Cameron: Case Twelve: A Lt. Kate Gazzara Novel

Lt. Kate Gazzara #12

by Blair Howard

Kate had no idea what she was letting herself in for when she answered the call that Monday morning. The brutal murder of Cameron Geffner started her along a trail more complex and shocking than any case she'd handled in her long career as a homicide detective. That and the turmoil in her personal life will test her skills and fortitude like never before.

248 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 31, 2021

About the author

Blair C. Howard is a Royal Air Force veteran, a retired journalist, and the best-selling author of more than 50 novels, including the international best-selling Harry Starke series, and 23 travel books. In 2021, having been fascinated by the heavens almost from childhood, and a SciFi fan for almost as long, he decided to try his hand at writing a military space opera. His first journey into this genre resulted in the Sovereign Stars series. Book 1 in the series, Avenger was quickly followed by Gods of War and Armored Fleet.

Blair lives in East Tennessee with his wife Jo, and Jack Russell Terrier, Sally.

Reviews

[Regina De Los Reyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blair Howard writes another fast paced murder mystery. Captain Kate Gazzara is called to the scene of a gruesome murder, a 6'4" 375 pound man is found in a pool of blood on his mechanic business floor, dead by blunt force trauma. It is soon discovered that there was no shortage of suspects as he was not liked at all. However solving the mystery is no easy task as the man also did not have anyone close to him either. Kate and her team find themselves in a bizarre world of strange family, greed, and untrustworthy employees. A great mystery that will keep you guessing. Highly recommend all of Blair Howard's books.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read, well written with believable characters. Kate, with the help of her team, solve the murder of Cameron Geffner, mainly by pure chance and good observation. While trying to solve the case, Kate's head wasn't fully in the game, distracted by problems with her relationship with Wil, showing us that Kate has a vulnerable side to her and not everything in her life is perfect. I received a copy as an ARC reader and I have left an honest review.

[M Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good - but not as good as rest of series

I've been an avid fan of Blair Howard's Lt. Gazzara series and rated them 5 stars. However, this book I found to be a disappointment, probably because it had so many downer themes...Cameron as the murder victim, Cameron's family as next-of-kin and Kate's personal life. It was, to say the least, depressing.

Well written, the story moves along as part police procedural/part Kate's story but it left me a little cool and disappointed in its totality.

Still worth reading if you like the Kate series.

[Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Gazzara, now a Captain in the Chattanooga Police Homicide unit, and her team pick up the case of Cameron Geffner, a very large man who had been brutally murdered at his place of business, an auto repair shop. During the course of this investigation Kate is also working out her iffy relationship with the current man in her life. The complexities of both coupled with her real life priorities make for great reading. This is frequently humorous, often suspenseful and action filled. It is another terrific effort from Howard. Thanks to the author and publisher for an ARC for an honest review.

[Cath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ½ stars
This is book twelve of the Lt. Kate Gazzara series and sees Kate having issues in her romantic life, as she awakes one day and finds she really doesn’t want her boyfriend to be in her space all the time anymore. She doesn’t know why and the issue starts to affect her work life as well. She is lucky, or maybe unlucky, to be called into a murder case early on that day, right when she needed an excuse to get out. Captain Kate Gazzara calls her team in and turns up at the victim’s business, a small car dealership on a small reading estate, to find the owner Cameron Geffner has been brutally murdered in his own garage, and his part time employee found him when she opened up for the day. Apart from a bit of shock, this employee doesn’t seem too out of sorts and is more worried about getting her final pay! The victim was not a very nice or likeable man, shouting loudly and obnoxiously at just about everybody, except his young female assistant. Cameron is a huge man and this causes quite a few difficulties for her team and the coroner, needing to call in the fire department and their expertise with large rescues, to help move the body, both at the scene and at the mortuary. Comments about his size can’t help but be made, but Kate has to lock it down and ensure her team act professionally. Apart from a clear spot amongst all the blood and gore, in the messy garage, it is almost impossible to find out if anything has been taken.
The more they look into the murder victim’s life, the more shocking evidence of his empty life is revealed. A girlfriend who he broke up with loudly in his garage yard, a successful brother who seemingly didn’t stay in touch much and whose wife actually owns the controlling share of the business, and then a couple of cousins, one who is quite persistent in asking Kate for information. This cousin, who prefers to be called John-John, claims the brother wants to know when the business will be released, so it can be sold and shared amongst whoever his will dictates. The brother and wife having such an odd connection to the garage and its owner and aren’t as close as the brother tries to pretend they were. There are plenty of possible suspects, but who could have gotten the jump and knocked down such a massive victim, before whaling on him so intensely. On top of this, Kate has to deal with one of her team falling for one of the suspects and her love life falling apart in front of her, and with Kate not able to understand what the problem is! It seems Kate has an admirer and this case seems to get solved with an accidental glance and then setting a bit of a trap for their main suspect. A bit of a long drawn out case with little in the way of clues and a personal problem that makes Kate seem unwilling to let go and become part of a proper romantic relationship. Not my favourite read in this series, with her complete lack of understanding why her boyfriend dumped her and her absence in the relationship itself. For a good detective, she was severely lacking in this one! I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[TrishAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just Wow !!, Kate Gazarra just gets better.
Captain Kate Gazarra of the Chattanooga PD had a big problem, big in more ways than one. The owner of Alpha Garage, Cameron Geffner, didn't have any friends, he wasn't a pleasant man in fact the only person that he wasn't obnoxious with was his young assistant, the same assistant that found his brutally murdered body on the garage floor.
As with all Blair Howards books, the suspects are many and the clues are few, the suspects were a weird bunch but Kate was determined, along with her brilliant team, to solve this murder even though it involved shaking of the advances of a particularly repugnant relative.
Kate could do without this at the moment, her love life was in turmoil, which way would she go ?
This is a brilliant book with the usual Blair Howard intrigue and suspense, I love his attention to detail, I love how he showed that sassy, straight talking Kate can be vulnerable, I finished reading this book at 3am and I now can't wait for the next book in the series. A well deserved five stars and highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary

[Richard Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate solves a crime, but not romance

Chattanooga Police Captain Kate Gazzara is back. She's suddenly wishy-washy about her boyfriend, as well as confronted by the beating death of a 400 pound man who has alienated everyone in his life. As former partner with Harry Starks (both on the force and romance), she now heads the detectives and occasionally calls on starke, now a PI, for assistance, but has befriended his wife. She has just struck up a relationship over the last few books in the series - but like any good thing in her life, it doesn't last.

One good thing comes out of that for us as readers - we get to see more of her team, and that means greater depth of character. At the same.time, the investigation of the.murder stalls. And i, like many readers, fastened my attention on.A minor character as the likely murderer, but to Howard's credit it was a red herring.

So.Kate.loses her boyfriend. Solves the murder. And we'll wait - however impatiently - for the next chapter.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Blair Howard has done it again! Captain Kate Gazzara is back with her team; Janet, Robar, Hawk and Jack with a doosey of a case. Although not as much physical action as some of her other cases, this one will tax her brain. The murder victim was a loner, didn't have a lot of family, and was basically not a very nice person. However, someone brutally murdered him. While Kate is beeing "wooed" by one of the few family members, she and her team work to find the actual suspect. With few clues and a crime scene that is worse than a pig sty, Kate and her team will dig until the perpatrator is found. As with all of the Gazzara books, you don't actually have to read the previous books to get the gist of the characters; I would recommend doing so, because they are all excellent reads. I was given an ARC copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review; which is above. As always, GREAT JOB Blair Howard!

[Robert Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Testing times for Kate.
This is book 12 of the series Lt Kate Gazzara of the Chattanooga PD starts with a very brutal murder of Cameron Geffner a huge man with a huge temper is found bludgeoned to death in his garage called Alpha. As well as being huge he didn’t have many friends and was as obnoxious as he was huge to everyone and disliked by all around him.
Kate has her hands full with this murder case and has her hands full also with her relationship and as things develop with both things just aren’t what they seem.
Both test Kate to the full and luckily her team and her determination keep her afloat through these trying times.
Very different from previous Lt Kate Gazzara series and you see another side of Kate as well as a few flaws or weaknesses, but learning more about Kate makes this more interesting and the eventual outcome is as shocking as the gruesome murder.
Recommended and immensely enjoyable read!

[Randi Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Kate woke up on the wrong side of the bed in this one. She picks a fight with her boyfriend then gets called out before she can finish her coffee. And the case is a big one, a really, really big one. Garage owner Cameron Geffner is found dead in his messy cramped garage, He is a big man, tall and nearly 400 lbs. The book delves into police and paramedic procedure on the problems of dealing with a victim of that size. Apparently no one likes him so there should be lots of suspects and Kate sets out to find them. Kate doesn't seem her usual badass self in this book. She seems more unsure of herself both in her work and her love life. This adds a human touch to her that I liked. As usual the book is well plotted with good character development and will keep you involved. Thanks to the author for allowing me to read an early copy. As usual I loved it, as I do all your books. Keep the hits coming.

[Jean Urbina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit different

Kates latest case looks like it may be impossible to solve. A man is bludgeoned to death in the garage that he owns. And there are no clues. No cameras. No forensics. How could anyone have overpowered him. He was huge. To make it more difficult he was disliked by almost everyone. Even his family wouldn’t be mourning his passing. So everyone is a potential suspect. But there is a very small aspect of the crime scene that Kate keeps wondering about. And it’s that that solves the case.

