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Formats
Ebook Details
  • 05/2015
  • 978-0-9911301-3-9 b00xb8jbix
  • 274 pages
  • $2.99
Paperback Details
  • 05/2015
  • 978-0-9911301-4-6 0991130146
  • 274 pages
  • $10.49
Dwight Holing
Author
Bad Karma (A Jack McCoul Caper)

Adult; Mystery/Thriller; (Market)

San Francisco con artist Jack McCoul has left his life of crime behind until his past comes roaring back. A former partner’s scheme to snatch a priceless statue drags him into a murder investigation and a sexy suspect’s life hangs in the balance. When hired killers come gunning for him, Jack’s only choice is to do what he does best—even though it means breaking the law again.
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews

In Holing’s (A Boatload, 2014, etc.) thriller sequel, an ex-con dabbles in his dormant criminal ways to prove that his wife’s friend is innocent of murder.

These days, reformed grifter Jack McCoul is legit, financing his startup business for an app he’s developing. So he’s understandably perturbed when former partner-in-crime Bobby shows up at his door. Bobby has his eye on Dexter Cotswold; more specifically, Dexter’s solid-gold Buddha, which Jack and Bobby once stole years ago. But when Dexter winds up dead, cops set their sights on his wife, Laura, best friend of Jack’s wife, Katie. Jack is determined to find the real killer, while he watches out for two thuggish investors pursuing his app a bit too aggressively; they may be the ones whose car tried to run down Jack and Katie. To get answers, Jack resorts to his old skills—e.g., breaking and entering. The author’s second novel featuring Jack McCoul is a proficient detective story that keeps the plot turning. Jack’s not a typical PI, but he employs his mastery to great effect; he gets help from less reputable types, like a black hat hacker, and runs a con with pal Hark to get into a private club. He’s a likable, levelheaded protagonist faced with endless hurdles. Lead homicide investigator Terry Dolan, for example, hates Jack simply because Terry is Katie’s ex-fiance, and Jack isn’t sure he can trust Bobby, especially because he disappears after the murder. The story is loaded with dishy one-liners for Jack, but even the third-person narrative gets in on the fun, noting a mysterious driver (from the night of Dexter’s murder) who may live “within honking distance.” Jack’s investigations, be they murder- or app-related, come together seamlessly, as he deals with at least one more dead body, a kidnapping, and the Mumbai mafia. Katie is a fine character, but readers unfortunately see little of the smart and strong-willed woman the story describes. She’s often a mere sidekick and at one point even complains that diligent Jack hasn’t yet managed to get Laura out of jail.

An engrossing novel that should earn the series a bevy of new fans.

Readers' Favorite

Reviewed by Raanan Geberer for Readers' Favorite

Think of The Maltese Falcon in the milieu of 21st century Silicon Valley, and you’ll end up with something like Bad Karma (A Jack McCoul Caper) by Dwight Holing. Jack McCoul, the main character in Holing’s series of mysteries, is a former high-end burglar and con man who has gone straight and is the head of a tech start-up. Like most tech entrepreneurs, he needs money, but a venture capitalist turns down his new app that would help international travelers find less-than-wholesome pleasures. Soon afterward, the venture capitalist is murdered, and the investigating detective, who has been Jack’s nemesis since the two of them went to Catholic school together, eyes Jack as a possible suspect. Jack has to clear his name, so he starts his own unofficial investigation. Along the way, he is targeted by two unfriendly thugs who represent an unknown party that wants the rights to Jack’s new app. A hard-boiled detective novel wouldn’t be complete without a colorful cast of characters, and Bad Karma certainly has them – from an old-time associate of Jack’s who loves to steal and chase the ladies to a stuttering sports fan who has the knack for finding out any information on the street.

Dwight Holing is an excellent writer, using active words and not boring us with a lot of excess phrases. The characters are colorful and realistic, although the average person will probably never run into such people in his lifetime. He does a good job of depicting the people of Silicon Valley, from the successful ones who have huge mansions to the hungry entrepreneurs and programmers who want to make it big. He’s equally adept at portraying San Francisco’s Mission District, a formerly working-class, Chicano area that’s rapidly gentrifying. All in all, Bad Karma made me want to read more Jack McCoul novels by Holing. One thing is sure: if you spend most of your life lying and stealing, you’re sure to have ... Bad Karma!

Formats
Ebook Details
  • 05/2015
  • 978-0-9911301-3-9 b00xb8jbix
  • 274 pages
  • $2.99
Paperback Details
  • 05/2015
  • 978-0-9911301-4-6 0991130146
  • 274 pages
  • $10.49
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