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Sydney Rose Parnell #2
Dead Stop
The search for a missing child leads a courageous railway cop down a twisted trail of murder.
It’s been five months since Special Agent Sydney Parnell survived a violent confrontation with a gang of brutal thugs, an encounter that left her physically and emotionally scarred. Deep down, Sydney fears she isn’t ready for another investigation. But when a woman is murdered on the train tracks and a child is kidnapped, she knows she’s the only one who can lead the hunt for the killer. While Denver police and the FBI chase down blind alleys, Sydney focuses on a single cryptic clue left behind at the crime scene — one that will send her down a path of greed, violence, and long-ago love.
With Denver beset by a series of monsoonlike thunderstorms that threaten to flood the city, Sydney and her K9 partner, Clyde, must wade through a murky trail of murder that stretches back thirty years — all to rescue a child… and catch a killer with a long memory and an insatiable appetite for destruction.
It’s been five months since Special Agent Sydney Parnell survived a violent confrontation with a gang of brutal thugs, an encounter that left her physically and emotionally scarred. Deep down, Sydney fears she isn’t ready for another investigation. But when a woman is murdered on the train tracks and a child is kidnapped, she knows she’s the only one who can lead the hunt for the killer. While Denver police and the FBI chase down blind alleys, Sydney focuses on a single cryptic clue left behind at the crime scene — one that will send her down a path of greed, violence, and long-ago love.
With Denver beset by a series of monsoonlike thunderstorms that threaten to flood the city, Sydney and her K9 partner, Clyde, must wade through a murky trail of murder that stretches back thirty years — all to rescue a child… and catch a killer with a long memory and an insatiable appetite for destruction.
398 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2017
2419 people are currently reading
1551 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Nickless
13 books1,001 followersBarbara Nickless is the Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author of two award-winning crime series. Her first series has been optioned for television. A teacher and activist, she uses the healing power of writing to support combat veterans and civilians in the U.S. and Ukraine. She’s a three-time winner of the Colorado Book Award and a six-time winner of the CAL awards. A former fencer and falconer, Barbara lives in Colorado where she loves to hike, cave, snowshoe, and drink single malt Scotch. Not at the same time. Her most recent research travel involved taking cover from rocket fire and being grilled at military checkpoints. Her latest novel—The Drowning Game—is a spy thriller. It dropped January 1, 2025.
Sign up for Barbara’s newsletter at www.barbaranickless.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 587 reviews
October 17, 2017
What a class act this new series is! Blood on the Tracks (book 1), and Dead Stop (book 2) are both easily awarded 5 shiny stars from me. Not only can Ms. Nickless spin a terrific plot, but her characterization skills are outstanding. This is a powerful combination that defines my most favorite types of novels.
Sydney Parnell is a railway cop in Denver and an ex-Marine. She carries a heavy load of pain from her years in Iraq and is plagued with PTSD. The fallout from this is beautifully rendered by Ms. Nickless. The story is told in first person from Sydney’s perspective. We are entrenched in her mind and share her journey as she tries to unravel a complex multithreaded assignment that includes multiple murders, a missing 8-year-old girl, and a cold case. Woven into the story are decades of competition between railroad moguls, mysterious happenings at a particularly dangerous railroad crossing, and family drama. We also get a little taste of possible romance, though this is definitely a back-burner issue. A special feature (which I loved) is the quotes from Sydney’s personal journal that grace the beginning of each chapter. Strong stuff.
Sydney, the Denver police force, and the FBI are teamed up in this intricate story. Sydney, as always, is partnered with Clyde, her Belgian Malinois K9 companion who is also an ex-Marine. Clyde never leaves Sydney’s side and plays a major role in the tale. The interaction between cop and dog is priceless. There are a lot of characters in this book, but they were all nicely personalized by Ms. Nickless (I expected nothing less from this author), and easy to keep track of.
This is not something you want to read while lolling on the beach or watching TV with one eye. This is a book to give your full attention to, as the plot has a great deal of depth. It moves well, the twisties and turnies are numerous, and the last 20-25% is a real nail biter. I read late into the night to finish it—quite an accomplishment for me as I am definitely a morning person.
I do not want to fail to mention Ms. Nickless’ research for this book is exceptional. I learned a lot about the railroad system (not something I cared about before), K9 dogs, PTSD, and other topics. The author even gives reading suggestions in her Acknowledgments section for those looking for more on selected topics.
How much did I love Dead Stop? Enough to preorder book 3 (Ambush), which is not due for over a year. Furthermore, Sydney Parnell has become one of my top 3 favorite protagonists (along with Kim Stone and Cork O’Connor) after only two books. As of this writing, Dead Stop is available as a Read Now on Net Galley. Though it can be read as a standalone, I would strongly encourage starting with Blood on the Tracks for full enjoyment.
This series is highly recommended for those looking for thrillers with the highest grade of characterization and seriously substantial plots. If that’s your thing, then these books are for you.
Bravo, Ms. Nickless!
Sydney Parnell is a railway cop in Denver and an ex-Marine. She carries a heavy load of pain from her years in Iraq and is plagued with PTSD. The fallout from this is beautifully rendered by Ms. Nickless. The story is told in first person from Sydney’s perspective. We are entrenched in her mind and share her journey as she tries to unravel a complex multithreaded assignment that includes multiple murders, a missing 8-year-old girl, and a cold case. Woven into the story are decades of competition between railroad moguls, mysterious happenings at a particularly dangerous railroad crossing, and family drama. We also get a little taste of possible romance, though this is definitely a back-burner issue. A special feature (which I loved) is the quotes from Sydney’s personal journal that grace the beginning of each chapter. Strong stuff.
Sydney, the Denver police force, and the FBI are teamed up in this intricate story. Sydney, as always, is partnered with Clyde, her Belgian Malinois K9 companion who is also an ex-Marine. Clyde never leaves Sydney’s side and plays a major role in the tale. The interaction between cop and dog is priceless. There are a lot of characters in this book, but they were all nicely personalized by Ms. Nickless (I expected nothing less from this author), and easy to keep track of.
This is not something you want to read while lolling on the beach or watching TV with one eye. This is a book to give your full attention to, as the plot has a great deal of depth. It moves well, the twisties and turnies are numerous, and the last 20-25% is a real nail biter. I read late into the night to finish it—quite an accomplishment for me as I am definitely a morning person.
I do not want to fail to mention Ms. Nickless’ research for this book is exceptional. I learned a lot about the railroad system (not something I cared about before), K9 dogs, PTSD, and other topics. The author even gives reading suggestions in her Acknowledgments section for those looking for more on selected topics.
How much did I love Dead Stop? Enough to preorder book 3 (Ambush), which is not due for over a year. Furthermore, Sydney Parnell has become one of my top 3 favorite protagonists (along with Kim Stone and Cork O’Connor) after only two books. As of this writing, Dead Stop is available as a Read Now on Net Galley. Though it can be read as a standalone, I would strongly encourage starting with Blood on the Tracks for full enjoyment.
This series is highly recommended for those looking for thrillers with the highest grade of characterization and seriously substantial plots. If that’s your thing, then these books are for you.
Bravo, Ms. Nickless!
January 30, 2019
Sydney Rose Parnell is a great character, and after only two books I’m loving this series featuring her. She is an ex-Marine who served two tours in Iraq in Mortuary Affairs. She has Clyde, a fantastic sidekick who is an ex-Marine K9. She now works as a railroad cop for a rail line in Colorado. She has PTSD and is in therapy.
I have no experience with PTSD, but I believe that the author’s portrayal of Sydney is authentic. The character is written with sensitivity, compassion, and hope. I love the snippets at the beginning of each chapter from Sydney’s personal journal, her private correspondence and conversations, her Psychology of Combat for ENGL 2008 class. They give great insights to Sydney’s thoughts.
The story drew me in immediately and the pacing was perfect. The family of the owner of the rail line where Sydney works has been attacked, murdered, and a young girl has been kidnapped. Sydney is tenacious as she helps investigate, along with the FBI, Denver PD, and County Sheriffs. Events in this book lead me to expect some changes for Sydney in future books, if she survives what she has decided to do next.
The next book in the series is due to be released on March 19. I am so looking forward to it!
I have no experience with PTSD, but I believe that the author’s portrayal of Sydney is authentic. The character is written with sensitivity, compassion, and hope. I love the snippets at the beginning of each chapter from Sydney’s personal journal, her private correspondence and conversations, her Psychology of Combat for ENGL 2008 class. They give great insights to Sydney’s thoughts.
The story drew me in immediately and the pacing was perfect. The family of the owner of the rail line where Sydney works has been attacked, murdered, and a young girl has been kidnapped. Sydney is tenacious as she helps investigate, along with the FBI, Denver PD, and County Sheriffs. Events in this book lead me to expect some changes for Sydney in future books, if she survives what she has decided to do next.
The next book in the series is due to be released on March 19. I am so looking forward to it!
