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Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Duplicity by Shawn Wilson (VBT: Book Review / Contest Giveaway)

In association with Partners In Crime Tours, Jersey Girl Book Reviews is pleased to host the virtual book tour event for Duplicity by author Shawn Wilson!

Book Review

Duplicity by Shawn Wilson

Book 2: Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publication Date: October 18, 2022

Format: Hardcover - 256 pages

Audiobook - 6 Hours 42 Minutes

Kindle - 1829 KB

Nook - 1 MB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1608095100

ASIN (Audiobook): B0BGQJSQD1

ASIN (Kindle): B09XPHSF1L
BNID: 978-1608095117

Genre: Mystery /Police Procedural

Buy The Book: Duplicity

Amazon

Buy The Series: Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series

Book 1: Relentless

Book 2: Duplicity

Amazon

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Tours.

Book Description:

This was not the homecoming Brick envisioned.

After the trauma of his last case, and after three months spent recovering in Ireland, life is looking up for newly retired homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh. Back home in Washington, D.C., a new job shows promise when he’s asked to train criminology students in cold case techniques.

Then he’s off to a whirlwind weekend in Chicago with Nora, an Aer Lingus flight attendant he’d met in Ireland. There he receives shocking news that his former partner’s wife and twin infants have been kidnapped. Brick rushes to D.C. to support Ron, the man who’s always had his back—but as days pass, Brick questions how well he really knows this man.

Brick’s cold case—the unsolved hit-and-run death of a college student—is heating up. Brick finds gaping holes in the original investigation. Is it possible diplomatic immunity granted someone a “get-out-of-jail-free card”?

Meanwhile, Ron’s family tragedy unfolds in a most bizarre manner, and the escalating cold case points to D.C. corruption at the highest level. Things are getting complicated . . . very complicated . . . and dangerous.

Praise for Duplicity:

“…it’s a cracking good time. One doesn’t have to be a mystery fan to relish this.” - Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Duplicity is a compelling read with depth and a protagonist you’ll want to spend more time with. I’ll be first in line to see what’s next for Brick Kavanagh!” - David Putnam, bestselling author of the Bruno Johnson crime series

“…you’re in for an engrossing and entertaining read.” - Hank Phillippi Ryan, USA Today bestselling author

“Duplicity is a delightful, twisty thriller featuring a hero it’s impossible not to love… I raced through the pages ‘til three a.m. rooting for him to succeed.” - Matt Witten, author The Necklace

Book Excerpt:

“The plans of the righteous are just, but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.”
Proverbs 12:5

September 2013 Inishmore, Ireland

Chapter 1

Brick Kavanagh stepped to the edge of the cliff and watched the waves crash against the rocks. He closed his eyes, hoping this sight would be seared in his brain the same way his mind tended to store images from twenty years of being a cop.

During all those years with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., he didn’t recognize the emotional toll the job was taking. But there was no denying the price he paid after the devastating conclusion of his last homicide case. How to deal with the aftermath of a case that became so personal? The sage advice of bar owner Eamonn Boland provided the answer—a one-way ticket to Ireland. He figured he’d probably be there for a week, maybe two. Now, with his stay closing in on ninety days, he needed to leave or be in violation of the country’s visa-free travel regulations.

Brick fumbled in his pocket for the slip of paper Eamonn had given to him before he left D.C. It was wrinkled and the ink was smudged but it didn’t matter; he almost knew the quote by heart.

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether to sail or to watch it—we are going back from whence we came.”

When Brick first arrived, the words John F. Kennedy delivered to the America’s Cup crew didn’t have much significance for him. But the longer he stayed, the more they resonated. Spending time in a place surrounded by the ocean had a cleansing and calming effect he hadn’t expected. He was grateful he would be leaving in a much healthier state of mind than when he had arrived.

Brick checked his watch. He still had time to take in one last view from Dun Aengus. He made his way to the prehistoric fort, being careful not to photobomb any of the selfie-taking tourists along the way. He didn’t feel like a tourist himself anymore as he stood on the highest point of the cliffs. He looked in every direction absorbing the breathtaking panorama before he fell in step with the others making their way in the direction back to the boat dock.

Dark clouds were now blocking the sun and the wind had picked up. In the three months Brick had been here, he had gotten used to the weather changing quickly. Part of the charm, although it would probably mean a choppy ferry ride back to Rossaveal. For the sense of tranquility he had experienced, forty minutes of rocking and rolling was a small price to pay. Standing on the upper deck of the boat, Brick watched as Inishmore became shrouded in fog.

* * *

It was after six o’clock when Brick arrived back in Galway. He was starving and knew where he wanted to have his farewell dinner. He headed to Gaffney’s, a small pub that served the best lamb stew he had ever eaten. Tonight, he would be dining alone, but when he was here previously, he had had dinner with a woman he met earlier in the week at Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop on Middle Street. Nora Breslin introduced herself after a brief conversation in which they discussed a book of poetry by Seamus Heaney. Upon hearing her name, Brick jokingly asked if she was related to Jimmy Breslin. Surprisingly, he was a distant cousin and the well-timed question led to more conversation about the legendary American journalist and his connection to Son of Sam. With the bookstore about to close, the nearby pub provided the perfect place to continue talking over a pint of Guinness and a view of the swans on the River Corrib.

Two nights later, they met again for dinner at Gaffney’s. Unfortunately, plans for a trip together to Dublin got derailed when Nora, a flight attendant with Aer Lingus, had to unexpectedly fill in for a colleague. Before leaving, she suggested getting together on the other side of the Atlantic since her regular assignment was the Shannon-to-O’Hare route. Would it happen? Brick wasn’t sure, but he had enjoyed the brief time they had spent together. One thing he had learned recently was that it’s far better to appreciate what was, than anticipate what might be.

Brick seated himself at a small table with his back to the wall so that he could have an unobstructed view of the restaurant. Some habits die hard; some never do. When the waitress approached with silverware and a menu, he placed his order. She returned shortly with a pint of Guinness. Brick would never mention this to Eamonn or his nephew Rory when he got back home, but the Guinness seemed to taste better here than what they served at Boland’s Mill. Then again, maybe it was his imagination. He’d chalk it up to that. Boland’s Mill. As long as tomorrow’s flight wasn’t delayed, Brick figured he’d probably be having dinner there and thanking Eamonn for suggesting—well, insisting—that time away from D.C. wasn’t an option, it was a necessity. The old man knew what he was talking about, but now it was up to Brick to figure out what to do next. He was young, forty-two, owned his condo, and his pension from the police department would be enough to pay the bills and keep food on his table, but Brick was a live-to-work, not a work-to-live kind of guy. Aside from an email he had received from the Assistant Director of the School of Public Affairs at Abraham Lincoln University, regarding a project involving graduate students attempting to solve a cold case, he didn’t have any other employment prospects. He would check it out, but it didn’t sound like his forte. Working a cold case was right in his wheelhouse but teaching a group of college kids would be a whole lot different than mentoring a detective newly assigned to the Homicide Squad.

One thing was for sure—he wasn’t going to figure it out tonight so he might as well just savor the stew the waitress placed in front of him. Maybe he would suggest to Eamonn that the chef at Boland’s should consider adding barley to their lamb stew recipe. Maybe he should consider an entirely new career and enroll in culinary school. On second thought, for the sake of the dining public, probably not a good idea. Best to leave cooking to the pros. That’s why he frequented Boland’s Mill far more often than the Giant or Safeway.

Brick wasn’t about to waste a slice of brown bread. He used it to soak up the last of the herb gravy on his plate.

“Another Guinness?” the waitress asked as she cleared the table. “No thanks, just the check when you get a chance.”

Brick took the long way back to his airbnb. Most of the shops were closed, but the bookstore was open for another half hour and he needed something to read for tomorrow’s flight back to Washington. After browsing for a few minutes at a shelf displaying a number of books by contemporary Irish authors, he chose an autographed copy of The Guards by Galway-born Ken Bruen. Even though he had to leave the west coast of Ireland, at least he could be there vicariously by reading about it.

***

My Book Review:

In Duplicity, book two of the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series, author Shawn Wilson transports the reader back to Washington D.C., for another intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

After spending three months in Ireland, retired Homicide Detective Brian "Brick" Kavanagh returns to Washington D.C. to contemplate the next phase of his life. Brick is offered the opportunity to train criminology graduate students on how to investigate cold cases. A specific case investigating the three year old hit-n-run cold case of Lincoln University student Henry Yang intrigues Brick, and he agrees to investigate the cold case. Before starting the investigation into the cold case, Brick travels to Chicage to meet up with Nora Breslin, an Aer Lingus flight attendant that he met while in Ireland, but a frantic call from Brick's former partner, Homicide Detective Ron Hayes sends him back to Washington D.C. to help investigate the kidnapping of Ron's wife Jasmine and their twin babies. The two cases leads Brick on a complicated investigative journey when the hit-n-run cold case may have political implications, while the search for his former partner's family is intense and baffling, as he tries to put the pieces of the puzzle together for both investigations.

