Review: The Evil Men Do by John McMahon

The Evil Men Do by John McMahon starts just a few weeks after The Good Detective. Mason Falls Detective P. T. Marsh is doing his best to stay sober and move on with his life. The old demons are there, but they slumber in their cages for now. Not only is he sober, for now, he still has a job. This beautiful Tuesday morning in May finds Marsh and his partner, Remy Morgan, at the Georgia Safe doing range practice with their weapons. The annual weapon recertification is going to have to wait as Chief Jeff Pernacek wants them to go check on a friend of his, Ennis Fultz.

A retired, for the most part, hard-nosed real estate magnate and a bit eccentric, Ennis Fultz is known for his punctuality among other things. He missed the monthly Tuesday morning bridge game without any notice, so Pernacek wants them to go out to his house by the Condesale Gorge and check. Within minutes of arrival, it is obvious somebody has forced entry into the home. They also have a murder to solve as Mr. Ennis Fultz is dead and clearly has been that way for quite a few hours.

Ennis Fultz did not get wealthy by being a nice guy. He went over or through people for his success and the suspect list of locals with a reason to kill him is a long one. Who did the deed and why are just two questions to be answered in this complex crime novel where things escalate quickly.

While one could start here with The Evil Men Do, it would be far better to start with the previously mentioned first book in the series before reading this excellent police procedural. A wide foundation was laid with The Good Detective and there are many references to those events in The Evil Men Do. As a result, what can be said about this book is limited as to avoid any and all spoilers which means, among other things, a secondary storyline cannot be mentioned.

John McMahon has weaved a complex tale in each read as well as a complex overarching storyline across two books. I firmly believe he will be at the top of the award lists in the coming months. If his books are not on your radar, they should be. The Good Detective which I reviewed here as well as The Evil Men Do are both strongly recommended. 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2020