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Pryor & Cummings: The GAIA Incident
Late at night, a hacker sneaks into the subterranean lab of a celebrity scientist where he makes a discovery which gets him murdered. The police soon learn surveillance video shows no one had left the facility since the homicide and a thorough search for the killer comes up empty.
To solve this locked room techno-thriller-mystery, an old-school detective and his retired K-9 reluctantly partner with a young high-tech rookie. Questions about motives and possible conflicts of interest fly when the veteran learns about the relationships his daughter has with his new partner and she had had with the deceased.
To solve this locked room techno-thriller-mystery, an old-school detective and his retired K-9 reluctantly partner with a young high-tech rookie. Questions about motives and possible conflicts of interest fly when the veteran learns about the relationships his daughter has with his new partner and she had had with the deceased.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 24, 2022
27 people are currently reading
2072 people want to read
About the author
Rod Pennington
24 books69 followersRod Pennington writes a mixed bag of suspense stories filled with quirky characters, rapid-fire dialogue and whiplash inducing plot shifts. With his off-beat sense of humor and original storylines that do not fit comfortably into any established genre, he has developed a hard-core group of fans.
In addition to fiction, Pennington has either sold or has had optioned seven screenplays and also writes regularly in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal.
You can reach Rod at AuthorRodPennington@Gmail.com
Books by Rod Pennington Available on Amazon.com
The Fourth Awakening Series:
A woman overcomes her mid-life crisis by going a vision quest with an enigmatic billionaire.
The Fourth Awakening
The Gathering Darkness
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles I
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles II
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles III
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles IV
El Cuarto Despertar (Spanish translation of The Fourth Awakening)
The Family Series
A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of four of the world's best assassins.
Family Reunion (The First Charon Family Adventure)
Family Business (The Second Charon Family Adventure)
Family Secrets (The Third Charon Family Adventure)
Family Honor (The Fourth Charon Family Adventure)
Family Debt (The Fifth Charon Family Adventure)
Stand Alone Books
Indweller
"It is not often you stumble across a new and original character that immediately grabs your attention. This is the case with Gabriel Indweller. A Black ops veteran inadvertently forced into a state of total enlightenment by a botch government experiment, he is now like an Old Testament Archangel with a James Bond style license to kill."
What Ever Happened to Mr. MAJIC?
"Grace and Sunny are sisters but as different as night and day. When their mother dies they find out why. In searching for a lost manuscript and a lost father one of them finds a new way of looking at life."
Better Choices
"Despite dealing with the serious topics of divorce, complicated family relationships and death, this is a lighthearted and life-affirming story full of funny and interesting characters."
In addition to fiction, Pennington has either sold or has had optioned seven screenplays and also writes regularly in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal.
You can reach Rod at AuthorRodPennington@Gmail.com
Books by Rod Pennington Available on Amazon.com
The Fourth Awakening Series:
A woman overcomes her mid-life crisis by going a vision quest with an enigmatic billionaire.
The Fourth Awakening
The Gathering Darkness
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles I
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles II
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles III
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles IV
El Cuarto Despertar (Spanish translation of The Fourth Awakening)
The Family Series
A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of four of the world's best assassins.
Family Reunion (The First Charon Family Adventure)
Family Business (The Second Charon Family Adventure)
Family Secrets (The Third Charon Family Adventure)
Family Honor (The Fourth Charon Family Adventure)
Family Debt (The Fifth Charon Family Adventure)
Stand Alone Books
Indweller
"It is not often you stumble across a new and original character that immediately grabs your attention. This is the case with Gabriel Indweller. A Black ops veteran inadvertently forced into a state of total enlightenment by a botch government experiment, he is now like an Old Testament Archangel with a James Bond style license to kill."
What Ever Happened to Mr. MAJIC?
"Grace and Sunny are sisters but as different as night and day. When their mother dies they find out why. In searching for a lost manuscript and a lost father one of them finds a new way of looking at life."
Better Choices
"Despite dealing with the serious topics of divorce, complicated family relationships and death, this is a lighthearted and life-affirming story full of funny and interesting characters."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
April 14, 2022
Pryor & Cummings: The GAIA Incident
When the body of a GAIA Institute graduate student is found in a locked computer lab, Detective Albert Pryor gets his suspension upgraded to probation so he can work the case. I wasn’t enamored with this guy right off the bat. He comes across as a sarcastic wise guy, so it didn’t surprise me that he might have, uh, stepped on some toes and gotten himself in hot water. Still, despite his problems with authority and perhaps some corner-cutting, he’s been a detective for 20 years. He gets a newbie as a partner on this case, Max Cummings. Cummings is about as different from Pryor as they come. Pryor is old school. Cummings knows quite a bit about techie stuff, which is a good thing, because this case will prove to be filled with computers and such. There’s also an awesome retired police dog, Blitz.
The dilemma is this: With the security codes, cameras, and the fact that the murder occurred at a time when no one had access to the building, there are no suspects. This should be quite a puzzler. Eventually the FBI is called in, and the FBI always gets their man, don’t they? Pryor doesn’t handle this well, and with his experience, he knows how to get around the guy assigned to the case.
As other reviewers have noted, there is a bit of technology involved in this story. Don’t let that scare you away. I am as un-techie as they come, and I was able to Google a few things to verify that, yes, they do indeed exist. And yes, the techie stuff is fun! This book is sort of R2D2/C3PO meets HAL. Okay, I might be aging myself here. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In fact, the humans seem much more complex than the machines. There are all sorts of entanglements. Pryor’s ex-wife is married to the researcher who is at the center of the mystery. Their daughter Brooke, used to date Cummings. There are relationships on both sides with former cops who have some good stories to tell about Pryor. Then there’s the ABC News personality who has the hots for Pryor.
