Scene of the Crime follows private investigator Jack Herriman as he’s tasked with tracking down Maggie Jordan, a missing person in the California Bay Scene of the Crime follows private investigator Jack Herriman as he’s tasked with tracking down Maggie Jordan, a missing person in the California Bay Area. Jack’s efforts lead him to a commune where it's believed Maggie had last been seen. From there, it isn’t long until a trail of clues takes him to a motel in which he locates Maggie alive but heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Once Maggie sobers up, Jack questions her about her disappearance. After some coffee and conversation, Jack drops Maggie off at her room and heads home for the evening. Events take a turn the following morning when Maggie is found murdered, shot to death in her room, with about ten thousand dollars in cold, hard cash.
Despite only being hired to locate her, Jack is not content to let sleeping dogs lie and begins a second investigation, this time into Maggie’s murder.
Scene of the Crime was Ed Brubaker’s first series with what would become his long-time collaborators Sean Phillips (Incognito, Criminal, The Fade Out) and Michael Lark (Gotham Central, Daredevil) and they clearly quickly developed an undeniable chemistry. The story has plenty of excellent twists and turns that match up perfectly with Lark’s gritty art and Phillips deep, dark inking.
There’s also a short tale tagged on at the end that details Jack heading to Chicago around Christmas to find a material witness in a court case. I liked this one just as much as the main story, so I’m glad it was included. Also inserted as extras are Ed’s notes for pitching the series and an essay that details his love of crime fiction and what attracted him to the genre.
I’ve become sort of a Brubaker/Phillips completest and to date, have yet to read something by them I haven’t liked. This one is definitely worth a look....more
Below is my original review, which I'm going to leave up. However, you must understand that the audiobook version, narrated by Patrick Ste2018 Re-Read
Below is my original review, which I'm going to leave up. However, you must understand that the audiobook version, narrated by Patrick Stewart (albeit abridged) has completely changed my mind.
I bought this audiobook on Audible about two years ago and just sort of forgot about it. I was at my desk working last Friday and I had run out of downloaded podcasts on my phone, but noticed I still had this sitting there, untouched. So, I made the decision to get some holiday cheer.. on November 9th?
Patrick Stewart brought so much life to this book - it was truly amazing. The myriad of voices he used and the range of emotions he applied to the characters lifted the story beyond what I experienced in my first reading.
You owe it to yourself to check this out. I cannot imagine a more definitive narration.
****
Original 2015 Review
Aside from It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol – and all its variations – is my go to holiday movie. This goes for anything from the straight up Alastair Sim adaptation to the Bill Murray classic Scrooged – most, if not all, are welcome. But despite this being one of my all time favourites, I’ve never read Dickens’ original story. Seeing as it was a free download for my Kindle, I thought I’d give it a shot.
Turns out I didn’t quite care for this as much as I thought I would. I couldn’t be a bigger fan of the stage and screen adaptations I’ve seen up to this point but as far as the source material goes – humbug! Look, I’m not going to lie, I can confidently say that my disinterest can be chalked up to the style of writing. Dickens originally published this in 1843 and while it’s a wonderful, timeless story, I struggled to get into it. The language was just a bit too much of a barrier for me and I’d often catch myself gazing over large chunks of text until a recognizable quote pulled me in.
For the record, I’m glad I tried it and can finally say that I’ve read it. However, I’ll just stick with Scrooge McDuck and his twenty two minute journey through the past, present and future from here on out....more
The popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale has ventured into the literary world with its first novel. Authors Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor present a The popular podcast Welcome to Night Vale has ventured into the literary world with its first novel. Authors Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor present a story that follows two of Night Vale’s residents – Diane, an unassuming office worker with a shape-shifter for a son, and Jackie, a 19 year old pawn shop owner. As the narrative alternates between the two leads, the authors injected short excerpts from the local community radio host Cecil detailing the events happening in the tumultuous town. Unfortunately, this is where the story sort of lost me.
While I love that Fink and Cramer are keen to expand their universe outside of the podcast, there’s a certain charm that’s lost when moving from the delightfully creepy audio presentation to the written word. It was an oddly jarring experience absorbing Cecil’s information without his trademark voice and delivery.
