La Jolla PI Rick Cahill gets a call from workers at his former home where they have found a hidden safe that belonged to his deceased father. Cahill gets the safe opened and is shocked to find a gun $15,000 in cash and a safety deposit key. A visit to the bank further heightens the mystery with an envelope containing two spent gunshell casings. Cahill’s father Charlie had been kicked off the La Jolla police force 27 years ago and then spiralled into a premature drunken death. Rick is determined to find the truth behind his father's past. Clues lead him to link the gun and casings with the unsolved murder of laundry business owner Trent Phelps.

Meanwhile, Rick also gets a plea for help from former girlfriend Kim Parker who wants him to find out if her husband Jeffrey is having an affair. The trail leads to a rendezvous with a woman named Sophia who then ends being found brutally murdered in the garage adjoining the Parkers' real estate office. Jeffrey is arrested for the murder but Kim asks for Cahill's help to prove his innocence. Rick follows a trail of treachery involving the California Coastal Commission, Russian mafia and slimy businessman Peter Stone. Violence and threats against both Rick and Kim forces Cahill to find a missing USB drive.

Blood Truth by Matt Coyle is another winning entry in the Rick Cahill mystery series.

I received this book for free from Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Blood Truth Matt Coyle

This is the first Matt Coyle book I have read, and to be honest I felt like a stranger at a family party. Which is a shame because I really liked the story and the characters.

Coyle’s main character is Rick Cahill who served a short time as a cop before becoming a Private Investigator.

This story starts with a run of the mill is-my-husband-cheating-on-me case with a difference. The woman asking for Ricks help is his ex, and probably the biggest love of his life.

During the investigation, Cahill is helped by a fellow investigator Moira, who although acid tongued and quick to mock, is obviously holding some type of feelings for him.

When the other woman, turns up dead Cahill, and his ex, come under suspicion.

Another strand sees Cahill come into possession of evidence in a historic murder case. The case his father was involved in just before being kicked out of the Police for being in cohorts with the local mob; but does the evidence prove his innocence or guilt. This sees Cahill struggling with memories of his father and trying to piece together the facts of the old case

Set in La Jolla California the back drop to this story is reminiscent of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch books. Hot mean and moody. The writing is more in the vain of Raymond Chandler’s Marlowe books.

It may be that I need to read the other stories in the series that left me a bit lost in places in this book.

It may be the fact that Matt Coyle isn’t hugely available in the UK which has kept me from reading his books in the past.

But what is a definite fact is that I will be downloading the back series of the Cahill books and reading them through the summer, because as much as I felt like a stranger at a party, I enjoyed the party

Rick Cahill is trying to find out the truth about his dad. He wants to know if his dad was a dirty cop. This is an easy to read fast paced thriller with plenty of action. There is a lot packed into this book and not everything is as it seems. This is the first book I have read in this series. It was easy to follow and could be read as a standalone.

How have I missed Matt Coyle??? Blood Truth was a fantastic read, full of crime and investigative twists and turns and for a newbie to the Rick Cahill saga, fully followable. Looks like I have a new author to get well and truly stuck into, I could not be happier!

An excellent book that keeps you involved right through until the end.

I enjoyed this book even though the main character was kind of a downer. His personal relationships were sad and his whole life seemed tragic. I think the author should have developed some of the sub characters a little bit more. All the characters were rather antagonistic towards Rick and there were hints as to why but the reasons were not spelled out. Having said that, the dual mysteries were interesting and well laid out. I was glad that the main character was able to clear up a lifelong mystery but his entire life seemed so sad it was a little depressing. Still, I liked the story.

A great read,kept me wanting to read more,a very good book,didn't know what to expect,a must read.

The author, in his usual style, charged forward, full speed ahead in this fourth installment of the Rick Cahill series. The narrative of this unfortunate, sad sack's self-destructive life continued to spiral downward with non-stop action. The protagonist continued to insert himself into seemingly unlikely if not impossible scenarios of life and limb that anyone else with a right mind would avoid at all costs. Well written, this novel took me through a chaotic journey where I found myself being constantly reminded, "I'm glad I'm not him!" Overall, it made for a fascinating read.

Rick's PI business and ramshackle life had allowed him to survive. Not prosper. Actually, an improvement. One day, he had received an unforeseen call from the former love of his life, Kim. Secretly, he still carried a torch for her since their separation. His undoing. Sad. This had not been a social call. Besides, she was now married, therefore, off limits. Another reminder of his runaway life.

