I CAN NEVER SAY GOODBYE TO INSPECTOR SAMUEL TAY. NEITHER SHOULD YOU.

 Jake Needham's latest novel, Goodbye, Mr. Boogie, continues the saga of protagonist Samuel Tay, recently retired from the Singapore homicide squad.  This series won the Barry Award for "Who The Hell Is Harry Black?" (recognition that was long overdue in my humble opinion).

In this latest installment, Samuel Tay is enjoying retirement, but still in demand for his expertise in criminal investigations. So it's no surprise when a friend from the Thailand Police sends an emissary to ask for help. It seems an international assassin is targeting a Global Summit in Bangkok, where several world leaders are meeting. There's just one problem. No one knows who this assassin is targeting, or if he really exists. And Tay's presence may just be a convenient way to use him as a scapegoat if things go sour.

Inspector Tay has a challenge on his hands. Only his loyalty to a friend convinces him to stay on the case. But with nothing to go on, not even a name, the challenge seems insurmountable. With help from a young female police officer, Tay begins to make progress when a suspect appears. He also discovers that his partner may be a romantic interest, and for a long time bachelor, this complicates his task.

Inspector Tay isn't above liberating some potential evidence without the benefit of a warrant. But when you're battling an international assassin, the rules can be flexible. Is that a good word to use when you're breaking the law? I like it. Let's use it...flexible. His quick hands turn out to be useful. But as the case races to it's conclusion, Tay begins to suspect that the obvious solution may not be the right one. Is Tay on the verge of cracking the case? Or is he being setup?

Readers say that books can transport us to another world. That's true. Whenever I finish an Inspector Tay novel, I lean back and close my eyes. In a few moments I am walking down the street where Samuel Tay lives. I ring the bell, and am invited in, offering a bottle of Irish whiskey. Tay produces the ice and the glasses. We retire to his back yard, surrounded by bamboo. We watch the birds, and enjoy the silence. No one speaks. There is no need for conversation. Tay smokes a cigarette. I don't mind. A former smoker understands. And that is all I need.

Join me. You won't regret it.

A NIGHT AT THE SHORE IS THE NIGHTMARE YOU WON'T STOP READING

 I was almost done with this book before it occurred to me that I didn't know the narrator's name. Not his real name anyway. He uses fake names throughout the novel to protect himself. After all, he's a thief...and a good one. He pays for scores. Never carries a gun. And he always cases the job before he goes in.

Except for this one time. Welcome to your nightmare. The sun has gone down, and it's going to be a long night.

We're on the Jersey Shore. The target is a high stakes gambler with 10,000 dollars in the house. Getting in is easy. But in a few minutes, the police have arrived.

 Silent alarm? Not likely. A double cross? Far more likely.

The rest of the novel is a series of narrow escapes and a desperate attempt to get off an island whose only exit is guarded by a police roadblock.

Along the way, your hair will stand up on end with every creak of a door and every step around a dark corner. When the tension builds, the only sound will be your heatbeat filling your ears. But you'll also pick up a few tips about breaking and entering. 

Did I just say that out loud? Never mind.

A Night At The Shore is a great introduction to a great series. Hop Aboard. After all, what else did you have planned for tonight?

Get Off! (Your Butt and Buy This Book)

 Angel Dare's latest appearance in The Get Off starts with a bang (literally) and doesn't let up for 256 pages. Get ready for a wild ride. Christa Faust has quite a story here. My fingers were scorched just flipping the pages. Or is that just the scorching summer heat here in Missouri?

Our tale begins with Angel seeking revenge on a gangster who harmed her. She stalks him for weeks, and as she's about to deliver the Coup de grâce with a fatal injection, something terrible happens. Another gangster kills her gangster. And this is just the beginning of a terrible day.

In the ensuing battle, several people get shot, including a police officer, and suddenly every law enforcement officer in the country is looking for Angel...and not as a witness. Oh, and in her attempt to seek medical assistance for wounds received in the battle, Angel gets a surprise. She's pregnant!

This girl can't catch a freakin' break to save her life. But she'd better catch one soon, or she'll be dead.
She makes her way to the home of an old friend who arranges passage for her to a remote area of the Great Northwest, sort of a modern version of the Underground Railroad. Along the way she encounters various rural rednecks who turn out to be complex, fully developed characters, with the same hopes, dreams, and flaws as the people she left behind in L.A.

Who'd have thunk?

In many respects, they're better than Angel, and many of them (but not all) really seem to care about her. It helps that Angel has given them the impression that she's a blameless victim of domestic abuse (which is a bunch of hogwash). But hey, a few white lies never hurt anyone, right?

Doing double duty as the protagonist and the villain, Angel can be hard to like. But she's so brutally honest about her own flaws, that the reader can't help but admire her. And I do. Also, I wanted to find out what happens! That kept me reading, and it will keep you turning the pages as well. Have fun!

Find out more about Christa HERE. And enjoy this interview she did with The Poisoned Pen Bookstore.