True Death

Howard County Mysteries #2

by Dale E. Lehman

Four years ago, Detective Lieutenant Rick Peller's wife Sandra died on a country road. The driver who rammed her car vanished without a trace, leaving police stunned and baffled. But it wasn't murder, just a freak accident, and the statute of limitations has run out. Now a bungled robbery raises new questions. As Detective Sergeants Corina Montufar and Eric Dumas investigate, Peller's memories awaken, triggering a series of insights that shine new light on Sandra's death.

The trail leads police to a meddlesome writer, a hot-blooded enforcer, and a cold-hearted criminal mastermind. Yet questions remain. Who could possibly have wanted Sandra dead? Was she targeted for murder, or did she just get in the way? And what became of the detective who originally investigated the accident? As Peller delves deeper into the mystery, he discovers that he and Sandra still have a long road to travel.

A thrilling crime drama, "True Death" is the second novel in Dale E. Lehman's Howard County Mysteries.

Paperback

First published April 1, 2016

About the author

Dale E. Lehman is an award-winning writer, veteran software developer, amateur astronomer, and bonsai artist in training. He principally writes mysteries, science fiction, and humor. In addition to his novels, his writing has appeared in Sky & Telescope and on Medium.com. He owns and operates the imprint Red Tales. He and his late wife Kathleen have five children, six grandchildren, and two feisty cats. At any given time, Dale is at work on several novels and short stories.

To get a bunch of freebies and sign up for Dale's Story Corner newsletter, visit his website.

Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Are you telling me that someone can kill a person in Maryland andif they're not caught in three years they can just walk away?"

Detective Lieutenant Rick Peller just wrapped up the Fibonacci murders and is settling down to the lazy routine of Howard County.

But then...there's a robbery gone wrong which carries an eerie similarity to what happened to Sandra Peller, Rick's deceased wife.

He wished he could turn back the clock.
The clock ticked on.

Sandra was a victim of a hit-and-run but the more Rick investigates this new case...the more he finds evidence that Sandra's death might not have been an accident after all.

Meanwhile, his Detective Sergeants (Corina Montufar and Eric Dumas) are at the forefront of this investigation - and it's proving to be far more than they expected.

....this is going to be ugly. I can't think of a worse ending to this tale..."

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the sequel!

I did rather enjoy the plot this round - it didn't have quite as snappy of a beginning as the Fibonacci Murders but True Death certainly delivered on its premise.

There were plenty of twists and turns - and I never knew where the story was going but nonetheless I was entertained throughout the journey!

I really enjoyed taking the back seat and watching all of the detectives take charge of the investigation.

The characters feel more solid this round and you can really feel the author sinking into this series.

I really liked getting to know Dumas and Montufar a bit more this round and I'm still invested in their relationship - but they do feel like they are moving at a snail's pace! I would love to see the pace of that pick up a bit for the third book.

The addition of all these new characters did leave me with a fairly steep learning curve.

I think it's because I typically don't call people by their last names and when confronted with a bunch of last names, I struggled to remember which one belonged to which character (because the context clues I normally rely on - i.e. gender of the name - were absent).

But the quick action and exciting tone really kept the energy going. I cannot wait to read the next one!

With thanks to the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

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[Mark Kloss · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting tale that kept me guessing until the end. The writing is very descriptive without being flowery and the author has built up in-depth and realistic characters. I particularly liked Peller, the main detective who had lost his wife. His dedication to his work, his honour and integrity in his investigation was great to see.

A real page turner, I think I read about half the book in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

True Death by Dale E Lehman is a marvellous contemporary murder thriller. It is the second book in the Howard County Mystery series but could be read as a stand-alone. I would, however, recommend reading book one, The Fibonacci Murders, first as this story follows straight on from that, being set just a few weeks later.
The plotline was intricately constructed and grabbed my attention from the start. I immediately became engrossed in the action and remained glued to the end. The story alternated between present day and the past, which set the scene for the action to come.
In True Death the reader hears the back story of the main characters. They are more than just detectives, they are 'real' people who have loved and lost. The three detectives reminded me of the three musketeers, with the police chief as D'Artagnan. Their loyalty to each other and their fight for justice was admirable.
There was an unknown voice that drew the reader in. I was asking questions - who is this? What have they done?
A cold case collides with present day crimes in the novel. The reader is intrigued and wonders if there is any connection? Or just coincidence?
The story has the themes of regret and revenge. Both have the power to destroy from the inside out.
A theme with far greater power than regret and revenge, is that of forgiveness. Forgiveness frees us from the past, enabling us to step into the future. Without forgiveness, we can become trapped in a prison of bitterness.
Faith in God was a theme that bubbled away beneath the surface. Sometimes life events mean we wander away from God. When life makes no sense or little sense, we realise our need for God and find ourselves returning to Him. God is the God of restoration and new beginnings. We can lean on Him in any storm.
The criminal underworld features. Dale Lehman has constructed an intricate story that has the reader guessing and trying to join the dots from the start.
Dale Lehman is a new author to me and I cannot get enough of his books - fabulous, clean murder mysteries that have me hanging on his every word. I do hope there is a book three.
I received this book for free from The Book Gobbler. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.

