Detective Richard Jax was never good at history—but, after years as a cop, he is about to get the lesson of his life. Ambushed and dying on a stakeout, he’s saved by Captain Patrick “Trick” McCall—the ghost of a World War II OSS agent. Trick has been waiting since 1944 for a chance to solve his own murder. Soon Jax is a suspect in a string of murders—murders linked to smuggling refugees out of the Middle East—a plot similar to the World War II OSS operation that brought scientists out of war-torn Europe. With the aid of a beautiful and intelligent historian, Dr. Alex Vouros, Jax and Trick unravel a seventy-year-old plot that began with Trick’s murder in 1944. Could the World War II mastermind, code named Harriet, be alive and up to old games? Is history repeating itself?
Together, Jax and Trick hunt for the link between their pasts—confronted by some of Washington’s elite and one provocative, alluring French Underground agent, Abrielle Chanoux. Somewhere in Trick’s memories is a traitor. That traitor killed him. That traitor is killing again. Who framed Jax and who wants Trick’s secret to remain secret? The answer may be, who doesn’t?
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MY REVIEW
A little over a year ago, I had the fortune to read Tj O'Connor's Dying for the Past, part of the "Gumshoe Ghost Mysteries". His new book, New Sins for Old Scores, has multiple points in common: both stories have ghosts as prominent characters, both books have at least part of the action set back in the 30's and 40's, and there's more than a little espionage going on.
I really felt (feel?) for Jax. Not only is he very nearly killed, but his partner is killed and some nasty piece of work sets Jax up to be blamed for it. Unfortunately, they did their job very well, because in the beginning, about the only one who believes Jax is a ghost from the 1940's. The day Jax was shot was the anniversary to the day of the day Trick (the ghost) was killed back in his day, at nearly the same spot. A little too similar to be coincidence, yes?
The intrigues of each era are well presented, and bringing them together in a myriad of overlapping layers is genius! And it was quite clear as to which time you were reading about - rather than becoming muddled and confusing as it sometimes does.
From the get-go, I was securely on Team Jax. How awful to be accused of killing your partner and best friend ... even though he and your fiancee were playing footsie behind your back. Way to kick a man when he's down.
Trick and Jax make a good team. To paraphrase Trick, "I know things you don't and you can do things I can't". I really do hope they work together again, maybe forming that PI agency Trick suggested (once he catches up on how the slang of the 40's might have different meanings in this day and age). With them on the case, bad guys (and gals) with or without mortal coil, are in for tough times.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Tj O’CONNOR IS THE GOLD MEDAL WINNER OF THE 2015 INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS BOOK AWARDS (IPPY) FOR MYSTERIES. He is the author of New Sins for Old Scores
, from Black Opal Books, and Dying to Know
, Dying for the Past
, and Dying to Tell
. His new thriller, The Consultant, will be out in May 2018 from Oceanview Publishing. Tj is an international security consultant specializing in anti-terrorism, investigations, and threat analysis—life experiences that drive his novels. With his former life as a government agent and years as a consultant, he has lived and worked around the world in places like Greece, Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, and throughout the Americas—among others. He was raised in New York's Hudson Valley and lives with his wife and Lab companions in Virginia where they raised five children. Dying to Know is also the 2015 Bronze Medal winner of the Reader’s Favorite Book Review Awards, a finalist for the Silver Falchion Best Books of 2014, and a finalist for the Foreword Review’s 2014 INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award.
Learn about Tj’s world at:
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GIVEAWAY!!!
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(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers, via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)
Many thanks for this great review! I'm glad you enjoyed the novel and hope you'll catch up on my others! Looking forward to hearing from some of your readers, too! Tj
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed the description of the book. Sounds like an interesting read.
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