Short Story Wednesday Review: Game Face by Mark Troy

From the archive…

  

Texas author Mark Troy brings together in this collection titled GAME FACE eight short stories featuring his signature character Val Lyon. A tough talking wise cracking private investigator that brooks no interference when there is a case to be solved. This former military brat calls Hawaii home.  Along with plenty of the sights, sounds, and history of the islands, readers get strong well written stories featuring complex cases and the always present search for justice.

 

After a forward that explains some of the history behind the character, the book opens with “Teed Off.” Glenn Floeck owns a line of golf shops under the name “Teed Off.” He plans to expand his company to the islands. That means he and his bodyguard, Frodo Baggins, need a car and a driver. Val Lyon can provide both along with plenty of attitude and investigative skills. By working undercover and getting close to him she can get the answers she needs. The answers will come one way or another in this very good story.  

 

Val Lyon is an athlete so there is a sports angle to every story in some way. In “Home Wreckers” star Julie Storm is dead and Coach Sherri Costello, head coach of the Tropical Storm, wants her help.  The players of the women’s Professional Basketball League are not supposed to be dead. But, Julie Storm is very dead and the team, as well as Val Lyon, is in huge trouble.  

 

Next up is “Kill Leader” when Val Lyon has to protect Paula Evangelista from a killer. Paula is something else when she is playing beach volleyball and seemingly scoring at will. She scores off the beach too with a clothing line, a generous sponsor, and work as a model. For somebody, all that is too much and he or she wants her dead.  

 

Val Lyon is at Memorial Arena on the campus of U. C. Santa Christa and back on the court she once played far too many games to count in “The Big Dance With Death.”  Head coach of the female basketball team, Carol Onofrido, needs her help and Val is more than ready to help.  Even if it means the legendary Val Lyon has to go undercover as an assistant coach to stop what appears at first to be stalking while the team works to stay in the tournament.  

 

“Wahine O Ka Hoe” opens with a tragedy in the sea surrounding the island of Oahu. Something went wrong aboard the canoe and now fellow teammate Nani is dead. The medical examiner thinks it was an accident caused by a rogue wave.  Was it? Did someone take advantage of the chaos at sea to kill one of the “Women of The Paddle” or was it an accident?  

 

Readers go from the sea to the air in “Drop Dead Zone.” A constant need in Val Lyon’s life is her need for adrenaline. Because of that, she is onboard a Cessna airplane preparing to make a parachute jump as this story opens. All the hard work of learning how to skydive is about to pay off as she and three others leave the safety of the airplane and begin their fall to earth. Not everyone lands via parachute. Was it an accident or was it murder?  

 

Somebody is swiping the sperm from award winning bulls and owner Doyle Gillispie wants it stopped in “Horns.” He doesn’t know who is the stealing his championship bull sperm, but he knows it is happening and makes it very clear he wants Val Lyon to stop it. The last thing Val wants is this case or this client.  But, you do what you have to do when you need to make the car payment. The championship bulls Gillispie owns and his possible suspect will be at the upcoming rodeo in Maui. So too will be private investigator Val Lyon.  

 

The bites on the surf board Alana Nichols was using indicate a serious shark attack in “Ripper.” There is blood on the remnants of the surf board, most likely blood from Alana Nichols, but there is no body. Terry, Alana’s mother, is convinced she is alive and not a victim of a shark attack.  She has questions, such as what happened to Alana’s computer, and wants Val’s help in finding her daughter.  

 

After eight very good stories, the book closes with Chapter One of the novel Pilikia Is My Business. Pilikia means “trouble” in Hawaiian and public defender Brian Magruder has quite the job for her. I have reviewed the novel before and it is a good one without question.  

 

Val Lyon is an interesting character and one can see how she changes through the years in these previously published stories. Now available as a collection of the single short stories, GAME FACE, not only brings them together, it also includes the cover art work from each single. A nice touch that works well in the collection. Filled with plenty of action, interesting cases, and difficult situations this book is a solidly good read. The book also serves to what the reader appetite for the novel Pilikia Is My Business.

 

One hopes there will be many more Val Lyon stories as well as a novel or two in the future.

