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Sergeant Brad Braun #1
Death Report
Sergeant Brad Braun has seen more dead bodies than he’d care to remember, but a dismembered young woman with a note promising more bodies to come isn’t what he had penciled in for this Monday morning.
And hers is just the beginning.
The killer wants to be noticed, he wants his handiwork in the spotlight, and he needs his name known. The man’s motivation is something only a fractured mind could imagine.
For Sergeant Braun, each step closer to his culprit pushes the killer another step closer to the edge. The man is already capable of murder, so what can possibly happen if he’s pushed too far?
And hers is just the beginning.
The killer wants to be noticed, he wants his handiwork in the spotlight, and he needs his name known. The man’s motivation is something only a fractured mind could imagine.
For Sergeant Braun, each step closer to his culprit pushes the killer another step closer to the edge. The man is already capable of murder, so what can possibly happen if he’s pushed too far?
238 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 10, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
August 8, 2019
Great premise, the plot keeps you turning pages but, two serious flaws.
If not for such a great story line I would have put this book down very early because of the continual minutiae. I can handle some details that are nothing whatsoever to a story but I have never experienced so much meaningless drivel before. I was going to give all kinds of samples but no, just take my word for it. The other fault I have is poor character development. Racker should have used the time he spent giving us meaningless details (describing offices, desks, eating habits) making his characters more interesting. They were all one dimensional with little if any background.
If not for such a great story line I would have put this book down very early because of the continual minutiae. I can handle some details that are nothing whatsoever to a story but I have never experienced so much meaningless drivel before. I was going to give all kinds of samples but no, just take my word for it. The other fault I have is poor character development. Racker should have used the time he spent giving us meaningless details (describing offices, desks, eating habits) making his characters more interesting. They were all one dimensional with little if any background.
May 21, 2019
Very fast moving thriller
Sergeant Braun get called to a murder that takes him from one case to another with no clue as to who is doing it. You think this will never end. There is no evidence at the scene. This person never leaves anything. They finely get a small break someone seen something that breaks the case open. A very good read moves fast you won't want to put it down.
Sergeant Braun get called to a murder that takes him from one case to another with no clue as to who is doing it. You think this will never end. There is no evidence at the scene. This person never leaves anything. They finely get a small break someone seen something that breaks the case open. A very good read moves fast you won't want to put it down.
May 23, 2019
"A promising start"
Strong characters with a well-paced story line. Just what's needed to set up a successful series. Very enjoyable read.
Strong characters with a well-paced story line. Just what's needed to set up a successful series. Very enjoyable read.
February 5, 2023
Good Thriller
Enjoyable start to this series, a new detective and set of characters. A cat and mouse thriller, messy murders and plenty of twists to keep things interesting.
Enjoyable start to this series, a new detective and set of characters. A cat and mouse thriller, messy murders and plenty of twists to keep things interesting.
November 15, 2019
The Sergeant Braun Series, 5 books in the series. I really enjoyed them, yes I am doing a review of all 5 books. They flow so well together. If you are after the criminal being a CIA operative who is a double agent for the KKK who just happens to run the mob, this is NOT the books for you. There are no absurd twists, nor are the characters angst-driven with tragic pasts who spend more time lusting after each other than doing their jobs. These are police procedural done right. Good honest law enforcement doing a hard job well. Each book follows Sergeant Braun and the main case for each book. Do not forget to check out books written under another of his pen names E.H. Reinhard they are as good.
December 11, 2019
Another new author to me and I quite enjoyed it. It is pretty good but not outstanding. I'll stick with him and see what occurs in the next instalment, however. He let us in on who was doing the killing very early on and the murderer was certainly a nasty piece of work, though I wish I knew what he meant in his sentence near the end......
In places, I happened across some very odd writing. At the beginning, chapter one kicks off 'two years ago' but then he doesn't head up any further chapters with whether we were now in the present day or not, which I found strange and had to keep flicking back 'n' forth till I'd figured out where we were at. And the way he writes these sentences is VERY peculiar indeed:
I got the time from my watch
Heather showed him a coy smile
I pushed open the driver's door and put feet on the street
I put eyes on the other two deputies
He put eyes on me
On one page he misplaced the apostrophe for the same word 3 times, yet got it right further on (driver's not drivers'), he wrote locater not locator and Jeckle not Jekyll (!!) So presentation could be improved as well but I will try the second story.
In places, I happened across some very odd writing. At the beginning, chapter one kicks off 'two years ago' but then he doesn't head up any further chapters with whether we were now in the present day or not, which I found strange and had to keep flicking back 'n' forth till I'd figured out where we were at. And the way he writes these sentences is VERY peculiar indeed:
I got the time from my watch
Heather showed him a coy smile
I pushed open the driver's door and put feet on the street
I put eyes on the other two deputies
He put eyes on me
On one page he misplaced the apostrophe for the same word 3 times, yet got it right further on (driver's not drivers'), he wrote locater not locator and Jeckle not Jekyll (!!) So presentation could be improved as well but I will try the second story.
November 15, 2020
If you're looking for something that's merely entertaining, this book might work for you. However, if you're looking for something that's entertaining as well as accurate with regard to police procedures and crime scene processing, look elsewhere. The author writes in a manner that sort-of says, "Please make this a movie." The interplay of what's going on in the head of the police sergeant (Braun) and the perpetrator (Devereux) throughout the book left no mystery as to who was committing the crimes, leaving the climax of the book to be a bloody shootout scene with tons of gore and little accuracy regarding how an actual scene like this one would transpire. As such, and given my own expertise with firearms, I found the scene more amusing than exciting. I laughed out loud when mention was made of needing a shotgun to hit the perpetrator several hundred feet away. The author would do well to do a little research regarding how things are actually done and how police officers and their vehicles are equipped. It would make his story much more believable.
April 20, 2020
You know from the start who the murderer is and so it's not a "murder mystery" but a murder investigation with a study of the murderer's psyche. It's a good story from both the police and the criminal perspectives.
My only issue is that it annoys me when authors spend time about the irrelevant cars of the characters - car models have different names in different countries and "new models" get old the next year. Tyre impressions at the body scene and type of car owned by the victim - these matter.
My only issue is that it annoys me when authors spend time about the irrelevant cars of the characters - car models have different names in different countries and "new models" get old the next year. Tyre impressions at the body scene and type of car owned by the victim - these matter.
July 5, 2019
This classic police procedural features major crimes detective sergeant Brad Braun, a big fellow with a beard. The pun on “brawn” is intended by the author; he even sticks in a joke about looking like the Brawny Paper Towels guy. It takes place in and around Pasco County, Florida. The serial killer, Troy, is a recently fired TV news anchor now scraping by as a field reporter at a down-market station. This is revealed right at the beginning, so it’s no spoiler. He likes to strangle young women and then freeze them and saw them up with a hacksaw. He does this in order to be first on the scene with a camera crew and make a name for himself in the newsroom. Hacksaw becomes his nickname in the press since he leaves notes with the bags of body parts.
There are things to like and things not to like about the book. As former law enforcement, I appreciated that Braun was polite and professional at all times, not one of these wacko antihero cops. He even lives near his parents and sees them regularly like a good son. The investigation was also straightforward and credible, exactly as I believe a homicide detective would proceed. That allowed me to get into the story. The flip side of that, though, is that the investigation itself was rather boring. It consisted mostly of responding to crime scenes, interviewing people who didn’t see anything, and reviewing camera footage that didn’t show anything useful. There were no “aha!” moments or great insights from Braun or any other cop. No Sherlock Holmes here.
All the action was driven by Troy, who, unfortunately, is not a credible character. To insert some action the author described the murders and dismemberments in some detail, which I found distasteful. The other downside to this style is that there just wasn’t much of a plot, so the author filled up a lot of pages with irrelevant descriptions. He describes every building Braun enters in detail, telling us how many left and right turns it took to get wherever, what was in the offices or the hallways, the decor of every restaurant, what Braun ate. It was obvious to me as a writer that he was just trying build up enough pages to fit the publishers’ required minimum. Still, I liked that he didn’t do that with sex or romance. There’s a hint of a romance for Braun in the story line but it doesn’t distract as in some other novels in the genre. The bottom line is that this is not a mystery – we know who the killer is from the beginning – it’s just a step by step description of police response until the good guys catch up with the bad guy. The writing was journeyman quality. There’s enough action to satisfy people who require that but I would have preferred more of a plot. This is the first in a series. I doubt I’ll read more of them.
There are things to like and things not to like about the book. As former law enforcement, I appreciated that Braun was polite and professional at all times, not one of these wacko antihero cops. He even lives near his parents and sees them regularly like a good son. The investigation was also straightforward and credible, exactly as I believe a homicide detective would proceed. That allowed me to get into the story. The flip side of that, though, is that the investigation itself was rather boring. It consisted mostly of responding to crime scenes, interviewing people who didn’t see anything, and reviewing camera footage that didn’t show anything useful. There were no “aha!” moments or great insights from Braun or any other cop. No Sherlock Holmes here.
