Cornered
Alan Brenham
Black Opal Books, July 2014
ISBN 978-1-626941-38-0
Trade Paperback
From the publisher—
He’s haunted by the memory of a kidnapping case gone wrong…
Not wanting history to repeat itself, Detective Matt Brady struggles to solve the disappearances of seven young women, but he quickly finds himself pitted against a criminal organization that knows as much about police procedure as he does-an organization that will do whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of him. His troubles are compounded when a young veterinarian injects herself into the investigation and is targeted to become victim number eight. When he tries to protect her, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a professional cop killer. Can Brady solve the case in time to save his new love, or will this investigation be the death of both of them?
Kidnappings are often difficult to solve but when there is one after another with no real apparent connection other than the physical type of women involved, investigative leads are few and far between. Such is the case Brady finds himself up against and he has no idea going in of the damage that will be done or the manipulative brilliance he’ll have to somehow overcome.
Betrayal is at the core of Cornered, the kind of betrayal that evil-minded, greedy people are more than willing to carry out against others. Another kind of betrayal hits Brady close to home and could lead to the end of his career. Which betrayal is worse? Certainly, these young women suffer the most but the second type is more personal and can also have longlasting effects. Brady needs to be strong enough to not let his circumstances get in the way of bringing these horrific crimes to an end but he also has to acknowledge the part he has played in all this. An uncomfortable position to be in, indeed.
A few things pulled me out of the story temporarily. For one thing, there really isn’t a whole lot of money being made by these criminals, nowhere near as much as I would expect considering what they’re doing. Also, a conversation between Brady and Detective Ruiz regarding Brady’s personal life didn’t ring true, mainly because her comments are ill-considered and unnecessarily mean with no provocation. Still, I enjoyed Cornered on the whole and will be interested in trying more of Mr. Blenham’s work starting with his first book, Price of Justice. (Note: these two books are both standalones at the present time but I understand Price of Justice is the first of a series and, in my opinion, Cornered has left Brady in position to return in future volumes.)
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2014.
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“Alan Brenham’s Cornered is a taunt thriller filled with murderous twists
and turns that will satisfy readers who love good crime fiction. As a cop
and a lawyer, Brenham has been there and done that and in this, his second
outing, the authenticity of his storytelling ability continues to shine through.”
– Michael McGarrity, New York Times Bestselling Author of Hard Country & Backlands
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About the Author
Alan Behr served as a law enforcement officer and criminal investigator for seventeen years before earning a law degree from Baylor University. After obtaining his law license, he worked as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney for twenty-two years. His personal and official travels took him to several European and Middle Eastern countries, Alaska and almost every island in the Caribbean. He has lived in Berlin, Germany while working with US military forces. After retiring from government service, he has authored two crime novels – Price of Justice and Cornered – under the pen name of Alan Brenham. He is presently working on two more novels. Alan and his wife, Lillian, currently live in the Austin, Texas area.
    
    
  
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