Reviews
The year is 1957 … the last season for the minor league baseball team the San Francisco Seals. Major League Baseball is coming to San Francisco in 1958 with the New York Giants moving west, unfortunately displacing the Seals. Longtime Seals pitcher Sam Slater is playing his last season in the minor leagues, he might have had a chance to play in the majors if he hadn’t fought in World War II. After the baseball season ends, he will join his Army buddy, Jimmy Jankow, as a partner in his private investigative firm.
When Jimmy is brutally murdered for inadvertently seeing something he shouldn’t have, Sam is left to pick up the pieces and investigate Jimmy’s murder and the murder of a client’s daughter. While getting his bearings and beginning his investigations into both murders, Sam comes to the aid of a beautiful TWA stewardess, Amelia Ryan, who was being accosted by two drunks on the street. A mutual attraction leads to the beginning of a relationship for Sam and Amelia. While asking Sam about his investigative agency, Amelia’s inquisitive nature into the murder investigations leads her to join Sam in finding the murderers. See more
A wealthy, highly-connected San Fransisco man who’s married to a beautiful woman, stops his car in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. He then plunges to his death in the icy waters below. PI Sam Slater, a former baseball player, is called by the man’s widow to investigate her husband’s death. Why would such a man kill himself? Even though his widow is very seductive, and was probably a “gold-digger” when she married her husband, Sam concludes as evidence unfolds, that the widow was not responsible. Surprises await the reader as it’s discovered that the dead man had a secret house where highly clandestine activities occurred. Sam and his fiancee, Amelia Ryan, are drawn into this ominous scenario with plenty of complications. Sam has his own baggage, having fought at Omaha Beach in WWII, and the novel,set in 1958 San Fransisco, exudes atmospheric authenticity and plenty of suspense. A straight forward detective tale told with noirish coloration. I look forward to more novels from Mr.Messel. Five well-deserved stars from a reader who enjoys suspense and atmosphere.
A wealthy, highly-connected San Fransisco man who’s married to a beautiful woman, stops his car in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge. He then plunges to his death in the icy waters below. PI Sam Slater, a former baseball player, is called by the man’s widow to investigate her husband’s death. Why would such a man kill himself? Even though his widow is very seductive, and was probably a “gold-digger” when she married her husband, Sam concludes as evidence unfolds, that the widow was not responsible. Surprises await the reader as it’s discovered that the dead man had a secret house where highly clandestine activities occurred. Sam and his fiancee, Amelia Ryan, are drawn into this ominous scenario with plenty of complications. Sam has his own baggage, having fought at Omaha Beach in WWII, and the novel,set in 1958 San Fransisco, exudes atmospheric authenticity and plenty of suspense. A straight forward detective tale told with noirish coloration. I look forward to more novels from Mr.Messel. Five well-deserved stars from a reader who enjoys suspense and atmosphere.
I really enjoy this author and his style of writing. This book is part of a series but could be read without reading the others. I like the story lines and the characters of this series alot. It combines mystery with a little romance as well. This author uses real history and events in his books, which makes for interesting reading as well. The fictional chararters fit right in the time period about which the book was written. I really enjoyed the story and I love the whole series of books and would highly recommend them to anyone who just wants a good read. I hope he writes more books with these characters in them. Enjoy.
I love a good mystery and I enjoy a good period piece. This book encapsulates both wonderfully.
Set in 1958, San Francisco private eye, Sam Slater has been hired by a wealthy dowager to find her missing daughter who disappeared without a trace. Stumped, he encourages his beautiful TWA wife to help him with the case. She is smart and daring so he likes when she helps but he also wants to keep her close to his side because in the midst of the city a serial killer roams the streets looking for his next victim.
As the two mysteries unfold, Sam and Amelia realize quickly that nothing is as it seems.
As I read this book it felt like I was in an old black and white movie classic. I had no idea what to expect with where the story was going and loved how it kept me guessing. Messel writes with a strong, rich prose that does not wander. He keeps you engaged from page one. I highly recommend this book.
I love the Sam Slater Mysteries, each one just gets better than the previous one. This installment has Sam and Amelia Slater battling with the mob in San Francisco in the late 50’s. Amelia has now retired from being an airline stewardess, which at the time was a very prestigious job. The only problem for Sam and Amelia, is that a stewardess can not be married. Amelia comes to work with Sam at the his PI office. She gets her PI license and is ready to go.
