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Mortimer Angel #3
Gumshoe on the Loose
IRS agent-turned-PI Mortimer Angel is relaxing in a hole-in-the-wall bar in a Reno casino when an attractive young girl hires him to find out who left her a cryptic message demanding a million dollars. At the girl’s house, Mort finds the body of missing rapper Jonnie Xenon―Jo-X to his legions of fans―hanging from the rafters with two bullet holes in him. Mort is shocked when he learns the identity of the girl’s father―and even more shocked when the father hires him to investigate the murder.
Mort, being Mort, accumulates a few felonies as he follows the clues to Las Vegas. And along the way, he picks up an alluring young assistant who changes his life―in every conceivable way.
Mort, being Mort, accumulates a few felonies as he follows the clues to Las Vegas. And along the way, he picks up an alluring young assistant who changes his life―in every conceivable way.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
August 2, 2019
Mortimer Angel is an ex-IRA Agent who now considers himself a private investigator. He's still learning the ropes which get him into all kind of hot water. He's not above committing a few illegal acts along the way.
His favorite past time is sitting in his favorite bar when a young woman approaches him. She wants him to find out who left her a note demanding a huge amount of money. Going to her house, he finds a dead man hanging from the ceiling with 2 bullet holes in him. Turns out the man is the missing rapper known as Jo-X.
What a surprise when the girl's father hires him to investigate the murder. And that's when the fun begins.
Mort, as he wants to be called, always seems to be in over his head. There are some bad dudes out there that want a piece of him ... or all of him ... anything that will stop his bungling investigation.
For such a sober topic as murder, there is a lot of humor and fun within the story. I couldn't help but like Mortimer, even as I was rolling my eyes and/or shaking my head. He's quite a unique character, cleverly drawn, certainly to be remembered long after the book has been read.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this humorous crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
His favorite past time is sitting in his favorite bar when a young woman approaches him. She wants him to find out who left her a note demanding a huge amount of money. Going to her house, he finds a dead man hanging from the ceiling with 2 bullet holes in him. Turns out the man is the missing rapper known as Jo-X.
What a surprise when the girl's father hires him to investigate the murder. And that's when the fun begins.
Mort, as he wants to be called, always seems to be in over his head. There are some bad dudes out there that want a piece of him ... or all of him ... anything that will stop his bungling investigation.
For such a sober topic as murder, there is a lot of humor and fun within the story. I couldn't help but like Mortimer, even as I was rolling my eyes and/or shaking my head. He's quite a unique character, cleverly drawn, certainly to be remembered long after the book has been read.
Many thanks to the author / Oceanview Publishing / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this humorous crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
December 5, 2017
Thanks to Netgalleys for access.
I believe this is some kind of parody of the hard boiled PI genre.
A wise cracking former accountant is hired as a bodyguard to a beautiful woman, who just happens to be married to another beautiful woman. He finds a dead rapper in their garage, and goes on the hunt.
Not bad, but not really funny. Good parodies of PI's are hard to do.
I believe this is some kind of parody of the hard boiled PI genre.
A wise cracking former accountant is hired as a bodyguard to a beautiful woman, who just happens to be married to another beautiful woman. He finds a dead rapper in their garage, and goes on the hunt.
Not bad, but not really funny. Good parodies of PI's are hard to do.
February 15, 2018
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for a digital galley of this novel.
I read book one in this series (Gumshoe) and enjoyed it and liked the whole premise behind it of a bored IRS auditor making a huge career change into private investigating. That story was about as *light* as it could get with severed heads turning up in the book. I missed reading the second book (Gumshoe for Two) where Mortimer (call him Mort) evidently had a personality transplant. When I started reading this third book (Gumshoe on the Loose) I didn't like Mortimer (call him Mort) anymore. Mortimer (call him Mort) has evolved into someone I don't enjoy spending time with. I also got very tired of the repetition about Mort's name (Ha, bet you thought I was going to do it again, right?) and the supposed mistake on his birth certificate. Was that bit a joke? After the second time it was definitely not funny all the other times. I also got pretty tired of Mort's almost constant challenge to not look at women's cleavage, necklines, large bosoms, or totally naked bosoms. Really, Leinenger, enough with the bosom references.