While trying to solve the case she is struggling in her personal life. She’s in a relationship with the perfect man but finds that she seems to be trying to avoid him Thinking after the case is solved she’ll deal with this. Unfortunately she doesn’t get the opportunity. Be interesting to see how that works out in future books

As an ARC reader I received a copy for review. I appreciated the differences in this book and think it’s well worth reading

[Valettagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Gazzara is moving on with her life as she gets older but not quite how she envisaged doing it. Having reached an impasse in both her job and her social life, that legendary confidence falters.
She starts to second guess herself and wonder just what she’s doing. Forget the perfect Gazara we’ve seen before, this is a Kate in a more human and indeed believable form. Yes she’s still gorgeous with a kick ass manner but not everyone is falling at her feet as they have done in the past.
Is she losing her legendary charisma? Is she still a great cop and captain? you’ll have to read it to find out. Personally I like the more vulnerable Kate. ( I still wish she’d made it with Harry though!)
Great story with plenty of twists and turns to keep your interest. Roll on the next book. Can’t wait.

[Sandass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate Gazarra has an adventure without her old companion Harry Starke to help her solve the mystery. She does a fine job but has trouble focusing as she often has in recent books. She has a habit of drinking too much too often and it may be too much for her career if she doesn't stop. Following that, she runs almost ten miles a couple of days later. And she never eats real food. Just drinks coffee all night and day. Shes a recipe for a health disaster.
My concerns about many of her high risk behaviors in the past are curbed in this book. She's so strung out with worry about her boyfriend that she's not up to par on her investigative skills.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Craig Smedley · Rating 4 out of 5]

An early morning call from Janet Toliver, Captain Kate Gazzara’s Sergeant, advising of a body, commences the story and the investigation into a brutal murder. Something is also not right in her personal life and the relationship she has with her boyfriend, Sergeant Wilcox Dorman. Kate looks at the case as a reason for not being in touch with Wil as she is distracted by this strange case and wants to sort out her feelings for her boyfriend. The case is strange because of the victim and many of the suspects that are found.
This story is different but well put together with the characters fleshed out, which maintains the reader’s interest until the eventual perpetrator is identified and charged. Well worth the read.
Moses

[Joanne Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

All Blair’s usual brilliant twists and turns that will keep you guessing to the end as the amazing Kate and her team pull out all the stops to solve this gruesome murder. I particularly enjoyed learning so much more of the background to Kate and her team. They spend all their days dealing with the darkest side to life and humanity. Inevitably it has an effect. People deal with this sort of thing in different ways. Seeing how the sassy and tough Kate dealing with this and her own vulnerabilities while still solving a complex case adds another level to the Kate Gazzara series. If this is your first venture into this series, you have the delight of the previous 11 books to look forward to. Enjoy.

[Bonnie Blackledge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cameron is the 12th book in the Kate Gazzara series. I have read and enjoyed every one. I believe the reader would enjoy reading the series in order, but I also think that each book could be read as a standalone.
This book, like the others before it, is a fast read and full of action and the mystery of the identity of the murderer. This particular book also shows a troubled side of Kate as she comes to term with emotions that disturb her.
Blair Howard is a talented writer that has a knack for creating strong characters. As usual, this book takes twists and turns that leave the reader eager to learn more and solve the murder. One thing you can be sure of – when you finish one of his novels, you will be eager to read the next.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC for an honest review.

The story begins with Kate receiving an early morning call to a murder scene. When she arrives, it is one that is like no other. Janet is on the scene and walks her through what little infoemation is available, which is slim.

Working with her team, she starts the investigation and there are few uspects identified. The characters of the deceased families are talked to, but little is learned.

After several days on the case, she gets an unexpected break which puts the case in a whole new light.

To learn what the ultimate lead was and who the killer turned out to be, then you must read this book.

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was, as usual with Blair Howard’s books, a well-written story (but rather short). However, I have to say that in my opinion the description didn’t quite fit the story: “The brutal murder of Cameron Geffner started her along a trail more complex and shocking than any case she'd handled in her long career as a homicide detective.” From the books I have read previously, this certainly wasn’t particularly complex or shocking. Far from it. There was very little action throughout, and Kate ‘solved’ the murder by accident rather than the usual great detective work. Worth a read, but not quite up to the author’s previous high standard.