Author Shawn Wilson weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale that follows Brick's investigations to uncover the truth behind the hit-n-run cold case, and the complicated kidnapping case of his former partner's family. I loved reading this action-packed story. Brick's observations and detail to the police procedure used within the investigations kept me intrigued as he slowly put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together for both cases, especially when there is complications, intensity, and danger around every corner.

The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as Brick's no nonsense and determined investigations uncovers a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues, while it will also leave the reader completely shocked by the surprise ending.

Duplicity has enough drama, tension, action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

RATING: 5 STARS

About The Author

Shawn Wilson is a produced playwright and author of Relentless, the first novel in the Brick Kavanagh mystery series. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from American University in Washington, D.C. and spent over thirty years working for the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Having traveled on five continents, she is very happy to call Chicago home.

Contest Giveaway

Win A $25 Amazon Gift Card

Virtual Book Tour Event

Duplicity by Shawn Wilson ~ VBT Event Page Link

Tour Participants:

11/01 Review @ Blogging With A

11/02 Showcase @ Im Into Books

11/03 Review @ Novels Alive

11/09 Guest post @ The Book Divas Reads

11/15 Guest post @ Mystery Review Crew

11/16 Showcase @ The Authors Harbor

11/19 Review @ Paws. Read. Repeat

11/20 Guest post @ Nesies Place

11/21 Showcase @ Celticladys Reviews

11/22 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews

11/23 Guest post @ The Reading Frenzy

11/23 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader

11/25 Review @ Melissa As Blog

Relentless by Shawn Wilson (Book Review)

Book Review

Relentless by Shawn Wilson

Book 1: Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series

Publisher: Oceanview Publishing

Publication Date: December 17, 2019

Format: Hardcover - 368 pages

Paperback - 288 pages

Audiobook - 7 Hours 39 Minutes

Kindle - 2400 KB

Nook - 1 MB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1608093700

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1608094028
ASIN (Audiobook): B087C99HWH

ASIN (Kindle): B07YGXS6KV
BNID: 978-1608093717

Genre: Mystery /Police Procedural

Buy The Book: Relentless

Amazon

Buy The Series: Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series

Book 1: Relentless

Book 2: Duplicity

Amazon

Book Description:

Cherry blossom season is Washington, D.C.’s most beautiful time of the year. But as tourists flock to the city, this year’s festivities are marred by the discovery of the naked body of a young woman floating in the Tidal Basin.

Veteran homicide detective Brian (Brick) Kavanagh is assigned to the case. He’s shocked when he learns the victim is connected to another homicide which makes the investigation very personal for him.

Brick’s efforts to solve the case are thwarted by departmental politics and a rush to judgment. Convinced that justice has not been served and the wrong person is in jail, Kavanagh risks all to relentlessly pursue the truth. Overlooked evidence ultimately leads to a devastating conclusion in a heartbreaking case.

Perfect for fans of police procedurals in the style of Harry Bosch.

Book Excerpt:

https://a.co/9C4JTGA

My Book Review:

In Relentless, book one of the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series, author Shawn Wilson transports the reader to Washington D.C., for an intriguing mystery story that will keep the reader guessing and turning the pages.

Homicide Detective Brian "Brick" Kavanagh and partner Ron Hayes investigate a woman's naked body found floating in the Tidal Basin. What looks like a classic murder case is anything but that when Brick discovers that the young woman is connected to another homicide case that is personal to him. When the investigation is turned into a circus, Brick is tired of the departmental politics, and after twenty years he decides to abruptly retire, but he is relentlessly determined to solve both homicide cases on his own.

Author Shawn Wilson weaves a slow-building and suspenseful tale that follows Brick's investigation to uncover the truth behind both homicide cases. I loved reading this action-packed story. Brick's observations and detail to the police procedure used within the investigation kept me intrigued as he slowly put the pieces of the mystery puzzle together, especially when the real killer's intentions are not easily identified.

The reader will be easily drawn into this richly descriptive plot that will keep them guessing as Brick's no nonsense and determined investigation uncovers a growing list of possible suspects, motives, and clues, while it will also leave the reader completely shocked by the traumatic surprise ending.

I look forward to reading Duplicity, the second book in the Brick Kavanagh Mystery Series.

Relentless has enough drama, tension, action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns that will take the reader on one heck of a thrilling roller coaster ride.

RATING: 5 STARS

About The Author