Publisher: Camel Press
Publication Date: March 14, 2023
Page count: 222 pages
He hooked his left leg behind my right, sending me crashing to the cracked linoleum floor. While that was bad for me, it wasn’t too good for him either, seeing as how I managed to keep my grip around him as we went down. I felt a twinge in my back as we hit the ground, then ignored it as I tightened the hug, hearing his ribs start to creak beneath my arms.
His face began to turn a little purple as I squeezed even tighter. He started flipping his head back and forth, probably attempting to get underneath my chin so he could give me a good bonk. Ducking my chin against my breastbone, I squeezed even tighter.
Back in the old days, The Blond Bomber was known for the power of his bearhugs. ‘Course, back then my opponent was going along with me, which made looking like a tough guy a whole lot easier.
Not so easy when the other dude’s actually fighting back.
He began squirming his legs back and forth, and I had the idea he was attempting to get some leverage to give me a good knee in the groin. Not liking that idea so much, and beginning to get a little out of breath and arm weary, I figured the time had come to put him down.
Still under the intruder, I did a quick shift to the right, as I did so flipping my upper body in a way that sent him crashing to the floor, his head banging on the linoleum.
Although the move didn’t knock him out, it rang his bell enough to loosen his grip, giving me the opportunity to scooch back just enough to give me some room to make a move, which I did.
The move being a solid left hook to his chin.
While Clean Win is the fourth novel in veteran author Kevin R. Doyle’s PI series, the Sam Quinton Mysteries, reading the previous books about the wise-cracking, former pro-wrestler turned gym owner and part-time PI is not a prerequisite; it stands well and good on its own. However, after having finally ‘met’ Sam, I’m headed straight for the author’s backlist! Sam Quinton may have just become my all-time favorite PI.
As hinted, the main character, gym owner Sam Quinton, took an unusual route to his side gig as a fully licensed private investigator. At one time, a professional wrestler out of St. Louis, he eventually returned to his roots in Providence, Missouri, where he now owns and operates a gym, investigating cases on the side. Sam is a regular guy despite his unique background. Observant and smart in the ways of his fellow man, he can readily spot when someone is trying to feed him a line. He’s dogged in his pursuit of answers as he tries to work on the down low, sussing out some preliminary information about a well-liked and connected politician seemingly involved in the death of a young local woman. I liked how he was willing to put his safety and reputation on the line for what he felt was the right thing to do.
The plot involves a heinous crime, and its circumstances are
salacious. The media will have a field day when new evidence is released, and a
promising political career will tank. But Sam is involved not to save the mayor
but to head off the suspected collateral damage that will be aimed at the two unlucky
police detectives heading up the murder investigation. I liked that Sam follows
the same investigative steps the original pair of detectives took when the
crime was discovered but with the added benefit of having critical evidence unavailable
to them. As he uncovers additional clues, his actions lead to twists and turns
in the plot that really surprised me. I enjoyed trying to figure out the
murderer but came up lacking all the way to the big reveal.
I recommend CLEAN WIN to mystery readers who enjoy private investigator stories, gritty investigations, and great dialogue.
6 comments:
Thanks so much for reviewing today - it's appreciated!
"Clean Win" by Kevin R. Doyle is a great read that will keep you hooked from start to finish.
This sounds like an interesting book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it.
interesting
interesting
Great excerpt and giveaway. :)
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