September 15, 2017
I was excited to get my hands on an advanced copy of Dead Stop because I loved Nickless’s first novel, Blood on the Tracks. A couple of the elements from the first novel are also what I enjoyed about Dead Stop. First, in addition to having a complex character in railroad cop and former marine, Sydney Parnell, her partner and dog, also a former marine, is an important character in the book. Second, Nickless really does her research, and I learned a lot about the dangers of railroad crossings and the complicated world of the railroad industry.
Sydney is called to the scene of what at first appears to be a suicide: A woman on the tracks who doesn’t move and of course the train can’t stop fast enough not to kill her brutally. But upon further investigation, it becomes obvious that this case is much more complicated than suicide. Much, much more complicated.
This is a complex story of a tenacious cop and other officers who help track down both a murderer and a kidnapped little girl. Especially when I got to the end I could easily see this as Hollywood movie. It’s not a breezy read, but if you like imperfect characters untangling a web of deceit of greed and resentment, it’s great fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of this novel.
For more of my reviews, please see http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Sydney is called to the scene of what at first appears to be a suicide: A woman on the tracks who doesn’t move and of course the train can’t stop fast enough not to kill her brutally. But upon further investigation, it becomes obvious that this case is much more complicated than suicide. Much, much more complicated.
This is a complex story of a tenacious cop and other officers who help track down both a murderer and a kidnapped little girl. Especially when I got to the end I could easily see this as Hollywood movie. It’s not a breezy read, but if you like imperfect characters untangling a web of deceit of greed and resentment, it’s great fun.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy of this novel.
For more of my reviews, please see http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
November 9, 2017
4.5 stars
"Every person’s life is a struggle against a world filled with resistance. That resistance may defeat us or warp us or crush us.
But sometimes, we find a strength we didn’t know we had. And with that newly recognized strength, we move past the hard times. And we become a little stronger for the next round."
The second book in the Sydney Parnell series is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, Blood on the Tracks. It picks up five months later and finds Sydney mostly recovered from the physical wounds suffered in that book. Her emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds, however, are another story. One thing that I loved about the first book was its unflinching and accurate portrayal of PTSD in a former member of the military. This book continues those efforts and shows that there is no quick cure but that, instead, the road to healing is a long and sometimes one-step-forward-two-steps-back process. The little quotes from Sydney’s journal that head off each chapter give wonderful insight into her headspace but they also show her slow evolution. So, bravo for that, book.
Sydney is not without support, however. She still has the undying loyalty and unconditional love of Clyde, her K9 partner, a war veteran himself. But she also has Detective Mike Cohen. There wasn’t as much of him in this book as I’d have liked but it’s clear that Sydney’s relationship with him has made some progress, even though she’s still trying hard to keep him at arm’s length – at least emotionally speaking. My only quibble with this book was that some of the important conversations between these two characters happens off the page. That’s somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying because seeing how Sydney’s mental health issues affect her personal and romantic relationships is just as interesting to me as seeing how it impacts the larger and more public spheres of her life. I’m not advocating that this turn into a romance heavy story, far from it, but allowing some of those more personal beats with Cohen can only help provide insight into even more facets of Sydney’s character.
"The dead are a load you can’t set down. They weigh nothing. And everything."
That aside though, this was another excellent mystery that starts out with a seemingly straightforward jumper case – railroad slang for someone who commits suicide by standing in the path of a moving train. But that case soon starts to cross threads with the murder of a family across town and a cold case that goes back some 25-30 years. Tracking downs the leads and hunches is frustrating work but Sydney’s doggedness proves equal to the task. There were admittedly times when I asked myself how such-and-such a character could possibly know something but in every instance my patience paid off and a perfectly reasonable explanation was provided. There were red herrings and twists I didn’t see coming and the story delivered in pulling off a suspenseful and satisfying climax.
I’m happy to report that the author will be publishing at least two more books in the series, in 2018 and 2019. There are some plot threads that have been pulled through the first two books - sort of that background, long arc type stuff – and it will be nice to see those pay off eventually. This book also ends with some options for Sydney as she continues to move forward with her life and I’m looking forward to seeing what she decides.
"Every person’s life is a struggle against a world filled with resistance. That resistance may defeat us or warp us or crush us.
But sometimes, we find a strength we didn’t know we had. And with that newly recognized strength, we move past the hard times. And we become a little stronger for the next round."
The second book in the Sydney Parnell series is a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, Blood on the Tracks. It picks up five months later and finds Sydney mostly recovered from the physical wounds suffered in that book. Her emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds, however, are another story. One thing that I loved about the first book was its unflinching and accurate portrayal of PTSD in a former member of the military. This book continues those efforts and shows that there is no quick cure but that, instead, the road to healing is a long and sometimes one-step-forward-two-steps-back process. The little quotes from Sydney’s journal that head off each chapter give wonderful insight into her headspace but they also show her slow evolution. So, bravo for that, book.
Sydney is not without support, however. She still has the undying loyalty and unconditional love of Clyde, her K9 partner, a war veteran himself. But she also has Detective Mike Cohen. There wasn’t as much of him in this book as I’d have liked but it’s clear that Sydney’s relationship with him has made some progress, even though she’s still trying hard to keep him at arm’s length – at least emotionally speaking. My only quibble with this book was that some of the important conversations between these two characters happens off the page. That’s somewhat disappointing and unsatisfying because seeing how Sydney’s mental health issues affect her personal and romantic relationships is just as interesting to me as seeing how it impacts the larger and more public spheres of her life. I’m not advocating that this turn into a romance heavy story, far from it, but allowing some of those more personal beats with Cohen can only help provide insight into even more facets of Sydney’s character.
"The dead are a load you can’t set down. They weigh nothing. And everything."
That aside though, this was another excellent mystery that starts out with a seemingly straightforward jumper case – railroad slang for someone who commits suicide by standing in the path of a moving train. But that case soon starts to cross threads with the murder of a family across town and a cold case that goes back some 25-30 years. Tracking downs the leads and hunches is frustrating work but Sydney’s doggedness proves equal to the task. There were admittedly times when I asked myself how such-and-such a character could possibly know something but in every instance my patience paid off and a perfectly reasonable explanation was provided. There were red herrings and twists I didn’t see coming and the story delivered in pulling off a suspenseful and satisfying climax.
I’m happy to report that the author will be publishing at least two more books in the series, in 2018 and 2019. There are some plot threads that have been pulled through the first two books - sort of that background, long arc type stuff – and it will be nice to see those pay off eventually. This book also ends with some options for Sydney as she continues to move forward with her life and I’m looking forward to seeing what she decides.
October 1, 2017
I read Blood on the Tracks last year and I loved it! So, I was pretty thrilled to get the chance to read the sequel, Dead Stop. Special Agent Sydney Parnell is a tough railway cop that together with her K9 partner Clyde has to save the only survivor of a brutal home invasion, a little girl. At first, is it hard to see what made the killer choose to kill everyone in the family, and kidnap the little girl. Is this because of some past transgression by the mother or father? Or likes the answers even further back in time? It seems that Sydney has to follow a trail that leads back in time to find the answers, but she has to do it quickly, a little girl's life is in danger, and who knows if the killer will stop at that...
Special Agent Sydney Parnell may have survived the confrontation in the last book, but she has added a six more ghosts to the list. And, I mean that literally. Her PTSD has resulted in that she sees ghosts. So, yes she has some problem and all this makes her such a fabulous character. Damaged and with pretty bad war memories, among that the memories of her lover, Doug, that never made it home, all that she has left of him is his dog that she has bonded with. Now she has kind of moved on with Detective Mike Cohen, although she's not quite there yet, she has moved in with him, but she can't bring herself to let Dough go just yet.
The case is a hard one, with 3 brutal deaths, but will add more deaths along the way as Sydney desperately tries to find out the truth before the time runs out for the little girl. I found the story engrossing, a sad tale about man's ambitions that crushes lives and have repercussions several years later. The first book story may have gotten to me a bit more, but this is an excellent book that I recommend warmly!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
Special Agent Sydney Parnell may have survived the confrontation in the last book, but she has added a six more ghosts to the list. And, I mean that literally. Her PTSD has resulted in that she sees ghosts. So, yes she has some problem and all this makes her such a fabulous character. Damaged and with pretty bad war memories, among that the memories of her lover, Doug, that never made it home, all that she has left of him is his dog that she has bonded with. Now she has kind of moved on with Detective Mike Cohen, although she's not quite there yet, she has moved in with him, but she can't bring herself to let Dough go just yet.
The case is a hard one, with 3 brutal deaths, but will add more deaths along the way as Sydney desperately tries to find out the truth before the time runs out for the little girl. I found the story engrossing, a sad tale about man's ambitions that crushes lives and have repercussions several years later. The first book story may have gotten to me a bit more, but this is an excellent book that I recommend warmly!
I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!
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November 13, 2022
4-Stars
Dead Stop - Sydney Rose Parnell, #2 - by Barbara Nickless
Audiobook: 11:52 Hours - Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
Although an enjoyable follow-on from "#1, Blood On The Tracks", Dead Stop is just a little too long, and as the story progressed, I became just a little less eager to put on the headphones and listen to it. All but twelve hours long, in my opinion Dead Stop would have benefited from some judicious editing.
