Outside the Wire

Pacific Homicide #2

by Patricia Smiley

Homicide detective Davie Richards is called to an airport parking garage to investigate the shooting of a retired U.S. Army Ranger. Missing personal items point to a robbery, but Davie suspects a more sinister motive when she notices only one military dog tag around the Ranger's neck. Could the murderer have taken the other as a memento of the kill? As Davie unravels baffling clues, one murder becomes two and a pattern begins to emerge. Racing to save the killer's next victim, Davie is led to a shocking twist that challenges her physical and emotional endurance and tests the bonds of brotherhood and friendship.



Praise:

"[Richards] makes a dogged and determined heroine . . . Readers will want to see a lot more of her."--Publishers Weekly

"[Smiley] moves the plot as deftly as she moves the reader, with lots of action and just enough heart."--Kirkus Reviews

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2017

About the author

Patricia Smiley is the author of four novels, featuring amateur sleuth Tucker Sinclair. PACIFIC HOMICIDE is the first in a new series about Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Davie Richards and is based on her 15-year stint as a volunteer for the LAPD. The second book in the series OUTSIDE THE WIRE will debut on November 8, 2017.

Patty's short fiction has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Two of the Deadliest, an anthology edited by Elizabeth George. She has taught writing classes at various conferences in the U.S. and Canada and served as the vice president of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America and as president of Sisters in Crime/Los Angeles. Patty lives in Los Angeles where she is working on the third book in the Pacific Homicide series.

Reviews

[Elizabeth George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Smiley is one of my former writing students, so I'm probably biased. But what I know is that she spent a number of years working as a volunteer for the LAPD, rising to the level of someone who actually had a badge and went out on calls. So when it comes to police-work, Patty is my go to girl. She's created a terrific cop partnership, she's very good with the police details, and her story is completely believable. And there's even a very cool cat called Hootch.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great police procedural following the career of Davie Richards, LA detective that starts off with a body in a parking lot at LAX. There will be other murders as Davie works hard to discover who is behind the killings of men who had been best friends in Vietnam War. She exhibits admirable determination in following up every lead, continues to work with partner Vaughn, but then as things escalate they are transferred to another department to have more assets at their disposal to solve the case. This is a complex puzzle to sort out and the action is lively.

Library Loan

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outside The Wire is book two of the A Pacific Homicide Series by Patricia Smiley. Detective Jason Vaughn and Detective Davie Richard one morning arrive a crime scene to find a man shot in his car. At first glance, it looks like Zeke Woodrow committed suicide. However, Detective Jason Vaughn and Detective Davie thought otherwise. Readers of Outside The Wire will follow the twist and turns of the investigation into the death of Zeke Woodrow.

Outside The Wire is the first book I have read of Patricia Smiley and it is fast moving crime thriller that I enjoyed reading. I like the way Patricia Smiley portrays her characters especially five feet one and hundred four pounds detective Davie Richards. I am impressed with the way Patricia Smiley described law enforcement procedures. Also, I enjoyed the way Outside The Wire, was written by Patricia Smiley. Reading Outside The Wire, started me to thinking about the issues the face law enforcement and military personnel face.

Outside The Wire highlights, another issue which not discussed very often in the community is the way parents brainwashing their children to hate another person or group. Also, the problems law enforcement have in dealing with PTSD or admitting they have it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for my free copy for honest review. I recommend this book.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

LAPD Detective Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn are called to an airport parking garage where a man has been shot. His dog tags will identify him as retired Army Ranger Zeke Woodrow but he only has one left on him. Davie and Vaughn go to his house where everything has already been moved out and the place has been sterilized. Upon questioning his daughter, they learn Zeke had 3 close friends he served with in the Vietnam War. One of these friends supposedly committed suicide by gun just a few days ago. Davie knows this is too much of a coincidence. She also knows Zeke wouldn't have sanitized everything and left his beloved cat behind.

I believe this book would be an interesting police procedural for not only mystery lovers but also for readers with a military background. The book deals with PTSD and the bond between soldiers. Davie is an interesting character with her complete dedication to her job and her insomnia due to the past shootings she's been involved in. She has much compassion due to her past life experiences.

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway. Another author I had never heard of but glad I know about now. I would certainly read more in this series. I'd like to see if anything comes of Davie's interest in Striker plus I'm wondering if Vaughn may pursue other jobs.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Midnight Ink for an advance copy of Outside the Wire, the second police procedural set in the Pacific division of LA police to feature detective Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn.

Davie is still struggling with the events of Pacific Homicide (the first novel in the series) but puts her game face on when called out to the murder of an older man in the car park at LAX. He has been shot dead and stripped of any identification except a single dog tag. When the body is identified as former army ranger Zeke Woodrow the missing dog tag (they are worn in pairs) hints at something more than a simple robbery gone wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed Outside the Wire and read it in one sitting, desperate to know what was coming next. It is an old fashioned style procedural (hooray) in a modern setting, i.e. no glimpses of the bad guys and the reader follows the investigation with the detectives. This is my favourite kind of novel and as it is well done with twists, excitement and a satisfying ending I am going all out and awarding it 5 stars.

The plot is fairly typical with the detectives starting out with no prime suspects but as information is gathered and patterns emerge they can start to zero in on the most likely candidates. There are a few heart pounding moments when Davie inadvertently puts her life on the line and some other disappointments when things don't go to plan. I was glued to the pages as Ms Smiley drew me in with the initial mystery and kept up the action and information flow.

The characters aren't particularly well developed, even the main protagonist Davie, who is a stereotypical detective, smart, hard working, dedicated, no life outside the job and guilty about the people she has shot in the course of her work. She is also very likeable.

Outside the Wire is not a literary novel but for sheer entertainment value it is an extremely good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[3 no 7 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Outside the Wire” by Patricia Smiley is the second book in the “Pacific Homicide” series. A new reader will enjoy this book without having read the previous book, because the author provides quick background comments in the context of the storyline to fill in anything needed from the previous book. “Outside the wire” is military term used when teams leave the safety of base camp, and this classic police procedure story certainly lives up to its title.

A body is found in a parking garage at LAX; Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn, LAPD homicide detectives, are called to investigate. Within the crime scene, they observe one especially usual thing; the victim is wearing a single dog tag. Why would a sixty-something man wear a military dog tag and why only one? This starts a baffling case that leads to additional murders, additional questions, and few answers.

Readers follow Richards through her everyday activities. We get to know her well as she struggles to balance her job, her personal life, and her past demons. Will she run in the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup? We sympathize with her as she tries to care for the victim’s cat. We understand the frustration when she runs out of coffee. We watch as she methodically writes note after note in the Murder Book. We see her fight to balance following the rules with stopping a killer. We guess along with her who is dishonest and who is telling the truth.

“Murders lie for a lot of reasons … but they always lie.”

The pace is fast and the dangers are countless. The unanswered questions are compelling and. the ending is unexpected.

I received a copy of “Outside the Wire” from Patricia Smiley, Midnight Ink, and NetGalley. It kept me turning the pages until the nail-biting end. I recommend that you block time to finish this book when you start because once on that first page, you will not be able to put this book down.

[D.J. Adamson]

“The Limit. It was a cop term for the number of dead people you could see before it was beyond your ability to cope. She’d [Davie Richards ] had seen her share of bodies during her nine-plus years as an LAPD patrol officer and in the past year as a detective….She’d known other detectives who’d investigated hundreds of murders but never reached the The Limit….but she had.”

On sale now as a Pre-Order, Outside the Wire’s Homicide detective Davie Richards investigates the shooting of a retired U.S. Army Ranger. Missing personal items point to a robbery, but Davie when she notices only one military dog tag around the Ranger’s neck, she suspects murder. Smiley’s research is outstanding in police procedures and she never disappoints in giving new procedural tidbits, language, while offering enticing, suspenseful, page-turning story.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outside the Wire is an outstanding police procedural with a strong female protagonist. Looking forward to reading Pacific Homicide and the third book in the series, The Second Goodbye.

[Kevintipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pacific Homicide Detective Davie Richards is battling PTSD and for good reason. She also has a new case in Outside the Wire: A Pacific Homicide Novel. It is early one very warm morning when her and her partner, Detective Jason Vaughn are called out to the second floor of a parking garage at LAX.

Members of airport police have already contaminated their crime scene of a car and the surrounding area. A dead man is lying next to the trunk of an Audi A6. The deceased appears to be in his early sixties and is very physically fit. No reason for the man to be dead other than the obvious bullet hole in the right side of his skull and the accompanying pool of blood. Based on that fact that a smaller hole is at the back of his head, she believes he was shot from the front at close range.

He is also wearing a single dog tag that is wrapped loosely in black electrical tape. There should have a second tag with the first with both wrapped in tape to mask the sounds they would make bumping against each other as the wearer moved. Somebody took one dog tag and that might be the killer. Thanks to information provided by one of the airport police officers who knows what the left behind dog tag means, she learns that the deceased person served in the army and that most likely he served in Vietnam. According to the remaining tag he is Zeke C. Woodrow.

