Deadly Dunes (Mac McClellan #3)

E. Michael
Helm
Genre: 
Mystery

When a local archeologist supposedly takes his own life, his sister hires former Marine turned P.I. Mac McClellan to investigate the case. She insists her brother was murdered because of his finds on Five Mile Island off the panhandle coast of Florida. The sister also dies under mysterious circumstances, adding to and removing names from Mac’s list of suspects. More snooping leads to two more deaths and an attempt on Mac’s life, letting him know he’s definitely on the right track. Aided by his girlfriend, Kate, his Doberman puppy named Henry the Eighth, and a female deputy named Dakota, he closes in on the mystery. Can he solve it before it gets too dangerous?

 

“Deadly Dunes” is a fabulous whodunit, written in first person narrative—think Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe—a la classic hardboiled, detective movie style. The writing is nearly flawless, with a nice arc and plausible storylines. The characters are so fleshed out that this reader could picture Mac, dressed in cargo shorts and flip flops, flipping steaks and burgers on his grill, with his faithful pup at his feet. This being Mac’s first case after becoming a licensed P.I., he made a few mistakes, understandably, that put him in danger, or temporarily led him down the wrong path. All were newbie mistakes that only led to the story’s credibility, in this reviewer’s humble opinion. A story that comes highly recommended!

Lori Leger