Zeke’s job is to find the killer. When a Native American girl is murdered on a remote North Dakota reservation, Zeke is called in to assist the FBI in solving the crime. The killing is soon linked to a conspiracy that includes oil, money, sex and drugs.
The Bakken Blade, a Zeke Traynor Mystery
By jeffsiebold
This is a Zeke Trainor mystery. Zeke is trying to find out who killed and Indian girl in North Dakota. He’s also helping the FBI with a pawn shop money laundering scheme across the northeast! Plus he’s decided to look into his parents murder 30yrs earlier! This book had plenty of action across all three storylines! The characters were great! Just the right amount of twists and turns before the surprise ending to each case! I really enjoyed this book. This character had genuine but complex relationships with his co workers and his very patient girlfriend! I highly recommend this book if u r looking for an intelligent, interesting and action packed book!
This is the fifth novel in Jeff Siebold’s Zeke Traynor Mystery series in the cozy mystery genre. In the Bakkan Blade Jeff deftly reminds us of our favorite characters, Clive, Kimmy, and a frequent love interest Tracy, without the need to research them from his previous works. Dialog heavy, in this telling, stone faced Zeke Traynor jets around the country unraveling a complex plot of three murders, including one that nearly victimized him.
The first crime scene involves an Indian woman inexplicable found along railroad tracks in New Town, Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, North Dakota without her skin. Avoiding the gruesome details, this investigation is peppered with interesting expositions on the plight of Indians in constant conflict between tradition and economic forces, in this case, fracking the Bakkan oil shale deposits.
After New Town introductions, Zeke et al. are shifted to Washington, DC and stumble onto another murder, this time of a pawn shop owner. These stark venues share most of our attention throughout the story and to a lesser extent the Florida Keys, where Zeke’s leave-it-to-beaver level trysts, eventually lead to, you guessed it, another murder.
Despite endless cups of coffee and smiling to himself, Zeke’s story is entertaining and well written, and won’t keep you up at nights. If you liked Jeff’s previous works, you won’t want to miss this one.
I received an ARC from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. This was a fantastic read. The characters are true-to-life and the action is pretty consistent. I was a little concerned when I read the synopsis that the story was going to be confusing and jumbled since Zeke is dealing with two crimes and the deaths of his parents, but Mr. Seibold manages to keep all the details straight and makes it clear for the reader at the same time. I would have given this book at five-star-rating except for the fact Mr. Seibold seems to think his readers have short-term memory loss. (Now I may be the only one who is bothered by this, but it’s a pet peeve.) If I read a detail about a recurring character I don’t have to be reminded about that detail every time the character is mentioned. For example, I got the first time that Lieut Mankato speaks in a slow, deep voice. I didn’t need to be reminded of that every time he says something. Other than that one detail, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would most definitely recommend it.
Three mysteries told in Zeke-uential order.
It was interesting seeing Zeke as consultant in one line, undercover in another, and exploring personal matters in another. Three sides of Zeke. Each line also had its own location and colorful characters. There was a mix of research, suspense and action, with a different flair for each line. Zeke and his colleagues are professionals but also live rich lives. I look forward to Jeff’s continued success sharing his stories.
I received this book from the author as an ARC. I’m happily leaving a review. I’ve read several of the Zeke Traynor books and have enjoyed them all. This book turned out be a surprise as Zeke works three separate crimes in
three different sites. He keeps his head on straight and works his way to the end of each. This is a great read.