A solid mystery with some food for thought…

Give Place to Wrath is the first in the short two-book (for now, at least) Roger Viceroy series by Steven C Harms. Wrath was a finalist for a couple of awards when it first came out in 2018, and it has recently been re-issued thanks to a new publisher. And although some of the publicity for the book seems to categorize it as a crime thriller, I found it to be a nice police procedural, one of my favorite types of mysteries.

From the very first death, courtesy of an exploding hole at a ritzy and exclusive golf course, I very much enjoyed following along with Viceroy and his crew as they tracked clues throughout the upper Midwest. Although the crime scenes were mostly quite different, a couple of common elements helped the team realize fairly early on that they were on the track of a serial killer. And, of course, their investigative work eventually helped them figure out the who and why of the murders – leading to a final chaotic chase scene at the inaugural Badger Fest festival. To me, the only truly thriller-ish element was that the governor of Wisconsin, who was deeply committed to Badger Fest, was one of the potential victims, which created some extra tension along the way.

In Wrath, Harms also tackles the difficult subject of discrimination on the dual bases of race and religion, primarily through periodic flashbacks that also help the reader keep up with (or even be just a little bit ahead of) Viceroy’s investigation. In spite of the hints along the way, though, there were a couple of unresolved twists that kept me guessing – and reading - until the end.

All-in-all, Give Place to Wrath was a smooth read and an engaging mystery – I ended up reading it in only a couple of sessions. I do try to fight “star-flation” a bit by not handing out very many five-star reviews, which means that my four-star review is a solid “read-this-book” recommendation. And I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. One warning: Harms does a nice job of dealing with the race/religion subject matter - but there is one specific rather violent flashback scene that, although well written, does keep Wrath (in my opinion) from being a suitable book for younger readers. And finally, my thanks to the author, Suspense Publishing, and NetGalley for the reading copy.

Steven C. Harms pulled no punches in Give Place to Wrath. Fast-paced prose, harrowing subject matter, and well-executed suspense kept the pages flying. My favorite aspect of this book was how Roger and his team worked together. Roger didn't overshadow them. I thought that helped this story stand apart from many others in the genre. Most mystery thrillers I've read center around a single genius detective/investigator who sometimes has a bright partner. While I still enjoy such thrillers, it was nice that Give Place to Wrath broke from that trope.

The inclusion of Roger's faith was interesting because it gave the work a distinct tone and, in my opinion, enhanced the plot. I liked that the author confronted racial and religious bigotry, drawing attention to those issues. I had my suspicions about where the investigation would lead, but the author kept me second-guessing myself until the end. Give Place to Wrath was a highly emotional, stunning debut novel by Steven C. Harms. I highly recommend it to anyone on the hunt for their next mystery thriller. This is one series I'm definitely going to keep my eye on.

(Big thanks to the author for the free review copy! All opinions in this review are my own and are honest and unbiased. This review was first published on my review site, Kayla C. Reviews.)

Trigger Warning: This is an adult book that contains violence, including a scene of sexual assault, and mild gore.

304 pages

5 stars

A bomb has exploded on a posh golf course. It killed a woman who was a very popular golf pro and her caddy. Detective Roger “Preacher” Viceroy and his Sergeants Trevor “Silk” Moreland and Regina are assigned to the high profile case. Wisconsin Governor Kay Spurgeon is an uncompromising woman who gives Viceroy's team carte blanche to capture the bomber before the highly touted music festival to be put on at the end of the month in the state capitol.

Viceroy and another team member Jerry King are waylaid on the way to the office by a man. He is Roy Spurgeon, the governor's husband. He tells them they must look into another murder. Viceroy's case has just taken a turn.

The story in interspersed with flashbacks to an earlier time. These vignettes are crucial to the story line.

As the murders continue, Viceroy suddenly gets hit by inspiration. The team must go to the small city of Curwood – right away. While there, they learn a great deal.

Meanwhile, Roy Spurgeon goes missing.

The connections are made, but the identity of the killer is not yet known.

What follows is a thrill ride. It is time for the governor's festival. Roger and his team are sure she is a target for the killer.

While the identity of the killer and their “accomplice” (although the killer isn't aware of it), do not come as a surprise, the reader is delighted to learn that they have surmised correctly.

This is a remarkable novel. It is well written and plotted. The chapters are short, so the reader cruises along quickly. I now understand the reason for the title of the book. Very good and well put. I was disappointed to see so little information about Silk and Regina's backgrounds. Perhaps in future novels. I like to learn a little about main characters' backgrounds. I appreciated the information about Debbie and Pastor Oxenhaus. They were interesting and welcome minor distractions.

I want to thank NetGalley and Suspense Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this most excellent book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.