This is the fifth book in the series featuring ex-con Colleen Hayes, who's now out of prison - convicted of killing her husband - and working as a private eye (albeit unlicensed). It's also the first one I've read, but it certainly won't be the last; I'm intrigued by Colleen's rather unconventional approach to her work - sort of the means-justifies-the-end attitude. At least in some cases, ethics is far less important than outcome.

She does not, for instance, feel remorse for the murder she committed; he was, after all, seriously abusing their daughter Pamela, with whom Colleen is trying to reestablish a working relationship (with mixed results; not long ago, Pamela once again disappeared from Colleen's life). A bit of remorse there? You bet.

Meantime, a serial killer known as "Night Candy" has been targeting sex workers in San Francisco in the late 1970s. It's almost 1980 now, and Colleen's cop friend Owen - in jail for the murder of his wife Alice - needs her help (his police department colleagues seem to have washed their hands of him, and their disdain extends to Colleen as well). But she's convinced that Owen was railroaded and sets out to prove it despite doubts of her friends and colleagues.

Needless to say, that puts her squarely in the sights of the SFPD as well as police departments of surrounding communities to which her investigation takes her. Fairly early on she identifies her prime suspect, but pinning down the required evidence isn't the easiest of tasks (and certainly isn't without more toe-stepping and outright danger). By the end - and at least two more murders - she's frustrated enough to throw caution to the wind (again) to bring the case to a close. It's an action-packed adventure, although a little repetitive here and there - and there's plenty left to carry over to the next installment. I'm looking forward to reading it, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC

I found Night Candy (the nickname for a serial killer in case you were are wondering) to be an well-written and highly entertaining police /private investigator procedural. I also enjoyed that this novel was set right at the conclusion of the 70's it was pleasant revisiting cutural and musical references from that timeframe.

Lastly, I believe that novel did an excellent job when it came to framing the struggles cops and other aw enforcement pros face on an almost daily basis (for example, if the temptation to "stack the cards" a bit when they Know who committed a particular crime or crimes, however you also equally realize that Yu cannot prove who the perpetrator was "beyond a shadow of a doubt" therefore the creep will keep repeatedly breaking the law and could easily harm you or your loved ones as they go about their daily activities.

The temptation to sightly titt the scales of justice would be seductive, and even more so in the self-defining seventies.

Definitely a great novel for someone searching for a traditional police procedural that recognizes stressors that exist when you empower an individual to be quick thinking individuals, when those individuals have a n amount of power.

This was the first book (it definitely won't be my last) that I have read written by this talented author.

Until next time, dear readers, stay safe

Night Candy by Max Tomlinson
Colleen Hayes #5

It's always so easy for me to jump back into the next Colleen Hayes book. She's very true to herself, knowing that she had to do what she did to put herself in prison for ten years and knowing that now that she is out, she's going to stand on her own two feet while making a go of it as an unlicensed private investigator. Colleen has a soft spot in her heart for the downtrodden and down on their luck and she has no stomach for those who prey on others or abuse their power. But she knows she always has to walk a fine line with how she might push back against injustice since she's an ex-felon. Even though her husband needed killing, that didn't mean Colleen wasn't going to pay for killing him for the rest of her life.

You don't have to read the books that came before to understand this one but I'm glad I did because they flesh out Colleen's distant and near past. She's had her lows, lots of them, and then she had the high of finally making contact with her grown daughter, who was expecting a child. But the baby was lost and now her daughter, Pam, is gone again and Colleen knows she can't keep chasing after Pam.

At least Colleen has way more work than she has time so she has no trouble keeping busy. A good law enforcement friend has been accused of murdering his wife and she knows he didn't so it. Colleen is going to investigate the murder even if every door is slammed in her face. Also, Colleen worries about the night workers who are being preyed upon by a killer dubbed Night Candy.

We are at the tail end of 1970 San Francisco and I get a kick out of the descriptions of the clothes worn for dress up and casual. Bell bottoms and flairs are the get up of the day. There is mention of a woman with a Laura Petrie hair do. In just a few words I can see it all, even though I've never been to San Francisco. Even Texas cowgirls were wearing bell bottoms back then.

Thank you to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

I'm a real fan of this series & the protagonist, Colleen Hayes. She's a parolee convicted of murdering her husband. She manages to pull her life back together & starts a private investigative agency (unlicensed). The setting of 1970's/cusp of 1980's San Francisco is gritty.
Someone is hunting & killing prostitutes and no one gives a flip - except Colleen. That's her turf & the victims are kindred spirits.
Meanwhile, her unlikely best friend, Detective Owens, is trying to put his marriage back together after his ex-wife's extra-marital affair. He is out of pocket at a cabin/resort in the woods (literally).
The reunion is a bust, and Owens leaves. The cabin catches on fire, his wife's body is found in the ruins, and Owens is arrested. No one believes in his innocence except - Colleen. The girl's got a lot on her plate.
She starts by finding the beneficiary of the ex-wife's will. A younger, buffer local bartender. Cliches are cliches for a reason. Colleen continues to investigate outside the lines with her limited resources (and 1970's "technology").
Turns out, the prostitutes & Owens ex-wife are sorta the same body type & coloring. hmmm...
worlds collide. I'll let you figure out the rest.
A dark ride in the underbelly of SanFran back in the day. Go back and start at book #1 even though you don't have to. Thank me later.
Thank you to Oceanview Publishing & net galley for an advance reading copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This book will be released on July 25, 2023.

Thank you Netgalley and Oceanview publishing for the copy of Night Candy by Max Tomlinson. The first time I started this I couldn’t get into it for some reason. When I picked it up againI really liked it but then stopped being engaged. I think the writing style was hard for me because the sentences were choppy and the words didn’t have a good flow. Having to read about what Colleen was wearing, and the title and artist of every song that plays anywhere was probably done to evoke the 70s, but it got repetitive and boring. Once it got going though, the story was really good. The book really wasn’t for me because writing is so important, but if you want a good story with a lot of action this is for you!

Well written addition to the Colleen Hayes series. Approaching the end of 1979, Colleen finds herself grieving her daughter's lost pregnancy and her daughter's departure from her life. Her sometimes boyfriend is off applying for a job in D.C. and then Detective Owens if arrested for the murder of his ex-wife, with only Colleen believing in his innocence. As she unwinds the mystery of his set up and fall from grace within the SRPD, she uncovers clues involving the identity of Night Candy, a serial murderer targeting prostitutes in the bay area. Tense and well plotted, a compelling read.

I feel that I missed out on a lot by picking up this series with the fourth book. As the former felon and current PI protagonist comes to San Francisco to rescue her daughter, we also meet all sorts of unsavory characters in this story that focuses on a serial killer.

I've never read Tomlinson before but I enjoyed Colleen so much that now I'll need to read the first four in this series! P.I. Colleen is on the case of Night Candy, a serial killer targeting sex workers. She tries to warn the women on the streets where he frequents, but they must continue to stay alive and finance their pimps. Colleen is also worried about her own daughter, Pam who disappeared after she lost her baby and of course what mother wouldn't be concerned about that? In the meantime, there's a death at a cabin hideaway and the apparent murderer is in prison. Colleen (who's served a sentence herself) visits but is convinced there is something odd about the whole situation. She digs deeper, uses her cunning to figure out what the real story is, and using her wits and feminine wiles, is able to solve this somewhat-complicated case. I enjoyed this and look forward to more of her exploits!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Just yesterday I received this ARC of Night Candy. (Thanks NetGalley and publisher!) Author Max Tomlinson tells such a compelling story that I have already finished it. It takes place in 1979 San Francisco and brings back fond memories for someone like me who started visiting there in 1975 and moved there in 1981.
Night Candy involves serial killing and just plain murder, abundant as it is with deceit and betrayal. There are a variety of characters including pimps, prostitutes, good cops and bad cops, and an assortment of romeos.
This is the first of the Colleen Hayes mysteries I have read, but I doubt it will be the last!

#4 (of 5) Colleen Hayes mysteries.

Couple details: It's December 1979. Colleen is an unlicensed PI in San Francisco. She's from Colorado where she served near 10y for murdering her husband when she found out he was abusing their daughter Pam. Near the end of Colleen's sentence, Pam took off for California where she joined up with a cult (the subject of a couple earlier books). When paroled, Colleen took off for California hoping to reconnect with Pam. They did, sort of. Pam was pregnant, lost the baby, and bolted again. Finding Pam remains Colleen's primary obsession.

But bills have to be paid and she does what so many PIs do, tracking down philandering spouses. Plus she is attempting to get three young girls off the street corners. And she remains a sympathetic shoulder for SF homicide inspector Owens who, even a year later, hasn't moved on from his divorce from Alice.

And that's the problem. Owens and Alice were making an attempt at reconciliation. They are headed for a romantic weekend at the site of their honeymoon near coastal Sonoma County. That's the last Colleen had heard from Owens until she gets word that that the romantic bungalow had burned down. In the debris is a badly burned female corpse tentatively identified as the former Mrs. Owens, a handgun licensed to Owens, and 2 bullet holes in the corpse. Doesn't take long for the local and county cops to lock up Owens.

Most would see this as and open and shut case. Not Colleen. She and Owens may have butted heads on earlier cases, but now, he is her closest confidant. The feeling is mutual. No one believes Owen other than Colleen.

The trail seemed fairly straightforward. Find out who's framing Owens and why. And the why is where the trail takes a circuitous path toward the truth. An old beau (hers and Alice's), an insurance policy, a less than trustworthy dentist, one of the 3 street hookers and their pimp, SF Internal Affairs office, the lack of a corpse for a trans hooker. What started off looking to be a straight line investigation is anything but.

As stated, this is the 4th (of 4) Colleen Hayes mysteries (published by Oceanview Publishing . . . there's that name again. Publishers on quality mysteries and police procedurals). About the time I had read 50% of the book, the cards sure looked to be stacked against Owens. The case looked like it was locked up tight. What else could Tomlinson do with this story? Plenty. By comparison, the 2nd half of the book was a ton more interesting and engaging with the rapid fire twists to the story.

I tend to read books envisioning whether it has TV/Movie potential. The best thing about this series is Colleen Hayes. Ex-con, tough as nails, not quite middle aged, unconcerned about chain of evidence, B&E, carrying a firearm (a felony), or any number of things that might get tossed out of court, her hippie/cowboy/surfer lawyer, and Tomlinson's attention to late 1970s detail. Lot of fun characters. And I'm the right age to identify with the 70s.

Check out the Colleen Hayes books. I will find #5 and get back to you. Confident they'll be a hit with you.

East Coast Don

Former felon, current private investigator Colleen Hayes is back in this fifth installment of the Colleen Hayes Mystery series. Not much has changed: San Francisco is just as gritty, the 1970s fashion and lifestyle is still present, and Colleen is still the kick-ass PI that she always has been. But two important people in her life are missing - her daughter has taken off again, and her boyfriend Matt is now working for the CIA. So when Owens, the police detective that has a soft spot for Colleen, is accused of a crime he didn't commit and then gets attacked, Colleen doesn't hesitate to protect one of the few people she has left in her life. Despite being on probation, Colleen is willing break a few rules along the way, leading to lots of thrilling action and heart-stopping suspense. This series remains one of my favorites due to the realistic setting, time period, and unique heroine.

A wonderful thriller for those who love flawed, morally grey characters. This was not my cup of tea but, it was a well written action packed novel. Did a good job of stand alone in a series.

This thriller exceeded my expectations, with excellent writing and well-crafted twists that felt true to the plot.

I loved the protagonist, Colleen Hayes, and her refusal to blindly follow rules. Her intuition and determination made her an appealing character.

The ending was satisfyingly unexpected, and the characters were all memorable. Highly recommended!

I'm grateful to NetGalley for giving me the chance to discover this book and share my thoughts with others.

It’s San Francisco. The 1970s are fading and the “Summer of Love” a distant memory. Maybe the 80s will bring something new, and hopeful. Not so, as Night Candy, the moniker of a brutal serial killer who preys on sex workers, vexes private investigator Colleen Hayes. Colleen, who, by the way, is an ex-con already has a full plate: Her daughter dealing with a personal tragedy; her partner facing charges in the death of his wife; and now this. In NIGHT CANDY, the fifth installment in the best-selling Colleen Hayes Mystery Series, Tomlinson spins a wild tale that is fast-paced, convoluted, and populated with memorable characters. Highly recommended.


DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

Night Candy by Max Tomlinson
Colleen Hayes is a modern Spencer For Hire or really a mix of Spencer and Hawk. She is an unlicensed PI who has a hard sleuth exterior and a soft, gruff interior. It’s the ‘70s and a serial killer is stalking women of the night in San Franciso. Her only friend in the police department falls into disfavor with his peers and she is the only one who stands by him. Adding to the tension of a friend in trouble, a runaway daughter, and targeted sex workers she is an ex-con.
Hayes is a likable, flawed character. She skirts legality but only in the course of justice. I liked the story and characters, and I recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book for my honest opinion.

This is the first book I have read from this author. It is part of series (of which I have not read any of the prior books) but did well as a standalone. It was fast pace with a lot of graphic details of the crimes. In this story you have two mysteries in one read. Very clever! Collen Hayes is a very likable character (ex-con turn private eye), The story is set in the 70's. I wasn't sure if I would like to read a book from those years, but two thumbs up for the detailed description of the time-frame. Overall I liked this book, and give it 4/5 stars.

Even though this book is the 5th in a series it was an enjoyable read. Colleen Hayes private eye. She knows how criminals think since she is an ex-con herself. Colleen is trying to clear her friend Owen, who is a cop and has been arrested in his ex-wife's murder. She is doesn't follow any rule book she goes by her gut feeling and gets the job done.

Fifth book of series, makes me want to read the previous 4. Good characters and story. There's a lot going on but I was able to follow it all. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

4.5/5 stars! This is the 5th book in the Colleen Hayes series. I was looking forward to this story told in San Francisco in the 70s. At times the plot felt like a little much with both the serial killer investigation and the separate murder investigation being conducted. But I suppose that makes it more real-world because detectives are rarely only covering one case at a time. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the story. The author was really descriptive of the locations, which I really like. The ending was a surprise and a good conclusion to the novel. I will be going back to read the other Colleen Hayes books.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This was a fast read mystery. The book had a simple plot and was an enjoyable read. Although part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone book. This is a book which I would recommend to those who like a good mystery.