All in all, this was a fun ride.
Thanks to NetGalley, Integration Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
3 stars
When the body of a GAIA Institute graduate student is found in a locked computer lab, Detective Albert Pryor gets his suspension upgraded to probation so he can work the case. I wasn’t enamored with this guy right off the bat. He comes across as a sarcastic wise guy, so it didn’t surprise me that he might have, uh, stepped on some toes and gotten himself in hot water. Still, despite his problems with authority and perhaps some corner-cutting, he’s been a detective for 20 years. He gets a newbie as a partner on this case, Max Cummings. Cummings is about as different from Pryor as they come. Pryor is old school. Cummings knows quite a bit about techie stuff, which is a good thing, because this case will prove to be filled with computers and such. There’s also an awesome retired police dog, Blitz.
The dilemma is this: With the security codes, cameras, and the fact that the murder occurred at a time when no one had access to the building, there are no suspects. This should be quite a puzzler. Eventually the FBI is called in, and the FBI always gets their man, don’t they? Pryor doesn’t handle this well, and with his experience, he knows how to get around the guy assigned to the case.
As other reviewers have noted, there is a bit of technology involved in this story. Don’t let that scare you away. I am as un-techie as they come, and I was able to Google a few things to verify that, yes, they do indeed exist. And yes, the techie stuff is fun! This book is sort of R2D2/C3PO meets HAL. Okay, I might be aging myself here. 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In fact, the humans seem much more complex than the machines. There are all sorts of entanglements. Pryor’s ex-wife is married to the researcher who is at the center of the mystery. Their daughter Brooke, used to date Cummings. There are relationships on both sides with former cops who have some good stories to tell about Pryor. Then there’s the ABC News personality who has the hots for Pryor.
All in all, this was a fun ride.
Thanks to NetGalley, Integration Press, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.
3 stars
July 28, 2022
Detective Albert Pryor is taken off probation and made lead when the body of a GAIA Institute graduate student is found in a locked computer lab. He is partnered with rookie Max Cummings. Cummings is a techie and despite not being happy about it, Pryor soon has to admit the kid knows his stuff.
I like Pryor from his dog to his cherry red classic 1958 F150. The GAIA Institute is run by his ex-wife’s new husband and the reason for Pryor’s recent suspension. Not only was the mystery interesting and but so were the characters from Pryor’s daughter to his ex-father-in-law.
I loved the conversations between Pryor and his college daughter Brooke. The girl is a techie geek and completely fearless. There is a little romance that involves Max and Brooke. I loved the thread and how it affected interactions between Pryor and Cummings. The author did a great job of pulling me and keeping me invested. I laughed, cheered and rooted for each of these characters.
The locked door mystery was well done and kept me guessing as the suspense built. Rod Pennington was the perfect villain, but there is more to this story. Pryor was determined to pin the murder on him. The author delivered plenty of twists, while allowing the reader to ponder the future of artificial intelligence.
While I am not a fan of the cover, I was impressed by the story from the flow to the characters and will definitely read this author’s work again. Fans of murder-mysteries and small-town dynamics will want to grab this one. I am hoping we see more of Pryor & Cummings. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
I like Pryor from his dog to his cherry red classic 1958 F150. The GAIA Institute is run by his ex-wife’s new husband and the reason for Pryor’s recent suspension. Not only was the mystery interesting and but so were the characters from Pryor’s daughter to his ex-father-in-law.
I loved the conversations between Pryor and his college daughter Brooke. The girl is a techie geek and completely fearless. There is a little romance that involves Max and Brooke. I loved the thread and how it affected interactions between Pryor and Cummings. The author did a great job of pulling me and keeping me invested. I laughed, cheered and rooted for each of these characters.
The locked door mystery was well done and kept me guessing as the suspense built. Rod Pennington was the perfect villain, but there is more to this story. Pryor was determined to pin the murder on him. The author delivered plenty of twists, while allowing the reader to ponder the future of artificial intelligence.
While I am not a fan of the cover, I was impressed by the story from the flow to the characters and will definitely read this author’s work again. Fans of murder-mysteries and small-town dynamics will want to grab this one. I am hoping we see more of Pryor & Cummings. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer
April 29, 2022
Review of eBook
The murder of graduate student Nick Blake in the subterranean laboratory of the GAIA Institute leads to a puzzling discovery: according to the surveillance video, no one left the facility following the murder and there’s no sign of the murderer anywhere in the Institute. But Nick Blake, shot once in the chest, is most definitely dead.
Homicide detective Albert Pryor and his new partner, rookie police officer Kevin Cummings, find themselves embroiled in the mystery. Plato Vane, Ph.D., a renowned scientist whose claim to fame is the ability to predict earthquakes, established the GAIA Institute to further his research. Now the egotistical researcher, who is married to Pryor’s ex-wife, is about to open a larger laboratory facility in Hawaii.
He’s also the man Pryor once tossed through a plate glass window. Now, despite an ironclad alibi, Vane is also Pryor’s number one suspect in Nick Blake's murder.
