Wednesday 17 December 2014

Book ~ "Vengeance Road" (2009) Rick Mofina

From Goodreads ~ The murder of a broken-hearted woman and the chilling disappearance of her friend raise questions about their ties to a respected detective and lead to one journalist’s obsession to find the truth! 

The body of Bernice Hogan, a troubled young ex-nursing student with a tragic past, is found in a shallow grave near a forest creek. 

Jolene Peller, a single mom struggling to build a new life with her little boy, vanishes the night she tried to find Bernice. 

Hero cop, Karl Styebeck, is beloved by his community but privately police are uneasy with the answers he gives to protect the life - and the lie - he’s lived. 

The case haunts Jack Gannon, a gritty, blue-collar reporter whose sister ran away from their family years ago. Gannon risks more than his job to pursue the story behind Styebeck's dark secret, his link to the women and the mysterious big rig roaming America's loneliest highways on its descent into eternal darkness.

Jolene is a former hooker who has turned her life around and is moving to Florida to start a new life with her young son.  She tries one last time to convince her friend, Bernice, also a hooker to do the same.  But then Bernice is found dead and Jolene disappears, her bus ticket unused.

Jack Gannon is a reporter who had once had bright future.  He put his dreams on hold when his parents were killed in a car accident.  He missed his opportunity and is still a reporter for a newspaper in Buffalo.  He is investigating the murder of Bernice when he gets inside information that a hero cop named Styebeck is the killer and prints his story.  Refusing to reveal his sources or retract the story, Jack is fired.  Determined to find out what happened, Jack continues to investigate and uncovers some shocking information about Styebeck's past (which is interesting yet sordid).

This is the third book I've read by this author and I liked it.  I liked the writing style ... it was written in third person perspective with the focus bouncing around depending on what was going on.  Plus it goes back in time to give you some background (it's in italics so you know you've stepped into a different time period).  As a head's up, there are some F-bombs.

I liked Jack.  Despite being threatened with the loss of his job, he is honourable and trustworthy and doesn't give up his sources.   Jolene's mom trust hims and looks to him to find the truth when no one else would help her.  He seems to lead a lonely existence, though, because he has no friends, family, romantic interest or pets.

It is the first in the Jack Gannon series and I look forward to reading the others.

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