As we have come to expect, Emily Sutton-Smith's narration is very good. Overall, the writing is fine and the story is mostly credible, although I would have liked more action featuring Clyde, Sydney's Belgian Malinois K9, who, like Sydney, is a former Marine.
Dead Stop - Sydney Rose Parnell, #2 - by Barbara Nickless
Audiobook: 11:52 Hours - Narrated by: Emily Sutton-Smith
Although an enjoyable follow-on from "#1, Blood On The Tracks", Dead Stop is just a little too long, and as the story progressed, I became just a little less eager to put on the headphones and listen to it. All but twelve hours long, in my opinion Dead Stop would have benefited from some judicious editing.
As we have come to expect, Emily Sutton-Smith's narration is very good. Overall, the writing is fine and the story is mostly credible, although I would have liked more action featuring Clyde, Sydney's Belgian Malinois K9, who, like Sydney, is a former Marine.
June 1, 2023
Syd and Clyde are back, a little worse for wear from their last investigation five months earlier (the first installment). Syd has been in therapy ever since as a result of the trauma she and Clyde experienced during that investigation. Syd, as well as Clyde, are still suffering from their multiple tours of duty in the Iraqi war. Syd is still working on dealing with her continuing PTSD that includes flashbacks of war, nightmares of battle and her paranoid delusions of the ghosts of dead people she knew. There is one delusion that is a frequent intruder in Syd’s psyche; she calls them the six. Even Clyde still has negative reactions to dead bodies – what Marines call the death fear.
Nicklass is still beginning each chapter with excerpts from Syd’s journals as well as some of her assignments for her college writing courses that are still as haunting now, and sometimes sad, as they were in the first installment. I actually like these snippets of Syd’s thoughts and the things that still trouble her. Nicklass uses them in her continuing character development of Syd.
The book summary pretty much lays out the premise for the primary storyline, so I won’t repeat it here. There are, of course, some secondary storylines like the one of Syd and Cohen (Denver detective) that Syd met in the first book and is now living with. Syd has intimacy and trust issues, which, so far, Cohen has been very patient and understanding. There is another one where Syd is working with an organization that helps Iraqi citizens, who fled their home country, and helps them assimilate into new lives in other countries. Syd is still looking for Malik, an Iraqi boy, whose mother was killed by soldiers because she worked as a translator for the US military and fell in love with a US soldier. Syd had tried to bring Malik home with her, but he disappeared before she was able to get permission to do that.
Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the murder of a family and the abduction of the surviving, youngest, child; the father, Ben Davenport, was former military. Ben’s wife and two sons were murdered, and Ben is in a coma in ICU after the attack at his home. This has Syd digging around in some old railway documentation based on clues the killer is leaving behind at the murder scenes. In her investigation, Syd discovers that Ben was also digging around in some old railway mergers and deaths, prior to the murder of his wife and sons and the abduction of his daughter.
Well into the second half of the story (75-80% mark), the killer is revealed, and the end comes pretty quick after that. Syd and Clyde get themselves in some pretty hairy and scary incidents, one with a humungous wolfdog. There was also a lead-in to the next installment that will pick up one of the other storylines in this book. Syd is going to find Malik.
This series continues to depict the day-to-day struggles that so many returning veterans deal with in their efforts to assimilate to civilian life. It’s shameful how those who served this country to defend those who chose to remain here are treated once they return home and need those same people to stand up to defend them now. They’re suffering and so often alone with no help.
“Dogs didn’t believe in human guilt, only in love. Being with him was better than confession and a dozen Hail Mary’s. To hell with the wisdom of war. What about the wisdom of dogs.”
Nicklass is still beginning each chapter with excerpts from Syd’s journals as well as some of her assignments for her college writing courses that are still as haunting now, and sometimes sad, as they were in the first installment. I actually like these snippets of Syd’s thoughts and the things that still trouble her. Nicklass uses them in her continuing character development of Syd.
“In war, going outside the wire means risking your life. But at home, the things that will kill us are often what we bring in ourselves. Alcohol. A violent spouse. Cigarettes and prescription meds. Anxiety and falls and carelessness and anger. There are plenty of dangers in this world. But the most dangerous thing of all is what we see in the mirror.”
Sydney Parnell
Personal Journal
The book summary pretty much lays out the premise for the primary storyline, so I won’t repeat it here. There are, of course, some secondary storylines like the one of Syd and Cohen (Denver detective) that Syd met in the first book and is now living with. Syd has intimacy and trust issues, which, so far, Cohen has been very patient and understanding. There is another one where Syd is working with an organization that helps Iraqi citizens, who fled their home country, and helps them assimilate into new lives in other countries. Syd is still looking for Malik, an Iraqi boy, whose mother was killed by soldiers because she worked as a translator for the US military and fell in love with a US soldier. Syd had tried to bring Malik home with her, but he disappeared before she was able to get permission to do that.
“If I stop having nightmares, if I stop living in the past, how will I speak for those we left behind.”
Sydney Parnell
Personal Journal
Most of the story revolves around the investigation of the murder of a family and the abduction of the surviving, youngest, child; the father, Ben Davenport, was former military. Ben’s wife and two sons were murdered, and Ben is in a coma in ICU after the attack at his home. This has Syd digging around in some old railway documentation based on clues the killer is leaving behind at the murder scenes. In her investigation, Syd discovers that Ben was also digging around in some old railway mergers and deaths, prior to the murder of his wife and sons and the abduction of his daughter.
“And I ran hard into a truth I’d known since Iraq. You could throw everything you had at a problem – firepower, manpower, logistical support. You could get a lot of really smart people working on it. You could even get a lot of people to sacrifice their lives for it. And, in the end, might be all you’ve got is the same problem and a higher body count.”
Well into the second half of the story (75-80% mark), the killer is revealed, and the end comes pretty quick after that. Syd and Clyde get themselves in some pretty hairy and scary incidents, one with a humungous wolfdog. There was also a lead-in to the next installment that will pick up one of the other storylines in this book. Syd is going to find Malik.
“ - Listen up recruits. Some of you are hardwired to be heroes. Dump that. In Iraq, trying to play hero will get you killed so fast you’ll pass your coffin going out almost before you’re in-country. – Sir, this recruit would like to know what to do if he’s the only thing standing between his platoon and the bad guy. – In that case, you put yourself forward. That’s not being a hero. That’s being a Marine.”
Classroom
USMC Leadership
Parris Island
This series continues to depict the day-to-day struggles that so many returning veterans deal with in their efforts to assimilate to civilian life. It’s shameful how those who served this country to defend those who chose to remain here are treated once they return home and need those same people to stand up to defend them now. They’re suffering and so often alone with no help.
“Some cultures believe true wisdom is attained only through suffering – that our pain allows us to cross the void between the living and the dead and bring back knowledge. Thus, veterans are lauded as having special insight. But in other times and places, warriors fresh from combat are named unclean and kept from society until ritual can make them pure again. In America, I don’t think we’ve decided which of these two views we hold. Most often we see the traumatized as merely weak. When our veterans struggle, they are pitied. Or ignored.”
Sydney Parnell
ENGL 2008
Psychology of Combat
July 5, 2022
Sydney Rose Parnell is another psychologically damaged Marine who has returned to the US and struggles daily. She is a railroad cop and, along with her Malinois partner Clyde (also traumatized by his military service) fights the good fight against the evildoers in the world, on a daily basis.
She and Clyde are called to investigate when a woman apparently commits suicide by standing on the railroad tracks just far enough around a bend that the train can´t possibly stop in time. The train engineer thought he noticed something that indicated she might not have been on those tracks willingly. After poking around a bit, Sydney and Clyde agree as do the police, one of whom, (last name of Cohen, whose first name I just can´t remember), is Sydney´s live-in lover and Clyde´s second-best friend.
As you might suspect, nothing is quite like it seems. Parnell and Clyde are on the case in what amounts to total immersion. The investigation begins to branch out in several directions. One such direction involves a couple of very competitive railroad tycoons who become suspects in the killing. Another takes Parnell and Clyde to a bottom-of-the-barrel tavern where old-time railroad people hang out. Yet another takes them back to a death that occurred many years before. It also turns out that the woman´s two sons were murdered, her husband was shot and her daughter is missing. Yikes!
Once again, Nickless does a superb job of creating a very clever, unique, and thoroughly engaging plot populated by terrific characters. Some of these characters are carryovers from the first book in the series while most are newly created, vivid, sometimes scary, yet always believable representations of a remarkable range of humanity and caninity (there is a dog beyond Clyde). Nickless displays a deft hand as she creates extreme situations and characters without slipping into ¨ too extreme to believe.¨
If you haven´t read a Sydney and Clyde book, you´d be well served by starting with the first book in the series, Blood on the Tracks. Although Dead Stop fills in quite a bit of the backstory, it can´t, of course, cover it all. There´s some action but more thinking, analyzing, and planning so if you´re an out-and-out action junkie, this book might not be for you.
I, for one, am very pleased that there are a number of other books in this wonderful series.