All the action was driven by Troy, who, unfortunately, is not a credible character. To insert some action the author described the murders and dismemberments in some detail, which I found distasteful. The other downside to this style is that there just wasn’t much of a plot, so the author filled up a lot of pages with irrelevant descriptions. He describes every building Braun enters in detail, telling us how many left and right turns it took to get wherever, what was in the offices or the hallways, the decor of every restaurant, what Braun ate. It was obvious to me as a writer that he was just trying build up enough pages to fit the publishers’ required minimum. Still, I liked that he didn’t do that with sex or romance. There’s a hint of a romance for Braun in the story line but it doesn’t distract as in some other novels in the genre. The bottom line is that this is not a mystery – we know who the killer is from the beginning – it’s just a step by step description of police response until the good guys catch up with the bad guy. The writing was journeyman quality. There’s enough action to satisfy people who require that but I would have preferred more of a plot. This is the first in a series. I doubt I’ll read more of them.
September 7, 2019
Good plot
The storyline was very good and kept the suspense going throughout.
I did, however, have to remove one star because of the very stilted writing style. In my opinion, nouns are useful elements in a text, so their absence means I have to re-read the text and fill the gaps myself. You want some examples?
“I gave John the front and took the back.” Missing noun: seat
“[Cars...] parked in front of a big brick two-story. ” Missing noun: house.
Sorry, but that is just plain bad writing style. Shame, because it detracts from the overall quality of the novel.
The storyline was very good and kept the suspense going throughout.
I did, however, have to remove one star because of the very stilted writing style. In my opinion, nouns are useful elements in a text, so their absence means I have to re-read the text and fill the gaps myself. You want some examples?
“I gave John the front and took the back.” Missing noun: seat
“[Cars...] parked in front of a big brick two-story. ” Missing noun: house.
Sorry, but that is just plain bad writing style. Shame, because it detracts from the overall quality of the novel.
November 8, 2019
Well the author made it easy to hate the killer right off the bat. Just a story of the police trying to keep up with a psycho. Culminating in one of the dumber stand-offs I think I have ever read - who the heck drives right into the field of an on-going one-sided firefight. Not only was the psycho escalating and obviously really losing it, the last letter/s warning of police losing lives seemed to just be ignored. The last few scenes where he was obviously killing off script should have been a major warning. Meh. Glad it is done.
July 28, 2019
The book starts with the killer as the narrator so we can see his warped set of values from the beginning. Anyone who, in his opinion, has 'done him wrong', no matter how slightly, must be paid back.
The other narrator is the police officer who is detetmined to find him, although the complete lack of clues makes this difficult.
The device of telling the story from each protagonist's point of view works well and adds to the tension that builds throughout the book to an exciting climax.
Well worth reading.
The other narrator is the police officer who is detetmined to find him, although the complete lack of clues makes this difficult.
The device of telling the story from each protagonist's point of view works well and adds to the tension that builds throughout the book to an exciting climax.
Well worth reading.
September 15, 2019
Great read, fast paced, well developed characters. Accurate locations and good knowledge of police procedures. A few grisly details but overall a good book. I recommend it for a thrilling read.
A fast paced thriller with excellent character development. Good knowledge of police procedures and locale. A few grisly scenes but overall a fun read. Recommended for anyone liking a good detective novel.
A fast paced thriller with excellent character development. Good knowledge of police procedures and locale. A few grisly scenes but overall a fun read. Recommended for anyone liking a good detective novel.
October 3, 2019
So good
I found this book to be really good. Unlike most police procedurals there was no foul language or in-depth details of the crimes, this made the book feel less evil and dark and more readable to me. It’s has a solid plot, great depth characters a exceptional storyline that touches on family, romance and the brotherhood of policing. I had to read it all in one go as it’s fast paced, exciting and riveting, it’ll get your heart pumping.
I found this book to be really good. Unlike most police procedurals there was no foul language or in-depth details of the crimes, this made the book feel less evil and dark and more readable to me. It’s has a solid plot, great depth characters a exceptional storyline that touches on family, romance and the brotherhood of policing. I had to read it all in one go as it’s fast paced, exciting and riveting, it’ll get your heart pumping.
April 21, 2019
Lots of death
A serial killer full of rage and revenge makes for a tense and bloody police procedural. Written as a pen name by E.H.Reinhard, Sergeant Brad Braun is a strong new character with the Major Crimes unit. I might just have to pay attention to what the new guy does going forward.
A serial killer full of rage and revenge makes for a tense and bloody police procedural. Written as a pen name by E.H.Reinhard, Sergeant Brad Braun is a strong new character with the Major Crimes unit. I might just have to pay attention to what the new guy does going forward.
April 27, 2019
Monday morning has arrived and for Sergeant Baun of the Major Crimes unit a new case. A dismemebered body in garbage bags has been discovered. But the killer promises that it will not be the last.
Athough we find out early on who the killer is the story still makes for an interesting read. A good solid start to this police procedural series
Athough we find out early on who the killer is the story still makes for an interesting read. A good solid start to this police procedural series
May 15, 2019
E.H.Reinhard, writing as Erik Racker, has done it again with yet another great new series starring Sergeant Brad Braun. Working along side his brother and a new set of co-workers, Sergeant Braun faces an evil serial killer whose gruesome murders ramp up the urgency for his capture. Fast-paced story with very interesting characters.
