Peter McPhie

This is a smart, suspenseful, action-filled crime drama that hooks you from the first devilish sentence and doesn't let go. It's got all the elements of a great crime tale: sparse, no-nonsense writing, believable conflicts, tension at every turn, a time frame that keeps you turning the pages, and a hard-boiled detective who is just a little too good at his job, and who keeps the protagonist, and reader, on edge. The suspense and drama involves hit men, a dastardly plot, a serial killer, crime-solving, marital mistrust, as well as emotionally textured characters.

Chester is the "good man" of the title. Unassuming, good-hearted, hard-working, he falls head over heels with Candace, who is a bit of a lost soul and in need of a prince to rescue her. "Ches" is no prince, but he rescues Candace, and believes he has found his happy ever after. Candace may have other ideas....

The storytelling is solid and suspenseful, with some nice twists all the way to the end. The book requires some suspension of disbelief at some character motivations and "coincidental" plot points, but such is fiction.… (mehr)

Candace wanted her prince. Chester wanted to fill that role for her. From the day that they met, soft-spoken and kind Chester was sure that Candace was out of his league. Beautiful but haunted by a difficult foster home childhood, Candace was never fully satisfied with her life. She longed for a prince to rescue her, to show his full devotion and love. Candace is often distant and unhappy and Chester worries she will leave him. So, Chester does the extraordinary…he hires a hitman and sets himself up as the hero who will save Candace. Taking full advantage of a serial killer working in the area that Chester and Candace head to on vacation, Chester sets up the hit to make it look like the serial killer has struck again. You’re kept on the edge of your seat, wondering how Chester will get out of the mess he finds himself in, and whether Candace will support her hero. This is a well-written, interesting, and entertaining read! Peter McPhie does an excellent job of creating a crime story that keeps mounting in tension, and with a great twist at the end! I received a giveaway copy of the novel and am happy to leave this voluntary review.… (mehr)