As a character, Marko Zorn is rather conventional, in the sense that he is the classic American detective who is not very straightforward and is willing to do jobs that are as creative as they are not very legal in order to maintain his lifestyle. What is different about him is an air-tight stubbornness that leads him, when the investigation he is involved in strikes him to the heart, to go against everything and everyone in order to find the culprit. In this case, however, although he has found the culprit, he has to surrender to the logic of politics. A book that is as undemanding as it is entertaining, therefore a truly enjoyable read.

Wasn’t very impressed! I feel like I’ve read this scenario before! I really wanted to enjoy it. But sadly this was a flop for me!

I wanted to read this as soon as I saw it was set in DC. The author really weaves an intricate web, and though parts of the plot felt a little overdone, I found it to be an engaging and satisfying thriller in a well illustrated setting!

I've been in a thriller mood lately and this filled tat need nicely.

Take a mostly good guy with a grey moral compass add domestic terrorists,corruption and D.C elite and you have a snazzy,quick paced book.

Zorn is a fun protagonist and his voice comes across well.The pace didn't lag and the end came wit more questions.

I recommend.

Terrific book, keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love the realism the author brings to Marko Dorn.

The excellent start for a new series. It kept me on the edge till the end as it's gripping and thrilling.
I loved the solid mystery, the excellent character development and the setting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Murder, Gangs, and Guns in Washington DC

I really like this book. Though it isn't short, the story is so compelling, the action so engrossing that it felt like a speedy read. The author's style allows clear pictures to form in the mind's eye. From identifying clothing designer labels to the wisps of smoky dirt that float in the air off of a gasoline fire, Eskin's skill brings the story to vivid life. Throughout the book, he succinctly interjects precise words just so, allowing the reader to understand exactly what he means. A plot that might be plucked from current headlines and taut suspense make it easy to imagine the book as a film.

I like the characters. Well, the good guys, anyway, particularly the central character, Marko Zorn. He seems to be equal parts hero and antihero, but you can make your own mind up about that. In addition to being confident while using underhanded methods to get things done, Detective Zorn is a smartass. I like that. The author's injections of humor into the action lightened the mood without diverting energy from the suspense.

The book conclusion is stunning. I felt a jarring sense of dreadful finality, like suddenly waking from a dream where I'm falling. All I could think about was the echoed question: "Who the hell are you, Marko Zorn?"

I received a free advance review copy of this superb book courtesy of the author, publisher, and NetGalley. I heartily recommend it!

This is a full on thriller! A secret service agent is found drowned in the Reflecting Pool outside the White House. Detective Marko Zorn soon finds out that nobody wants him to investigate this case, which of course makes him more determined to do so. He's a guy with expensive tastes which he funds by having plenty of contacts on both sides of the law. Is a far right group planning to assassinate the president? Are the rival Washington gangs going to fight a a turf war? Will Marko get caught in the middle? You'll keep turning the pages to find out.

The Reflecting Pool
by Otho Eskin
Oceanview Publishing
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 23 Jun 2020 | Archive Date Not set

What a great book! Good mystery with a backstory along the way. I will recommend this to our patrons.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

4 star

This book was fast-paced, action packed with likable characters. Recommend it to all those who enjoy a good mystery.

I do love a sardonic, grey-moral kind of main character.

Marko Zorn is a Washington, DC detective who dresses well, drives a Jaguar, and basically doesn't look the part in this noir-ish book. He happens to catch a case of the death of a woman in the Reflecting Pool. He's also been assigned a new, young partner who is part new guy, part puppy.

When he begins investigating the murder, he's suddenly being told to stand down by everyone from the FBI to the Secret Service - all telling him to let it go, but as he tells the mysterious Miss Shaw, the woman looked like his dead sister, and he promised to find out who killed her.

In the middle f this, a woman named Sister Grace - a local gangster, and for whom Zorn occasionally does some jobs, which allows him to wear those snazzy clothes and drive that fancy car - has another job for him. This time, though, it's murder, to take out her second in command (Cloud), who is getting a bit too full of himself. That, however, is a line Zorn has told himself he would not cross. Sister Grace doesn't care about his ethics, of course, and tells him to figure it out.

The investigation flows along nicely, without things like DNA or toxicology coming back in thirty minutes. There are times when witnesses or interviewees melt a bit too quickly under Zorn, but it's a good, fun (if murder can be fun) story that is both gritty and strangely polished at the same time, due to Zorn's personal habits and the interplay of his professional role and coming into contact with Federal offices, and the jobs he does to appease what is basically his gangster boss.

I enjoyed the dialogue. It was neither too stilted nor trying too hard to be edgy. There were some instances where it was rather snappy, and overall, it was what you'd expect if you were shadowing a detective doing their job.

In the end, Zorn does figure out a way to complete the task given to him by Sister Grace, via proxy, by setting up Cloud and Cloud's right hand against one another. That scenario was more believable than the conclusion of the mystery of the murder.

The reveal of the killer was a bit of a letdown,and I didn't think it was totally believable. But it was one conclusion that could have been reached by the investigation, and was possible, if not probable, so I didn't ding it too badly for that.

Overall: a decent read, and a solid four out of five stars. I am hopeful that Zorn becomes a series character.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.

Right as I got this to read, we were hit with the coronavirus in our home and I was not able to immediately read this. I am so glad I was finally able to take some time and read it! Marko Zorn, a homicide detective supplements his income with some side jobs. A Secret Service agent, first suspected to be a drowning victim, leads Zorn to a domestic terrorist group connected to the White House, It was written very well, storyline popped with excitement and intrigue. A must-read!

Meet Marko Zorn, detective with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police. Zorn just happened to be the first law enforcement officer on the scene in the pre-dawn hours. A young woman who had drowned in the Reflecting Pool between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Sandra Wilcox is found in the shallow pool facing upwards, eyes wide open, Her deep blue eyes remind him of his older sister who was raped and murdered nearly 20 years before.

This is more than just another of the myriad of DC murders. Wilcox was part of the Secret Service having risen to serve on the protective detail of FLOTUS. Some think her rise in the Service was a little too swift. The reflecting pool is technically the jurisdiction of the US Park Service. And, obviously, it happened in DC. That means the Secret Service, the Park Service, DC Metro, and the FBI are all at each others throat arguing jurisdiction. Seeing as how DC Metro isn't federal, they have the least to say. About the only disinterested agency is the CIA.

But the truth has Zorn who is an uncompromising detective who only wants to find out the truth, jurisdiction be damned. Another thing about Zorn . . . he doesn't give a shit who he pisses off. He could care less about government officials telling him to back off. National security? Yeah, right. POTUS, FLOTUS, Chief of Staff, Secret Service, dozens of other White House staffers can seem to get through his thick skull, Justice for Sandra Wilcox matters. Truth matters. That's it. Sure, it might put his partner in someone's crosshairs.

In his singleness of purpose, he put his rookie partner in great danger, so his own entire staff was most unhappy with him.

The investigation ends up unwrapping some curious details of Sandra's life and death no to mention her rapid ascent in the Secret Service. And because no DC detective only works one case at a time, Zorn manages to douse a developing gang war over a delivery of weapons and a threat of a possible presidential assassination. It's been a busy few weeks for Zorn.

Eskin spent a career in various aspects of government. HIs literary history is as a playwright. This is his first Zorn novel. Let's hope Zorn has a long and contentious career working DC crime. This is good stuff. Really good.

If you like non-stop action in your thrillers, this is the book for you! Marko Zorn is a very unorthodox detective who is surprised by a woman who has drowned in the reflecting pool near the White House. Certain that it's a homicide (as who could drown easily in such shallow water?) Zorn is determined to find the killer. But his case is stymied by many things: the gangsters who control the city, a huge shipment of guns rumored to be coming, the Aryan Brotherhood, the Secret Service, and even the First Lady herself. Bet you didn't see that coming! But you never do in a good novel and this one demands a sequel as we definitely need to see more of Marko Zorn!

Very well done.Both the subject matter and the development of characters were excellent.The greatest praise I can give this book Is that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I will follow this author, and I look forward to his next book.

Marko Zorn is unlike most detectives in the Washington D.C. homicide, he doesn't try to fit in with others and follows his own rules to get the answers he is looking for. Zorn has made a lot of enemies along the way but he keeps which has him a target for criminal gangs in the cities.

Zorn finds himself investigating a woman who is suspected of drowning but the mystery surrounding her unlocks an unsettling investigation. She was Secret Service, now he finds himself wading between the political ties she had and also dealing with at from a gang member who is calling in her favors.

What a wicked web that is woven in this fast paced intense story. I thought it had a very retro vibe to this, kind of like John Wick meets Nice Guys. Zorn was intense in his actions and I liked that he does what he needs to do. Captivating read.

Marko Zorn, a Washington, D.C. homicide detective with expensive tastes in art, classic cars, and women, must take on extra work--not always strictly legal, often unorthodox and usually dangerous--to supplement his income--work which requires his special combination of skill and steel nerves. When Zorn encounters the body of a Secret Service agent--a supposed drowning victim--it leads him to a domestic terrorist group with tentacles into the White House--a White House that does not want this death investigated.
This was a very good book and hopefully the start of a new series. There is nothing wrong with a cynical, wry, sarcastic Washington DC Detective butting heads with the powers that be and the myriad of Alphabet Agencies to solve crimes.
There is a lot going on here and Otho Eskin does a great job in tying things together and keeping the story rolling along. There are a lot of different characters and all are interesting. If there is another in this series, I’ll definitely be reading it.

Exciting story of a DC murder and the amazing characters involved.. Grips the reader from the very first chapter
and never loses the readers' attention. A very believable thriller. Can't wait to read another one of Eskin's novels!

This was a great read! I was a little skeptical at first because, you know, maybe a crooked cop in D.C. and all that jazz, but it ended up being a great read! Eskin was really good at making everything flow together and make sense, even though there was a lot going on.

All too believable. Anything that happens in Washington, D.C. is subject to spin, A good mystery and a cynical but look at a crime of passion in the city of politicos. Well written, with interesting characters.