 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4tW7SUA

 

 

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012, 2017, 2022, 2026

Little Big Crimes: The Car Hank Died In, by Mark Troy

Little Big Crimes: The Car Hank Died In, by Mark Troy:   "The Car Hank Died In," by Mark Troy, in Tales of Music, Murder, and Mayhem: Bouchercon Anthology 2024, edited by Heather Graha...

Hawaiiain Noir: SPLINTERED LOYALTY FEATURED IN THE BIG THRILL

 Hawaiiain Noir: SPLINTERED LOYALTY FEATURED IN THE BIG THRILL

FFB Review: Pilikia Is My Business by Mark Troy

From the massive archive…

 

Written by 2002 Shamus Award Nominee Mark Troy, this fast paced and suspenseful novel revolves around Hawaii based private investigator Val Lyon. An ex cop, ex-con, and former pro basketball player, Val Lyon doesn’t tolerate idiots and has little patience for those who don’t do the right thing. Her latest case brings her to the office of Brian Magruder who used to work in the Honolulu Public Defender’s Office before going out on his own.

 

Part of the wealthy and politically connected Magruder family, Brian is a bit of a black sheep of the family as he has gone his own way. Among his many clients is Jean Pfeifer whose case has turned into a media firestorm. Jean claims that her ex-husband, Jason “Jock” Pfeifer abused their son, Nathan. Jean has stopped the visitations and has hidden their son in an effort to protect him from further abuse from his father. She faces contempt charges and jail time unless she brings Nathan back out of hiding and lets him see his dad. Something she isn’t going to do.

 

This strikes a chord with the media and the viewing public causing a media firestorm with Jean and her attorney at the center of things. Numerous groups get involved making Jean and by extension Nathan part of their agendas. That also ratchets up further the media scrutiny. Brian Magruder initially just wants Val to be part of the security team, and to protect Jean at a public rally the next day. With emotions running high on all sides, something is sure to go bade and it does. Soon, a simple body guard job morphs into a case involving death threat, blackmail, extortion and a missing child as well as the beginnings of a romance between Val and Brian Magruder.

 

While occasionally reminiscent of the Stephenie Plum type character because Val is also a woman with a sarcastic wit, Val is a much better character. Not only does she have a deeper and more complex background, she also learns from what happens and takes precautions as opposed to Stephanie who makes the same fundamental mistakes in book after book after book. Val is an evolving character over the course of the novel and one that builds quickly on experience.

 

That fact, coupled with a steady pace, plenty of twists and turns, and characters that come alive for the reader, it is no wonder this book was a Shamus Nominee. Simply put, Pilikia Is My Business is a very good one.

 

Material provided by the author in exchange for my objective review. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2009, 2013, 2022

Short Story Wednesday Review: Game Face by Mark Troy

From the massively magnificent archive… 

Texas author Mark Troy brings together in this collection titled GAME FACE eight short stories featuring his signature character Val Lyon. A tough talking wise cracking private investigator that brooks no interference when there is a case to be solved. This former military brat calls Hawaii home.  Along with plenty of the sights, sounds, and history of the islands, readers get strong well written stories featuring complex cases and the always present search for justice. 

After a forward that explains some of the history behind the character, the book opens with “Teed Off.” Glenn Floeck owns a line of golf shops under the name “Teed Off.” He plans to expand his company to the islands. That means he and his bodyguard, Frodo Baggins, need a car and a driver. Val Lyon can provide both along with plenty of attitude and investigative skills. By working undercover and getting close to him she can get the answers she needs. The answers will come one way or another in this very good story. 

 

Val Lyon is an athlete so there is a sports angle to every story in some way. In “Home Wreckers” star Julie Storm is dead and Coach Sherri Costello, head coach of the Tropical Storm, wants her help.  The players of the women’s Professional Basketball League are not supposed to be dead. But, Julie Storm is very dead and the team, as well as Val Lyon, is in huge trouble. 

 

Next up is “Kill Leader” when Val Lyon has to protect Paula Evangelista from a killer. Paula is something else when she is playing beach volleyball and seemingly scoring at will. She scores off the beach too with a clothing line, a generous sponsor, and work as a model. For somebody, all that is too much and he or she wants her dead. 

 

Val Lyon is at Memorial Arena on the campus of U. C. Santa Christa and back on the court she once played far too many games to count in “The Big Dance With Death.”  Head coach of the female basketball team, Carol Onofrido, needs her help and Val is more than ready to help.  Even if it means the legendary Val Lyon has to go undercover as an assistant coach to stop what appears at first to be stalking while the team works to stay in the tournament. 

 

“Wahine O Ka Hoe” opens with a tragedy in the sea surrounding the island of Oahu. Something went wrong aboard the canoe and now fellow teammate Nani is dead. The medical examiner thinks it was an accident caused by a rogue wave.  Was it? Did someone take advantage of the chaos at sea to kill one of the “Women of The Paddle” or was it an accident? 

 

Readers go from the sea to the air in “Drop Dead Zone.” A constant need in Val Lyon’s life is her need for adrenaline. Because of that, she is onboard a Cessna airplane preparing to make a parachute jump as this story opens. All the hard work of learning how to skydive is about to pay off as she and three others leave the safety of the airplane and begin their fall to earth. Not everyone lands via parachute. Was it an accident or was it murder? 

 

Somebody is swiping the sperm from award winning bulls and owner Doyle Gillispie wants it stopped in “Horns.” He doesn’t know who is the stealing his championship bull sperm, but he knows it is happening and makes it very clear he wants Val Lyon to stop it. The last thing Val wants is this case or this client.  But, you do what you have to do when you need to make the car payment. The championship bulls Gillispie owns and his possible suspect will be at the upcoming rodeo in Maui. So too will be private investigator Val Lyon. 

 

The bites on the surf board Alana Nichols was using indicate a serious shark attack in “Ripper.” There is blood on the remnants of the surf board, most likely blood from Alana Nichols, but there is no body. Terry, Alana’s mother, is convinced she is alive and not a victim of a shark attack.  She has questions, such as what happened to Alana’s computer, and wants Val’s help in finding her daughter. 

 

After eight very good stories, the book closes with Chapter One of the novel Pilikia Is My Business. Pilikia means “trouble” in Hawaiian and public defender Brian Magruder has quite the job for her. I have reviewed the novel before and it is a good one without question. 

 

Val Lyon is an interesting character and one can see how she changes through the years in these previously published stories. Now available as a collection of the single short stories, GAME FACE not only brings them together, it also includes the cover art work from each single. A nice touch that works well in the collection.  Filled with plenty of action, interesting cases, and difficult situations this book is a solidly good read. The book also serves to what the reader appetite for the novel Pilikia Is My Business. 

 

One hopes there will be many more Val Lyon stories as well as a novel or two in the future.

 

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012, 2017, 2022

HAWAIIAN NOIR: EXCITING NEWS

 HAWAIIAN NOIR: EXCITING NEWS 

Guest Post: Writing “Sundown Town” by Mark Troy

Please welcome author and my friend, Mark Troy, back to the blog today. Like Tom Milani and Steve Liskow who previously appeared here, Mark Troy also has a tale in the upcoming Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties anthology. Edited by Michael Bracken, the anthology is currently scheduled to come out in April 2022.  

 

When Michael Bracken put out his call for submissions to Groovy Gumshoes: Private Eyes in the Psychedelic Sixties, I had to jump on it. The sixties are my era. I entered high school in 1961 and graduated from college in 1969. The best music, the best literature, and the best cinema were produced in the sixties. As I look back, I think that the issue that defined the decade was segregation and the struggle for civil rights. For a time, the Vietnam war nearly overshadowed the civil rights cause, but eventually it became clear that the two issues were tightly bound up by racism. Our leaders were sending black men halfway around the world to kill brown men. Leaders who tried to prevent that were assassinated.

I was born near St. Louis, Missouri and that’s where I’d spent the sixties. I’d never written a story set in St. Louis, so this presented an opportunity. It also presented a challenge. Michael had suggested that the stories involve the events of the decade, not as background, but as an integral part of the story. However, the big headline events of that era, the ones that captured everyone’s attention and which determined the course of our lives for decades to come, all seemed to occur elsewhere. If I was going to write about St. Louis, I would have to dig deeper into its history. I hoped to find something that, while it might not have been a major event at the time, was nevertheless indicative of that era and became more important in the future.

In 1968, a black family sought to buy a home in Ferguson, Missouri. If successful, they would be the first.

Ferguson is a suburban St. Louis city which bordered my home town. Growing up, I knew nothing of Ferguson’s history. It was a pleasant community where Mom took us shopping for back-to-school clothes and where we went on Saturdays to see the movies. The fact that all of the residents were white did not register with me at the time. Even if it had, I would not have known that structural racism was the cause.

Ferguson was a sundown town. Non-whites who were found within the city limits after sundown were subject to harassment and arrest. At one time, the city might have posted signs saying that colored were not allowed there after sundown. By the time the sixties rolled around, such signs were no longer permissible, but the city remained a de facto sundown town. Redlining was the method of enforcement. Realtors would not show homes in redlined areas to non-whites. Banks would not lend to non-whites for homes in those areas. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 was designed to put an end to redlining. In reality, the act pushed it below the surface.

Had the Fair Housing Act done as intended, had it been enforced, the pioneer black family might have had an easier time purchasing their home in Ferguson. Despite the resistance of realtors who didn’t even return phone calls, they persisted with the help of a white clergyman. Threats and intimidation followed. Eventually they prevailed, but it would be forty years before the story of their struggle and eventual success was told. By that time, many more families of color had moved into Ferguson. The city, from the outside, seemed an example of what the Fair Housing Act was designed to accomplish. But the shadow of racism is long. Institutional racism didn’t go away; it just mutated into a more toxic form. And so, in the summer of 2014, Ferguson exploded.

In 1968, the nation was torn apart by the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. The fires were stoked by the rhetoric of George Wallace. Nevertheless we had made progress on civil rights and we repudiated George Wallace at the ballot box. Jim Crow appeared, if not dead, then soon to be. We dared to hope. It was the dawning of the age of aquarius. In hindsight, we were naive.

My take on the story of Ferguson is that we underestimated the staying power of the beast. The busting of redlining was a victory in the fight against racism, but then we let our guard down.

I began the story with a white private eye. He was something of a hippie, a member of the counter-culture, but I soon realized he wouldn’t do. His hope blinded him to the reality of what was happening. I needed someone who had faced the beast, who was more grounded in reality, whose hope was tempered with cynicism.

Meet Horatio Cutter, a black man recently returned from Vietnam. His weapon is a camera. He does freelance assignments for a white private eye firm. His ambition is to one day get his own PI license. Horatio has struggled for equality all his life, but it’s only when assigned to gather photographic evidence of the radical activities of a white clergyman that he confronts institutionalized racism head on. Though he enjoys a small measure of victory over the beast, the victory, as we all know, wasn’t final.

I’m honored and proud that “Sundown Town” will appear in Groovy Gumshoes with fourteen other far out stories by great writers. Look for it in April from Down & Out Books.

 

Mark Troy © 2022

Mark Troy is the author of Pilikia Is My Business, a private eye novel published in 2001 and republished in 2010. Pilikia was nominated for a Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America for Best 1st P.I. Novel. Game Face, a collection of short stories featuring P.I. Val Lyon, was published in 2011. The Rules, the first story in the Ava Rome series, was published as an ebook and audiobook in 2013 followed by The Splintered Paddle, a novel in 2014. You can learn more about me and my books at my website: https://marktroyauthor.com/

Mark Troy Reviews: Five Decembers by James Kestrel

It has been a very long time, but, please welcome author Mark Troy back to the blog with his latest review.

 

Five Decembers

James Kestrel

Hard Case Crime

October, 2021

 

The location is Honolulu, Hawai’i, the date, a few days before Thanksgiving, 1941. The discovery of the bodies of two young people, one, the nephew of the top admiral in Hawai’i, the other, an unidentified young woman gives Honolulu Police Detective Joe McGrady his most challenging case. The story is set against the lead-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. The whole country knows war is imminent. What McGrady doesn’t know is how the deaths of these two people affected the cataclysm that follows.

 

McGrady gets a lead on the killer, but is unable to learn the identity of the young woman. He tracks the killer through the Pacific to Hong Kong where he arrives the day before the Japanese invade and conquer the territory. McGrady is taken prisoner, but is befriended by a Japanese official who helps him identify the young woman and the reason for her death.