When Detective Pryor’s daughter, Brooke, turns out to be a friend of the victim . . . and an acquaintance of Officer Cummings, might there be a bit of a conflict of interest? As they investigate, Pryor and Cummings find more questions than answers and, with pressure from both the department and the FBI agents assigned to the case, will they find the culprit?
=========
This locked-room mystery is both intriguing and delightfully witty. As Pryor imparts his years of on-the-job wisdom to rookie Cummings, he gets some technological enlightenment from the young officer. With the clever subtitle channeling the Greek mythological personification of the Earth and offering readers a hint, they may surmise something about the unfolding narrative. However, surprising revelations keep the reader guessing.
With well-developed characters, a compelling mystery, and a bit of sarcasm and witty banter, readers are in for quite a treat. The plot twists and turns, often in unexpected directions, keeping those pages turning. There’s a bit of character stereotyping, but each character [likable or not] is nuanced and believable.
This unputdownable murder mystery story includes some science fiction elements, explores some family dynamics, and includes a bit of politicking. Nevertheless, the denouement ties up the plot points quite nicely and is eminently satisfying.
The backstory for Detective Pryor is fascinating; the interplay between the characters is a highlight in the telling of the tale.
And then there is Blitz . . . .
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Integration Press LLC, ePubPress.com and NetGalley
#Pryor&Cummings #NetGalley
The murder of graduate student Nick Blake in the subterranean laboratory of the GAIA Institute leads to a puzzling discovery: according to the surveillance video, no one left the facility following the murder and there’s no sign of the murderer anywhere in the Institute. But Nick Blake, shot once in the chest, is most definitely dead.
Homicide detective Albert Pryor and his new partner, rookie police officer Kevin Cummings, find themselves embroiled in the mystery. Plato Vane, Ph.D., a renowned scientist whose claim to fame is the ability to predict earthquakes, established the GAIA Institute to further his research. Now the egotistical researcher, who is married to Pryor’s ex-wife, is about to open a larger laboratory facility in Hawaii.
He’s also the man Pryor once tossed through a plate glass window. Now, despite an ironclad alibi, Vane is also Pryor’s number one suspect in Nick Blake's murder.
When Detective Pryor’s daughter, Brooke, turns out to be a friend of the victim . . . and an acquaintance of Officer Cummings, might there be a bit of a conflict of interest? As they investigate, Pryor and Cummings find more questions than answers and, with pressure from both the department and the FBI agents assigned to the case, will they find the culprit?
=========
This locked-room mystery is both intriguing and delightfully witty. As Pryor imparts his years of on-the-job wisdom to rookie Cummings, he gets some technological enlightenment from the young officer. With the clever subtitle channeling the Greek mythological personification of the Earth and offering readers a hint, they may surmise something about the unfolding narrative. However, surprising revelations keep the reader guessing.
With well-developed characters, a compelling mystery, and a bit of sarcasm and witty banter, readers are in for quite a treat. The plot twists and turns, often in unexpected directions, keeping those pages turning. There’s a bit of character stereotyping, but each character [likable or not] is nuanced and believable.
This unputdownable murder mystery story includes some science fiction elements, explores some family dynamics, and includes a bit of politicking. Nevertheless, the denouement ties up the plot points quite nicely and is eminently satisfying.
The backstory for Detective Pryor is fascinating; the interplay between the characters is a highlight in the telling of the tale.
And then there is Blitz . . . .
Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Integration Press LLC, ePubPress.com and NetGalley
#Pryor&Cummings #NetGalley
April 22, 2022
An Unsolvable Mystery?
Nick Blake is hunkered down over his computer, feverishly working to prove his theory about the professor’s uncanny predictive ability. A sudden noise startles him, until he recognizes the source and relaxes, just long enough to die. Detective Albert Pryor is summoned to the scene, restored to active duty, and put in charge of the case with no explanation. He has no idea why until he learns his daughter and ex-wife are both involved in having the case solved. Then he gets to meet his new partner, Kevin Cummings, the grandson of the man who trained Albert when he joined the force. There is a lot of interaction with these characters and Blitz, a retired K-9, and more throughout the book.
I liked everything about this book. The characters are well developed, some more likable than others. There is a lot of banter, witticisms, and emotion throughout, and the locked-door mystery kept me turning pages to find out what’s next. This is the second book I have read by Ron Pennington and they have both been excellent. I’m hoping this book is the start of series starring Pryor & Cummings.
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of The GAIA Incident.
Nick Blake is hunkered down over his computer, feverishly working to prove his theory about the professor’s uncanny predictive ability. A sudden noise startles him, until he recognizes the source and relaxes, just long enough to die. Detective Albert Pryor is summoned to the scene, restored to active duty, and put in charge of the case with no explanation. He has no idea why until he learns his daughter and ex-wife are both involved in having the case solved. Then he gets to meet his new partner, Kevin Cummings, the grandson of the man who trained Albert when he joined the force. There is a lot of interaction with these characters and Blitz, a retired K-9, and more throughout the book.
I liked everything about this book. The characters are well developed, some more likable than others. There is a lot of banter, witticisms, and emotion throughout, and the locked-door mystery kept me turning pages to find out what’s next. This is the second book I have read by Ron Pennington and they have both been excellent. I’m hoping this book is the start of series starring Pryor & Cummings.
Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of The GAIA Incident.
April 28, 2022
Interesting, fun characters who easily play off each other and give depth to the story. The story itself is a tangled mix of plot and subplots all adding up to a great read!
Part of the proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to Animal Adoption Center in Jackson, WY.
Kindle claims it is TTS enabled, but it is NOT.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Integration Press LLC/ePubPress.com via NetGalley. Thank you!
Part of the proceeds from sales of this book will be donated to Animal Adoption Center in Jackson, WY.
Kindle claims it is TTS enabled, but it is NOT.
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Integration Press LLC/ePubPress.com via NetGalley. Thank you!
April 25, 2022
"Pryor & Cummings: The GAIA Incident" by Rod Pennington
A Really Good Read ! !
A wild ride mystery with a trace of romance for the rest of us. This was a fun story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I had to scrap my 1st title as it came a tad too close to being a bit of a spoiler. I never did figure out what GAIA stood for… well I did get two of the letters but not the whole acronym.. I guess I did not need to know or the author would have shared it. Have a fun time solving this mystery before the author fills you in. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.
This review expresses my honest opinion.
A Really Good Read ! !
A wild ride mystery with a trace of romance for the rest of us. This was a fun story with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I had to scrap my 1st title as it came a tad too close to being a bit of a spoiler. I never did figure out what GAIA stood for… well I did get two of the letters but not the whole acronym.. I guess I did not need to know or the author would have shared it. Have a fun time solving this mystery before the author fills you in. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: I received an ARC of this story from the publisher via NetGalley.
This review expresses my honest opinion.
April 15, 2022
Rod Pennington has a new book. Pryor & Cummings are the two main characters and The Gaia Incident is the case they investigate. Pryor is a seasoned cop and Cummings is a newbie, but he is well qualified in all things tech. This is the kind of Sci-Fi story I really enjoy. I know it isn't true, but very well could be in the future. One of the characters who melted my heart was Blitz, the retired K-9 German Shepherd. I want to thank NetGalley and ePulp Press for an early copy to review.
April 14, 2022
Pryor & Cummings: The GAIA Incident is a really rollicking read. I had no idea what to expect from this book because I had never read anything by Rod Pennington before. I regret that now because this book was so darn good. Entertaining? Yes! Amusing? Yes! Colorful characters? Goodness gracious, yes! The book is a whole lot of fun. Pennington combines a genuinely good mystery with wonderful dialogue. I enjoyed the plot a great deal. I truly hope we see Pryor & Cummings (and gang) again. Thanks to ePubPress and NetGalley for the advance reading copy!
April 13, 2022
Love the dynamic between the two detectives. This is a really good detective murder mystery. It had me questioning who the murderer was right to the end. Hoping to read the next book soon. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 12, 2022
I received an ARC free from BookSirens and this is my voluntary honest review.
Fantastic book!
Well written characters!
Exciting!
Enjoyable page turner!
Fast paced!
Contained a few unnecessary cuss words, but an enjoyable read.
Fantastic book!
Well written characters!
Exciting!
Enjoyable page turner!
Fast paced!
Contained a few unnecessary cuss words, but an enjoyable read.
May 23, 2022
The GAIA Incident is my first book of Rod Pennington’s, but after checking out his list of books on Goodreads, and how much I liked this one, I don’t think it will be my last
Pryor’s ride of choice is a restored cherry red 1958 F150 pickup. I am a bit of a car buff, so one that stands out does catch my attention. His look is blue collar and he is no 20 something hottie, but entering mid life. I do love the hottie’s, but a character that is not perfect, and he is not perfect, is just as interesting.
I love Pryor & Holden’s antics while standing in a coffee line. It put a big smile on my face.
The GAIA Institute is the college’s cash cow. President Joan Winston’s success is linked to it and murder is not conducive to her success.
Pryor has been called back from suspension for the high profile murder…and assigned a new partner. the son of the man who trained him, Max Cummings. His ex father in law used his influence to pull him in. His daughter Brooke gets caught up in the investigation. The more I learn about her, the more I love her. What a fabulous character.
Pryor & Brooke’s dialogue is hilarious, when he found out who she really was.
The technology involved…could it be our future? Anything good can be used in a bad way and this scenario is frightening. Rod Pennington took it even further than I thought and if you ever wondered how a closed room murder could happen, this might help give you an answer. Could we be creating our own doomsday weapon? A wild version of ‘the butler’ did it.
Proper use of the brain is not endorsed by federal government. Timothy Leary…and I agree completely. Think about recent events.
R2D2, C3PO, Brooke, the ultimate Alpha female… I love books with fun critters and Blitz, a retired K9, shows bravery and humor.
After watching the TV show, Person Of Interest for years, I think this could be our wake up call.
The more I read, the better it got. The dialogue, the characters, the mystery and suspense, the pacing…it’s alllllll good!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The GAIA Incident by Rod Pennington.
Pryor’s ride of choice is a restored cherry red 1958 F150 pickup. I am a bit of a car buff, so one that stands out does catch my attention. His look is blue collar and he is no 20 something hottie, but entering mid life. I do love the hottie’s, but a character that is not perfect, and he is not perfect, is just as interesting.
I love Pryor & Holden’s antics while standing in a coffee line. It put a big smile on my face.
The GAIA Institute is the college’s cash cow. President Joan Winston’s success is linked to it and murder is not conducive to her success.
Pryor has been called back from suspension for the high profile murder…and assigned a new partner. the son of the man who trained him, Max Cummings. His ex father in law used his influence to pull him in. His daughter Brooke gets caught up in the investigation. The more I learn about her, the more I love her. What a fabulous character.
Pryor & Brooke’s dialogue is hilarious, when he found out who she really was.
The technology involved…could it be our future? Anything good can be used in a bad way and this scenario is frightening. Rod Pennington took it even further than I thought and if you ever wondered how a closed room murder could happen, this might help give you an answer. Could we be creating our own doomsday weapon? A wild version of ‘the butler’ did it.
Proper use of the brain is not endorsed by federal government. Timothy Leary…and I agree completely. Think about recent events.
R2D2, C3PO, Brooke, the ultimate Alpha female… I love books with fun critters and Blitz, a retired K9, shows bravery and humor.
After watching the TV show, Person Of Interest for years, I think this could be our wake up call.
The more I read, the better it got. The dialogue, the characters, the mystery and suspense, the pacing…it’s alllllll good!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The GAIA Incident by Rod Pennington.
March 28, 2022
A page turner and enjoyable. A work of fiction as stated but with elements of Star Wars with R2D2s and almost believable Artificial Intelligence. Exciting right to the end with plenty of laughs along the way.
The basic story was to solve a murder in a very secure computer lab. The main players included two experienced homicide detectives, a smart rookie detective and even smarter computer nerd. Oh and don’t forget the K-9 Blitzkrieg and Benny the Rabbi.
The story combined good old fashioned policing with modern computer skills coupled with good banter and a little romance.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it as an easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free from the Rod Pennington and BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The basic story was to solve a murder in a very secure computer lab. The main players included two experienced homicide detectives, a smart rookie detective and even smarter computer nerd. Oh and don’t forget the K-9 Blitzkrieg and Benny the Rabbi.
The story combined good old fashioned policing with modern computer skills coupled with good banter and a little romance.
Thoroughly enjoyed this and recommend it as an easy read.
I received an advance review copy for free from the Rod Pennington and BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 25, 2022
In The GAIA Incident, Pryor and Cummings are paired to work on the murder of a young techie/hacker in a locked room mystery. Pryor is old school and cuts corners and Cummings is a newbie with a strong tech background. In the small town atmosphere, everyone knows or is related to someone else. What begins as a murder investigation quickly becomes much more involved. I loved the twist at the end…did not see that coming!
The interaction of the characters was often humorous and I enjoyed the rivalry between the feds and the local police. Blitz, the retired K-9, is a great addition to the story. A little bit sci fi, part police procedure, part thriller, this was a fun book to read. I hope there will be another Pryor & Cummings book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Integration Press for the ARC.
The interaction of the characters was often humorous and I enjoyed the rivalry between the feds and the local police. Blitz, the retired K-9, is a great addition to the story. A little bit sci fi, part police procedure, part thriller, this was a fun book to read. I hope there will be another Pryor & Cummings book!
Thanks to NetGalley and Integration Press for the ARC.
March 24, 2022
Pryor and Cummings is a new novel by Rod Pennington. This book was fantastic! The story has so many levels; cozy, technology, police, it is a thriller, the evil guys are really evil… I could go on and on about this great story. I felt that the characters were so well written. Pryor and Cummings are so different and they make a terrific team. The murder seems to be a perfect crime, but our police team is doing their best to solve the crime. Of course, just when I thought I had everything figured out, Rod Pennington flipped the story, made a fast paced story even faster, I was reading so fast because I had to know what happened next. I hope Rod Pennington writes a sequel because this police team needs another mystery to solve! I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
March 25, 2022
Loved this book. It's funny and serious at the same time. While the issue is serious the by play between the characters is funny from beginning to end. I was hooked from page one.
Pryor isn't sure if his career as a homicide detective is over or not until there's a murder with a heavy fallout. And then he's sure he's been brought in to be the fall guy if this turns bad. But he's assigned a rookie who is also the son of the man who trained him.
Read their escapades during this case and the funny characters that are in on it with them. Enjoy this read because I certainly did.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pryor isn't sure if his career as a homicide detective is over or not until there's a murder with a heavy fallout. And then he's sure he's been brought in to be the fall guy if this turns bad. But he's assigned a rookie who is also the son of the man who trained him.
Read their escapades during this case and the funny characters that are in on it with them. Enjoy this read because I certainly did.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2022
Pryor & Cummings The GAIA Incident by Rod Pennington starts as a murder mystery, but quickly escalates to something much more ominous that will keep readers engaged and often surprised as the story unfolds. Pryor is a long time detective paired with Cummings, a rookie whose main qualification seems to be his computer literacy. The banter between these two as they work together and learn from each other is fun to read. The supporting characters are well defined and present a cross section of current culture…from the sticklers for rules to some who are far out of the mainstream. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book. Most highly recommend.
April 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book but not sure how to describe it, it’s a little bit mystery but everything is either guessable or discovered quite early on, it’s also a little bit Sci-Fi as there are lots of incidents with AI and the dark web.
This story is about how a man could be murdered in a room where no-one could have got in or out of, once they realise how it was done it takes us on a journey that has slightly alarming ideas of what a future could would look like.
This is definitely a character led book and they are all superbly written, there is the old fashioned, gritty determined Detective Albert Pryor who won’t stand for any nonsense when it comes to both his professional and personal life. Then there is his partner, the new to service Kevin Cummings who is a technological whiz and who is much more at home solving crime via technology then take-downs but somehow they manage to bounce off each other. The other characters such as Pryor’s daughter Brooke, his ex-wife Melissa and her new husband Vale intertwine expertly throughout.
