Review: Powers of Arrest: A Cincinnati Casebook by Jon Talton

• Paperback: 250 pages
• Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590585569
• ISBN-13: 978-1590585566

Book Description

Cincinnati homicide Detective Will Borders now walks with a cane and lives alone with constant discomfort. He’s lucky to be alive. He’s lucky to have a job, as public information officer for the department. But when a star cop is brutally murdered, he’s assigned to find her killer. The crime bears a chilling similarity to killings on the peaceful college campus nearby, where his friend Cheryl Beth Wilson is teaching nursing. The two young victims were her students. Most homicides are routine, the suspects readily apparent. These are definitely not. Once again, this unlikely pair teams up to pursue a sadistic predator before he kills again. But finding him will mean uncovering some of the darkest secrets in a Midwestern metropolis where change is slow, tradition and history lay as thick as the summer humidity, and lethal danger can hide in the most respected places.


About the Author

 Jon Talton is the author of the David Mapstone novels, which follow the adventures of a historian-turned-deputy, working the mean streets of the urban West.

Jon's first novel, "Concrete Desert," was hailed by Kirkus as "an impressive debut." The Washington Post said it "is more intelligent and rewarding than most contemporary mysteries." The series has continued with "Camelback Falls," "Dry Heat," "Arizona Dreams" and "Cactus Heart." "Dry Heat" received Arizona Highways magazine's best fiction award in 2005.


My Review

I have previously read one of Jon Talton's works, South Phoenix Blues, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Powers of Arrest is a different series set in Cincinnati not Phoenix. I never really thought of Cincinnati is an interesting place before this novel.  Now I feel like it definitely deserves a visit!


I really enjoyed this mystery thriller.  It grabbed my attention right from the start.  Great characters, interesting relationships, plenty of action and a setting that was new to me.  I was really cheering for Will Borders to solve the crime and to get the girl.


Powers of Arrest is a great read.  It publishes May 1st.  Pre-order a copy today.