Detective Reed Mattox, just three months removed from the death of his partner, has turned invisibility into an art form.
Switching to the K-9, taking over the graveyard shift, moving to a farmhouse miles outside of Columbus, his every move has become predicated on putting as much distance between himself and the outside world as possible.
That distance is shattered though when bodies begin … shattered though when bodies begin turning up in The Bottoms, the poverty-stricken section of town he is assigned to patrol. Grisly, horrific scenes start to pop up in the middle of the night and the overburdened precinct has no choice but to put Reed on it.
Now operating far outside of his comfort zone with a Belgian Malinois for a partner that attracts attention wherever they go, Reed is forced to unravel the murders, taking him clear across the city and back years in time, to an event that some very influential people will do anything to keep buried…
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His books are interesting reading, but they are absolutely painful to anyone aware of correct English grammar and usage. Sometimes it is necessary to stop and reread a sentence several times because a word is used that has absolutely no relation to what the sentence seems to mean. The lack of editorial reading is very unfortunate. I have read several of his books, which speaks to his plotting skill, but may also be because I have gotten them free.
Detective Reed Mattox’s partner died 3 months ago and is having a hard time dealing with it. Reed changed to the graveyard shift and switched to the K-9 Unit and his new partner is Billie, a Belgian Malinois. Bodies are turning up in the poverty stricken section of town that Reed & Billie are assigned to patrol and get involved in a possible cover-up and something else he can’t put his finger on until things get worse. I wasn’t sure if I would like this but I listened to the end and the author did a good job of telling the story of all the characters.
A voracious reader, I’m always on the lookout for new authors. I decided to take a chance on this book by Dustin Stevens and was more than pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Loner cop with canine partner – we’ve heard that one before, right? But the author wrote it in such a skilled manner that the dog became a real character in her own right. The story line was tense and believable – an all-round winner! I’ll be buying more in the series.
WOW! I have read several poor books lately and then I decided to see what the hoopla about this book was based on. This is the best murder mystery I’ve ever read! The storyline is amazing and perfectly developed. The characterization is some of the best I’ve ever read. The protagonist is vulnerable and his depth unfolds through the story to the last line! The timing of info release is perfect. To say it’s a page-turner is so inadequate. The book is gripping from the very beginning to the last word. This work is what all authors hope to achieve. You know it’s ingrained in your psyche when you are still absorbing the fascinating elements a day later.
Not only do I recommend it, but it should be required reading for any creative writing course.
Author is a good writer, very good at suspense and moving the story along. Could use a discerning editor. Misspellings and odd word choices are distracting and somewhat irritating. He should do better. But a good read, unquestionably.
I liked this book, as I usually do w/Reed & Billie novels, but there is some profanity.
This is a creepy thriller with a hard-working detective and his canine partner, Billie, simply hooking my interest. We watch The Boat Man going through the list of men he has researched thoroughly and murdering them in a very gruesome way. This is not my usual genre and I can’t say I particularly wanted to read it, but once I started I had to know why he was murdering these men. It wasn’t until the end that we learned who he was and why he killed these particular men. I did not anticipate the resolution of this entertaining book.
I really liked how Detective Mattox investigated this tough, disturbing case. His K-9 partner was a great addition to the investigation and story.
Well written, good characters, good story!
Boat Man was interesting…..
The Boat Man (Reed & Billie #1) by Dustin Stevens is a suspense thriller. A fast paced plot, the methodical unveiling of clues and interesting characters with personal stories weave into an enjoyable read.
You will enjoy reading this book. I highly recommend
Reed a man that now prefers the night, the avoidance of sleep for fear of what is awaiting him, and the self imposed guilt. His new partner Billie a K-9 with a military service training has an unusual keen scent.
A case that the captain handed to him, and knew if refused they would issue him out the door. The savage killings, one knew the killer was set on deep revenge, the connection an obol,a symbol of a rite of passage.
Billie is the star and take center place in this series, giving to Reed the companionship he needs. His help, loyalty to help Reed solve.
Billie won my heart. Reed is okay, too. I want more of the misfit duo.
This book is a good, easy read. The story immediately gets into action with a grisly murder that is clearly well planned. Then we meet Detective Reed Maddox and his canine sidekick Billie. The story proceeds at a good pace. As more bodies are discovered, Reed must find the link. The killer has his own story too, so there are several layers that kept me guessing. I really liked the partnership between Billie and Detective Reed. I am a Dustin Stevens fan and think this is a great start to a new series, can’t wait for the next book.
Reed Mattox is a detective in Columbus, Ohio. He lost his partner 3 months ago and has no desire for another one. Rules dictate he must have one so he is paired with a K-9 named Billie. Reed takes the night shift in the Bottoms the slum part of Columbus to avoid interaction with people as much as possible. But brutal murders from a serial killer are happening on a daily basis. The deeper Reed digs the more he realizes a connection with someone very high up in the police department. Great story and I appreciated the minimum amount of profanity.
And it had a K-9 dog named Billie.
EXCELLENT!
Very well written
Excellent story and interesting characters. However, the writing is simply awful-overwritten, redundant, clumsy phrasing, and numerous grammatical mistakes. This book needs thorough copyediting and proof-reading. Then, it would be a book to recommend.
liked it
Excellent K9/Detective story. Interesting characters.