Fini
She and Clyde are called to investigate when a woman apparently commits suicide by standing on the railroad tracks just far enough around a bend that the train can´t possibly stop in time. The train engineer thought he noticed something that indicated she might not have been on those tracks willingly. After poking around a bit, Sydney and Clyde agree as do the police, one of whom, (last name of Cohen, whose first name I just can´t remember), is Sydney´s live-in lover and Clyde´s second-best friend.
As you might suspect, nothing is quite like it seems. Parnell and Clyde are on the case in what amounts to total immersion. The investigation begins to branch out in several directions. One such direction involves a couple of very competitive railroad tycoons who become suspects in the killing. Another takes Parnell and Clyde to a bottom-of-the-barrel tavern where old-time railroad people hang out. Yet another takes them back to a death that occurred many years before. It also turns out that the woman´s two sons were murdered, her husband was shot and her daughter is missing. Yikes!
Once again, Nickless does a superb job of creating a very clever, unique, and thoroughly engaging plot populated by terrific characters. Some of these characters are carryovers from the first book in the series while most are newly created, vivid, sometimes scary, yet always believable representations of a remarkable range of humanity and caninity (there is a dog beyond Clyde). Nickless displays a deft hand as she creates extreme situations and characters without slipping into ¨ too extreme to believe.¨
If you haven´t read a Sydney and Clyde book, you´d be well served by starting with the first book in the series, Blood on the Tracks. Although Dead Stop fills in quite a bit of the backstory, it can´t, of course, cover it all. There´s some action but more thinking, analyzing, and planning so if you´re an out-and-out action junkie, this book might not be for you.
I, for one, am very pleased that there are a number of other books in this wonderful series.
Fini
February 28, 2018
Okay read.
Special Agent Sydney Parnell returned from Iraq with PTSD, and barely survived brutal gang attack. She and K9 partner now working for railroad company, greed, money and murders. Innocent boys are killed, 8 years old girl is missing. Sydney and Clyde has to find her before it's too late. Reason for every thing explained at the end.
Special Agent Sydney Parnell returned from Iraq with PTSD, and barely survived brutal gang attack. She and K9 partner now working for railroad company, greed, money and murders. Innocent boys are killed, 8 years old girl is missing. Sydney and Clyde has to find her before it's too late. Reason for every thing explained at the end.
April 2, 2023
I enjoyed “Blood On The Tracks” so much that I immediately followed it with DEAD STOP, the second book in the series; this is another high-octane action thriller. Neither book was a “great novel” in terms of meaningful insight into the human condition, nor advertised as such, but both were fun reads.
I expected the second book to feature Sydney Rose Parnell investigating the Iran conspiracy that was left unsolved at the end of “Blood On The Tracks”. However DEAD STOP took a detour into more typical mystery-thriller terrain—a crazed killer, motive unknown; a kidnapped eight-year-old girl; a dangerous railway crossing; and a past history of competition between railway moguls. I thought the killer was easier to spot in this instalment, although there were some good red herrings inserted to mislead the reader, and the motive for the killer’s rampage was hidden until the end.
Many of the positives from the first book remained. These include an excellent depiction of PTSD in the form of Sydney’s diary entries at the beginning of each chapter coupled with the ghosts that only she sees. Also, Clyde, her Belgian Malinois companion is back, still keeping her safe. And I learned more about the complex U.S./Canada railway system—the author’s research on this topic is outstanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review for Blood On The Tracks
Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell, #1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I expected the second book to feature Sydney Rose Parnell investigating the Iran conspiracy that was left unsolved at the end of “Blood On The Tracks”. However DEAD STOP took a detour into more typical mystery-thriller terrain—a crazed killer, motive unknown; a kidnapped eight-year-old girl; a dangerous railway crossing; and a past history of competition between railway moguls. I thought the killer was easier to spot in this instalment, although there were some good red herrings inserted to mislead the reader, and the motive for the killer’s rampage was hidden until the end.
Many of the positives from the first book remained. These include an excellent depiction of PTSD in the form of Sydney’s diary entries at the beginning of each chapter coupled with the ghosts that only she sees. Also, Clyde, her Belgian Malinois companion is back, still keeping her safe. And I learned more about the complex U.S./Canada railway system—the author’s research on this topic is outstanding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My review for Blood On The Tracks
Blood on the Tracks (Sydney Rose Parnell, #1)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
September 9, 2017
Today’s literary field is covered with about a half million books a year, and it seems many writers believe all they have to do is sit down at a keyboard and type. They could learn a thing or two from Barbara Nickless.
Her new book, “Dead Stop,” is impeccably researched. From police procedural aspects to railroad facts and even right down to the mental challenges faced by her lead character, Sydney Rose Parnell, Ms. Nickless has inserted more than enough information to breathe life into this novel and make it real. But the list of good things about this book doesn’t stop there.
Sydney Parnell’s character is complicated, and the author allows her to share everything. Some of the minor characters are only in scenes briefly, yet just as when we meet someone in person, readers are privy to a range of personality indicators run through Sydney’s filters. Having well-defined characters, even the ones who are only going to be around for a few pages, wakes the book up and brings it to life.
The plot is intense and very believable. The entire story takes place over a few days, as Sydney hunts for both a missing child and a deranged killer. A second mystery unfolds and Ms. Nickless reveals that there is a tangible back story, with potentially more murders that could be connected with current events. Sydney works desperately, racing against time to unwind all the threads. An interesting twist is Ms. Nickless choosing to give Sydney a canine partner. Clyde is an integral part of the novel, and the interplay between the dog and Sydney ranges from serious to humorous.
If anything bothered me at all about this book, it was Sydney’s battle with her past. A war veteran assigned to Mortuary Affairs, she is confronted regularly by the manifestations of her more haunting experiences. While Ms. Nickless writes with excellence in describing the post-traumatic stress, there are so many other detective authors using this idea – saddling the main character with a physical or mental issue to deal with – that I can’t help but wish for Sydney to find a way through her troubles. Ms. Nickless is a gem of an author, and I believe she can give Sydney other interesting problems to deal with while leaving the PTSD issues behind.
While “Dead Stop” is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. There are a few references to the first story (“Blood on the Tracks”), although little of the main plot is revealed and one could conceivably read the two books in reverse order…though why would you want to? If you’re a fan of detective/suspense stories, you won’t do better than these two books by Barbara Nickless. Four-and-a-half, rounded to five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. {Note to my GR friends: I liked the first book so much, I pre-ordered "Dead Stop" months ago...glad to have this advance copy so I don't have to wait until October 3, 2017 :) }
Her new book, “Dead Stop,” is impeccably researched. From police procedural aspects to railroad facts and even right down to the mental challenges faced by her lead character, Sydney Rose Parnell, Ms. Nickless has inserted more than enough information to breathe life into this novel and make it real. But the list of good things about this book doesn’t stop there.
Sydney Parnell’s character is complicated, and the author allows her to share everything. Some of the minor characters are only in scenes briefly, yet just as when we meet someone in person, readers are privy to a range of personality indicators run through Sydney’s filters. Having well-defined characters, even the ones who are only going to be around for a few pages, wakes the book up and brings it to life.
The plot is intense and very believable. The entire story takes place over a few days, as Sydney hunts for both a missing child and a deranged killer. A second mystery unfolds and Ms. Nickless reveals that there is a tangible back story, with potentially more murders that could be connected with current events. Sydney works desperately, racing against time to unwind all the threads. An interesting twist is Ms. Nickless choosing to give Sydney a canine partner. Clyde is an integral part of the novel, and the interplay between the dog and Sydney ranges from serious to humorous.
If anything bothered me at all about this book, it was Sydney’s battle with her past. A war veteran assigned to Mortuary Affairs, she is confronted regularly by the manifestations of her more haunting experiences. While Ms. Nickless writes with excellence in describing the post-traumatic stress, there are so many other detective authors using this idea – saddling the main character with a physical or mental issue to deal with – that I can’t help but wish for Sydney to find a way through her troubles. Ms. Nickless is a gem of an author, and I believe she can give Sydney other interesting problems to deal with while leaving the PTSD issues behind.
While “Dead Stop” is the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone. There are a few references to the first story (“Blood on the Tracks”), although little of the main plot is revealed and one could conceivably read the two books in reverse order…though why would you want to? If you’re a fan of detective/suspense stories, you won’t do better than these two books by Barbara Nickless. Four-and-a-half, rounded to five stars.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. {Note to my GR friends: I liked the first book so much, I pre-ordered "Dead Stop" months ago...glad to have this advance copy so I don't have to wait until October 3, 2017 :) }
June 20, 2020
Sydney Parnell is a railway cop in Denver and an ex-Marine. She carries a heavy load of pain from her years serving in Iraq, with her primary comfort in the form of a follow ex-marine: a Belgian Malinois K-9 named Clyde. Samantha Davenport has been killed by a freight train, while her husband Ben gravely wounded, her two sons killed in an apparent home invasion, and their 8-year old daughter Lucy is missing. The story revolves around the many years of competition between two railroad moguls, their current battle for an express train to the West Coast, some strange numbers left at a related crime scene, and a series of unreported deaths at a particularly dangerous railroad crossing, culminating in serious family trauma. Sydney works on a task force with the Denver police force, and the FBI, but it is her tenacity and long family history with the railroad that solves this excellent mystery. Nickless does an excellent job in continuing to provide the key factors that help readers understand Sydney's character and challenges. 4.5 stars. Looking forward to books 3 and 4.
