Mystery genre fan? Crow’s Landing (Virgil Cain Mystery, Book 2), by Brad Smith, is a great mystery to lose yourself in. Jack-of-all-trades, Virgil Cain, will keep you glued to the pages from the first line to the last. Fishing on the Hudson River for the day yields more than he bargained for, turning Virgil’s solitary and quiet existence into a whirlwind of events.
Crow’s Landing (Virgil Cain Mystery Book 2) by Brad Smith
Genre: Mystery
Page Count: 419
Source: Amazon Purchase
Rating: 5 ★
Author, Brad Smith was born and raised in the railroad hamlet of Canfield, in southern Ontario. After high school, he worked for the signal department of the Canadian National Railway for three years, and then on a rail project in South Africa for a year. Upon returning from Africa, Smith worked all over the place – Alberta, British Columbia, Texas – at a variety of jobs. Farmer, signalman, insulator, truck driver, bartender, schoolteacher, maintenance mechanic, roofer, and so on. He became a carpenter and built custom homes in Canada. He still works as a carpenter when not writing. He now lives in a ninety-year-old farmhouse near the north shore of Lake Erie, where he writes, fishes, golfs and restores old cars. (Author Bio provided by Amazon)
About the Book
Jack-of-all-trades Virgil Cain gets tangled up in an old crime surfacing from the waters of the Hudson River in this second novel in a series from Brad Smith.
Virgil Cain’s day of fishing on the Hudson River yields more than he bargained for when, while pulling up anchor, he hooks on to a mysterious steel cylinder.
As word of Virgil’s strange catch spreads around the local marina, it draws the attention of a crooked city cop, who seizes both the cylinder and Virgil’s boat. Soon, an old drug deal gone sour surfaces, and to get to the bottom of it—and to get his boat back—Virgil teams up with a captivating single mom, Dusty, who knows far too much about the cylinder and the pure cocaine it contains.
The landscape is soon cluttered with the dealer who claims ownership of the cylinder, his murderous sidekick, and a wild card in the form of a crazy Russian cowboy. Virgil and Dusty find themselves trapped in the middle and desperate for a way out… (Book blurb by Amazon)
Review
Mystery and intrigue, Virgil Cain, hooks a mysterious cylinder while out fishing, and shortly after loses his boat and mystery find to a man in a dark blue SUV, claiming to be a cop. Virgil bought the sixty-year-old cedar strip for fifty dollars and lovingly restored the boat. Now it’s gone and he has no idea where the so-called cop took his boat. He heads into the city the next day, in search of his boat. With some interesting plot twists, Dusty enters the scene. Strong, assured and beautiful in a different way. Virgil and Dusty hook up, she appears to be linked to the cylinder in a way.
The reader is entertained by an assortment of characters, from Virgil an innocent, farmer, to a crooked cop, a beautiful ex-con and fearless drug dealers.
I really enjoyed reading Crow’s Landing, the mystery and intrigue kept me entertained throughout. The character of Virgil Cain was appealing. In my mind, I pictured him as the “Clint Eastwood” type. Hats off to Dusty who paid the price for being with the wrong crowd, but worked very hard as a single mom and ex-con to straighten out her life and provide best for her young son. Her strong, confident and daring but feminine character made her someone to admire. I particularly enjoyed the scene where she shot her ex-lover’s boat full of holes with a semi-automatic. I didn’t care much for the crooked cop and drug dealers, including the weird Russian, karma works in mysterious ways.
The only way to find out what happened to Virgil’s boat and the mysterious cylinder is to get yourself a copy of Crow’s Landing, by Brad Smith. If you favour mystery and suspense, I highly recommend Crow’s Landing. You will not be disappointed.
Crow’s Landing (Virgil Cain Mystery Book 2) receives a 5 ★ Rating.
Reviewer: Luculle Stols
Real Life REBEL 