A fast paced mystery has Detective Davie on the run to solve a series of murders. Fast paced, great writing, engaging characters.

Great Read! This was the first book I have read by Patricia Smiley and I loved it. I missed the first book in the series but this one can be read as a standalone. Definitely recommend this book.

This is the second book in the series, and as usual I am late to the party.I wish I had read the first book but was able to jump straight into this one so it could be read as a stand alone as some of the back history is filled in.I think Davie is an interesting if some what troubled character, very much affected by her job and past experiences and with not much life outside of work.I would like her to have less angst to a certain extent, but a balanced work /leisure time is not on her agenda, and this case doesn't help.It was intriguing and kept me guessing and was well paced and well written.I would read more featuring this character and this was a good book.Thanks to netgalley and the Publishers for an ARC.

Outside the Wire features Davie Richards as a LAPD Homicide Detective. At last--a female protagonist not damaged beyond saving or sporting model-like height and classic features. This lady sounds real and with her years on the force as an officer and detective, she has cred history. This is the sophomore release of this series by Ms. Smiley and is an intelligent, thoughtful, and reflective narrative on our military back from 'Nam.
Outside the Wire focuses on four of these men and the reported suicide of the first of which, Davie and her partner Detective Jason Vaughn are called to the airport-parking garage to investigate. Zeke Woodrow was a retired U.S. Army Ranger, but the scene doesn't reflect a story of suicide. The victim leaves a cat, who Davie discovers and rescues and provides a very real life sub-plot as Davie attempts to care for an animal with whom she's had no previous experience. The cat inadvertently provides clues that lead to Zeke's Ranger buddies.
While Davie is fleshed out well enough to get to know her, her partner is not, nor those of peripheral characters, and that may have kept me from getting invested. The reader definitely gets a dose of police procedurals--fascinating in themselves. (The term "Outside the Wire," is fully defined within the book.)
Dialogue is very natural and comes off as ordinary conversation. Descriptions allow insightful information so it's easy to picture the scene. I loved many of Ms. Smiley's metaphors, i.e. "She stretched out the two syllables like salt-water taffy." There were twists I didn't expect, though I appreciated the obvious appreciation for the work of our military and the parallel to law enforcement.
I really liked Davie. But for some reason, I just had a problem keeping my head in the book and it took longer for me to read than it should have. There was a very explosive scene with one of the ex-Rangers that kept me riveted, otherwise, my attention tended to wander.
The climax pulled in all loose threads nicely and was mainly a satisfying ending.
This ARC was offered and downloaded from Midnight Ink and NetGalley and I greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I'd have interest in trying another in the series. Definitely recommended for those who enjoy a good suspense thriller, police procedural.

Well done procedural with a female protagonist- Davie- who is determined to find out who has been killing Vietnam vets. The fact that Zeke was found with only one dog tag was the key clue to her that this was not a suicide. There's a subtle irony to the fact that she's dealing with PTSD. Good writing, not too violent, and an appropriately twisty mystery of who and why made this a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

“Outside the Wire” by Patricia Smiley is the second book in the “Pacific Homicide” series. A new reader will enjoy this book without having read the previous book, because the author provides quick background comments in the context of the storyline to fill in anything needed from the previous book. “Outside the wire” is military term used when teams leave the safety of base camp, and this classic police procedure story certainly lives up to its title.
A body is found in a parking garage at LAX; Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn, LAPD homicide detectives, are called to investigate. Within the crime scene, they observe one especially usual thing; the victim is wearing a single dog tag. Why would a sixty-something man wear a military dog tag and why only one? This starts a baffling case that leads to additional murders, additional questions, and few answers.
Readers follow Richards through her everyday activities. We get to know her well as she struggles to balance her job, her personal life, and her past demons. Will she run in the Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup? We sympathize with her as she tries to care for the victim’s cat. We understand the frustration when she runs out of coffee. We watch as she methodically writes note after note in the Murder Book. We see her fight to balance following the rules with stopping a killer. We guess along with her who is dishonest and who is telling the truth.
“Murders lie for a lot of reasons … but they always lie.”
The pace is fast and the dangers are countless. The unanswered questions are compelling and. the ending is unexpected.
I received a copy of “Outside the Wire” from Patricia Smiley, Midnight Ink, and NetGalley. It kept me turning the pages until the nail-biting end. I recommend that you block time to finish this book when you start because once on that first page, you will not be able to put this book down.

