This Wicked City
Crime and corruption are rising in Ocean Park, a tired factory town in northern Massachusetts. The police and fire departments are no help-they're staging a work slowdown to protest a pay freeze caused by city budget cuts. Police Detective Matt Conley is disgusted with the dereliction of duty, and when tasked with solving the murder of a young Haitian immigrant, he infuriates the force by teaming with the victim's friend Emmanuel to find the killer. They encounter an enterprising family of Voudou worshipers, a ruthless real estate magnate, and a clever, love-struck arsonist in their search for justice. This Wicked City is a mystery powered by its characters' struggles with love, loyalty, and sacrifice.
My review
In this story, Detective Matt Conoley has to navigate the intricacies of Haitian immigrant life, voudou and fellow officers who are corrupt or uninterested in doing a good job. There was so much going on in this book, I did at times, find that I was getting a bit lost in it all, but it was an interesting read all the same.
I had no idea who was behind it all or why, but I wanted to keep turning the pages and finding out just what was going to happen. I did find that the ending was a little rushed, it seemed to jump quickly forward in time, but I think that was probably needed in order to help tie everything up a bit.
Overall an entertaining read that was a little different to my usual choices.
Michael Walsh
Jacksonville, Florida — Florida
mystery writer Michael Walsh recently released his novel This Wicked City, the
third installment of the Ocean Park mystery series. His previous books, Ocean
Park and Gypsy, have garnered over 100 five-star reviews on Amazon.
The Boston Herald calls the series “Great read, real page turners!” and
Amazon’s official reviewer The Vine Voice says Ocean Park is “for
mystery fans who value originality and talent”.
Walsh attended Massachusetts schools before earning a degree in
journalism from Boston University. GE Aerospace hired him to edit jet engine
manuals, and he continued his fiction writing hobby when he was relocated to
Cincinnati, Ohio and Jacksonville, Florida. He won the First Coast Writer’s
Festival short story contest and collaborated on publications with New York
Times bestselling author Steve Berry and Sohrab Fracis, winner of the
prestigious Iowa Short Story contest. Walsh’s stories have been published in
the U. S. and the United Kingdom.
Set on Massachusetts’ North Shore
in the fictional city of Ocean Park, the mystery series is inspired by Bay
State stories, trends, and landmarks. This Wicked City is a fast-paced
literary mystery with a star-crossed protagonist and a compelling plot. When
Haitian immigrant Joseph Denard is murdered, Ocean Park Police Detective
Matthew Conley infuriates the force by teaming with Joseph's friend Emmanuel
Hillaire to solve the case. They encounter an enterprising family of Voudou
worshipers, a ruthless real estate magnate, and a clever, love-struck arsonist
in their search for justice. This Wicked City is powered by its
characters' struggles with love, loyalty, and sacrifice. Mystery and suspense
junkies will revel in this whodunit that lights the powder kegs of immigration,
clashing cultures, and integration.
Boston columnist and New
England’s #1 radio talk show host Howie Carr is a dedicated fan who did a
podcast with Walsh, where they discuss arson, writing, and immigration, among
other subjects. It’s available at: https://howiecarrshow.com/meet-the-experts-michael-walsh/ .
This Wicked City, Ocean Park, and Gypsy are available online (print
and ebook) at Amazon, Kobo, Google Books, Apple Books, Walmart, and Target.
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