They met at Rick's rent-free makeshift office. A booth inside a Steakhouse. It was all business. She feared her husband had been acting suspiciously lately and wanted to learn of his whereabouts. Thoughts of him having an affair had lingered in her mind. This was where Rick shined best. His specialty - cheating husbands. He agreed to follow him and report back with his findings.

During his investigation, Rick's life took an unexpected turn. He acquired his deceased father's wall safe from his childhood home. Upon opening it, he discovered a 25 caliber pistol with four bullets in it, $15,000 in cash and a safe-deposit box key. Dumbfounded. His father had left the police force a disgraced cop. It had been rumored never proven, he had been working for the mob. A Bagman. It was enough to get him kicked off the force and out of Rick's life. Might the contents of this safe hold the key to his father's innocence? Guilt? Only one way to find out.

The haphazard path to uncovering the truth at any and all cost forced Rick into a whirlwind of murder and corruption as he followed where the leads of the safe had taken him. In his heart he knew it was too late for closure. All he ever wanted was justice. One way or another. Let the chips fall where they may. The truth be known. It was now or never.

Although “Blood Truth” by Matt Coyle is part of the Rick Cahill series, it is not necessary to have read the previous books to be able to understand & follow this story. This is my first in the Rick Cahill series, but I can guarantee it won't be my last!! This was an exceptional read.

PI Rick Cahill has struggled with his father's career & life choices. Although Rick has always feared the truth about his father, he wants to find out why his father was kicked off the police force twenty-seven years ago & turned to drinking his life away.
In the meantime, an ex-girlfriend looks Rick up & asks him to check if her husband may be having an affair. This simple request turns into lies, deceit, bribery & much more that you won't be expecting. Follow Rick's wild journey to the truth, both of his father & his ex-girlfriend's husband.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

What I really like in the Rick Cahill Series , is a perfect pace of the plot.

The author knows EXACTLY how to keep your attention: melancholic quite parts alternate with pure actions at a dizzying speed. It is why I recommend you not to start this book late in the evening if you have a list to do on the next early morning – there is a high risk that you'll stay awake and read the whole night through.

And what I REALLY love is of course – the main character, a PI Rick Cahill. He is A-MA-ZING, an exemplary model of a lone warrior who has been hit by blows of every kind in his life and yet stays true to himself and his principles, a loyal fighter for justice who is difficult not to fall for.

In Blood Truth Rick works on two cases, that represent two parallel story-lines that on the first sight have nothing in common. The first one is Rick’s private matter related to his long dead father that sheds light on the mystery of his destruction. VERY EMOTIONAL. The other one is a delicate case that he agrees to take only because his ex-girlfriend, a woman that he still loves, begged for it. Rick has to find out if her husband is cheating on her. Is it a possibility to get her back? Is it THE case that will prove his loyalty?

I ENORMOUSLY enjoyed this book. The previous one, Dark Fissures, my first of Matt Coyle, was already good enough, but this one exceed all my expectations.

Matt Coyle’s series has everything you need to savor: dynamics, great characters, an exciting and emotional plot and very enjoyable writing. It was the book#4 in the series, and my second in it. I normally don’t read series in reverse, but I like this so much, that I’m seriously considering to go back to the very beginning and read the first two books that I've missed.

Note: You can read Blood Truth as a stand alone.
And if you like a good mystery with a likable character, you really should.

This was my first Matt Coyle book but won't be my last. Private investigator Rick seems to have a sad life and is down in his luck.

He ends up investigating the contents of his father's old abandoned safe, was his father really a dirty cop? Then his other case is instigated by his ex girlfriend, is her husband cheating on her?

Rick goes above and beyond the call of duty to help his ex. The characters are believable and you care about them.

The book is hard to put down and enjoyable.

This story is about the past as much as the present and how secrets can hurt us and haunt us. The characters are people we can relate to and at the same time want to yell at them to stop being so stupid!

Book 4 of the Rick Cahill series finds the hard-boiled PI coming to turn with his father’s truth. While this story is a deep look into his protagonist’s emotional depth, Coyle does not disappoint those readers wanting a tough, intriguing plot. In fact, Cahill’s father’s history comes back to bite Cahill—so he thinks, only to find that we are never far from those who brought us into the world. Not sure what that means? Read Blood Truth is driven to find out Rick Cahill’s “blood truth” no matter where it might take him.

