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Ebook318 pages4 hours
Combustion
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
"A page-turner with a kicker at the end—you can’t ask for anything better. Intricately plotted and full of character, this one is a great ride that burns with the intensity of a California wildfire."—Michael Connelly, #1 New York Times bestseller
The dry season has hit the Inland Empire of California, depleting the ponds and revealing the muddy grave of Paul Dwyer. From his mansion on the hill, Dwyer lorded over Los Colmas, a small town that he aspired to make big by building mansions for wealthy LA commuters. Some viewed him as a savior, providing construction jobs for locals. Others believed he was ruining their beautiful, close-knit town. But who was angry enough to murder him?
Local cop Ron Starke is overwhelmed by the list of suspects and plagued by a difficult captain who is demanding results. Starke investigates Paul Dwyer's dirty money and handshake deals gone wrong, but the name at the top of the suspect list is the most intriguing, and chilling.
The developer wasn't the only one with secrets; his widow Shelby has kept her own for decades, none more harrowing than the horrific abuse she and her daughter endured at the hands of Dwyer. And none more volatile than what she knows but must hide about Paul's murder.
As the season’s wildfires intensify to historic levels and surge towards Los Colmas, Starke must discover who killed Dwyer before all the evidence burnsand the whole town is erased.
"Combustion is exactly what I love in a mystery—fast as a bullet and bristling with suspense. Part Hitchcock, part 'Law and Order,' all terrific."—T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author of The Room of White Fire
The dry season has hit the Inland Empire of California, depleting the ponds and revealing the muddy grave of Paul Dwyer. From his mansion on the hill, Dwyer lorded over Los Colmas, a small town that he aspired to make big by building mansions for wealthy LA commuters. Some viewed him as a savior, providing construction jobs for locals. Others believed he was ruining their beautiful, close-knit town. But who was angry enough to murder him?
Local cop Ron Starke is overwhelmed by the list of suspects and plagued by a difficult captain who is demanding results. Starke investigates Paul Dwyer's dirty money and handshake deals gone wrong, but the name at the top of the suspect list is the most intriguing, and chilling.
The developer wasn't the only one with secrets; his widow Shelby has kept her own for decades, none more harrowing than the horrific abuse she and her daughter endured at the hands of Dwyer. And none more volatile than what she knows but must hide about Paul's murder.
As the season’s wildfires intensify to historic levels and surge towards Los Colmas, Starke must discover who killed Dwyer before all the evidence burnsand the whole town is erased.
"Combustion is exactly what I love in a mystery—fast as a bullet and bristling with suspense. Part Hitchcock, part 'Law and Order,' all terrific."—T. Jefferson Parker, New York Times bestselling author of The Room of White Fire
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Author
Martin J. Smith
Martin J. Smith is editor-in-chief of Orange Coast monthly magazine and a former senior editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine. He is author of several mystery novels and his nonfiction books include include Oops: 20 Life Lessons From the Fiascoes That Shaped America (with co-author Patrick J. Kiger) and Poplorica.
