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Smiley
To escape the gut-churning violence of LAPD, Garrett Evans moves home to sleepy Artemis, West Virginia to take over his deceased father's position as Chief of Police. The peaceful environment helps him hide his struggle with PTSD-- Until Garrett kills a man and loses his job when his mental condition is questioned.
Things only get worse from there.
New York P.I. Chester LaSalle is searching for a missing girl last seen in Artemis. Working together, Garret and LaSalle dig up small town secrets best left buried behind the barn. It appears a serial killer has murdered transient prostitutes around Artemis for decades.
Telltale signs point to a suspect Garrett doesn't want to consider. No way Smiley Carmichael, the most respected man in Artemis, is a serial killer.
As if Garrett didn't have enough problems, LaSalle is hiding his own secret. He's not just seeking a missing girl. He's been hired to murder the person who made her disappear.
Things only get worse from there.
New York P.I. Chester LaSalle is searching for a missing girl last seen in Artemis. Working together, Garret and LaSalle dig up small town secrets best left buried behind the barn. It appears a serial killer has murdered transient prostitutes around Artemis for decades.
Telltale signs point to a suspect Garrett doesn't want to consider. No way Smiley Carmichael, the most respected man in Artemis, is a serial killer.
As if Garrett didn't have enough problems, LaSalle is hiding his own secret. He's not just seeking a missing girl. He's been hired to murder the person who made her disappear.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2017
15 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 27, 2017
Firstly, thank you to Net Galley, The publishers and the author for a ARC copy for review.
Let me start by saying, halfway through this book, I would have given this book a three star, then reading the second half and the book becomes a four star, pace, suspense and gripping action and shocks, and a clear four star.
To escape the gut-churning violence of LAPD, Garrett Evans moves home to sleepy Artemis, West Virginia to take over his deceased father's position as Chief of Police. The peaceful environment helps him hide his struggle with PTSD-- Until Garrett kills a man and loses his job when his mental condition is questioned.
Things only get worse from there.
New York P.I. Chester LaSalle is searching for a missing girl last seen in Artemis. Working together, Garret and LaSalle dig up small town secrets best left buried behind the barn. It appears a serial killer has murdered transient prostitutes around Artemis for decades.
Telltale signs point to a suspect Garrett doesn't want to consider. No way Smiley Carmichael, the most respected man in Artemis, is a serial killer.
As if Garrett didn't have enough problems, LaSalle is hiding his own secret. He's not just seeking a missing girl. He's been hired to murder the person who made her disappear.
You cannot help but like the two main characters, Garrett and La Salle.
This book had a great second half, what was going to happen next, who would survive to the end...
A great surprise from an author I have not read before.
Let me start by saying, halfway through this book, I would have given this book a three star, then reading the second half and the book becomes a four star, pace, suspense and gripping action and shocks, and a clear four star.
To escape the gut-churning violence of LAPD, Garrett Evans moves home to sleepy Artemis, West Virginia to take over his deceased father's position as Chief of Police. The peaceful environment helps him hide his struggle with PTSD-- Until Garrett kills a man and loses his job when his mental condition is questioned.
Things only get worse from there.
New York P.I. Chester LaSalle is searching for a missing girl last seen in Artemis. Working together, Garret and LaSalle dig up small town secrets best left buried behind the barn. It appears a serial killer has murdered transient prostitutes around Artemis for decades.
Telltale signs point to a suspect Garrett doesn't want to consider. No way Smiley Carmichael, the most respected man in Artemis, is a serial killer.
As if Garrett didn't have enough problems, LaSalle is hiding his own secret. He's not just seeking a missing girl. He's been hired to murder the person who made her disappear.
You cannot help but like the two main characters, Garrett and La Salle.
This book had a great second half, what was going to happen next, who would survive to the end...
A great surprise from an author I have not read before.
October 2, 2017
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.
I finished reading this about a week ago. Today, nothing about the book is really standing out in my mind. A nice "brain-strain" free serial killer book for a rainy Saturday afternoon/evening read. While Garrett Evans is a little bit of a rash hot-head (one would hope their police chief would be a bit more of a deliberate thinker), I expect there's not really a large pool of candidates in the backwaters of West Virginia to chose from, I found Chester LaSalle to be the more intriguing character. Other characters were as developed as they needed to be. Plot was pretty predictable.
I finished reading this about a week ago. Today, nothing about the book is really standing out in my mind. A nice "brain-strain" free serial killer book for a rainy Saturday afternoon/evening read. While Garrett Evans is a little bit of a rash hot-head (one would hope their police chief would be a bit more of a deliberate thinker), I expect there's not really a large pool of candidates in the backwaters of West Virginia to chose from, I found Chester LaSalle to be the more intriguing character. Other characters were as developed as they needed to be. Plot was pretty predictable.
November 19, 2017
I love these serial killer books! This one is great yet just as spooky too because the killer is a "nice" guy and neighbor. I have read in other things about some of these killers can blend in but this guy is good. A home town boy and big LAPD police guy comes back home after he loses his father, and this guy, Garrett, has a killer case on his hands. The book was great and hard to put down. * This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review.*
November 13, 2019
Twisted and shocking! Intense and riveting! Suspenseful and addictive! Dark and complex! A jaw-dropping, psychological thriller at its best!
September 3, 2017
100% best mystery thriller I've ever read! May be some spoilers.
It's almost 5 am, I've been at it all night. So well written I never once stumbled trying to readjust my vision of events.
Other books and stories start off letting you know who the bad guy is, but this one also shows you a side of the killer that has you almost feeling sorry for him, almost understanding him. But in the end evil won out. And justice was served. All in all a very satisfying read!
I would have liked to know how the idiot 'chief' fared. Also, I hope Garrett is reinstated in a position he was born for. One last wish, that the girls grandfather somehow set Garrett up for life - at least financially.
It's almost 5 am, I've been at it all night. So well written I never once stumbled trying to readjust my vision of events.
Other books and stories start off letting you know who the bad guy is, but this one also shows you a side of the killer that has you almost feeling sorry for him, almost understanding him. But in the end evil won out. And justice was served. All in all a very satisfying read!
I would have liked to know how the idiot 'chief' fared. Also, I hope Garrett is reinstated in a position he was born for. One last wish, that the girls grandfather somehow set Garrett up for life - at least financially.
October 2, 2017
Review: SMILEY by Michael Ezell
Amazingly engrossing, this mystery-thriller novel set in West Virginia (with frequent intermissions of backstory from L. A., and remembrances of the protagonist' s early life), is deeply layered. Home-town boy, something of a hot shot in the LAPD (or so his police chief father proclaims) returns to tiny Artemis, West Virginia, nestled in the mountains, after his father's demise. Newly appointed police chief, Garrett soon discovers that although he may be a native of the community, other allegiances run deeper, much deeper. Under the surface of a peaceful small town runs drug abuse and manufacture, and a killer unstopped for decades, and a history of rampant abuse and wanton murder.
Amazingly engrossing, this mystery-thriller novel set in West Virginia (with frequent intermissions of backstory from L. A., and remembrances of the protagonist' s early life), is deeply layered. Home-town boy, something of a hot shot in the LAPD (or so his police chief father proclaims) returns to tiny Artemis, West Virginia, nestled in the mountains, after his father's demise. Newly appointed police chief, Garrett soon discovers that although he may be a native of the community, other allegiances run deeper, much deeper. Under the surface of a peaceful small town runs drug abuse and manufacture, and a killer unstopped for decades, and a history of rampant abuse and wanton murder.
September 29, 2017
Garrett Evans has moved back home to Artemis and has taken the job as Chief of Police. A quiet place until New York P.I. Chester LaSalle arrives looking for a missing girl. They start working together, and discover what might be a serial killer in their midst, who has been and still is murdering runaways.
Mentioning the suspect so soon in the book would have meant a lowering of the rating to a 3 star but I got so involved in what was happening that I added a star.
Well-written, a good paced story with some flawed characters.
A NetGalley Book
Mentioning the suspect so soon in the book would have meant a lowering of the rating to a 3 star but I got so involved in what was happening that I added a star.
Well-written, a good paced story with some flawed characters.
