One Bad Day After Another

by Max Folsom

Baker Somerset was a Scotland Yard Detective sent to Ottawa to help solve a brutal kidnapping case. After the suspect put four bullets in her, she decided to stay in Ottawa and open her own detective agency. One morning, the body of a British diplomat is found at her office door. Hunting his killer, she learns the murder is tied to the kidnapping that brought her to Canada, and in the process, she unearths bribery, fraud, and illegal activity in the military arms and equipment industry. With billions of dollars at stake, the perpetrators play rough; willing to kill anyone who stands in their way. As the risks to her life and career multiply and bodies begin to pile up, Somerset enlists her friends: Duchess “Keys” Brown, a vivacious Jamaican computer guru; Joe Manning, a martial arts expert; and Charles Stroud, her old Scotland Yard partner. They sift through a maze of conflicting evidence, numerous dead ends, and frightening danger to bring those responsible to justice.

258 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[David Schoorens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t read a novel of the detective fiction genre in many years. One Bad Day After Another by Max Folsom rekindled my affection for the genre. The story and the main character, the private investigator Baker Somerset, welcomed me back with open arms and a warm embrace.

Or should I say, grabbed me. By the second page, a bloody body lay across the floor.

Why is Baker such a wonderful character? Her back story as a detective with the London Metropolitan Police, the fabled Scotland Yard, and the near lethal trauma of her time of service, provided the foundation of her story. Then as a PI in Ottawa, Ontario, I saw her richness develop. Smart, sassy, and often humorous, but above all, human. I enjoyed learning about her traits as the story unfolded. Baker is no caricature of a Hollywood private investigation, who only serves the plot as a means for constant gunplay and violence. Not at all; Baker is eminently believable. Like many of the greatest detectives of fiction, whether Holmes or Poirot, though quite capable of violence, Baker’s greatest weapon as an investigator is her intellect and determination.

No main character in a novel can stand alone. I especially enjoyed Keys, the Jamaican hacker and foodie. As well as Joe, the martial arts master who served to ground and support Baker with his calm nature and wisdom. All in all, the characters are realistic, each with their own personality and tics of dialogue.

The writing itself shows a richness of research in all things police and all things Ottawa. The details of cross Atlantic police work are fascinating. I was constantly reminded of the time when I taught a high school forensics science course. The city of Ottawa became familiar though I’ve never been there.

Best of all, One Bad Day is an easy read, even with the richness of detail. So, get a copy and have some fun! I highly recommend this novel.

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it, and I'm finding that harder and harder to say in the massive flood of crime novels I try to keep up with. Somerset is a gem, and her team is a treat. Well paced, and the danger is real without being something that gives me nightmares. I love strong women and the men who like them that way.

[Bbouffard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baker Somerset is a detective from Scotland Yard. She is sent to Ottawa, Canada to solve a kidnapping. She adventually opens her detective agency. Unfortunately, she discovers a dead body on the doorstep to her agency. This death is tied to the kidnapping.

[Alice Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ride from the first sentence...Totally enjoyed the characters, wit, twists and turns.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot twists, great characters. Enjoyable read from start to finish.

[Richard Gower · Rating 5 out of 5]

A murder mystery series created in the Christie tradition featuring a private detective with a hardboiled edge…

Think: Sam Spade or Mike Hammer, but female….

The book was a Daphne du Maurier Awards finalist…

And it’s set in the city that fun forgot….

What’s not to like…?

[Max Folsom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Preparing the audio release of One Bad Day After Another meant rereading it with a fine tooth comb. Unfortunately the conditions Somerset met, which were 'under cover' when I originally started writing have become now commonplace as the world no longer seems to be upset at corruption. Baker is learning that she can't change the world, but she can hold up a candle in a totally dark room.