Wednesday, March 15, 2023

Book Review Tour & Giveaway: A Cop's Necklace by Norm Meech


A Cop's Necklace
by
Norm Meech

Thriller / Mystery
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Publication Date: December 20, 2022
Page Count: 238 pages

SCROLL DOWN FOR GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

It has been nearly a year since the murder and kidnapping happened at the McPherson mansion. Everything has returned to being quiet and normal around the mansion until a package is delivered to Alex McNeil.

Inside the carefully wrapped package, Alex finds an expensive-looking antique necklace. There is also a note inside the package that reads, "Mr. McNeil, you have exhibited the ability of being a good investigator. Find out who stole the necklace, and you will find out who murdered her."

Investigation determines that the necklace belonged to missing Bisson City police sergeant Jennifer Thomson, who was presumed to have been kidnapped and murdered 10 years ago. Alex takes a leave of absence from the McPherson mansion, and is hired by the Bisson City police force on a short-term-employment contract. Alex teams up with his old police partner Stephanie Foster, and they renew their close friendship while investigating what happened to their missing colleague, Sergeant Thomson.



READ AN EXCERPT:

Rocco said over the years he always wanted to know what happened to Jennifer, then one day another associate, who couldn't pay a gambling debit offered him the necklace as payment. He said that he had immediately recognized the necklace from the media pictures. It was Jennifer Thomson's necklace. He didn't know what to do, until he was diagnosed with terminal cancer a few months ago. He said that he wanted closure for Jennifer, and he wanted the investigation opened again.


REVIEW:

4 stars!

Entertaining Canadian police procedural featuring retired police staff sergeant Alex McNeil.

 A Cop's Necklace is the third book in author Norm Meech's entertaining Alex McNeil series and is a surprising and shocking new case. Set in Bisson City in one of Canada's provinces, it gives readers an inside look at a police cold-case investigation of a missing police sergeant. The story becomes even more interesting when the original investigator on the case (Alex McNeil) is brought back out of retirement to help with the investigation when new evidence suddenly appears.

Alex McNeil is an interesting man. He is quite content with his life, retired from the Bisson City Police Department but pursuing a second career in security, working for the multi-billionaire Gordon McPherson and safeguarding the life of Mia McPherson. However, he jumps at the chance to return to police work when a necklace belonging to the missing officer is mailed to him with a cryptic note. Alex is happily married to Karen, but when reunited with his old partner, Stephanie Foster, he daydreams about what it would be like to act on their flirtations. The bottom line, though, is together, he and Stephanie are a great team.

The plot begins simply enough, but as the investigation follows the new clues, it splinters into additional lines of inquiry and starts to look like those responsible for Sgt. Jennifer Thomson's disappearance may be closer to the investigation than anyone would have ever dreamed. Although I sussed out the culprit from the author's clues, the entire story was a complete and utter surprise. My only beef with the book is that the author does an immense amount of telling rather than showing, and the work reads like a very long and complex police report. This is the third book featuring Alex McNeil, and although readers would enjoy it more if they read the previous two novels, it is enjoyable as a standalone.

With an intriguing plot that gets even more fascinating as the detectives do their job, I recommend A COP'S NECKLACE to mystery readers who enjoy police procedurals, missing person cold cases, and fans of the previous books in the series.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Norm Meech retired from the Barrie Police Service on December 31, 2021, and he believes that, besides his family, one of his greatest's accomplishments was to be employed as a police officer for over 44 years.


Metropolitan Toronto Police Cadet: October 1976 to September 1978

Canadian National Railroad Police Constable: December 3, 1979 to June 6, 1997

Barrie Police Service: Constable/Staff Sergeant June 9, 1997 to December 31, 2021

Norm is enjoying retirement. and fitness is a part of his life. He is gaining more knowledge and experience as an author, and he plans on publishing more fiction books in the future.


GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Norm Meech will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.




1 comment:

Kim said...

This sounds like a really intriguing story.