Tag: Read

Book Review: The Mountain Man’s Badge by Gary Corbin

whatcathyreadnext

The Mountain Man's BadgeAbout the Book

Lehigh Carter never wanted to be sheriff. And he sure never wanted to arrest his new father-in-law for murder.

Mountain Man Lehigh Carter got talked into serving the unexpired term of disgraced long-time Mt. Hood County sheriff Buck Winters, hoping for a quiet nine months in office before the voters selected a new, permanent office-holder. But a few months into the job, poachers discover the body of Everett Downey, a sleazy local businessman, and the evidence points to Lehigh’s brand-new father-in-law, the once-powerful senator George McBride. To his chagrin and his new bride’s fury, Lehigh is forced to arrest George for the murder, and suddenly his happy marriage is on the rocks. Soon he’s living in a tent with only his two dogs for companionship.

While most people in Mt. Hood County appreciate Lehigh’s honesty and his willingness to fight the cronyism and corruption that have plagued Mt. Hood County law enforcement for decades, his desire for reform ruffles some important feathers. Lehigh finds himself fighting unseen enemies, determined to portray him as inept and more corrupt than his predecessor – even at the cost of protecting the integrity of the murder investigation. Even his own deputies seem intent on bringing back the old guard, and a series of evidence leaks put Lehigh’s reputation and ability to serve as sheriff in jeopardy.

Lehigh’s not a quitter, though, and with dogged persistence, begins to chip away at the investigation, discovering facts that don’t add up…and leads him to suspect why some of those most intent on removing him from office have reasons far more sinister than Lehigh’s reform agenda.  Can Lehigh uncover the truth behind Everett Downey’s murder without becoming the killer’s next victim?

Format: ebook (384 pp.)        Publisher: Double Diamond Publishing
Published: 20th June 2018     Genre: Crime, Mystery

Purchase Links*
Amazon.co.uk  ǀ  Amazon.com
*links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme

Find The Mountain Man’s Badge on Goodreads

My Review

The Mountain Man’s Badge is the third book in the author’s Mountain Man Mysteries series, following on from The Mountain Man’s Dog and The Mountain Man’s Bride. I haven’t read the earlier books but, on the strength of this one, they now have a place on my wish-list. Although this third instalment can be enjoyed as a standalone, it does mention events in the earlier books so for full enjoyment I would recommend reading the series from the beginning.

The first chapter, set at a political fundraiser for interim Sheriff Lehigh Carter, allows the author to introduce key characters and reference events from the first two books in the series.   It’s soon clear that Lehigh has influential relatives, chiefly his father-in-law George McBride, but also some potentially powerful enemies. As events unfold, the reader learns that Mt. Hood County is a place of vested interests, corruption and score-settling.

The author does a great job of conveying the atmosphere of a small town, albeit one that seems overrun with greasy spoon diners, sleazy strip clubs and dingy sports bars. Furthermore, in this ‘small pond’ there are ‘big fish’ who believe they run the show, that they always will and who will stop at nothing – and I mean nothing – to cling on to their power and influence.

You can imagine how they feel about Lehigh‘s appointment as interim Sheriff. He’s honourable, decent and determined to root out the cronyism that has infected the office of Sheriff in the past. As he says early on in the book: ‘I’m gonna fix this place or get run out of town trying.’   This is despite the fact that he’s feels thrust into a role for which he is ill-equipped. What makes Lehigh such a likeable character is the fact that he does make a few rookie mistakes but he never loses his sense of what’s right, even if that means risking his marriage to bride of two years, Stacy.  It has to be said however that he goes through a few ‘long dark nights of the soul’ wondering if he’s doing the right thing.

As the investigation into the murder of local businessman Everett Downey progresses, readers may well begin to have their own suspicions about who is the true culprit but it transpires that getting the necessary proof is fraught with danger, for Lehigh in particular.  There are those involved who aren’t afraid to fight back, even if this means going outside the law or sacrificing others to keep themselves safe.  It also becomes clear that Lehigh cannot necessarily trust everyone around him.  The tension builds to a dramatic conclusion during which Lehigh comes to the surprising (to him) realisation that he has more support than he thought.

The author is a scriptwriter and this certainly shows when it comes to the dialogue in the book which is realistic, sharp and full of humour. It’s how real people talk to each other over coffee and a donut. I really enjoyed The Mountain Man’s Badge; it’s an engaging and well-crafted crime mystery with a likeable protagonist and which tackles that universal theme of the good guy fighting largely single-handed against the bad guys.

I received a review copy courtesy of the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

In three words: Entertaining, suspenseful, mystery

Try something similar…Poor Boy Road by James L. Weaver (read my review here)

GaryCorbinAbout the Author

Gary Corbin is a writer, actor, and playwright in Camas, WA, a suburb of Portland, OR.  An award-winning playwright, several of his plays have been produced in the Portland, OR area, some of them multiple times. In addition to his own scripts, Gary writes, ghost-writes, and edits scripts. He specializes in tight, realistic dialogue involving sharply drawn, interesting characters in complex relationships.  Gary is a member of PDX Playwrights, the Portland Area Theater Alliance, the Willamette Writers Group and the Bar Noir Writers Workshop, and participates in workshops and conferences in the Portland, Oregon area.

A homebrewer as well as a maker of wine, mead, cider, and soft drinks, Gary is a member of the Oregon Brew Crew and a BJCP National Beer Judge. He loves to ski, cook, and garden, and hopes someday to train his dogs to obey. And when that doesn’t work, there’s always Renegade’s Paradise.