All in all this is a great read, don’t be fooled by the cover like I was though, even though his K9 Blitz is in the book it is only very briefly which to me was a disappointment. If you are looking for an easy read to escape into a new world where the future may not be what you think then this is one for you, I would certainly read another book about the adventures of Pryor and Cummings.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This story is about how a man could be murdered in a room where no-one could have got in or out of, once they realise how it was done it takes us on a journey that has slightly alarming ideas of what a future could would look like.
This is definitely a character led book and they are all superbly written, there is the old fashioned, gritty determined Detective Albert Pryor who won’t stand for any nonsense when it comes to both his professional and personal life. Then there is his partner, the new to service Kevin Cummings who is a technological whiz and who is much more at home solving crime via technology then take-downs but somehow they manage to bounce off each other. The other characters such as Pryor’s daughter Brooke, his ex-wife Melissa and her new husband Vale intertwine expertly throughout.
All in all this is a great read, don’t be fooled by the cover like I was though, even though his K9 Blitz is in the book it is only very briefly which to me was a disappointment. If you are looking for an easy read to escape into a new world where the future may not be what you think then this is one for you, I would certainly read another book about the adventures of Pryor and Cummings.
I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 29, 2022
This was fun to read which is probably not what you should say about a murder/mystery. But it was the interaction between the characters I enjoyed. The technical aspects were so so. The police procedure was ok? I mean heck, I could be a policeman if they treated me that way. But the characterization was strong. Love the good guys, hate the bad guys, dismiss the weaklings between. Yeah, it was fun to read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 27, 2022
The plot was so good that I had feelings that depictions in the book could be real! The chapters flowed really well and I couldn't put the book down even when I knew it was time for bed. In reality, it's taking me longer to write this review than it was to read the book! I truly enjoyed it and I recommend this book for non-stop action!
April 18, 2022
Just finished "Pryor and Commings (The GAIA Incident)" - It is a "who done it" type of read with overtones of Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble meet the Jetsons as it pits seasoned police detectives against their very young and tech savvy counterparts. A young techie is found murdered at his place of employment and right away the owner of the firm becomes the number one suspect. The billionaire owner has made a name for himself by pinpointing earthquakes before they even happen, and he happens to be batting a 1000 in his accuracy. But is he a genius or is he the one responsible for causing these natural phenomena? To complicate matters the main characters all have a history - Father, mother, daughter, grandfather, just to name a few. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and when the ultimate killer is unmasked, it will be totally unexpected. This was a very enjoyable read. this was an ARC review
April 16, 2022
This was a really great mystery/buddy cop book. Sarcastic and irreverent, machismo tempered by a strong family quotient, lightly romantic but not gushingly so. I really enjoyed Pryor and Holden's rapport, and the no-BS attitude Pryor exuded.
The book lost a little stream about 80% through, but picked back up by 85 or so and ended really well.
Thanks to Netgalley, Rod Pennington and ePulp Press for offering me this ARC. All opinions are my own.
The book lost a little stream about 80% through, but picked back up by 85 or so and ended really well.
Thanks to Netgalley, Rod Pennington and ePulp Press for offering me this ARC. All opinions are my own.
May 4, 2022
Pryor and Cummings is about a homicide detective, Pryor, and his initial introduction to the murder of an analyst in an extremely expensive and high-tech lab. Due to being very well-known, the murder quickly gains national media attention with the FBI trying to get involved and dooms-day fears growing.
Pretty quickly, the book starts with “thin blue line” rhetoric, tons of stereotypes about college kids and their weed habits/lazy personalities, making tons of jokes and disparaging remarks about preferred pronouns, and promoting police officers intentionally cutting corners and lying in order to get evidence.
Given the current state of affairs, this book is super tone deaf. All of the writing and dialogue aimed at making fun of preferred pronouns or current social Justice trends felt extremely tone deaf and unnecessary. I’m all for intelligent crime novels, but reading about a long-time investigator intentionally covering up unlawful seizure of property or threatening to arrest someone even though he knew it wouldn’t stick is disgusting. I did not want to finish the book given all of the tone deaf references but stuck with it.
With that said, the mystery itself was intelligent and really well done. I liked the specific outcome and how it was orchestrated: the commitment to not being “politically correct” was unnecessary though and it ruined the book for me. Even if you don’t agree with the current social justice trends taking place, staying neutral would have been a better book and outcome to alienating potential readers.
ARC was provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Pretty quickly, the book starts with “thin blue line” rhetoric, tons of stereotypes about college kids and their weed habits/lazy personalities, making tons of jokes and disparaging remarks about preferred pronouns, and promoting police officers intentionally cutting corners and lying in order to get evidence.
Given the current state of affairs, this book is super tone deaf. All of the writing and dialogue aimed at making fun of preferred pronouns or current social Justice trends felt extremely tone deaf and unnecessary. I’m all for intelligent crime novels, but reading about a long-time investigator intentionally covering up unlawful seizure of property or threatening to arrest someone even though he knew it wouldn’t stick is disgusting. I did not want to finish the book given all of the tone deaf references but stuck with it.
With that said, the mystery itself was intelligent and really well done. I liked the specific outcome and how it was orchestrated: the commitment to not being “politically correct” was unnecessary though and it ruined the book for me. Even if you don’t agree with the current social justice trends taking place, staying neutral would have been a better book and outcome to alienating potential readers.
ARC was provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2022
An old school detective and a tech savvy rookie are partnered to solve the murder of a hacker in a secure building. Murder becomes the least of their concern. Took me a bit to get into the story but once I did, I was hooked. Well written, great characters, and twists and turns throughout. Will be reading other stories by this author.
