovered. Soon more heads turn up in other locations. The prosecutor's office seems convinced its all about drugs. But the first victim turns out to be Nina Parsons who was a deputy prosecutor. WTF? There are also plenty of rumours circulating in the prosecutor's office which are muddying the waters.
Murphy and his partner face their most dangerous adversary yet as they race to stop the murder spree and uncover a breathtaking web of corruption. This book was more dramatic and faster-paced than the others I have read (including book 4) so the dialogue which bothered me in book 2 wasn't a problem. I was reading too fast to analyse it.
Kensington Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Deepest Wound, in exchange for an honest review.
Homicide Detective Jack Murphy and his partner Liddell Blanchard are called to the local landfill after a couple stumbles upon some grisly remains. The discovery of the woman's identity, that of Deputy Prosecutor Nina Parsons, complicates matters in a way that Jack did not expect. The man with whom his ex-wife Katie is about to marry, Chief Deputy Prosecutor Eric Manson, was rumored to have had a relationship with Nina. When the investigation takes a deadly turn, will Jack be able to sort out both his personal issues and the facts of the case in time to catch the perpetrator?
As was the case with the previous book, my issue with The Deepest Would has to do with the fact that Jack always seems to have someone out to get him, whether a boss at work or his ex-wife. This police procedural has little by way of mystery, as the perpetrators are known early on in the story. The motivation behind the killings, however, is what keeps the reader in suspense until the final reveal. Jack Murphy does not have a lot of depth and his character does not seem to be any more developed than the previous book. The Deepest Wound is an average read and one I would not recommend to readers who enjoy the thrill of figuring out the perpetrators. Readers who like police procedurals without a thrilling mystery are the target audience for this book.
Writing Final Justice was like running a marathon on crutches. I started the book in March 2012. I wouldn't finish it until September 2013 due to a bicycle accident.
If you find typo's, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, etc., then please write and let me correct the problem. My email is rick@rickreedbooks.com.
In any case I hope you will take the time to write a review of the book (good or bad or in between) on Goodreads and Amazon and your blog (send me a link), and anywhere else I'm missing here. I'm not afraid of criticism. I was a homicide detective. I can take anything.
Another really good book in this series. Jack Murphy is a tough cop. He still loves his ex-wife and is having a hard time as she just announced her engagement to a deputy prosecutor, Eric. During the party Jack is called away to investigate the death of a young woman whose head has been found at the landfill. He later finds out the woman worked at the prosecutor's office and he thinks Eric may be involved. His ex-sister-in-law has just gone to work for the prosecutor's office and he is concerned about her. Other suspects include the top prosecutor and the county attorney. Several other headless corpses are discovered and Jack and his partner Liddell are having a hard time finding a connection. When Liddell is attacked Jack is told to back off the case and that he has to accept the help of a state police investigator. She helps a bit but Jack doesn't trust her as her uncle is the top prosecutor. The killers are after Jack and anyone who gets keeps them from finishing the job they were hired to do. The story switches perspectives throughout the book so you see what Jack is thinking, what the killers are thinking and also others. Lots of action, intrigue, a little humor, and a good plot. The digital edition I had contained some misspellings, left out words and an occasional extra word. Hopefully this was corrected in future editions. Still really enjoyed the book and looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Finished reading " Final Justice " by Rick Reed. As with the previous two books by Mr. Reed, I really enjoyed it. Great detective novel. I am looking forward to reading more in the series. The author, Rick Reed, is a retired police office, so the novel has real police procedures included which gives the books a nice realistic feel. Jack Murphy finds out that his ex-wife is now engaged to the Chief deputy prosecutor, a man who he quickly dislikes. He doesn't have much time to reflect on his ex moving on because body parts have been found in the local landfill. Then more body parts start showing up. As if that isn't bad enough, a couple of mercenaries for hire have been unleashed and are targeting Jack and other people who care connected to the case. It all may connect back to his ex-wife's new fiance may be involved...as if he didn't like the guy enough already.
Jack & Liddell are investigating the murder of a deputy prosecutor (Nina) who has ties with Jack's ex wife's fiance, Eric. Jack who is still protective and loves his ex wife is conflicted on some of the evidence. Eric is a notorious womanizer, he lies during the investigation, and leads are pointing his way. Unfortunately more murders occur and are haphazardly linked with doubt, motive, political maneuverings, & something that can't quite put his finger on. Shocking attempts to kill those closest to Jack has him partnered with someone new who he doesn't trust & also has political ties. It takes all of Jack's ability, cunning, & skills to bring the killers and their handlers to justice.
I am so glad that I happened across this series! I love the action and the ever twisting suspense! Just when you think you have it figured out, you find out that you’re wrong!
I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for an advance copy of The Deepest Wound which is the third instalment of Mr Reed's Jack Murphy police procedural series set in Evansville, Indiana. In it Jack Murphy and his partner, Liddell "Cajun" Blanchard, are called out to the local dump where a head has been discovered. The pathologist is held up because he is investigating two other heads in Illinois. Both cases appear to be the work of the same killer but no one can find a link between a local assistant district attorney, a prostitute and her pimp, although with all the squirming they do the County prosecutor and his team put themselves in the frame. Then the body count starts rising and it is obvious there is a serial killer on the loose. The Deepest Wound is a great, page turning read and I was gripped from start to finish. As the reader is aware that the serial killer is actually a pair of hired killers taking orders from The Company we are left trying to work out who the puppet master is while the police are trying to work out what is going on. I'm not usually a big fan of seeing the killer's point of view as I prefer to follow the investigation with the detective but I think it really works in this case. It seems to add to the tension and readability - I kept trying to work out who exactly was supplying their information. The novel has plenty of action which makes for an exciting read but it is also peopled with some very likeable characters (excluding the lawyers!) and has some lighthearted banter to leaven the violence so overall I love it. I have read all of Mr Reed's novels in this series and can't understand why they are not more well known as they are such good reads with each addition better than the one before. I have no hesitation in recommending The Deepest Wound as a very good read
Let me being by saying that although this is book three in a series, as a reader I had no problem jumping in and understanding the main characters.
This is one of those books that you want to LOVE - but it just seems like there is something missing. There were some details that seemed implausible, and some parts that fell a little flat in delivery, but on the whole it was a gripping story.
For most of the book, I felt that there was almost too much going on, to the point where I found myself having to go back and re-read certain passages to make sure I had everything straight. This is definitely one of those stories that would be better as either a movie series, or a television series where you can SEE the action as it unfolds rather than reading it. There was a lot of action - and even a good sense of whodunit and why. And I will say that I was pleased by the surprise ending, it was certainly not what I had expected!
All things considered - if you enjoy a decently written police procedure or a thriller novel that will keep you guessing - then I would recommend this novel for you.
DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.
This was a completely engaging read for me, with characters I either hated or loved. I've always enjoyed Reed's books, and this was no exception. The dialogue was taut and well-crafted, and the mysteries surrounding the murders were revealed in grotesque and chilling dioramas. Reed's cop creds are absolutely in evidence on every page, in every race against time, with tension that vibrates and mangles every nerve... yet your virtual hands just can't let go. The crime scenes described will make you cringe, but oh! in such a good way! This is exactly the kind of murder thriller that first hooked me on the genre so many years ago. Add to that stark horror some exquisitely-crafted and often painful character interactions and you've got the perfect recipe for a near-sleepless night of scary dreams. Delusions, betrayals and snapped sanity -- however brief -- adds another level of electric intensity that fairly crackles off the page. Loved it! Read it!
*** This book was provided to me by the publisher and/or the author as an ARC in exchange for my honest review. ***
I won The Deepest Wound by Rick Reed in the Goodreads Giveaway Contest - - thank you. This was a "can't put it down" book and definitely a Thriller!! It was very well written, with plenty of plot twists, and kept me guessing until the end. (I guessed wrong!) I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery. And - I am hooked, will be looking to read all the Jack Murphy Thriller series.
Murphy and his partner Blanchard are called to investigate the appearance of a head at a dump site in Indiana. More heads are found in Illinois, then other body parts. We are told the names and background of the killers but it is who they work for that is the mystery. An enjoyable read. A NetGalley book
I liked the characters in this book, really enjoyed it from start to finish. Would recommend it to anyone that just wanted a good mystery that you couldn't put down.