Outside of a few quotable lines, I found the plot quite boring and struggled to see my way through to the end. This might have something to do with the fact I’ve only listened to the first twenty odd episodes of the podcast (I’m very behind), so perhaps a few references may have been lost on me.
For fans of the podcast, it might be worth your while to seek out the audiobook version for an experience closer to the original format....more
Picking up where he left off with 2013’s Anchorboy, Onrait brings us the aptly titled Number Two, a book with more essays about bathroom misadventuresPicking up where he left off with 2013’s Anchorboy, Onrait brings us the aptly titled Number Two, a book with more essays about bathroom misadventures, travelling to an Olympics host city and the wonders of being a Canadian ex-pat living in the U.S.
Did anyone ask to hear about Jay’s masturbation stories (the very first line in the book is a funny one)? How about his violent diarrhea? Probably not. However, Jay had me laughing out loud as he recounted his several mad dashes to the bathroom as he tried his absolute hardest not to defecate all over himself. It goes to show you’re never too old to appreciate toilet humour.
If you were a fan of his first book, a regular listener of Jay’s podcast with Dan O’Toole, or love watching old clips of the duo from their TSN days, you’ll enjoy Number Two. There’s some great stuff in here about Jay’s turbulent book tour for Anchorboy (bumped off programming for Rob Ford’s crack cocaine confession) as well as his and Dan’s bizarre trip to Sochi in 2014 that will leave you chuckling.
There’s no sign of slowing down on Onrait’s part and if he decides to pen a third, I’ll welcome it gladly. Number Two is the perfect book to enjoy in small doses, probably while on the can....more
Doak Miller is a former cop living out his retirement in Florida. Not content to sit on his ass and collect a pension, Doak picks up a P.I. license aDoak Miller is a former cop living out his retirement in Florida. Not content to sit on his ass and collect a pension, Doak picks up a P.I. license and takes the odd job that floats his way. When a local sheriff comes to him with a request to impersonate a hit-man to a housewife looking to knock off her bastard of a husband, Doak takes the assignment. But what happens when Doak falls under the spell of his titillating target?
Seeing as Block cut his teeth writing erotic yarns, it isn’t hard to believe he could write such filthy fiction. The smut in here is about as graphic as can be but the scenes don’t feel like filler. Unlike Pelecanos’ The Double, a novel that soured me with what I perceived as unnecessary sex sessions, Block’s book makes good use of the mature material, tying it into Doak and using it to showcase his aggressive nature and desire for violence.
The plot works well within the Hard Case Crime dynamic. Much of the story is spent inside Doak’s mind from a third party narrator giving insight into his sex-crazed ambitions as well as his plan to try and get away with murder. Given HCC’s tendency to showcase scumbags as their novel’s protagonists, Doak fits the mold. That being said, it’s hard not to root for him after discovering the wife’s motive.
Although it took a few days to get through this one, it felt like a quick read. The Girl with the Deep Blue Eyes is something that could easily be devoured in a few hours. I had a hard time putting this one down. As long as Block feels like writing new novels, I’ll keep reading them....more
The whole story behind the creation and release of The Girl in the Spider’s Web is actually somewhat disgusting. Series’ creator Stieg Larsson unexpecThe whole story behind the creation and release of The Girl in the Spider’s Web is actually somewhat disgusting. Series’ creator Stieg Larsson unexpectedly died from a heart attack in 2004, a year before the first novel in the Millennium trilogy was to be published. In the years that followed, the books enjoyed tremendous, widespread success as Larsson’s characters would grow a rabid fan base. Unfortunately for readers, the series would end after the publication of the third and final novel. Or would it?
Despite having written a will years prior to his untimely death, it was not witnessed and having not married his long-time partner, his estate wound up in the hands of his estranged father and brother. Despite his partner claiming that Stieg would not want his work continued by another author, Larsson’s family hired David Lagercrantz, a Swedish journalist and crime writer in his own right, to pick up where Larsson left off.
On one hand, it’s gross. This new novel appears as nothing more than an attempt to capitalize on the success of Steig’s work by his alienated family. However on the other hand, the duo of Blomkvist and Salander probably do have a lot left in the tank as well as an audience eager to gobble down new stories. The only question being, is Lagercrantz the right choice to take on these iconic characters or is The Girl in the Spider’s Web nothing more than glorified fan fiction?
While I certainly wouldn’t label it fan fiction, I also wouldn’t put it on the same level as Larsson’s work (although, I did enjoy it more than Hornet’s Nest). Lagercrantz can appear to write a solid crime novel, but he’s missing that meandering style of writing that made the original trilogy special. I mean, come on – Blomkvist only made three sandwiches! I expected more from him.
My biggest issue is in the lack of Lisbeth. It isn’t until after the first 100 pages that she’s really woven into the storyline and even then, she’s mostly used sporadically. While she’s integral to the central plot, she’s mostly spoken of by peripheral characters rather than having her own voice. The same issue arose when I was reading The Girl Who Played With Fire, where Lisbeth is “off-screen” for a good chunk of the story, but there ain’t no way I’m going to compare the explosiveness of her actions in that novel to this one, they’re not even in the same league.
The incredible success of this novel in terms of sales (two hundred thousand copies moved in the first week alone) and positive critical reception should surely lead to a follow-up, although nothing is currently planned, however money is a powerful motivator....more
I’ve always been a fan of football movies. Which is strange considering I don’t particularly care much for the sport itself. Watching it live, I find I’ve always been a fan of football movies. Which is strange considering I don’t particularly care much for the sport itself. Watching it live, I find it slow, boring and I only vaguely understand the rules enough to get by. However, if told right and paced correctly in a story, there’s a special sort of high drama that goes hand in hand with the sport.
Michael Koryta uses an infinitely talented and well disciplined high school football team chasing the state championship as a backdrop for a story about murder in a small town. The Austin brothers, Kent and Adam, lost their sister Marie amidst their glory days as gridiron gladiators for Chambers High. Fast forward to the present as a murder occurs that echos the death of Marie Austin all those years ago.
Kent is the head coach of Chambers High when he’s informed of Rachel Bond’s death, his all-star wide receiver’s girlfriend. Kent hasn’t spoken to Adam in years but is brought into the case when it turns out Rachel visited Adam requesting he help her locate her estranged father. Working as a bail bondsman, Adam has never fully been able to move on following his sister’s death as he’s always blamed himself for indirectly causing it. When Rachel is murdered at a location Adam believed she would find her father, Adam views finding and killing the man responsible as a way to atone for past sins.
Michael Koryta hadn’t been on my radar until a review popped up on Goodreads that caught my eye. Now after reading The Prophet, I suddenly want to go out and grab everything Koryta’s written. His characters in The Prophet feel real enough to be anyone from smalltown, USA. Their actions and reactions seem genuine and the natural drama that would certainly arise out of losing a family member plays out perfectly over the course of the story.
The progression of the story was easy to follow but with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. I thought this was a hell of a read and it will likely sit alongside The Last Child as my go-to recommendations for thrillers....more
Titan Shattered, the sequel to last year’s Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995, picks up in 1996 during a tumultuous time in Vince McMahon’sTitan Shattered, the sequel to last year’s Titan Sinking: The Decline of the WWF in 1995, picks up in 1996 during a tumultuous time in Vince McMahon’s wrestling empire. Feeling the increased pressure from rival organization World Championship Wrestling and their attractive guaranteed contracts, McMahon would struggle throughout 1996 to keep the talent he already had, hoping that loyalty would mean more than money.
Unfortunately for Vince, not only would WCW throw out obscenely high salaries but also a reduced work schedule, something McMahon could not offer. This would lead to the departure of many of the WWF’s most well known wrestlers leaving Vince with little to no choice but to try anything he could to stay competitive. This included:
Attempting to give long time roster member and gifted performer Shawn Michaels a shot at carrying the company as WWF Champion despite Michael’s childish behavior and rampant drug problems;
Bringing in veteran Mick Foley and repackaging him as the sadistic “Mankind” and immediately injecting him into a high profile program with The Undertaker;
Re-signing Jim “Ultimate Warrior” Hellwig in a desperate attempt to bring star power back to his dwindling roster;
Storylines that blended fact and fiction, one of which involved two of the hottest stars in the business.. and a handgun;
A series of vignettes parodying World Championship Wrestling showcasing characters such as “Billionaire Ted”, “Scheme Gene”, “The Huckster”, and “The Nacho Man” in an attempt to convince their audience that WCW was where past WWF stars went to take it easy.
With Titan Shattered, Dixon continues with his practice of meticulous research with digestible prose that makes the book an easy read. Footnotes are again scattered throughout offering additional information that expands upon already thorough work. I’d like to consider myself an information sponge when it comes to anything wrestling-related during this period and despite having listened to hundreds of episodes of wrestling podcasts, reading dozens of books and watching several documentaries, I still managed to learn a lot. That’s how comprehensive a work Titan Shattered is.
For those looking to dig as deep as possible into the American wrestling scene of the 1990s, Dixon’s two books (a rumoured third is on its way next year) are essential reads....more
A friend of a friend, Grace Kinkaid, comes to Spero with a job: steal back a painting that a con-man recently walked off with. Having disappeared fromA friend of a friend, Grace Kinkaid, comes to Spero with a job: steal back a painting that a con-man recently walked off with. Having disappeared from her life as mysteriously as he appeared, Grace needs to know who he is and if he’s pulling the same tricks with others. Can Spero track down the scumbag, get Grace’s painting back and earn his cut?
I didn’t enjoy The Double quite as much as I did the first Spero Lucas novel, The Cut. In fact, I purposely put off writing this review for several days as I couldn’t quite figure out why. It wasn’t a bad novel, Spero’s enemies were just as dangerous and the crime was just as intriguing. The same great cast of supporting characters that I loved from the first were present, so it wasn’t that either. The more I thought about it, I think the whole sub-plot involving Lucas’ affair with a married woman and the graphic sex scenes turned me off. I’m not a prude mind you – I love Brubaker and Phillips’ Criminal series and those comics are packed with smut – but I certainly didn’t need the play-by-play for their steamy sex sessions. I found it didn’t seem to add anything and more or less got in the way of the job Spero was trying to complete. It took up a good chunk of the story and having Lucas sit around pining for her didn’t really do the story any favours.
That aside, I thought Pelecanos did a great job in having Spero begin questioning the lasting effects the war will have on him. It seems that he craves confrontation and is constantly putting himself in harm’s way, desperately trying to regain the adrenaline rush of combat. While many are attempting to steer him toward therapy, his pride seems to always get in the way leaving him running in circles. In a way, it reminded me of Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder, pre-AA. It all makes for a great, interesting character that I look forward to reading more of....more
Forced into paying off his dead brother’s debts, Tracy Lawless has been employed as a hitman for powerful crime boss, Sebastian Hyde. For the past yeaForced into paying off his dead brother’s debts, Tracy Lawless has been employed as a hitman for powerful crime boss, Sebastian Hyde. For the past year, Tracy has been knocking off slimy folks deemed expendable by his maniacal master. However, there’s been some issues with Tracy’s efficiency. Regardless of his orders, Tracy has to make sure that his target is truly deserving of death, which as you can imagine, does not lend itself to an employer with little to no patience.
The only thing keeping Tracy on the job is just how good he is, so rather than throw away an asset like Tracy, Hyde gives him another job. Several high ranking members of the crime community are being knocked off. The problem? These folks should be considered untouchable and seeing as Hyde hasn’t been authorizing these hits – Hyde wants to know who’s behind them.
Adding fuel to the fire, Tracy has been sleeping with Hyde’s wife for months, somehow managing to keep the affair away from prying eyes. Not only that, but Tracy went M.I.A. from the US Military when he got tangled up in this mess and a rather driven military inspector is on the lookout for him, hoping to return Tracy to active duty.
What The Sinners lacks in steamy scenes, it excels in in the unsettling violence category. Tracy Lawless appeared in an earlier volume of the series and Brubaker brings him back to close out his story with enough misdirection to throw the reader off the map. While it isn’t quite as strong as the volume that follows it, it’s still an excellent piece of work.
While I suppose Frank Miller paved the way for modern noir with his Sin City series, I would go so far as to say Brubaker and Phillips have perfected the genre....more
Jake spends his days in a waking coma. He walks the streets at night, produces a syndicated comic strip during the day, and grabs sleep when he can. IJake spends his days in a waking coma. He walks the streets at night, produces a syndicated comic strip during the day, and grabs sleep when he can. It’s not a bad life considering he was once accused of murdering his wife, a charge he managed to avoid due to a lack of evidence. But Jake isn’t entirely innocent. While he never did kill his wife, he did at one point run a counterfeit ring in his youth, but those days are long behind him. Or so he thought..
After witnessing a young couple fighting inside a local diner, Jake takes a shot at an honest-to-goodness good deed and offers one half of the couple – the beautiful and sexy Iris – a lift home. Fortunately for Jake, the two end up back at his place and after a wild night in bed, he awakes alone. However, it isn’t long before she returns, this time with her criminal boyfriend, and the two threaten to kill Jake unless he mocks up a fake FBI badge.
Sean Phillips is on point here, as always, presenting stunning artwork that is as integral to the story as Brubaker’s writing. One without the other would almost certainly present a weaker form of art when it comes to this series and like all of Brubaker and Phillips’ Criminal books, I read this in one sitting, which isn’t a difficult task to accomplish given how easily the pair suck you into their seedy, seductive world. I just had to know what happened next!
Criminal: Bad Night is fearless fiction with a frighteningly fantastic femme fatale....more
Do you remember the really popular, beautiful, “it” girl in high school? Remember thinking how perfect your life would be if you were her boyfriend? HDo you remember the really popular, beautiful, “it” girl in high school? Remember thinking how perfect your life would be if you were her boyfriend? Hey, maybe her rich father could hook you up with a great, cushy job. Well, I’ve got some great news for you – you’re married and you’ve got that job! You’ll most likely be pampered for the rest of your life. Oh, and no need to worry about supporting your crippling gambling addiction because there will always be money to cover your losses. So, wait.. why aren’t you happy?
Turns out you actually hate that job and your wife being popular and beautiful in high school isn’t exactly enough to support a marriage. Who knew? Maybe you just need a break from it all. Unfortunately (or fortunately), your father takes sick and needs you by his side. So you visit your hometown but rather than giving you some room to breathe from your crushing life in the city, it only makes you realize just how miserable you truly are.
So, what’s the solution? Do you go back and tell your wife it simply isn’t working out? Do you quit your job? Or.. do you kill your wife and try and screw your father-in-law out of millions of dollars? In Ed Brubaker’s work, ain’t nobody going to pick anything but option C.
The Last of the Innocent is a tremendous read, despite the fact that the plot sounds all too familiar. Let’s face it – you read that and think – “oh, isn’t this like ninety percent of noir novels?” Sure, I mean – you wouldn't exactly be wrong. However, there’s something subtly brewing under the surface that I didn’t quite get until I read Kemper's review – this is Riverdale, Riley is Archie! Sure, there’s a shift in artwork at certain points that harkens back to the gang in Riverdale, but I thought that was just a representation of a more innocent time for Riley. Turns out I’m just not that observant.
I've said it before, if you’re a crime fiction fan and have never explored the world of seedy, crime comics, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Brubaker and Phillips are like comics’ Scorcese and Deniro – they’re made for one another. There’s no better team working today....more
Seeing as Matt Scudder ages along with his creator, Lawrence Block doesn’t feel there’s much interest in following the activities of a detective in hiSeeing as Matt Scudder ages along with his creator, Lawrence Block doesn’t feel there’s much interest in following the activities of a detective in his mid-70s. Rather than write a follow-up to All The Flowers Are Dying, Block backtracks about thirty years, all the way back to Scudder’s first year of sobriety where he finds himself on the trail of a killer.
An old friend of Scudder’s, fellow AA member Jack Ellery, is found murdered. Having no friends or family, Jack’s sponsor hires Matt to look into his death by providing a copy of Jack’s eighth step, a list of individuals Jack has wronged during his life. Jack’s sponsor believes that one of the people on this list may be responsible for Jack’s untimely demise.
Lawrence Block has gone on record stating that with A Drop of the Hard Stuff, he believes he’s written his final Matt Scudder novel, but admittedly, he’s believed that on a few occasions. However, if that’s the case, you can’t blame the guy for wanting to go out on top. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a tightly paced thriller that kept me guessing right up to the very end. **
Many of Scudder’s supporting cast members make an appearance or two. Danny Boy Bell, Jan and Jim Fader are present but series favorites Elaine and TJ are noticeably absent given that this story takes place prior to their heavy involvement in Scudder’s life. While they were missed, Scudder’s battle with booze plays a huge part in the story taking up all of Scudder’s free time outside of picking up phones and knocking on doors.
