A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Happy pub day to this wonderful masterpiece of a book!
Such an engrossing story with an engrossing title!

When I read Thomas Perry’s new thriller, “Murder Book,” I thought of the Western classic, “The Magnificent Seven” (and before that, the Japanese classic, “The Seven Samurai”). In those films, an innocent village is beset by bandits looking to bleed the town dry. “Murder Book” might well be called “The Magnificent One.” It’s got the same bandits, this time after a bunch of small Indiana towns. And it’s got private investigator Harry Duncan, who makes it his mission to take on the bad guys and find out their master plan. The result is a fast-paced read that begs for its own cinematic version.

Harry Duncan is a former Chicago cop turned PI, whose ex-wife Ellen is the local U.S. Attorney. She has spotted a disturbing pattern of crimes in rural Indiana. A group of big-city thugs have migrated to these small towns and are systematically terrorizing the local populace. Robberies, protection rackets, and other strong-arm tactics have become common, even though the payoffs for the crooks don’t seem worth the effort. Ellen hires Harry to go to Indiana and investigate. It doesn’t take much investigation on his part, as two thugs try to break into his car when he stops for lunch. From there, Harry discovers a well-organized plot to recruit criminals to intimidate the local population. As he stops some crooks, often permanently, Harry tries to figure out what their master plan is.

As an action thriller, “Murder Book” is a first-rate page turner. It’s fast-paced and filled with exciting set pieces. Harry isn’t just a guy who is fast with his fists and a gun. He’s a well-organized, intelligent investigator who pieces together the master scheme and follows it back to some well-connected individuals in Chicago. But he also knows how to take care of business personally. In one of the book’s best segments, the bad guys kidnap a local bar owner to whom Harry has taken a fancy. He must discover their hideout and attempt a risky nighttime rescue to get her back.

Although “Murder Book” has a lot of well-plotted action and ingenious interrogation and investigation by Harry, it’s also got its fair share of humor. Thomas Perry is a master of descriptive prose, and he peppers the book with gems like the bar owner’s response when Harry asks her if the hamburger on the menu is okay. “We’ve been assured that it’s ground beef from an animal recently deceased. I’ll be cooking it myself, so it will be safe to eat too.” Banter like that make “Murder Book” an easy read.

The book’s climax is the obligatory big showdown between Harry and a bunch of crooks. Fans of “The Magnificent Seven” will immediately recognize the similarities leading to an entertaining resolution of Harry’s immediate problem. From there, however, the book falters somewhat, as if the author is on a page count and running short on space. The villains’ master plan is quite ingenious and a 21st-century take on a familiar Western storyline. The individual big bad puts in several appearances in the book, but his eventual fate is a bit of a disappointment. And the book features some shadowy figures in the background who get relatively short shrift. I would have enjoyed reading an extra fifty pages to reach a satisfactory conclusion to the book.

“Murder Book” is the first, and I hope, not the last, appearance of Harry Duncan in a Thomas Perry novel. Harry’s charismatic and quick-witted, and I can see the author turning him into a series character. Thomas Perry has been cranking out thrillers like this for forty years, and he hasn’t lost his touch. “Murder Book” is a fresh take on a familiar theme with some first-rate, hard-nosed action and a very resourceful hero.

NOTE: The publisher graciously gave me a copy of this book. However, the decision to review the book and the contents of that review are entirely my own.

Murder Book just drops you right into the action and really doesn’t stop. I sometimes felt adrift and lost. I had to find my way to the center because the author wasn’t going to show me. Being sent to a small town to take on a crime spree just came out of nowhere. It turned out to be a classic crime novel. I’d like to read more from the author.

While there is somewhat less to this story than one might expect, Perry's mastery of character shines. Like many of his other books, this one grabs and holds a reader's interest.

I read The Old Man by Thomas Perry and enjoyed it. I also enjoyed this book as well, although it was very different. Harry Duncan is a PI called upon to investigate a crime wave happening in small midwestern towns. This was an interesting read and moves quickly. I wouldn't say it is a must read, but if you enjoy crime thrillers, this book will keep your attention. I was able to read this book as an ARC from Netgalley.

Harry finds more than he or his ex-wife Ellen, the US Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, expected when he starts exploring small town crime and corruption. Harry, a retired police officer now working as a private investigator, first finds an extortion scheme in Indiana but that morphs into something bigger. The murder book of the title is his record of the information he collects- and there's a lot of it. There are bad guys where you might least expect them and the rotten core is deeper. But then Ellen seems to disappear, someone is after Harry, and it's clear that this problem will need more than Harry to solve. Harry is smarter than those he's after and sometimes he's also a step ahead. No spoilers from me as to how this twists and turns. As always Perry is a good storyteller who pulls you in and keeps you reading. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Harry Duncan is a former cop, now a private investigator. His ex-wife, Ellen, is the U.S. Attorney for the region, and she asks him to check out a small town that appears to have a racketeering problem. Is it serious enough to warrant the attention of the FBI? Harry agrees to explore the situation, which turns out to be far more serious than either of them imagined.

My thanks go to Net Galley and Random House for the review copy. This high octane thriller is up for sale on January 17, 2023.

Perry’s feet have hardly hit the ground in this tiny Indiana backwater before he discovers a protection racket. A local businesswoman is determined not to pay; how can a bar or restaurant pay $300 daily and still stay open? The profit margin just doesn’t allow for it. And the thugs know that. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Rather than give anything away, I’ll just say that there’s more to this than meets the eye in this tiny, out of the way burg.
Perry is king when it comes to details involving stealth and unobtrusive investigation. Whereas a cop cannot use the unorthodox (and okay, illegal) methods that Duncan employs, a consultant can and does, or at least, he can and does in this story.

And if one were to criticize this novel, that’s the soft spot—because almost nothing about this tale is realistic. It’s so much fun to read, though, that by the time I thought, “Wait a minute…” the rest of my thoughts shushed my inner cynic as if it were a noisy jerk in the back row at a movie theater.

Highly recommended.

A fast-paced mystery thriller, starring ex-cop Harry Duncan who is investigating a spate of unusual crime in a small Indiana town. Tasked by his ex-wife, who is now the US Attorney General for the region, Duncan uses his skills to find out if organized crime is taking hold in the region. Along the way he finds himself trying to protect the people who have been targeted in the attacks, while rooting out the source and reason behind the attacks.
At times, Duncan seems able to do everything and predict exactly what his opponents will do, and yet the story is told in a gripping manner that doesn't lose focus. Overall, an engaging thriller that will keep readers interested in finding out how the mystery will unravel.

As a favor to his ex-wife who is a U.S. Attorney in Chicago, Harry Duncan travels to rural southern Indiana to investigate a rash of crimes occurring there caused by Chicago base criminals. He immediately finds himself confronting two car thieves trying to steal his car and then an extortion attempt on a local bar. Kidnappings and assaults that lead to murder are happening. Harry Duncan returns to Chicago to trace several leads and manages to nab an informant, but it seems that someone is inside the U.S. Attorney's office providing information to the other side. Despite all the difficulties, Harry manages to save the day with plenty of help and a lot of grit and luck. He even manages to find out what the whole scheme was about. A very interesting thriller!

Thanks Netgalley for the opportunity to read this title!

Murder Book is Thomas Perry’s newest stand-alone thriller. When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region hires her ex-husband, private investigator Harry Duncan, to investigate. Harry is an ex-cop who works alone, and his investigative practices are unorthodox. His job is to determine if the racketeering is severe enough to require an all-out investigation by the FBI. Harry quickly finds himself in conflict with violent criminals with goals that don’t make sense. As the investigation develops, he begins compiling a “murder book,” the notebook in which a detective keeps records, interviews, photos—everything he needs to build his case. Harry does work cooperatively with local law enforcement even though he doesn’t explain his purpose for being there.

Murder Book is an engrossing police procedural/thriller, with very little profanity and no sex or graphic violence. The action occurs in small Midwestern towns. The main character, Harry Duncan, reminds me of Jack Reacher, and has superhero levels of intelligence and daring. The book is well-plotted, unpredictable, and very well-executed. I hope to read more books in the future featuring Harry Duncan.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Mysterious Press for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I’m a huge fan of crime plots. This book had suspense which is essential to a good book for me. Although some of what happened was implausible, it was a good read that I will recommend.

I"m not a huge fan of detective/police novels but I like reading out of my comfort zone, so I gave in and tried this one . I found this one to be a little too "convenient." The MC can foresee every move the bad guys are going to make, and can thwart them at every turn, and it just seemed too convenient and just too implausible for my liking. I did like that it got my adrenaline going on certain parts, and it was a fast paced enough story that it didn't feel like a chore reading it, and it kept me entertained. The story was complex enough that you couldn't figure out the ending right away, and the ending was well wrapped up. Again, this is not my usual genre so I may be more critical than normal, but overall, I did enjoy it, the author made it enjoyable.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Mysterious Press, for my Advanced Reader Copy.*

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https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5218496160


Murder Book by Thomas Perry
January 1, 2023
When Lee Child passed the baton to his brother, Andrew Child, in 2020 to write the best selling Jack Reacher series, I worried about the losing the simple yet daring books about the honorable Reacher character. Andrew Child has done a fair job of keeping to the same “feel” for the Jack Reacher books, but yet I wondered if another author would take the reins now to fill this action thriller sub-genre. Thomas Perry has written several series which I have liked — especially the Jane Whitefield series about a Native American woman whose job is to help people disappear. (first book Vanishing Act, 1995). So it was with a great deal of anticipation that I read Murder Book by Thomas Perry.

Happily, Murder Book, coming out this month, satisfies my desire for an action hero who is honest, brave, and most of all, clever. Perry’s Harry Duncan is Jack Reacher with actual purposeful goals. Ex-cop, now PI, Duncan is hired as a consultant to investigate for the state attorney general’s office to determine if criminal elements are running amuck in an area of Indiana. Like Reacher, Duncan uses unorthodox methods to get the information he needs and protect the innocent.

Perry uses the same type of third person, chronological story format that Child used for the Reacher books. Lots of action; lots of bad guys who need to be brought down; lots of sharp-witted ideas on how to unfold the story. A clear winner in my opinion. I am not in love with Harry Duncan yet as I am with Jack Reacher, but I could well be down the road.

I suspect that other authors will try and replace Reacher in our hearts and bookshelves. Perry has a good head start with his new character. I hope we see more of Harry Duncan.

My rating: 4 of 5.

This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. Murder Book published Jan. 17, 2023.

Thomas Perry's latest novel 'Murder Book' is a thrilling ride that keeps the reader constantly on edge and makes it impossible to put down.

Harry Duncan is an ex-cop now working as a private investigator when he gets a request from a US Attorney asking him to look inrlto a few things quickly and quietly. Some unusual things are happening in the Midwest and before the US Attorney will commit to opening a fordrmal investigation she needs Harry to gather some information without letting anyone know what he's there for. Once Harry gets onsite though he realizes that things are much worse and have progressed more rapidly that he could have imagined.

To get the information he needs Harry will have to put himself in harms way, and hope he has the ability to get out alive. With this book Thomas Perry has written another in a long line of winning novels.

The last two mysteries I have read were so slow and Murder Book was a delightful change of pace. The action (sometimes a tad far-fetched, but always exciting) moves along briskly and I read it in a day. I was also delighted to see my grandparents' town of Kewanee, IL get a name drop, even if it was in regards to a prison that was built in sight of their longtime home. The main character, Harry, was interesting and I am hopeful this is to become a series. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thomas Perry is back with “Murder Book”, his latest stand-alone mystery featuring a new lead character, Harry Duncan, an ex-cop private eye in Chicago.

We start out with Harry getting a call from the regional U.S. Attorney about investigating a series of crimes being committed throughout the region, focusing on small towns in Indiana, that seem to be much more prevalent and organized than the situation would warrant. The Attorney, who also happens to be Harry’s ex-wife, doesn’t have enough evidence to take to the FBI to open a full-blown investigation, so she asks Harry to act as a consultant and find that evidence.

So off goes Mr. Duncan. And almost from his very first stop, at a local bar and restaurant called The Elbow Room in the town of Parkman’s Elbow, Harry gets confronted by a group of thugs trying to shake him down. But these are out-of-town thugs, pointing to a wider syndicate, which doesn’t make sense – why would a “new mafia” try to shake down a bunch of small businesses in Parkman’s Elbow?

The further Harry digs, the bigger the threat seems to grow. Violence, arson, murder, all being controlled by shadowy folks from the big city. Harry starts to put together all of the pieces, trying to discover who is pulling the strings and why they would be interested in these small towns, compiling his “murder book” of facts that he can turn over to the Feds. But the bad guys have now taken an interest in Harry and realize that he stands in the way of their plans. Can he figure out the secrets before they silence him?

A completely enjoyable mystery that had me guessing about the loyalties of certain characters right until the end. Nothing earth-shattering or ground-breaking, just a solid small town conspiracy story with evil bad guys and heroic good guys. Hopefully we’ll see Harry Duncan again.

I requested and received a free advanced electronic copy from Penzler Publishers, Mysterious Press via NetGalley. Thank you!

In this excellent standalone thriller, ex-cop private investigator Harry Duncan is recruited by his ex-wife and now U.S. Attorney, Ellen Leicester, to check into an unusual increase in crime in small towns in the Midwest. Ellen wants him to find out whether this pattern represents the beginnings of organized crime activity that would warrant investigation by the FBI—and, if so, to bring her some actionable evidence that federal intervention is called for. To his own surprise, Harry accepts, and in classic Spenser or Jack Reacher-like fashion heads out to the area to look around, stir things up, and see what happens. On his first day in town, he stops at a local diner and is almost immediately targeted by thugs looking to steal his car. Thanks to a heads-up from the waitress, Harry quickly gets the better of them and immediately knows that he is on to something. When the bad guys return to the diner and try to extort Harry’s new-found and still slightly suspicious new ally for protection money, Harry uses some clever and entertaining tricks to thwart them. It helps that Harry is equipped with an almost superhero-like arsenal of instincts and skills (shooting, fighting, precision driving, predicting bad-guy behavior) honed from his many years as a policeman. He’s intelligent enough to use the limited clues to chase down information—and tough enough to defend himself when he inevitably becomes a target for retribution by increasingly senior criminals in the organization that’s trying to take over the area. The novel is expertly written, as we expect from Thomas Perry, with a relentless investigator moving forward with his investigation despite little help and increasing danger. Several creative escapes add to the drama.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penzler Publishers for a digital advance review copy.

When a sudden crime wave hits several small midwestern towns, the U.S. Attorney for the region calls on Harry Duncan to investigate. An ex-cop known for his unorthodox methods, Duncan is reluctant to go up against a widespread criminal organization—but the attorney in question is Ellen Leicester, the wife who left him fifteen years earlier, and to her, he can’t say no. This is classic Thomas Perry. Interesting characters, believable dialog and a very tightly plotted, unusual storyline. Time to give Duncan his own Netflix series. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

Fast paced and well plotted PI/mystery story. The main character was interesting and reminded me a bit of another fictional PI character - Archer. Both very smart, very clever, and very resourceful. The plot kept unfolding (very complex) but eventually the story seemed too long for my tastes so at 40% I jumped ahead to the last 15-20% and just surmised what I'd missed. To be honest, I was ready to 'know' the answers and move onto another book. If this book were a tv show, it could be as many as 26 separate airings whereas the average mystery might be eight to ten episodes. Still, well done and I will look for other books by this author.

want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of MURDER BOOK in exchange for an honest review. Thomas Perry is a prolific writer, yet not as “famous” such as Michael Connelly David Baldacci. I was surprised to learn that some of the reviewers had never heard of Thomas Perry! He has written well over 30 books!

I was first introduced to this author when I determined to read Edgar Award winners. He won the Edgar for The Butcher’s Boy, deservedly so. He has written four in this riveting series.

He has written nine Jane Whitman novels, all fascinating, and I’m always n the look out for another installment!

What has surprised me is there are so many stand alone novels, which I’ve recently discovered! MURDER BOOK is his most recent stand alone. Mr. Perry is known as a gifted story teller. He tells great tales that keep readers engaged! His author’s craft is so well developed with vividly descriptive imagery and dynamic, round characters. Another style is his endings- never rushed and very satisfying. All true for MURDER BOOK! The twist at the end was a great one!
I could not put this book down.
Intriguing mystery!