Review: Deadly Ruse by E. Michael Helms

Description:
Mac’s girlfriend, Kate Bell, thinks she’s seen a ghost. Wes Harrison, Kate’s former boyfriend, supposedly perished twelve years ago in a boating accident. But now she swears a man she spotted in a crowded theater lobby is Wes. Mac has his doubts--it was only a fleeting glimpse. But to calm her shattered nerves, he starts making inquiries.

A clue leads him from his home in St. George, Florida, to a Texas orphanage. There he uncovers startling information that turns both his and Kate’s world upside-down. Diamond smuggling, sex, deceit, and murder are just part of the twisted tale that emerges from Kate’s earlier life. Using wit, grit, and the ingrained military training of a former Marine, Mac starts to fit the pieces of this scrambled puzzle together.

Further clues point to the Palmetto Royale Casino and Resort near St. George. He and Kate discover that the casino is a front for big drug deals. When they barely escape a murder attempt, Mac knows he’s on the right track.

But he better play his cards right–because losing this high-stakes game could cost him his life. 

My Thoughts:
I was drawn into the mystery from the first page. I was intrigued that Kate swore she saw her supposedly dead ex. As the mystery progressed, I found it impossible to put down. Mac is a retired marine still figuring out what to do with his life besides drinking beer and scotch, fishing, and spending time with his girlfriend Kate. I love the fact that he's just a regular guy. He stumbles onto clues, follows leads, and does his best to fit the pieces together, though he sometimes makes mistakes. I look forward to reading more Mac McClellan mysteries in the future. And though this is the second in the series, each book stands alone.


My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !

My Source: author


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Blog Tour Review: Deadly Catch by E. Michael Helms

Author: E. Michael Helms
Edition: First Edition
Format: eBook and Paperback
Publication Date: November 12, 2013
Publisher: Seventh Street Books
ISBN: 1616148675
ISBN13: 9781616148676

Hashtag #DeadlyCatch

Description:

After twenty-four years in the U.S. Marines, recently retired Mac McClellan is happy to be a civilian again. He is enjoying a leisurely fishing vacation in the Florida panhandle when he hooks a badly decomposed body.

Then, when a bag of rare marijuana is discovered stashed aboard his rental boat, he realizes someone is setting him up to take the fall for murder and drug smuggling. Mac’s plans for a more laid-back life must be put on hold while he works to clear his name as the number one suspect.

Mac launches an investigation with the help of Kate Bell, a feisty saleslady at the local marina with whom he has struck up a promising relationship. Along the way he must butt heads and match wits with local law enforcement officials, shady politicians, and strong-armed thugs from the Eastern Seaboard to sniff out and bring the real smuggler and killer to justice.

My Thoughts:
I was drawn into this book from the first sentence "The first cast of the day turned my dream vacation into a nightmare." It is written in first person from the point of view of Mac McClellan and the style is sort of casual and laid back. A comfortable read. Mac is a likeable character. He is just trying to relax on vacation before figuring out what to do with his life and he gets pulled into a mystery involving murder and drugs. The mystery has enough going on to keep you guessing. Held my interest to the end. There is also a bit of romance which fit perfectly into the story. I look forward to more Mac McClellan mysteries.

My Rating: *****
Steam Factor: !!

My Source: blog tour

Where to get it:

Author Bio:

E. Michael Helms is a USMC combat veteran. His memoir of the Vietnam War, The Proud Bastards, has been called “As powerful and compelling a battlefield memoir as any ever written ... a modern military classic,” and has been in print for most of the past 20 years.

His work has also appeared in the books: Semper Fi: Stories of U.S. Marines from Boot Camp to Battle (Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2003); Soldier’s Heart: Survivors’ Views of Combat Trauma (The Sidran Press, 1995); and Two Score and Ten: The Third Marine Division History (Turner Publishing, 1992).

Book One of his two-part historical saga, Of Blood and Brothers, will be released Septemeber 1, 2013, with Book Two following in March 2014. The first novel of his Mac McClellan Mystery series, Deadly Catch, is scheduled for a Fall 2013 release.

Helms lives with his wife in the Upstate region of South Carolina in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Where to find the author:
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