Rich Zahradnik

Unique and original, with so much action, I was compelled to read this book from cover to cover in one day.

The Bone Records is one of those books where the phrases “action-packed” and “non-stop action” genuinely apply. The story is tense, and the pace is breakneck. I was enthralled with Grigg from the opening.

The story has an engaging, sympathetic protagonist in Grigg Orlov (Grigoriy Andeiovich). With his mixed heritage, he grew up an outsider in the Russian immigrant community of his father’s people. He didn’t fare much better later when he pursued his dream of becoming a New York City police officer. He was jumped by a couple of academy classmates and severely injured enough that he was forced to withdraw. He lost his mother at an early age, so it’s always been just him and his father, and when his father goes missing, and the police show little interest in finding him, he pursues the matter night and day on his own. Their reunion is sudden and ends quickly with tragic and shocking results.

There is a growing sense of menace as the story progresses, assisted by the noirish descriptions of the neighborhood, his living in his empty childhood home after he’s sold it, and the places he visits – old haunts that hold lots of memories of times with his father. The Coney Island setting is especially moody with the included bits of its history. Grigg gets much-needed and timely assistance in his investigation from some unlikely sources, but I really liked the growing relationship between him and his work manager, Jamie Carmichael. Again, I was slated to be shocked by the outcome.

The use of bone records in the story was unusual and original and sent me down some internet rabbit holes. There are actually some of these for sale on eBay! I’d never heard of these before, and I couldn’t help but read more about them.

The book is set during the Clinton-Trump presidential campaign. It features computer hackers and whole warehouses of keyboard jockeys posting political memes, posts, and disinformation, from all party viewpoints, which stoked the emotions of the denizens of social media, dividing and conquering as intended.

With its fast-paced action, originality, atmospheric settings, and engaging characters, I was in the dark and off-balance, never knowing what the resolution would be until the end. I recommend THE BONE RECORDS to mystery and thriller readers who would enjoy a unique plot or a New York City setting in 2016.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.… (more)

I had no problems getting into the story, despite the fact that this was b0ok two in the series. Yes, there some hints here and there to stuff that must have happened in the previous book. But, it was never a problem. The characters were introduced so that you quickly got into the story without having to figure them out along the way. I like books that start that way, you don't have to feel lost even to you don't start with the first book.

Coleridge Taylor is working on the doomed newspaper The Messenger-Telegram and he is searching for his latest scoop in New York 1975. The city is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy and President Ford has just told the city to “Drop Dead”. Taylor gets to a scene of the crime where the dead bodies of a punk and police are found. The police think that they must have killed each other, but Taylor thinks something is wrong with the crime scene and when he talks to the police female partner does he learn that she was called away by a call. But the police say she never got the call and she is lying. Now Taylor must find out the truth.

I can honestly say that this is not a book I would have gone for in the first place. For instance, the cover really didn't appeal to me. But I'm glad that I did say yes to be part of this blog tour because it turned out to be an interesting enough reading experience. For instance, I seldom read about journalist reporting crime, usually they are just in the way in the books I read. And, it was quite interesting reading about New York in the70s. Still I must admit that the case overly interesting to me. I mean I wasn't hooked that I couldn't stop reading, but I still enjoyed the book to read and I would read more in the series.

All and all a decent book and I enjoyed the fact that Taylor was a big punk fan.

I received a copy from the publisher and Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in return for an honest review!… (more)

Once again, author Zahradnik takes us back in time to the 1970s in New York City: sights, sounds, economics, politics, crime, race, society, etc. Reporter Coleridge Taylor refuses to be a lemming and report on the Son of Sam murders, choosing instead to investigate the death of a college-educated black woman working temporarily as a maid for a Park Avenue family after quitting her real job because of sexual harassment. Was it a case of mistaken identity or something she overheard in the apartment where she worked? As Taylor investigates, the wealthy family begins a rapid descent and he learns about the troubles of high society. Then the July 1977 blackout hits and NY City becomes a warzone, especially in Harlem. Things come to a head, but whose head rolls? This series ought to be especially appealing to those with an interest in news, newspapers, and news reporting.… (more)

It's July 1976, and New York City is getting ready for the arrival of ships from all over the world. Taylor is out on a police boat, when a woman's dead body is found submerged next to the piers, with bags of what may be drugs tied around her. Everyone from the news service to the police want his story buried until after the tourists leave, but Taylor digs in to see why she was killed. His first theory is a battle for dealing heroin in NYC, but wives are not supposed to be _targeted. Then, the denials start and Taylor barely escapes with his life, thanks to a rescue by his ex-cop girlfriend, Samantha. I thought there was too much focus on the sailboats and less on the time period in NY, which was one of the strengths of the first two books. Also, I did not really care for the denouement.… (more)