Neil Russell

Two gruesome murders, a billionaire with seemingly scores of contacts, the FBI, Chinese, jade tigers, and an historical tale of the hunting and transportation of live tigers, all before page fifty. With Russell’s latest book, this is the beginning of a complex mystery with a slew of interesting, witty, and sometimes dangerous characters coming out of the woodwork at every turn. This one . . . well . . . it’ll drive you wild.
Billionaire and ex Delta Force operative Rail Black (isn’t that just a great name?) is called to a California desert town to witness the scene of a gruesome pair of murders. The victims are a police buddy and his Chinese wife. Black is asked by an LAPD Deputy Chief to make sure the murders stay hushed up. Almost immediately afterward, a tough, no-nonsense, Special Agent in Charge from the FBI shows up demanding to know what’s going on and how Black is involved. From then readers learn some history, mainly involving Ensign Fabian Canada on a mission in World War II. He’s supposed to be
rescuing some downed pilots in China, but winds up saving a baby. This is the spark initiating an operation lasting decades, until it gets out of control and two people are heinously murdered in the California desert.
This is an intelligently written book with very good action and humor. Black is not a detective, but is a logical thinker with skills and knowledgeable people to back him up. There are secrets galore and Russell does an excellent job at pulling on the tendrils, revealing a little at time, and not showing the entire picture until the time is right.

Review written by Stephen L. Brayton, author of “Beta” for Suspense Magazine… (mais)