In all likelihood, he was forced into retirement some time ago when he turned sixty. Why he was wearing his old tags now, why he was in the parking garage early that morning, and who killed him are just three of the many questions Detective Richard and her partner Detective Jason Vaught have to answer to solve the case.

A first case of several because the killer is not done. The killer has an agenda and a target list and Richard and Vaughn have a real mess on their hands.

Building off events in Pacific Homicide, this second novel by Patricia Smiley is an intense page turning read from start to finish. Some story arcs from the first book continue here in Outside the Wire: A Pacific Homicide Novel and serve as background to the rapidly increasing chaos of the new cases. Like the first book, this one as well is part mystery and part police procedural with plenty of the personal sprinkled throughout the read. The result is a good book in a good series and another read well worth your time.



Outside the Wire: A Pacific Homicide Novel
Patricia Smiley
http://www.patriciasmiley.com
Midnight Ink
http://www.midnightinkbooks.com
November 2017
ISBN# 978-0-7387-5235-8
Paperback (also available in eBook format)
$15.99
288 Pages

Material supplied by the good people of Dallas Public Library System.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

[Barbara Blindauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this police procedural book. Homicide Detective David Richard’s and her partnerJason Vaughn are called to the scene where they discover the body of Zeke Woodrow. Woodrow had retired from the military and was employed by a company providing security. He went through the military with three buddies and each were employed by the same company. One by one they are being killed. Does this have anything to do with their days in Vietnam. In addition to solving the murders Dave’s must deal with her own demons.

[Ray Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Enjoyable Nice Little Gem Of A Police Procedural

This novel opens with the heroine, Los Angeles Detective Davie Richards, waking up with a sweat drenched T-shirt and a sore throat from crying out in her sleep. Her mind tells her that she does not have PTSD, but she is back on duty. Next, she meets her partner, Detective Jason Vaughn, in the Los Angeles International Airport parking structure where a man has been shot in the head. There is not any luggage, and one of two Vietnam era military dog tags was missing. Beyond the victim’s name and social security number on his dog tag finding information about him was not easy. Where he lived was completely empty and looked like it was sterilized. Davie and Jason track down his daughter and learn that his only friends were three other rangers from Vietnam. Soon, the body of one of them is discovered in Nevada. The death was ruled a suicide. The main storyline takes off from here. Once the ex-wife was interviewed, finding more facts becomes very difficult. The case reaches a crescendo in that Davie and Jason were going to lose the case to Robbery Homicide Division in downtown LA. This storyline quickly captured my interest and would not let it go until the last sentence.

The B-storyline is centered mainly on Davie and Jason, but not just in their interactions alone but with their interactions with other detectives, witness, and others as they gather information. I felt that I had a good understanding of Davie and Jason as well as the other significant characters. Now, this is the second book of this series, and I did not read the first book. I did not feel that I missed anything by not reading the first novel. Therefore, do not let this be an impediment to start with this novel.
Some readers do not like novels with vulgar language and sex. There are not any explicit sex scenes in this novel. Also, there are not any F-bombs, but just a few less offensive expletives. All of them were context appropriate.

The major criteria I have for a high star rating is that the main and supporting storylines capture my imagination so that I must continue to read. This novel did that and did that well. There worst issue was the use of two police terms with which I was not familiar and had to look up. Based upon this I rate this book with five stars. Do give it a read as I think you will like it.

I have received a free Uncorrected Proof of this novel through NetGalley from Midnight Ink with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Midnight for the opportunity to read this novel early.
An Enjoyable Nice Little Gem Of A Police Procedural

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Outside the Wire features Davie Richards as a LAPD Homicide Detective. At last--a female protagonist not damaged beyond saving or sporting model-like height and classic features. This lady sounds real and with her years on the force as an officer and detective, she has cred history. This is the sophomore release of this series by Ms. Smiley and is an intelligent, thoughtful, and reflective narrative on our military back from 'Nam.
Outside the Wire focuses on four of these men and the reported suicide of the first of which, Davie and her partner Detective Jason Vaughn are called to the airport-parking garage to investigate. Zeke Woodrow was a retired U.S. Army Ranger, but the scene doesn't reflect a story of suicide. The victim leaves a cat, who Davie discovers and rescues and provides a very real life sub-plot as Davie attempts to care for an animal with whom she's had no previous experience. The cat inadvertently provides clues that lead to Zeke's Ranger buddies.
While Davie is fleshed out well enough to get to know her, her partner is not, nor those of peripheral characters, and that may have kept me from getting invested. The reader definitely gets a dose of police procedurals--fascinating in themselves. (The term "Outside the Wire," is fully defined within the book.)
Dialogue is very natural and comes off as ordinary conversation. Descriptions allow insightful information so it's easy to picture the scene. I loved many of Ms. Smiley's metaphors, i.e. "She stretched out the two syllables like salt-water taffy." There were twists I didn't expect, and I appreciated the obvious appreciation for the work of our military and the parallel to law enforcement.
I really liked Davie. But for some reason, I just had a problem keeping my head in the book and it took longer for me to read than it should have. There was a very explosive scene with one of the ex-Rangers that kept me riveted, otherwise, my attention tended to wander. Others seem to have loved it and had no problem with the pace of the plot.
The climax pulled in all loose threads nicely and was mainly a satisfying ending.
This ARC was offered and downloaded from Midnight Ink and NetGalley and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I'd have interest in trying another in the series. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy a good suspense thriller, police procedural.

[Leith Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Patricia Smiley book I've read, but it won't be the last. Outside the Wire is a fast paced thriller that was impossible to put down once I'd started reading. The plot was tight and kept me guessing, and the characters were fascinating. The author brings the reader inside the character's heads, and their thoughts are profound and eye opening. The descriptions of fear, angst, and the unbreakable bond between those who responsible for keeping their friends/partners alive brought the book to a whole new level.

Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn are LAPD detectives who are called to a crime scene in an LAX parking lot. The victim, Zeke Woodrow, was wearing Army dog tags, but one of them had been removed. It looked like he might have committed suicide, but Davie and Jason didn't believe it. When they researched Zeke, they found a retired Vietnam veteran Army Ranger who worked for a mysterious consulting firm. They found the members of his his former unit, and when they discover that one of them had also committed suicide the week before, they get very suspicious.

Davie and Jason are determined to solve this case, even though Davie is almost killed in the process.
She is dealing with PTSD from a prior case, and he isn't sure he wants to stay in his current division. They have to overcome these issues and many more to eventually get the conclusion of the case.

There are many plot twists and turns that help make this book a real page turner. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The expression “outside the wire” is military jargon for being beyond the safety and support of one’s base camp. This is particularly true in this investigation for the petite heroine of this series, Davie Richards, a clever, tenacious detective with Pacific Homicide, who responds with her partner to a murder victim in a parking garage near LAX.
It transpires the victim is a Vietnam veteran who has been working for an international security company, and through her enquiries Davie is able to link the deaths and attempted murder of a further three Vietnam veterans to her case. As the investigation widens far beyond her home area, it is mandatorily transferred to the elite division of RHD, and they request Davie and her partner on loan to continue to work it.
This is a fast-moving police procedural where the heroine is faced with baffling clues and imminent danger in a story full of suspense and action. The main characters were realistic and well developed. The plot was full of twists and turns with an unexpected ending. It was an easy, enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of the series,

[Elena Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by a woman with years of volunteer experience with her local police department (who earned her way to an unpaid position as detective), this police procedural rings true without lack of the suspense involved in everyday police work. She could have succeeded with that alone, but in addition she created a great story line unlike any others I’ve read. Her main character, female detective Davie Richards, is likable and realistic. Smiley is also a past president of the Los Angeles chapter of the professional writers’ organization Sisters In Crime.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done procedural with a female protagonist- Davie- who is determined to find out who has been killing Vietnam vets. The fact that Zeke was found with only one dog tag was the key clue to her that this was not a suicide. There's a subtle irony to the fact that she's dealing with PTSD. Good writing, not too violent, and an appropriately twisty mystery of who and why made this a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Chelse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read! This was the first book I have read by Patricia Smiley and I loved it. I missed the first book in the series but this one can be read as a standalone. Definitely recommend this book.

[Al Stoess · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was o.k. Seems like a number of other books. This is the second book in the series.

[Jane Hinton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid police procedural. With a cat named Hootch.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well plotted mystery with a female detective lead. Not gory. Good characters. Some of the book took place in southern California; and there was an apt description of Orange County. No spoilers from me.
Enjoyed this one despite buying the 2nd in the series by accident instead of the first...which it turns out was hard to locate. Am looking forward to reading the first book in the series and then jumping back to the third one. Will check out what else the author has written.