MANTIS: Mulhenney & Poole

by Steve Zell, Steven J Pitzel (Cover), Leigh Anne Beresford (Editor)

A string of horrific murders along the California coast brings reporter Deanne Mulhenney and medical examiner Sara Poole together again.
Bodies sans head, feet and hands, are being dumped in the desert and along the beaches of Southern California. Politics, a young but quickly-maturing drug trade, and an internal struggle for power in the mob have combined to unleash an assassin like no other. The evidence suggests the killer is a female, a woman with terrifying skills...and tastes. Fresh from the bittersweet resolution of The Lily Murders, a case they privately refer to as True Creature, Mulhenney & Poole find themselves at odds with the authorities once more as they risk their lives to find the truth.

207 pages, Paperback

Published March 10, 2021

About the author

A kid who spent many days exploring abandoned hotels and stores in then ghost town, Jerome, Arizona, Steve Zell always loved to tell stories, draw scary pictures, and sing. Later, he became an animator and digital animation tools instructor for the LA area animation and FX studios and, as a singer, became the "Voice of Doom" for Baywatch. Steve was the first interdisciplinary studies graduate from the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he studied studio art, vocal production, drama, journalism, and chemistry. He was an early member of the Tucson Invisible Theatre Company, and the cartoonist for The Tombstone Epitaph, a town he later combined with Jerome, Arizona, and with Bodi, California, to create the setting, Pinon Rim, for his first novel, WiZrD. His family's frequent summer trips to his grandmother's home in Del Mar, California in the 60s, provided the setting for Running Cold.

A UA "Wildcat for life" and former desert rat, he now lives with his wife and daughter in the slightly more liquid climate of Portland, Oregon, where he began the partnership between Intel and Dreamworks|SKG, as well as the Intel Audio Alliance whose members included Billy Bob Thornton, Graham Nash, George Massenburg, Michael Boddicker, Nathaniel Kunkel, Allen Sides, Rory Kaplan and other audio pros. He participates in community theater, spends way too much time on the computer - and...is always on the lookout for a cool ghost town...

Reviews

[MaryAnn Baum · Rating 5 out of 5]

American author Steve Zell once again entertains and delights his readers with his latest thriller, MANTIS. Investigative reporter Deanne Mulhenney and medical examiner Sara Poole reunite to unravel the clues needed to solve the murder(s) committed by the lovely and beguiling human preying mantis who enjoys her occupation of enticing and destroying her prey.

Zell's two '`detectives', Deanne Mulhenney and Sara Poole are mildly flawed believable women gritty enough to face-down a brutal murderer while still being “homey” enough that you’d enjoy having lunch with and spending a relaxing afternoon shopping with them.

Zell also has the ability to transport the reader to the various locations mentioned in this novel. His descriptive details convince the reader of his familiarity with these sites.

This suspenseful novel moves quickly through the plot, keeping the reader engaged and looking forward to Zell's next work with protagonists Mulhenney
and Poole.

[Holly Shilling]

A wild ride!

After the first book, I was really hoping for sequel and I wasn’t disappointed. Fast paced, great characters, and so many twists and turns. Fun mix of suspense woven with American 20th century history. I’ve read it twice. My only regret is I have to wait for book 3. Bravo to Mr. Zell.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

MANTIS by Steve Zell is a good read. I have read all five books by this author, and he is a very creative and imaginative storyteller. MANTIS is the second book in a series featuring two characters, Deanne Mulhenney and Sara Poole. Deanne is an investigative reporter from Phoenix, Arizona, and Sara is a medical examiner from Los Angeles, CA. These two smart and ambitious women’s lives become intertwined once again due to their friendship and the nature of their work. Through their investigations of local murders from their own areas, they realize a connection that leads to a much bigger story. And in their attempts to uncover the truth of these murders, they become targets themselves.

In MANTIS, Steve Zell does a beautiful job of combining real-life events with fiction. Also, even though the two female lead characters are strong, confident professional women, they show personal vulnerability. Past traumas have had a significant impact on their lives, translating into unhealthy and at-time risky behaviors. Like other books by this author, MANTIS has exciting plot twists, and even the prime murder suspect is “unique.” I would recommend MANTIS as well as the other books written by this talented author.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

1968, Phoenix, AZ. BANG! Deanne Mulhenney (Catholic, Arizona Tribune Investigative Reporter, Sara’s BFF) heard the shot as the mirror shattered.
1968, Los Angeles, CA. Crime Lab. Hollywood Blvd. Dr. Sara Poole (LA County ME, lesbian) & Ben (forensic pathologist) were hard at work on the next corpse.
Sondra Tucker Malibu, CA. Point Dume. The individual dropped off the heavy contents, jumped back in the green panel van & drove off.

Hermosa Beach, CA. Ralphie (terrier), Troy (son), & his mother were out combing the beach for sand dollars.
A well-hidden corpse had washed up on the shore.
Phoenix, AZ. Maricopa County Crime Lab. Dr. Poole & James Cross (coworker) were examining the next victim.
Vincent Romano & Skip Morton had been murdered.
Todd Worwick’s name had come up.
Alena Evanova’s house What did Tony the Hammer do to Chumo?

Alena was on the road headed to Mandeville Canyon.

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

An awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very professionally written crime thriller book. It was quite easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a huge description list of unique characters, settings, facts etc. to keep track of. This could also make another great mystery crime thriller movie, or better yet a mini-TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is an extremely easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author; Tales from Zell, Inc. TM; Goodreads; MakingConnections; Making Connections discussion group talk; Amazon Digital Services LLC. Kindle Mobi book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but was too graphic for my taste. There were so many characters to follow that the storyline seemed to become disjointed at times. I was glad that the mystery of the murders was eventually worked out, but the book seemed unfinished with the murderer still on the loose and the main character seemingly somewhat confused and unhappy. The only character that I could identify with was the policeman, but he wasn't in the story often enough to make the book worthwhile for me. Thank you to the publishers and Goodreads from Garry and me for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This must be second or third in a series of mysteries. Not sure how I decided to pick this up. Mediocre storyline with the well explored trope of a hired killer with a genetic tweak. Throw in the RFK assassination, Sinaloa cartel, Jewish gangsters in Cuba, psychotropic drugs, heavy drinking, prissily described sex of several flavors, uranium exposure, several restaurants... trying to remember if there was a kitchen sink in there somewhere. Sheesh.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was one of the lucky ones to win this book from Goodreads Giveaways. Before I started to read this book I was worried because I had never read the book that proceeds this one. Turns out I didn’t need to have read the first book (although I will read it now). I highly recommend this book. It’s a great page turner. Be prepared because you won’t want to put it down once you begin.

[LadyAReads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me.

I thought I would love this but it didn’t grab my attention ever. I tried to push through but found myself daydreaming or speed skimming instead of enjoying the story. I hope others enjoy this one more. Maybe I picked the wrong genre this time.

[Kelly Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zell has created a terrifying agent and killer in this story. His characters are multifaceted and realistic. A Zing from beginning to end.

[Kent Dallmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder solved by a reporter and medical examiner - a crime thriller!

[MaryJo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fun and unique. Love the characters and hope for more. This was like my favorite X-Files MOTW episodes.