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Shane Cleary Mystery #2
Symphony Road: A Shane Cleary Mystery
Trouble comes in threes for Shane Cleary, a former police officer and now, a PI.
Arson. A Missing Person. A cold case.
Two of his clients whom he shouldn't trust, he does, and the third, whom he should, he can't. Shane is up against crooked cops, a notorious slumlord and a mafia boss who want what they want, and then there's the good guys who may or may not be what they seem.
Arson. A Missing Person. A cold case.
Two of his clients whom he shouldn't trust, he does, and the third, whom he should, he can't. Shane is up against crooked cops, a notorious slumlord and a mafia boss who want what they want, and then there's the good guys who may or may not be what they seem.
232 pages, Paperback
Published January 12, 2021
1 person is currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Gabriel Valjan
37 books273 followersGabriel Valjan is the author of The Company Files, and the Shane Cleary Mysteries with Level Best Books. He has been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Silver Falchion awards. He received the 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story and the 2024 Shamus Award forBest Private Investigator. Gabriel is a member of the Historical Novel Society, ITW, MWA, and Sisters in Crime. He lives in Boston and answers to a tuxedo cat named Munchkin.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 31, 2021
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Dirty Old Town, and was glad to see Shane Cleary return in Symphony Road, a twisty noir-ish mystery with a whisper of dry humor. Cleary is a tough-as-nails Boston private investigator circa mid-1970s whose moral compass points straight north despite his haunted past. He's also a cat owner who references literature and Latin as he dodges corrupt cops, a Mafia don, and other good guys and bad, none of whom are entirely what they seem. Great plot. Great characters. Great writing. I'm only bummed that I'll have to wait a while for the next installment in this series.
February 8, 2021
Take one part Raymond Chandler, one part Robert B. Parker, mix well and pour over a mob-controlled 70’s Southie Boston setting and you have Gabriel Valjan’s Symphony Road. In the second of the Shane Cleary series, P.I. Cleary is drawn into a web of interconnected cases, each with its own dark secrets exposing betrayal, greed, and corruption threatening the city. Symphony Road is well-plotted, tightly written, and highly recommended.
February 15, 2021
About the Book: Shane Cleary used to be a (good)cop in Boston- now he is a PI. Shane is working three cases: 1-an apartment complex on Symphony Road arson and homicide case for a known arsonist -Jimmy C, 2- a missing grandnephew of mafia boss, Mr B and 3-the commissioner has a cold case of a dead community activist for Shane in order to get some money added into his pension fund.
President Ford is in office, pintos are being driven not eaten and phone booths are used to make a call! Shane has to use all of his connections to solve these cases and help a few folks along the way.
My Thoughts: Thanks to the author for the list of characters at the beginning of the book. I used it some and I liked having it just in case I forget any characters and their connections.
I loved the dialogue and the whole noir PI vibe this book has going on! The characters are absolutely superbly written for this type book. The setting of the mid 70s in Boston and all the wonderful descriptions fit perfectly into this read! Even though Shane
is working on three cases, it doesn’t feel overwhelming in the read.
My favorite part about this book was that I absorbed every nuance of the time period, setting and characters and I felt totally transported into the story.
When you are ready for this type of mystery read, I suggest grabbing this one.
Thanks @partnersincrimevbt for a spot on this tour.
President Ford is in office, pintos are being driven not eaten and phone booths are used to make a call! Shane has to use all of his connections to solve these cases and help a few folks along the way.
My Thoughts: Thanks to the author for the list of characters at the beginning of the book. I used it some and I liked having it just in case I forget any characters and their connections.
I loved the dialogue and the whole noir PI vibe this book has going on! The characters are absolutely superbly written for this type book. The setting of the mid 70s in Boston and all the wonderful descriptions fit perfectly into this read! Even though Shane
is working on three cases, it doesn’t feel overwhelming in the read.
My favorite part about this book was that I absorbed every nuance of the time period, setting and characters and I felt totally transported into the story.
When you are ready for this type of mystery read, I suggest grabbing this one.
Thanks @partnersincrimevbt for a spot on this tour.
February 6, 2021
This is a novel for those who would love a hard boiled private investigator plying his trade in a city beset by crooked cops. The setting is Boston in the 1970s, a time when mafia dons dispensed their own justice and landlords burned their own buildings for the insurance.
Valjan is strong on period descriptions such as music and politicians. Reading this novel is like roaming down memory lane. Shane Cleary an honest fellow in city swamped with dishonesty. He somehow stands up to thugs while helping the disadvantaged.
I am not sure I completely understood the plot. As Valjan notes, the mafia people have their own way of communicating using code words. Valjan writes in a similar style and I had to frequently read sentences a couple of times to get the meaning.
I like Cleary's tenacity for seeing justice done. Readers of noir fiction with a hard boiled PI will like this novel.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Valjan is strong on period descriptions such as music and politicians. Reading this novel is like roaming down memory lane. Shane Cleary an honest fellow in city swamped with dishonesty. He somehow stands up to thugs while helping the disadvantaged.
I am not sure I completely understood the plot. As Valjan notes, the mafia people have their own way of communicating using code words. Valjan writes in a similar style and I had to frequently read sentences a couple of times to get the meaning.
I like Cleary's tenacity for seeing justice done. Readers of noir fiction with a hard boiled PI will like this novel.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
February 13, 2021
Excellent read- a loving and faithful snapshot of Boston in the seventies, with all the dirt and grit showing, the Combat Zone, and everything that went with it.
Characters who live sharp and talk tough, with hard-boiled speech from the Old School of PIs, with guns, betrayal and double-crosses at every turn. Crooked cops and politicians, working gals, and mobsters, this book has it all.
A fun read and a nostalgia trip for those who know the old Boston, before it became the upscale success it is now. History lessons abound, with clever references that keep things fresh as the action glides along.
Characters who live sharp and talk tough, with hard-boiled speech from the Old School of PIs, with guns, betrayal and double-crosses at every turn. Crooked cops and politicians, working gals, and mobsters, this book has it all.
A fun read and a nostalgia trip for those who know the old Boston, before it became the upscale success it is now. History lessons abound, with clever references that keep things fresh as the action glides along.
February 15, 2021
Book 2 in this not-to-be missed Boston noir series
Shane Cleary is a hard-boiled PI with integrity. He tells it like it is and he does it in Valjan’s pitch perfect dialogue. In fact, all of Valjan’s writing is clean and crisp, and every word has a purpose. The period detail catapults you back in time to a gritty and corrupt 70s Boston. The plot is twisty and suspenseful, but also has heart. By the time you are finished reading, you will feel connected to everyone, including the bad guys.
Shane Cleary is a hard-boiled PI with integrity. He tells it like it is and he does it in Valjan’s pitch perfect dialogue. In fact, all of Valjan’s writing is clean and crisp, and every word has a purpose. The period detail catapults you back in time to a gritty and corrupt 70s Boston. The plot is twisty and suspenseful, but also has heart. By the time you are finished reading, you will feel connected to everyone, including the bad guys.
February 22, 2021
In Symphony Road, book two in the Shane Cleary Mystery Series, author Gabriel Valjan takes the reader back to 1970s Boston to follow the latest investigative cases of ex-Boston cop turned PI Shane Cleary. Shane has just wrapped up investigating a blackmail case and a missing person case, when three new cases come his way: proving the innocence of an arsonist in a slumlord building fire with a dead body; investigating the disappearance of the local mafia don's grandnephew; and a request by the Commissioner to investigate the closed case of a local activist whose death was ruled as an overdose.
Symphony Road is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to solve all three cases, while dealing with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and a variety of criminal types that try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.
With a cast of intriguing characters, a suspenseful storyline consisting of three cases that will keep the reader guessing, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's past, Symphony Road takes the reader on one hell of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!
Symphony Road is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
Symphony Road is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to solve all three cases, while dealing with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and a variety of criminal types that try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.
With a cast of intriguing characters, a suspenseful storyline consisting of three cases that will keep the reader guessing, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's past, Symphony Road takes the reader on one hell of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!
Symphony Road is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspo...
February 26, 2021
Throughout Covid, my husband and I spent a lot of time watching shows that we've never enjoyed before. We took turns picking them out and one of his choices ended up covering stories about the mafia/mobs. I was hesitant since it's not my usual type of entertainment, but found myself intrigued by a few of the episodes. This made me want to step outside of my standard choices for books and read Symphony Road!
Shane Cleary is an unswerving PI who is suddenly hit with the task of three cases. He has to navigate the streets of Boston among crooked police officers and politicians. I have never been to Boston, but the scenery is written so well that I felt like I was a fly on the wall. It was dark at times and very gritty -- and I couldn't put it down!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My review is completely of my own thoughts and opinions.
Shane Cleary is an unswerving PI who is suddenly hit with the task of three cases. He has to navigate the streets of Boston among crooked police officers and politicians. I have never been to Boston, but the scenery is written so well that I felt like I was a fly on the wall. It was dark at times and very gritty -- and I couldn't put it down!
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My review is completely of my own thoughts and opinions.
February 19, 2021
I like Shane Cleary, the character in this series. He's the kind of PI who's tough, smart, soft in his own way and odd. Then again aren't all PI's odd?
There is so much in these pages. A good story, nuances, a little sense of humor, and 3 cases. Now you might think 3 cases in this rather black noir sort of book is too many. I did read Book 1 and at the time I said that as much as I loved it "I did spend an amount of time doing the “who’s trying to get who” thing. Here in Book 2 everything seems very clear. The story flows really well. Did Valjean get better at this or did Shane Cleary get himself straightened out:)
Doesn't matter. It's a great series. One you should check out and hope for Book 3!
There is so much in these pages. A good story, nuances, a little sense of humor, and 3 cases. Now you might think 3 cases in this rather black noir sort of book is too many. I did read Book 1 and at the time I said that as much as I loved it "I did spend an amount of time doing the “who’s trying to get who” thing. Here in Book 2 everything seems very clear. The story flows really well. Did Valjean get better at this or did Shane Cleary get himself straightened out:)
Doesn't matter. It's a great series. One you should check out and hope for Book 3!
May 2, 2022
This is the 2nd book in the Shane Cleary Mystery Series. I won the book in a First Chapter Fun Giveaway for their 2nd anniversary. I also won Hush, Hush which is the 3rd in the series. I will start that soon. I have liked the series so far. They are set in Boston in the '70's. Shane is a former member of the BPD, but is now a PI. He never seems to get a break............one case comes along and then another case just "falls" in his lap. There is a great deal of detail that makes you feel you are feel you are walking right a long with with Shane and his friends you have met in the first book or will get to know as the book continues. Thanks to Gabriel Valjan for sharing his books with me.
February 23, 2021
Told in PI Shane Cleary's distinctive voice and peppered with wit and a ton of fascinating details, Gabriel Valjan's crisp and vivid prose flows beautifully, conjuring up a late 70s noir Boston and the people who roam through it. Three different cases -an arson which claims a victim, a disappearance, and a suspicious death- lead Cleary down a rabbit hole where corruption, corpses, and trigger-happy criminals hide at every turn. This fast-paced, thrilling mystery with a fascinating and well-developed cast won't let up until its satisfying conclusion.
I had a fantastic time and finished it in two sittings!
I had a fantastic time and finished it in two sittings!
February 23, 2021
ISLAND BREEZES
I picture Shane Cleary being played by Humphry Bogart. If you don't know who this man is, look him up and watch one of his movies.
Shane has three cases dropped on him at the same time - some with deadlines and some with dead bodies. He has to work hard to come in under the deadlines.
He has assistance by some very interesting characters. I enjoyed them all.
I wasn't ready for this book to end. It's the first Shane Cleary mystery that I've read. It certainly won't be the last. Please keep those books coming, Mr. Valjan.
***Book received from PICT without charge.***
I picture Shane Cleary being played by Humphry Bogart. If you don't know who this man is, look him up and watch one of his movies.
Shane has three cases dropped on him at the same time - some with deadlines and some with dead bodies. He has to work hard to come in under the deadlines.
He has assistance by some very interesting characters. I enjoyed them all.
I wasn't ready for this book to end. It's the first Shane Cleary mystery that I've read. It certainly won't be the last. Please keep those books coming, Mr. Valjan.
***Book received from PICT without charge.***
March 2, 2021
This book reminded me of the PI/cop shows my parents watched in the 70s. Humorously I wanted nothing to do with them when the shows were on, but this book was so nostalgic to me. And I guess since the 70s were so long ago, this book qualifies as historical fiction.
The author does such a good job setting the scene of Boston in the 70s. And while Shane the PI is working multiple cases, the story doesn’t feel crowded.
I loved the character list at the start of the book and that it included his cat, Delilah. If you like straight shooting PI historical fiction, then you’ll like this book!
The author does such a good job setting the scene of Boston in the 70s. And while Shane the PI is working multiple cases, the story doesn’t feel crowded.
I loved the character list at the start of the book and that it included his cat, Delilah. If you like straight shooting PI historical fiction, then you’ll like this book!
February 28, 2021
Gabriel Valjan’s Symphony Road brings back Shane Cleary, a classic hard-luck PI with enemies who want to snuff him out, and friends who wouldn’t miss him, if they did. Valjan incorporates Boston into the story, and as one of my favorite cities, I felt the sights and smells of the streets to be authentically written. The story kept me engaged from the start and the pace was fast and intelligent. I found Valjan’s writing style to be as much fun as the plot. His use of language is succulent and juicy, like a steak Cleary might order at Del Frisco’s, if they’d let him in.
March 17, 2021
Shane Cleary is busy in Symphony road trying to clear an arsonist, find the nephew of a mafia don and solve a cold case. Valjan's narrative puts you right onto the mean streets of Boston in the 1970s. The story is full of history, intrigue and Cleary's sense of humor. "She was an example of how to use a spatula with deadly force." Page turning read.
February 21, 2021
Shane a all round good guy who is a private investigator, hated by the cops because he told the truth, two cases were he should trust no one. But his third case he’s up against a slumlord who likes arson and the mafia. A great read , mixed with a seventies theme enjoy
September 9, 2022
This series is growing on me. I liked this one better than Dirty Old Town and will continue on with Hush Hush. If you have a nostalgia for 1970’s cop and detective shows, I think you will enjoy this series too.
April 2, 2021
Surprisingly good -- maybe because it is set in Boston and is a good story. Recommended by a member of Mystery Book Group. May have to read another.
September 7, 2022
Most excellent book
May 10, 2023
Book two, just as hot as the first one. Jerked me to tears when I found out about the kid. Held me to the end. I'm ready for Book 3.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews