Kimberly and Brian planned a fun-filled vacation. Neither of them expected Brian to come back home by himself. And Kimberly not to return at all. Kimberly’s mother knows her daughter is in trouble. God told her so. Rafferty will take more convincing. In a case like this it’s typically the boyfriend, or the girl’s a runaway. But this one is a long way from typical and Rafferty soon discovers what … a case like this it’s typically the boyfriend, or the girl’s a runaway.
But this one is a long way from typical and Rafferty soon discovers what happened to Kimberly is more depraved than anything he’s seen before.
To get to the bottom of this twisted case involving charismatic men and missing girls, Rafferty will need to discern between what’s true and what’s false.
And if he gets it wrong, Kimberly’s life won’t be the only one lost.
If you like Robert B. Parker’s Spenser or Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole, you’ll love Rafferty: P.I.
Buy FALSE GODS today.
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Praise for Rafferty P.I.
“If you like Parker’s Spenser, or Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole you should love the Rafferty series.” – Mark A. Johnson.
“Rafferty is the best hardboiled PI of this era.” – Wendy Green.
“Any fan of Micky Spillane, the Jack Reacher novels, or Mark Yost’s Rick Crane novels should absolutely venture into the world of Rafferty P.I.” – Michael Raabe.
“Duncan truly captured the pure essence of the definitive smart-ass private eye in his character Rafferty. Take part Sam Spade with a little Mike Hammer, mix in some Spenser and you have an awesome character.” – Cliff Fausset.
“This author goes on my list of great private eye writers along with Kinky Friedman, Elmore Leonard, and Lawrence Sanders.” – Tricia Schiro.
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rafferty is a little bit texas ranger and classic hard boiled detective all wrapped into one bad a*s rip roaring ride. sometimes i read other pi books and think… you know what this needs… cowboy and mimi!!
Teenage student Kimberly is missing. Rafferty thinks it is obvious that she ran away with her boyfriend, though her mom does not want to admit it Rafferty thinks he will have this wrapped up by the weekend. He finds the boyfriend home alone, and that bears rethinking the situation. The last sight of Kimberly was of her putting the missionary into the position with charismatic cut leader Dariell, and no one knows where she went since. Rafferty tracks Kimberly to a remote compound in the Texas desert, but he is stuck between a pack of gun-toting religious zealots and an ATF agent playing hardball. Rafferty is a Dallas PI and an ex-cop who spent enough time on the streets to understand how things work. – Rafferty has a good sense of humor, and many of his remarks are funny. This is an intriguing mystery. The people who help Rafferty are interesting, and his relationship with Hilda makes the story better.
Lots of action and interesting characters.
The private detective, Rafferty, takes a case involving a young woman who ran off to join a cult. He stakes out the cult compound and manages to rescue the young woman but most of the cult members commit suicide with the exception of a few Rafferty and Cowboy shoot.
Love the main characters enjoyed the previous Rafferty books , and this was no exception. Great dialogue, good plot, terrific read. Look forward to more.
So much happening that it is hard to put the book down.
I was quite disappointed in the whole book. The author portrayed Christians, and especially ministers as immoral, greedy people, and there are a few of those. However, I’ve personally known many who were some of the most genuine Christian leaders to be found.
This is the first book I’ve read in this series, but at no point did I feel like a stranger. The writer is very good at introducing the characters without the “throwaway preamble” which weighs down many series. The characters are there and you are expected to get to know them via their actions.
That said, Rafferty is very similar to many PIs of his genre. Rough around the edges. Sole proprietor. Perpetually broke. Able to capture the attention and affection of striking women way out of his league.
What made this story stand out to me was the acceptance of a collaborative approach to crime-solving, the author’s apparent disdain of trite neat endings and at the root of it a crime story well told.
A bit too gritty for my taste, but overall, great stuff.
I am really fond of the characters in this series. They don’t mind taking the hard way and they win. A little bit battered and scarred but still come out on top
Surprisingly good & attention-engaging. I neglected chores to finish it. 🙂
Intriguing
Rafferty’s always a hoot!
Read a few pages and didn’t like it. So I didn’t read it.
trash
I read the first Rafferty book, Rafferty’s Rules and immediately bought the entire series. And of course, I picked up False Gods as quickly as Icould. It’s amazing how easily Bill has taken up the reins and gone on with his dad’s stories. There is the same suspense and tension, the slow building of the mystery to a powerful conclusion. But most importantly are characters who feel real and not cardboard or fake. I HIGHLY recommend this series for any true PI fan. It is amazing!
Wow. This is my first in this series.
If this book were made into a movie, I could see the format being like a film noir style but modern. Rafferty has that quality and sass about him. Cowboy and Mimi intrigue me. will need to to read previous books to for their background hopefully. Love their interactions together. I may have found another hero that I would love to be like, lol.
It took me long time to read because it was intense. Needed a rest and the way the subject matter was written had me thinking. Plus I had to changes buses every time I got to a good part. GRRRRRR! Plus I had festival to do that I was committed to doing.
This is my honest and freely given review for an ARC.
Rafferty and religion don’t mix
I’m a Johnny-Come-Lately to W. Glen Duncan’s Rafferty mysteries. Having just finished False Gods, (thanks, Hidden Gems, for the ARC) I’m highly motivated to correct that oversight.I’m not sure Ill ever get enough of Rafferty’s sardonic self-deprecating wit, his instinct for doing the right thing, or his penchant for landing feet-first in a pile of fertilizer while solving the case. And let’s be honest, his honey, Hilda, is the best female love-interest in any mystery I’ve ever read. Clearly author Duncan has a gift for characterization, because even the most minor of players in this book come across as 3-D real. The mystery is developed slowly, almost insidiously, and there’s plenty of dramatic tension, red herrings, and dead ends before it’s all sorted. The climax is horrifying, the ending is somberly satisfying, and this voluntary, independent, and uncompensated review is: 5 stars.
I’ve loved this type of older time P.I. for many years and now to have a junior take over from dad and do it so well is amazing. It also allows for many more years of great writing and ideas. If the next book needs any changes, it’s less Hilda and more Cowboy and Mimi. They’re fun, witty and bring all the action. Looking forward to the next in the series and Bill Duncan Jr., you were very lucky to not only have inherited your dads’ talent but to have built on it to make it your own.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Raffertily funny. I like the other smart and distinguish characters such as Hilda, Cowboy, even Ed Durkee. Nicely written too.