[Terri Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This latest in the Kate Gazzara is a great story and I enjoyed it because it delved in to Kate's personal life a little more than past books have. She is conflicted in her current relationship and it seems like it is interfering in her work life but she still keeps going. It will be interesting to see where this leads. I missed Harry in this book. They always seem to work well together. But I really like Kate's current team and she appreciates her new partner and is confident enough to let her do her job. A bit of gallows humor as usual in the morgue, you gotta love Doc! Looking forward to #13

[Barbara Daniels Dena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Blair Howard adventure with Kate trying her best to untangle the entwined mesh of twists in this mystery of 'who did the bad dude in this time?' The most intriguing aspects of this novel are the unique characters introduced with the most quirky traits ever seen in this author's writing. About the point where I thought I had read it all in weird personalities, another one entered the scene. I am surprised Kate wasn't completely drunk every night trying to work around the obstacles presented by the characters and situations in her path. A delightful, mysterious read from our favorite author! Way to go Blair.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blair Howards latest Lt. Kate Gazzara novel Cameron is worthy of a 5-star rating and is a welcome addition to the Kate Gazzara detective series. I have read ALL of Blair's Harry Starke and Kate Gazzara series. Kate's character actually originated in the Harry Starke series where she played a very significant role. As in the previous 11 Kate Gazzara novels the story line is captivating and the characters are well defined. Cameron is a must read for all crime thriller enthusiast. I am looking forward to the next installment in the series.

[Lonnie Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kate is awaken early in the morning to investigate a murder. When she arrives on the scene she sees the victim a huge man. That begins her encounter with some of the strangest characters you think she could ever meet. Along with all the strange people she is breaking up with her boyfriend. This book is a fun book to read it will have your attention from start to finish. Blair Howard has done it again you will love this book and if you have not read the other Kate Gazzara books you will now.

[Susan Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great crime book from Blair Howard! I don't know how he does it, but he keeps his book series fresh and interesting. This one doesn't disappoint. It's a fast read because you don't want to put it down. Kate's involved in a new murder case, she has conflicting feelings for lover, and she has a creep that has the hots for her. What's not to love? There are twists and turns that make you see Kate as a woman along with seeing her as a tough police detective who doesn't want to stop until she figures out the case. I recommend this book.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Captain Kate Gazzara of the Chattanooga Police Homicide Unit with her team of Janet, Hawk, Jack and Robar are back with another case.
The murder victim is a rather large man and seems to have been basically a person not well liked by many.
Kate has to use her brain to solve this case. With her having relationships issues, drinking to much and stress can she focus on her case. Not sure drinking coffee all day and night helps her much either.
Action filled with suspense.

I received an ARC prior to publication and decided to voluntarily review it.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent crime thriller from Blair Howard
Lt. Kate Gazzara has a problem - how do you investigate the murder of someone who makes an enemy of everyone he meets? With so many suspects and so few clues, Kate struggles to break the case whilst also trying to sort out her feelings for her boyfriend. They seem to have a good relationship so why does she want to break up with him? We see a vulnerable side of Kate as she works on the case and her personal problems.
I received an advanced copy and this is a voluntary review.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate is faced with a perplexing case involving a man who seemed to live a pretty lonely and isolated existence

A brutal murder collides with a sudden change in her relationship with Wil. Kate wonders why part of her is moved to push him away. Is something inside her missing or broken?

A collection of suspects that are odd and off putting makes solving her case an even bigger challenge

Can Kate unravel these mysteries and keep her head and heart from further damage?

Emotion and drama packed murder inquiry with twists

[Regina Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this new Kate Gazzara mystery especially the humor mixed in towards the end had me laughing out loud. I just find it rather sad that Kate can’t seem to get her personal life in order, maybe Harry was really the true love of her life and they need to find a way back to each other. Why can’t she have it all, career, love and family?
My only concern was in the editing at times, grammar mistakes and a few nonsensical sentences, clean those up and I will give a five star review.
I’m looking forward to the next novel and hoping that Kate can find some happiness.

[Pamela Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captain Kate Gazzara and her team have another crime to solve. When the owner of an auto body shop is murdered, they are few clues to go on. Kate and her team must use all their detecting skills to solve this one. Plus Kate is going thru some problems in her personal life. Who committed the murder? Can Kate straighten out her personal life? Lots of twists in the book making you not want to put it down until you get to the end,

[John Mahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy reading about Captain Kate Gazzara and her team, this tale will not disappoint. The ancillary characters are well developed. The story line keeps you engaged and curious as the team works toward solving this latest murder. Concurrent issues impacting Kate's personal life add a nice touch of realism to the tale. Another outstanding effort by Blair Howard that leaves you anxious to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

[Michael Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as ARC. Blair Howard continues to put out great books. In the latest Kate Gazzara novel, she is faced with the brutal beating death of an enormous man, over 6'4" and weighing over 350 pounds. Who could have taken down the monster? The cast of suspects range from anybody he ever came in contact to someone he knew. As Kate begins to unravel the case, her affair with Will is coming to an end.