Duplicity

Brick Kavanagh #2

by Shawn Wilson

This was not the homecoming Brick envisioned

After the trauma of his last case, and after three months spent recovering in Ireland, life is looking up for newly retired homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh. Back home in Washington, D.C., a new job shows promise when he's asked to train criminology students in cold case techniques.

Then he's off to a whirlwind weekend in Chicago with Nora, an Aer Lingus flight attendant he'd met in Ireland. There he receives shocking news that his former partner's wife and twin infants have been kidnapped. Brick rushes to D.C. to support Ron, the man who's always had his back—but as days pass, Brick questions how well he really knows this man.

Brick's cold case—the unsolved hit-and-run death of a college student—is heating up. Brick finds gaping holes in the original investigation. Is it possible diplomatic immunity granted someone a "get-out-of-jail-free card"?

Meanwhile, Ron's family tragedy unfolds in a most bizarre manner, and the escalating cold case points to D.C. corruption at the highest level. Things are getting complicated . . . very complicated . . . and dangerous.

Genres: Mystery, Procedural, Crime, Fiction

257 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 18, 2022

Reviews

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A detective series, Duplicity by Shawn Wilson is the second of Brick Kavanagh mysteries. Having returned to Washington after his hiatus in Ireland, recovering from the devastating consequences of his last case, he is asked to revisit a hit and run cold case. Then his friend and former detective partner’s wife and twins go missing. Brick lends his support but can’t help wondering what happened, as numerous leads go nowhere. Whilst the events of the first book have significant influence on the narrative tale, no prior knowledge is necessary to make this a suitable standalone crime story. So, an enjoyable read of a gentle police procedural with two intertwining cases and their impact on the detectives’ lives and those around them, makes for a three star rating. My thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced reader copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own and freely given.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Shawn Wilson, and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always eager to to try new books and authors, I gladly accepted an ARC of Shawn Wilson’s latest novel. After familiarising myself with the debut novel, I dove into this one, which was just as intense. Wilson creates a stellar mystery with some strong themes and keeps the reader guessing until the final page turn. I cannot wait to see how former cop Brick Kavanagh progresses as Shawn Wilson develops this series.

While the DC area is always wonderful, former homicide detective Brian ‘Brick’ Kavanagh needed a change. A trip to his ancestral homeland of Ireland proved useful, choosing to return stateside only because of the visa requirements. However, Brick did not leave Ireland empty handed, having struck up a romantic connection with a flight attendant who spends much of her time in Chicago.

Brick is looking for something to bide his time and agrees to help a criminologist talk about cold cases to one of her college classes. Choosing one, Brick begins revisiting a hit and run that came to nothing, primarily because the accused was able to hide behind diplomatic immunity. All the same, it is something to keep him occupied and once Brick finds a thread, there’s no knowing where it will lead.

While away on a brief trip to Chicago, Brick hopes to strengthen his relationship and see if it is going anywhere. However, a panicked call from his former partner, Ron Hayes, has Brick rushing back to DC. Ron’s wife and twin babies have been kidnapped and they are nowhere to be found, though clues begin popping up. Brick will have to tap into all his detective experience to help piece things together, but the direction in which things are going seems baffling.

Both cases progress rapidly; the cold case showing signs of a potential motive lie the kidnapping a sinister revelation. Brick might have wanted to let sleeping does lie with this case, as it seems his poking around has someone highly agitated. Still, Brick Kavanagh is not one to turn his back on progress and will open whatever doors are before him, even if they could cause harm. How will Brick be able to juggle two intense cases and bring justice to them both before more people are hurt? Shawn Wilson weaves another great story in her latest novel, not to be missed by those who love something intense and unputdownable.

I enjoy discovering new authors, as they are a formidable challenge for me. I find some who are best left behind me, but others, like Shawn Wilson, who earn a spot on my list of those I will gladly follow. A great writing style is balanced with poignant plot twists, all of which create something well worth my while. In a genre full of authors who purport to have what it takes to spin a police procedural into something fabulous, Wilson excels and should rise to the top for those seeking something worth their reading time. I just hope there is more to come before too long.

From the opening pages, Wilson builds up her narrative to create a mystery that has all the elements of success. The story flows easily and is aided by strong characters who add flavour where it is needed. Short chapters keep the reader pushing forward before realizing they are neck-deep in the story and cannot put it down. Plot twists emerge throughout that keep the reader on edge and wondering what awaits them. I can only hope that Shawn Wilson will keep up this calibre of writing, as I devoured both of the first two novels in the series. There’s something about Brick Kavanagh that has me eager to come back, whenever the next novel makes its way to readers.

Kudos, Madam Wilson, for another great piece. You have a fan in me!

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[CYIReadBooks (Claire) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duplicity wasn’t quite a memorable read, but it was good enough for my enjoyment. It’s a police procedural that blended two unrelated crime investigations into an interesting and suspenseful novel. There’s some light romance built in, but I didn’t see the point for its inclusion except to boost the word count. The romance was a little distracting.

The characters are staples from the first novel (Relentless) in the series. I got some semblance of each of the characters make up, but I felt that by not reading the first novel, I missed out on some important facets of each character’s personalities, background, and history.

The plot had some twists, but those twists were somewhat expected. There wasn’t anything startling or shocking.

I’ll keep an open mind for the next book from this author. And I’ll probably read Wilson’s first book, Relentless before then. Three enjoyable stars.

I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As he adjusts his life to his recent retirement, Brick must make some choices, work, where to live, romance or no, etc. He accepts an offer to lecture on the procedures in reviewing cold cases....and his first one is surrounded by so many limiting factors, he is challenged from the beginning. When he recieves a call for help from his old partner and still friend, Brick drops his new life to work in his old neighborhood, Washington DC. He must use his considerable investigative talents to find his partner's wife and children.
The story line here is good, Brick is trying to move on with his life when he gets pulled back into the hostile environments that led to his retirement. He must flex his skills to teach his students what a cold case search really means. Both events are an excellent chance for Shawn Wilson to flex his writing skills and keep us hooked into the story. As the layers of each story line spread, the mystery, suspense, thriller becomes ever more engrossing and kept me reading much longer than the "couple of chapters" I intended.

[Winter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Goodreads Giveaways and to the author Shawn Wilson.

Duplicity is a standalone mystery about a detective returning from Ireland after 3 months, recuperating from him his injuries. Only to be thrown head first into two separate mysteries that need solving.
The first is that of a cold case, the death of a man by a hit and run named Yang.
The second, is from his former partner, who's wife and newly baptised twins have been kidnapped.
As Detective Brick Kavanaugh races to DC to help his former partner, he soon realizes things may not always be what they seem.
Wilson gives a fantastic display of rollercoaster twists and a gasp you didn't see coming.
Great storyline for an author I have never read before.

[Patricia Gussin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Wilson’s second Brick Kavanaugh book and I found it engrossing and thoroughly entertaining. A police procedural with detectives who rely on brains rather than brawn, believable characters with relatable problems, and a close-up look into the antics of Washington D.C. Duplicity is aptly named because the plot splits and then re-emerges into a (1) a cold case of a grad student’s murder where the prime suspect has diplomatic immunity and (2) the heart-wrenching kidnapping of Brick’s former partner’s wife and twin babies. Multidimensional. You don’t have to be a mystery fan to enjoy Duplicity, but if you are, you’ll appreciate the details.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC through "NetGalley" and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This story begins with Brick spending the last few days in Ireland. He returns home and had received an email that wanted him to instruct students on a particular cold case. Brick wasn't sure that he wanted to do it but went forward with it. After looking into it he discovered that the case was shut down for a specific reason. Because of what he learned the idea of teaching was dead. Instead, the new Homicide Lt. wanted Brick to work on it.

Brick took a break and went to Chicago for a weekend to visit Nora, a stewardess he met. The visit was shortened once he learned of an abduction of Brick's old partner's family. Once he returned, he got involved in trying to locate Ron's wife and kids.

To learn who was responsible for the abduction and why, in addition to learning what events happened after Brick along with Ron got to the bottom of the cold case, then you need to raed this book. You definitely won't be disappointed.

[Pamela Small · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 rounded down
I thank NetGalley and Oceanview publishing for the ARC of DUPLICITY in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book on the Brian Kavanaugh series. It has an intriguing storyline. Two crimes are presented but they aren’t interconnected. Characters are round and multi dimensional. Pacing is steady, although slow at the beginning. The mysteries of the two crimes are intriguing! I enjoyed reading this book…

until the rather disjointed and rushed ending. It was extremely disappointing to invest the time reading the book to have such an abrupt and dissatisfying denouement. Additionally, way too many references are made of Brian’s last case that has caused him anguish. It is referenced numerous times, but it is never revealed what traumatic event happened that caused him so much angst and an early retirement. It was frustrating to realize that the reader would not be given the reason. Therefore, the past case should not have been mentioned over and over. Thus the lower rating. The novel would have warranted a higher score with 1) a more polished ending and 2) a better transitioning for the reader concerning whatever happened in the first book.

The characters, plot and pacing were very good and I would read another book in this series.

[Nur · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5✨

I liked the story but there’s a couple of things that too much explanation for me. There isn’t any complicated things that makes you overwhelmed with the story. So far so good i liked the character development for sure. Such a good crime/mystery solved.

[Ruthy lavin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, well written thriller with a gripping story and solid characters.
Looking forward to part 3 of the detective Brick series. 3+ stars ⭐️

[Ray Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cold Case Hit-And-Run Murder Turns Quite Hot

This novel has an interesting start as it is a B-storyline thread. Brick Kavanagh has just retired from the Washington DC police department because he had a very serious problem with his boss. Brick now is spending a 90-day vacation in Ireland to recuperate. He knows he must find a job, but he has only one offer to assist a professor teach a class of graduate students on as an assistance in a class learning about cold case investigations on a real cold case. From this start the novel emerges.

There are two main storyline threads. The first is very complex and is split into phases. First is to obtain permission from his old homicide division to conduct the investigation. At this point the complexity begins. The case is a hit-and-run that was dropped soon after the investigation started. The first of many indications that something was significantly wrong with this investigation. The novel is structured to lead the reader along the investigation. The who was discovered, and then why he was not prosecuted. Each step solves the next issue but delivers another issue. When Brick discovers that his former boss had a role, Brick’s desire for retribution starts to boil in his blood. The second thread involves his ex-partner’s wife leaving with their twin’s days after their baptism. While the first thread is basically straight forward investigation, this thread has many twists and turns that kept the suspense up on whether the departure was voluntary or forced. These aspects of the novel solidly laid hold of my interest. I could not stop reading.

The B-storyline is very extensive in this novel. Besides the usual method of his interactions with other characters and his thoughts at the time, there are two threads devoted to this storyline. The first centers on a woman with whom he became friendly in Ireland who regularly travels to Chicago. The second is centered on old friend who owns a bar by an employee who is Brick’s nephew. He opens his inner thoughts to them. Both threads provide much insight into Brick’s personal side. My reading enjoyment was enhanced by them.

For the aspects that turn off some readers, first is that there are not any intimate scenes. Vulgar, rude, and impious language is at a low level. Violence is described in the less edgy after the fact, but their implications signal tragedy, real or potential. There is one violent incident portrayed as it occurs, but it is over in a few words. The last aspect is that this is the second novel in this series and Brick’s quick retirement occurred in that novel. The only aspect that reaches by to the previous novel was Brick’s loathing for his old boss. That fact is explained in this novel, so this there should not be a problem reading this novel first. Therefore, I do not believe that most readers will not have any problems reading this novel.

The major issue I had with the novel that the start is slow, so do not give up too early. I liked the two main storylines that took very different paths to their conclusions. I was quite happy all the threads with their believable action and the endings of all the threads. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. Due to that, this author solidified his position in my Will-Read category. I do recommend reading this novel, but make sure you get past the slow start. I am looking forward to reading further books from this author. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free prepublication e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Oceanview Publishing. My review is based only on my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Duplicity, book two of the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series, author Shawn Wilson transports the reader back to Washington D.C., for another intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

After spending three months in Ireland, retired Homicide Detective Brian "Brick" Kavanagh returns to Washington D.C. to contemplate the next phase of his life. Brick is offered the opportunity to train criminology graduate students on how to investigate cold cases. A specific case investigating the three year old hit-n-run cold case of Lincoln University student Henry Yang intrigues Brick, and he agrees to investigate the cold case. Before starting the investigation into the cold case, Brick travels to Chicage to meet up with Nora Breslin, an Aer Lingus flight attendant that he met while in Ireland, but a frantic call from Brick's former partner, Homicide Detective Ron Hayes sends him back to Washington D.C. to help investigate the kidnapping of Ron's wife Jasmine and their twin babies. The two cases leads Brick on a complicated investigative journey when the hit-n-run cold case may have political implications, while the search for his former partner's family is intense and baffling, as he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together for both investigations.

Author Shawn Wilson weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale that follows Brick's investigations to uncover the truth behind the hit-n-run cold case, and the complicated kidnapping case of his former partner's family. I loved reading this action-packed story. Brick's observations and detail to the police procedure used within the investigations kept me intrigued as he slowly put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together for both cases, especially when there is complications, intensity, and danger around every corner.

The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as Brick's no nonsense and determined investigations uncovers a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues, while it will also leave the reader completely shocked by the surprise ending.

Duplicity has enough drama, tension, action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.

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[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second novel in a series and while it reads relatively well on its own, the earlier one should be read first to fully appreciate this one. Brick has retired from the police after a traumatic event found in the first novel. He's been away from Washington, D.C. for months, trying to understand his life and his future. The first third of the book tells of Brick's life upon his return. The narrative moves at a methodical pace before anything exciting happens. It isn't until about half way through he book that the plot solidifies and the novel becomes engaging.

Brick is a good hero. That's good because most of the book is about him. There are very few suspenseful scenes. This is a novel for readers who like emphasis on character rather than suspense or investigative procedure.

I like Brick as a character although he is not very aggressive. I do hope he comes into his own, finding a new career after police work. I'll be watching to see if Wilson provides readers with more of Brick.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[pawsreadrepeat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you Shawn Wilson and Partners In Crime Tours. I'm excited to be a part of this tour.

Duplicity is the second in the Brick Kavanagh detective series. While I didn’t read Relentless (book 1), I did not feel like I had huge gaps. This book easily reads as a standalone. After a persona loss and three months in Ireland recovering, Brick is back in DC, trying to figure out his next step then getting sucked into solving a cold case.

I enjoyed this story from start to finish, the plot and description piqued my curiosity. The characters are interesting and well developed. I enjoyed the sub plot of Ron’s wife and twins disappearing with him as the lead suspect. Crime procedural in nature, this book has it all with a final twist you won’t see coming.

I recommend and hope this series continues; I’d love to see what Brick’s next adventure has in store for readers!

[Sallie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wish to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I am a fan of crime books and I looked forward to reading my first book by this author Having said that, I was really disappointed with this one. Brick Kavanagh comes out of retirement as a police detective to head up a group of college students to work on cold case files. He begins working on an older hit and run case but quickly puts it aside to work on an active kidnapping case involving his former partner. Frankly I enjoyed the new case much more anyway but found the stories to be disjointed. Too much time was spent describing what people were eating and/or drinking and it did not add to the story. Finally toward the end the author hurriedly went back to the cold case and wraps it up way too fast. Based on this book I have no desire to read the first book he wrote and probably will not read another. He has a really nice descriptive style but gets off track too easily. I wish he had just written about the second crime as he really held my interest there.

[Cliff Bailey · Rating 2 out of 5]

First let me thank Oceanview Publishing and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review the book by Duplicity Shawn Wilson.

I did not like the book., Having said that there are a Few parts of the book I did like. After reading books like this. I think that there must be a gigantic check list some when online that all author s must go by before submitting the book to be published. This book checks (almost) the top five boxes so it must qualify for publishing. This book follows all of the tried-and-true formulas for detective fiction. And it does it while telling a pretty good story. I am not sorry I read it but I will not be reading any of his other books.
1, retired good cop (checked)
2 cold case the is haunting said good cop. (checked)
3 evil villain out for revenge (half checked)
4 Retired cop riding to the rescue (checked)
5 family narrowly escapes (Checked)
6 Retired cop saves the day (checked)

[Gordon Smart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read in the series and it’s the sequel to Relentless which introduced Brick Kavanaugh. It can be read on its own but there’s a few references to past events but it doesn’t affect the plot.
Brick is asked to look into a cold case but this is secondary to the disappearance of his former police partner’s wife and kids.
Both storylines aren’t over complicated and there’s the odd twist. I felt that the author raced over some things and spent too long on other things that didn’t matter at times.
It’s a fairly easy read and ok.

