From USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman!A dead child.A mother deep in mourning.Private Investigator Zachary Goldman’s life isn’t all roses, but he tries to put his own shattered life behind him to investigate the death of five-year-old Declan Bond.Declan’s death has been ruled an accident, but his grandmother thinks there is more to it. She fears Declan’s mother will not be able to find … Declan’s mother will not be able to find peace until Zachary can give them an answer once and for all. But as Zachary digs into the circumstances surrounding Declan’s death, he finds that all is not as it seems, and somebody doesn’t want him to find the truth.
Free first in series
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Psychologically complex and gripping … Zachary must deal with his own psychological issues as well as those of the child’s parents along with attempts on his life. I’m binge reading this series.
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
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PI Investigates His Own Demons as Well as the Crime’s
In She Wore Mourning, Private Investigator Zachary Goldman takes on a gut-wrenching case when he investigates the drowning death of a five-year-old boy. Ruled an accident by the police, the boy’s grandmother wants closure and hires Goldman for a second opinion. Goldman has his suspicions, but he has nothing sufficient for law enforcement to re-open the investigation. Things seem at an impasse, then someone tries to kill him. But is the attempt on his life because of this case or some other that he’s working? He can’t be sure. And if it is this case, who’s responsible for the boy’s death? A pedophile who abducted the boy from his unlocked, backyard and then killed him? One or both of the parents? A forensic scientist in training who seems a bit too interested in Goldman’s case? Even the grandmother doesn’t escape Goldman’s scrutiny. Kudos to the author for keeping the suspense high, dangling several viable suspects in front of our eyes.
Character development is a strength of the book. Author Workman skillfully portrays the murdered boy’s parents as sufferers of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), although with differing manifestations. “Spencer was neat and tidy, and Isabella was a collector.” Goldman is also non-neurotypical, although his diagnosis is not so neatly wrapped up with a single label in the book. Chronic depression, suicidal tendencies, ADHD, and even antipsychotic medications (Risperdal) get mentioned. Sometimes, we (the readers) get a glimpse into how Goldman’s paranoia and anxieties bolster his investigative skills. At one point, he even uses examples of his own maladaptive behaviors to get a suspect to open up about his. But we also get to see how they hamper his life. He ends up fighting his own demons almost as much as fighting the one that killed the young boy.
Although a strength, there is also a downside to a book that’s dominated by characters with mental illnesses and their stock diagnoses. One or two damaged characters can add interest to a story, but when everyone is flawed, damaged becomes the new typical. Goldman’s tendencies also make him something of an antihero; some of his behaviors are quite distasteful. His new romantic interest could excuse them—which makes her seem too good to be true—but I found it more difficult to do so. Goldman is also a bit difficult to admire for his investigative skills. He went beyond suspicion to name a killer several times before the real culprit was identified. And when the case was solved, it wasn’t Goldman who did. But then, I suspect all of this was the author’s intent—to create a central character that we esteem for his determination to live life as best he can while we often dislike what he does.
Overall, She Wore Mourning is a well-written book with plenty of suspense and a main character you may admire and dislike at the same time. But that’s what makes this story worth your time.
This was such an engrossing mystery but not a lighthearted one by any means. I enjoyed the way the author continued to throw twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I was never really sure who I thought the killer was. One time I’d be sure I had it figured out and the next minute I was convinced it was someone else-the sign of an excellent author in my opinion. Zachary Goldman is not your typical fictional detective by any stretch of the imagination. At times, I almost felt he had as many mental health issues as the people he was investigating. But that’s one thing I really liked about him. He is flawed in so many ways and he knows it; yet he continues to do his job to the best of his ability. This story has great character development and I think it is one of it’s major strengths. Zachary knows his limitations and tries not to hide them. He tries his best to be honest about who he is and yet he still does his best to finish the job he set out to do. I highly recommend this series.
A great plot with interesting characters. Unpredictable, as a good detective story should be.
This book was just OK for me. I disliked the main character (not many redeeming qualities)…just overall not impressed with this.
Allow two days for this PG15 private investigator procedural involving a drowned child with atypical parents.
I didn’t enjoy this book
Odd
It was hard to put this book down. Excellent read. I recommend.
Private investigator Zachary’s life is not all roses, but he tries to put his shattered life behind him to investigate the death of 5-year-old Declan. His death has been ruled an accident, but his grandmother thinks there is more to it. She fears Declan’s mother will not be able to find peace until Zachary can give an answer as to what happened. Zachary digs into the circumstances surrounding Declan’s death. He finds all is not as it seems, and somebody does not want him to find the truth. – Zachary has many problems, and I felt sorry for him. He is a good investigator, and this is an interesting story. I was not right regarding my guess as to what happened to Declan, but perhaps you will be.. The story was intriguing.
Keen insight into various degrees of OCD mental health.
Quite a unique read with in depth detail related to the thought process and different types of OCD. Well written story with nice flow and interesting (to say the least) characters. Eye opening and really gets one thinking about how incredibly different we all are. Looking forward to another intriguing read by this author.
A private detective is hired by a woman to find out what happened to her grandson. He discovers both parents are mentally unstable in different ways. The detective is also mentally unstable.
Good
Not your usual Who-dun-it book. As the first book in a series, the steps in solving the case take second place to the clever, careful development of the main character, Private Investigator Zachary Goldman. He is not your usual PI. The author slowly reveals the flaws of Zachary, making you hungry to know WHY he behaves as he does. The resolution of the case is unpredictable, as the author throws in events along the way to keep you guessing.
Interesting and different plot… unusual “suspects”. Good main characters. I would read another buy this author.
I enjoyed this book. I am currently reading the next book in the series.
The book started out fine but the near ending was confusing, disjointed!!! …..The part where Zachary was asleep and dreaming. He heard or thought he hear his lady friend talking on the phone saying he won’t know anything!!! Then his apartment was on fire. At the end of the book was this never referred to or clarified!!! So I’m wondering ….what did I miss???
I enjoyed learning more about OCD …Interesting and informative.
Carol
Disturbing. Better onsite to people with OCD, and how dangerous it can be.
A dark psychological thriller that doesn’t disappoint. The heartbreak of losing a child in such a tragic way. Accident or murder. Issues of mental health problems. A flawed investigator. A great read.
I enjoyed this book and will look for more from this author.
Looking into the death of a young boy private investigator Zachary Goldman is a man who takes on the investigation to ease the mind of the child’s grandmother. As the story unfolds he has problems correlating the facts unfolding as to the child’s parents and their OCD tendencies. Both parents appear to be grieving the loss of their child, but in reality he must determine what is fact and what is causing him to doubt the circumstances. An entertaining and unpredictable storyline.