John Baker (1) (1942–)

Sam Turner is a recovering alcoholic who keeps himself busy going to whatever meeting he can get into in the evenings. At a meeting for substance abusers the leader goes around the circle asking what each person does. Sam isn't doing anything but he doesn't want to look like a loser so he says he's a P.I. Later he gets a phone call from Terry Deacon, another man attending the class, and Terry wants Sam to do a job for him. Deacon thinks his wife is having an affair and wants proof. At that moment the Sam Turner detective agency is born.

The job tailing Deacon's wife becomes considerably more difficult when Deacon is murdered. Turner, trained by his favorite living writer Elmore Leonard (he only reads class stuff), gets a murder investigation and antagonizes the police that fast. It won't be long before Turner realizes a serial killer is on his inexperienced hands but that doesn't stop him.

This is the first book in the Sam Turner Mystery series but he's already at the top of my favorite P.I. list. When he hires help one of them is a "Hameless and Hungry" teen he's keeps seeing on the streets and can't forget. His office manager is an older woman he meets during his investigative interviews and she also takes on tutoring the homeless teen, so that he can write his own reports. There are others, and if this was a movie the reviews would say it has a great ensemble cast.… (mehr)

The Meanest Flood by John Baker is the 6th in his series about private detective Sam Turner. Unfortunately it is also the last of the series. I have enjoyed every one of the Sam Turner books and I will miss this series a lot. This particular book is a fast moving thriller that has Sam being blamed for a series of murders. The victims are all women from Sam’s past, and someone is deliberately making it look like Sam is the murderer.

This has been an unique series, full of wonderful characters that were carefully developed into genuine individuals. They communicate with each other through a mix of banter and philosophy that is fresh and unique. The group of characters that work for Sam all have a deep caring and respect for each other. So in this book, when Sam must work outside the law to protect the women in his life, they are all there is help.

The Meanest Flood does not shy away from depicting the horror and violence of murder. Set against the backdrop of the city of York as it is being ravaged by flooding rivers, this book has a grim and dark side. The author keeps the book from descending into despair by touches of humor and with his warm characters. All these books are more than simple action driven thrillers, the characters and their dialogue as well as the finely crafted plots put these book in a class of their own and I am going to miss this consistently excellent series.… (mehr)

Shooting in the Dark by John Baker is the fifth book in one of my favourite series. A band of misfits have joined together and formed almost a family while they work as private investigators. In this outing they are helping the two Falco sisters who claim that someone is following them, watching their every move. Sam Turner, the leader and erstwhile father figure, is quite taken with Angeles Falco who is exotically beautiful and blind. When the other Falco sister, Isabel, goes missing and then is found brutally murdered, the group realizes they are pitched against a intelligent, serious murderer whose motive remains hidden.

Sam believes the answer lies in finding out why the sisters are targets. The story ramps up as they are battling both time and this mysterious killer, who appears to be driven by revenge and practically unstoppable. The plot moves along at a fast pace and builds to a exciting finale.

These books are full of action and are page turners but for me the main draw is the characters that I have gotten to know and like to keep current with. Along with Sam’s infatuation with Angeles, another storyline concerns young Geordie and his street-smart beyond her years mate, Janet, as they adapt to being new parents and having Geordie’s long absent brother show up on their doorstep. This is a group of people who work together, care about each other and are always there to cover each other’s back. The author writes about dark crime but his characters are so full of heart that these books are a joy to read.… (mehr)

Walking With Ghosts by John Baker is his fourth book featuring PI Sam Turner and his crew. In this one, most of them are dealing with serious issues and massive changes that are coming to their lives. Sam is living through his wife Dora’s last days as she succumbs to cancer, Marie is learning how to move on after her husband’s death and has met a man, while Geordie is facing parenthood. At the same time they have also been hired by an insurance company to look into the death of India Blake who was apparently kidnapped, held for ransom and then never returned. Originally the police figured she and her lover scammed her husband and disappeared, that is, until her body turned up 3 months later.

Although the police suspected the husband, Edward, was involved, it couldn’t be proven and now that he is claiming the insurance, Sam and his group have been asked to look into this case one more time before payment is made.

I have enjoyed each one of the Sam Turner books and this one is no exception. The characters are endearing, the relationships between them ring true. The story grabbed me right from the start and the interludes where the characters personal lives were delved into was poignant and gave a real sense of depth to the book.… (mehr)