May 19, 2022
This is the second book in this series and every bit as good as the first. Sydney is an ex-marine (Mortuary Services) who is now a railroad cop. Sydney is called in to investigate what appears to be a suicide in front of a train, but after some initial investigation appears to be a lot more sinister. Once again Sydney's partner in investigation is her Belgian Shepherd, Clyde, also an ex-marine.
Sydney also once again suffers a lot of flashbacks to her service in Iraq and sees the ghosts of those who died both in Iraq and back at home.
A solid thriller with a few twists, I am really looking forward to book three!
Sydney also once again suffers a lot of flashbacks to her service in Iraq and sees the ghosts of those who died both in Iraq and back at home.
A solid thriller with a few twists, I am really looking forward to book three!
September 4, 2017
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.
I enjoyed Blood on the Tracks (1st book) very much and the series just keeps getting better with Dead Stop. But this is the kind of book that upsets my dogs and my husband. The dogs .... because I couldn't put it down to feed them at their proper time (so their dinner was 20 minutes "late). My husband ... because I didn't even think to prepare his dinner and he had to settle for a bowl of Cheerios (again).
I did stop a couple of times -- just to marvel about how Sydney's brain functions -- how she manages to figure out various "clues" and how she sees patterns. I need to be hit in the head with a 2 x 4 most times. Great characters, great plot and well researched. And it was wonderful to see Clyde again.
I enjoyed Blood on the Tracks (1st book) very much and the series just keeps getting better with Dead Stop. But this is the kind of book that upsets my dogs and my husband. The dogs .... because I couldn't put it down to feed them at their proper time (so their dinner was 20 minutes "late). My husband ... because I didn't even think to prepare his dinner and he had to settle for a bowl of Cheerios (again).
I did stop a couple of times -- just to marvel about how Sydney's brain functions -- how she manages to figure out various "clues" and how she sees patterns. I need to be hit in the head with a 2 x 4 most times. Great characters, great plot and well researched. And it was wonderful to see Clyde again.
December 17, 2020
The first book in this series left me a wee bit on the fence. I can honestly say, however, that I loved this one!! In Dead Stop Sydney Rose Parnell is called to a scene where a woman has apparently committed suicide by train. As the investigation continues it becomes apparent there's much more to the story, however.
I'm still totally in love with Parnell's dog, Clyde! And I was pleasantly surprised to see the way Detective Cohen's and Parnell's relationship is evolving. Best of all, no mushiness! I loved how goofy and happy Cohen and Clyde were with each other. (Sydney describes them as behaving like a couple of two-year-olds!!) It offsets some of the darker themes in the book.
The pace of the story is brisk, yet I found the plot easier to follow than I did the first book. I loved the atmospheric settings, too. I'd like to tell you that I knew how the mystery was going to be solved but I was quite surprised in the end. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Ambush!
I'm still totally in love with Parnell's dog, Clyde! And I was pleasantly surprised to see the way Detective Cohen's and Parnell's relationship is evolving. Best of all, no mushiness! I loved how goofy and happy Cohen and Clyde were with each other. (Sydney describes them as behaving like a couple of two-year-olds!!) It offsets some of the darker themes in the book.
The pace of the story is brisk, yet I found the plot easier to follow than I did the first book. I loved the atmospheric settings, too. I'd like to tell you that I knew how the mystery was going to be solved but I was quite surprised in the end. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Ambush!
October 24, 2018
I'm really enjoying this new series by Barbara Nickless. Both the first book and the second book had great plots and I like the recurring characters. I would recommend reading the series in order as a lot of character development was provided in book 1 and not repeated in book 2. I'm definitely looking forward to book 3.
March 2, 2020
Dead Stop
4 Stars
The investigation into an apparent suicide by train and its connection to a home invasion takes on an extra dimension when it becomes clear that a young girl has been kidnapped.
The case is not as fast-paced as the first book in the series, but it has several intense moments and a satisfying resolution. It is possible to figure out the culprit's identity and motive, but Kudos to Nickless for keeping me guessing for most of the story.
In terms of Sydney's personal life, it is somewhat disappointing that the development of her relationship with Cohen takes place off-page, but they are going in a positive direction.
Overall, an enjoyable sequel and I look forward to Sydney and Clyde's next case, which will hopefull also continue the Iraqi story arc from book #1.
4 Stars
The investigation into an apparent suicide by train and its connection to a home invasion takes on an extra dimension when it becomes clear that a young girl has been kidnapped.
The case is not as fast-paced as the first book in the series, but it has several intense moments and a satisfying resolution. It is possible to figure out the culprit's identity and motive, but Kudos to Nickless for keeping me guessing for most of the story.
In terms of Sydney's personal life, it is somewhat disappointing that the development of her relationship with Cohen takes place off-page, but they are going in a positive direction.
Overall, an enjoyable sequel and I look forward to Sydney and Clyde's next case, which will hopefull also continue the Iraqi story arc from book #1.
September 12, 2017
I have to start off by saying that I absolutely loved Blood on the Tracks so I jumped on this lickity split as soon as it was available. For me, I feel that this one was missing just a little something that the first book had. Maybe this one had too much internal dialogue and thoughts. I love how Sydney interacts with people and I wanted more of that. I also found that this one had too many characters to keep track of and the plot was almost too big for itself. I know this makes it sound like I didn't like the book but I did! I just wanted more interaction with her and Cohen, but at the end it seems she's opening up just a little bit so that keeps me hopeful. As always Clyde steals the show being a bad ass service dog. I truly love this series and I can't wait for another book.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer!!
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer!!
February 21, 2019
You can find this review in English below.
Otro brillante misterio-suspense de la señora Nickless. Estoy entusiasmada con esta serie. Una protagonista inteligente y con recursos, que ni una sola vez tiene que recurrir a la estupidez para que la trama sea interesante. Con un lado oscuro preocupante y sumamente realista que le da ese empujón final al personaje para que traspase las páginas y se convierta en una figura tridimensional. Es apasionante. Estoy deseando ver a dónde me lleva.
Cualquier cosa que escriba a estas alturas podría ser un spoiler, así que seré vaga. El suspense es, de nuevo, una auténtica montaña rusa. Bien pensado y bien escrito, con un montón de situaciones que podrían haberlo hundido y que, sin embargo, la autora usa como trampolín para convertirlo en algo adictivo. Ha sido un viaje increíble.
Los secundarios siguen sin brillar demasiado. Todo el foco de la historia está puesto en la protagonista y en su compañero canino, como debe de ser. Y aunque cada vez vamos conociendo más de su vida diaria, ésta sigue estando en un segundo o tercer o hasta cuarto plano. Esto me da un poquito de miedito. Espero que, en las próximas entregas, la trama no tome un giro hacia lo melodramático y me deje helada. Porque hay un par de asuntos en el aire que… no sé… me dan mala espina.
Por cierto, si te gustan los finales felices y bien explicaditos, con todos los lazos atados y el final cerrado… busca en otro sitio.
😊
***
Another brilliant mystery-suspense by Ms. Nickless. I'm excited about this series. An intelligent heroine, smart and resourceful, who not even once has to resort to stupidity to make the plot interesting. With a worrying and extremely realistic dark side that gives her the final push to go through the pages and become a three-dimensional character. It is exciting. I'm looking forward to where the series will take me.
Anything I write at this point could be a spoiler, so I'll be vague. The suspense is, again, an authentic roller coaster. Well designed and well written, with a lot of situations that could have sunk it but that the author, nevertheless, uses as a springboard to turn it into something addictive. It has been an incredible journey.
The secondary characters still do not shine too much. The whole focus of the story is placed on the heroine and her canine partner, as it should be. Although, bit by bit, we get to know more about her daily life, which is still into the back-back-background. This makes me a bit apprehensive about it. I hope that, in the next installments, the plot does not take a turn towards theworst melodramatic and lets me (totally) down. Because there are a couple of issues left hanging there that... I do not know... they
could
smell fishy… If you know what I mean.
By the way, if you like happy and well explained endings, wrapped up in a bow... look elsewhere.
😊
Otro brillante misterio-suspense de la señora Nickless. Estoy entusiasmada con esta serie. Una protagonista inteligente y con recursos, que ni una sola vez tiene que recurrir a la estupidez para que la trama sea interesante. Con un lado oscuro preocupante y sumamente realista que le da ese empujón final al personaje para que traspase las páginas y se convierta en una figura tridimensional. Es apasionante. Estoy deseando ver a dónde me lleva.
Cualquier cosa que escriba a estas alturas podría ser un spoiler, así que seré vaga. El suspense es, de nuevo, una auténtica montaña rusa. Bien pensado y bien escrito, con un montón de situaciones que podrían haberlo hundido y que, sin embargo, la autora usa como trampolín para convertirlo en algo adictivo. Ha sido un viaje increíble.
