Black Frog

Doug Bateman Mystery #2

by B.D. Smith

2019 Maxy Awards "Best Thriller"

"Get in on the ground floor of this engrossing small-town crime thriller. Highly recommended for fans of C.J. Box and Craig Johnson." –Best Thrillers

Book two of the mystery series featuring Detective Doug Bateman and Investigator Anne Quinn.

When opponents of a planned resort development on Moosehead Lake in northern Maine start turning up dead, Detective Doug Bateman of the Maine State Police is called in. Concurrently, Investigator Anne Quinn with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office is looking into a series of bizarre assaults on women. As the parallel investigations unfold, Bateman and Quinn each find their cases becoming more complex and more disturbing.

The sexual assaults may be part of a larger pattern that has played out across the country, and the axe murders of environmentalists may not be linked to the Moosehead Lake development project. Emma Lange, a reporter renting a room above Greenville’s Black Frog Restaurant on Moosehead Lake makes life difficult for both Bateman and Quinn as they struggle to solve their respective cases while also sorting out their personal relationship.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction

209 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 27, 2019

Reviews

[PamG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Frog by B.D. Smith is a well-written mystery that held my attention throughout the book. While it is the second book in the series, it worked as a standalone novel.

The story takes place in central Maine and the main protagonists are Detective Doug Bateman with the State Police Major Crime Unit and Anne Quinn with the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Department. Doug is called in to investigate a murder where vintage axes have been used and Anne is investigating a bizarre series of sexual assaults. I won’t go into more details in order to avoid spoilers.

The story line is intricate, believable and had some surprises. It includes themes of murder, sexual assault, sexual harassment, drugs, and even some romance. The characters are well developed and the author did a great job of giving enough description to make the Maine woods and small towns come alive.

One item that was confusing to me until nearly the end was the prologue which took place during World War II. How does it fit in? The remainder of the novel takes place in contemporary times. Intrigued? I recommend reading the novel to find out how it fits into the story line. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

Many thanks to Black Rose Writing, B.D. Smith and Net Galley for a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting in this book since I am a life-long Mainer. Good murder mystery story with some surprises along the way and a good one at the end. Maybe if I had read the previous book in the series, I would have bought the instant romantic relationship between 2 main characters more easily.
One big error I think I picked up involved the car called the Chick Magnet. At first, it gets abandoned in a junkyard, stolen by a 14 year old boy, then confiscated by the police when the boy is stopped and arrested. Later in the book, it gets blown up in a barn with other vehicles involved in the case. ???

[Bonnye Reed]

TheFussyLibrarian

[Janet Kuchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing

The author presents several different and diverse story lines as the tale progresses to a satisfying conclusion. The reader will enjoy the twists.

[Antigone Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could a series of homicides be related to a number of bizarre rapes? Detective Doug Bateman and his love interest, Inv. Anne Quinn must find out. Quinn is under pressure from her unprofessional, chauvinistic boss while Bateman seeks to rekindle ta romantic flame with her. In the meantime, Emma, a freelance reporter, finds herself enmeshed in both investigations when her ambition overrules her practicality.

this is an engaging read. The mysteries are good and the characters have depth. Except for Quinn's boss who is unbelievably outrageous. Even in sparsely populated areas the corrupt are careful about polishing their images. I found him to be a joke, an unwelcome annoyance in an otherwise interesting book. The Maine atmosphere was nicely conveyed and overall it was a good read.

[Patrizia · Rating 4 out of 5]

E' un pezzo che avevo questo libro... La storia mi è piaciuta, ma è raccontata seguendo il punto di vista di ben quattro persone (fra cui l'assassino) e ho trovato questo modo di raccontarla un po' "confusionario", tanto che avrei delle serie difficoltà a dire chi sia il protagonista (non certo colui che dà il nome alla serie). Devo dire che la rivelazione finale mi ha colto un po' di sorpresa, sebbene il prologo mi avesse fatto pensare una cosa simile, solo non avevo capito chi fosse il colpevole (lo so, sono poco chiara, ma non voglio fare spoiler).

[Laura Poppenwimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in the Doug Bateman mystery series and an extremely well written mystery. The characters are well developed. The story moves along quickly, as is advances, it seems that all the loose threads are tied up. The last chapter is a very surprise ending, didn't even imagine that coming.