A NetGalley Book
August 11, 2019
A small town serial killer mystery which is less a ‘who dunnit?’ and more of a ‘how is he going to get caught?’. Particularly when the (ex) Chief of Police is so hot headed, he ends up in jail rather than investigating the various disappearances. At times I was shouting at the characters - don’t go on your own, but otherwise the writing is fluid and brings the characters, and the snowy landscape to life. I couldn’t put it down, apart from when my Ipad ran out of juice. Worth a read if you like the genre.
September 4, 2017
This book was a real scary, serial killer kind of book! There are three main characters, all men who are broken and traumatised, and they are all killers. I couldn't put this book down, once I started reading and I eagerly await the next book from this author. My only complaint...I really wanted to find out how "the chief" got on. A really good thriller/horror book. Many thanks to Net Galley for my copy.
September 7, 2017
I received this arc from Netgalley.
Great read! This book had me glued to the pages. An intense read with lots of action. My only gripe was with the ending. I would have liked it more if had been a little more fleshed out. Especially concerning Whit and Garrett. Other than that, an enjoyable read.
Great read! This book had me glued to the pages. An intense read with lots of action. My only gripe was with the ending. I would have liked it more if had been a little more fleshed out. Especially concerning Whit and Garrett. Other than that, an enjoyable read.
October 13, 2017
This one will stay with me...
I am a voracious reader and there have been times where I am half way through a book and realize I've read it before but don't really recall it. Not this time. This one will stay with me a while. The characters are very dimensional and believable. The story line is credible, sadly. Thank you Michael Ezell for a great story!
I am a voracious reader and there have been times where I am half way through a book and realize I've read it before but don't really recall it. Not this time. This one will stay with me a while. The characters are very dimensional and believable. The story line is credible, sadly. Thank you Michael Ezell for a great story!
May 18, 2022
Smiley by Michael Ezell.
To escape the gut-churning violence of LAPD, Garrett Evans moves home to sleepy Artemis, West Virginia to take over his deceased father's position as Chief of Police.
A brilliant read. I loved the cover. Creepy. 5*.
To escape the gut-churning violence of LAPD, Garrett Evans moves home to sleepy Artemis, West Virginia to take over his deceased father's position as Chief of Police.
A brilliant read. I loved the cover. Creepy. 5*.
September 24, 2017
I really loved this book!
Kept me enthralled throughout. Very Cat and Mouse, with the cat being a disturbing psycho who hid his madness behind a friendly smile!
Kept me enthralled throughout. Very Cat and Mouse, with the cat being a disturbing psycho who hid his madness behind a friendly smile!
October 21, 2017
Xlent read
Good guys, bad guys, working girls and a psyco thrown in for good measure. As for the good guys, well, read this book.
Good guys, bad guys, working girls and a psyco thrown in for good measure. As for the good guys, well, read this book.
September 20, 2017
Great book for this new (to me) author. Very similar to a Dean Koontz novel.
Read
September 24, 2017A new fav!
Loved the story and descriptions of each character. I smiled at some of the names and Lawton reference. Thanks for letting us into your "writing world". Ezell is definitely one of my favorite authors.
Loved the story and descriptions of each character. I smiled at some of the names and Lawton reference. Thanks for letting us into your "writing world". Ezell is definitely one of my favorite authors.
Read
October 18, 2017Ted Bundy meets Hannibal Lecter is the best analogy for this story. Ezell weaves a story located in small town West Virginia. The ‘nicest’ guy in town has a dark past & a secret that even the most seasoned law enforcement agent cannot imagine.
Garrett Evans leaves LA to take over being Sheriff in a small town after his father dies. After a shooting, he meets up with Chester LaSalle who is looking for a runaway. Together they investigate the disappearance of truck stop prostitutes an investigation that started years earlier with Garrett's father.
You will not want to put this book down for all the twists and turns. Move over Stephen King because Ezell keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Garrett Evans leaves LA to take over being Sheriff in a small town after his father dies. After a shooting, he meets up with Chester LaSalle who is looking for a runaway. Together they investigate the disappearance of truck stop prostitutes an investigation that started years earlier with Garrett's father.
You will not want to put this book down for all the twists and turns. Move over Stephen King because Ezell keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews