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Colleen Hayes #4
Line of Darkness
Post-war darkness may be the darkest of them all—Nazi-hunters reach deep into 1979 San Francisco
When a German businesswoman in 1979 San Francisco hires ex-con PI Colleen Hayes to find a missing relative, supposedly in town to visit, she thinks it’s a simple job. But she soon discovers that the “nephew” is linked to an international vigilante group hunting down ex-Nazis. Then the body of a mysterious woman turns up on San Francisco’s Municipal Railway, mirroring a murder committed the week before in Buenos Aires where the “nephew” had just been.
Colleen’s search uncovers a World War II banknote and the 1942 SS ID of a German officer long thought dead. When Colleen fails to heed warnings to stop her investigation, her pregnant daughter is attacked.
The so-called nephew is nowhere to be found. The German businesswoman has fled town. Colleen’s search leads her to Italy where the infamous Vatican Ratlines helped escaped ex-Nazis forge new identities around the globe. Deep in the Italian Alps, she uncovers a secret project hatched in a concentration camp. Colleen has no choice but to push ahead if the killing is to stop and justice prevail.
Perfect for fans of historical and international thrillers
When a German businesswoman in 1979 San Francisco hires ex-con PI Colleen Hayes to find a missing relative, supposedly in town to visit, she thinks it’s a simple job. But she soon discovers that the “nephew” is linked to an international vigilante group hunting down ex-Nazis. Then the body of a mysterious woman turns up on San Francisco’s Municipal Railway, mirroring a murder committed the week before in Buenos Aires where the “nephew” had just been.
Colleen’s search uncovers a World War II banknote and the 1942 SS ID of a German officer long thought dead. When Colleen fails to heed warnings to stop her investigation, her pregnant daughter is attacked.
The so-called nephew is nowhere to be found. The German businesswoman has fled town. Colleen’s search leads her to Italy where the infamous Vatican Ratlines helped escaped ex-Nazis forge new identities around the globe. Deep in the Italian Alps, she uncovers a secret project hatched in a concentration camp. Colleen has no choice but to push ahead if the killing is to stop and justice prevail.
Perfect for fans of historical and international thrillers
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 16, 2022
About the author
Max Tomlinson
13 books192 followersBorn in the wilds of San Francisco, with its rich literary history and public transport system teeming with potential characters suitable for crime novels, it was inevitable that Max Tomlinson would become a writer.
He is also kindred spirits with a dog named Floyd, a shelter-mix who stops and stares at headlights as they pass by at night. There's a story there, too. If only Floyd could talk. Then again, maybe not.
His work to date includes SENDERO (listed as one of the top 100 Indie novels of 2012 by Kirkus), WHO SINGS TO THE DEAD, LETHAL DISPATCH, THE CAIN FILE (selected by Amazon’s Kindle Scout program) and the follow-up – THE DARKNET FILE. A new three-book mystery series set in 1970s San Francisco debuted in 2019 with Oceanview Publishing. The first book, VANISHING IN THE HAIGHT, features ex-con Colleen Hayes, on the hunt for her long-lost daughter. TIE DIE, book #2, releases August 2020.
Max also writes under the pen name “Max Radin” when he’s not being purely mysterious or suspenseful. Check out ROCK 'N' ROLL VAMPIRE for his comedy debut.
He is also kindred spirits with a dog named Floyd, a shelter-mix who stops and stares at headlights as they pass by at night. There's a story there, too. If only Floyd could talk. Then again, maybe not.
His work to date includes SENDERO (listed as one of the top 100 Indie novels of 2012 by Kirkus), WHO SINGS TO THE DEAD, LETHAL DISPATCH, THE CAIN FILE (selected by Amazon’s Kindle Scout program) and the follow-up – THE DARKNET FILE. A new three-book mystery series set in 1970s San Francisco debuted in 2019 with Oceanview Publishing. The first book, VANISHING IN THE HAIGHT, features ex-con Colleen Hayes, on the hunt for her long-lost daughter. TIE DIE, book #2, releases August 2020.
Max also writes under the pen name “Max Radin” when he’s not being purely mysterious or suspenseful. Check out ROCK 'N' ROLL VAMPIRE for his comedy debut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 21, 2023
Line of Darkness Colleen Hayes #4
by Max Tomlinson
It's 1979 and Colleen's life is jam packed with moving into a dockside office, navigating the minefield of a surly, needy, eight month pregnant daughter, doing her PI work, and trying to fit in time to spend with her guy. When her PI business, which just employs her and under the table part time employee Boomer, a college going ex vet, takes on a missing persons job for a German business woman, Colleen gets the job done. But she's very suspicious about several things concerning the woman and her missing "nephew".
Turns out the body of a murdered woman, a huge case that Colleen had been involved in but has been ordered to stay away, and this German woman/nephew case could be connected. Being fresh out of prison you would think that Colleen wouldn't be able to get so much done in just about a year but she is as savvy as they come. And, by the way, you don't tell Colleen to stay out of anything because she'll be all in it in a blink of an eye. That's if she isn't already in it up to her eyebrows.
While there is a lot of ground work, paperwork. boring sitting in a car watching and trying not to fall asleep work, there is also international travel, and lots of action. Colleen is tough and not to be underestimated and her daughter takes after her. If Colleen's daughter ever gets over her sullen grumps (she kind of has good reasons), they could make a good team someday.
Pub Aug 16 2022
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley/Edelweiss for this ARC.
by Max Tomlinson
It's 1979 and Colleen's life is jam packed with moving into a dockside office, navigating the minefield of a surly, needy, eight month pregnant daughter, doing her PI work, and trying to fit in time to spend with her guy. When her PI business, which just employs her and under the table part time employee Boomer, a college going ex vet, takes on a missing persons job for a German business woman, Colleen gets the job done. But she's very suspicious about several things concerning the woman and her missing "nephew".
Turns out the body of a murdered woman, a huge case that Colleen had been involved in but has been ordered to stay away, and this German woman/nephew case could be connected. Being fresh out of prison you would think that Colleen wouldn't be able to get so much done in just about a year but she is as savvy as they come. And, by the way, you don't tell Colleen to stay out of anything because she'll be all in it in a blink of an eye. That's if she isn't already in it up to her eyebrows.
While there is a lot of ground work, paperwork. boring sitting in a car watching and trying not to fall asleep work, there is also international travel, and lots of action. Colleen is tough and not to be underestimated and her daughter takes after her. If Colleen's daughter ever gets over her sullen grumps (she kind of has good reasons), they could make a good team someday.
Pub Aug 16 2022
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley/Edelweiss for this ARC.
August 2, 2022
My favorite 70’s PI, Colleen Hayes, is back and better than ever in a truly dark mystery!
The year is 1979, and ex-con Colleen is still in the process of obtaining her PI license. Unfortunately, the issuers of a private investigator license don’t take kindly to convicted felons…even though Colleen had a noble reason for committing murder 10 years earlier. The lack of license doesn’t stop Colleen though.
She has just rented a small office for her business, Hayes Confidential, when she is approached by a German woman named Ingrid, who needs help looking for her supposed nephew. Colleen not only finds Ingrid’s nephew, but also finds out that he’s part of a group that hunts down former Nazis.
While Colleen uncovers more clues, she finds herself threatened by a neo-Nazi group who tell her to stop digging. When she refuses to stop, they attack Colleen’s pregnant daughter. Little do they know that you do NOT want to mess with Colleen. Now she’s pissed and ready to fight back and uncover whatever the heck is going on.
Colleen’s search takes her from the streets of San Francisco to the ledged roads of Rome, where she discovers her case has ties to 1942 and concentration camps. What follows is a dark and twisted story as Colleen sets out to right wrong, fight for justice…and fight to stay alive.
This is the 4th novel in the Colleen Hayes series, and it is the best (along with book #1). It’s also the darkest. The mystery is complex and twisted…not to mention heartbreaking as the novel goes back and forth from “present day” 1979 to 1942 and those who were imprisoned and killed in the concentration camps.
What I appreciate about these novels is that even though they are part historical fiction, author Max Tomlinson bases them in truth. There are certain situations that actually occurred, as he points out in his riveting author’s note at the end.
I was surprised by how “dangerous” the tone in this book felt. Not that any of the previous books are light and fluffy, but using the Nazi/neo-Nazi storyline really gave a chill to the bone and went deep. Luckily, Colleen is still a badass, and her snarky attitude and one-liners manage to keep an even balance.
I highly recommend this series to those who love strong, badass main characters and are looking to read something a bit different. I love detective books that take place before cell phones and GPS, making things harder to crack. If that sounds like something you’d like, go ahead and start with book #1, Vanishing In The Haight. In the meantime, I eagerly await Colleen’s next case.
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/16/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
The year is 1979, and ex-con Colleen is still in the process of obtaining her PI license. Unfortunately, the issuers of a private investigator license don’t take kindly to convicted felons…even though Colleen had a noble reason for committing murder 10 years earlier. The lack of license doesn’t stop Colleen though.
She has just rented a small office for her business, Hayes Confidential, when she is approached by a German woman named Ingrid, who needs help looking for her supposed nephew. Colleen not only finds Ingrid’s nephew, but also finds out that he’s part of a group that hunts down former Nazis.
While Colleen uncovers more clues, she finds herself threatened by a neo-Nazi group who tell her to stop digging. When she refuses to stop, they attack Colleen’s pregnant daughter. Little do they know that you do NOT want to mess with Colleen. Now she’s pissed and ready to fight back and uncover whatever the heck is going on.
Colleen’s search takes her from the streets of San Francisco to the ledged roads of Rome, where she discovers her case has ties to 1942 and concentration camps. What follows is a dark and twisted story as Colleen sets out to right wrong, fight for justice…and fight to stay alive.
This is the 4th novel in the Colleen Hayes series, and it is the best (along with book #1). It’s also the darkest. The mystery is complex and twisted…not to mention heartbreaking as the novel goes back and forth from “present day” 1979 to 1942 and those who were imprisoned and killed in the concentration camps.
What I appreciate about these novels is that even though they are part historical fiction, author Max Tomlinson bases them in truth. There are certain situations that actually occurred, as he points out in his riveting author’s note at the end.
I was surprised by how “dangerous” the tone in this book felt. Not that any of the previous books are light and fluffy, but using the Nazi/neo-Nazi storyline really gave a chill to the bone and went deep. Luckily, Colleen is still a badass, and her snarky attitude and one-liners manage to keep an even balance.
I highly recommend this series to those who love strong, badass main characters and are looking to read something a bit different. I love detective books that take place before cell phones and GPS, making things harder to crack. If that sounds like something you’d like, go ahead and start with book #1, Vanishing In The Haight. In the meantime, I eagerly await Colleen’s next case.
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and Edelweiss for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/16/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
July 28, 2022
I should pay more attention to a book's description. And the description for Line of Darkness is a prime example of my inattentiveness.
In the description for Line of Darkness, it clearly indicates tht the main protagonist is an ex-con PI. Obviously, I overlooked this fact when I started reading the novel. Then at the 17% point, it became clear that Colleen Hayes was an ex-con that was released from prison a year before. Okay, let's overlook that Colleen is a ex-con PI even though that's probably a stretch. But then, it's revealed that Colleen is not a licensed PI because of her status as a felon. Well, that became a stretch of the imagination because how can an ex-con even become an PI and is not licensed to practice private investigations. But the clincher was when it is revealed that Colleen was on parole and was carrying a firearm which is a parole violation. At that point, it was a no go.
While I do enjoy detective/crime mysteries, Line of Darkness was just too unbelievable. If it wasn't for the ex-con part, it probably would have made for a better narrative. Too bad. One unfortunate star.
I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
In the description for Line of Darkness, it clearly indicates tht the main protagonist is an ex-con PI. Obviously, I overlooked this fact when I started reading the novel. Then at the 17% point, it became clear that Colleen Hayes was an ex-con that was released from prison a year before. Okay, let's overlook that Colleen is a ex-con PI even though that's probably a stretch. But then, it's revealed that Colleen is not a licensed PI because of her status as a felon. Well, that became a stretch of the imagination because how can an ex-con even become an PI and is not licensed to practice private investigations. But the clincher was when it is revealed that Colleen was on parole and was carrying a firearm which is a parole violation. At that point, it was a no go.
While I do enjoy detective/crime mysteries, Line of Darkness was just too unbelievable. If it wasn't for the ex-con part, it probably would have made for a better narrative. Too bad. One unfortunate star.
I received a digital ARC from Oceanview Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
September 22, 2022
Darkness by Max Tomlinson is the fourth book in the crime series. Collen is a former felon and now a private investigator, supporting her pregnant daughter, while dating a police detective and trying to run her increasingly busy business. She is hired by a woman to find her nephew, which she does but the dead body of a woman on a train further complicates things and then Colleen’s office is burgled and her daughter is threatened at her home. As she investigates further the possibility of a nazi assassin being linked to a major criminal case further complicates things. As a result, Collen travels to Italy to investigate further and is caught up in a dangerous standoff. Set in 1979 in San Francisco, this is an enjoyable enough historic fiction tale that makes for a three star read rating. With 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.
August 24, 2022
It's 1979 and Colleen Hayes is continuing to build her PI practice. She's opened a small office and named it Hayes Confidential. But she's an ex-con so getting her license is proving to be problematic. She is visited by Ingrid Richter, a senior bank executive from Germany who is in San Francisco for a conference. She hires Colleen to find her nephew Erich Hahn, who has just arrived in town but has disappeared. It turns out that finding Erich is not the real problem. Colleen discovers that Erich may be a dangerous Nazi hunter. And a local neo-Nazi group Aryan Alliance may also be linked to the case. When the group threatens Colleen and her pregnant daughter, things get personal. Through Colleen impressive skills, she learns more about Ingrid and Erich and their experiences during WWII. The story includes flashbacks to 1942 and Sachsenhausen, the concentration camp where they both were imprisoned. Colleen's investigation takes her from San Francisco to Rome where she puts her own life in jeopardy.
The Colleen Hayes Mystery Series has been thoroughly enjoyable to date. I love that it is set in San Francisco and its late 1970s time period has brought a nice sense of nostalgia. And imagine being a PI today without a cell phone and online resources. Author Max Tomlinson has gone a little darker in Line of Darkness, the fourth novel in the series. The action is fast-paced, and Colleen is a fierce protagonist. Including characters who have been impacted by WWII and the Nazis, makes this installment much more somber, yet no less entertaining. If you are not familiar with this series, it is so worth checking out. And I recommend reading the books in order, starting with Vanishing in the Haight. Happily, book #5 has already been announced making it a must-read for next summer.
Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read Line of Darkness in advance of its publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
The Colleen Hayes Mystery Series has been thoroughly enjoyable to date. I love that it is set in San Francisco and its late 1970s time period has brought a nice sense of nostalgia. And imagine being a PI today without a cell phone and online resources. Author Max Tomlinson has gone a little darker in Line of Darkness, the fourth novel in the series. The action is fast-paced, and Colleen is a fierce protagonist. Including characters who have been impacted by WWII and the Nazis, makes this installment much more somber, yet no less entertaining. If you are not familiar with this series, it is so worth checking out. And I recommend reading the books in order, starting with Vanishing in the Haight. Happily, book #5 has already been announced making it a must-read for next summer.
Many thanks to Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to read Line of Darkness in advance of its publication.
Rated 4.25 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
May 25, 2022
San Francisco, 1978: Colleen, a convicted felon now working as a private investigator, has a new client. Ingrid has hired Colleen to find her adult nephew, who is allegedly in San Francisco. Colleen completes the assignment, but is bothered by the whole thing. Are these people connected to a local white supremacist group which has recently trashed her office and her apartment? Can she convince the police department to pay for a trip to Rome to pursue a suspect? Is there a vengeful group looking to kill ex-Nazis? As someone who was actually alive in 1978, I recognized that the author had researched the clothing and music of the period. I hadn't read the first three books in this series, which I think would have been helpful in better understanding what made Colleen tick. (As an aside, anyone who likes mysteries from the cellphone-free period might enjoy Sue Grafton's Alphabet series, which were actually written back then.) Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
November 2, 2022
In Tomlinson's fourth Colleen Hayes mystery, he again sets the story in 1979 San Francisco well before yuppies and dot.coms changed the City by the Bay. Hayes, who went to prison for killing her child-abusing husband, is out on parole and working as a private investigator with her PI license not exactly speeding through Sacramento's bureaus. In the past her grown daughter had been ensconced in a cult and incommunicado, now twenty, her daughter is eight months pregnant and sharing Hayes' small apartment.
However word gets out back then before the internet, it did and lo and behold Hayes has a well-heeled client in her door: a wealthy German business woman who is looking for her vagabond nephew who has not checked in for a few weeks since landing at the airport. Hayes figures it out, but then realizes that all is not as it seems and wonders if she has been had.
Like the other mysteries in this series, the mystery here harkens back to an earlier time. This episode does not merely harken back to the Sixties, but to 1942 and the genocidal camps as darkness fell across Europe. In 1979, there are still survivors out there, but the question becomes who is hunting who and why. Has Hayes aligned herself with the right side or has she aided and abetted her worst nightmare and caused more havoc? Her investigation takes her from the seedy parts of San Francisco to Italy in her search for the truth.
However word gets out back then before the internet, it did and lo and behold Hayes has a well-heeled client in her door: a wealthy German business woman who is looking for her vagabond nephew who has not checked in for a few weeks since landing at the airport. Hayes figures it out, but then realizes that all is not as it seems and wonders if she has been had.
Like the other mysteries in this series, the mystery here harkens back to an earlier time. This episode does not merely harken back to the Sixties, but to 1942 and the genocidal camps as darkness fell across Europe. In 1979, there are still survivors out there, but the question becomes who is hunting who and why. Has Hayes aligned herself with the right side or has she aided and abetted her worst nightmare and caused more havoc? Her investigation takes her from the seedy parts of San Francisco to Italy in her search for the truth.
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April 14, 2022I simply had to read this one. Set in the year when I was born, and with a historical theme that I like to read.
Ex-con PI Colleen Hayes Is hired by a german businesswoman to find her nephew. In her search, she is discovering other old and dark secrets that are placed in different parts of the world and they go back to WW II and the secret projects of the Nacis. I was simply drawn into the story and enjoyed it from the start till the finish, it kept me awake just because I had to see what will happen next.
Excellent read and I will definitely read other books written by Max Tomlinson.
Ex-con PI Colleen Hayes Is hired by a german businesswoman to find her nephew. In her search, she is discovering other old and dark secrets that are placed in different parts of the world and they go back to WW II and the secret projects of the Nacis. I was simply drawn into the story and enjoyed it from the start till the finish, it kept me awake just because I had to see what will happen next.
Excellent read and I will definitely read other books written by Max Tomlinson.
August 18, 2022
Max Tomlinson's latest Colleen Hayes tale shows once again how he and Christopher Moore are writing the best San Francisco-located novels today. But unlike Moore's frothy humor, Tomlinson's stories pack a punch like Elmore Leonard's finest work. This time, Colleen Hayes, Tomlinson's skilled but conflicted investigator, faces off against Nazis, neo-Nazis, and Holocaust avengers in a complex plot that surprises right up to its conclusion. As usual, Tomlinson's poetic attention to descriptive detail and compelling dialogue animate the two time frames in the story -- the 1970s and 1940s. It's high time for Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu to begin a bidding war to bring Tomlinson's exciting tales to the screen!
June 3, 2022
This is a mystery about concentration camps and what happened after to a few people, survivors and Nazi's. The ethics and morality of the story weren't explored as fully as I would have liked, nor the conclusion so it was iffy for me
August 16, 2022
Colleen Hayes, ex-con, almost licensed Private Investigator accepts a new case. Sounds simple, locate the adult nephew, one Eric Hahn. His aunt, Ingrid Richter, is in San Francisco for a conference and is concerned since they were supposed to meet. Of course, Colleen has never had a "simple" case.
Max Tomlinson once again works that time machine and we are in 1979, phone booths, leisure suits, cameras that use film to take pictures, and gas for a dollar a gallon. This fourth entry into the series is dark. Having located the nephew, he is found with a SS ID card and a loaded gun, her case is done, but her curiosity is saying, " there is more to this." She is right, the book follows in two timelines, World War II, concentration camps, and Colleen's present day. The author does an excellent job weaving the past into events of the "present".
Colleen deals with Nazi hunters and goes to Italy to find answers. This is an excellent addition to the series. It can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning to really get to know Colleen, she is a great character. I can hardly wait for her next adventure.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.
Max Tomlinson once again works that time machine and we are in 1979, phone booths, leisure suits, cameras that use film to take pictures, and gas for a dollar a gallon. This fourth entry into the series is dark. Having located the nephew, he is found with a SS ID card and a loaded gun, her case is done, but her curiosity is saying, " there is more to this." She is right, the book follows in two timelines, World War II, concentration camps, and Colleen's present day. The author does an excellent job weaving the past into events of the "present".
Colleen deals with Nazi hunters and goes to Italy to find answers. This is an excellent addition to the series. It can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend reading the series from the beginning to really get to know Colleen, she is a great character. I can hardly wait for her next adventure.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.
July 29, 2022
Another first-rate 1970s detective noir with ambitions that stretch well beyond its San Francisco location, with a complicated but convincing story of the horrors of the Holocaust and how they continue stretching into the present day. Ex-con/husband-killer Colleen Hayes continues to be one of the most winning new private eyes out there.
August 17, 2022
This is an excellent detective story that will have you hooked from the start. It’s historical setting and ties to the Second World War give it an extra exciting edge. Colleen Hayes is an interesting character and you don’t have to have read the others in the series to enjoy this book, though you will be left wanting to pick them up. Safe to say, If you like mysteries you’ll like this book.
August 20, 2022
I received a complimentary copy of this excellent historical novel on July 21, 2022, from Goodreads Giveaway, author Max Tomlinson, and publisher Oceanview Publishing. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Line of Darkness is the fourth book in the Colleen Hayes series but is completely stand-alone. I have thoroughly enjoyed these stories. Please, keep them coming. I am happy to recommend Max Tomlinson to friends and family. He writes a compelling story with personable characters and great locales.
Colleen is a year out of prison where she did ten years for killing her husband, sole emotional and monetary support of her twenty-year-old pregnant daughter who has still not forgiven her for killing her father and sitting out a long-term wait for her PI license which may or may not be forthcoming for this felon. We view the scene from two different timelines - 1942 Europe just after Germany was defeated, and 1978 San Francisco, California. The transitions between both time and place are easily followed the story is complicated enough to keep you guessing. This is a tale you won't want to miss.
Reviewed on July 24, 2022, at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed on August 20, 2022, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.
Colleen is a year out of prison where she did ten years for killing her husband, sole emotional and monetary support of her twenty-year-old pregnant daughter who has still not forgiven her for killing her father and sitting out a long-term wait for her PI license which may or may not be forthcoming for this felon. We view the scene from two different timelines - 1942 Europe just after Germany was defeated, and 1978 San Francisco, California. The transitions between both time and place are easily followed the story is complicated enough to keep you guessing. This is a tale you won't want to miss.
Reviewed on July 24, 2022, at Goodreads and Netgalley. Reviewed on August 20, 2022, at AmazonSmile, Barnes&Noble, BookBub, and Kobo.
July 26, 2022
Line of Darkness makes readers think, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Well, I also enjoyed the portrayal of the ever-mounting danger that Colleen Hayes faces in order to solve a mystery with roots in one of the greatest evils of all: a Nazi concentration camp. In chilling flashbacks, characters must decide what price they are willing to pay to survive. But what they don’t know is whether they will have to keep paying that price for as long as they live. By the 1970s, when Colleen encounters the former victims (or were they?), the situation has become murky indeed. An enigmatic German tourist hires her to find a missing nephew, who may or may not belong to an organization dedicated to assassinating former Nazis. And is the object of this woman’s search really her nephew? Very soon Colleen must make decisions of her own, when Neo-Nazis threaten not only her own safety but that of her pregnant daughter. Excellent high stakes, vividly rendered settings, and compelling action. Five stars.
July 23, 2022
I have enjoyed the previous three books in the series. Book 4, "Line of Darkness," lives up to the high mark Tomlinson has set with the others. Set in the late 1970s San Francisco, all of the little observations including music, politics, economics (including less than $1/gallon gas that Colleen complains about), lend an authenticity to the setting. For a male writer, Tomlinson portrays Colleen with a believability that I find often lacking in male authors writing in this genre. The story had all of the elements that kept me turning the pages: murder, international intrigue, lots of action, a sense of place that I can fully experience, and a hero I can root for. Oh, and not to forget, a narrative style that is mesmerizing.
July 21, 2022
If you enjoy complex, compelling stories, you’ll love the latest addition to the well-written Colleen Hayes series. Max Tomlinson is an expert storyteller and Line of Darkness is an intricately plotted, fast moving, and gripping novel that includes chilling scenes from World War II and 1978 San Francisco. It will keep you up all night!
July 28, 2022
Ex-con, PI wannabe Colleen Hayes has just moved into her new office when German businesswoman Ingrid Richter comes to her door wanting to hire Colleen to find her nephew Erich who was supposed to meet her earlier in the week. She peels off a bunch of cash and Colleen starts to investigate.
None of the routine things locates him in one of the better hotels leaving Colleen to scatter pictures with cabbie and other lower-class venues. Her lack of success makes her begin to question just why Ingrid wants to find her "nephew." Meanwhile for us, the readers, are flashbacks to a World War II concentration camp for political prisoners and to Erich's current-day activities.
This story has Colleen getting involved with Nazi hunters who are out for revenge instead of justice and has her travelling to Italy in pursuit of her client and answers to her questions about just what is going on.
The main part of the story takes place in 1979 and I loved all the references to fashions and pop culture. I could see the leisure suits, big collars, and polyester and was familiar with much of the music that was mentioned in the story. I also like that Colleen is rebuilding her life after her imprisonment for the murder of her husband. I like that she is trying to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
This is the fourth book in the series, but I think it would stand alone well. There are references to earlier cases which given enough background for a reader not familiar with the earlier books. It was an engaging and entertaining mystery.
None of the routine things locates him in one of the better hotels leaving Colleen to scatter pictures with cabbie and other lower-class venues. Her lack of success makes her begin to question just why Ingrid wants to find her "nephew." Meanwhile for us, the readers, are flashbacks to a World War II concentration camp for political prisoners and to Erich's current-day activities.
This story has Colleen getting involved with Nazi hunters who are out for revenge instead of justice and has her travelling to Italy in pursuit of her client and answers to her questions about just what is going on.
The main part of the story takes place in 1979 and I loved all the references to fashions and pop culture. I could see the leisure suits, big collars, and polyester and was familiar with much of the music that was mentioned in the story. I also like that Colleen is rebuilding her life after her imprisonment for the murder of her husband. I like that she is trying to rebuild her relationship with her daughter.
This is the fourth book in the series, but I think it would stand alone well. There are references to earlier cases which given enough background for a reader not familiar with the earlier books. It was an engaging and entertaining mystery.
July 23, 2022
In Line of Darkness, the latest mystery novel by best-selling author Max Tomlinson, Colleen Hayes, parttime PI and fulltime scrappy middle-aged felon is hired by a mysterious, well-to-do German tourist to find her missing adult nephew. He was supposed to be in the city, so she explains, with plans to meet her there but such has not been the case. Though initially not certain if auntie’s tale leans more towards the truth or the false, Colleen finds the case intriguing (and hey, the money can’t hurt either.)
So begins her investigation and along with it, more dead bodies, more interference from not-so-concerned SF Cops, a home invasion, car invasion and a break-in that endangered Colleen’s pregnant daughter’s life. Eventually it becomes clear to Colleen that she needs to vacate SF for the time being and follow the trail that leads to Italy. Danger remains a constant, not just following at a distance but encroaching, ever present. Colleen and her Italian colleagues continue, aware of what is at stake.
Line of Darkness is a rich, intriguing and thoughtful novel that makes the reader face the duplicity that is so often at the root of darkness. Don't expect to only be entertained. Expect to be educated and enriched.
So begins her investigation and along with it, more dead bodies, more interference from not-so-concerned SF Cops, a home invasion, car invasion and a break-in that endangered Colleen’s pregnant daughter’s life. Eventually it becomes clear to Colleen that she needs to vacate SF for the time being and follow the trail that leads to Italy. Danger remains a constant, not just following at a distance but encroaching, ever present. Colleen and her Italian colleagues continue, aware of what is at stake.
Line of Darkness is a rich, intriguing and thoughtful novel that makes the reader face the duplicity that is so often at the root of darkness. Don't expect to only be entertained. Expect to be educated and enriched.
August 29, 2022
I have been thoroughly enjoying Tomlinson’s Colleen Hayes series, and have been impressed with the seamless way that he has weaved the vibe and uniqueness of 1970’s San Francisco and surroundings into the excellent Colleen Hayes series. Having just finished Line of Darkness, I must say that Tomlinson has really outdone himself this time!! The inclusion of the well-researched WWII-era storyline to the Colleen Hayes storyline was unexpected and masterfully done!! I understand that there is only one more book to be expected from this series, and I will be sad to see it wrapped up, but I hope that someone will look into making this into a mini-series. Amazon? Netflix? Are you out there??
February 5, 2024
I gravitate towards books set in the 80s, and with this being on the cusp in 1979, I knew it was right up my alley. Hunting ex-Nazis, ex-con, and PI? Say less. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was just the right amount of suspense to keep me going.
August 21, 2022
In 1979 San Francisco, it’s spring. Jimmy Carter is president. Russia will invade Afghanistan in December, and Iran takes US Embassy staff hostage. Stagflation and inflation run rampant, and tyro private investigator Colleen Hayes bemoans paying $20 to fill her gas-guzzling Ford Torino’s tank: “85 cents a gallon --- up more than 20 cents since last year.”
A few months ago, Hayes returned from Ecuador having rescued daughter Pamela from a tyrannical cult leader (2021’s BAD SCENE). Pam is a month from giving birth, making Colleen “a first-time grandmother under forty.” Make that 36, without the expletive she calls cop-friend Matt as they surf a post-coital wave on the waterbed.
That’s not the only wave Hayes rides. Ingrid Richter, a Swiss bank senior executive in town for a conference, pays a generous sum for the unlicensed PI to off-record locate her nephew Erich, who never came to collect an annual stipend. Hayes illicitly finds in Erich’s sordid no-star hotel room a Nazi ID card and other war-era artifacts. Moreover, Erich recently arrived from Argentina, where an ex-Nazi was knifed. Now, a woman with a faded numeric forearm tattoo suffers the same fate on a Muni train.
Does Richter want to find Erich only to give money to someone who rents a dive? When the PI provides Richter info as to Erich’s whereabouts, Richter jets to Rome, where the nephew went the day Hayes got paid. Puzzle pieces don’t fit, and Hayes persuades contacts at SFPD to foot the bill for a few days in Italy.
A parallel plot involves two political inmates at the Sachsenhausen “rehabilitation” camp in 1942. A Polish prisoner-guard has earned the moniker suka z Sachsenhausen, feared even by the Nazis. The other from Berlin is 17 and learned from her father that for salvation one must save another person: in this case, six-year-old Jakob Rosenstein. Both women survive: one by brutality, the other by cunning and wit. Colleen Hayes identifies with one, as she spent a decade in prison for murdering her husband, who had sexually assaulted his own daughter. She saved herself by saving Pam from the doomsday cult in Ecuador.
Reading about the Holocaust horrors is disturbing for some, and it regurgitated harsh memories from my educational tours of Auschwitz and Cambodia’s Killing Fields. Those who can stomach the atrocities depicted in Max Tomlinson’s challenging and impressive novel will find international intrigue, thriller, mystery and a satisfying read.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
A few months ago, Hayes returned from Ecuador having rescued daughter Pamela from a tyrannical cult leader (2021’s BAD SCENE). Pam is a month from giving birth, making Colleen “a first-time grandmother under forty.” Make that 36, without the expletive she calls cop-friend Matt as they surf a post-coital wave on the waterbed.
That’s not the only wave Hayes rides. Ingrid Richter, a Swiss bank senior executive in town for a conference, pays a generous sum for the unlicensed PI to off-record locate her nephew Erich, who never came to collect an annual stipend. Hayes illicitly finds in Erich’s sordid no-star hotel room a Nazi ID card and other war-era artifacts. Moreover, Erich recently arrived from Argentina, where an ex-Nazi was knifed. Now, a woman with a faded numeric forearm tattoo suffers the same fate on a Muni train.
Does Richter want to find Erich only to give money to someone who rents a dive? When the PI provides Richter info as to Erich’s whereabouts, Richter jets to Rome, where the nephew went the day Hayes got paid. Puzzle pieces don’t fit, and Hayes persuades contacts at SFPD to foot the bill for a few days in Italy.
A parallel plot involves two political inmates at the Sachsenhausen “rehabilitation” camp in 1942. A Polish prisoner-guard has earned the moniker suka z Sachsenhausen, feared even by the Nazis. The other from Berlin is 17 and learned from her father that for salvation one must save another person: in this case, six-year-old Jakob Rosenstein. Both women survive: one by brutality, the other by cunning and wit. Colleen Hayes identifies with one, as she spent a decade in prison for murdering her husband, who had sexually assaulted his own daughter. She saved herself by saving Pam from the doomsday cult in Ecuador.
Reading about the Holocaust horrors is disturbing for some, and it regurgitated harsh memories from my educational tours of Auschwitz and Cambodia’s Killing Fields. Those who can stomach the atrocities depicted in Max Tomlinson’s challenging and impressive novel will find international intrigue, thriller, mystery and a satisfying read.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
August 23, 2022
With "Line of Darkness", Max Tomlinson delivers a Thriller worthy of the genre's name. The novel follows PI Colleen Hayes, who finds herself in the middle of a spiderweb consisting of former Nazis, Neo-Nazis and Holocaust survivors trying to get revenge.
I want to start this review off by saying that this was the first Colleen Hayes novel I read, and despite it being the fourth book in a series, I never felt like I missed any information on the characters or their relationships.
Tomlinson carefully sets up a story that, once you dive in, won't let go of you until you've finished it. I devoured the book within few days, and not once wanted to lay it away. Carefully placed time-jumps into the Concentration Camp of Sachsenhausen 1942 reveal the mysteries just at the right moments, however the novel won't reveal its last secrets until the very end.
However, there are two things I need to criticize about the novel.
Firstly, I was rather irritated by a few usages of German terminology: While the German words for certain ranks etc were used by the narrator, the characters in direct quotes used English translations - I would have found it more intuitive the other way around. Additionally, at one point Tomlinson insists a character being adressed as "Sir" - not common practice in the German language.
Secondly, and more importantly, I had a very hard time following the moral balancing act the novel tries to make, seperating Nazi guards into "good" and "bad" Nazis - as a German reading I found this rather irritating. As Tomlinson himself writes in the novel "But Colleen’s world wasn’t his. Or Ingrid’s. She would never truly understand what Fisher, and millions, had gone through." Maybe he himself would have needed that advice.
Nevertheless, "Line of Darkness" is a worthy read and certainly lived up to my expectations for a thriller with its setting. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
I want to start this review off by saying that this was the first Colleen Hayes novel I read, and despite it being the fourth book in a series, I never felt like I missed any information on the characters or their relationships.
Tomlinson carefully sets up a story that, once you dive in, won't let go of you until you've finished it. I devoured the book within few days, and not once wanted to lay it away. Carefully placed time-jumps into the Concentration Camp of Sachsenhausen 1942 reveal the mysteries just at the right moments, however the novel won't reveal its last secrets until the very end.
However, there are two things I need to criticize about the novel.
Firstly, I was rather irritated by a few usages of German terminology: While the German words for certain ranks etc were used by the narrator, the characters in direct quotes used English translations - I would have found it more intuitive the other way around. Additionally, at one point Tomlinson insists a character being adressed as "Sir" - not common practice in the German language.
Secondly, and more importantly, I had a very hard time following the moral balancing act the novel tries to make, seperating Nazi guards into "good" and "bad" Nazis - as a German reading I found this rather irritating. As Tomlinson himself writes in the novel "But Colleen’s world wasn’t his. Or Ingrid’s. She would never truly understand what Fisher, and millions, had gone through." Maybe he himself would have needed that advice.
Nevertheless, "Line of Darkness" is a worthy read and certainly lived up to my expectations for a thriller with its setting. I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
October 18, 2022
Colleen Hayes, a private investigator in San Francisco, is mysteriously hired by Ingrid Richter, the senior vice president of First Trust in Zurich, to look for her missing nephew, Erich Hahn. At first, it seems quite easy for Colleen to complete her duty, but she’s so brainy to understand that there’s something else behind this story.
She has secretly inspected Erich’s hotel room and found out a gun and an envelope containing an ID card of an SS officer, Werner Beckmann, who was at Sachsenhausen. The story is intimately connected to what happened in Barrack 19, in Sachsenhausen, and to Operation Bernhard, a Nazi counterfeiting effort intended to ruin the British economy during WW2. Colleen undertakes this dangerous investigation and even risks her life, because the Aryan Alliance, a local neo-Nazi group, threatens her and also her pregnant daughter. This is what encourages Colleen even more to unveil all the hidden truth.
What complicates the story is the killing in the SF Tube of a woman and Erich is responsible for it and he is even linked to the killing of SS officer Kruger in Buenos Aires.. Erich, whose real name was Jakob Rosenstein, is actually vindicating the killing of his parents in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and his journey takes him first in Buenos Aires, then San Francisco, and finally in Rome.
Colleen starts following his path and she is authorized by the SFPD to travel to Italy as a CI and thanks to her we are gradually revealed what lies behind this mysterious story. The ending is what really makes the story even more intriguing. I definitely recommend Max Tomlinson’s Line of Darkness to all thriller book-lovers, because it is a novel full of suspense and twists and nothing in it should be taken for granted.
She has secretly inspected Erich’s hotel room and found out a gun and an envelope containing an ID card of an SS officer, Werner Beckmann, who was at Sachsenhausen. The story is intimately connected to what happened in Barrack 19, in Sachsenhausen, and to Operation Bernhard, a Nazi counterfeiting effort intended to ruin the British economy during WW2. Colleen undertakes this dangerous investigation and even risks her life, because the Aryan Alliance, a local neo-Nazi group, threatens her and also her pregnant daughter. This is what encourages Colleen even more to unveil all the hidden truth.
What complicates the story is the killing in the SF Tube of a woman and Erich is responsible for it and he is even linked to the killing of SS officer Kruger in Buenos Aires.. Erich, whose real name was Jakob Rosenstein, is actually vindicating the killing of his parents in Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and his journey takes him first in Buenos Aires, then San Francisco, and finally in Rome.
Colleen starts following his path and she is authorized by the SFPD to travel to Italy as a CI and thanks to her we are gradually revealed what lies behind this mysterious story. The ending is what really makes the story even more intriguing. I definitely recommend Max Tomlinson’s Line of Darkness to all thriller book-lovers, because it is a novel full of suspense and twists and nothing in it should be taken for granted.
September 28, 2022
San Francisco, 1979. When a German businesswoman hires ex-con and struggling PI Colleen Hayes to find a missing relative she is supposedly in town to visit, Colleen thinks it’s a simple job. However, things soon turn nasty and Collen discovers that the woman’s “nephew” is linked to an international vigilante group hunting down ex-Nazis. Targeted by some right-wing thugs Colleen finds herself drawn into a bloody battle that has its origins in the War.
This is a very well written PI thriller with a good cast of characters and an interesting backdrop. The story moves along at a good pace and the flashbacks to World War II, and the horrors of the concentration camps, are well handled and are seamlessly woven into the story. The characterisations are credible and interesting, and have a good unvarnished feel to them. I particularly like Tomlinson’s portrayal of Colleen, who has a gritty edge to her, but always behaves in a credible manner. Her relationship with her daughter is unsentimental and believable and is well grounded in the 1970s milieu.
I thought that the story’s credibility was slightly weakened when the action moved to Europe, but not enough to stop Line Of Darkness from being an exciting, first class crime thriller. One of the best PI novels I read for some time.
This is a very well written PI thriller with a good cast of characters and an interesting backdrop. The story moves along at a good pace and the flashbacks to World War II, and the horrors of the concentration camps, are well handled and are seamlessly woven into the story. The characterisations are credible and interesting, and have a good unvarnished feel to them. I particularly like Tomlinson’s portrayal of Colleen, who has a gritty edge to her, but always behaves in a credible manner. Her relationship with her daughter is unsentimental and believable and is well grounded in the 1970s milieu.
I thought that the story’s credibility was slightly weakened when the action moved to Europe, but not enough to stop Line Of Darkness from being an exciting, first class crime thriller. One of the best PI novels I read for some time.
October 7, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.
I read this unaware that this was part of a series, but found that this could still be read as a stand-alone.
Told from two views: Colleen Hayes is an ex-con, almost-license private investigator in 1979 San Francisco and Ingrid Richter in the 1940s who is arrested and taken into custody for interrogation at a concentration camp for political prisoners after her father an anti-Nazi protestor has been shot. Ingrid meets a young Jakob Klaus en route to the concentration camp and forms a connection with him, vowing to help him in any way possible.
The story moves between 1979, where Colleen is hired by Ingrid to find Jakob (who at this point is going by a different name), and the 1940s with Ingrid's earlier life at the concentration camp. In her search, she finds details do not add up and when she does find Jakob, he disappears again, leaving behind a dead body with an Auschwitz tattoo.
Colleen is left with more questions than answers, as her investigation leads her to Rome.
I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading more in the series.
I read this unaware that this was part of a series, but found that this could still be read as a stand-alone.
Told from two views: Colleen Hayes is an ex-con, almost-license private investigator in 1979 San Francisco and Ingrid Richter in the 1940s who is arrested and taken into custody for interrogation at a concentration camp for political prisoners after her father an anti-Nazi protestor has been shot. Ingrid meets a young Jakob Klaus en route to the concentration camp and forms a connection with him, vowing to help him in any way possible.
The story moves between 1979, where Colleen is hired by Ingrid to find Jakob (who at this point is going by a different name), and the 1940s with Ingrid's earlier life at the concentration camp. In her search, she finds details do not add up and when she does find Jakob, he disappears again, leaving behind a dead body with an Auschwitz tattoo.
Colleen is left with more questions than answers, as her investigation leads her to Rome.
I really enjoyed this, and look forward to reading more in the series.
October 21, 2022
A solid and snappy detective/procedural novel, which delivers exactly what you expect it to – easy reading and an engaging plot – this one set in late 1970s San Francisco where Colleen Hayes, an ex-convict PI is dragged into the world of Nazi hunters searching for those who fled Germany in the dying days of the Reich. There is added complexity with various plot devices inspired by real events that occurred in WWII. The story is good – well paced and interesting, and the closing pages are a pow-wow of fast-paced action and a satisfying conclusion to the story. I must say though I was a bit incredulous that a convicted ex-felon has the clout to not only become an (unlicensed) PI, but also pull the favors she does from within law enforcement and move with impunity internationally. There was also perhaps a little too much mention of the cliched “jurisdiction” tugs-of-war between various levers of law enforcement and generic police talk. In all, a solid book which gives us what we expect. 3.5 stars rounded up. My thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. The book was released on the 16 August 2022.
March 24, 2023
Line of Darkness by Max Tomlinson
A tough, world-weary, unlicensed, former felon private eye stumbles upon a world-spanning Nazi hunting group, neo-Nazis, and real Nazis on the streets of San Franciso.
Colleen Hayes is struggling to reconnect with a daughter who harbors a wealth of resentment for feeling abandoned due to Colleen’s time of incarceration. While working to support a less-than-accepting daughter, Colleen runs afoul of neo-Nazi thugs, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, and a client.
I liked the dive into World War II history and the back story of character motivation. Tomlinson showed compassion for characters in intolerable situations. He also showed that clarity and morality may be skewed due to circumstances.
The story had action, I enjoyed the scene where Pam demonstrated she truly is her mother’s daughter. This was a very good detective story that I highly recommend.
A tough, world-weary, unlicensed, former felon private eye stumbles upon a world-spanning Nazi hunting group, neo-Nazis, and real Nazis on the streets of San Franciso.
Colleen Hayes is struggling to reconnect with a daughter who harbors a wealth of resentment for feeling abandoned due to Colleen’s time of incarceration. While working to support a less-than-accepting daughter, Colleen runs afoul of neo-Nazi thugs, her on-again-off-again boyfriend, and a client.
I liked the dive into World War II history and the back story of character motivation. Tomlinson showed compassion for characters in intolerable situations. He also showed that clarity and morality may be skewed due to circumstances.
The story had action, I enjoyed the scene where Pam demonstrated she truly is her mother’s daughter. This was a very good detective story that I highly recommend.
July 29, 2022
Thank you to Goodreads for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I can’t recommend this one. The synopsis is promising: A female PI in 1979 San Francisco takes a missing persons case that draws her into a web of escaped Nazis and current white supremacists.
But the book was poorly written and poorly edited to the point where it distracted me from the plot. And I found the character of Colleen the PI unrealistic- she was too accomplished for someone who had spent a good chunk of her adult life in prison. Finally I found the level of access to the case Colleen was given unbelievable- police in San Francisco and Italy were deferring to her for no reason I could see.
I wanted to like this book but i did not.
But the book was poorly written and poorly edited to the point where it distracted me from the plot. And I found the character of Colleen the PI unrealistic- she was too accomplished for someone who had spent a good chunk of her adult life in prison. Finally I found the level of access to the case Colleen was given unbelievable- police in San Francisco and Italy were deferring to her for no reason I could see.
I wanted to like this book but i did not.
August 17, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for the copy of Line of Darkness. I liked the San Francisco setting as well as the time period. While the story was slow it turned out to be pretty good. This is listed as a thriller/mystery, but I was sorry that the historical fiction aspect wasn’t played up more and that it wasn’t the focus of the story. I didn’t think Colleen was a compelling or believable character, but Jakob had the potential to be a great character and should have been the MC. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
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