At twenty-three and with a notorious case under his belt, Emory Rome has already garnered fame as a talented special agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. His career is leapfrogging over his colleagues, but the jumping stops when he’s assigned a case he fought to avoid – an eerie murder in the Smoky Mountain hometown he had abandoned. The mysterious death of a teen ice-skater once … destined for the pros is soon followed by an apparent case of spontaneous human combustion. In a small town bursting with friends and foes, Rome’s own secrets lie just beneath the surface. The rush to find the murderer before he strikes again pits him against artful private investigator Jeff Woodard. The PI is handsome, smart and seductive, and he just might be the killer Rome is seeking.
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Emory is the Special Agent In Charge at the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations. He has just come off a case when his boss sends him and his partner Wayne on a new assignment to look into the murder of Britt Algarotti. When Emory finds out the location, his whole body tenses up and fills with dread. Barter Ridge. His hometown.
Upon the meeting of the victims father he meets Jeff, a private investigator hired by the victims father. He is irritated with the PI knowing he will just get in the way and muddy the investigation for him. But he is intrigued by Jeff’s good looks and gorgeous green eyes.
When the investigation leads them to another murdered victim and the clues lead to the water company owned by the victims father, they realize there may be more to the case than the original murder. As they get closer to solving this case more lives are put into jeopardy. Will Emory be able to solve this case before someone else dies? Will Emory be able to fight the attraction to Jeff, especially since some of the leads point to him?
OMG this book is so good!!! An action packed thriller that had me on the edge of my seat biting off my nails. There was action from page one and it continued throughout the whole book. Never a dull moment. And the characters. WOW! They were so engaging and interesting. They leap right off the pages and invite you in. I became so invested in the book, I wanted to solve the murder right along with them.
I love all the neat little tidbits that were inserted into the story. Things like a speakeasy and the unique ways the killer used to off his/her victims. These things made the book even more interesting. That along with the developed characters and settings makes this book worthy of a Best Sellers List.
Let me tell you, this book has some major WTF twists to it. I mean I thought I had it all figured out and then I was proved wrong time and time again. It literally floored me. This series could be the next Alex Cross series. It is that good. I can’t wait to read another one. Mikel Wilson left the story ending with a great opening for another novel. So Mikel if you are reading this review, hurry up I need more. wink wink
*ARC provided by Xpresso Book Tours and Mikel Wilson
Enjoyed this book tremendously! Emory Rome is an exciting and complicated character who has issues. I get tired of perfect characters who have all the answers, and he’s decidedly human. The ending has a nice twist that brings other characters to the forefront too. Also, his murders are unique. All in all an wonderful read.
Was very happy to have such great page-turning entertainment on a long flight, that flew by while reading this first installment of the series! My minds eye was visually there with the characters and created a junior investigator within me while I tried to figure it out before it’s revealed. A fun read!
It wasn’t difficult to finish reading Murder on the Lake of Fire. The story kept me intrigued, the writing was excellent, and the pace was fast. I also enjoyed the explanation about the chemistry behind the burning lake and the human combustion. The author did his research.
All the characters were believable. The agent’s parents, his partner, the suspects. Very well done.
If you love great mystery writing as well was an author whose a great writer get this book. It was hard for me to put down. I read in one night and finished early the next morning. The storyline is realistic and relatable on so many levels. Characters developed well. It’s a page turner for sure. It’s apparent Mikel put lots of time and thought into this book. Loved it and bought a copy for a friend and he was hooked in as well. U won’t be disappointed
Emory Rome, Special Agent with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, is requested by the Sheriff to return to his hometown to solve a particularly brutal murder. The sheriff just happens to be Emory’s father and Emory doesn’t have especially good memories of the town .. or the people in it.
A teen-age girl has been murdered while she was ice-skating. Soon after, her coach is killed .. a case of spontaneous combustion. Strange deaths, indeed.
It seems that he’s going to get help solving these murders even if he doesn’t want or need it. PI Jeff Woodard is hired by the girl’s to find his daughter’s killer.
The main characters are fun to watch as they interact with each other. They are so full of life, they seem to leap from the pages. Secondary characters are fully formed which lend an air of credibility.
The premise is a good one … featuring a rather unique way to knock off the victims. Suspects are plentiful, and they each seem to have secrets or are unable to tell the truth for one reason or another. There are a few twists and turns along the way and a surprising ending.
Murder mysteries are my favored genre, and this is a good one. A new author to me, I look forward to seeing more in this possible series.
Many thanks to the author / TBC Reviewer Request for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
My take on Murder on the Lake of Fire by Mikel J. Wilson
All my friends and colleagues know that I just – well – don’t really like to read however….
Doors, chemistry and purple water….. Murder on the Lake of Fire is book 1 of the Mourning Dove Mysteries and I can’t wait for the next one. It’s hard to get me hooked on reading a book. I need to get drawn in right away, I need to “know” the characters and the environment quickly to stay interested – needless to say I was hooked in the beginning. Great development of characters with real struggles and desires, lots of twists and turns only to end with the ultimate turn… Wow!
I must admit – the whole “door” thing is awesome…. hehe – read it you’ll see 🙂
Well written Mikel – will be waiting for the next one (can we fast track it???) !!!
I am that guy who will start a thousand books and finish three, and this was absolutely one of the books I knew I was going to finish from the very beginning. I started reading the book and got through the first couple of chapters, and then put it down for a few weeks. It kept begging me to come back, and once I did I was hooked again and read it straight through. There is something about the relationship Emory has with himself, his father, and the burgeoning romance that I could identify with. I enjoyed that Emory was a bit of a mystery himself because I feel as if we are going to get more of him throughout the coming books, which is something I’m looking forward to. The pace of the book was excellent, particularly for a first-time major release author. The climax was more than rewarding, but also not predictable or Disney-like. The stage has been set for an excellent series of books and I am truly looking forward to reading all of them!
Murder on the Lake of Fire is a great book! It was compelling from page one and there were so many twists and turns that I never quite figured out the ending until I actually got there. Mikel developed characters I loved, some I hated and a few I want to get to know a little more. I can’t wait for the next book!
This first installment of the Mourning Dove series is an intriguing story with great character development and an unexpected twist at the end – one that keeps you pleading for more. I loved this book and am excited to see what the rest of the series has in store!
I couldn’t put this book down! Wilson did a great job of weaving a suspenseful tale filled with well-developed characters. I was left guessing until the end about who the villain was, and I was already impatiently awaiting the next book in the Mourning Dove series as soon as I finished!
Murder on the Lake of Fire is definitely one of those page-turning mysteries that keeps you guessing all along the way. The author does a great job developing his characters and settings and bringing them to life for the reader. At times you feel like you’re right there with Emory through the twists and turns of his investigation. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed! I’m already looking forward to what’s next for Team Mourning Dove.
I had the privilege of reading this before it was published, and let’s just say I’m a little obsessed. I literally have a Mourning Dove Investigations hat. And mug. And bookmark. I love mysteries, detective stories, and thrillers, and this book has fantastic elements of all those genres. The characters, and the dialogue, are so realistic and I found myself wanting to know more and more about them. There are lots of twists and turns and I gasped out loud or yelled “OH MY GOD” while reading more than once. Alone. In public. Not even ashamed. It’s THAT good. And the surprise ending made it even better. Seriously, read this. You won’t be disappointed. Can’t wait for the next one!!
Murder on the Lake of Fire is absolutely incredible! I could not put the book down because I wanted to figure out who the murderer was and solve all of the book’s twists. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait to read Death Opens a Window.
Fast-paced and intriguing with lots of suspense and action. I loved this book!
Move over Michael Connelly. Here comes Mikel J. Wilson! TBI agent Emory Rome is a different kind of curmudgeon from Connelly’s crusty Harry Bosch, but even more entertaining. At 23-years old, Emory already has already solved a high profile case and is looking to cement his reputation when a death occurs in the small town of his birth. He reluctantly teams up with a local private investigator to find out who is committing murder. Wilson has written an engaging, page-turning detective novel that is chock full of humor. If you love detective series, which I do, hop on the Mourning Dove bandwagon.
I loved “Murder on the River of Fire,” so I couldn’t wait for Wilson’s next novel. In “Death Opens a Window,” Wilson allows us to get to know the protagonist in a much deeper way–and we continue to root for him. The novel also includes a deeper look into the other main characters and introduces yet another interesting cast of characters. Oh! And the revelation of the man in the ski mask knocked me for a loop–it seriously gave me chills! I read the book over last weekend and couldn’t put it down. Wilson continues to build the Mourning Dove Series characters, and they’re so descriptive, I feel I know them. Not sure how he comes up with the cause of death in the latest novel, but it’s damn clever. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wholeheartedly recommend it.
Murder on the Lake of Fire is a gripping story of intrigue, mystery and murder. Tormented special agent, Emory Rome, is sent on an investigation that is equal parts self-discovery and nail-biting suspense. Wilson’s writing is pure poetry. A page turning, must read book!
Don’t miss the first page-turning novel in this heart throbbing whodunit Mourning Dove Mysteries series. With twists and turns you couldn’t possibly predict, Murder on the Lake of Fire will keep you up late, burning for more.
Very intriguing, informative. Characters were great, mystery was good too.