Renee began the Throwback Thursday meme on her blog, “It’s Book Talk“ to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books published over a year ago. Sounded like a good reason to join! I’ll be going back over some of my oldies but goodies, my favorite authors, and some of my favorite stories from authors you might not have previously experienced. Hopefully, you’ll find either a story or author that interests you and you’ll check them out.
This week I am highlighting Tom Lowe, another terrific, prolific author who has produced eight in the Sean O’Brien series of which I reviewed A False Dawn on Goodreads. If you don’t recognize the name of the author, perhaps you have heard of his eighth in this series, A Murder of Crows. A False Dawn, #1 of the series, was published by Kingsbridge on March 8, 2012. Lowe consistently runs approximately 4.5 stars for any of his books sold on Amazon.
Originally posted October 8, 2014
Book Blurb:
Before the death of his wife, Sean O’Brien makes a promise to her that he has no plans to break until he starts building a new life in an old cabin on a remote stretch of a tropical river in the heart of Florida. It’s there that he discovers an injured young woman who whispers a cryptic message into his ear. As she fights for her life, Sean makes a promise to her, but to fulfill it he’ll have to end the vow he made to his dead wife, and he’ll have to face a criminal mind that has a tap root into his previous life. For O’Brien to begin to live a new life, he must revisit the past where a brilliant criminal mind lies waiting to write a dark future.
My Review:
Sean O’Brien has tried to leave the rat race behind–he made a promise to his wife–lost in a vicious bout of ovarian cancer. He quit the force as a homicide detective, bought a fixer-upper and moved from Miami to Florida’s St. Johns River, where he’s taken their 10 lb. dachshund Maxine in the hope of finding some kind of peace.
It is here on the banks below his house that he discovers Angela, near death, and where he met Joe Billie, Native American who is familiar with the land and gators that inhabit the area. But it is his promise to Angela that lands him in the middle of a nasty local farm operation that cultivates more than tomatoes.
It’s good Sean has the support and help of his old Miami contacts as not all of the Volusia County detectives are willing to cooperate with an ex-Miami cop. Sean has a fishing boat he calls the Jupiter at the Ponce Marina where he spends time with boat buddies, enjoyable characters, moored nearby.
It’s not long before he’s deeply embroiled in the local drug operation out of the farm he suspects of slave labor, prostitution, and human trafficking.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author and a rather radical departure from my usual, as I do not read graphic violence, language, or continue with books that coulda, woulda, shoulda used another editor. The protagonist is strong and generally well fleshed. And, I’m a sucker for including a dog in the plot. Dialogue might have benefited from more show than tell, but the climax was wrapped up neatly and included an interesting twist. Well plotted suspense thriller that snags the interest early and steers you through to the end.
This was a free download from BookBub and I enjoyed the author’s writing style; his descriptive passages paint a vivid picture, and it’s obvious he shares a deep connection with his wife conveyed in tender passages (definitely a welcome change). Recommended for any who enjoy a good mystery, suspense-thriller.
About the Author: (From the Amazon Author page)
“Tom Lowe’s latest mystery/thriller novel is A MURDER OF CROWS. It is the eighth novel in the internationally bestselling Sean O’Brien series. The next book to be published featuring Sean O’Brien is – THE DRAGONFLY.
“Tom will introduce readers to a new series featuring criminal psychologist Elizabeth Monroe. When Elizabeth’s daughter is murdered, when the case grows cold, Elizabeth earns her doctorate in forensic psychology and begins the dangerous hunt for her daughter’s killer. The first novel is called WRATH – and it’s coming soon.
“Tom is an award-winning screenwriter and filmmaker. As he writes his books, Tom draws from his travels around the world and his background as a print and broadcast journalist. Tom is a sailor and SCUBA diver.”
More Throwback Thursday Blogs
Renee at Its Book Talk
Jill at Jill’s Book Cafe
Rebecca at The Book Whisperer
Lynn at Fictionophile
Sam at Clues and Reviews
Holly B at Dressedtoread
©2017 Virginia Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 
Interesting premise. Glad you enjoyed even as it was a departure from your norm.
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yeah, sometimes it’s good to stretch your reads. thanks for the comment!
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