 

McGrady rides out the war in Tokyo where he witnesses the carnage that US air raids inflict on the populace. He also meets a beautiful woman who changes his life. Returning to Honolulu after the war, he is able to get his old job back, but learns that the case that sent him to the Pacific, has been closed. McGrady, however, believes the killer is still at large and continues to work the case on his own, sparking the ire of his superior.

 

Once again McGrady returns to Hong Kong to confront the killer and obtain justice for the two young people. He finally completes his mission in the dead of winter, five Decembers after taking on the case.

 

Five Decembers is a gripping story of heart-rending love and devotion in a time of inhumanity and destruction. It is wrapped around a skillfully written tale of murder and espionage. Kestrel masterfully recreates the setting and atmosphere of pre-war Honolulu and the Pacific. This is an absorbing novel that you will not want to put down and you will want to revisit again and again. It will be released in October by Hard Case Crime http://www.hardcasecrime.com/index.shtml. It is available for pre-order now on Amazon. A reminder that this year marks the eightieth anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. This book makes a valuable contribution to the literature of that era.

 

Mark Troy ©2021 

You can learn more about Mark and his books at his Hawaiian Noir blog.

Guest Post: Chicago’s Best Kept Food Secret by Chicago Foodie

Contributed by friend and Texas author, Mark Troy, who has a number of books for you to read.

 

Chicago’s Best Kept Food Secret

by

Chicago Foodie 

A little-known taco truck is rapidly gaining in popularity with late-night residents of Chicago who seek it out for the “specials” they can find nowhere else. From July through December Jesse’s Tacos serves up eclectic dishes and something extra for desperate people with a need to make a score, to even a score, or to survive. You won’t find Jesse’s Tacos advertised on television or listed in city guides. They are strictly word-of-mouth. A friend tells a friend. So where is this truck located, you ask? All over Chicagoland. There is no one location. Jesse’s moves frequently. Hey, they’re a truck. It’s what trucks do. Jesse’s has an ever-expanding customer base to keep up with, and law enforcement to keep ahead of. But if you’re jonesing for something different and spicy, for some extras you can’t find anywhere else, here is your underground guide to Jesse’s locations. Just don’t say I sent ya.

 

Guns + Tacos

 

Chicago Loop near Millenium Park. The daily special: Tacos de Cazuela. 

* A dark South Side Street (South Siders know the spot.). The daily special: Three Brisket Tacos. 

* Near Alvarado Street. The special: A Gyro. 

* Halstead Street on the South Side. The daily special: Three Chalupas, Rice, Soda. 

* Fuller Park behind a junkyard full of old cop cars. The daily special: Churros. 

* Wicker Park. The special: Burritos.

 

* South Clark, a few blocks from the El. Burritos again. 

* No location given. Jesse’s is lying low. The special: Jalapeño Poppers. 

* Near Princeton Avenue, just over the border from Gary, IN. The special: Four Shrimp Tacos. 

* A strip mall off South Racine near the river. Tacos are featured. 

* The Grand Crossing Neighborhood near the old Blockbuster. The special: Sopa. 

* La Villita Park. The special: Two Guatemalan Tacos.

The “Extras” 

At Jesse’s, its not the daily specials that make customers’ mouths water. It’s the “extras” that bring in the traffic. Check out the “extra” menu and see if you don’t agree:

A Smith and Wesson

A Sig Sauer

A Glock

A Kimber .45

El Burro

A Beretta (offered twice)

A Flare Gun

A Walther P.38

A Street sweeper

A Homemade Pistol

Bullets and a revolver.

 

Here’s what Jesse’s loyal customers are saying: 

“Left the bag . . . next to a homeless individual.” Augustina Blanchard, M.D.

“Threw the churros, which smelled like burnt hair, into the trash can.” Tucker Mitchell.

“A complex interplay of spices, dancing on the palate,” Brian Piccolo.

“Jesse wants to go straight and open a restaurant.” Tommy.

“I’d’a preferred some smack.” Homeless on Halstead.

“As much as I hated to admit it, the damn thing was tasty as hell.” Tim.

“Even prison food is better than this.” Joey.

“The capsaicin made [my] mouth burn and [my] eyes water.” Carl Ember.

“The cute Chinese cook . . . gives me a nod with barely a hint of a smile, an adorable, deadly smile.” Maureen Eckles.

“I toss the taco to a mangy dog loitering in the vacant lot.” Maureen Eckles.

