M J Mallon YA Author and Poet

Synopsis

Trevor Barcroft enlists the help of crime and mystery writer Brody Thompson to help solve his father’s murder — a murder the police and the FBI have been ignoring for five years. Trevor is convinced he knows who killed his father. Brody doesn’t agree, but he becomes convinced that there is much more to the story than anyone is sharing. He takes a strong interest in the murder and a series of related crimes.Rascal Todd wants to help, but her editor keeps her away from the story. Why? What was Wilson Barcroft doing at Gateway Park the night he was killed? Who is the mysterious Poet? What do the odd bits of poetry he has spread around tell us? Is the Poet still alive? Will he survive? Will Brody and Trevor find the answers—will they survive?Join Rascal and her friends and coworkers as they try to help from the sidelines without becoming targets in an ever-growing list of deadly crimes. Real life turns out to be far more dangerous than any fiction Brody could create as the history of a war long over comes back to haunt the city of Pittsburgh.Consistent with previous books by this author, this is a character-driven story with an ensemble cast. Some characters will be familiar to readers of Antion’s other novels. Some are new faces that you might just come to love. The addition of poetry by Willow Willers provides an interesting mechanism driving this story forward, and driving Brody Thomson into dangerous territory.

Book Review

This was a different read from Dan Antion and Willow Willers which caught my attention due to the connections and references to Vietnam, and its veterans and drugs and homelessness.

My favourite characters are Brody, an author turned sleuth and The Poet who has been hiding in fear for years, ( the poetry penned by Willow Willers in this book is an added bonus, and works well.)

The plot idea is intriging: Brody sets out to find out out why was Trevor’s father (who served in Vietnam) killed? Was he silenced? And why did a murderer try to kill his son Trevor too?

And what is Trevor’s mum doing in a care home?

What’s going on?  Is it a hush up?  What’s really happening?

There are revelations, and threats too.

Brody’s quest to find the truth brings gritty real life drama with him in potential danger!

Things to note:
The violence and threats tend to be non-graphic in nature with the story being told as if through the eyes of a storyteller. So if you like blood and gore this is not for you. It’s what I’d call a thoughtful rather than a tense read.

A lot of the storytelling scenes occur in meetings in cafes with tempting food,  newspaper offices, or in the care home, all of which give clues to the investigation, as the plot progresses to its conclusion where all is revealed!

Recommended for readers who enjoy tales with a human interest/Vietnam mystery/sleuthing aspect.

Buy Link:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poetic-Justice-Mystery-Featuring-Thompson-ebook/dp/B0FBLH5YKB