Book ~ "None So Deadly" (2019) David A. Poulsen

From Goodreads ~ It’s a case that has haunted Cullen and Cobb for years - the murder of eleven-year-old Faith Unruh. And now the brutal killing of a police investigator who was similarly obsessed with the little girl’s murder has put PI Mike Cobb and former crime-writing journalist Adam Cullen back on the killer’s trail - and directly in the line of fire. 

As the case is unfolding, Cullen is desperately trying to get out from under the thumb of a local biker gang without ruining his relationship, getting arrested ... or worse.

Adam Cullen is a freelance writer/former newspaper journalist and Mike Cobb is an ex-cop, now a private detective.  They work together on occasion.  Danny, a teenager, needs advice and comes to Adam and Mike ... his girlfriend's rich father wants him to kill his wife (Danny's girlfriend's mother) and make it look like a robbery.  Danny doesn't want to do it but the father is trying to blackmail him into doing it.

In the meantime, Adam had gotten financing from a not-so-nice motorcycle gang to keep his girlfriend's shelter open ... and now they expect him favours from him by running errands for them.  The consequences could be deadly if he refuses.

And finally, Adam and Mike have been obsessed with the unsolved murder of 11-year-old Faith in 1991.  This storyline started in a previous book in the series.  A former police officer who was even more obsessed about the case was recently murdered and Adam and Mike assume there is a link and are determined to solve these murders.

I liked the writing style and liked this story ... there was a lot going on.  It is written in first person perspective in Adam's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this story is set in Calgary and the author doesn't try to hide the fact that the story is happening in Canada.  There are numerous references to Calgary in addition to Canadian musicians as Adam is a big music fan who has quite an extensive collection of Canadian music.

I liked the characters and their interactions ... Adam and Mike, Adam and Jill (Adam's girlfriend of almost a year), Adam and Kyla (Jill's young daughter).

This is the fourth and latest in the Cobb and Cullen series and I've read them all.  Hopefully there will be future books in the series.  It works as a stand alone as there is enough background provided so you don't have to read the other three to know what's been going on.

Book ~ "Last Song Sung" (2018) David A. Poulsen

From Goodreads ~ On February 28, 1965, a young singer named Ellie Foster stepped into the alley behind The Depression, a Calgary folk club where she shared the bill with Joni Anderson, later to become famous as Joni Mitchell. During a cigarette break in the back alley, Ellie was forced into a car and the musicians with her were shot and killed. The investigation that followed turned up no sign of the kidnappers and Ellie Foster was never seen again. 

Now, more than fifty years after the singer’s disappearance, Ellie’s granddaughter approaches Cullen and Cobb to try to find out what happened to her grandmother. The search for the truth about Ellie Foster takes the two investigators straight into the past. They find themselves investigating a failed political assassination and discover that there are those who will stop at nothing, even a half-century later, to ensure that certain secrets remain untold.

Adam Cullen is a freelance writer/former newspaper journalist and Mike Cobb is an ex-cop, now a private detective.  Mike has been hired to find Ellie Foster, a folk singer from Ontario who disappeared more than fifty years ago.  She had been performing at a club in Calgary and had gone outside for a smoke with the members in her band.  They were shot and Ellie was dragged into a car, never to be seen again.  Ellie's granddaughter would like to know what happened to her grandmother.  Mike and Adam aren't sure if they will find anything after all these years but they are willing to try.

I liked the writing style and liked this story.  It is written in first person perspective in Adam's voice.  The editing could have been tighter, though, as there are some typos.  Plus Jay, a character from the past, is referred to as "Clay".  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this story is set in Calgary and the author doesn't try to hide the fact that the story is happening in Canada.  There are numerous references to Calgary, plus Mike and Adam travel to Ottawa.  In addition, there are many many references to Canadian musicians as Adam is a big music fan and has quite an extensive collection of Canadian music.

I liked the characters and their interactions ... Adam and Mike, Adam and Jill (Adam's girlfriend of almost a year), Adam and Kyla (Jill's young daughter) and we meet Mike's family.

This is the third and latest in the Cobb and Cullen series and I've read them all.  Hopefully there will be future books in the series.

Book ~ "Dead Air" (2017) David A. Poulsen

From Goodreads ~ Ex-cop turned private detective Mike Cobb is hired as the personal bodyguard of right-wing radio celebrity Buckley-Rand Larmer, who has been receiving a string of vicious, graphic threats. Once again, Cobb recruits crime journalist Adam Cullen, this time to dig into Larmer’s past and find out who might have a grudge against him.

Soon it becomes evident that Cullen and Cobb have more to contend with than the not-so-veiled threats. When Larmer’s associate turns up dead, the broadcaster is charged with the killing but Cullen believes the murder might be related to a series of suspicious deaths of right-wing media figures going back years. 

As layers of secrets and lies peel back, Cullen and Cobb have more than Larmer’s guilt or innocence to worry about. A vicious killer is out there somewhere, poised to strike again.

Adam Cullen is a freelance writer/former newspaper journalist and Mike Cobb is an ex-cop, now a private detective.  Mike has been hired to protect Larmer, a right wing radio celebrity, who has been getting death threats.  Mike enlists Adam to help to research the Larmer's background to figure out who is making the death threats and why.  In the meantime, Larmer's associate is murdered and and Larmer gets arrested.  Mike's job changes from bodyguard to investigator and Adam continues to do research.  Neither Mike nor Adam like Larmer but they have to put aside their feelings to do the job.

I liked the writing style and enjoyed this book.  The editing could have been tighter, though.  For example, there is mention to Adam's late wife, Donna, but she is called "Diana" in the beginning of the book and correctly as "Donna" through the rest of the book.  Also, it was lacking punctuation in some places.  It is written in first person perspective in Adam's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this story is set in Calgary and the author doesn't try to hide the fact that the story is happening in Canada.  There are numerous references to Calgary and many many references to Canadian musicians, even obscure ones I've never heard of (Adam is a big music fan with eclectic tastes).

I liked the characters and their interactions ... Adam and Mike, Adam and Jill (Adam's girlfriend) and Adam and Kyla (Jill's young daughter).  Adam and Jill have been dating for about six months and had discussed taking the next step (with Kyla's approval) but are taking it slowly.

This is the second in the Cobb and Cullen series ... I'd read the first one earlier this week.  I look forward to reading others in the series.

Book ~ "Serpents Rising" (2014) David A. Poulsen

From Goodreads ~ In 2005, journalist Adam Cullen's wife, Donna, was killed by an arsonist. In desperation after police, fire department and insurance investigators all give up trying to find the culprit, Cullen hires private detective Mike Cobb, but he, too, is stymied. Seven years later, Cobb re-enters Cullen's life. A search for a crack-addicted teenage runaway is tangled up with Calgary's most ruthless criminal organization and a possible lead on Donna's killer.

The parallel investigations take the two onto Calgary's meanest streets, populated by a vicious biker gang, a silky-smooth pedophile, and an assortment of people who aren't at all what they seem. 

As they weave their way through long-buried secrets, Cobb and Cullen will come face-to-face with a cruelty they could never have expected. 

In 2005, Adam was a journalist and very much in love with his wife, Donna.  When she is killed in a house fire, he assumes that it was because of a story he had written sometime and someone was seeking revenge.  He hires a ex-cop/private detective named Mike Cobb to check into it when the police come up empty.  Mike finds nothing and Adam tries to carry on with his life.

In 2013, Adam is a freelance writer and Mike contacts him for help.  Mike has been hired by a father to find his drug-addicted son, Jay.  Since Adam has written stories about this subject, Mike hopes he has some insight.  In the meantime, Adam starts to wonder if maybe Donna had been the intended instead of an innocent victim so he starts to investigate again, using Mike as a sounding board.

I liked the writing style and enjoyed this book.  The editing could have been tighter, though.  For example, something happens 30 hours ago yet they reference it as happening that night.  It is written in first person perspective in Adam's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

I like that this story is set in Calgary and the author doesn't try to hide the fact that the story is happening in Canada.  There are numerous references to Calgary and many many references to Canadian musicians, even obscure ones I've never heard of (Adam is a big music fan with eclectic tastes).

This is the first in the Cobb and Cullen series and the first book I have read by this author.  I look forward to reading others in the series.