“After one bite that wouldn’t go down . . . I tossed the rest of the burrito into the gutter.” Anonymous.

“The shrimp taco tasted like something [I’d] expect a pelican to throw up on the sidewalk.” Sal “Bible Boy” Anthony.

“Garlicy. A spritz of lime in the soup brought all the flavors together.” Beau.

“That bastard knows I can’t eat fried food. I think he wants to kill me.” Arturo Carrasco

“Jesse’s food makes dog shit taste good.” Tomas.

“I wouldn’t give this to un policía.” Diego.

“Not even to ICE.” Tomas.

 

Jesse doesn’t do mailing lists and they don’t have a newsletter, but if you’re wanting more information, start here:

 

https://downandoutbooks.com/bookstore/guns-tacos-s1-subscription/

https://downandoutbooks.com/bookstore/guns-tacos-s2-subscription/

Hawaiian Noir: MYSTERY MONDAY: GUNS +TACOS

Hawaiian Noir: MYSTERY MONDAY: GUNS +TACOS

FFB Review: Game Face by Mark Troy

Last week for FFB, I reminded you of Mark Troy’s The Splintered Paddle. Today I remind you of Game Face which is another very good book. For the full list of reading suggestions, make sure you head over to Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog.

Texas author Mark Troy brings together in this collection titled GAME FACE eight short stories featuring his signature character Val Lyon. A tough talking wise cracking private investigator that brooks no interference when there is a case to be solved. This former military brat calls Hawaii home.  Along with plenty of the sights, sounds, and history of the islands, readers get strong well written stories featuring complex cases and the always present search for justice.

After a forward that explains some of the history behind the character, the book opens with “Teed Off.”  Glenn Floeck owns a line of golf shops under the name “Teed Off.”  He plans to expand his company to the islands. That means he and his bodyguard, Frodo Baggins, need a car and a driver. Val Lyon can provide both along with plenty of attitude and investigative skills. By working undercover and getting close to him she can get the answers she needs. The answers will come one way or another in this very good story.

Val Lyon is an athlete so there is a sports angle to every story in some way.  In “Home Wreckers” star Julie Storm is dead and Coach Sherri Costello, head coach of the Tropical Storm, wants her help.  The players of the women’s Professional Basketball League are not supposed to be dead. But, Julie Storm is very dead and the team, as well as Val Lyon, is in huge trouble.

Next up is “Kill Leader” when Val Lyon has to protect Paula Evangelista from a killer. Paula is something else when she is playing beach volleyball and seemingly scoring at will. She scores off the beach too with a clothing line, a generous sponsor, and work as a model. For somebody, all that is too much and he or she wants her dead.

Val Lyon is at Memorial Arena on the campus of U. C. Santa Christa and back on the court she once played far too many games to count in “The Big Dance With Death.”  Head coach of the female basketball team, Carol Onofrido, needs her help and Val is more than ready to help.  Even if it means the legendary Val Lyon has to go undercover as an assistant coach to stop what appears at first to be stalking while the team works to stay in the tournament.

“Wahine O Ka Hoe” opens with a tragedy in the sea surrounding the island of Oahu. Something went wrong aboard the canoe and now fellow teammate Nani is dead. The medical examiner thinks it was an accident caused by a rogue wave.  Was it?  Did someone take advantage of the chaos at sea to kill one of the “Women of The Paddle” or was it an accident?

Readers go from the sea to the air in “Drop Dead Zone.”  A constant need in Val Lyon’s life is her need for adrenaline. Because of that, she is onboard a Cessna airplane preparing to make a parachute jump as this story opens. All the hard work of learning how to skydive is about to pay off as she and three others leave the safety of the airplane and begin their fall to earth. Not everyone lands via parachute. Was it an accident or was it murder? 

Somebody is swiping the sperm from award winning bulls and owner Doyle Gillispie wants it stopped in “Horns.”  He doesn’t know who is the stealing his championship bull sperm, but he knows it is happening and makes it very clear he wants Val Lyon to stop it. The last thing Val wants is this case or this client.  But, you do what you have to do when you need to make the car payment.  The championship bulls Gillispie owns and his possible suspect will be at the upcoming rodeo in Maui and so too will be private investigator Val Lyon.

The bites on the surf board Alana Nichols was using indicate a serious shark attack in “Ripper.”  There is blood on the remnants of the surf board, most likely blood from Alana Nichols, but there is no body. Terry, Alana’s mother, is convinced she is alive and not a victim of a shark attack.  She has questions, such as what happened to Alana’s computer, and wants Val’s help in finding her daughter.

After eight very good stories, the book closes with Chapter One of the novel Pilikia Is My Business.  Pilikia means “trouble” in Hawaiian and public defender Brian Magruder has quite the job for her.  I have reviewed the novel before and it is a good one without question.

Val Lyon is an interesting character and one can see how she changes through the years in these previously published stories. Now available as single short stories, GAME FACE not only brings them together it also includes the cover art work from each single. A nice touch that works well in the collection.  Filled with plenty of action, interesting cases, and difficult situations this book is a solidly good read. The book also serves to what the reader appetite for the novel Pilikia Is My Business.

One hopes there will be many more Val Lyon stories as well as a novel or two in the future.

Game Face

Mark Troy

http://www.marktroy.net

Ilium Books

2011

ISBN 978-0-9848081-1-3

eBook (Paperback format also available)

190 Pages

$2.99

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012, 2019

FFB Review: The Splintered Paddle by Mark Troy

For this really and absolute final Friday in May 2019, I remind you of The Splintered Paddle by Mark Troy. I first told you about this one five years ago in the review below. I remind you of this excellent book today. I also suggest you check out the full list of reading suggestions over at Todd Mason’s blog.

Private Investigator Ava Rome has no idea in the beginning that she is being hunted. She has no idea at all a man from her distant past is in the islands watching her every move. Fantasizing over and over again what he is going to do to her once he finally gets her alone. His name is Norman Traxler and he is coming for her--- after he eliminates whatever she cares about a chess piece at a time.

Ava's latest client, sent by Moon Ito, is a young woman named Jenny Mordan. Battered an assaulted by a corrupt cop named Ron Nevez she wants and needs Ava's help. The fact that Jenny is a freelancer in the world's oldest profession is not a factor for Ava Rome. Jenny is defenseless and Ava's business is to protect the defenseless as it was under Kamehameha the Great before the annexation of the islands by the United States in 1898.  That first law of King Kamehameha, the law of the splintered paddle, is still ingrained in the islands and its people and serves as the very personal mandate of what Ava Rome does each and every day. The defenseless will be guaranteed from harm--period.  Using your badge as a weapon is considered official suppression and Ava's isn't about to put up with that.

That issue isn't the only thing she isn't about to put up with in this complicated mystery featuring multiple story lines. Written by Texas author Mark Troy who spent a number of years in Hawaii before moving to Texas, this new series features an intense take no prisoners heroine committed to solving mysteries from the past and present despite the many complications involved with both. Ethical and principled, willing to go it alone if and when she has to, Ava Rome always advances and never retreats. That might be something that comes from her family and the way she was raised.

Featuring a strong and interesting cast of supporting characters, this complex read features four separate and distinct story lines that gradually interweave as readers are slowly filled in on Ava's often difficult past. A past that has driven many of her choices through her life. Choices that have created at least some of the increasingly dangerous situations she now finds herself in today.

Second place finisher at the 2012 Claymore Awards at Killer Nashville, The Splintered Paddle: An Ava Rome Mystery is one of those rare books that pulls you deep inside a world far from home right from the beginning. It isn't all sundrenched beaches, cool waters, and happy days in paradise. Ava, also seen in the very good novella The Rules, knows something about the dark undercurrents at work in the 50^th state in the union and is more than ready to protect the defenseless.

The Splintered Paddle

Mark Troy

http://marktroymysterywriter.com/

Five Star Publishing (division of Cengage)

http://www.cengage.com

June 18, 2014

ISBN# 978-1-4328-2859-2

Hardback

304 Pages

$25.95

ARC supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2019

FFB Review: Game Face by Mark Troy

I first told you about this book back in January 2012 here on the blog. More than five years later, it seemed fitting to mention this one again. So, I blew the dust off my review of GAME FACE by Mark Troy today and ran the review again. For more reading suggestions today, make sure to head over to Patti Abbott’s blog. You ought to read her books too.

