Murder With Motive - plenty of intrigue

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the very first page, Murder With Motive pulled me right in. Told through the first-person perspective of Sylvia Shipman—a young woman of privilege navigating the treacherous waters of 1920s New York—the novel is both engaging and suspenseful. This narrative choice is particularly effective, drawing the reader close to Sylvia’s thoughts and fears, and letting us uncover the truth alongside her. We only know what she knows, and that limited viewpoint builds tension and heightens every twist.

 

The story begins with the sudden and mysterious death of Sylvia’s uncle, who falls from a balcony during a high-society gala—on the very eve of the infamous stock market crash. The timing is suspicious, and though the family is quick to call it an accident or suicide, Sylvia isn’t convinced. She saw something—or rather, someone—that night. And her instincts won’t let her look away.

As the world around her scrambles to protect crumbling fortunes, Sylvia begins asking questions no one else wants to ask. Her search for answers takes her from glittering ballrooms to smoky jazz clubs and shadowy backstreets, where secrets and lies swirl just beneath the surface. Helping her is Miles, the new family chauffeur, who is as enigmatic as he is capable—and whose quiet strength and mystery make him the perfect sleuthing companion.

The mystery is well-paced, and I genuinely enjoyed trying to piece it all together. I found myself solving the case right alongside Sylvia, which made the final reveal all the more satisfying. The plot kept me guessing, but never felt convoluted or out of reach.

While the novel could benefit from some light editing to smooth grammar and a missing or extra word, its strengths far outweigh any minor issues. The pacing is brisk, the setting is richly atmospheric, and the dynamic between Sylvia and Miles is a delightful bonus.

Murder With Motive is a promising start to what I hope will be a long-running series. If you're a fan of historical mysteries with smart female leads, a hint of romance, and plenty of intrigue, this is one to add to your list.

 

Gritty intergalactic PI whodunit

Hot Ash by Russ Colchamiro is an intergalactic sci-fi mystery that melds urban grit, futuristic technology, and crime into fast-paced pulp fiction you can’t put down. The story is told through the classic first-person narration of the protagonist, intergalactic private spy for hire, Angela Hardwicke.

 

Hardwicke and her partner-in-training, Eric Whistler, are hired by Camile Engquist following the mysterious death of her wealthy, elderly husband, Iggy, who built a real estate development company from the ground up. The widow had worked by his side for years and was set to step in and run the company but somehow the will was changed without her knowledge just before he passed. The stepkids get it all and pushed her out without a cent. Camile claims her stepkids stole her inheritance and Hardwicke thinks there may be some merit to the woman’s claims and takes the case.

 

Hardwicke works the case with her young protégé, Eric Whistler. Their relationship provides another layer of interest to the story. He’s like a dog that wants to be let off the leash to prove himself and she says he isn’t ready. As the story progresses there’s much more to it than that.

 

Russ Colchamiro does a masterful job of creating a dystopian Sci-fi backdrop in this fast-paced mystery that dives into the real estate development taken over by the wealthy Engquist kids. The case takes Hardwicke and Whistler down the path of corporate succession where they find themselves deep in the world of the haves and have-nots. Clues raise questions that take the case in a whole new direction pointing to synthetic concrete and a drug known as Hot Ash. What does one have to do with the other, if anything? And what do they have to do with Iggy Engquist’s death, if anything? The answer to those questions takes Hardwicke and Whistler off-world to an imposing domed city with clean air and a sinister underbelly. What they find is more dangerous and runs deeper than they could have imagined.

 

This story is superbly written with an authentic gritty PI who-dun-it feel. It’s unpredictable, action-packed, and fast-paced with well-developed characters, including a strong female protagonist in Hardwicke. She’s an engaging hard-boiled but vulnerable sleuth. Clever but second-guesses herself at times, and Whistler makes a perfect complementary sidekick. Another big positive in my mind is that the Sci-fi techno-babble makes sense. It delivers a futuristic setting filled with out-of-this world technology, shady characters, fistfights, shootouts, double-crosses, and backstabbing. The thing I enjoyed most about Hot Ash is that I couldn’t figure it out until the author tied things up in a tidy package at the end and delivered them to my lap. 

 

I give Hot Ash a solid five stars and recommend this book to Sci-fi enthusiasts who enjoy a good murder mystery with a PI who fights to stay alive while prowling the shady parts of town and the dark minds that govern them. I think those who enjoy crime thrillers, in general, will be happy with this story. As a word of caution, this book does contain plenty of strong language and violence. It’s not excessive and befits the story.

 

While Hot Ash is a stand-alone mystery, it is number three in a series that can be read in any order, and now that I’ve read it, I’ll be checking out Crackle and Fire (Book 1) and Fractured Lives (Book 2).

 

As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received Hot Ash as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with #Black Phoenix Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

 About the Author

 

Russ Colchamiro is the author of the sci-fi mystery novels Crackle and Fire and Fractured Lives, featuring his hardboiled intergalactic private eye Angela Hardwicke. He is also the author of the rollicking time travel/space adventure, Crossline, the SFF backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, editor of the sci-fi mystery anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, and co-author of the noir anthology Murder in Montague Falls.

 

A member of the Mystery Writers Association, Hot Ash is Russ’s third book in his Angela Hardwicke series and has written more than a dozen short stories for various anthologies. He is also the host of the long-running podcast Russ’s Rockin’ Rollercoaster, interviewing a who’s who of science fiction, crime, and mystery authors. Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two ninjas, and his black lab Jinx.

 

Russ Colchamiro's Social Media

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