I’m sad to see Scudder go but seventeen original novels leave little room for complaining. A Drop of the Hard Stuff is a fine glass of sipping whiskey that goes down smooth.
** I read this novel on my Kindle. As you know, there’s a percentage that shows up in the lower right hand of the screen that indicates how much of the story you’ve read. Well, I had 91% left when the story finished, so the ending caught me off guard. It made sense but it seemed rather abrupt.
The remaining 9% was an excerpt from Block’s then soon-to-be-released Keller novel, Hit Me....more
Beginning in the late seventies and stretching over a near thirty year period, Don Winslow’s The Power of the Dog follows organized crime and the devaBeginning in the late seventies and stretching over a near thirty year period, Don Winslow’s The Power of the Dog follows organized crime and the devastation left in its wake.
In The Power of the Dog, Winslow heavily features the Mexican drug war, but he also tackles the mob in New York City, prostitution in southern California and the communist scare in South America. All of these locations and events share various characters that weave in and out of conflicts like a high speed motorcycle chase through highway traffic.
Art Keller, while sharing the spotlight with many other characters, is the driving force behind the novel. Through guilt (and later revenge), he fights against the Mexican drug cartel, The Federación, a group he inadvertently had a hand in creating. Keller is basically Batman, driven by revenge and a sense of self-righteousness. He’s fighting an uphill battle against murderous criminals whom he refuses to kill, instead choosing to have them tried by a hopelessly corrupt system as he tries to be a decent man in an indecent world.
However, as brutal as the world of Gotham City is, it ain’t got nothing on the violence littered throughout Winslow’s novel. There are some difficult scenes to get through in this book, so if you’re a little queasy or are unable to stomach graphic violence (one scene involving children in particular), I would probably steer clear. The thing is, this novel is heavily researched (Winslow worked on it for fifteen years prior to publication) as it mirrors many actual historical events, so I can’t imagine Winslow had to get all that creative when it came to the bloodshed.
In the end, The Power of the Dog is a compelling, eye opening novel that’s like nothing I’ve read before....more
Picking up after the events of The Power of the Dog, Adan Barrera is sitting pretty in a Mexican jail. With corruption at its highest, Adan’s cell looPicking up after the events of The Power of the Dog, Adan Barrera is sitting pretty in a Mexican jail. With corruption at its highest, Adan’s cell looks more like a luxury condo as he orchestrates the actions of his cartel outside the prison walls, waiting for the right time to escape.
Art Keller is living a modest life off the grid. After Barrera's escape, Keller is brought back into the fold, charged with tracking down and capturing Adan. And so, it begins again. Keller vs. Barrera. Round Two.
When I finished Don Winslow’s epic crime novel The Power of The Dog at the end of August, I was overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the constant, escalating violence that bloodied the pages. I knew a sequel had been written and as much as I wanted to dive right in, I knew I needed a break. There’s only so much unmitigated carnage this reader could take.
After four months, I allowed myself to re-enter Art Keller and Adan Barrera’s blood feud in Winslow’s follow-up, The Cartel. Although Winslow covers a much shorter timeline (ten years as opposed to the roughly thirty in the original), he crams in just as much stomach-churning brutality as the battle escalates between warring cartels south of the border. And by brutality, I mean a pure balls-to-the-wall blood bath. Seriously, this isn’t a book for someone with a weak stomach. In fact, I would often horrify my girlfriend when I would tell her about the awful torture scenes. I’d give out a few details but I think a certain shock factor would be lost.
The War on Drugs is a vicious one. There isn’t a line that any of the players involved are not willing to cross. Violence begets more violence as each Cartel struggles for drug dominance. There’s so much death and destruction within that I started to grow numb to the monotony of the atrocities (beheadings, limbs torn from torsos, narcos burned alive). However, somehow, there’s always something much worse that Winslow has waiting in the wings to throw at you. With that said, it’s easy to justify Keller’s fascinating progression from determined DEA agent to something much, much worse. Faced with continuous unconscionable actions from the narco cartels, Keller is given little choice when faced with altering his strategy and putting aside his morals to take down Barrera and his rivals.
Despite the ending being wrapped up with a bow, I could easily read several more novels written around the decades-long conflict between Barrera and Keller. The Cartel is a hell of a character study surrounding two men who both live to spite one another....more
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