They are tasked with investigating the murder of a cop and the disappearance of a young woman, daughter of wealthy politician. As they further investigate each case, they discover that they are both related. Sam doesn’t like to do cases where he is asked to follow a spouse and see if there is any cheating going on. But as a favor to a cop friend of his, he takes on the case. A young cop thinks his wife is cheating on him. He agrees to meet the young cop in a park, while sitting in the car the policeman is shot and killed. Now Sam needs to find out why. See more
Husband and wife team of private detectives, Sam and Amelia Slater are craving leaving the city of San Francisco for their Stinson Beach beach house. Then a ride on a cable car changes all of this. Sam ends up saving a woman after she claims she was pushed off the cable car.I was kept interested with all the suspense and sometimes twists and turns as the reader turns the pages. The author give us a fast paced read that you won’t get bored with reading. Mr. Messel gives the reader some historic information that is entwined in the book. Also in the book from the 1950’s are pictures in each chapter. Very interesting as you turn the pages. Will the woman on the cable car reappear? Will she be found and will her would be killer be found? Ride the cable car with Sam and the unknown woman. Your heart will start beating hard as she is pushed? off the car. Sam is used to being in the spotlight but this is different. A simple cable car ride to get a haircut and now it’s a possible murder case.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author, Greg Messel and PUYB in exchange for my honest review.
I love the entire Greg Messel series. I have read them all.
The two stories that weaved throughout this book, were realistic stories that affect so many homes and families today. One is the story of Marc, a successful business man married to a beautiful woman named Aimee who is also a successful, busy nurse. They have college aged children and live in a beautiful home. Marc is still very much physically attracted to his wife, and he cannot understand why over many months period of time she is denying him, until he finds out she has been with his best friend.
The other story-line is also about another successful person, a female attorney named Alexandra or, Alex, for short. She meets a handsome young cop, Sean, at an accident scene where a dad had run over his baby with his car. She thinks she can handle what she has encountered and goes back to work, only to find her mind in a whirlwind in all that she has gone through. I appreciated the author understanding post-traumatic syndrome.
Though fiction, so much could be related to as the author also goes into depths of the uncertainty in our economy when everything seems to be crashing around us, including stable jobs and business that had more than enough work to wondering if they will make it. The author writes of the uncertainties in so much from relationships, families and job.
Most of my book reviews are of Christian books. This is not a Christian book, yet realistic of life, with “life” scenes and language.
** SPOILER ALERT ** Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. I almost felt like I could relate to some of the characters and I loved some of the detail that was put into describing the people and places. I also loved some of the ideas that came from the author. I’d never head that men were like bananas. That was a new one. Haha…
I do have to say that I felt a little frustrated at the end. I confess that I am all about the sappy, cheesy endings and know that this is probably how reality would be, but was still surprised by how the author chose to end this story. I felt frustrated for Tom, and for me having read this whole book about how much he cared about Ericka just to have it all end. But looking past that, I still was engrossed in the book and am recommending it to some friends.
ex-pi-a-tion: 1. Definition: [noun] compensation for a wrong; to make amends or reparation for (wrongdoing or guilt); atone for; satisfaction. 2. To pay the penalty of: suffer for; the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing.
To many times at the end of our lives we look back and often times wish we could have a second chance, an opportunity to do things different, take the road less traveled. However in hindsight we also see that the good things that come from those choices would also have to be altered or in some cases wouldn’t exist as well.
Dan and Katie were high school sweethearts. He was the all-American boy who played football as the quarterback and baseball, while Katie cheered him in as the popular cheerleader who every boy had a crush one. Everyone assumed that they would marry and live the proverbial, happily ever after, part of their lives with one another but that is not what happened. See more
I am not a huge fan of Historical Fiction or books with that politic-y type feel. This book, however, was more than that. This book relives a time when people felt hope, a time when things were looking up, and it also relives the day that hope died.
This book takes us on Alex’s journey, his trials and tribulations. We witness the hope in him die and be reborn again. This book is raw and personal, very personal. It is a story that needs to be told and shared, even if some parts are fiction. It still holds a truth that most of us can relate to… Dreams That Never Were.
One man’s dream can to a tragic and early end just as it was about to come to fruition. You see through the eyes of the storyteller how an entire nation can rely on one man’s vision to fulfill theirs. You see another man who doesn’t know what his purpose is and you watch that same man grow and come into himself and you watch the dream form.
I was highly impressed with this novel.
