I've been intrigued by Bertrand's Roland March series. Bertrand has developed his characters into something that is compelling enough for you to keep turning pages. He also excels in writing in the present tense which is one of the hardest forms of writing prose. It is so difficult to keep the pace within the correct tense, be it something that a character did in the past, or will do in the future or what is happening at the moment. Present tense, for many readers, adds a breathlessness to action because you are running after a suspect; not the character ran after the suspect in the past tense. If not done correctly, the storyline can get convoluted.
In the first two novels, Bertrand accomplished the feat superbly. In this one (all books are stand alone) he doesn't seem to be on top of his game. It almost seems hurried and the quality has suffered. However, only someone who has read all the books would be able to tell. You won't be disappointed. The story line is good, new characters are developed well and you, dear reader, become suspicious the same time March does so you are not reading along and saying to March, "Dummy, you forgot that clue! Think about this! Sheesh, what a stupido." The suspense is very good, and you really feel for March as he once again stands on his conviction all by himself against the stacked odds.
I give it 4 of 5 stars. It's worth the money.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
J. Mark Bertrand lived in Houston, where the series is set, for fifteen years,
earning an MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. But after
one hurricane too many he left for South Dakota. Mark has been arrested
for a crime he didn't commit, was the foreman of one hung jury and served
on another that acquitted Vinnie Jones of assault. In 1972, he won an
honorable mention in a child modeling contest, but pursued writing instead.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The stakes have never been higher for
Detective Roland March.
The victim's head is missing, but what intrigues Detective Roland March
is the hand. The pointing finger must be a clue--but to what? According
to the FBI, the dead man was an undercover asset tracking the flow of
illegal arms to the Mexican cartels. To protect the operation, they want
March to play along with the cover story. With a little digging, though, he
discovers the Feds are lying. And they're not the only ones.
In an upside-down world of paranoia and conspiracy, March finds himself
dogged by injury and haunted by a tragic failure. Forced to take justice into
his own hands, his twisting investigation leads him into the very heart of
darkness, leaving March with nothing to lose--and nothing to hide.
If you would like to read the first chapter of Nothing to Hide, go HERE.
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