A crew looking for some kicks. A hero tortured by his past. All on a collision course with death.It’s called the Knockout Game—a violent one-punch assault on random strangers.Years ago, it faded like a bad memory, but now it’s back—with a vengeance.But this time it’s been twisted into an act of retaliation against the corporate image of the 1%—men in suits and ties. No man is safe walking through … and ties. No man is safe walking through downtown.
Those playing the game are terrorizing a city and the police seem helpless to stop it.
When the game expands to murder, Detectives Quinn Delaney and Marci Burkett join the hunt. As more victims hit the ground, the police are running out of time.
What they have yet to understand is that this has always been about one suit.
And he’s ready to fight back.
The Suit is the fourth book in The 509 Crime Stories, a series of novels set in Eastern Washington with revolving lead characters. If you like thrillers with fast-paced action, then you’ll love this story.
Pick up The Suit and join this exciting new series today!
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An Audacious Crime Novel That Delivers a Knockout Read
Colin Conway drums up an old flame of virile crime with The Suit with the once-prevalent “knockout game” that went viral years ago, and yet continues to be relevant today. Taking place in the “509” world, chock full of authenticity and realistic setting drawn on Conway’s time as a police officer of the area, the city suffers a daring crime plague when the knockout game of the past becomes a thing of the present and violently spirals out of control before it can be contained. With exhilarating storylines, heavily supported by gritty dialogue, Conway takes the gloves off and delivers an audacious crime story that reads with the stride of a short story but with ageless thrill that you’ll find from reading this veteran crime thriller writer. Whether it be your first novel by Conway as a standalone, or if you’re privy to his previous works (i.e. Charlie-316 series, Cozy Up series, 509 Crime Stories), this one is worth the read to get your fill of a crime thriller that you would not find in the mainstream.
The Suit keeps the streak alive for the 509 series. Once more, Conway has delivered a powerful book, and once more, he has varied slightly from the formula of the previous entries while still building on the their strengths.
The Side Hustle was a police procedural coupled with an amateur sleuth whodunit, with a twist regarding the lead detective’s personal life.
The Long Cold Winter was a procedural whodunit with the emotional impact of a noir novel, and included an interesting phenomenon that the protagonist experienced.
The Blind Trust was a procedural whodunit the combined small town cops, big city detectives, and a shady detective willing to work on the darker side of the law, all of whom are mixed up in a twisted family mystery.
Now we have The Suit, which is absolutely a procedural, but not a whodunit. We know who is doing the knockout game and why, but the cops don’t. So we follow their efforts to solve a crime that we already know the answer to. This isn’t uncommon in procedurals. In all five of my own River City novels, the reader is privy to the bad guys – who they are, what and why they’re doing what they’re doing, etc. The tension comes from whether or not – and how – the cops might stop them.
In this case, the cops are Delaney and Burkett, who may not be the main characters of the series but are certainly first among equals. Their work to find the culprits of the assaults are assisted by patrol officer Leya Navarro, who I hope to see more of in future entries.
In the absence of a whodunit, Conway provides us with a different mystery in this one – a who-is-it? The titular character is cloaked in mystery when the book opens (or more accurately, in normalcy) and the steady trickle of hints and bits about him add another layer of tension to this novel.
The action is good, as always, and the police procedural elements are sound as well. Conway’s approach to this book being just slightly different than its predecessors keeps the 509 series fresh. Readers are getting recurring characters, who grow and change slowly over time, but also something a little offset from the others each time. There’s enough familiarity to make me want to come back, but enough new ground to keep it from feeling like a retread (a problem with any number of series out there).
A solid 509 book, adding to lore of the series in a compelling way!
The Suit by Colin Conway
509 Crime Stories #4
Bored? Why not start a “game” that will see who can win the most points for knocking people out with one punch. You know, walk up to a stranger, land a punch and knock them out with the hope of winning the prize. Matt, Ex-Marine turned drug dealer, has nothing to keep his crew happy so dreams up restarting the knockout game and that is probably the worst choice he could have made.
This book is definitely a police procedural to find out who is behind the knockout game with the intention of rounding the culprits up and then incarcerating them. In addition to the team effort made by the police there is the story of Matt’s crew and the knockout game. And finally there is the part of the story that really drew me in…the story about Adam Miller, ex-military Delta Force, and his impact on the game.
What I liked:
* Adam – I really found him intriguing and wished there were more men out and about that were just like him. I loved the way he cared for Candace and the way he did not back down.
* Leya Navarro – Seeing what her life was like as a beat cop, team member, mother and wife was like being a fly on the wall. I really hope she will choose to take the exam and take larger parts in future books in the series.
* Detective Marci Burkett – talk about a strong woman with a backstory I am eager to hear more about! She is a great role modell for females of all ages.
* The plotting and pace of the story
* The conclusion
What I did not like:
* The men who were willing and eager to play the knockout game – scum of the earth.
* Realizing once again how easily some can be lead to do wrong or be suckered into addiction
What I am curious to know more about:
* Quinn Delaney – would love to know more about him
* Zane Ingram (FBI) and whether he will ever get a date with Marci
* Marci Burkett – would love to know more about her
I can see a spin off series for Andrew in the future…maybe. I can also see some of the characters in this story starring in future books and some of them being promoted.
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more in the series? Definitely
Thank you to the author for the ARC – this is my honest review.
5 Stars