This novel sees Davie Richards our petite, red haired heroine and her partner Jason Vaughn investigate the death of ex Vietnam soldier Zeke Woodrow who is found at LAX shot through the head with one of his dog tags missing, the clue that makes Davie and Jason think there's no way this is a suicide. When two other murders are commited and one attempted the coincidences are too great.

A very fast moving crime thriller with many descriptive characters intertwined into a fascinating plot line. I highly recommend this book a keep you up all night read.

Thank you to netgalley and midnight ink for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An Enjoyable Nice Little Gem Of A Police Procedural

This novel opens with the heroine, Los Angeles Detective Davie Richards, waking up with a sweat drenched T-shirt and a sore throat from crying out in her sleep. Her mind tells her that she does not have PTSD, but she is back on duty. Next, she meets her partner, Detective Jason Vaughn, in the Los Angeles International Airport parking structure where a man has been shot in the head. There is not any luggage, and one of two Vietnam era military dog tags was missing. Beyond the victim’s name and social security number on his dog tag finding information about him was not easy. Where he lived was completely empty and looked like it was sterilized. Davie and Jason track down his daughter and learn that his only friends were three other rangers from Vietnam. Soon, the body of one of them is discovered in Nevada. The death was ruled a suicide. The main storyline takes off from here. Once the ex-wife was interviewed, finding more facts becomes very difficult. The case reaches a crescendo in that Davie and Jason were going to lose the case to Robbery Homicide Division in downtown LA. This storyline quickly captured my interest and would not let it go until the last sentence.

The B-storyline is centered mainly on Davie and Jason, but not just in their interactions alone but with their interactions with other detectives, witness, and others as they gather information. I felt that I had a good understanding of Davie and Jason as well as the other significant characters. Now, this is the second book of this series, and I did not read the first book. I did not feel that I missed anything by not reading the first novel. Therefore, do not let this be an impediment to start with this novel.

[I did read an uncorrected proof. I would not mention this except I noticed this issue in the preview of this book on Amazon.com. The first four words at the start of each chapter were bolded, multiple sizes of fonts were used, spaces broke up words, and several words were together without a space between them. This was an irritant while reading. A larger irritant was that most starts of the paragraph were into identified with leading, an extra space, before them or an indentation and several paragraphs had extra line breaks in them. This also was an irritant while reading and made reading less pleasurable. As these problems dealt with the publisher’s editing vice the author, it did not affect my rating of this book, but reader be warned. (include only if the second sentence is found to be true.)]

Some readers do not like novels with vulgar language and sex. There are not any explicit sex scenes in this novel. Also, there are not any F-bombs, but just a few less offensive expletives. All of them were context appropriate.

The major criteria I have for a high star rating is that the main and supporting storylines capture my imagination so that I must continue to read. This novel did that and did that well. There worst issue was the use of two police terms with which I was not familiar and had to look up. Based upon this I rate this book with five stars. Do give it a read as I think you will like it.

I have received a free Uncorrected Proof of this novel through NetGalley from Midnight Ink with a request for an honest, unbiased review. I wish to thank Midnight for the opportunity to read this novel early.

The expression “outside the wire” is military jargon for being beyond the safety and support of one’s base camp. This is particularly true in this investigation for the petite heroine of this series, Davie Richards, a clever, tenacious detective with Pacific Homicide, who responds with her partner to a murder victim in a parking garage near LAX.
It transpires the victim is a Vietnam veteran who has been working for an international security company, and through her enquiries Davie is able to link the deaths and attempted murder of a further three Vietnam veterans to her case. As the investigation widens far beyond her home area, it is mandatorily transferred to the elite division of RHD, and they request Davie and her partner on loan to continue to work it.
This is a fast-moving police procedural where the heroine is faced with baffling clues and imminent danger in a story full of suspense and action. The main characters were realistic and well developed. The plot was full of twists and turns with an unexpected ending. It was an easy, enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more of the series,

This is the first Patricia Smiley book I've read, but it won't be the last. Outside the Wire is a fast paced thriller that was impossible to put down once I'd started reading. The plot was tight and kept me guessing, and the characters were fascinating. The author brings the reader inside the character's heads, and their thoughts are profound and eye opening. The descriptions of fear, angst, and the unbreakable bond between those who responsible for keeping their friends/partners alive brought the book to a whole new level.

Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn are LAPD detectives who are called to a crime scene in an LAX parking lot. The victim, Zeke Woodrow, was wearing Army dog tags, but one of them had been removed. It looked like he might have committed suicide, but Davie and Jason didn't believe it. When they researched Zeke, they found a retired Vietnam veteran Army Ranger who worked for a mysterious consulting firm. They found the members of his his former unit, and when they discover that one of them had also committed suicide the week before, they get very suspicious.

Davie and Jason are determined to solve this case, even though Davie is almost killed in the process.
She is dealing with PTSD from a prior case, and he isn't sure he wants to stay in his current division. They have to overcome these issues and many more to eventually get the conclusion of the case.

There are many plot twists and turns that help make this book a real page turner. I highly recommend it!

Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this story very much. A heroine with personal issues that made her human and vulnerable, yet she was strong when she needed to be and a clever detective. I was rooting for her right from the beginning. I liked the supporting cast of characters, including Lunds. Each had a distinctive personality and added depth to an interesting plot. The ending was a surprise, too. A good mystery with a satisfying ending.

What a wonderful book - full of twists and turns... Davie is such a wonderful character. I hope Ms. Smiley keeps Davie's adventures continuing. She's a flawed character (but aren't we all) who recognizes her faults and keeps pushing forward... really loved this book!

Outside The Wire is book two of the A Pacific Homicide Series by Patricia Smiley. Detective Jason Vaughn and Detective Davie Richard one morning arrive a crime scene to find a man shot in his car. At first glance, it looks like Zeke Woodrow committed suicide. However, Detective Jason Vaughn and Detective Davie thought otherwise. Readers of Outside The Wire will follow the twist and turns of the investigation into the death of Zeke Woodrow.

Outside The Wire is the first book I have read of Patricia Smiley and it is fast moving crime thriller that I enjoyed reading. I like the way Patricia Smiley portrays her characters especially five feet one and hundred four pounds detective Davie Richards. I am impressed with the way Patricia Smiley described law enforcements procedures. Also, I enjoyed the way Outside The Wire, was written by Patricia Smiley. Reading Outside The Wire, started me to thinking about the issues the face law enforcement and military personnel face.

Outside The Wire highlights, another issue which not discussed very often in the community is the way parents brainwashing their children to hate another person or group. Also, the problems law enforcements have in dealing with PTSD or admitting they have it.

Thanks to Netgalley, the Publisher and the Author for my free copy for honest review. I recommend this book.

Not a terribly BAD novel, but some sections seemed so far-fetched that it delegitimized much of the rest of the story, at least for me. Case in point: police officers find a dead body in the driver's seat of a car with the glass shattered by a bullet, but they don't notice which way the glass fell to determine whether the shot originated in the car, or outside of it. Really??? That's just stupid, and completely unrealistic. The story was peppered with other such incongruities, until I finally gave up around the 70% mark. Don't bother.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Midnight Ink for an advance copy of Outside the Wire, the second police procedural set in the Pacific division of LA police to feature detective Davie Richards and her partner Jason Vaughn.

Davie is still struggling with the events of Pacific Homicide (the first novel in the series) but puts her game face on when called out to the murder of an older man in the car park at LAX. He has been shot dead and stripped of any identification except a single dog tag. When the body is identified as former army ranger Zeke Woodrow the missing dog tag (they are worn in pairs) hints at something more than a simple robbery gone wrong.

I thoroughly enjoyed Outside the Wire and read it in one sitting, desperate to know what was coming next. It is an old fashioned style procedural (hooray) in a modern setting, i.e. no glimpses of the bad guys and the reader follows the investigation with the detectives. This is my favourite kind of novel and as it is well done with twists, excitement and a satisfying ending I am going all out and awarding it 5 stars.

The plot is fairly typical with the detectives starting out with no prime suspects but as information is gathered and patterns emerge they can start to zero in on the most likely candidates. There are a few heart pounding moments when Davie inadvertently puts her life on the line and some other disappointments when things don't go to plan. I was glued to the pages as Ms Smiley drew me in with the initial mystery and kept up the action and information flow.

The characters aren't particularly well developed, even the main protagonist Davie, who is a stereotypical detective, smart, hard working, dedicated, no life outside the job and guilty about the people she has shot in the course of her work. She is also very likeable.

Outside the Wire is not a literary novel but for sheer entertainment value it is an extremely good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.