“Detectives Chen & Castilblanco” book reviews: the “Manhattan novels”…
[Note from Steve: These two NYPD cops work to solve homicide cases. The novels in this series can be divided between those set in the NYC area, mostly Manhattan, and those spilling over to US and foreign venues. This list includes reviews for the former novels. I’m guessing there might be other reviews out there, on book-blogging sites, for example, so consider this a sample. S indicates spoilers.
By the way, several reviewers complain about my mixing of first-person with third-person point of view (POV) in these novels. Those reviewers need to read more, especially classics! Lots of authors employ this mix; I first saw it done as a wee chap when I read Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders. The second edition of The Midas Bomb was rewritten with the first/third to match the other books in the series—I find it effective. I only use omniscient (or God’s-eye) POV in narrative back story, especially sci-fi; it’s often misused and characteristic of lazy writers, and you won’t find it in most of my novels!]
The Midas Bomb (C&C #1)
[Note: Several reviews of the original Infinity edition were lost by Amazon.]
“The Midas Bomb is a very well-written, action-packed thriller. The author quickly introduces some very interesting characters. It took a few chapters for me to sort them all out. The plot is intriguing and thought provoking with many twists and turns along the way. I found myself wondering if something like this scenario could really happen? …I really got into the story and thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish.” – Paul Johnson, in his Readers’ Favorite review
“The protagonists are Detectives Chen and Castlblanco, two New York City cops with military backgrounds. Though they are not partners [they will become partners], they work together to solve two separate murders that occurred at the same time. As the investigation develops they discover the murders may be related to each other and are only a very small part of a much larger diabolical plan. I would write more on the storyline, but I don’t want to spoil this for future readers….
The Midas Bomb had many positive aspects making it an overall, enjoyable read. Mr. Moore is a very good writer. He writes clearly and to the point without being verbose. I particularly enjoyed the many different genres the author includes: thriller, mystery, psychological, political and a little romance to top it off. Mr. Moore’s knowledge on a variety of fields; physics, police procedure, South American politics and our criminal justice system is very evident throughout the book, making it very realistic…
…there were a few small things I found to be a concern for me. To begin, the author switched between first person and third person throughout the book. This disrupted the flow of the story. I had to stop many times to figure out who was actually speaking. In addition, the author introduces many different characters in the beginning of the book making it hard to remember who’s who. Again, I had to stop and go back and figure out who the character was. I believe if the characters were more developed, at the beginning of the story, it would have made identifying them easier. [See the introductory note.] Finally, [although] the author did bring everything together, I did find the ending anticlimactic and flat. I would have enjoyed more of a surprise ending that I didn’t see coming. It was somewhat predictable.
Overall, not a bad read. I look forward to reading Mr. Moore’s other books.”—LegalMagic, in an Amazon review
S “In an extensive update of this popular novel, author Steven M. Moore refines his star NYC sleuths with telling details that leave you certain you can hear the stilettos of female detective Dao-Ming Chen as they strike the city’s streets and smell the fast-food that sustains her more wizened partner, Rolando Castilblanco. This time the pair are puzzled by some easy-to-miss connections between the murder of a seasoned US operative and that of a pretty financial analyst on an innocent dinner cruise with her handsome, doctor brother. The doc survives but knows nothing about why he and his twin were targeted for apparent assassination and even less about how it relates to the death of the federal agent.
As Chen and Castilblanco pursue their killers, we meet a Russian oligarch [later books show he had a falling-out with the oligarchs, and I never used this word] whose greed is matched by a genius for evil that impacts both cases, enlisting a cast of killers to reign down terror from Las Vegas to lower Manhattan. His team includes a Colombian [actually Venezuelan] drug dealer [maybe…and a terrorist] and an unwilling Israeli scientist. But, perhaps most memorable, [there] is a lusty Russian bent on revenging the death of her Chechen lover.
The politics here are potent, teasing a wistful smile from this reader as the story reminds us of the Obama years when our opposites were easy to recognize in the daily play of partisan battles.
Today, the picture is not so clear. Just imagine the stories ahead for us as Moore contemplates what kind of characters to star against Chen and Castilblanco next.”—Amazon Customer, in an Amazon review
Teeter-Totter between Lust and Murder (C&C #3)
“Chen and Castilblanco together again—this time in a police crime thriller–loved it! This is solid work—two lead characters who are as opposite as can be but who form a perfect crime-fighting combo. What I especially like about this book is that everything was laid out in front of the reader—there were any number of suspects—and I let myself be led down a trail only to be shocked at who actually did it! Great writing—wonderful character development—I think the best yet from this author!” – DebKell, in her Amazon review
“Who can you believe? Who can you trust? How long will you live if you poke your nose into the business of people without conscience? How high does the corruption reach? Steven Moore’s protagonists wrestle with these questions as they set out to solve a murder and become targets for the killer. Good description and some terrific similes.”—Carolyn J. Rose, in her Amazon review
The Collector (C&C #5)
“I certainly hope I don’t start a riot in the crowd once more, because we have another dish from the pantry that is not technically the first volume in a series. However, once again, I have been assured by the chef that this is a solo dish, one that doesn’t need to be served in the proper order of courses in the larger meal. After my last experience, I was a bit more dubious. However, recalling the time I had spent with many of the classic pulps of years past, I decided to crack open the box and see if this modern-day mystery/thriller didn’t leave me wanting….
To get the big question out of the way, *this* is how you cook up a series where each book stands on its own. As I chewed my way through The Collector, I was never lost or confused. Mr. Moore has done an excellent job in evoking past meals he has created while succinctly adding the flavor of familiarity to each call-back to previous meals. It takes an even hand and a skillful pen to do that, so kudos are definitely deserved there.
That is all well and good, but how does this mystery/thriller stand up as, well, a mystery/thriller? As always, we must look at the core ingredients of the meal: characterization, plot, and pacing. So, in that order, characters! The chef didn’t skimp here to make his job of series writing easier. Our main protagonist duo are exceptionally well-written, seeming to step off the page. Moore doesn’t hold back much in terms of the secondary cast either, filling them out as well as any of the main characters.
Plot is a vital ingredient when it comes to the mystery/thriller genre. It’s possible to have a weak series of characters bolstered by a great mystery into being a masterpiece. Again, the chef here shows his expertise, blending foreshadowing, subtle clues, and a keen understanding of how police work, well, works to keep the reader constantly on their toes. If I have any fault with the plot, it’s in the ending. I can’t be very specific due to SPOILERS!, but the conclusion is realistic in the leaving of loose ends, which left my natural desire for a clean finish unsated. However, this is certainly a matter of personal opinion and I can see why the chef made this decision in the recipe.
Along with the well-baked plot, The Collector dances along at a brisk but not overwhelming pace. Moments of action and suspense are spaced between moments of reflection and character-building, making for a smooth and creamy blend that went down easily.
There’s been a lot of praise for this meal so far and rightfully so! However, I do have one quibble with the style of the book. Mr. Moore utilizes a strange (to me, anyway) perspective, writing much of the book from the first-person perspective of Castilblanco. However, regularly the point-of-view changes to the third-person perspective of various other characters, dancing through almost all the major players at various points and a variety of minor characters. This isn’t technically wrong, I suppose, but I always find such things jarring.
This isn’t because of the shift of point-of-view character. That’s common and expected. It comes down to the shifting from 1st to 3rd person perspective and back again. It is jarring as it makes it impossible to see the book as a retelling or recollection or any other storytelling device that gives it a certain weight of reality. Now, this doesn’t ruin The Collector, no, not at all … but it did take me out of the story enough that it leaves it shy of perfection. [See the note at the beginning.]
So, down to the final decision! The Collector is a near-perfect slice of mystery, with flavorful characters and a punchy plot! If you want a good mystery, I wholeheartedly suggest you pick this one up, even if you haven’t read any of the other books. Taking this as a sample of the rest of the series, I think I can safely endorse the rest of them as well.”—J. B. Garner, in his Amazon review
S “Art theft and child sexual abuse are an unlikely duo in the criminal world – those who purloin famous artists paintings for resale to rabid collectors usually move in different circles to disgusting perverts who prey on children. Writer Steven M. Moore, in his new thriller, The Collector, has successfully merged these two criminal activities to create the latest in the NYPD homicide detectives Chen and Castilblanco series.
The story starts with an anesthetized woman in the trunk of a car. Groggy but becoming aware of her surroundings she realizes she is not alone—another woman, similarly bound, shares her predicament. With no idea why she has been abducted, the situation turns really, really nasty when two guys arrive and, after a discussion, one of them, in a violent frenzy repeatedly stabs the woman by her side. Certain she will be next, the woman cowers in terror but the only puncture wound she receives is an injection to ensure her abduction and the violent episodes that followed are erased from her memory.
This was an intriguing start to what was an unusual plot with likable characters.
The fifth book in the series, Detectives Chen and Castilblanco are assigned to investigate the murder of an art dealer who, dear reader, just happens to be the ex-husband of the aforementioned woman in the trunk. After being injected with the `delete’ serum, the kidnappers returned her to her apartment where after the discovery of her ex’s body she is interviewed by Chen and Castilblanco.
All she is able to tell them is: maybe something bad happened, but all that she recalls is waking up at home dressed in her baby-doll PJs with scratches and cuts to her face and hands.
Chen is sure she has something to do with her ex’s murder, but Castilblanco thinks there’s a lot more than meets the eye to the art dealer’s death and the disappearance of some valuable paintings from his collection.
Chen, always eager to prove she is more than just a pretty face with a sensational figure, gets going on the investigation determined to prove the ex-wife’s involvement in the murder.
Meanwhile Castilblanco, whose body mass is best described as ample, sources donuts and coffee—great companions to spend time with while you work out the next step in a murder enquiry. After swallowing a couple of Tums, he and Chen join forces to uncover a surprising twist in the case—it’s more than likely the murdered art dealer, a player in the international world of art theft, was part of a child pornography ring where children and teenagers were procured for sex trafficking and filmed in snuff videos (an evil big money making activity where children are videoed being molested and either killed during or just after the filming). Difficult to think of a more horrendous crime.
The tone of the book becomes serious with this plot development, as do Chen and Castilblanco. The pace moves up a notch when the investigation leads them to the home of a wealthy importer and art collector, an elderly German with a Nazi past and present in his family tree.
Castilblanco was right; there’s more to this case than murder and art theft—links to a ring of wealthy perverts and those who provide videos to fuel their fantasies begin to emerge.
Chen and Castilblanco work overtime to put paid to this gang of weirdoes. And you know what? In a fast moving conclusion they do just that.
Steven Moore is an entertaining sci-fi and thriller writer; The Collector, a fun mystery with a serious side… good holiday reading.”—BookBuzz, in an Amazon review
S “Steven M. Moore’s most recent mystery novel, The Collector, is an impressive addition to the author’s Castilblanco and Chen series. The book is out of the gate on the first page as a narrator awakens to find herself bound, gagged and locked in the truck of an automobile with another unknown female companion. The trunk opens and narrator’s companion is stabbed to death.
Enter Castilblanco, Moore’s big-guy detective, a rough and tumble city veteran who suffers from a chronic indigestion. The detective is called in to investigate the apparent murder of an art gallery owner, Brendan Rafferty. Accompanying him is female sidekick Chen, an exquisite beauty who has mastered the art of disguising her feelings behind what Castilblanco repeatedly refers to as her Mona Lisa smile. (Ah, the thriller tradition where female detectives are good looking. Makes one want to run a red light just to encounter one.)
Castilblanco takes over the narrative with a voice reminiscent of old radio noir mysteries like Johnny Dollar or Boston Blackie, perhaps Steve McQueen as a more contemporary example. The big guy pops Tums like M & M’s, refers to his wife by her last name, professes to be a convert [to] Buddhism and opines about everything from modern art (hates it) to the vicissitudes of daily life in the Big Apple and contemporary politics. The detective’s raconteur style is abrupt as he presumes the reader knows the subject of his sentences in the breezy style of a personal letter. Found myself backing up to make sure I understood. Prefer that the subject is in a sentence. Don’t like the break in the flow. Although in Castilblanco’s case, allowances are in order. He scores a lot of idiosyncratic points. [His style is what’s called “hard-boiled”; I call it minimalist writing.]
The plot thickens when an autopsy of the gallery owner produces a horse-pill size capsule containing the names of three stolen masterpiece paintings. Art theft, kidnapping, child pornography and snuff films enter the mix. Readers share Castilblanco’s outrage and visceral repugnance at the horrific exploitation of the children. One vivid scene has Castilblanco finding scores youngsters surviving the dark stench of railroad box cars. One wishes in earnest that nothing like what described could actually take place in the world today.
The detective wants to solve the murder, yes. But, above all else, he wants to bring the scumbags behind the pornography, kidnapping, and murder to justice. His rage drives the plot as day by day an elaborate financing scheme unfolds—the stolen masterpieces serve as collateral for financing the video productions. Solid citizens, at least as far as appearances go, are backing the evil enterprise. The plot takes several twists and turns; harkens back to Nazi Germany; and involves Scotland Yard and the FBI, “feebies,” according to Castilblanco—a nickname new to this reviewer, but then Castilblanco indulges in nicknames of all sorts, acronyms and slang. He also is keenly aware of ethnic differences.
Author Moore changes point of view, or voice, frequently. Most of the time, his hero detective narrates. When Castilblanco is not on the scene, Moore uses third-person omniscient voice [never, and there is no “third-person omniscient”], a conventional practice. The compelling story line would be better served, however, if the omniscient narrator sounded less like Castilblanco and a more like a detached, discrete voice of its own. Readers may find it a tad difficult to identify who the narrator is in some passages—a minor distraction. [See the note at the beginning.]
The Collector is vigorous, forceful storytelling at its best. Moore’s moral perspective is clear. Castilblanco’s world is rich soil for nurturing cynics and pessimists. Moore’s detective, however, is a force of one, brimming with gruff optimism and hope. An idealist thrives underneath his sarcasm and his story makes for a great read.
The above is a somewhat shorten review that initially appeared in bookpleasusres.com.”—John Hohn, in his Amazon review
Gaia and the Goliaths (C&C #7)
“I really enjoyed this book…I haven’t been reading as much mystery books as I would like. This book was a nice get-away from my usual romance. [And there is romance!] This book is about an environmental activist getting murdered on the streets of where she lives over information she wasn’t supposed to find. It turns out her boyfriend has evidence on an international conspiracy. I did like this book…. The beginning drew me in…. In the series, they are all standalone books….”—Haley Maddock, in her Amazon review
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Comments are always welcome.
The “Detectives Chen & Castilblanco” series. A seven-book series ideal for binge-reading. You’ve seen the reviews above and others in “Reviews not on Amazon.” (Next week I’ll do the “National and International” novels.) Pick an ebook and jump in anywhere. Available everywhere quality ebooks are sold.
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
