Review of ‘Puzzle of Death’
On the eve of the untimely demise of an unpleasant, puzzle-loving scientist, envelopes containing puzzle pieces, and a challenge to locate a missing chemical formula and ten million dollars he’s taken from his bank and hidden somewhere are sent to a number of people. But, then, the letter recipients begin to turn up dead, killed by an unknown assailant, or assailants. One of the recipients is Jake Wade, a PI with a checkered record and a propensity to hit back at anyone threatening him.
The action starts with a bang, literally, as a bullying football player is dispatched, and just keeps getting louder and bloodier with each turn of the page, and throughout, Wade is right in the thick of things, trying to find the missing loot, stay one step ahead of whoever is trying to kill him, and investigating the killings, including the one he’s responsible for.
Sound confusing? It is, but in a nice way. Puzzle of Death by Donahue B. Silvis is an action story with so many twists, turns, red herrings, and counterplots, you almost need to keep a chart to keep from losing your place. An anti-hero main character with almost as many flaws as the bad guys—and gals—he’s chasing, that you’ll nonetheless cheer for. A tantalizing story, marred only by the author’s tendency in places to mix past and present tense in the same sentence—I can forgive him for that, I suppose, but hope he’ll take it to heart and not do it in future offerings.
I received a complimentary review copy of this book. I found it a bit choppy in places; not unusual for a first novel, and not a fatal flaw. I give it three and a half stars for effort.
Readers of this blog who would like to enter a raffle for a chance at winning a free copy of the book are invited to go to:
Charles Ray's Ramblings 
May 31, 2018 at 7:16 pm
[…] Charles Ray’s Ramblings May 31 Review […]
LikeLiked by 1 person
May 31, 2018 at 7:30 pm
I’m so glad you enjoyed ‘Puzzle Of Death’!
LikeLike
May 31, 2018 at 8:18 pm
hmmm, mixing past and present tense, I do believe I have the same problem! I’ve read a few lately with an anti-hero and it isn’t until I’ve finished that I realize, WHOA! actually he was a good person!
LikeLike