Murder On The San Gabriel (A Fen Maguire Mystery Book 5) By Bruce Hammack
But this author s descriptive abilities and the wonderful Texas landscapes he describes and has his characters paint make wonderful reading The investigation in this case was interesting I didn t see where it was going until the end when Fen and the local Sheriff stage an Agatha Christie style revelation English This is another of a series which I like to call Murder at the River It maintains the great writing that Hammack has proved in this and his other series The characters are all true to the prior books in the series only we learn Fen has now had his knee operation which removes that as a discussion point. The plot was well developed and when Fen asked to Sheriff to arrange a gathering.
Drawing from his extensive background in criminal justice Bruce Hammack writes contemporary clean read detective and crime mysteries. Having lived in eighteen cities around the world he now lives in the Texas hill country with his wife of thirty plus years He is the author of the Star of Justice series the Smiley and McBlythe Mysteries and the Fen Maguire Mysteries You can find out about his latest release at site_link Follow him on social media at site_link site_link Drawing from his extensive background in criminal justice Bruce Hammack writes contemporary clean read detective and crime mysteries. Having lived in eighteen cities around the world he now lives in the Texas hill country with his wife of thirty plus years He is the author of the Star of Justice series the Smiley and McBlythe Mysteries and the Fen Maguire Mysteries You can find out about his latest release at site_link Follow him on social media at site_link site_link site_link Murder on the Sab Gabriel is A Fen Maguire Mystery book 5 by Bruce Hammack Greed is a terrible thing especially when family is involved A rancher is found dead in his home from a fire murder or accident This begins an exciting mystery set in Texas I thought the characters were excellent and this author knows how to write gripping murder mysteries I found family greed and deception and a wonderful way to put on my sleuthing hat and see if I can solve the murder before Fen I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily English An outstanding take well told If you are familiar with Central Texas the geographical details and the familiarity with the city of Georgetown was a real plus for this story. In that regard I only had one issue I didn t understand Not having read any of the previous books I was a bit confused as to where Fen McGuire lives He seems to be from Southeast Texas although at the beginning of the book he is at one point twenty miles west of Taylor but later he is north of Taylor He wasn t coming from the right direction to do that Story was good although the ending seemed a tad rushed and not allowed to unfold like a Poirot tale. Still very nice storytelling and highly recommended English Although this the fifth book in the series you can read it as a standalone because the author gives a brief background on each of the main characters I enjoy how the characters interact with each other and grow in each book This book begins with a twist since Fen is called upon to determine if a murder was committed six months after the death occurred This is a clean cozy mystery that is very easy reading Once you get hooked on the main characters you can t wait to see where they go next I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily English 1 am an ARC reader and this is my honest opinion This is the third in the Fen Maguire mysteries I ve read I missed 2 and 3 since I am not in a position to buy books that are not on ku and I have enjoyed them all Fen Maguire is a retired sheriff of 20 years and a medically retired Highway Patrol officer before that He is now a private detective and an artist of some renown He and his proteg an art student and reporter friend Lou are sent to investigate the death in a house fire of a rich Texas rancher in his 90s Before long an attempt is made on the life of his eldest son who is in his 70s and also a rich rancher The cast of characters is interesting and it didn t take long to get to know them Usually if too much time is spent on describing the scenery I get impatient I knew it was early to have an answer and Fen agreed he knew who the killer was but was still unsure of the attempted murder I had guessed the two main suspects but had not figured they worked together although looking back there were two hints earlier. I received this book s an ARC with the promise of an unbiased reviews English 
A fortune in Texas land and a ruthless killer who wants it A wealthy rancher s death in a house fire is ruled accidental but his suspicious son doesn t believe it After PI Fen Maguire is called in to investigate he s on the verge of agreeing with the official ruling until the rancher s body is discovered in a shallow grave along the San Gabriel River With a prime inheritance at stake any member of this fractured family could have motives to hurry the patriarch s demise Fen zeroes in on the rancher s son and primary heir as the most likely suspect until the son narrowly survives a bullet meant to kill him Now Fen must peel back the layers of jealousy greed and bad blood to expose who stood to gain from eliminating both father and son With time running out the wily PI must rely on his final meticulously crafted plan to unravel this tangle of deception and stop the killer before he strikes again In the fifth book of the series Fen Maguire seeks justice along the San Gabriel River in this page turning mystery delivered with no graphic violence foul language or sex scenes Murder On The San Gabriel A Fen Maguire Mystery Book 5 Review This is not a mystery where you can sink your teeth into the whodunnit side Early on it is easy to determine prior events based on scant evidence This novel has an allure based on well built characters and landscape descriptions A comfortable read. What sucks is the constant coffee referents that older writers tend to focus on as a smug expose of their own proclivities Constant food references center around the characters as well and adds nothing for the story line. 5 5 English Another riveting Fen Maguire mystery Bruce Hammack has created an appealing mix of characters in this clean mystery series and I enjoy the snappy interplay especially between Fen and his temperamental housekeeper Thelma Each character adds something unique whether it s helping Fen unravel clues to the crime keeping him on his toes or providing a bit of comic relief. Hammack s sleuth is unique in his own right a former sheriff who s developed a name for himself as an esteemed artist One by one he s painting Texas rivers and each setting plays nicely into the mystery Fen uses his art in imaginative ways to get his