Connect with Gary

Website  ǀ Twitter  ǀ  Goodreads

WWW Wednesdays 20th June ‘18

whatcathyreadnext12 Comments

 

WWWWednesdays

Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, this meme is all about the three Ws:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

Why not join in too?  Leave a comment with your link at Taking on a World of Words and then go blog hopping!

Currently reading

GraceGrace by Paul Lynch (ebook)

Early one October morning, Grace’s mother snatches her from sleep and brutally cuts off her hair, declaring, ‘You are the strong one now.’ With winter close at hand and Ireland already suffering, Grace is no longer safe at home. And so her mother outfits her in men’s clothing and casts her out. When her younger brother Colly follows after her, the two set off on a remarkable journey in the looming shadow of their country’s darkest hour.

The broken land they pass through reveals untold suffering as well as unexpected beauty. To survive, Grace must become a boy, a bandit, a penitent and, finally, a woman – all the while afflicted by inner voices that arise out of what she has seen and what she has lost.

TheKing'sDaughterThe King’s Daughter by Stephanie Churchill (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

In this gripping sequel to The Scribe’s Daughter, a young woman finds herself unwittingly caught up in a maelstrom of power, intrigue, and shifting perceptions, where the line between ally and enemy is subtle, and the fragile facade of reality is easily broken.

Irisa’s parents are dead and her younger sister Kassia is away on a journey when the sisters’ mysterious customer returns, urging Irisa to leave with him before disaster strikes. Can she trust him to keep her safe? How much does he know about the fate of her father? Only a voyage across the Eastmor Ocean to the land of her ancestors will reveal the truth about her family’s disturbing past. Once there, Irisa steps into a future she has unknowingly been prepared for since childhood, but what she discovers is far more sinister than she could have ever imagined. Will she have the courage to claim her inheritance for her own?

Recently finished (click on title for review)

TThe Poison Bedhe Poison Bed by E. C. Fremantle (eARC, NetGalley)

A king, his lover and his lover’s wife. One is a killer.

In the autumn of 1615 scandal rocks the Jacobean court when a celebrated couple are imprisoned on suspicion of murder. She is young, captivating and from a notorious family. He is one of the richest and most powerful men in the kingdom.

Some believe she is innocent; others think her wicked or insane. He claims no knowledge of the murder. The king suspects them both, though it is his secret at stake.

Who is telling the truth? Who has the most to lose? And who is willing to commit murder?

The Mountain Man's BadgeThe Mountain Man’s Badge by Gary Corbin (ebook, review copy courtesy of the author)

Lehigh Carter never wanted to be sheriff. And he sure never wanted to arrest his new father-in-law for murder.

Mountain Man Lehigh Carter got talked into serving the unexpired term of disgraced long-time Mt. Hood County sheriff Buck Winters, hoping for a quiet nine months in office before the voters selected a new, permanent office-holder. But a few months into the job, poachers discover the body of Everett Downey, a sleazy local businessman, and the evidence points to Lehigh’s brand-new father-in-law, the once-powerful senator George McBride. To his chagrin and his new bride’s fury, Lehigh is forced to arrest George for the murder, and suddenly his happy marriage is on the rocks. Soon he’s living in a tent with only his two dogs for companionship.

While most people in Mt. Hood County appreciate Lehigh’s honesty and his willingness to fight the cronyism and corruption that have plagued Mt. Hood County law enforcement for decades, his desire for reform ruffles some important feathers. Lehigh finds himself fighting unseen enemies, determined to portray him as inept and more corrupt than his predecessor – even at the cost of protecting the integrity of the murder investigation. Even his own deputies seem intent on bringing back the old guard, and a series of evidence leaks put Lehigh’s reputation and ability to serve as sheriff in jeopardy.

Lehigh’s not a quitter, though, and with dogged persistence, begins to chip away at the investigation, discovering facts that don’t add up…and leads him to suspect why some of those most intent on removing him from office have reasons far more sinister than Lehigh’s reform agenda.  Can Lehigh uncover the truth behind Everett Downey’s murder without becoming the killer’s next victim? (Review to follow)

What Cathy (will) Read Next

Old BaggageOld Baggage by Lissa Evans (eARC, NetGalley)

What do you do next, after you’ve changed the world?

It is 1928. Matilda Simpkin, rooting through a cupboard, comes across a small wooden club – an old possession of hers, unseen for more than a decade.

Mattie is a woman with a thrilling past and a chafingly uneventful present. During the Women’s Suffrage Campaign she was a militant. Jailed five times, she marched, sang, gave speeches, smashed windows and heckled Winston Churchill, and nothing – nothing – since then has had the same depth, the same excitement.

Now in middle age, she is still looking for a fresh mould into which to pour her energies. Giving the wooden club a thoughtful twirl, she is struck by an idea – but what starts as a brilliantly idealistic plan is derailed by a connection with Mattie’s militant past, one which begins to threaten every principle that she stands for.

Darkest HourDarkest Hour by Anthony McCarten (paperback)

May, 1940. Britain is at war, European democracies are falling rapidly and the public are unaware of this dangerous new world. Just days after his unlikely succession to Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, faces this horror – and a sceptical King and a party plotting against him. He wonders how he can capture the public mood and does so, magnificently, before leading the country to victory.

It is this fascinating period that Anthony McCarten captures in this deeply researched, gripping day-by-day (and often hour-by-hour) narrative. In doing so he revises the familiar view of Churchill – he made himself into the iconic figure we remember and changed the course of history, but through those turbulent and dangerous weeks he was plagued by doubt, and even explored a peace treaty with Nazi Germany. It’s a scarier, and more human story, than has ever been told.