Texas author Mark Troy brings together in this collection titled GAME FACE eight short stories featuring his signature character Val Lyon. A tough talking wise cracking private investigator that brooks no interference when there is a case to be solved. This former military brat calls Hawaii home.  Along with plenty of the sights, sounds, and history of the islands, readers get strong well written stories featuring complex cases and the always present search for justice.

After a forward that explains some of the history behind the character, the book opens with “Teed Off.” Glenn Floeck owns a line of golf shops under the name “Teed Off.” He plans to expand his company to the islands. That means he and his bodyguard, Frodo Baggins, need a car and a driver. Val Lyon can provide both along with plenty of attitude and investigative skills. By working undercover and getting close to him she can get the answers she needs. The answers will come one way or another in this very good story.

Val Lyon is an athlete so there is a sports angle to every story in some way. In “Home Wreckers” star Julie Storm is dead and Coach Sherri Costello, head coach of the Tropical Storm, wants her help.  The players of the women’s Professional Basketball League are not supposed to be dead. But, Julie Storm is very dead and the team, as well as Val Lyon, is in huge trouble.

Next up is “Kill Leader” when Val Lyon has to protect Paula Evangelista from a killer. Paula is something else when she is playing beach volleyball and seemingly scoring at will. She scores off the beach too with a clothing line, a generous sponsor, and work as a model. For somebody, all that is too much and he or she wants her dead.

Val Lyon is at Memorial Arena on the campus of U. C. Santa Christa and back on the court she once played far too many games to count in “The Big Dance With Death.”  Head coach of the female basketball team, Carol Onofrido, needs her help and Val is more than ready to help.  Even if it means the legendary Val Lyon has to go undercover as an assistant coach to stop what appears at first to be stalking while the team works to stay in the tournament.

“Wahine O Ka Hoe” opens with a tragedy in the sea surrounding the island of Oahu. Something went wrong aboard the canoe and now fellow teammate Nani is dead. The medical examiner thinks it was an accident caused by a rogue wave.  Was it? Did someone take advantage of the chaos at sea to kill one of the “Women of The Paddle” or was it an accident?

Readers go from the sea to the air in “Drop Dead Zone.” A constant need in Val Lyon’s life is her need for adrenaline. Because of that, she is onboard a Cessna airplane preparing to make a parachute jump as this story opens. All the hard work of learning how to skydive is about to pay off as she and three others leave the safety of the airplane and begin their fall to earth. Not everyone lands via parachute. Was it an accident or was it murder? 

Somebody is swiping the sperm from award winning bulls and owner Doyle Gillispie wants it stopped in “Horns.” He doesn’t know who is the stealing his championship bull sperm, but he knows it is happening and makes it very clear he wants Val Lyon to stop it. The last thing Val wants is this case or this client.  But, you do what you have to do when you need to make the car payment. The championship bulls Gillispie owns and his possible suspect will be at the upcoming rodeo in Maui. So too will be private investigator Val Lyon.

The bites on the surf board Alana Nichols was using indicate a serious shark attack in “Ripper.” There is blood on the remnants of the surf board, most likely blood from Alana Nichols, but there is no body. Terry, Alana’s mother, is convinced she is alive and not a victim of a shark attack.  She has questions, such as what happened to Alana’s computer, and wants Val’s help in finding her daughter.

After eight very good stories, the book closes with Chapter One of the novel Pilikia Is My Business. Pilikia means “trouble” in Hawaiian and public defender Brian Magruder has quite the job for her. I have reviewed the novel before and it is a good one without question.

Val Lyon is an interesting character and one can see how she changes through the years in these previously published stories. Now available as a collection of the single short stories, GAME FACE not only brings them together, it also includes the cover art work from each single. A nice touch that works well in the collection.  Filled with plenty of action, interesting cases, and difficult situations this book is a solidly good read. The book also serves to what the reader appetite for the novel Pilikia Is My Business.


One hopes there will be many more Val Lyon stories as well as a novel or two in the future.

GAME FACE

Mark Troy

https://marktroyauthor.com/

Ilium Books

2011

ISBN 978-0-9848081-1-3

eBook (Print also available)
190 Pages
$2.99

Material supplied by the author in exchange for my objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple © 2012, 2017