My reason for the three star rating is that I would have definitely liked the mystery involved in this book if it hadn't been surrounded by a character I no longer want to read about. Try it if you must, but get ready for a lot of foolishness and almost constant references to things that happened in the first two books.
I read book one in this series (Gumshoe) and enjoyed it and liked the whole premise behind it of a bored IRS auditor making a huge career change into private investigating. That story was about as *light* as it could get with severed heads turning up in the book. I missed reading the second book (Gumshoe for Two) where Mortimer (call him Mort) evidently had a personality transplant. When I started reading this third book (Gumshoe on the Loose) I didn't like Mortimer (call him Mort) anymore. Mortimer (call him Mort) has evolved into someone I don't enjoy spending time with. I also got very tired of the repetition about Mort's name (Ha, bet you thought I was going to do it again, right?) and the supposed mistake on his birth certificate. Was that bit a joke? After the second time it was definitely not funny all the other times. I also got pretty tired of Mort's almost constant challenge to not look at women's cleavage, necklines, large bosoms, or totally naked bosoms. Really, Leinenger, enough with the bosom references.
My reason for the three star rating is that I would have definitely liked the mystery involved in this book if it hadn't been surrounded by a character I no longer want to read about. Try it if you must, but get ready for a lot of foolishness and almost constant references to things that happened in the first two books.
November 12, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advance copy of Gumshoe on the Loose, the third novel to feature Reno based P.I. Mortimer Angel.
In a complicated set of circumstances Mort (never Mortimer) discovers the dead body of bad boy rapper Jo-X in a putative client's garage. When asked to clear the client's name by her father, an old acquaintance of Mort, he decides on a road trip to Vegas where Jo-X lived and soon finds himself out of his depth in more adventures.
I thoroughly enjoyed Gumshoe on the Loose which is a fun read with clever plot. Told in the first person by IRS Agent turned PI Mort Angel it is his wisecracking and easy going personality which drives the novel although the slightly insane plot helps. The Gumshoe in the title is aspirational for Mort as he makes frequent references to Hammer and Spade but he is no hard boiled detective, more of a big softy, although, on the upside, he has become a babe magnet since leaving the IRS.
The novel is a kind of pastiche on the old hard boiled detective genre where the detective finds his way out of trouble, solves the case before the police and gets the dame as our hero stumbles into situations and flies by the seat of his pants until the solution finds him. It's funny, warm and endearing without being cosy.
Gumshoe on the Loose is an interesting, fun read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
In a complicated set of circumstances Mort (never Mortimer) discovers the dead body of bad boy rapper Jo-X in a putative client's garage. When asked to clear the client's name by her father, an old acquaintance of Mort, he decides on a road trip to Vegas where Jo-X lived and soon finds himself out of his depth in more adventures.
I thoroughly enjoyed Gumshoe on the Loose which is a fun read with clever plot. Told in the first person by IRS Agent turned PI Mort Angel it is his wisecracking and easy going personality which drives the novel although the slightly insane plot helps. The Gumshoe in the title is aspirational for Mort as he makes frequent references to Hammer and Spade but he is no hard boiled detective, more of a big softy, although, on the upside, he has become a babe magnet since leaving the IRS.
The novel is a kind of pastiche on the old hard boiled detective genre where the detective finds his way out of trouble, solves the case before the police and gets the dame as our hero stumbles into situations and flies by the seat of his pants until the solution finds him. It's funny, warm and endearing without being cosy.
Gumshoe on the Loose is an interesting, fun read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
October 9, 2018
Ex-IRS agent turned PI, Most Angel takes on the case of a dead rapper in this breezy mystery, almost a pastiche of a PI noir novel. Entertaining, but a little hectic.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
December 10, 2018
Following GUMSHOE FOR TWO, “Mort Angel, gumshoe extraordinaire and media darling, was about to get another round of national exposure on prime-time news.” He’s “back in the thick of it,” when seductress Danya lures the maverick investigator to discern who has been prowling around her house.
Danya is “[b]eautiful, busty, slinky, trouble.” She’s also the black lovechild of Reno PD detective Russell Fairchild, who’s “as ugly and white as Buddy Hackett’s ghost.” Yeah, that cop who wants to bust Mort’s chops. Or, stated more licentiously, two other body parts my Bookreporter editor won’t let me specify. Danya is married to Shanna Hayes, who “had a figure that would stop traffic.” Celeb Shanna is also the focus of Vince Ignacio, an aggressive hack for Celebrity News, who skulks around Shanna’s house trying to find a connection to Jo-X.
Jonnie Xenon (Jo-X, pronounced Jo-Z, whose “rapper lyrics which were as toxic as a cloud of powdered plutonium”) is “six-five, 164 pounds, looked like a two-by-four with limbs, and [had] a mouth so foul Clorox wouldn’t get the stench out.” Vince finds that connection hanging around the garage. And the stench is not from Jo-X’s mouth.
“Maude Clary was a battle-axe,” now Mort’s boss. “Ma” is bound for Memphis by train, and won’t have an en-route cell phone connection. She instructs Mort not to do anything without calling her first. What could possibly go wrong?
Mort encounters Lucy K. (which morphs easily to “Lucky”) Landry in a Nevada dive-in diner serving fried chicken and fries, “The Heart Buster Special.” After a witty and ribald exchange, Lucy --- who appears to be post-pubescent jailbait but is confirmed 11 years younger than Mort’s 42 --- and he are on the road to Las Vegas, where Lucy proves, indeed, to be lucky. After a few thousand-dollar chip losses at roulette, Lucky Luce bets it all on double zero and defies the maxim that the house always wins. The madcap couple gets a deluxe Luxor suite comped, and the winnings pile up.
But Mort is paid to track down Jo-X’s killer, locate the now-missing Dayna, and keep Detective Fairchild out of the spotlight. Jo-X’s mansion is near Vegas, but police have combed through it finding no leads. With Mort and a busty bombshell tooling around in a Mustang convertible looking for a killer, it’s not Vegas-style gambling to bet that things get dicey. Especially when bad luck turns out to be good fortune, in a convoluted way.
Anyone searching for a bawdy go-to gumshoe tale need look no further than Rob Leininger’s Mortimer Angel series. If you’re unfamiliar with these laugh-riot Gumshoe installments, get a character crash course by reading 2015’s GUMSHOE debut.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
Danya is “[b]eautiful, busty, slinky, trouble.” She’s also the black lovechild of Reno PD detective Russell Fairchild, who’s “as ugly and white as Buddy Hackett’s ghost.” Yeah, that cop who wants to bust Mort’s chops. Or, stated more licentiously, two other body parts my Bookreporter editor won’t let me specify. Danya is married to Shanna Hayes, who “had a figure that would stop traffic.” Celeb Shanna is also the focus of Vince Ignacio, an aggressive hack for Celebrity News, who skulks around Shanna’s house trying to find a connection to Jo-X.
Jonnie Xenon (Jo-X, pronounced Jo-Z, whose “rapper lyrics which were as toxic as a cloud of powdered plutonium”) is “six-five, 164 pounds, looked like a two-by-four with limbs, and [had] a mouth so foul Clorox wouldn’t get the stench out.” Vince finds that connection hanging around the garage. And the stench is not from Jo-X’s mouth.
“Maude Clary was a battle-axe,” now Mort’s boss. “Ma” is bound for Memphis by train, and won’t have an en-route cell phone connection. She instructs Mort not to do anything without calling her first. What could possibly go wrong?
Mort encounters Lucy K. (which morphs easily to “Lucky”) Landry in a Nevada dive-in diner serving fried chicken and fries, “The Heart Buster Special.” After a witty and ribald exchange, Lucy --- who appears to be post-pubescent jailbait but is confirmed 11 years younger than Mort’s 42 --- and he are on the road to Las Vegas, where Lucy proves, indeed, to be lucky. After a few thousand-dollar chip losses at roulette, Lucky Luce bets it all on double zero and defies the maxim that the house always wins. The madcap couple gets a deluxe Luxor suite comped, and the winnings pile up.
But Mort is paid to track down Jo-X’s killer, locate the now-missing Dayna, and keep Detective Fairchild out of the spotlight. Jo-X’s mansion is near Vegas, but police have combed through it finding no leads. With Mort and a busty bombshell tooling around in a Mustang convertible looking for a killer, it’s not Vegas-style gambling to bet that things get dicey. Especially when bad luck turns out to be good fortune, in a convoluted way.
Anyone searching for a bawdy go-to gumshoe tale need look no further than Rob Leininger’s Mortimer Angel series. If you’re unfamiliar with these laugh-riot Gumshoe installments, get a character crash course by reading 2015’s GUMSHOE debut.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
March 25, 2020
( Format : Audiobook )
"It's all about truth and a dead Joe X."
Since leaving the IRS to become a private investigator, Mort Angel has found himself not just a finder of dead bodies but also a person of interest for some stunningly beautiful women. He doesn't mind, of course, but he does find it surprising. Like the gorgeous woman who says she wants to hire his services, but for what he's not sure. And the very youthful looking, possibly teenage, ex waitress who claims she's over thirty, and seems determined to stick with him as he tries to investigate. And this time it's getting more personal as he tries looks for the killer of a multi millionaire rapper.
Told in the first person by Mort Angel himself, he text is full of self depreciating comments and the aches of someone no longer in their prime. The smooth talking, fast action, sarcastic investigator he is not. But then, neither is he the bumbling fool: he misses clues, perhaps, but mostly, and doggedly, gets there in the end even if there does seem to be a slight detours along the way. A nice man, he tries to get along in as peaceful a way as he can. He is admirably portrayed by narrator, George Kuch, who's delivery not only enhances the reader's enjoyment of his personality but also gives individual voice and character to the other protagonists in the story. An exce!!ent performance.
I liked the relaxed, almost passive attitude of the detectivs, Angel, even if his obsession with women's breasts did seem a near constant. A man in his forties, a litt!e bit lonely, and not from the era of swinging sexual librration. A prude? No. Easily embarassed? Yes. So not a James Bond type then. Even his use of the tit!e 'Gumshoe' suggests a personality which is a tad retrospective.
Easily a stand alone story. I had not read either of the earlier books in the series but am now tempted to do so. Recommended for anyone looking for an engaging and light private eye mystery with well developed characters and gentle humour.
I downloaded Gumshoe on the Loose for free from F.A.B.C. My thanks to the rights holder who made this possible.
"It's all about truth and a dead Joe X."
Since leaving the IRS to become a private investigator, Mort Angel has found himself not just a finder of dead bodies but also a person of interest for some stunningly beautiful women. He doesn't mind, of course, but he does find it surprising. Like the gorgeous woman who says she wants to hire his services, but for what he's not sure. And the very youthful looking, possibly teenage, ex waitress who claims she's over thirty, and seems determined to stick with him as he tries to investigate. And this time it's getting more personal as he tries looks for the killer of a multi millionaire rapper.
Told in the first person by Mort Angel himself, he text is full of self depreciating comments and the aches of someone no longer in their prime. The smooth talking, fast action, sarcastic investigator he is not. But then, neither is he the bumbling fool: he misses clues, perhaps, but mostly, and doggedly, gets there in the end even if there does seem to be a slight detours along the way. A nice man, he tries to get along in as peaceful a way as he can. He is admirably portrayed by narrator, George Kuch, who's delivery not only enhances the reader's enjoyment of his personality but also gives individual voice and character to the other protagonists in the story. An exce!!ent performance.
I liked the relaxed, almost passive attitude of the detectivs, Angel, even if his obsession with women's breasts did seem a near constant. A man in his forties, a litt!e bit lonely, and not from the era of swinging sexual librration. A prude? No. Easily embarassed? Yes. So not a James Bond type then. Even his use of the tit!e 'Gumshoe' suggests a personality which is a tad retrospective.
Easily a stand alone story. I had not read either of the earlier books in the series but am now tempted to do so. Recommended for anyone looking for an engaging and light private eye mystery with well developed characters and gentle humour.
I downloaded Gumshoe on the Loose for free from F.A.B.C. My thanks to the rights holder who made this possible.
May 24, 2018
4.5 st
Just when I think Mort can’t have any more craziness to deal with, the writer comes up w/this book in the series.
I really like the Mort character. And now a new woman for him to be attracted to yet not have sex with. Lucy. She’s great!
How the writer can come up w/this stuff in his imagination makes me wonder about his daydreams in his free time.
Mort has already dealt w/2 sexy women, decapitated heads, cut off hands, dead bodies galore, almost getting killed twice, missing persons, etc..
So of course, he finds yet another dead body, hooks up w/an awesome & sexy chic, gets hurt along the way but eventually solves the case. I grew to like Lucy. I thought it was neat that she didn't look her age. She was 31 but could pass for a teen. (i'd love to know her secret. hee hee!)
Leininger has also improved his prose in his third book. It’s gotten more clever, with great lines such as:
---"...what's she weigh?"
"Depends. When she's in a supermarket, she weighs apples, nectarines, grapes, stuff like that."
---Man, I hate irony. Especially when it comes in short shorts and a straining halter.
--"Jesus H. Christ, the tabloid guy."Shanna backed away from him.
"Just the tabloid guy," I said. "Christ was someone else."
--It might have power, but it would still accelerate like a tuna boat.
--I was a gumshoe. I had cast off the IRS lamprey mantle. Girls flocking to me like pigeons to a statue was my reward for discovering I had a soul.
The previous book had a bittersweet ending. This one had a happier one for his personal life & I liked it.
Unfortunately, the case conclusion was a bit confusing for me.
But it was another enjoyable read by Rob Leininger. I look forward to the next book.
Just when I think Mort can’t have any more craziness to deal with, the writer comes up w/this book in the series.
I really like the Mort character. And now a new woman for him to be attracted to yet not have sex with. Lucy. She’s great!
How the writer can come up w/this stuff in his imagination makes me wonder about his daydreams in his free time.
Mort has already dealt w/2 sexy women, decapitated heads, cut off hands, dead bodies galore, almost getting killed twice, missing persons, etc..
So of course, he finds yet another dead body, hooks up w/an awesome & sexy chic, gets hurt along the way but eventually solves the case. I grew to like Lucy. I thought it was neat that she didn't look her age. She was 31 but could pass for a teen. (i'd love to know her secret. hee hee!)
Leininger has also improved his prose in his third book. It’s gotten more clever, with great lines such as:
---"...what's she weigh?"
"Depends. When she's in a supermarket, she weighs apples, nectarines, grapes, stuff like that."
---Man, I hate irony. Especially when it comes in short shorts and a straining halter.
--"Jesus H. Christ, the tabloid guy."Shanna backed away from him.
"Just the tabloid guy," I said. "Christ was someone else."
--It might have power, but it would still accelerate like a tuna boat.
--I was a gumshoe. I had cast off the IRS lamprey mantle. Girls flocking to me like pigeons to a statue was my reward for discovering I had a soul.
The previous book had a bittersweet ending. This one had a happier one for his personal life & I liked it.
Unfortunately, the case conclusion was a bit confusing for me.
But it was another enjoyable read by Rob Leininger. I look forward to the next book.
August 1, 2018
Mortimer Angel is fresh off a case in which he rubbed more than a few people the wrong way when fate intervenes again. He’s approached by a young woman out of the blue to determine who left a cryptic message demanding a million dollars to take care of something, the question is what. Mort agrees to help and ends up on a path that will take him through Sin City, across a dead rapper and into close brush with death. Mort follows the clues and along with a new assistant, encounters a bizarre plot that seems to have been pulled straight out of the tabloids.
Gumshoe on the Loose by Rob Leininger is the third entry in the well-written, highly-entertaining Mortimer Angel series. Leininger has an impressive personal resume(retired Navy, Mechanical Engineer and Shamus Award nominee for his debut novel, Gumshoe). His varied life experience is visible in the characters he creates and the plots he composes. Among the literary sleuths who rely primarily on their wits to get the job done, Angel is a standout, as is his creator. I’ve now read 2 books by Leininger and am anxious to read the rest of his works(though considering my current stack of books to be read, it may take me until I’m nearly ready to shed this mortal coil). I recommend this book for anyone who likes a lot of humor in their mysteries and give this book 4/5 stars.
*A copy of this ebook is the only consideration received in exchange for this review.*
Gumshoe on the Loose by Rob Leininger is the third entry in the well-written, highly-entertaining Mortimer Angel series. Leininger has an impressive personal resume(retired Navy, Mechanical Engineer and Shamus Award nominee for his debut novel, Gumshoe). His varied life experience is visible in the characters he creates and the plots he composes. Among the literary sleuths who rely primarily on their wits to get the job done, Angel is a standout, as is his creator. I’ve now read 2 books by Leininger and am anxious to read the rest of his works(though considering my current stack of books to be read, it may take me until I’m nearly ready to shed this mortal coil). I recommend this book for anyone who likes a lot of humor in their mysteries and give this book 4/5 stars.
*A copy of this ebook is the only consideration received in exchange for this review.*
August 21, 2021
Rob Leininger creates characters and lets them tell the stories. Each has his or her own voice which turns them into flesh and blood, mostly quirky, human beings. The voice of Mortimer Angel is that of a guy who can't believe the way his life has changed simply by changing careers. He went from IRS field agent to private investigator channeling an updated version of the life and times of Sam Spade, Mike Hammer, and, occasionally, Magnum.
GUMSHOE ON THE LOOSE is the third book in the Mortimer Angel series. Although I would definitely NOT recommend reading it as a standalone, in reality you could. Leininger skillfully weaves the basic story of the first two books into this one. It's not just a paragraph or two of summary at the beginning; it is clever retelling as an integral part of the current book.
Throughout the series, the writing is excellent, character development is constant and sometimes hilarious, and the plot thickens like a mulligan stew. Every book, so far, has been a stellar read. I can't wait to dig into the next one… GUMSHOE ROCK.
GUMSHOE ON THE LOOSE is the third book in the Mortimer Angel series. Although I would definitely NOT recommend reading it as a standalone, in reality you could. Leininger skillfully weaves the basic story of the first two books into this one. It's not just a paragraph or two of summary at the beginning; it is clever retelling as an integral part of the current book.
Throughout the series, the writing is excellent, character development is constant and sometimes hilarious, and the plot thickens like a mulligan stew. Every book, so far, has been a stellar read. I can't wait to dig into the next one… GUMSHOE ROCK.
February 21, 2025
There are a few things about Mort Angel that stand out.
He'd led a boring live until quitting from his IRS job to become a P.I.
He doesn't understand women but, unlike before, beautiful young women now find him irresistible.
Surprisingly, he doesn't get laid a lot but he often comes close.
And, if there is a corpse to be found you can rely on Mort to stumble across it at some point.
A popular rapper has gone missing along with his newly acquired girlfriend.
Mort is hired to find them.
And find them he does but rapper Jonnie Xenon (aka Jo-X) is no longer in the land of the living.
What follows in “Gumshoe on the Loose” is as tangled a tale as you'll find, involving serial killers, impersonation, arson, and theft on an industrial level.
Mort isn't even remotely believable, but he's not supposed to be.
Great fun.
4 Stars.
He'd led a boring live until quitting from his IRS job to become a P.I.
He doesn't understand women but, unlike before, beautiful young women now find him irresistible.
Surprisingly, he doesn't get laid a lot but he often comes close.
And, if there is a corpse to be found you can rely on Mort to stumble across it at some point.
A popular rapper has gone missing along with his newly acquired girlfriend.
Mort is hired to find them.
And find them he does but rapper Jonnie Xenon (aka Jo-X) is no longer in the land of the living.
What follows in “Gumshoe on the Loose” is as tangled a tale as you'll find, involving serial killers, impersonation, arson, and theft on an industrial level.
Mort isn't even remotely believable, but he's not supposed to be.
Great fun.
4 Stars.
May 8, 2018
While this book is the third in the serie, I still enjoyed it. There were a couple references I was a bit confused about, but I was able to get past that! This book is an enjoyable throwback to the campy PI movies and books of old. Honestly, I am not sure if this is a parody of Sam Spade et al, but this is how I took it and that made the book all the more exciting. The writing was not up to par with my usual books, it was a very easy read. And honestly, sometimes we all need a quick, easy book in our lives! I would probably go back and read the other two so I know what I've been missing.
Thank you Library Thing for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you Library Thing for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
April 20, 2018
Goodreads Kindle Copy Win
Former IRS agent-turned-PI Mortimer Angel is hire to find who left a cryptic note for a million dollars to his hirer an attractive girl. Things get further intriguing when he finds out the girl father is rich. What is really going on; especially, when the father hires him to find a murder?
The usually cloak and dagger storyline.
Former IRS agent-turned-PI Mortimer Angel is hire to find who left a cryptic note for a million dollars to his hirer an attractive girl. Things get further intriguing when he finds out the girl father is rich. What is really going on; especially, when the father hires him to find a murder?
The usually cloak and dagger storyline.
July 25, 2019
This is the first book I’ve read in the series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Mortimer “Mort” Angel came across as an engaging IRS agent turned private detective. The story flowed well, the crime/mystery was interesting, and Mort’s interactions with Lucy, his waitress turned assistant were very fun.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
I’m looking forward to reading more in this series.
Note: I received a free copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
February 3, 2018
3.5/5.0
"Gumshoe On The Loose" is a quirky, witty, amusing tale.
Read full review in the 2018 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
"Gumshoe On The Loose" is a quirky, witty, amusing tale.
Read full review in the 2018 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.
June 12, 2018
Another Great Gumshoe
Mort Angel is a great character. Period. I love these books. While this third book in the series wasn’t quite as strong as the first two, it was still excellent.
Mort Angel is a great character. Period. I love these books. While this third book in the series wasn’t quite as strong as the first two, it was still excellent.
Read
August 28, 2019I can’t give this book a rating because I didn’t finish it. I think the author was trying to make the protagonist cute and funny and he was neither. Oh well there are a lot of books out there, time to move on.
April 19, 2020
Mortimer Angel as a PI in training is always a good, fun read. I thought the instant chick magnet thing was a little overdone, but I’m already looking forward to reading the next book in the Gumshoe series.
June 29, 2020
Leininger continues to introduce interesting new characters to the Angel series as he exploits every trope this genre has to offer. As we get to know Mort Angel better, deeper layers of character unfold to show that he is not a one-dimensional creation. Good prose, dark humor.
October 7, 2021
Good read!
I bought the series so ill finish it. The author has a good sense for dialogue and creative characters. He still can use a word like Nazi for a humorous phrase which makes him a putz but ignorance is not bigotry just ignorance .
I bought the series so ill finish it. The author has a good sense for dialogue and creative characters. He still can use a word like Nazi for a humorous phrase which makes him a putz but ignorance is not bigotry just ignorance .
July 9, 2022
Trying very hard to be a cool PI who is obviously smarter than the cops. First one I've read of this series and am not interested enough to read another. Maybe the target audience is "guys" who like "big boobies".
October 27, 2025
Move over Mike Hammer and Sam Spade - there's a new kid in town, and his name is Angel .... Mort Angel.
Love this series - see my review @ Melisende's Library
Love this series - see my review @ Melisende's Library
April 17, 2018
Sort of reminds you of the old PI stories from the 40's. Serious but humorous. Won this in a giveaway.
April 23, 2018
Throughly enjoyed this book
April 29, 2019
Good in places, but also overwritten in places. Edit it down 50 pages and it would have been much tighter.
January 21, 2022
Some I liked some not so much
Just couldn't get into this one.. I really don't like rating a book because what doesn't appeal to me might be one someone else would really like.
Just couldn't get into this one.. I really don't like rating a book because what doesn't appeal to me might be one someone else would really like.
June 22, 2026
A fun read.
May 26, 2018
Disclaimer…I was a little critical of this book, I am an IRS Agent that lives in the Reno, and that influenced my opinion ALOT.
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of the US Government. None of the ideas expressed in this blog post are shared, supported, or endorsed in any manner by my employer.
So I liked the story, it was a nice easy read. The plot moved along nicely. Things seemed a bit unfinished at the end but it was an ending. I really liked the Reno details, he was spot on for directions and areas, it was great to read. In fact, I probably would have picked up his other books if he wasn't such an asshole about the IRS. That probably won't bother anyone else, but it really detracted from the story for me. I know the IRS has a bad reputation, and we get a lot of negative commentary from the media, congress, and just people in general. But the way he portrayed us, as heartless souls suckers was too much for me. The people I work with have some the most generous hearts, and I (and I know some of my co-workers) believe that we are providing a service for our country. We are doing our duty and providing the funding for all the things everyone love, parks, roads, clean water, and yes government functions. I don't personally know any IRS agents that are as cold and heartless and awful as Mr. Leininger made us out to be. It was really hard to read because of that. As a result, I will not read any more in this series, and probably none of his other books. It's bad enough I see my career, that I am very proud of, smeared in the news on regular basis, I refuse to read about it in a book I picked up for pleasure.
For more book reviews see my blog: https://adventuresofabibliophile.blog...
Opinions expressed are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of the US Government. None of the ideas expressed in this blog post are shared, supported, or endorsed in any manner by my employer.
So I liked the story, it was a nice easy read. The plot moved along nicely. Things seemed a bit unfinished at the end but it was an ending. I really liked the Reno details, he was spot on for directions and areas, it was great to read. In fact, I probably would have picked up his other books if he wasn't such an asshole about the IRS. That probably won't bother anyone else, but it really detracted from the story for me. I know the IRS has a bad reputation, and we get a lot of negative commentary from the media, congress, and just people in general. But the way he portrayed us, as heartless souls suckers was too much for me. The people I work with have some the most generous hearts, and I (and I know some of my co-workers) believe that we are providing a service for our country. We are doing our duty and providing the funding for all the things everyone love, parks, roads, clean water, and yes government functions. I don't personally know any IRS agents that are as cold and heartless and awful as Mr. Leininger made us out to be. It was really hard to read because of that. As a result, I will not read any more in this series, and probably none of his other books. It's bad enough I see my career, that I am very proud of, smeared in the news on regular basis, I refuse to read about it in a book I picked up for pleasure.
For more book reviews see my blog: https://adventuresofabibliophile.blog...
June 19, 2019
Rob Leininger is an amazing author.
Always a great plot and Angel Mortimer, a character you will not quickly forget.
Oddly funny, a bit bumbling, always an intriguing love interest. But as the story advances, expect an absolutely catastrophic scene. Something so surprising, so intense you could never have seen it coming. Isn't that the ultimate for suspense and thriller readers?
Always a great plot and Angel Mortimer, a character you will not quickly forget.
Oddly funny, a bit bumbling, always an intriguing love interest. But as the story advances, expect an absolutely catastrophic scene. Something so surprising, so intense you could never have seen it coming. Isn't that the ultimate for suspense and thriller readers?
September 12, 2018
This book I didn't enjoy. It made me laugh but I just didn't care for it.
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