Double Takedown (A Mike Stoneman Mystery) by Kevin G. Chapman; Double Double Your Murder, Double Double Your Excitement

 

Double Takedown (A Mike Stoneman Mystery) by Kevin G. Chapman; Double Double Your Murder, Double Double Your Excitement 

By Julie Sara Porter 

Bookworm Reviews 

Spoilers: I apologize for the Doublemint ear worm. Believe me, I'm paying for it.

Anyway, things have changed considerably since this blog previously encountered Police Detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson deuteragonists of Righteous Assassin, the first of Kevin G. Chapman's Mike Stoneman Mystery Series. In that endeavor, the two were partnered to investigate a series of murders that corresponded to the Ten Plagues from the Book of Exodus in the Bible. During their investigation, they faced personal and professional hurdles as single men that acquired love interests during the course of the book. Not to mention they faced their own prejudices and biases as the wily experienced Caucasian veteran Mike clashed with the eager young African-American rookie Jason. They came together, made amends, and solved the murders.

Now in this volume, Double Takedown, things have looked up. The duo are thick as thieves, best friends. Mike is married to Michelle, a forensic pathologist. Jason is married to Rachel, a makeup artist, and is the father of three year old Jason Jr. AKA JJ, who refers to Mike as “Uncle Mike.” Their reputation as criminal investigators has acquired a wide network of friends, allies, informants, and acquaintances who give them the VIP treatment. They also acquire many enemies from the less law abiding crowd who recognize and fear them.

That network puts them right into the path of their latest cases. That's right cases, plural, as in more than one. 

During a night out at a Broadway Cares ballet production, Alex Bishop, Tony nominated star of Godfather: The Musical is murdered in public in the front row. Cause of death: poisoned by a fatal concoction of drugs. Director Nathan Matthews is subsequently investigated, charged, indicted and is now awaiting trial for Bishop’s murder but Mike and Jason think that the case is too easy and they have the wrong person. Their suspicions prove correct when TikTok influencer, Kayleigh Bronson is found murdered at a party after ingesting Montezuma's Delight, a drug concoction of the same drugs that killed Alex Bishop. The duo realize that the deaths might be connected when the same suspects and evidence turn up in both cases.

This is a solid double mystery in which two separate cases are connected by methods, suspects, and motives. It's not quite a serial murder because the circumstances are different but they do have similar patterns. They are also separated by a period of two years (Adam Bishop’s death occurred in 2022, Kayleigh Bronson’s in 2024). Also it's the death of an established nominated top billed theater actor combined with the death of a young flaky party girl social media influencer. That's definitely worlds apart. Many would not associate the murders with each other but Mike and Jason do. 

The investigation takes the detectives through interesting leads through Broadway productions, drag venues, and social media videos to interview a bevy of eccentric entertainers. There's a production of Sharknado: The Musical where they stake out a person of interest. Okay, I can buy The Godfather becoming a musical. It's operatic, Shakespearean, has a lot of raw emotion, and they can take advantage of the Italian folk style to write original songs. But Sharknado: The Musical? That's a line that no one should ever cross.

A drag performer gives Mike and Jason a lead which results in them comparing performances to see if a potential suspect was at a particular show. It's interesting as they compare things like vocal infections, makeup consistency, stance, and posture to see if they are watching the same person or a substitute in a costume, wig, and makeup. It's a test in observation skills for them.

By far the strangest person of interest is The Pharmacist, a mysterious character who peddles holistic remedies on his YouTube and TikTok videos. Many of his suggestions provide a bit more kick, much of it of the opioid and potentially illegal variety. The Pharmacist is an odd composite of Timothy Leary and a street drug dealer from an 80’s PSA. He is both charismatic and menacing, especially since he isn't above using a customer's interest in his endorsed products to his advantage. It's easy to see why he has a large Internet presence especially in a time where many reject traditional medicinal means.

Mike and Jason’s partnership is a highlight. Even though they have pretty happy home lives, their personal lives are still a focus. That family members like their wives, Rachel's brother, and Michelle's niece get involved in different ways show that criminal catching can be a family affair. There is a tense chapter where Michelle's niece, Star, is in the wrong place at the wrong time and finds herself in a potentially dangerous situation. What is fun and exciting for her is a job for Mike and Jason and she sees first hand what it's like to live a life of danger.

There is a constant theme of theater, putting on a performance, and pretending to be someone else. This climaxes in a sting operation where Mike, Jason, and their colleagues put on a performance of their own with acting, costumes, and disguises. Unfortunately, the suspects also know about performing too so the question isn't who's acting. It's who can put on the better performance and make the first and last move.

Double Takedown is double the excitement, thrills, suspense, and mystery fun.

Weekly Reader: Righteous Assassin A Mike Stoneman Thriller by Kevin G Chapman; Suspenseful Thriller About A Religion Obsessed Serial Killer

 

Weekly Reader: Righteous Assassin A Mike Stoneman Thriller by Kevin G Chapman; Suspenseful Thriller About A Religion Obsessed Serial Killer

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Kevin G. Chapman is a tight and suspenseful murder mystery/psychological thriller about two police officers and an FBI agent who are on the search for a serial killer so obsessed with his warped sense of religion and justice that he is willing to kill people for.

Detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson come upon the body of a man who was killed in a very unusual way. Mob boss, Mickey "Slick Mick," Gallata or what was left of him was found inside the tiger enclosure of the Bronx Zoo with the large felines munching on his remains and the binding that held him. It's a gruesome sight.

At first the detectives think that it could be anything: a mob hit, a jealous rival, anything. Then they investigate a few earlier unsolved cases such as Pierre LeBlanc, a businessman who owned a drug company and was found frozen to death in the cold storage unit of a restaurant. There were also businessman, Nicholas Devito and fashion designer, Marlene Sheraton who died from a fatal shot of Novocain and were poisoned by a sharp object respectively. All dead in unusual ways, all unsolved, and all at the end of the month. 

With the help of a forensic pathologist, Dr. Michelle McNeil, and FBI profiler Special Agent Angela Manning, Stoneman and Dickson realize that these murders are not random. They are the work of a serial killer obsessed with religious ideology. 

In fact, the murders are reminiscent of the 10 plagues of Egypt. The killer believes that he was sent by God to bring justice into the world. Not only that but his blog entries reveal that he is bragging about it and is looking for other targets.

The mystery is a nice effective one. The Righteous Assassin is one of those villains who gets off on showing how smart they are while being consumed by their obsession. Their blog entries are filled with religious dogma and nicknames for  enemies like "Abel," "Eve," "Napoleon", "Centurion" and so on. They set themselves higher than their victims. 

Even the methods of murder are clever in a sadistic sense with how they tie to the Ten Plagues. Since New York City isn't exactly surrounded by livestock to poison, the Assassin poisons a potential victim's steak in a restaurant. Another victim is burned by boiling water, since the chances of them getting boils aren't as likely as they would have been in Biblical times.

Sometimes in thrillers, the murders are not really justifiable but understandable especially if they are the type who escaped punishment. This shows that somewhat as the chosen victims were involved in such activities as human trafficking, drug dealing, and organized crime which often resulted in the ruin and deaths of others. 

However, the Righteous Assassin does not come across any better. They are not as sympathetic as say Neiman, the serial killer, in Brian O'Hare's Murder on the Dark Web. In fact, they are judgemental, self-righteous, and delusional. Even their backstory carries no understanding for their character. This is not a case of subverting guilt and innocence, right and wrong. Instead it's the guilty vs. the truly guilty, wrong and also wrong. 

Of course the investigators on the case have their own issues as well. Stoneman and McNeil have a developing romance that gets up to them dating. Dickson and Manning have some flirtatious exchanges. The romances come to an unfortunate conclusion when lives end up on the line.

By far the biggest conflict is between Stoneman and Dickson. Stoneman is an older, street smart, seasoned detective who knows when to research information and when to follow a lead. Dickson is younger, intellectual, passionate, and is eager to look for this killer before they strike again.

However, the biggest hurdle in their partnership involves race. The Caucasian Stoneman acts condescending towards the African-American Dickson. Stoneman calls his partner demeaning nicknames like "Junior" and "Kid" and dismisses some of his theories even though Dickson is often right. It takes well into the book before Stoneman realizes that his behavior is interfering with the investigation. He slowly begins to understand his partner's position and recognizes his abilities. He develops as a character through his partnership with Dickson.

Righteous Assassin is a suspenseful thriller that looks at subjects like race, crime, justice, religion, and revenge. It is a truly righteous thriller.

New Book Alert: Dead Winner by Kevin G. Chapman; Suspenseful Murder Mystery Over a Winning Lottery Ticket Marred By Length and Too Many Plot Twists

 

New Book Alert: Dead Winner by Kevin G. Chapman; Suspenseful Murder Mystery Over a Winning Lottery Ticket Marred By Length and Too Many Plot Twists

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Winning the lottery brings with it a host of problems: taxes taken out, strangers pretending to be long lost relatives, gold diggers and fortune hunters, harassed by shady organizations, many threats, and sometimes death. That's enough to make one wish they never bought a ticket.

On its own that would be an interesting premise for a murder mystery in which a lottery winner is found dead shortly after their win but before it is made public. Unfortunately, Kevin G. Chapman's Dead Winner is not that book. It takes that premise and mar it with too many plot twists that are used to justify its length.

Tom Williams just won the lottery and he has only told his wife, Monica and his former schoolmate, Rory McEntyre, who is his financial advisor. Unfortunately, the day after he gives this news, Tom is found dead by Monica. Monica insists that Tom's death was suicide but there are some inconsistencies to that version. Not to mention, that Tom's former employers and assistant are involved in separate subplots involving him. Tom has his own secrets and Riley and Monica are harboring a not so secret infatuation for each other.

The lottery plot is interesting. There are moments when greed overtakes the characters along with the promise of new big money. There is a seriocomic sequence when Tom and Monica discover that the lottery ticket is missing and someone holds it for ransom.

There are some real truthful moments particularly as Riley reevaluates his friendship with Tom and interest in Monica. He realized that the more aggressive and choleric Tom always took the lead in their friendship, so Riley is realizing that he now has to take control. One of those means is being there for Monica and being more available for her more than Tom was.

However, the book has too many red herrings and subplots that the narrative runs away with itself. Some of the characters don't amount to very much and others become too involved with the action. This is one mystery that needs focus and to develop one potential plot at a time instead of over crowding the Reader.

The worst is saved for last. There is a final plot twist that I won't reveal but makes absolutely no sense based on the previous information that we have been given. The twist seems to have pulled out of thin air rather than the clues and mystery itself. It's not an ending to make you wonder or marvel so much as it's an ending to make you roll your eyes or throw the book down in disgust.

For me, Dead Winner is actually a Live Loser.