[Black Butterfly · Rating 2 out of 5]

TOO MANY HEARTFELT SPEECHES ABOUT OUR DWINDLING FORREST, THE FIRST BOOK WAS LIKE THAT TOO TALKY-PREACHY. ANTICLIMATIC ENDING, DISSAPOINTING CHARACTERS WERE LACK LUSTRE. MEH! I ENJOYED THE FIRST BOOK BETTER AND I'VE GOT BK#3 YET TO READ. BUT NOT NOW. THE BOOKS DESCRIPTION WAS BETTER THAN THE BOOK ACTUALLY WAS. HO-HUM. ;<

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consistent continuation of the characters from book #1 but not weighted down with a lot of narrative about what had occurred in that book. The plot was interesting, with two crimes that occupied the lawmen's efforts. The action was believable but the conclusion left me with an unanswered question about the source of the 44 message.

[Judy Foldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Sometimes you get what you wish. I wanted series and here is the second book. Just as good as the first. Not a who done it since you already know who, but a will he be caught? In time? Good story.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed this book

Moved quickly, good guy characters were likable and bad guy characters were not. There was even a good guy/bad guy character, but you will have to read the book to identify this person. If you enjoy this genre, the book is for you.

[Katelyn Jackson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damsel in distress — times 2. This is the second novel in the series and both times, Anne has come away injured. The trend is starting to bother me. Oh and her boss? Can we all cheer for his fall from grace?

[Susan B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished all three books in this series. I enjoyed the development of the characters and the twists and turns that lead us though each crime. Being in Maine, I also enjoyed the familiarity of the locations. Thanks for a great series!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Author for me, so I enjoyed both books. Will read more of his books.

[vicki carnicle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Black frog

Interesting Reading the characters were amazing the killer was a little strange but the book was well written good reading

[Maryann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read but the sheriff was unbelievable. And a murderer got away?

[Lisa Shower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

A great followup to the first book. An intense read, I enjoyed every minute of it. Onto book #3 next!

[Michelle McNeely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot. The ending had me wanting to throw the book though!

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

good but major editing errors

Good story and writing but huge plot mistakes. Like a car that was abandoned in a wreck yard suddenly being in a barn. Was very distracting to me.

[Hannah B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

if you love bizarrely casual approaches to assault and callous writing, this book is perfect for you

[Sidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than the first one. Contract killer who decides to add serial rapist as his side hobby. Three books in this series; on to the third.

[Randy Grossman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a somewhat interesting mystery with a surprising conclusion. Some of the content was a bit more graphic then I care for. I doubt if I would read anymore of this series.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this down

I tried to listen to this book, but reading is so much faster. Great characters, well written. I am looking forward to another in this series. That being said, how did an obnoxious outsider get elected sheriff in rural Maine? There were a couple of incredible moments that were distracting, but this is fiction and I enjoyed the story too much to quibble.

[Sublime Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author B.D. Smith (The Ice Maiden, 2017) continues to showcase his crime-thriller passion with Detective Doug Batemen. This is the second detective book in the standalone series. While the storyline fits the bill for police procedural and delivers an expert crime element, the novel could have been fleshed out a bit more—the reader almost always enjoys a little more background and detail to fill in the gaps. To add to the believable mystery is an also-engaging relationship between the male and female detectives.

Sublime Line: “Fans of great detective series such as True Detective or The Killing will find a home with B.D. Smith and his lead detective, Doug Batemen.”

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Black Frog is the name of the local restaurant near the courthouse. The law enforcement professionals include county sheriff deputy, state police detective, and phone contact with FBI. The murders are oddly linked and even more oddly executed. The serial rapist seems to be of a religious sex cult. All very weird but oddly compelling. There are also professional and romantic undercurrents. I read it in one hot morning. The ending is just plain strange.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Black Rose Writing via NetGalley.

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Frog is the 2nd in the detective series, but can be read as a standalone novel. It is a page turner as Doug and Anne both detectives are busy investigating different cases when the rapist Doug is investigating turns his attention to Anne.

If you like police type novels, then this is the one for you as it definitely keeps you at the end of your seat. The characters are well written and the plot is believable.

This book was provided free of change in exchange for my honest opinion. I definitely recommend this book

I give this book a 4 Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Frog by B.D. Smith is an excellent detective mystery. The book has a beginning, middle and end. B.D. Smith wrote a compelling story. The characters and settings are easy to visualize in one's mind. This is the kind of book that hopefully will be picked up by the movie industry and made into a movie. It is a five star book with a surprise ending. Highly recommended.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, they both were.

[Michael A Zaffiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

This is the second book I read by this author. It was fairly fast-paced and had interesting plot twists. I look forward to future books by the author.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Black Frog

Excellent suspenseful crime thriller. Recent murders and rapes in the same area may be related according to two of the area's best police officers.