What do you think?
Rate this book
Whiskey Point: A Jody Brae Mystery
Boston, 1966. Someone is killing Korean War veterans and Detective Jody Brae might know why.
Of all his regrets in life, Jody Brae wished he hadn’t lost touch with his best friend Al Russo. They grew up in the slums of Boston during the Depression—enlisted in the Marines and fought together in Korea. As boys, they were like brothers, but the War changed them and they drifted apart.
Now a detective with the Boston Police, Brae has put those dark years behind him, finally finding in his girlfriend Ruth the love and stability he never had growing up. But after they return from a trip to Ireland, he is shocked to learn that Al Russo has been murdered. Brae has no time to grieve because days later a body is found under a bridge, then another in an alleyway. Not only are they all veterans, but they are all men from his old platoon who were in town for a reunion.
As the killings continue, Brae discovers a secret from the War which might explain why. And while he wants to get justice for Al Russo, he also wants to protect Ruth from the horrors of his past. The question can he do both?
Set in the gritty world of 1960’s Boston, Whiskey Point is a story about friendship, loyalty and the cost of forgetting. Under tough circumstances, we all ignore things we shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen.
"Gripping. Atmospheric. And hard as nails." — Colin Campbell, author of Beacon Hill and Snake Pass
Of all his regrets in life, Jody Brae wished he hadn’t lost touch with his best friend Al Russo. They grew up in the slums of Boston during the Depression—enlisted in the Marines and fought together in Korea. As boys, they were like brothers, but the War changed them and they drifted apart.
Now a detective with the Boston Police, Brae has put those dark years behind him, finally finding in his girlfriend Ruth the love and stability he never had growing up. But after they return from a trip to Ireland, he is shocked to learn that Al Russo has been murdered. Brae has no time to grieve because days later a body is found under a bridge, then another in an alleyway. Not only are they all veterans, but they are all men from his old platoon who were in town for a reunion.
As the killings continue, Brae discovers a secret from the War which might explain why. And while he wants to get justice for Al Russo, he also wants to protect Ruth from the horrors of his past. The question can he do both?
Set in the gritty world of 1960’s Boston, Whiskey Point is a story about friendship, loyalty and the cost of forgetting. Under tough circumstances, we all ignore things we shouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t happen.
"Gripping. Atmospheric. And hard as nails." — Colin Campbell, author of Beacon Hill and Snake Pass
298 pages, Hardcover
Published October 17, 2022
340 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 6, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I spent 4 years of college in Quincy, MA, which is not very far from the setting of this book. The plot was believable and was able to communicate without gratuitous blood and gore. I appreciate that since I do most of my reading at bedtime.
The characters were interesting and well developed. And I was glad that I found this little gem.
Here is my favorite quote:
"Like all soldiers, Kemp was haunted by the things he had seen and done and didn’t do, and a cruel irony of war was that just because you survived didn’t mean you could go on living."
The characters were interesting and well developed. And I was glad that I found this little gem.
Here is my favorite quote:
"Like all soldiers, Kemp was haunted by the things he had seen and done and didn’t do, and a cruel irony of war was that just because you survived didn’t mean you could go on living."
February 2, 2023
Solid crime thriller.
Jody Brae has to confront the memories of his tough childhood and the long-buried horrors of his deployment in Korea to identify the serial killer of Korean veterans gathering for a unit reunion.
The story switches from present to past and back again as we follow Brae on his gruesome journey of discovery. Jody is a likeable character - his partner even more so. Boston past and present are easy to visualise through their well drawn descriptions.
The reveal and ending are fairly predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.
Jody Brae has to confront the memories of his tough childhood and the long-buried horrors of his deployment in Korea to identify the serial killer of Korean veterans gathering for a unit reunion.
The story switches from present to past and back again as we follow Brae on his gruesome journey of discovery. Jody is a likeable character - his partner even more so. Boston past and present are easy to visualise through their well drawn descriptions.
The reveal and ending are fairly predictable but enjoyable nonetheless.
February 6, 2021
Author Jonathan Cullen in his novel "Whiskey Point" tells the story of a Korean War veteran turned Boston homicide detective who is drawn into the hunt for a serial killer targeting former members of a Marine squadron attending a reunion in Boston. Full of battlefield flashbacks, the story builds in suspense as each murder is discovered. Well written but with a few plot missteps, "Whiskey Point" is an interesting and easy read.
February 10, 2021
Life
I liked this book, the war was a terrible event for all especially for the soldiers who survived, there are always going to be the bully’s, the ones that step over the line, and then there are always going to those that participate and suffer. Booze and drugs, does people in when they can’t live in a society that no longer supports them. Liked the ending and I like the fact that blacks and white can and do work together and can save each other.
I liked this book, the war was a terrible event for all especially for the soldiers who survived, there are always going to be the bully’s, the ones that step over the line, and then there are always going to those that participate and suffer. Booze and drugs, does people in when they can’t live in a society that no longer supports them. Liked the ending and I like the fact that blacks and white can and do work together and can save each other.
Read
February 7, 2021Good book
Highlight emotional turmoil of veterans.Many were scared by war.some did not get acknowledgement for what they did.also the atrocities committed against innocent populations
Highlight emotional turmoil of veterans.Many were scared by war.some did not get acknowledgement for what they did.also the atrocities committed against innocent populations
May 18, 2019
What a strongly evocative book! So many emotions while reading it - well written and absorbing.
I loved the characters, I loved the development and powerful punch the story delivered.
Lately, a lot of books just fall short and become tedious to read (so I don't finish them). But this was a real grabber, so skillfully put together I will not soon forget it or the emotions I felt reading it.
Wow. Thanks for this, what a gift.
I loved the characters, I loved the development and powerful punch the story delivered.
Lately, a lot of books just fall short and become tedious to read (so I don't finish them). But this was a real grabber, so skillfully put together I will not soon forget it or the emotions I felt reading it.
Wow. Thanks for this, what a gift.
November 14, 2025
Whisky Point
A pretty good murder story.
Soldiers from the same Platoon who fought in Korea are being picked off one at a time. Jody is now a detective and it’s his old Platoon.
A pretty good murder story.
Soldiers from the same Platoon who fought in Korea are being picked off one at a time. Jody is now a detective and it’s his old Platoon.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews