Bolt Action Remedy

I've read all four of J.J. Hensley's novels (Resolve, Measure Twice, Chalk's Outline, and this upcoming release) as well as a piece he contributed to Legacy: An Anthology; I highly recommend all of them and, if nothing else, you should definitely follow him on Twitter and Facebook for regular entertainment. As a former Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service, he is not lacking in excellent stories and experiences.

All of Hensley's protagonists are rather tortured souls, yet quite endearing; Trevor Galloway, a former Pittsburgh narcotics detective, is no exception. He is hired by the family member of a prominent Pennsylvania businessman to consult on his homicide case, and finds himself drawn into the sport of biathlon.

"I don’t understand the thing. Skiing is a sport. Even shooting can be a sport. But it seems to me that if someone is going to grab a rifle and hop on a pair of skis, it should be preceded by someone saying, ‘Hold my beer and watch this.’"

While trying to uncover potential leads, creating new enemies by asking too many questions, and struggling to separate his own challenging experiences from those of the case, Galloway creates a situation in which the family who has hired him, and the police chief who is his only ally, begins to wonder whether they will ever get the answers they seek.

"Working a case is like distance running. You can’t go all-out, all the time. You have to pace yourself, know your limitations, and focus on your strengths."

There is plenty of wit and snark for those of you who, like me, appreciate that sort of thing; it is definitely what draws me back, time and again, to Hensley's work and his characters.

"Long ago, my father had taken me camping somewhere in West Virginia and I think he said something about moss growing on the north side of a tree. However, my father also told me that women could get pregnant simply from laying down in the backseat of a car, so I learned early on to take his advice with a grain of salt and a shot of tequila."

For the true mystery/crime fan, know that you will never be disappointed by ambiguity or a shoddy ending; Hensley is an intuitive writer and includes all of the details necessary to tie his stories together flawlessly.

This proved to be a quick read for me, since I could hardly wait to find out how this case would shake out, and I certainly appreciated the biathlon backdrop; highly recommend to those of you who love a great whodunit, regardless of your affinity toward sporting events, because there is plenty to enjoy!

Bolt Action Remedy is a really well-written crime fiction thriller involving an ex-police officer, Trevor Galloway, who is chased by demons, some which may be the product of his own Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in the form of hallucinations and anger issues, and some which are as real and deadly as can be imagined in the form of a psychopathic killer (known as "the Lithuanian") who is hunting for Galloway and leaving body parts in his wake as a reminder of how deadly he really is. Galloway is a great character, smart, clever, but troubled and perhaps not as good with people as one might expect. This story takes Galloway from the urban sprawl of Pittsburgh and plants him in a rural setting, in a small town where everyone knows each other and rumors spread faster than lightning. Its a small town where a wealthy man has settled, and a year earlier he was settled permanently, a cold case that no one local has solved. Galloway, the outsider, is asked to tackle it and to use what little charm he has to figure out what the locals have given up on figuring out. This is a really great read and, had I had a an inkling of how good it was, I would have picked up much sooner. Hensley should be planning to make this into a series. I, for one, would be very interested in following Galloway's adventures.

Right from the first page of this one I was hooked, a man is shot amd killed on his property and the tension and setting was so vividly rendered, I felt like I was there, a part of the action myself. Then we flip to a year later and are introduced to Trevor Galloway, a former detective with a harrowing past. His friend Chase has asked him to investigate a cold case, that of the man who was gunned down in the prologue.

Two things really grabbed me and made me well and truly hooked on this book. First the assailant had to be a biathlete which is such a unique and interesting premise, I’ve never read a book with anything even remotely close to this setting/idea and nothing makes me happier than reading a crime novel with a fresh perspective. On top of the super intriguing premise, Galloway was the type of lead that makes my heart sing. He’s damaged, flawed and practically broken, but he also has the type of ironic, wry sense of humor that never fails to satisfy me as a reader. He also suffers from occasional hallucinations making his reliability a constant guessing game that kept me on my toes.

This was really fast paced with a ton of action and some great scenes that made my heart race. The writing style is sharp and witty and there was enough information about biathlons to keep me engaged but not so much excessive info that I was bored. The mystery itself was taut and I could never quite figure out what would happen next, it really was an entertaining read. If you’re looking for a fresh, remarkable crime novel, give this one a shot.