Collision Bend

Milan Jacovich #7

by Les Roberts

#7 in the Milan Jacovich mystery series … Private investigator Milan Jacovich (pronounced MY-lan YOCK-ovich) goes behind the scenes to uncover scandal, ambition, and intrigue at one of Cleveland’s top TV stations as he hunts down the stalker and murderer of a beautiful local television anchor. Milan has just moved his offices to an old building on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in an area called the Flats. There, he receives a surprise visit from a former love interest, Mary Soderberg, who left him for her influential boss, TV executive Steve Cirini. One of their newscasters, the beautiful Virginia Carville, has been murdered, and Cirini, who was having an affair with her, is the chief suspect. Mary wants Milan to bail her cheating boyfriend out of the jam—for old times’ sake. Milan doesn’t like Cirini at all, but takes the case even though he’s unsure of the man’s innocence. Or is the culprit the obsessive station-manager Nicky Scandalios, the longtime anchorwoman Vivian Truscott, or a survivor of child abuse named Violet Grba? For that matter, could it be Milan’s old flame Mary Soderberg herself? “Another fine entry in an outstanding series, Robert's latest is sure to be a hit with readers and reviewers alike.” — Booklist “Former television producer Roberts writes knowingly of the medium; newscaster sleeping with sales manager makes a timely metaphor for the ethics of broadcast journalism. Roberts affectionately weaves in the history and rich ethnic mix of Milan Jacovich's Cleveland turf.” — Publishers Weekly

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

252 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Les Roberts is the author of 15 mystery novels featuring Cleveland detective Milan Jacovich, as well as 9 other books of fiction. The past president of both the Private Eye Writers of America and the American Crime Writer's League, he came to mystery writing after a 24-year career in Hollywood. He was the first producer and head writer of the Hollywood Squares and wrote for the Andy Griffith Show, the Jackie Gleason Show, and the Man from U.N.C.L.E., among others. He has been a professional actor, a singer, a jazz musician, and a teacher. In 2003 he received the Sherwood Anderson Literary Award. A native of Chicago, he now lives in Northeast Ohio and is a film and literary critic."

Reviews

[Carol Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bookclub book and it was a good one. Not only loved that the setting is Cleveland but the mystery was good as well.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gads, but I devour these books! With every new book in the series I read, I feel like I'm visiting in on a friend. Collision Bend is a somewhat turning point for Milan Jacovich, in that he inherited some money and now owns his own warehouse, complete with tenants, to work his PI dealings out of. He can now impress the hoity-toity that try trump a hand Jacovich always manages to win with. When an up and coming local TV station journalist is killed, it upsets all those who knew her and worries a select few who knew her a tad bit better. In a battle against time to clear one of the later, Jacovich deciphers a shorthand code that leads him, letter by letter, to a novel ending. But of course, not without a few bullets, punches and lost romances. I love Milan. He's a snarky old cuddle who deserves a happier existence. But oh, he's so much fun attaining it!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have expressed my love for Milan since discovering his first book years ago. The fact that they take place in Cleveland and it’s nice to see my city represented was the attraction, but it’s Milan that keeps me coming back for more. He has such a common sense intelligence and steadfast character that you can’t help but love him. The fact that he is tough enough to take care of himself and those he loves just makes me love him more.

This was not my favorite, BUT, I have never been disappointed in any of these mysteries and love recommending them. Great main character and complex storylines make this series great.


there's more on my blog http://stacybuckeye.wordpress.com/201...

[Chad Malkamaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only one punch from a 70ish year old man so I'm not sure if I can give Milan a concussion score for this one. An up and coming TV reporter is killed and here's the rub, Milan's ex Mary hires him to get the guy she left Milan for off the hook. During this round of rereads I really don't like Mary, she comes off as a problem from her introduction, and besides being a man, I'm not sure why Milan ever had any interest in her. Also, it's hard to believe that Milan's such a stand up guy he'd try to get her jerk of a boyfriend off the hook. A better man than I.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Cleveland’s most well-known television reporters is dead as this fictional novel begins. But the highly ambitious youthful reporter didn’t just die naturally; she was murdered.

The cops are increasingly certain the murder was committed by a colleague at the television station who had been sexually active with the young reporter. Worse still, his dalliance came at the expense of a woman who had at one time been close to Milan Jacovich.

In a new relationship, Milan is stunned when his former girlfriend shows up at his office and begs him to take on the case of her cheating lover. Despite what the man has done, she is prepared to do whatever she can to ensure his freedom. She is convinced he is not guilty.

Milan is reluctant to take the case for a lot of good reasons, not the least of which is the fact that his former girlfriend walked out on him to take up a relationship with the very man Milan is now being asked to save.

But if the TV exec didn’t kill the woman, who did? She has doubtless made many an enemy in Cleveland, especially when you consider that she’s so driven to succeed. Could she have run afoul of an angry viewer? The whole case changes when, after a clandestine search of the dead woman’s office, Jacovich gets possession of an unlabeled computer disc that included cryptic notes the reporter had taken prior to her death. The notes hinted that she had found damaging information about a former city official whose eyes are on the gubernatorial mansion. In his usual methodical way, Milan solves this in a manner that will both surprise you and satisfy you.

[Jerry B · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’ve been periodically reading in order Les Roberts’ 18-book series featuring Cleveland-based Slovenian PI Milan Jacovich, with “Bend” his and our seventh in these relatively straightforward mystery/crime procedurals. Milan is hired to investigate the death of a rising TV news reporter, her strangulation murder occurring mere hours after having sex with a colleague from the station. Technically Milan is looking for other suspects as hired by that man’s lawyer, but he’s really doing it as a favor to his ex-flame Mary who works at the station. That situation creates trouble with his current squeeze Nicole, and shortly into the tale we go through a rather disconcerting breakup scene – so our divorced PI continues to have relationship issues…

Milan has recently inherited an old building; abandoning his apartment-based hangout, he has fixed up a nice office for himself and even purchased his first PC! Meanwhile, it seemed our hero was particularly dogged and resourceful in slowly unraveling complex hints as to the “who did what”, keeping us turning pages a little more quickly than in some of the other more mundane novels in this set. Milan also this time avoided his occasional (and somewhat unrealistic) involvement with mob cronies. Our only quibble is that we wonder what the police were doing this whole time…

We’re pretty sure we’ll now follow this whole series to its completion, especially now that it seems the author will freshen the circumstances as we proceed. Maybe Milan will even get a cellphone in a couple more books!

[Cyber Dot · Rating 5 out of 5]

So that's five stars for a pulp fiction easy-read mystery. This is not War & Peace or even Jane Austen.

Les Roberts' Milan Jacovich series is uneven, but Collision Bend is one of the best. If you have ties to Cleveland, all the better. You will enjoy the local color of decades past. This book is about the murder of a TV news celebrity. The prime suspect is the TV boss who Milan's girlfriend became lovers with after dropping Milan. Roberts puts plenty of red herrings in the mix to keep you guessing.

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

RATING: 4.0

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly my favorite book of this series.

[Dkolacinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

. . . and sometimes being a private investigatot just ends up being a pain in the a**!

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because Les Roberts is a well-known Cleveland author and his main character's name is the same as that of a local dentist. A fact I find amusing. It's also nice to read about places that are a bit familiar.

I liked the detail of the refrigerator that looked like a safe and that Roberts used that fact later in the storyline. I like the main character, but I was a bit put off by how many characters were sleeping with other characters (some with multiple other characters). The storyline was solid and the death at the end was eerie.

[Lemuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good Milan Jacovich book. It has some of the same elements as the other ones, but some things are different. No mob, for example. I bought the book in paper form to fill time when I couldn't read my Nook on the plane, but I ended up reading this one straight through.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a blast! I used to live near the bend of the river, and SO much of the area is SO familiar! Wheee!

[Casey Hickman · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent series. this one had a good twist to it.