July 30, 2019
Being in the mind of a serial killer
I like a book that moves along quickly. The killer seemed normal, but with a twisted sense of how to move up in the journalistic world. The sergeant was methodical, calm, and a problem solver. I like following the progress in solving a case as well as getting an insight into the lives of the suspect and the sergeant.
I like a book that moves along quickly. The killer seemed normal, but with a twisted sense of how to move up in the journalistic world. The sergeant was methodical, calm, and a problem solver. I like following the progress in solving a case as well as getting an insight into the lives of the suspect and the sergeant.
August 17, 2019
Miller on the Loose
This is a very well written story. There is lots of ACTION, and a peep into the mind of someone driven by three ideal pig success. The characters in this story are great and the story also reminds you of the risk Police take to serve and protect. Thanks Erik Racker Great Job!
This is a very well written story. There is lots of ACTION, and a peep into the mind of someone driven by three ideal pig success. The characters in this story are great and the story also reminds you of the risk Police take to serve and protect. Thanks Erik Racker Great Job!
December 3, 2019
Decent police procedural
Well written police procedural. A little too wordy in the description of buildings and houses but the crime scenes were well written. More in depth background information on the suspect would have been helpful in order to grasp a better understanding of why he went down the murder path. But all in all a read from start to finish.
Well written police procedural. A little too wordy in the description of buildings and houses but the crime scenes were well written. More in depth background information on the suspect would have been helpful in order to grasp a better understanding of why he went down the murder path. But all in all a read from start to finish.
January 26, 2020
A taut, in-depth police procedural with believable characters, real horrors and emotions and a plot that keeps the reader wanting to read more and more. The interplay between Brad Braun, his family, colleagues and even the villain ring true. The shock and horror are real. The sour-stomach relief at the end is real. This is a start to a series worth reading.
April 15, 2020
Shocking Violence and Crime
Brad Braun's story is so thrilling and entertaining. I fell in love with his character and found the department comradeship and loyalty astounding. There was enough humor to keep you from losing your sanity during some of the more violent and gruesome details.
Brad Braun's story is so thrilling and entertaining. I fell in love with his character and found the department comradeship and loyalty astounding. There was enough humor to keep you from losing your sanity during some of the more violent and gruesome details.
December 20, 2020
Absolute thriller
Wow. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Even though the identity of the serial killer, Troy Devereux is already revealed, he poses a great challenge to Sergeant Braun. It is amazing to see how the latter discovers the identity of the perp and follows his trail. Brilliant page-turner. Must read.
Wow. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Even though the identity of the serial killer, Troy Devereux is already revealed, he poses a great challenge to Sergeant Braun. It is amazing to see how the latter discovers the identity of the perp and follows his trail. Brilliant page-turner. Must read.
December 3, 2021
This was a free book from BookBub, the first in the Sargeant Braun series, is about a serial killer who is careful about not leaving any clues, and who is using the murders for promoting himself. You know very early on who the murderer is, so this is more about the investigation that a typical murder mystery. The story was a quick read and just good enough to keep me reading to the end.
April 21, 2019
Great book. You learn pretty early on who the killer is, but it does not take away from the story. I felt overall this was a great crime fiction book and well worth reading. Go for a ride with Sergeant Braun, you will not be disappointed.
May 14, 2019
I enjoyed the story with Braun and all his coworkers. Its amazing how far someone will go to get recognized, get revenge and get even. I was alittle surprised by the end, all the violence, but am still looking forward to the next book in the series.
May 27, 2019
Beyond insane
I love to read these kind of books and I coukdnt put it down. If it isn't because I have other things to do I wouldve finished in 1 day and noy 2.. It isn't just good its crazy good. If you love thrillers you have to read this one.
I love to read these kind of books and I coukdnt put it down. If it isn't because I have other things to do I wouldve finished in 1 day and noy 2.. It isn't just good its crazy good. If you love thrillers you have to read this one.
June 1, 2019
Good read! I liked the back and forth between the villain's and the main character's points of view. Loved the villain and the hero. And the premise that puts them opposite each other. I'll definitely be looking into this series later.
July 25, 2019
This is the first book that I have read with Sergeant Braun and I like it a lot.
I figured out who the killer was before it was revealed in the book.
Good characters and descriptions of the areas that the police travel to.
I figured out who the killer was before it was revealed in the book.
Good characters and descriptions of the areas that the police travel to.
July 30, 2019
A bad TV show
Thus book reminded me of a poorly produced police show. It started with great hope and wrnt downhill from there. Characters were not compelling and the police were not represented well.
Thus book reminded me of a poorly produced police show. It started with great hope and wrnt downhill from there. Characters were not compelling and the police were not represented well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews