Dead Man's Bridge

June 5, 2017
In this strong series launch, Mrazek (The Bone Hunters) makes a familiar setup fresh by combining tight plotting with a flawed but empathetic lead. Guilt-ridden army veteran Jake Cantrell, still haunted by the men who died under his command in Afghanistan, now works as a campus security officer at St. Andrews College in upstate New York. His ailing dog, Bug, is his only genuine companion. When a body turns up hanging from the pedestrian bridge that connects the campus with the town, Jake’s rules-bound superior instantly deems the death a suicide. Jake is convinced it’s foul play. After the dead man is identified as St. Andrews alum and major donor Dennis Wheatley, his widow demands that Jake be put in charge of the investigation. Meanwhile, Jake takes on another sensitive inquiry after the college president, a friend married to Jake’s lost love, asks him to find the person blackmailing him. The complex characterization of the lead bodes well for the series’ longevity. Agent: David Halpern, Robbins Office.

July 1, 2017

After his court-martial for actions in Afghanistan, former army officer Jake Cantrell returns to upstate New York to lick his wounds, bringing along his wolf-dog, Bug. He can only get a job as campus security at St. Andrews College, but, even after drinking too much, he is sure that the man hanging from a footbridge didn't commit suicide. Unfortunately, no one else wants to call it murder on alumni weekend. The head of campus security suspends Jake for insubordination, which gives him time to investigate a case of blackmail. When another influential donor is found dangling from the same bridge as a hurricane bears down on the town, Jake will need to draw on all his skills to find the killer. VERDICT Mrazek (The Bone Hunters) kicks off a new series introducing a sleuth determined to find the truth in an action-packed tale that grows in intensity and complexity. A solid choice for fans of Glen Erik Hamilton's Van Shaw thrillers featuring an ex-army ranger. --LH

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2017
College officials try to block the investigation of a campus crime, but a dogged security officer can't turn his back.Jake Cantrell's devastating deployment in Afghanistan ended in his court-martial. Years later, his tarnished reputation follows him, and he's still trying to put his life back together, working as a security officer at little St. Andrews College in upstate New York. Late one night, he gets a call about a corpse dangling from a rope on a campus bridge. Jake tangles immediately with his boss, Janet Morgo, who wants to declare the victim a suicide. The case is complicated by the arrival of the press and the decapitation of the victim, restaurateur Dennis Wheatley, who had returned to his alma mater for a reunion. Wheatley's widow, firmly rejecting the suicide theory, looks to Jake to find the truth. Could it be coincidental that Wheatley was about to make a major gift to the college? Things get even more complicated when college president Jordan Langford summons Jake to his office. Jake's ex, Blair, dumped him for Jordan while he was in Afghanistan, but Jordan also got him this lifeline of a job. Jordan's appeal for Jake to help him deal with a blackmailer will inevitably move the Wheatley case to the back burner. At the same time, Jake can't help wondering whether there's a connection between the blackmailing and Wheatley's death. And helping Jordan inevitably brings him back into Blair's orbit. Mrazek's (The Bone Hunters, 2015, etc.) gritty, vulnerable sleuth is a compelling protagonist whose first-person narration is punchy and lucid. An auspicious series debut.

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