[Joshua Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great mysteries give you just enough information along the way without spoiling the secret or leaving you wanting. Dale Lehman has found this sweet spot with True Death. Beautifully descriptive, True Death follows Detective Rick Peller after the tragic car accident and subsequent death of his wife. I really liked Peller as a character and it was really interesting how he gets wrapped into a case about a bank robbery, one that has something to do with his wife’s death. I won’t spoil it by saying more, but this is a great mystery for anyone who enjoys lots of twists!

[D.J. Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Death is a detective mystery/thriller and follows on from the wonderful Fibonacci Murders, although it can be read as a stand-alone novel.

The three main detective characters, Peller, Montufar and Dumas are well-drawn and engaging. This time, they are investigating a bungled robbery which ended in murder and somehow leads back to the hit and run death of Peller’s wife four years before.

Peller is on holiday with his family for most of the story and there are flashbacks relating to his former life with his wife. Some of the shifts from the past to the present within chapters were a little disorientating.

The main story is well written and plotted, with some neat surprises and complex and interesting villains. The side story about Montufar’s brother and his problems, although related to the main themes, did tend to slow the pace a bit. There is much less background on Dumas, who remains a bit of a mystery man, though that may change in future.

The intervention of the writer Walters and the unforeseen consequences of his desperate desire to get a story was an entertaining plot device and I would have liked to have seen more of Professor Kaneko.

Overall, True Death is an unusual detective story with a satisfying ending. I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Stephen Willis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exciting and thrilling read that kept me hooked for hours. It follows on directly from the first book, so definitely don't jump in here as your first book.

Interesting characters and a complicated but intricately woven plot line. A great and gripping read.

[Jennie Rosenblum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book picks up shortly after the first in the series ends. Familiar characters are back but in this book the author gives us a better understanding of Montufar & Dumas and their backgrounds. We also get a glimpse into the life of Peller and his wife. I really enjoyed the side plot of the writer and his quest to get the story of the Fibonacci Murders (from the first book) but instead finds himself entangled into the plot of this book. The author does a great job of fusing the clues and smaller tendrils of the story to cross the plot over time periods, characters and locations.
While this book does pick up shortly after the first one ends, it can be read as a standalone. This is the second book I have read in this series. I will be following this series.

[Rodney Strong · Rating 3 out of 5]

True Death is the second in the Howard County Mysteries, after The Fibonacci Murders. In this book the main characters are still dealing with the aftermath of the Fibonacci Murders, and their desire to move on is temporarily thwarted by a writer, who desperately wants them to talk about their experiences so he can write a book at it. Rick Peller is the only one who escapes this scrutiny as he leaves for a long overdue vacation to visit his son.

Meanwhile the other detectives are caught up in a car theft ring, that may or may not hold the key to the death of Rick Peller's wife in a car accident years ago.

The main concern I had with this book was character motivations and lack of follow through on set up. Dumas has a subpot relating to his Uncle and running away from family that doesn't pay off. Peller is told while on holiday that his wife was deliberately targeted for death, and instead of jumping on a plane to go home and help out, he stays on holiday.

Then there are a lot of flashbacks showing how Rick and his wife Sandra met and their early life together, but halfway through the book these just peter out for no real reason.

All of these are just frustrating and serve to distract from the main story. It means that for me this wasn't as strong as the first book in the Howard County Mysteries.

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

This has a very complex cast of characters. The story changes often from one character to another. It's easy to get get confused. The story just doesn't flow easily. Then at different times Detective Pellet has flashbacks of his deceased wife. This book was just not for me.

[Lexie Conyngham · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-constructed, multi-threaded plot, interesting, rounded characters, and a good sense of settings – some of the best American police procedural work I’ve read. This is the sequel to The Fibonacci Murders and is, perhaps, better than that. I've already started the next one, Ice on the Bay.

[Thomas Keech · Rating 3 out of 5]

The violent dissolution of a car theft ring exposes the deadly consequences of a long buried obsession. The careful development of the characters does slow the pace of this crime/action novel somewhat.