Synopsis:
This is book 1 in the series. Sam Blackman is a army vet and a recent amputee. When another army vet comes to him asking for help he is intrigued and eager to help. When his companion mysteriously turns up dead he decides he has to find out why she was killed and if the project she needed his assistance on was linked to his death.

Rating:

4/5

I really enjoyed this book and do plan on continuing with the series.

Sam is an interesting character and I liked the relationship he develops with the sister of the deceased along the way. I was also interested in the tension between Sam and his brother, who he was going to live with after his recovery. His brother plays a fairly minor role but I still enjoyed how complex their sibling relationship was.

We find out pretty early on that the project Sam was being asked to help with was to solve an old murder. The deceased was the granddaughter of a man who had died mysteriously 70ish years before. Sam is given a journal with information leading up to that death and he quickly comes to believe that the murders are related though they took place so many years apart.

Eventually, Sam is trying to solve both murders. I liked the dual timelines but in the beginning the journal entries dragged.

The mystery was solid. I didn't guess what was happening or who the murderer was until the reveal.

This book has a diverse cast with both disability rep and people of African American descent. There is some discussion, particularly in the past timeline, about the poor treatment of non-whites.

Overall this was a solid mystery read I can recommend if you are looking to start a new series. I enjoyed it and I would highly recommend the audio version. ( )

Sam Blackman a patient at the Asheville VA hospital is visited by a young woman, Tikima, who like him has lost a limb in the Iraqi war. What begins as a harsh pep talk ends up as an intriguing job offer. Then days later later Tikima y is found dead in the French Broad River. The clues Blackman and Tikima's sister have to go on are scant; an old journal, file cards from Tikima's job as a security specialist. Before long it becomes apparent that Tikima's murder is some how tied to her great- great grandfather's.

The book is nicely plotted with a focus on character and place rather than the "puzzle." While Mark creates a compelling mystery, replete with clues, his focus remains on the people, something he considers am important aspect of the modern mystery. Besides creating strong characters with Sam and Nakayla, de Castrique deserves as hand for deftly weaving Asheville history and lore into the mystery without turning the story into a history lesson. Coming from nearby Hendersonville it is no surprise that de Castrique knows the area and its history well. His description are spot on. ( )

Sam Blackman a patient at the Asheville VA hospital is visited by a young woman, Tikima, who like him has lost a limb in the Iraqi war. What begins as a harsh pep talk ends up as an intriguing job offer. Then days later later Tikima y is found dead in the French Broad River. The clues Blackman and Tikima's sister have to go on are scant; an old journal, file cards from Tikima's job as a security specialist. Before long it becomes apparent that Tikima's murder is some how tied to her great- great grandfather's.

The book is nicely plotted with a focus on character and place rather than the "puzzle." While Mark creates a compelling mystery, replete with clues, his focus remains on the people, something he considers am important aspect of the modern mystery. Besides creating strong characters with Sam and Nakayla, de Castrique deserves as hand for deftly weaving Asheville history and lore into the mystery without turning the story into a history lesson. Coming from nearby Hendersonville it is no surprise that de Castrique knows the area and its history well. His description are spot on. ( )

Sam Blackman a patient at the Asheville VA hospital is visited by a young woman, Tikima, who like him has lost a limb in the Iraqi war. What begins as a harsh pep talk ends up as an intriguing job offer. Then days later later Tikima y is found dead in the French Broad River. The clues Blackman and Tikima's sister have to go on are scant; an old journal, file cards from Tikima's job as a security specialist. Before long it becomes apparent that Tikima's murder is some how tied to her great- great grandfather's.

The book is nicely plotted with a focus on character and place rather than the "puzzle." While Mark creates a compelling mystery, replete with clues, his focus remains on the people, something he considers am important aspect of the modern mystery. Besides creating strong characters with Sam and Nakayla, de Castrique deserves as hand for deftly weaving Asheville history and lore into the mystery without turning the story into a history lesson. Coming from nearby Hendersonville it is no surprise that de Castrique knows the area and its history well. His description are spot on. ( )

This is the first in the series featuring Sam Blackman, a Veteran who served as a Chief Warrant Officer until he lost a limb. He becomes acquainted with Tikima Robertson, another former veteran who visits veterans, while in the VA hospital in Asheville, North Carolina thanks to an error on a government form. When she turns up dead, Sam, along with Tikima's sister, Nakayla, sets out to investigate. The solution appears to lie in the past. There's a handwritten journal penned by Thomas Wolfe and action at the famed Biltmore Estate. There's even an interesting geological slant that shows the author did his homework to come up with such a gripping narrative. This is an outstanding first in series. Having already read a later installment, I can truly say that this mystery series is quickly becoming one of my favorites. ( )