Head Shot by Otho Eskin was an excellent read, especially as it's the first book I have read by this author. Head Shot is the second book in this new series DC Marko Zorn series.
Marko Zorn is a Washington D.C. Homicide Detective who just loves to play the fringes of the law. I loved this new Character. This book was full of twists and turns throughout that had me on the edge of my seat in several places.

This is a must read if you love these kinds of books.I will be going back to read the first book from Otho and will be looking out for further books by him. A great read all round! Loved it!

Big thank you to Oceanview Publishing, Netgalley and Meryl Moss for my advanced copy of this book to read.

I love action/crime thrillers so I was excited to read this. It was fast paced and kept me captivated throughout. I enjoy reading along with the police investigations and trying to follow all the clues. Overall this book was very entertaining with great action scenes.

I had a very hard time reading this book, in part because the formatting of my digital copy was off, and many sentences were jumbled or simply missing. Beyond that, story and characters were quite melodramatic, presented with a definite action-over-plausibility bias.

Thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Press for an advance readers copy.

Second book in the series, but easily read as a standalone. The protagonist is an enjoyable character who Carrie’s the story. Lots of interrelated elements are expertly pulled together in a thoroughly enjoyable book.

I loved Eskin’s debut novel The Reflecting Pool so was really happy to get the arc for this one.

Our protagonist Washington DC homicide detective Marko Zorn is really in trouble in this story. He has a side gig doing the odd job for shadowy figure Cyprian Voss for which he is handsomely recompensed. This time Voss summons him and tells him he will be on the protection detail for the new Montenegrin Prime Minister, Nina Voycheck, who will shortly be visiting Washington. Marko is not impressed, he is not trained for this but Voss insists so he really has no choice.

The situation is compounded by the fact that the new PM replaced the authoritarian Mykhayl Drach who was recently killed in Chicago and whose brother, Goran Drach, is vowing revenge. He is thought to have contracted the world’s most secretive and dangerous assassin, known only as Domino, to kill Nina Voycheck. No pressure then. Marko’s assignment is confirmed by the Secretary of State so there really is no wriggle room.

Then Marko’s day job intervenes and he is called to a death at the theatre only to find that the deceased is an old flame, Victoria West, who went on to become an actress of great renown. Everyone assumes it is suicide but it soon proves to be murder. Marko must leave the running of this case to his partner Detective Lucy Tanaka so he can focus on Nina’s protection. But he soon starts to wonder if the cases are, somehow, connected. Especially as there is yet another attempt on his life (the book opened with Marko literally dodging a bullet).

This story made my head spin a bit! There were so many characters to keep track of that I eventually stopped keeping track. There were also many twisty elements. Too much? Perhaps. It was, however, very entertaining. Marko soon realised that if he didn’t kill Domino, Domino would kill him. He is not averse to twisting a few arms himself in his quest to derail Domino. Unfortunately Domino dogs his footsteps and there is a trail of bodies left in their wake.

I did like the way this ended and will be keen to see where Eskin takes this series and this character. Many thanks to Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly. 3.5 stars rounded up.

There is a germination of an idea here, but early on the story goes off the tracks.

Author Otho Eskin presents his second book featuring Marko Zorn, displaying him as a hard-charging slightly jaded detective who takes no prisoners and is willing to stand up to anybody. This characterization extends to Marko’s speech as well as the descriptive paragraphs as Marko is also the narrator. Unfortunately, while the clipped speech (a la Dragnet’s Joe Friday) works for the main character, the melodramatic speech from the other characters creates one-dimensional foils for Zorn, and the book doesn’t live up to its promise.

For readers who enjoy over-the-top fare, you will probably love this book. Zorn has his fingers in many different worlds, from his beat in Chicago to international spy escapades all around the world. The book does not worry much about the police procedural aspects and instead focuses on the action, a positive aspect that keeps the pulse of the story beating at a quickened rate. Mr. Eskin also injects multiple storylines (though not too many that the reader becomes confused).

Unfortunately, the lack of police procedural aspects pulls the book in a direction that frequently borders on the unbelievable. The ending and big reveal came out of left field, forecasted early in the story and thus anticlimactic. I am also wary of authors who insist on writing about guns without performing a minimum of investigation of terms. Incorrect use of terms, describing guns as if the author’s words were lifted straight from a manufacturer’s catalog, and complete disregard for the human element when in a life-and-death situation all were huge red flags. Worse, the main plot of a street cop being recruited by the State Department to help prevent an assassination of the leader of another country would never happen. Research of the subjects in this book would upgrade the star level. As written, the lack of realism weakens the book.

Bottom line, if you are seeking a book that has quick pacing but disregards the reality of the worlds of police work and international espionage, this book is for you. For other readers, I am not able to recommend this book. Two-and-a-half stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and Meryl Moss Media for a complimentary electronic copy of this book.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Otho Eskin, and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Otho Eskin returns with the second in his Marko Zorn crime thriller series. Taking a more international approach to this novel, Eskin provides moments of political intrigue and international coup plotting, while using a local murder to tie things to Washington, D.C.. Hoping for the same grittiness I found in the series debut, I was, at times, left feeling as though this was a ‘cozy murder mystery’, based on the narrative and ongoing dialogue. However, into the latter portion of the book, Eskin found his stride and turned on the proverbial engines to race towards the finish line, using a coup attempt to bring the story home. Entertaining and easy to read, Otho Eskin keeps readers turning pages.

Things do not begin well for Metro D.C. Homicide Detective Marko Zorn. A shot at him while outside his home leaves Zorn wondering who he’s upset now. Summoned to meet a man best left in the shadows, Zorn is tasked with protecting the new Montenegrin prime minister, while being reminded of some covert business he recently completed on a side trip to Chicago. Zorn is ready to help serve as part of the security detail, as long as it does not interfere with his day job.

Speaking of that, Detective Zorn is called to the scene of a possible suicide by gunshot, though many believe the dead actress may have been murdered moments after exiting the stage during a recent play. Zorn finds himself shocked to see that the actress is a woman with whom he has a past, though he seeks to shelve those feelings and get to the bottom what’s happened. This pulls him into the middle of a ‘dramatic’ world, where enemies are plentiful and the competition is ruthless.

While trying to focus on the murder investigation, the prime minister arrives in town and makes her way to the embassy. There, Zorn seeks to make introductions and lay the groundwork for how things will go during the state visit. He’s doubly tasked with protecting the international guest by a senior member of the US Administration, showing Zorn that people mean business.

When additional bodies close to the Montenegrin leader turn up strangled, Zorn realises that trouble is lurking. Things get much worse as attempts on his own life begin to occur in rapid succession. Zorn will have to use all his resources to locate the hired assassin, ensuring he neutralises them before more blood is spilled on US soil. All the while, the dead actress turns out to be part of a larger conspiracy, with Zorn in the crosshairs. A chilling story that, at times, proves to be as gritty as the series debut.

My recent discovery of Otho Eskin has proven fruitful as I found myself enthralled with this series. I devoured both books Eskin has published and am eager to see what is to come. Eskin builds on the Marko Zorn character, a gritty detective with a number of skeletons in his closet, adding more depth to the protagonist’s abilities and personality. Even with some shaky narrative moments, I am still eager to see what is to come for this rule-breaking cop!

Marko Zorn is still complex, working both sides of the law as he remains calm and collected throughout. There are some curious aspects to his backstory, revealed through some personal memories, as well as a strong focus on the law and how to protect those around him. Zorn is always ready to use his determination as a cop to get answers, even as it puts him in serious danger. While not a spy, he knows how to rub elbows with those lurking deep in the shadows and finds himself the target of the most ruthless international individuals. There’s a great deal more to discover about this man and how deep his connections go!

Otho Eskin proves himself a master storyteller, as I have come to see with these first two books. His debut was both gritty and full of mystery, with this one following suit, though it teetered on becoming a cozy mystery for a time. The narrative had moments of greatness, particularly when tackling the international angle, offset by some hokey moments at the theatre during the early stages of the plot’s development. The darker side of Marko Zorn is surely on display yet again, as some of his past handlings of events for nefarious people comes to light in passing. The reader remains invested in the process with some short chapters that tease major plot twists. International flavouring and layers of deception kept the story balanced and pushed me to keep reading well into the evening. I’m interested to see what’s next and how Otho Eskin will present it to readers.

Kudos, Mr. Eskin, for another strong piece of writing. Your experiences shine on every page.

Last year (check), I had the privilege of reading the first book in this series - "The Reflecting Pool" - and not only did I enjoy it thoroughly, I was delighted to find a new series "hero" to love. Well, here we go again - and if it's possible, I love him more.

Marko, it seems, isn't totally content to work as a detective with the Washington, D.C., Metro Police; on the side, he takes on top-dollar "assignments" that, well, just may cross the line between legal and criminal (oh heck - sometimes obliterate it). Shortly after someone takes a potshot at him, Marko gets a request - make that demand - from one of his underworld contacts that he protect Nina Voychek, the beautiful visiting prime minister of politically in turmoil Montenegro, his police partner Lucy Tanakar calls him to the Capitol Theater, where a murder has occurred. Turns out the victim is well-known actress Victoria West, and there's a bit of a complication: she and Marko once had a brief, but serious (at least to Marko) fling.

The political protection detail quickly turns complicated as well when Marko is ordered to meet with the Secretary of State, who in turn orders him to serve on the protection detail for the Montenegro PM. Now, he's got two "bosses" to juggle on that score, and his heart keeps urging him to find out who murdered the love of his life. That urge turns into a passion when two more people involved with the theater unexpectedly end up dead. Things get even more complicated when Marko learns that (gasp!) one of the baddest of bad guys will stop at nothing to add him to the kill list.

While I can't say I reached the edge of my seat throughout this one, I didn't miss it by much. There's plenty of action and concern over who would bite the dust next (although I always figure that the star of the show might get roughed up a bit but isn't likely to get bumped off unless the author is really, really tired of writing about him). The whole thing is exciting and fun to read, and I highly recommend both books - noting that they stand alone just fine). Until next time, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for once again allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Well done!

Wheels within wheels. While the story is very intricate, it is presented in a way that is easy to follow. I like Zorn's no nonsense character and approach to life. While he is hunting for killers we get to learn more about his background, which proves to be interesting. All in all, this is a very entertaining book with lots of intrigue and good action scenes.

I received this book through "NetGalley" Read Now program. In this story, Marko Zorn, has arrived at home and someone attempted to kill him. Later, he receives a call from an individual he does work requesting a meet. At the meet, Marko is hired to protect the Prime Minister of Montenegro. While at this meeting, he is called by his Homicide partner to a scene where a famous actress has died. This death hits home for Marko.

The next day, Marko learns that he has been requested by the mayor to support protection of the Prime Minister that he was already doing for someone else. As time for the visit arrives, there are more instances that surround the mission he is on.

To discover who wants the Prime Minister dead, why the death of the actress hits Marko hard and follow the adventures that he goes through while protecting the Prime Minister in addition to resolving other murders, then you must read this book.

I received an ARC and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

If you find this book boring, you have serious mental issues, as this is a whirlwind of a story. It's well written, very interesting and entertaining. The main character doesn't follow any rules except his own, but is basically a good guy, and I like that.

This was a quick, enjoyable read. The main character's no-apologies approach to life and his work added a touch of humor to what could have been a stock cop book.

This story is extremely entertaining and flows the suspense as Marko Zorn is one of the target of a assassinate. As a several different actions is the police is eventually is combined. The start is with an long time romance of Zorn is killed in a mysterious way. The story includes the government of Montenegro, multiple romances, and a famous assassinate known as Domino. The writing of style helps the story, and the many characters are very interesting. So is one the book I get into it and can't stop for any reason. The exciting ending is reveal of the hiding murder is understanding. I call this a great book.

Marko Zorn is back in this followup to 2020's The Reflecting Pool, the first book in the series, which I reviewed here - one year ago exactly to when I finished reading Head Shot. Something probably interesting only to me.

Zorn is the same cop now as we was then: not carrying a gun, being snarky, not always telling people what he's doing, and meeting up with shady characters. While it is helpful to get a feel for Zorn's character by reading the first book, it is not at all required, as Head Shot can be read as a standalone.

The book opens with the murder of an actress, with whom Zorn was intimately familiar years ago. It's a classic locked room mystery: the actress said her final line, and went to her (prop) dressing room to commit suicide in the play (it's Hedda Gabler, for those who know Ibsen). Strangely, she flubbed her last line before going off the stage. A shot did ring out, but when the stagehand goes into the room, the actress is dead on the floor, a pistol by her right hand, and a gunshot wound to her left temple. There are no windows in the room, and only one door, which no one saw open after the end of the scene, when the actress was supposed to go backstage when the lights were down. Zorn is not assigned to the case, but his partner Lucy is.

He also goes to a meeting with Cyprian Voss, who often gives him side jobs to do, and pays well for him to do them. The assignment from Voss? Protect Nina Voychek, Prime Minister of Montenegro, which is on an official state visit.

Zorn has been asked by the Secretary of State to do the same task, as it was requested by the Embassy itself. When he tries to point out he is not trained as a bodyguard or close protection detail, he's overruled and told to suck it up and do it anyway. At the Embassy, a frightened young woman presses a paper into his hand. On it, a series of numbers. He assumes it's a coded message of some kind. He gives her his card and asks her to call him. She doesn't, as the next time we hear about her, she's dead, too, after being strangled.

There have already been assassination attempts against Voycheck, and the suspicion is that it's a hired gun called Domino, who has an impressive success rate. Turns out, Zorn has had assassination attempts against himself as well, but for what reason, he does not know.

Things become a bit hectic in Zorn's world at that point: he's checking on the security covering Voychek (the lead FBI agent wants nothing to do with him and flatly tells him he isn't welcome), and bouncing between that and the case of the murdered actress and is told by a supervisor and another cop that he isn't welcome there, either). Is there a connection between the two cases? Maybe, maybe not.

The action picks up and we follow Zorn as he checks in with a hacker and gives him the message to decode, checks in with Carla, director of the FBI, who also wants him to protect Voychek, also paying him to do so. He doesn't mention that he's already being paid by Voss.

As Zorn puts the pieces together, more bodies show up. and there are plenty of suspects to go around. Eccentric or no, do any of them hold some answers to the slew of questions Zorn has about the cases?

Head Shot is a fast read, not because it's boring and the temptation to skim is there, but because it is quite good, and leaving aside a few of the things that require more suspension of disbelief than is usually required, the things that happen and the actions of the various characters is completely consistent with the story's own internal logic.

A solid four out of five stars.

Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the reading copy.

I had enjoyed THE REFLECTING POOL and was looking forward to HEAD SHOT, but it was a massive letdown. It's simply not a very good book. The plotting is bad Agatha Christie and the prose is clunky and often overheated. A terrible, terrible disappointment.

Even if you’re a DC homicide cop, getting shot at in your front yard is out of the ordinary. And that’s just chapter 1, page 1. Next day, you and your partner are called to a DC theater where the leading lady goes offstage after her last line and gets shot. Oh, forgot to mention that Detective Marko Zorn used to date the deceased actress back when he was a new-ish NYPD uniform cop and she was a starving artist.

But that’s just a sidelight. For some reason, the State Department has requested Zorn by name to be a part of the security detail for the visiting Prime Minister from Montenegro. Apparently, the request came from the visiting delegation. It’s not as though the Feds don’t have enough people to provide security, but SecState insists, much to Zorn’s chagrin.

The new Prime Minister of Montenegro is a liberal opposition leader who came up through a student protest movement back in the day. She was elected to their version of the House. A coup brought down a neofascist government, but not before the outgoing head of state orchestrated some racial cleansing. The primary ruler and brother fled to Chicago away from the mob bent on revenge.

Zorn has a side gig. He’s on-call for a fixer of sorts. A recent assignment was to find the brothers in Chicago. Just find them. That’s it. But as Zorn learns the atrocities committed, he lets it slip when and where the former dictator would be transiting from shelter to car. A crowd of ex-pats who had lost family arrives, surrounds the prick and beats him to death.

Right before Zorn meets with SecState, his fixer calls him again. Wants to hire him to provide some security to the current PM. Now he’s serving two masters. And he wants to find whoever killed his former paramour.

Two more people connected with the theater killing end up dead. A code clerk at the Montenegro embassy also ends up dead. It’s obvious that somehow, the two circumstances are connected because the MO of each murder is the same. And Zorn’s fixer tells him that one of the world’s most expensive assassins has been hired to kill the PM and Zorn before the end of her state visit. Juggling has become Zorn's middle name what with the two cases, 5 or so victims, local/national/international politics, his 3 bosses, local and foreign security. And this guy doesn't like to carry a weapon.

Eskin’s initial Marko Zorn was Reflecting Pool, a DC-based mystery that I liked a great deal. Zorn gets it done, legally or otherwise. Zorn knows DC and the political scene and Eskin keeps this plot moving with his foot slammed to the accelerator. The story takes place over the week that the Prime Minister is in DC – that’s a lot to squeeze into a week, but Eskin handles the packed calendar like a seasoned pro. Guessing we haven’t seen the last of Marko Zorn. With Zorn around, DC is in safe hands.

Another amazing book in this excellent series. I really enjoyed Otho Eskin’s first book ‘The Reflecting Pool’ with Marko Zorn as the main character. Marko is brilliant, definitely a character worth following. Not only was this story entertaining, but it had quite a unique and interesting plot, with a great range of diverse characters.
D.C. Detective Marko Zorn isn’t surprised he has enemies trying to kill him, however it’s a little disconcerting that someone would come to his house to eliminate him. It’s only pure luck that he doesn’t end up dead with a bullet through his head. If Marko didn’t enjoy the finer things in life, then he probably wouldn’t be tied up with a criminal like Cyprian Voss, who paid very well for Marko to carry out jobs for him. It’s very unusual when Cyprian asks Marko to protect a very important person from overseas. Now he not only needs to stay alive himself, but keep a VIP alive as well.
This is a wonderful piece of writing, and I’ve certainly become a fan. I can’t wait for the next book. 5/5 Star Rating.

Good book!! Wow! Lots of twists and turns!! This book was a nail biter! Lol it had intrigue, suspense, and lots of action! I definitely enjoyed reading this book! The storyline flowed nicely and had a great who done it! Lots of sneaky twists! I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!