suspects talking and ferret out clues In the meantime he s building his collecting of paintings for the next art show and sale Just an enjoyable series all around I wonder which river Fen will be painting next English I recommend the book Murder on the San Gabriel because it is an excellent murder mystery The book is a contemporary fictional account of happenings near the San Gabriel River in Texas The story is intriguing and interesting enough to hold the readers interest The writing is straightforward and easy to read There are surprising and unexpected developments that keep moving the story forward The characters are unique and authentic with personalities that include both good and bad The author has a talent for moving the story along with dialogue the use of unique analogies and regional colloquialisms Unlike many mysteries that have amateur detectives Fen Maguire the main character in this book is a retired sheriff who has a talent for solving crimes Fen works within the law and cooperates with local law enforcement to assist in finding the persons involved in the murder This can be read as a stand alone book because it is a complete story with a concluding ending If you do start the series by reading this book you will be properly introduced to all the characters and will probably enjoy the book enough to want to read the previous mysteries. Locations Settings Texas Williamson County Georgetown Highway 29 Interstate 35 farmland east of Taylor Monument Caf on Austin Ave in Georgetown Chisholm Trail 600 Degrees Pizzeria in Georgetown Just Love Coffee Caf in Georgetown Galaxy Bakery and CoffeeHouse in Georgetown Blackland Prairie side of Georgetown Lake Georgetown Blue Hole Park Georgetown San Gabriel Park Georgetown Fen s Ranch near the Brazos River in Newman County a fictional county Mentions Austin Waco Dallas Southwestern University Methodist Wichita Falls Schlitterbahn Water Park in New Braunfels Dog breeds mentioned Australian Shepherd Bichon Frise Blue Heeler Australian Cattle Dog I read an advanced reader copy ARC of the book I have written an honest review and am submitting the review voluntarily English Bruce Hammack s latest book in his series about retired Texas sheriff Fen Maguire is a fun and easy read Normally I would ve refused to take on the fifth without having read the previous four but I volunteered to review it in exchange for a free advance copy Happily this book stands very well on its own and I will definitely be going back to enjoy the story arc from the very beginning. Although at first I was shocked by the similarities between this protagonist and the main character in the Terry Shames series about Samuel Craddock there is enough difference in their personalities and the authors writing styles to keep them distinct If you love Craddock as much as I do you ll definitely enjoy Maguire As a Texan I found the setting to be authentic and well presented even if it reminded me a little of JR Ewing and his family in the primetime show Dallas While I have known people like these characters including the Austin musician the toughminded reporter the animal rights enthusiast the over bubbly property manager and the obnoxious deputy sheriff not all of us have oil wells or cattle on acres and acres of riverside ranchland unfortunately Fen Maguire is the star of the ensemble cast and his quiet wisdom artist s perspective and careful dissection of the murder investigation will keep you entertained even if you re a tad bit annoyed by the stereotypically rich and rowdy landowners His patience in catching the culprit will keep you turning pages and you ll find yourself smiling as he finesses his way to an arrest or two English Current Day Williamson County TexasMain characters Fen Maguire Former sheriff now cattle rancher and artistBailey Madison Fen s artist protegeLou Cooper Reporter friend of Fen sThelma Blackwood Fen s protective housekeeper and cook going through menopause Actually funny Gil Duvant Requesting an investigation into his father s deathRen Duvant Mural artist Gil s granddaughterChance Les and Robert Gil s sons Stony Rhoads Williamson County Sheriff Sunny Day Runs a property management companyPrissy Duvant Supposedly Gil s ex wifeChuck and Candy Forsythe Fen s lawyer and wife Cory Blane Sheriff s deputy interested in BaileyI ve said this before I don t know how Bruce Hammack came on my radar but I m glad he did His books are unique and his writing is remarkable. I ve enjoyed this series tremendously This one is about Fen Maguire former state trooper turned county sheriff until he stopped the bullet with his knee Retired now and one of the best known most successful artists in the state of Texas he accepts homicide investigating jobs to keep a promise to his late wife not to become a recluse. In this book he s investigating the murder of a 94 year old cattle rancher Fen is a gifted investigator as well as humble He loves to give others the credit while he s working a case He gets out of people when feathers aren t ruffled And I love how Fen does his best thinking and solving when he s deep into his art project in this case a San Gabriel River painting. In Mr Hammack s mysteries nearly everyone is a suspect until the main character whittles the list down through bits of what he picks up that most of us would miss Often the ending is a surprising reveal and always spectacular. Throughout fiction books an author might throw in something about a bird tweeting or the sound of airplanes flying over But Mr Hammack always has a unique way of adding content like that. Such as instead of saying he passed through a dead garden Mr Hammack would put it A derelict garden plot occupied much of the backyard Fen wondered how many volunteer plants might spring up in the coming months The remnants of a fence wouldn t keep out any of the animals that would appreciate an unexpected snack of squash or tomatoes I could just see this as I have volunteer veggies pop up every year. He has a housekeeper that just cracks me up Once they realized Thelma was going through the change of life Bailey asked her How would you describe a hot flash It s like I ve got the firebox from a locomotive in me and there s an ugly man shoveling in the coal Yuk You said it young lady The Lord must have been extra mad at Eve to give us these flashes She used the bottom of her apron as a makeshift fan Lord have mercy somebody open the windows As always Mr Hammack s books are clean thankfully nothing cringeworthy I m a fan This is my 11th full novel by Mr Hammack and I look forward to each one I ve also read at least three fun shorter stories I was able to attain which I couldn t review Not published according to Goodreads English
| Murder On The San Gabriel (A Fen Maguire Mystery Book 5) By Bruce Hammack |
| 1958252204 |
| 9781958252208 |
| English |
| 260 |
| Kindle Edition |