[Maria Beltrami · Rating 1 out of 5]

Classic book that would have all the elements to be a good thriller and fails miserably due to the author's eagerness to cram in too much stuff, much of which is useless, irrelevant, and ends up tiring the reader. The characters, then, are treated superficially. Their reactions are always too much or too little for the situation that triggers them, and the themes that should be the novel's founding ones little more than stereotypes. Truly a major disappointment.

[ally rumbaugh]

This was a DNF for me. The plot has so much potential and as someone from DC, I was extra intrigued, but the writing style is just not my favorite. I found it mundane and boring and couldn't force myself through it.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duplicity by Shawn Wilson is a recommended investigative novel.

Retired homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is returning home to Washington, D.C. after spending three months in Ireland recovering from the trauma of his last case. It is good to be home among friends and, even better, he and Nora, an Aer Lingus flight attendant, are planning to continue seeing each other when she is in the USA.

When a job opening at a local university presents itself, Brick isn't especially interested at first. The job would be training criminology students on techniques in solving cold cases, but the case does intrigue him. Professor Grace Alexander has chosen the hit-and-run death of a grad student where the prime suspect has diplomatic immunity and the case file is interesting. Brick proceeds on to Chicago to spend a weekend with Nora, when he receives distressing news. Jasmine, the wife of his former partner and friend, Rob, and their infant twins have disappeared, and possibly were kidnapped. Brick rushes back to support Rob and assist in any way to finding his wife and children.

This follows the first Brick Kavanagh novel Relentless, although you can read Duplicity without having read the first novel. Duplicity is a very comfortable procedural to read. The chapters are short which keeps the narrative highly focused on the two cases presented as the plot moves along at an even pace. Both cases are resolved at the end of the novel.

As mentioned, this is a very comfortable novel to read. Brick treats women with respect, which is appreciated, but he's also kind of a bland character. The opening chapter set in Ireland was interesting, but it didn't add anything to the rest of the story, beyond adding Nora as a character. All of this could have been covered in a few paragraphs. There are a lot of descriptions of what people are eating or drinking, which was different in an investigative novel. There was also a bit too much telling of the story versus showing the story.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Oceanview Publishing.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2022/1...

[Hazel Hanford · Rating 2 out of 5]

First, I want to thank Netgalley for the ARC copy of this book, in exchange for which I’m giving my unbiased opinion.

I thought this would be a formulaic cop story. But, instead, it was 2 plot lines that didn’t intersect & had very little in common, except for the hero, Brick. The story was choppy, disjointed & the ending was rushed & dissatisfying. I felt I knew more about Brick’s microwave than I did about him. The author annoyingly kept referring to an incident that happened (in his 1st book & this is the sequel), but never says what it was. It ended his career, so I think it should’ve been stated what it was. The book starts with Brick in Ireland, recovering from “something “, but we don’t learn what. When he returns home, we find he was all his meals out, mostly at a local bar, whose owner dispensers cryptic advice which Brick questions in his head, but never asks the guy about. The guy is totally 1 dimensional, sadly.

I just have to say that having a kidnapping of his friend & former partner’s babies & his wife was very emotional. They were having problems & there were lots of red herrings. It was too much emotional baggage from the husband who stayed with Brick. Then there was a thin, hard to buy resolution of that situation, which was three quarters of the book.

Finally, the other plot came into focus, but it was resolved in a very rushed manner. Plus the cop who’d just been through his kids & wife being kidnapped & was on his first day back to work, has to shoot the suspect to save his partner. It’s highly traumatic to him, but glossed over.

Instead, the author focuses on Brick having lunch with a fired colleague, (love interest?) then traveling to Chicago again. As he waits for his original love interest, he debates moving there & starting a new career. Then it’s over. Sounds like more of a hook for book 3.

This book felt like an ad for book 1, then a hook for book 3. I almost didn’t finish this book, so I won’t be reading either book. Guess I’ll never find out what caused Brick to quit his cop career, & why he was in Ireland. Oh well, no loss.

I don’t recommend this book.

[Melissa Ammons · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.
Brian Kavanagh (Brick to his friends) has found himself unemployed, so off to Ireland he goes to unwind and think. There, he meets Nora whom he later visits in Chicago, his home base being Washington, DC. Brick also finds comfort in visiting his local tavern, Boland’s Mill. Being unemployed in his forties, Brick doesn’t know what he’s going to do next until he gets a call from Grace Alexander, one of the teachers at the local university. She wants to teach her students how to work a cold case and the case of Henry Yang has caught her attention. She wanted Brick’s input due to his expertise. Brick finds out some very interesting things after he’s given permission to look into this cold case by his lieutenant.
Then, there is the story of his former partner, Ron, and his family (wife Jasmine and six-month-old twins, Jayla and Jamal). Imagine Ron’s surprise when he returns home after his shift and his family has disappeared. The usual suspects in such a case are suspected. Ron, of course, is beside himself and is forced into administrative leave, but he can’t rest and Brick manages to help him stay focused, even providing his own home as a sort of refuge to Ron. The twists and turns to this aspect of this book … totally unexpected. You’ll have to read the book to find out more.
If you like a story that has at least two intertwining stories, give Duplicity a read. I would categorize this as a police procedural with a couple of unexpected twists thrown in just to keep things interesting. There is even a wee bit of romance tossed in. I enjoyed Ms. Wilson’s writing style and look forward to seeing what she brings us in the future.

[T.G. Wolff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duplicity is a mystery, the kind I call a “follow along.” Brick Kavanagh is officially retired from the Washington DC police Homicide Squad. Unofficially, he’s got a few irons in the fire. The most promising is an airline stewardess named Nora that just might be worth relocating to Chicago. A potential paying gig, Brick is invited to mentor law students through a cold case in their own back yard. Then there is the thing that happens to his partner’s wife. For that, everything else can wait.

Bottom line: Duplicity is for you if you like appealing characters getting in the weeds of missing persons and cold case mysteries.

Strengths of the story. Brian “Brick” Kavanaugh is a strong leading character who you want to succeed. The secondary characters are equally engaging and, always a winner with me, I could keep them straight. The “missing person” and “cold case” storylines hold up front-to-back and then back-to-front. The rapid storytelling style is engaging and keeps you wanting to know what happens next.

Where the story fell short of ideal. While there were no plot holes, the main storyline pivoted to resolution on a coincidence, not Brick’s actions or deductions. Being a mystery fanatic, I look for the detectives to drive to the solution. In this case, he was more in the right place at the right time, which falls short of ideal for me. Notably, Brick does drive the solution of the secondary storyline. If it wasn’t for him sticking with what should have been a dead-end lead and pressing buttons marked “do not touch”, the status quo would have been sadly maintained.

[Tammy Lunsford - Escape to Books By Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always ready to try out a new author. So, the description of this book looked interesting, and I decided to give it a shot. Shawn Wilson is talented, and this book was enjoyable to read. It started out a little slow, but it eventually picked up steam, and got more interesting. There are two separate investigations that are going on in this story that are totally unrelated. However, some of the characters have an overlap as they investigate. One twist was inserted that I NEVER saw coming. The author did a good job of making you think one thing and then shocking you that it was not what you thought. I really liked Brick. However, the reference to the case that made him retire is referenced several times, but I do not feel I was given enough information about the case. This was the 2nd book about Brick, but it was my understanding you could read them as a standalone. I think we needed a little more background about Brick's past as a detective to more fully understand his need for retirement. This was a minor inconvenience for me. The book was still very good. The story flowed well, and I was completely hooked when I got about a quarter of the way through it. In my opinion the title of the book was well chosen because there is probably nowhere better to have deception hiding in the corners than in good old Washington, D.C. The mystery got more interesting as the book progressed. If you enjoy a mystery, you will like this one.

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian Kavanagh (preferring his nickname Brick) enjoyed visiting Ireland in the first 3 months of retirement, recovering after trauma from his last case as a homicide detective. Brick never anticipated that his time on return home to Washington, D.C., would include a job offer investigating a cold case and helping his former partner Ron Hayes through an almost unfathomable personal experience.

Moving beyond a police procedural, the storyline illustrates the complexities of life for a newly retired officer. It also simultaneously elucidates whether, in the official capacity of a job using law enforcement experience and in the case of his partner Ron Hayes, there is the drama and tension created by schedules when personal and professional priorities overlap and are competing priorities.

I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series even more than "Relentless." The short chapters assist in ratcheting the suspense and twists in the cases. I’m ready to read Book 3 whenever available.

A Publisher’s Note at the end of the novel shares, "The two novels stand on their own and can be read in any order." However, I hope readers will read this series in order, although the stories stand independently, to fully appreciate the character development of all the recurring characters, especially the thoughts, motivations, and actions of Brick and his former partner Ron Hayes.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duplicity is the second book in the Brick Kavanaugh series. Brick is a retired DC Detective, retired after only 20 years, so he's still a relatively young 42 year old. The book opens with him returning from a 3 month stay in Ireland to clear his mind after retiring. His aim now is to cone up with a job.

Brick ends up working on a cold case in DC, the death of a college co-ed who was the victim of a hit and run involving a driver with diplomatic immunity.

Then, Brick's old partner, Ron, has to deal with his wife and six month old twins disappearance. Brick wants to help his friend so there are now two cases he has to deal with.

I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships to each other. When Ron hands one of the twins to Brick to feed I could picture it so well, someone out of their element but happy to help. There are a couple women who may become love interests of Brick's, they are both interesting people who I wouldn't mind getting to know more. There is also a Police Lieutenant who has a great down to earth personality and brings out the best in the guys. My only regret in the book were the references to what had happened in the previous book that I have not read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review. I look forward to more books in this series!

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Duplicity is the second book in Brick Kavanagh series. Brick returns to Washington after taking break in Ireland from his last case. When he returns, he is asked to take a new job to train criminology students in cold case techniques. Saying he will think about it he asks for the case that want him to start with in order to be more familiar. He is invited to the baptism of a friend for the twins. He observes odd behaviors but files them away.

Brick then jets off to Chicago to get to know a flight attendant better. While in Chicago, there is a breaking report on tv about the mother and her twins being missing. Just happens to be his friend's family.

The majority of the book deals with the missing wife and twins, with Brick and the husband investigating and then circles back to the cold case. The book is fairly straight forward, a little wordy but enjoyable just the same. The writing style is a little different than what I usually read. I felt as if I was being led with a very detailed step by step of a day in the life. That may not have been the idea but that is how I felt.

I liked the story, and I would like to read the previous book. Once I got the rhythm of the writing style it felt easier to read and enjoy the story.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for an unbiased review.

[Gloria ~ mzglorybe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second offering by this author featuring Brick Kavanaugh, homicide detective in Washington DC. He is recently back from Ireland where he spent some time regrouping after an intense case in book 1: Relentless, a debut by the author. I loved book 1, as it was written quite well for a budding author and kept my interest throughout.

In this book 2, Brick's partner Ron needs his help finding his wife and kids as they seem to have disappeared with no trails, or were they kidnapped? His wife had just had babies (plural) and experiencing signs of postpartum depression.

I enjoyed this, but liked book 1 better, which moved along a bit faster. This seemed to lag for me getting started. I intend to keep on with the series, if any more are in our reading future, as I like the author's style, his interest in Pro-basebal, specifically the Nationals, and his sense of humor.

Happy to recommend, and thank the publishers via NetGalley for the complimentary ARC to read and review. Release date is coming up fast, 10-18-22. Much success is wished for Shawn Wilson.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brick Kavanagh, a recently retired detective from the D.C. police force, has been asked to look into a hit-and-run cold case. Meanwhile his ex-partner’s wife has disappeared, along with their infant twins.

While this is the second book in the series, I found it easy to read as a stand-alone. The characters are believable, the plot is well-done, and the conclusions are satisfactory. However, there is also a budding romance between Brick and a flight attendant that I didn’t find particularly interesting or germane to the story. it was more of a distraction than anything else.

Duplicity is an easy read, but a bit slow at times. Since the two investigations are unrelated it was a little disjointed in some parts and the cold case often took a backseat. But, all in all, it was an enjoyable read, with a sympathetic protagonist. I give it 3.5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brick is rebuilding his life after a forced retirement from his job as a homicide detective. He's met Nora, a flight attendant, and he's working on a cold case for a local professor. And then his old partner Rob calls- Rob's wife Jasmine and their twins have gone missing. How does a case involving diplomatic immunity and Rob's missing family mesh? No spoilers from me but this is a nicely done procedural that hits the trope-y elements of the wounded PI helping others. If I have a quibble its that there are multiple references to the case that led to Brick's retirement without any explanation of what actually happened. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC. A fast paced read with a few surprises.