03 September, 2016

#BookReview :: Bullet in the Blue Sky by Bill Larkin

About the Book:
In the chaotic aftermath of a massive earthquake that leveled much of the Los Angeles region, a LAPD deputy chief sends an elite team of detectives on a rescue mission. They are ordered to set aside all law enforcement duties, to ignore the destruction and to focus on one task: Find LAPD Detective Gavin Shaw, who disappeared just before the earthquake.

Kevin “Schmitty” Schmidt of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department joins five others on the rescue team. With rioting, looting, attacks and homicides rampant in the streets, the six cops have to defend themselves while chasing down leads on the whereabouts of Shaw. The mission takes them through the dizzying war zone and the more they encounter, the more they wonder why they are searching for one man in these extreme circumstances. Why is this man so important to the deputy chief, and why now?

Schmitty discovers that others with high connections are also after Shaw. The questions pile even higher when they learn of a shadowy history between Shaw and the deputy chief. A history with deadly consequences for the team as they uncover a threat that elevates the mission to a race against time.


My Review:

Let me wander from my usual reviewing format for this book… well, because that title! And that cover! I am not much for the book covers yet the title and this cover made me look twice. The title of the book made me curious and the cover reminded me of Jack Reacher. So I delved in the book with hopes of discovering a strong hero in a complex plot.

As the book blurb describes, after an earthquake that wiped out much of the Los Angeles region, Kevin Schmidt of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department joins five others on a rescue team created to find and bring back one man – Gavin Shaw, a LAPD detective. Their orders were simple yet confusing – why were 5 capable officers being dispatched to find one man within the chaos that has ensued after the earthquake. Why was this search team and their target attracting attention from high places. And, who on the team was keeping secrets? Schmitty soon realizes that he was just a small part in a big game and sometimes looking for answers can get a person in trouble! Who can he trust? 

The plot of this book is excellent. I loved the short duration covered in the book, but full of action. It made for a fast paced read. The plot set up and the character development has been done well with no extra noise in there. Everything and every bit of information provided in the book is useful – either in character building or in plot development. The authors language and narration style complement each other wherein both are inviting and easy to get into. The most distinguishing characteristic of Kevin Schmidt, our protagonist, is that he appears to be an average cop who goes that extra step. He didn’t wow me at any point, yet at the end of the book I find that I would like to read more about him and his cases. 

Thanks to Partners in Crime Book Tours, I discovered a new character that I enjoyed reading about and his creator. This is my first experience with Bill Larkin and I just realized there are more books in the series. I will be sure to try and get my hands on Schmitty’s other adventures.




About the Author:
Bill Larkin writes crime fiction and is the author of two highly-acclaimed books: Bullet in the Blue Sky and Detective Lessons. He has also written several short stories, including The Highlands and Shadow Truth, both Amazon category bestsellers. Bill previously served as a reserve with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, then the Los Angeles Police Department where he worked in four different divisions and a detective assignment. Bill is a member of the Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. 




Catch Up With Mr. Larkin:
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Giveaway
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Bill Larkin. There will be ONE (1) prize & ONE (1) Winner for this tour. The winner will receive 1 copy of Bullet in the Blue Sky by Bill Larkin. Winners within the United States may choose either an eBook or a physical book however, winners outside the US can only receive an eBook. This is subject to change without notification. The giveaway begins on August 1st and runs through Septermber 30th, 2016.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

2 comments:

  1. I read this and agree with you. It was definitely non stop action!

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  2. i read this book nice thanks please share more books tips

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