Matt Coyle has developed an interesting protagonist, Rick Cahill. He is a PI, formerly with the LAPD. The reader senses his disgrace and depression, although we don't know the cause. The reader is privy to something lurking in his background and his relationships that leave him damaged and desolate. This is the first Cahill book I have read; I am quite sure that these characters traits/flaws were fleshed out in the beginning of the series ( this is the 4th book in the series). The plot is interesting, dealing with bribes, kickbacks and corruption in land development. The characters are likeable. I will go back to the beginning of the series!

Pretty good read and I liked the writer's style. xxxxxxxxx

it took me a while to 'get' the principal Rick Cahill - but as the story progressed, i could see that he was a good operator and the gathering interested parties - real estate agents, their lobbyists, and spreading corruption - circle in around his ex's new husband - so he's firmly involved despite the sexual orientation of another woman at the center who clearly loves other women. the PI who helps Cahill on jobs when he's short handed is a terrific character - with sharp dialogue - i hope the author works her up in a series that may ensue. thinking they are small time, the parameters are weighing them all down ... it's really an ambitious terrific novel.

Really enjoyable storyline that keeps your interest. I would highly recommend this to my friends and family.

Storytelling is a skill and Coyle has got it. This book is one that is easy to get into and keeps you interested till the end. It’s a story about bitterness and dying inside day by day. Its a story about wondering who your father really was inside and what the clues about him really mean. Was a hero or a crook? It’s a story about swindlers, cheats, and conspiracies. It’s a private eye story set in the modern age in San Diego and La Jolla with many of the traditional moorings such as a lone wolf st odds with the local police, run ins with the local scion of wealth, and mobsters hovering in the background. A lot of fun to read. Thanks to the publishing house for providing a copy for review.

Synopsis/blurb......

A hard-boiled PI novel for fans of Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald and Dashiell Hammett.

Rick Cahill has long feared the truth about his own blood - the blood of his father coursing through his veins.

When a long-hidden safe unlocks clues about why his father was kicked off the police force twenty-seven years ago and then spiraled into an early drunken death, Rick determines to find the truth even if it proves the one thing he's always feared.

But as he grapples with his father's past, the woman he still loves pleads with him to find out if her husband is having an affair - or is involved in something much more sinister. Could the truth send her back into Rick's arms? Would he have a last shot at happiness? He may never get the chance to find out, as killers who will do anything to protect their secrets lurk in the shadows.
----------------
My take.....

My second Matt Coyle read this month and the fourth time overall in the author's hands with his PI Rick Cahill. Another entertaining read and one which I enjoyed slightly more than the last one, Dark Fissures.

There's an intriguing premise at play when Cahill gets access to his late father's hidden safe and subsequently a bank deposit box that has been kept active for the near 20 years his father has been dead. Cahill has unresolved issues with his late father, an ex-cop and one who he shunned after he was drummed off the police force under a corruption cloud. Cahill Snr. turned away from his family and towards the bottle.

Two things come to light, dirty money and a gun with probable links to an unsolved murder in La Jolla, pre-dating his dad's exit from the force. Rick seeks affirmation that his father was responsible so he can finally close the dark chapter on his memories.

In the meanwhile, Kim Parker, the only women he ever loved since his wife died needs help. She's pregnant and the man she married, on the rebound after Rick pushed her away thinks her husband is playing the field. With marital infidelity, Rick's investigative specialty takes the gig.

I really liked the twin strands of dual mystery, particularly with the differing time lines. I know elements of the past and an overhanging threat to Rick's freedom irritated me in the last book, but not so this time.

Excellent pacing, and a superb blending of past and present as the stakes are raised in our ex-girlfriend "damsel in distress" story line. The husband is soon looking at a life behind bars for murder rather than a divorce bill for cheating. Rick still the supportive ex, tries to prove otherwise.

I liked seeing more of Rick's PI colleague Moira MacFarlane in this one. She's a firm friend to our main man and the only one he has other than his dog. That elements of the La Jolla PD seem to be open-minded towards Rick, rather than openly prejudiced against him, after Chief Moretti has flown the coop are also a welcome change.

A fantastic read - superb pacing, a familiar setting, great characters, interesting cases needing a resolution, with Cahill a bit more inclined to accept help rather than playing the go it alone wolf all the time. There's a convincing conclusion, all questions answered and a bit of finality regarding some family issues. Probably the best book in the series.

Matt Coyle has his website here. http://www.mattcoylebooks.com/
The previous books in the series are Yesterday's Echo, Night Tremors and Dark Fissures.
http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/matt-coyle-yesterdays-echo-2013.html
http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/matt-coyle-night-tremors-2015.html
http://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2017/11/matt-coyle-dark-fissures-2016.html

Read in November, 2017
Published - 2017 (any day now)
Page count - 390
Source - review copy from the author
Format - ARC paperback

https://col2910.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/matt-coyle-blood-truth-2017.html

It was interesting and different. He’s becoming a new favorite author.

Rick Cahill is a PI operating in the La Jolla, San Diego area. He hasn’t visited the home he grew up in since his father had died some eighteen years earlier because of the households so many bad memories. Memories of his dad, once a revered member of the La Jolla police, who ended up drinking himself to death.

The new owner of the house has called him as he has uncovered a safe that had been well hidden and only became apparent when building work started taking place. More out of curiosity than anything else, Rick decides to collect the safe and once he’s managed to open it, finds a safety deposit key and $15,000 and a gun. This sets off his investigation into how it could tie into his father being fired by the police.

He cannot give his undivided attention to this as his ex-girlfriend, Kim, has phoned begging him to find out if her husband Jeffrey Parker, the wealthy owner of Parker Real Estate, is having an affair. This job is going to lead Rick and his sometimes co-worker, Moira McFarlane (also a PI), with some very tense twists and turns, leaving a string of dead bodies in the process.

I enjoyed this book for lots of reasons. Rick Cahill is a laid-back character who seems to have, over the years, upset lots of people involved with the La Jolla police. Being the son of a man kicked off the force adds fuel to the fire and does not help. Moira McFarlane is the complete opposite, a no-nonsense “let’s get this job done” woman who treats Rick with disdain, but is a loyal and caring friend. There are other characters who add to the whole page-turning vibe of the book and add to the sheer enjoyment of reading a good, well-planned thriller with lots to ensure that you are never bored.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

This was my first experience with Matt Coyle's Rick Cahill series and I LOVED it!! Not having read any of the prior books in the series did not diminish my enjoyment of this book one bit.

Blood Truth has Rick, a disgraced former policeman and now a straight-shooting, get-it-done PI, taking a case for a former could-have-married-her girlfriend, as well as following an unexpected lead that may finally tell him the truth about his father.

Rick is brought evidence regarding his father, which pushes him into investigating a cold-case that led to his father's dismissal from the police force after 22 years of service. The dismissal caused his father to go into a subsequent downward spiral until his death nine years later. Rick is determined to know the truth about his father, good or bad.

Meanwhile, his investigation into ex-girlfriend Kim's husband whom she suspects of having an affair, leads him into places neither one of them expected and gets Rick almost killed several times.

Real estate deals, murder, betrayals, the mob, conspiracies, romance, action this book has it all. Full of emotional attachments and conflicts in both well-plotted story lines; complex characters; and twists, turns and surprises that kept me guessing right up to the end all made for one heck of a read!! I definitely look forward to reading more of the Rick Cahill series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book. All opinions in this review are strictly my own.

BLOOD TRUTH by Matt Coyle is the 4th book in the Rick Cahill Series (the first novel in the series that I’ve read to date), and opens with a scene from his childhood playing catch in the yard with his father after he’s cut the grass, and after being hit by a ball that takes a bad bounce, his perfectionist and stubborn nature is revealed, along with a glimpse into his father’s qualities and personality.

Rick now an adult is currently running a one man investigation firm specializing in divorce cases, which provides him with a meager existence and lack of respectability in his town of La Jolla along with the cloud of his late father’s past as a dishonorable former policeman who died in the throes of alcoholism after years of shame and depression resulting from his troubled past.

Kim is Rick’s ex-girlfriend who remarried after he broke it off with her, and she contacts him in an effort to investigate her husband for the possibility of infidelity, pressuring Rick into taking on the case knowing it likely will not end well.

Further added to Rick’s plate is his interest in reopening the case that brought shame to his family and tarnished his father’s name based on new evidence in a hidden safe is discovered while renovating is being done by the new owner of the house he grew up in, also opening old wounds much like Kim’s case.

Moira is an investigator that Rick previously angered by getting a case she wanted to be hired for; yet afterwards the two reach a tenuous agreement for her to work with him on cases from time to time.

Rick finds several things on both cases that spell trouble and involving sketchy legalities, corruption, and eventually murder that place Rick and Kim in danger, as well as Kim’s husband Jeffery.

Will Rick succeed in digging to the bottom of one or both cases without finding himself and the woman he still loves in even more danger, or will it be impossible for him to find the truth in both cases based on the complexity of the current case and time passed in his father’s unsolved mystery?

Solid detective novel with a strong emphasis of involvement based on personal relationship and unwavering determination to find truth, this would be a great read for those who enjoy novels involving detectives, police, mobs, and those drawn into circumstances based on other’s greed.

4 stars.

This is another good read from Matt Coyle. P.I. Rick Cahill finds a safe hidden in his childhood home. The contents would indicate that his late father was a corrupt cop. A very good, modern private eye story. Matt Coyle is a gifted storyteller and this book has excellent characterisation, a great plot and a lovely setting in San Diego. Thank you Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads and Amazon.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for a review copy of Blood Truth, the fourth novel in the La Jolla based PI Rick Cahill series.

Rick is a busy man. His ex, Kim, has hired him to find out if her new husband, Jeff, is having an affair. Keen to protect Kim he investigates further than he strictly has to and uncovers something more than affair although he's not quite sure what that something is. In the meantime the owner of his childhood home has discovered a hidden safe belonging to his dad. He is in two minds about investigating further as his dad died an alcoholic 18 years previously after being dismissed from the La Jolla Police Department amid a swirl of rumours about corruption and the mob.

I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Truth which is the first novel in the series that I have read although it won't be the last. The novel is a great read with a well paced plot as each plot line gradually builds to a crescendo, not that gradually implies a slow burner as there is plenty of action, developments and unexpected twists and turns throughout. Rick's first person narrative adds an immediacy and poignancy to the novel in his quest to uncover his father's past.

The two plot lines intersect tangentially as the novel progresses but are mostly separate. I think the first person narrative helps to keep them clear in the reader's mind and, at the same time, keeps the novel flowing without any awkward change of focus or point of view. It is an easy novel to read despite the fairly complicated plot and it held my attention from start to finish. The plot is interesting and logical with a certain amount of violence which probably pushes the boundaries of plausibility but makes for a good read.

Of course, in a first person narrative characterisation becomes more important as the reader lives the novel with that voice. It's not an easy thing to pull off successfully but Mr Coyle manages it with aplomb. Rick Cahill is not an easy character to like. He is obviously damaged and is rude, insensitive and not very good at friendship and yet he is blisteringly honest in his self appraisal. I came to admire both him and Mr Coyle's skill by the end of the novel. The only odd note is his relationship or lack of one with the La Jolla Police Department who hate him. It makes for good reading but seems facile in comparison with the depth of Rick's character.

Blood Truth is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Blood Truth

When Private Detective Joe Cahill is asked by his ex to trail her husband to find out whether he is cheating on her, he finds himself on a case which soon starts to involve a whole lot more. Corrupt property deals and an encounter with an old and dangerous enemy. And then murder. Eventually he finds himself up against a lethal goth Russian mobster who wants something vital back from the scene of the murder. But will Cahill be able to find it in time?
Like many modern detectives, Cahill is painted as a fairly three-dimensional character. He is too damaged emotionally to be capable of sustaining either genuine friendships or to remain in a long-term relationship – this becomes an issue when dealing both with the ex and his working partner, once she realises he is in danger. Joe Cahill's name is tainted – his father was a disgraced cop who was rumoured to have helped the Mob in concealing a much earlier murder. The shame drove his father to drink himself to death.
He is to find out that this is a case where there are those still prepared to kill to make sure old secrets remain old secrets.
Cahill is a tough survivor with a strong sense of integrity. The field seems to be open for him to continue his heroic fight against bad guys of every stripe.
This was a most satisfactory read, with a good, brooding feel. Unaddressed injustice can be a deeply corrosive thing. It seems we do need heroes, however much we fall short of righting wrongs and rising from the ashes in real life.

Great story, a flawed hero searching for the truth about his father's fall from grace. Excellent intertwining of two stories. Well written. Can't wat ifor the next one.

The action in Blood Truth sizzles! Main character Rick Cahill doggedly goes after the truth, even if it means heartbreak for himself or if it means he must operate outside the law at times. Rick is an interesting character. He loves, but he does not seem to have friends or meaningful relationships. I can't help but wonder if the ending of this book will enable him to be able to develop and maintain friendships in the future.