April 21, 2022
4- due mainly to plot weakness but rounded up because it was enjoyable overall.
Pryor and Cummings is quite a genre-bender! A young employee of a tech company, one of whose principals is famous for predicting when earthquakes will occur, is murdered as he sits at his computer late at night. The facility has high security, and no one entered or left the premises, so a classic locked-room mystery presents itself. An odd-couple pair of police detectives are assigned to the case. Detective Albert Pryor had been on suspension due to an incident in which he punched his ex-wife’s current husband but was called back for this case through the intervention of the wealthy tycoon who owns the company where the murder occurred. Kevin Cummings is a rookie whose tech skills make up for his lack of police experience. He also has a “history” with Pryor’s daughter Brooke, which does not bode well for their bonding as a team.
In addition to locked-room mysteries, the book also reminded me in a good way of noir detective stories in the characters’ actions and interactions.
The characters are most definitely the highlight of the book, thoroughly human and even sympathetic, despite having quite a few flaws. Pryor is cynical and does show his temper, but he also displays clever skills at manipulation, especially the federal agents who try to intrude on his investigation. He also shows kindness, like when he offers to take Cummings’ elderly impaired father to a ball game. His daughter, who can work on cars and computers equally well, shares his feistiness and is a player in their investigation, although I could have used a bit less carping on her sex life from everyone. Even the victim is shown as a bit of a jerk, taking pride in puffing away at his cigarette while grinning at the office No Smoking sign.
The author does beautiful character descriptions, such as this introduction to African-American FBI agent Michael Gottwald, “ His skin was the color of a sixteen-ounce dark roast coffee with a single creamer added. With his good posture, and an unblinking glare Pryor suspected he practices in the mirror, he projected ‘ you really don’t want to mess with me’ body language.”
As the story progressed, it morphed from mystery to technothriller to a fairly standard science fiction plot. A few of the aspects of the science fiction were not too plausible, even for a SF fan like me, but overall I think the book will appeal to many readers who can tolerate SF and can suspend belief and just go along for the ride.
PS Although he makes for a GREAT cover, Blitz the dog does not play a very big role in the book.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher.
Pryor and Cummings is quite a genre-bender! A young employee of a tech company, one of whose principals is famous for predicting when earthquakes will occur, is murdered as he sits at his computer late at night. The facility has high security, and no one entered or left the premises, so a classic locked-room mystery presents itself. An odd-couple pair of police detectives are assigned to the case. Detective Albert Pryor had been on suspension due to an incident in which he punched his ex-wife’s current husband but was called back for this case through the intervention of the wealthy tycoon who owns the company where the murder occurred. Kevin Cummings is a rookie whose tech skills make up for his lack of police experience. He also has a “history” with Pryor’s daughter Brooke, which does not bode well for their bonding as a team.
In addition to locked-room mysteries, the book also reminded me in a good way of noir detective stories in the characters’ actions and interactions.
The characters are most definitely the highlight of the book, thoroughly human and even sympathetic, despite having quite a few flaws. Pryor is cynical and does show his temper, but he also displays clever skills at manipulation, especially the federal agents who try to intrude on his investigation. He also shows kindness, like when he offers to take Cummings’ elderly impaired father to a ball game. His daughter, who can work on cars and computers equally well, shares his feistiness and is a player in their investigation, although I could have used a bit less carping on her sex life from everyone. Even the victim is shown as a bit of a jerk, taking pride in puffing away at his cigarette while grinning at the office No Smoking sign.
The author does beautiful character descriptions, such as this introduction to African-American FBI agent Michael Gottwald, “ His skin was the color of a sixteen-ounce dark roast coffee with a single creamer added. With his good posture, and an unblinking glare Pryor suspected he practices in the mirror, he projected ‘ you really don’t want to mess with me’ body language.”
As the story progressed, it morphed from mystery to technothriller to a fairly standard science fiction plot. A few of the aspects of the science fiction were not too plausible, even for a SF fan like me, but overall I think the book will appeal to many readers who can tolerate SF and can suspend belief and just go along for the ride.
PS Although he makes for a GREAT cover, Blitz the dog does not play a very big role in the book.
I received an advance review copy of this book from the publisher.
May 24, 2022
This is an excellent investigative novel. It is witty, funny and intriguing. The characters are magnificent. Pryor is a detective who is very intense when doing his job. He loves his daughter and doesn’t care for bureaucracy. He is wonderfully old school. Cummings is rookie and a technology wizard. The story reveals several interesting details about police procedures and also artificial intelligence. The plot is super interesting and makes for a page turning reading event. There is also romance between Cummings and Pryor’s daughter which makes for some hilarious interactions. This is definitely a great story that could be read more than once.
May 13, 2022
This was a smart, fun & exciting read. I was a little hesitant in the first chapter… Something felt “off” about the Pryor character. That said… it resolved quickly and this was a great read. I love the plot twists and was engaged throughout the story. I liked the quirky, intelligent & highly skilled characters. The pace of the story made it hard to put down!
May 5, 2022
What an awesome story that had me gripped to learn more. The characters are well written into the plot to keep you trying to figure out what could happen next.
May 13, 2022
A murder of a grad student at GAIA, starts this book off. Albert Pryor is a detective with 19 years experience, on suspension and may be about to lose his pension, when he is assigned this case. Pryor's partner is Cummings, a bright young tech. The GAIA institute was formed to predict earthquakes, but has something sinister taken control?
