A KILLING SKY - Andy Straka

#2 in the Frank Pavlicek mystery series

A GOOD MYSTERY - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - Upon Marcia's recommendation, Frank takes on a case for the daughter of a friend. The friend's ex also happens to be a congressman who is running for reelection after a sex scandal rocks his candidacy. As he continues to investigate, the story keeps expanding and heading in directions he didn't expect.

Writing - 4 stars - Straka writes in a comfortable style that is easy to understand. I'm not much of a mystery reader, so I prefer a story that's simple but interesting, and this book delivers.

Characters - 4 stars - Frank is an excellent main character. He is smart but down-to-earth, and I like that he's not intimidated but he's also not obnoxious or pushy like some detectives are. His interest in falconry adds a fascinating dimension that makes him different from the crowd.

Title - 4 stars - The title refers to the hawking that Frank does, with the killing sky being the quickness and surprise attacks that Armistead does when catching his prey. I think this also compares to the mystery that Frank is trying to solve.

Cover - 4 stars - I like the blue outline of a hawk as it surrounds the woman's face. It's different, draws the eye, and it means something, definitely referring to the story.

Overall - 4 stars - This series is very good, surprising because this is not my usual genre. But I like Frank's style, and the mystery is interesting enough to keep the book moving forward quickly. I especially like Armistead and Frank's interesting information about hunting with her.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Ex-cop and avid falconer Frank Pavlicek is hired by the daughter of a philandering Virginia Congressman to find her missing twin sister. Is her disappearance related to her disintegrating relationship with her boyfriend? Or is it somehow connected to her ambitious father’s re-election campaign, a tawdry sex scandal, and a hit-and-run accident that happened twenty years ago? Pavlicek’s investigation unearths long-buried secrets that someone would like to keep six feet under…along with the PI’s corpse.

*2.5 stars*

A little while ago, I read 'A Witness Above', which I thought had some real promise of a novel but was badly let down with editing.

Sad to say, it hasn't improved. In fact, even the story (which dragged me through the last book) became a bit of a cookie-cutter plot. I was sadly disappointed.

The main problems with the story were two things: the plot was just not original, nor was it even a good variation of the "Politicians kids get kidnapped, hero must wade through the family secrets and lies to uncover the truth bore it's too late" storyline. And then, even Frank becomes a suspect...it's just all a bit tiring, really.
Second, the editing issues were still there. Nothing was learned from a lot of reviews that called the mistakes out. Same poor grammar and punctuation, same wafer-thin secondary characters and, now, it feels like the falconry things is just a cheap gimmick to try and grab some attention in a genre that is so heavily loaded with real talent.

However, after all that, I still give it 3 stars cos I just keep thinking that there is a jackpot coming for the author at some point...


Paul
ARH

Ex-cop turned Private Investigator Frank Pavlicek is hired by Cassidy Drummond, to find her sister, Cartwright or (Wright) as she is known. Cassidy and Cartwright are the twin daughters of Congressman Drummond. When his dirty secret about his affair was made public, his wife, Karen divorced him. Wright had started delving into her father's murky background, and at the same time decides to end her relationship with her boyfriend. This is exactly when she vanished. Was her boyfriend responsible for her disappearance?? Could her father be responsible? Or is there some other more sinister goings on? As Frank tries to unearth the reason for the twin's disappearance, he himself becomes a "prime suspect" of the FBI's investigations. Murder, sex, abduction & lies, this book has it all. Can Frank find the girl before she lands up dead. Frank is a PI that is hired to find a young girl's sister but the plot thickens and so many lies & secrets are revealed and what is the truth? A nice paced story what was fun too read never a dull moment with lots of twists that will keep you reading.

I love a good mystery where you can learn something as well. This one has falconry interwoven in the story.

It begins with a 20-year-old copy of an accident of an older couple being given to Frank Pavlicek, private investigator. The copy came from Cassidy Drummond, one of a set of twin girls. She believes her sister has been kidnapped and wants Frank to find her. She doesn’t want the police involved.

Her father is running for Congress and has a less than spectacular reputation with it comes to women. This is why he is divorced from the twin’s mother.

Frank calls Jake Toronto in to help. Jake is Frank’s ex-homicide partner which is what Frank did before becoming a private investigator. Both Frank and Jake are falconers.

The story kept my interest and it had twists and turns enough so I didn’t know “who dun it” until the very last chapter. If you want a story that lets you learn as well as entertains, this is one you should read.