Book description:
Grisly murder comes to the shores of Lake Tahoe.
The victim’s identity sends the local sheriff’s department into a tailspin.
An overly curious resident discovers a dangerous cover-up and races to find the murderer before they kill again.
Deceitful Above All Things is the first book in a new series of murder mysteries set at majestic Lake Tahoe.
Former Army Criminal Investigator Hank Lin returns to his childhood home at Lake Tahoe after suffering a battlefield injury. With the addition of Hank’s father’s death, he’s left nursing his pain and disappointment. Depressed and lonely, Hank is forced to start over with only his grief and inner demons as companions.
After rekindling an old friendship with Deputy Sierra McLean, Hank is infused with fresh energy. Simultaneously intrigued by the case and the irresistible Sierra, Hank pursues both with a curiosity that calms the inner turmoil. His independent side investigation frustrates Sierra and earns him the attention of the unidentified killer.
The hidden evil is as cold and deep as Lake Tahoe itself. A trail of greed and revenge exposes several suspects, but when Hank discovers the killer’s true identity, the hunt turns personal and Hank risks it all to stop them.
My review:
This is a new author to me. I had never even heard of him before I ran across this book, but it sounded good. So here I am leaving a review for it. :)
First let me say how refreshing it is to read a book by a male author that features a male character. I have read a few lately, but it is far more common to have a female be the main character.
And Hank is a great character. No, he is an awesome character. Chinese - well, half Chinese - that is not too common either. He isn't perfect, but is extremely likable. He is also not a Christian, but has his sister and his best friend who is a pastor working to change that.
He is accompanied by a great cast of characters, including the possible future sheriff, Sienna, and her fellow deputy, Truckee. (Yeah, that is really his name 😀). And of course Bo, the dog he inherited off his dad.
The book starts out rather mundane (not boring), with a funeral. Then it doesn't take long for the discovery of the dead body. And things pick up. Hank investigates on his own - he had been some kind of investigator in the military before he got injured - and he ruffles some feathers and has some difficulties.
This is more of a decent paced mystery instead of a fast paced with chases, etc. That said, it is a great read that is extremely well written. The author did an excellent job of keeping the bad guys a surprise. I was sure early on who killed the guy, but that theory got shot down a couple chapters later. Literally. 😎
I enjoyed the book. A lot. It is a book that I didn't want to put down, but had to because of work.
There is no romance in this novel, though there is a hint of interest between Hank and Sierra, so that may be something that develops later in the series.
The author has created a great setting for his series, and created a perfect main character in the imperfect Hank Lin. I am definitely looking forward to reading more about this wanna be sleuth and his adventures. Hack has hit it out of the ballpark with his debut Christian fiction novel.
Special thanks to the author for an advance copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.
About the author:
Charles Hack is the author of the Space Warfare Group Sci-Fi/Space Opera books and the Hank Lin Mysteries. After writing for nearly twenty years, his first published novel is Into the Darkness. He studied electrical engineering in college and is still a licensed professional engineer with over twenty years of experience before retiring and entering full time Christian ministry. He currently serves as a pastor in his hometown and has a master’s degree in systematic theology. Writing is one of his passions along with reading, woodworking, and coffee. Charles is married with two children and three noisy dogs. They live on a small ranch, known as the Ranchini, in the Great Basin of Northern Nevada.
Find out more about him on his website CharlesHack.com
And check out his science fiction series:
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