This book looks a lot at technology. In fact, when you get into the book, you realize how scary it can be. Just to think what could really happen. Think of Star Wars and R2D2 & C3PO. As the world becomes more technological advanced, I wonder if some of this could actually happen. I love a book that makes you think about things, or that includes things that could actually happen, and this does that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pulp Press for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This book looks a lot at technology. In fact, when you get into the book, you realize how scary it can be. Just to think what could really happen. Think of Star Wars and R2D2 & C3PO. As the world becomes more technological advanced, I wonder if some of this could actually happen. I love a book that makes you think about things, or that includes things that could actually happen, and this does that.
Thanks to Netgalley and Pulp Press for the Kindle Version of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 26, 2022
Book #: 39
Title: The GAIA Incident
Author: Rod Pennington
Format: Kindle Edition, 266 pages, $0.99 purchase
Pub Date: Published May 24th 2022 by Integration Press LLC
Started: 3/13/22 Ended: 9/20/22
Awards: none
Categories:
A book published in 2022 (PpSgr 01); * A book featuring a man-made disaster (PpSgr 31); A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads (GrRds 14); A book without a person on the cover (GrRds 15); A book where the main character is a female detective (GrRds 32); A book published in 2022 (GrRds 51); By a Male Author (BkHdr 08); Thriller Mystery Suspense Paranormal (BkHdr 09);
Read in Fall or Winter (BkHdr 26);
Death Certificates issued: 3 by gunshot
Rating: **** four out of five stars
It's a high tech thriller locked room mystery. Nick was killed in the lab, but the doors are locked on the inside. Nick was an employee, but he wasn't supposed to be there at 3AM. Detective Pryor is an old-school cop who's supposed to be on suspension, but nobody wants this case so it's dumped on him. Officer Cummings is a low-ranking cop but a computer expert, so he gets assigned as Pryor's partner. Not only has Cummings been sleeping with Pryor's daughter, but the lab is owned by his ex-wife's husband, his daughter's step dad. The lab was doing cutting edge research into predicting earthquakes. The new facility opening in Hawaii will give the corporation global access. The opening won't be stopped because it's a billion dollar enterprise. Now, the rumors start that the process can not only predict earthquakes, but cause them. All Pryor and Cummings have to do is separate the terrorists from the conspiracy nuts. No problem.
This has been my read-in-bed book for most of the summer. I enjoyed it. It screams "first novel in a series". I hope it is.
Title: The GAIA Incident
Author: Rod Pennington
Format: Kindle Edition, 266 pages, $0.99 purchase
Pub Date: Published May 24th 2022 by Integration Press LLC
Started: 3/13/22 Ended: 9/20/22
Awards: none
Categories:
A book published in 2022 (PpSgr 01); * A book featuring a man-made disaster (PpSgr 31); A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads (GrRds 14); A book without a person on the cover (GrRds 15); A book where the main character is a female detective (GrRds 32); A book published in 2022 (GrRds 51); By a Male Author (BkHdr 08); Thriller Mystery Suspense Paranormal (BkHdr 09);
Read in Fall or Winter (BkHdr 26);
Death Certificates issued: 3 by gunshot
Rating: **** four out of five stars
It's a high tech thriller locked room mystery. Nick was killed in the lab, but the doors are locked on the inside. Nick was an employee, but he wasn't supposed to be there at 3AM. Detective Pryor is an old-school cop who's supposed to be on suspension, but nobody wants this case so it's dumped on him. Officer Cummings is a low-ranking cop but a computer expert, so he gets assigned as Pryor's partner. Not only has Cummings been sleeping with Pryor's daughter, but the lab is owned by his ex-wife's husband, his daughter's step dad. The lab was doing cutting edge research into predicting earthquakes. The new facility opening in Hawaii will give the corporation global access. The opening won't be stopped because it's a billion dollar enterprise. Now, the rumors start that the process can not only predict earthquakes, but cause them. All Pryor and Cummings have to do is separate the terrorists from the conspiracy nuts. No problem.
This has been my read-in-bed book for most of the summer. I enjoyed it. It screams "first novel in a series". I hope it is.
May 16, 2022
I was intrigued by this “locked room” mystery and couldn’t wait to dig in. I formed my own opinion early on, as would anyone reading the book. However, there was so much more to the story before I learned if I was correct or not.
This has a tremendous cast of characters and I have to admit, there were times when I felt bogged down by their introductions. For a while, it was one on top of the other and I couldn’t keep up and at times, didn’t want to keep up. Once I trudged through that issue, however, the story began to flow and I happily followed along.
This had some great moments of humor along with some of the characters that were fun. There were also times that there was a bit of drama due to a past relationship between two characters that are deeply involved in solving the mystery. While there wasn’t a lot of action, there were plenty of interactions. Overall, a nice read that I really enjoyed.
Multi POV
Safe -
Triggers -
This has a tremendous cast of characters and I have to admit, there were times when I felt bogged down by their introductions. For a while, it was one on top of the other and I couldn’t keep up and at times, didn’t want to keep up. Once I trudged through that issue, however, the story began to flow and I happily followed along.
This had some great moments of humor along with some of the characters that were fun. There were also times that there was a bit of drama due to a past relationship between two characters that are deeply involved in solving the mystery. While there wasn’t a lot of action, there were plenty of interactions. Overall, a nice read that I really enjoyed.
Multi POV
Safe -
Triggers -
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews