Title: The Wayward Path
Author: Mark Love
Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction
Book Blurb:
Charity Gray was an intelligent, inquisitive teen who disappeared fifteen years earlier. When her body is discovered, it should be a typical cold case. Before the Detroit police can get started, the FBI commandeers the investigation, with a prime suspect in mind: retired mobster Leo Agonasti.
When Agonasti slips through their grasp, he reaches out to Sergeant Jefferson Chene. Their unusual friendship draws Chene into the thick of the case. Burdened with two reluctant FBI agents, Chene is working against the clock and the feds to find the real killer.
Chene senses they are getting close to the answers. Will he be able to solve the murder and clear the old mobster of this heinous crime before time runs out?
My Review:
A young woman’s body stuffed in a wall leads Sgt. Chene to defend his mobster friend but can he track down the killer in time? In the heart of Detroit, a construction crew discovers a tightly wrapped body of a fifteen-year-old girl named Charity Gray. What was she doing in the wall of a condemned house? What is her connection to a mobster? The police are stumped. Before they can investigate further, the feds take over the case. Sgt. Chene wants nothing to do with the case but is pulled in to work with the feds due to his unusual friendship with retired mobster Leo. Chene is good at his job, but this case is leading him on a chase. The more clues he uncovers the closer he gets to solving the murder, the deeper in danger he is. Can he clear Leo’s name in time to catch the real killer or will he be too late?
The Wayward Path is a gritty crime mystery that captured my inner detective’s imagination. I love a good detective mystery. Throw in a hard-edged setting like Detroit and a cold case to solve and I’m one happy reader. The Wayward Path is a feast for any crime fiction/mystery reader. It all starts with the descriptive narration and Mark Love sets the tone from the very first page. Even though this is book three in a series, the author takes the time to catch the reader up to speed on the characters, setting, and police procedure. The dialogue is smart, savvy, and full of terminology associated with solving crime. I enjoyed Chene immensely. The conflict he feels on this case is expertly written. The mystery itself is complex with a full cast of characters and Mark Love unfolds it using intricate narration and plot progression. There were many times when I got so engrossed in the story, I read late into the night. While I guessed the killer before it was revealed, there were a couple of surprises I didn’t expect. Mark Love is a brilliant mystery writer and one to keep an eye on. If you enjoy mysteries with an edge, pick up The Wayward Path. If crime fiction is your reading jam, you’ll want to read The Wayward Path. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
Mark Love lived for many years in the metropolitan Detroit area, where crime and corruption are always prevalent. A former freelance reporter, Love honed his writing skills covering features and hard news. He is the author of the Jamie Richmond romance mysteries, Devious, Vanishing Act and Fleeing Beauty, and the novella Stealing Haven. His short story, Don’t Mess with the Gods, was written with Elle Nina Castle and included in the Magic & Mischief anthology. Love also writes the Jefferson Chene mystery series, WHY 319?, Your Turn to Die and The Wayward Path which will be published in 2022. Love resides in west Michigan with his wife, Kim. He enjoys a wide variety of music, books, travel, cooking and the great outdoors.
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Reviewed by: Mrs. N