Read more from Martin J. Smith
The Wild Duck Chase: Inside the Strange and Wonderful World of the Federal Duck Stamp Contest Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Time Release Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Combustion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Corey Village and the Cayuga World: Implications from Archaeology and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for Combustion
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
8 ratings4 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Set against the backdrop of a developing wildfire in a fictional small Californian town, detective Ron Starke has to find the murderer of Paul Dwyer, a local property developer, whose tortured body is discovered weeks after he was reported missing by his wife Shelby. Shared history between Starke and the widow, and a strained working relationship with his new boss, Donna Kerrigan, don't make life any easier for Starke as the list of suspects in the murder investigation keeps growing.This was quite a quick read, but nevertheless provided solid character development and intricate plotting as the writing was to the point without any unnecessary padding. Additionally, the very short chapters kept persuading me to read 'just one more'. Starke's relationship with his father who has early-onset Alzheimer's and his dealings with a young computer expert who helps him along in the investigation made Ron Starke a very likable character who I would love to see in future books. The plot was really intriguing as the reader was led down various paths for potential explanations why anybody would want a seemingly charitable businessman, husband, and father dead. A very enjoyable read which was fast-paced and with a few nice twists. I would definitely read more books by this author who was new to me.The publisher, Diversion Books, invited me to read this book and provided a free copy. This is my unbiased and honest review.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a very good suspense novel. I had some trouble liking any of the characters except Starke. There were many twists and turns in here. I did not expect the ending and I really thought it was good. I received a copy of this ebook from Diversion for a fair and honest opinion.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5I guess it’s some kind of progress to see the growth in the number of crime novels and television series that give hardworking male police detectives a woman boss. And, perhaps it reflects even more progress that these female supervisors are allowed to have flaws, unlike the ever-understanding “Ma’am” in the Inspector Lewis shows. In Martin J. Smith’s new police procedural, Detective Ron Starke works for the police department in the city of Los Colmas, in giant San Bernardino County, California’s Inland Empire. His new chief—grabbing a job he expected would be his—is Donna Kerrigan, recently divorced from a rich husband and an inveterate micromanager, who Starke thinks has “the people skills of a rattlesnake.”Starke is a likeable detective, diligently trying to unravel what befell wealthy property developer Paul Dwyer. Dwyer’s body was found at the bottom of a rapidly evaporating pond adjacent to his most recent upscale housing development. He had a bullet in his brain and evidence suggested he’d been tortured. Starke has a history with the widowed Mrs. Dwyer, the magnate’s second wife, that goes back to high school and a brief romance.When he interviews Shelby Dwyer and her daughter Chloe in their magnificent home, it’s quite a contrast to his down-market residence above the Suds-Your-Duds laundromat. Any number of people turn up as serviceable murder suspects. In fact, there may be too large a stack of possibilities, because the motives of them all can’t be developed to the extent that would make them truly credible.There’s even a whiff of DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) concern about money-laundering for the Sinaloa drug cartel. This possibility prompted a couple of authorial essays about how the cartels work—interesting stuff that you might want to know about, but not necessary to the plot of this book, especially since that line of inquiry soon evaporates like the water in Dwyer’s containment pond.Because this is a multiple point-of-view novel, you know things Starke does not. You know Shelby has sought relief from her unhappy marriage online, establishing a chatroom relationship with someone who calls himself LoveSick—ever supportive, ever kind, ever romantic. But who is he, really? Shelby has every urgent 21st century reason for wanting to know. I especially enjoyed Smith’s descriptions of the computer geeks Starke eventually deals with, as he tracks down Shelby’s missing hard drive. Those guys were entertainingly totally on their own wavelength—broadband, of course.The blind forces of nature help bring matters to a head. A massive wildfire, driven by the Santa Ana winds, is bearing down on Los Colmas and the Dwyer development. In the middle of that fiery maelstrom, Smith’s protagonists face their ultimate challenges. The fire proves unequivocally that, no matter how “in control” you think you are, some things are beyond you. I wish the author hadn’t overstuffed the narrative with tantalizing suspects and a couple of brief, early scenes with Starke’s ailing father, in care because of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He was an interesting character and that was a relationship worth developing. Sequels?
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I received a free advance e-copy of this book by invitation from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Be careful what you wish for. This is a suspense filled, dark psychological thriller that is full of twists and turns. The action never stops. I couldn’t put it down. A body is found in a pond that is drying up. The victim is a missing person that has been murdered. The senior detective has to deal with a difficult police chief while investigating the crime. Martin J. Smith adds more drama to the story with an approaching out of control wildfire that may destroy the entire city and a real twist at the end when the identity of the killer is revealed. ‘Combustion’ is an intense and well-written novel with an amazing plot. The characters are well developed. This is a keeper and well worth the read. I look forward to reading more from Martin J. Smith.