Los secundarios siguen sin brillar demasiado. Todo el foco de la historia está puesto en la protagonista y en su compañero canino, como debe de ser. Y aunque cada vez vamos conociendo más de su vida diaria, ésta sigue estando en un segundo o tercer o hasta cuarto plano. Esto me da un poquito de miedito. Espero que, en las próximas entregas, la trama no tome un giro hacia lo melodramático y me deje helada. Porque hay un par de asuntos en el aire que… no sé… me dan mala espina.
Por cierto, si te gustan los finales felices y bien explicaditos, con todos los lazos atados y el final cerrado… busca en otro sitio.
😊
***
Another brilliant mystery-suspense by Ms. Nickless. I'm excited about this series. An intelligent heroine, smart and resourceful, who not even once has to resort to stupidity to make the plot interesting. With a worrying and extremely realistic dark side that gives her the final push to go through the pages and become a three-dimensional character. It is exciting. I'm looking forward to where the series will take me.
Anything I write at this point could be a spoiler, so I'll be vague. The suspense is, again, an authentic roller coaster. Well designed and well written, with a lot of situations that could have sunk it but that the author, nevertheless, uses as a springboard to turn it into something addictive. It has been an incredible journey.
The secondary characters still do not shine too much. The whole focus of the story is placed on the heroine and her canine partner, as it should be. Although, bit by bit, we get to know more about her daily life, which is still into the back-back-background. This makes me a bit apprehensive about it. I hope that, in the next installments, the plot does not take a turn towards the
By the way, if you like happy and well explained endings, wrapped up in a bow... look elsewhere.
😊
December 25, 2019
Blood on the Tracks, Barbara Nickless's first novel, was a best-seller, won awards, and introduced us to Sydney Rose Parnell, the lead of the Sydney Rose Parnell series of railroad-related murder mysteries. And what a fascinating person Sydney is. Dead Stop continues Sydney's story in a brilliant whirlwind of a mystery.
Sydney's a railroad cop whose duties include policing trouble (or trouble makers) at tracks, stations, or railroad property and investigating accidents and deaths connected to the railroad. Sydney is an ex-Marine who served in Iraq with the Mortuary Affairs division, responsible for collecting bodies (and parts of bodies) and determining cause of death and other pertinent information. Sydney saw plenty of combat, fell in love with Doug, a Marine with a highly trained K-9 partner, and inherited Clyde, an intelligent Belgian Malinois, when Doug was killed. When her tour of duty ended, Sydney joined the railroad police force, hoping it would provide a relatively calm but interesting haven for her and Clyde, her now-official K-9 partner. That has not always proven to be the case.
In Dead Stop, someone goes on a murderous campaign against the family of the owner of the railroad for whom Sydney works. The owner's son's family was attacked in their home - wife and twin sons murdered, husband critically injured, and Lucy, their 8-year old daughter, kidnapped. Sydney joins local and state police forces plus the FBI's special task force, deployed when a child is kidnapped, in a race against time to find the murderer and, most importantly, find Lucy.
This is anything but a standard murder mystery. The twists and turns, the emotional depths of characters as they're developed, the insights into the effects of war and killing that stay with our soldiers when they come home, the world of railroads all bind together to create a bullet train of excitement, mystery, and revelation. It's a wild ride, and I've already started Nickless's next entry in the series, Ambush, published just this year (2019). A really great series, I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I have.
Sydney's a railroad cop whose duties include policing trouble (or trouble makers) at tracks, stations, or railroad property and investigating accidents and deaths connected to the railroad. Sydney is an ex-Marine who served in Iraq with the Mortuary Affairs division, responsible for collecting bodies (and parts of bodies) and determining cause of death and other pertinent information. Sydney saw plenty of combat, fell in love with Doug, a Marine with a highly trained K-9 partner, and inherited Clyde, an intelligent Belgian Malinois, when Doug was killed. When her tour of duty ended, Sydney joined the railroad police force, hoping it would provide a relatively calm but interesting haven for her and Clyde, her now-official K-9 partner. That has not always proven to be the case.
In Dead Stop, someone goes on a murderous campaign against the family of the owner of the railroad for whom Sydney works. The owner's son's family was attacked in their home - wife and twin sons murdered, husband critically injured, and Lucy, their 8-year old daughter, kidnapped. Sydney joins local and state police forces plus the FBI's special task force, deployed when a child is kidnapped, in a race against time to find the murderer and, most importantly, find Lucy.
This is anything but a standard murder mystery. The twists and turns, the emotional depths of characters as they're developed, the insights into the effects of war and killing that stay with our soldiers when they come home, the world of railroads all bind together to create a bullet train of excitement, mystery, and revelation. It's a wild ride, and I've already started Nickless's next entry in the series, Ambush, published just this year (2019). A really great series, I hope you read it and enjoy it as much as I have.
January 3, 2024
Sigh, I don't know if I'm gonna make it through this series. Clyde, the hero of the story/dog detective, lives through this book, too, but not without some nail-biting moments.
November 12, 2017
The first book was quite ‘dark’, I remember commenting that had it been a film it would have been filmed in Black & Grey. In this book I think the author has gone even further and the mood is so dark it’s quite depressing to read.
At the start of the book Sydney is presented as a tortured and broken individual, constantly dogged by flashbacks and ‘ghosts’. After a while this becomes a bit tedious.
As for the actual case, this meanders along not getting anywhere for half of the book. Fortunately in the second half the pace picks up and it develops into quite a reasonable thriller, but then it all falls apart at the end.
I didn’t think this book was as good as the first one in the series, but it wasn’t bad and I would have given at least 3 stars. However, the author really annoyed me towards the end of the book.
At the start of the book Sydney is presented as a tortured and broken individual, constantly dogged by flashbacks and ‘ghosts’. After a while this becomes a bit tedious.
As for the actual case, this meanders along not getting anywhere for half of the book. Fortunately in the second half the pace picks up and it develops into quite a reasonable thriller, but then it all falls apart at the end.
I didn’t think this book was as good as the first one in the series, but it wasn’t bad and I would have given at least 3 stars. However, the author really annoyed me towards the end of the book.
August 18, 2025
Another great book in the series. This time the killer has an eight-year-old as a hostage. Same great writing and only a little less dramatic writing. Some may appreciate the PTSD discussions seem to be less than in the previous book. Nice cast of characters and not everybody dies. I will give some quotes I liked that don’t seem to give too much away.
This first excerpt gives a good description of Agent Parnell’s railroad officer status:
‘“You the rent-a-cop that called it in?” asked a young male voice.
“I'm Special Agent Parnell.”
I didn’t take offense at his choice of words. Often, even other Cops didn't understand what my job entailed. A railroad cop worked for a private company but was also a Level 1 POST-certified peace officer, just like any cop employed by the government. We had state and federal mandates to patrol, investigate, and make arrests, on and off railroad property.’
Maybe there was less PTSD because she is working on handling it better in spite of even more stress from this latest case. (Still a fair amount of PTSD references but I like the way it adds to the overall tone of the story. There are also less ghosts in this book.) I liked this bit as she works on handling her PTSD after hearing of kids being included in the body count:
‘Kids. I lowered my phone. Closed my eyes. Planted my feet and started the slow breathing my VA counselor had taught me.
One... I'd been doing well. Exercising. Eating healthy. Two... maybe drinking too much. Okay, definitely drinking too much. But... three... nothing worse. Not even cigarettes. Going to every brutal therapy session and doing as I was told... four... with the faith that eventually it would make things better instead of worse.
Five. I opened my eyes. “We're still good,” I whispered.
Say it till it’s true.’
I also like the way the author paints a great picture of the landscape:
‘The sprawl of buildings covered probably twenty acres. The morning light picked out every blemish and defect in a place filled with them. Unknowable structures thrust skyward, scaly with age and black with soot from long-gone furnaces. Vegetation, rarely running wild in a place as dry as Colorado, was rampant here, the roots sucking water from the South Platte to create snarled thickets of bramble and low, scraggly trees. Cacti clustered in places where the sun pooled. A deep silence hung about the landscape, as if the tweakers had fled and even the animals avoided trespassing. Above all of it, the three silos glared like baleful sentries.’
I liked the come back from a suggestion someone made to help her cope with things:
“You thought of getting a hobby?”
"I have one. Marksmanship."
The humor at times made me laugh out loud, even after the shit hits the fan:
‘It had been a long time since I’d had to face the aftermath of a bomb. I'd planned on making it forever.’
And I ran hard into a truth I'd known since Iraq. You could throw everything you had at a problem—firepower, manpower, logistical support. You could get a lot of really smart people working on it. You could even get a lot of people to sacrifice their live for it.
And, in the end, might be all you've got is the same problem and a higher body count.
Forget saving the world. Sometimes you can't even save one small child.
Of course, if you were me, you’d be asking, ‘what about the dog’s part in the book?’ Her dog Clyde has a good part in the book but didn’t see any part that stuck out to share that wouldn’t give things away. Love how a good tracker dog can follow bad guys, you just must be careful what you find.
I am still trying to read the books I own and haven’t read yet, but will still order the next book in this series to read.
This first excerpt gives a good description of Agent Parnell’s railroad officer status:
‘“You the rent-a-cop that called it in?” asked a young male voice.
“I'm Special Agent Parnell.”
I didn’t take offense at his choice of words. Often, even other Cops didn't understand what my job entailed. A railroad cop worked for a private company but was also a Level 1 POST-certified peace officer, just like any cop employed by the government. We had state and federal mandates to patrol, investigate, and make arrests, on and off railroad property.’
Maybe there was less PTSD because she is working on handling it better in spite of even more stress from this latest case. (Still a fair amount of PTSD references but I like the way it adds to the overall tone of the story. There are also less ghosts in this book.) I liked this bit as she works on handling her PTSD after hearing of kids being included in the body count:
‘Kids. I lowered my phone. Closed my eyes. Planted my feet and started the slow breathing my VA counselor had taught me.
One... I'd been doing well. Exercising. Eating healthy. Two... maybe drinking too much. Okay, definitely drinking too much. But... three... nothing worse. Not even cigarettes. Going to every brutal therapy session and doing as I was told... four... with the faith that eventually it would make things better instead of worse.
Five. I opened my eyes. “We're still good,” I whispered.
Say it till it’s true.’
I also like the way the author paints a great picture of the landscape:
‘The sprawl of buildings covered probably twenty acres. The morning light picked out every blemish and defect in a place filled with them. Unknowable structures thrust skyward, scaly with age and black with soot from long-gone furnaces. Vegetation, rarely running wild in a place as dry as Colorado, was rampant here, the roots sucking water from the South Platte to create snarled thickets of bramble and low, scraggly trees. Cacti clustered in places where the sun pooled. A deep silence hung about the landscape, as if the tweakers had fled and even the animals avoided trespassing. Above all of it, the three silos glared like baleful sentries.’
I liked the come back from a suggestion someone made to help her cope with things:
“You thought of getting a hobby?”
"I have one. Marksmanship."
The humor at times made me laugh out loud, even after the shit hits the fan:
‘It had been a long time since I’d had to face the aftermath of a bomb. I'd planned on making it forever.’
And I ran hard into a truth I'd known since Iraq. You could throw everything you had at a problem—firepower, manpower, logistical support. You could get a lot of really smart people working on it. You could even get a lot of people to sacrifice their live for it.
And, in the end, might be all you've got is the same problem and a higher body count.
Forget saving the world. Sometimes you can't even save one small child.
Of course, if you were me, you’d be asking, ‘what about the dog’s part in the book?’ Her dog Clyde has a good part in the book but didn’t see any part that stuck out to share that wouldn’t give things away. Love how a good tracker dog can follow bad guys, you just must be careful what you find.
I am still trying to read the books I own and haven’t read yet, but will still order the next book in this series to read.
August 27, 2017
Dead Stop by author Barbara Nickless is a fast paced suspense thriller which will keep you turning pages! The story opens with the Davenport family who live close to Denver, CO. Ben Davenport is writing a book about the history of the railroads. Although he has a slight limp and unspeakable memories from his time in the war, he is happy to be home with his family. Ben’s beautiful wife, Samantha is a professional photographer and they have two sons and a young daughter, Lucy.
What happens next sets the pace for the mystery and the suspense of the story. The weaving together of events from Ben’s family’s history results in a current twisted tale of greed, murder, and deceit.
I won’t post spoilers, but this is a very well written murder mystery which will have you feeling compassion for K-9 Detective Parnell. If you read the previous Sydney Parnell mystery, Blood on the Tracks, you will understand Marine Corporal Parnell’s ongoing struggle with PTSD and dealing with the various griefs of war. I have enjoyed reading the quotes of “Sydney Parnell’s Personal Journal” as much as I have enjoyed the drama of the story. Sydney Parnell and her K-9 partner Clyde are inseparable and determined to find and bring little Lucy home! Great Story!
What happens next sets the pace for the mystery and the suspense of the story. The weaving together of events from Ben’s family’s history results in a current twisted tale of greed, murder, and deceit.
I won’t post spoilers, but this is a very well written murder mystery which will have you feeling compassion for K-9 Detective Parnell. If you read the previous Sydney Parnell mystery, Blood on the Tracks, you will understand Marine Corporal Parnell’s ongoing struggle with PTSD and dealing with the various griefs of war. I have enjoyed reading the quotes of “Sydney Parnell’s Personal Journal” as much as I have enjoyed the drama of the story. Sydney Parnell and her K-9 partner Clyde are inseparable and determined to find and bring little Lucy home! Great Story!
September 24, 2018
"You cannot carry the dead. But you must honor them."
This is the second book in a series featuring Senior Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell (Marine) with the Denver Pacific Continental Railway along with her Marine K9 partner, Belgian Malinois Clyde.
The author's first book in the series BLOOD ON THE TRACKS was one of my favorites of 2016 and this is one of my favorites of 2017.
The protagonist in this story, Sydney, is an intricately drawn, deeply complex character. And, again, I love her character, her canine companion/co-worker Clyde, and the trains. Oh, I love that the story takes place in and near Denver.
This stellar thriller starts out with multiple, horrific murders and a missing eight year-old girl and Sydney is off and running with railroad police, different city police, county deputies, the FBI, and a bunch more alphabet organizations.
This story ramped up from page one and the tension just kept building. Seriously, folks - this is a nailbiter.
It takes place a few months after the events in the first book and Sydney is still battling demons and ghosts from her tour in Iraq along with the present day nightmares that she has become involved with.
Great, great book and I'm already anticipating the next book in the series.
I was lucky enough to receive this book from Thomas & Mercer through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is the second book in a series featuring Senior Special Agent Sydney Rose Parnell (Marine) with the Denver Pacific Continental Railway along with her Marine K9 partner, Belgian Malinois Clyde.
The author's first book in the series BLOOD ON THE TRACKS was one of my favorites of 2016 and this is one of my favorites of 2017.
The protagonist in this story, Sydney, is an intricately drawn, deeply complex character. And, again, I love her character, her canine companion/co-worker Clyde, and the trains. Oh, I love that the story takes place in and near Denver.
This stellar thriller starts out with multiple, horrific murders and a missing eight year-old girl and Sydney is off and running with railroad police, different city police, county deputies, the FBI, and a bunch more alphabet organizations.
This story ramped up from page one and the tension just kept building. Seriously, folks - this is a nailbiter.
It takes place a few months after the events in the first book and Sydney is still battling demons and ghosts from her tour in Iraq along with the present day nightmares that she has become involved with.
Great, great book and I'm already anticipating the next book in the series.
I was lucky enough to receive this book from Thomas & Mercer through Net Galley in exchange for my unbiased review.
April 26, 2018
Audio version - solid narration.
This was fine, but I really like the first one and this was a bit of a disappointment compared to it. It may be because this was the audio version so I couldn't skim, but... I got really sick of the rahrah Marines nonsense.
Like, 'most Americans will never do 10% as much to serve their country' or whatever... but at the same time, one of the little chapter intros was totally cynical about war, pointing out that countries go to war for stupid reasons (greed was one; I can't remember the other... revenge, maybe?)... so, how are these soldiers serving their country, exactly, when they're just risking their lives in the pursuit of greed or whatever? How was America "served" by a bunch of kids going over to kill and be killed in Iraq? It didn't make sense to me.
So... meh. The story was okay, I guess, the characters still fairly interesting - the dog's still excellent. But I was really looking forward to reading this one, and I don't think I'll be bothering with any more in the series. Too bad for me.
This was fine, but I really like the first one and this was a bit of a disappointment compared to it. It may be because this was the audio version so I couldn't skim, but... I got really sick of the rahrah Marines nonsense.
Like, 'most Americans will never do 10% as much to serve their country' or whatever... but at the same time, one of the little chapter intros was totally cynical about war, pointing out that countries go to war for stupid reasons (greed was one; I can't remember the other... revenge, maybe?)... so, how are these soldiers serving their country, exactly, when they're just risking their lives in the pursuit of greed or whatever? How was America "served" by a bunch of kids going over to kill and be killed in Iraq? It didn't make sense to me.
So... meh. The story was okay, I guess, the characters still fairly interesting - the dog's still excellent. But I was really looking forward to reading this one, and I don't think I'll be bothering with any more in the series. Too bad for me.
October 3, 2017
Dead Stop by Barbara Nickless
Sidney Rose Parnell #2
Gripped from the beginning I could not put this book down. I have found a new-to-me author that I admire as a writer and story teller. I felt, learned, was made to think and was kept on my toes throughout the story and even though I had read the last few pages out of order still was surprised more than once while reading this book. I wrote to my siblings recommending it and recommend it to all of you, too. This is a story of a Marine war veteran with PTSD, a K-9 partner, who sees ghosts and has a mind that sees the minutiae of a case and finds her way to answers that others miss. I learned about police for the railroad, heard terms that were new to me, felt for the characters, cared and am eager to read what comes next in this series or anything written by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
Sidney Rose Parnell #2
Gripped from the beginning I could not put this book down. I have found a new-to-me author that I admire as a writer and story teller. I felt, learned, was made to think and was kept on my toes throughout the story and even though I had read the last few pages out of order still was surprised more than once while reading this book. I wrote to my siblings recommending it and recommend it to all of you, too. This is a story of a Marine war veteran with PTSD, a K-9 partner, who sees ghosts and has a mind that sees the minutiae of a case and finds her way to answers that others miss. I learned about police for the railroad, heard terms that were new to me, felt for the characters, cared and am eager to read what comes next in this series or anything written by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC – This is my honest review.
5 Stars
August 27, 2018
The second book in the Sydney Rose Parnell series is just as exciting a read as the first one. I can't wait to devour the third in the series!
Barbara Nickless has created a realistic emotionally wounded female war veteran that readers can sympathize with as she struggles to find a kidnapped girl before the man who murdered most of her family decides to kill her, too. Also, Nickless is an expert at weaving descriptive phrases to create a dark and ominous mood that, along with the twisty plot, will suck you in and keep you turning pages long after your bedtime.
Barbara Nickless has created a realistic emotionally wounded female war veteran that readers can sympathize with as she struggles to find a kidnapped girl before the man who murdered most of her family decides to kill her, too. Also, Nickless is an expert at weaving descriptive phrases to create a dark and ominous mood that, along with the twisty plot, will suck you in and keep you turning pages long after your bedtime.
March 4, 2018
Barbara Nickless’ first thriller featuring special agent (a.k.a. railroad cop) Sydney Rose Parnell, was Blood on the Tracks. It’s a beauty. The shape of the story was unusual. The story starts out as a heart-pounding, cinematic thriller and then morphs into a heavy, gripping procedural. And with her debut Nickless turned loose in the world a compelling, resolute, heavily burdened protagonist and her dependable sidekick Clyde, who is equally wise, equally tough, and all Belgian Malinois.
In Blood on the Tracks, the case was so horrific that Sydney Rose ended up in five months of work-mandated counseling. In Dead Stop, the follow-up, Sydney thinks back on what she’s been through. “If the therapy hadn’t helped with the flashbacks and the nightmares and the ghosts, at least I’d weaned myself off the pain meds and the Ativan, off the cigarettes and self-reproach, working hard to find my way back to a clear head a clean conscience.”
Flashbacks, nightmares and ghosts. That’s Sydney Rose. She served in Iraq carrying dead bodies off the field of battle and, well, who can blame her for carrying around her world-weary burdens, her bruised soul? We know that a “clear head” is a long way off. She’s a brooder, a deep thinker on mortality who punches her way out of the darkness by taking up the cases of others and delivering justice with little concern for her own well-being or safety. Sure, that could be description for many a jaded cop but Sydney Rose balances darkness with relentless determination and genuine empathy—particularly for the dead.
With Dead Stop, Nickless keeps Sydney Rose in battle mode. There’s a dead woman on the railroad tracks, “a slick, shadowy mess of shattered bones and destroyed flesh were all the remained of a once-beautiful woman.” The dead woman might be a jumper—a suicide. Or maybe not. And here comes the empathy. “I closed my eyes and pictured Samantha Davenport as she had looked on her driver’s license photo. The luminous dark hair falling behind her shoulders. The high curve of her brows. The knowing look in her eyes that spoke more of inborn wisdom than vast experience. I pressed my hand to my heart and, in my mind, I made her whole. I gathered what the train had scatted and I washed away the blood. I smoothed her hair, brought the life back to her eyes, and restored a pulse beneath her skin.”
There’s a missing child. There are major issues around the management of railroad crossings and railroad land acquisition. Layers of cop bureaucracy swirl around. Sydney Rose’s interactions with all the cops—local level and all the way up to the FBI—come across as believable and grounded. Nickless has done her research on the train business. Credibility oozes from every page, even when the blood flows. (Any indication you see out there that Dead Stop might be a bloodless cozy, ignore at your peril. The presence of a pup does not alter the gritty factor here.)
Sydney unravels secrets, digs into history, and keeps up her tireless search for the answer to one curious piece of evidence. The “inevitable tide of loss” pulls Sydney Rose down into the undertow. (Well, in fact, she rarely bobs to the surface.) The solution is the result of relentless work, sharp eyes, and shrewd logic. But nothing is going to change for Sydney Rose, even if she falls for one of the come-ons from the “real” cops who want to recruit her skills and services. After all, “The dead are a load you can’t set down. They weigh nothing. And everything.”
In Blood on the Tracks, the case was so horrific that Sydney Rose ended up in five months of work-mandated counseling. In Dead Stop, the follow-up, Sydney thinks back on what she’s been through. “If the therapy hadn’t helped with the flashbacks and the nightmares and the ghosts, at least I’d weaned myself off the pain meds and the Ativan, off the cigarettes and self-reproach, working hard to find my way back to a clear head a clean conscience.”
Flashbacks, nightmares and ghosts. That’s Sydney Rose. She served in Iraq carrying dead bodies off the field of battle and, well, who can blame her for carrying around her world-weary burdens, her bruised soul? We know that a “clear head” is a long way off. She’s a brooder, a deep thinker on mortality who punches her way out of the darkness by taking up the cases of others and delivering justice with little concern for her own well-being or safety. Sure, that could be description for many a jaded cop but Sydney Rose balances darkness with relentless determination and genuine empathy—particularly for the dead.
With Dead Stop, Nickless keeps Sydney Rose in battle mode. There’s a dead woman on the railroad tracks, “a slick, shadowy mess of shattered bones and destroyed flesh were all the remained of a once-beautiful woman.” The dead woman might be a jumper—a suicide. Or maybe not. And here comes the empathy. “I closed my eyes and pictured Samantha Davenport as she had looked on her driver’s license photo. The luminous dark hair falling behind her shoulders. The high curve of her brows. The knowing look in her eyes that spoke more of inborn wisdom than vast experience. I pressed my hand to my heart and, in my mind, I made her whole. I gathered what the train had scatted and I washed away the blood. I smoothed her hair, brought the life back to her eyes, and restored a pulse beneath her skin.”
There’s a missing child. There are major issues around the management of railroad crossings and railroad land acquisition. Layers of cop bureaucracy swirl around. Sydney Rose’s interactions with all the cops—local level and all the way up to the FBI—come across as believable and grounded. Nickless has done her research on the train business. Credibility oozes from every page, even when the blood flows. (Any indication you see out there that Dead Stop might be a bloodless cozy, ignore at your peril. The presence of a pup does not alter the gritty factor here.)
Sydney unravels secrets, digs into history, and keeps up her tireless search for the answer to one curious piece of evidence. The “inevitable tide of loss” pulls Sydney Rose down into the undertow. (Well, in fact, she rarely bobs to the surface.) The solution is the result of relentless work, sharp eyes, and shrewd logic. But nothing is going to change for Sydney Rose, even if she falls for one of the come-ons from the “real” cops who want to recruit her skills and services. After all, “The dead are a load you can’t set down. They weigh nothing. And everything.”
February 25, 2018
Detective for the Denver Pacific Continental railroad Sydney Rose Parnell returns in author Barbara Nicklass', "Dead Stop". This second book in this series is as every good a tale as the first (Blood On The Tracks). It's been five months since Sydney's big shootout and she's been in some intensive therapy mentally and physically. Her work mandated counseling has finally gotten her back on the job. Now living with Denver PD detective Michael Cohen both Sydney and Clyde seem to be healing quickly. although Sydney still has times that she see ghosts, they are not as devastating as previous. Her bouts with the dead are some of the best parts of the story. However the "six" dead from her last case pop up the most frequently. Sydney's newest case occurs when she's called out to the scene of a body hit by a moving train. Arriving on the scene Sydney finds the body of Samantha Davenport 38, wife of Ben Davenport. Ben is the son of Hiram Davenport who runs the railway. At the Davenport home the police find Ben badly wounded and dying, and the Davenport's twin sons murdered. But what is shocking is that daughter Lucy, 8 is missing. The Davenport's missing SUV is found not far from the tracks and leads Sydney and police to an empty cement factory. At the factory some type of numerical code is written on the walls along with another dead body. A bomb rigged in the factory goes offs before Sydney and police can get too far away. Leaving one dead and Sydney badly knocked about. With a plot that winds through several dead ends for Sydney it's not until she discovers a long lost Deadman's Curve that she'll begin to unravel the mystery of the Davenports. Sydney is forced to try and track down retired railroad detective Fred "Bull" Zolner and a 30 year old suicide in the search for Lucy. Along with SAC FBI's Madeline "Mad Mac" McConnell, Sydney has some really close calls chasing down the bad guy(s). With a blistering pace at times this one was some 380 odd pages of palpitating suspense. Author Barbara Nicklass has created some interesting and unique characters that make, "Dead Stop", a very enjoyable read. Five stars out of a possible five stars for the second Sydney Rose Parnell thriller, "Dead Stop". I hope the third book in series is out soon. highly recommend this Sydney Rose Parnell series for fans of quality suspense thrillers. Check it out !
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