From a Hanging in Helena to a Defenestration in Denver, Nick O’Flannigan can’t seem to avoid mysteries.A mysterious hanging in Helena takes Nick on a historical journey. A cowboy game in Bismarck turned deadly. Family gone wrong led to parricide in Pierre. The carnage of an unsolved mystery in Cheyenne leads to a shocking solution. He witnessed defenestration in Denver, and his photos held a … and his photos held a critical clue.
Wherever Nick goes, mystery follows.
In this exciting continuation of the Capital City Murders series, you can read books 6-10 all in one place for one low price! Catch up with Nick as he travels across the country on assignment for Travel USA magazine, taking photos of state capitol buildings. In every city, he finds a new mystery, and he’s got one year to complete his assignment. Will he be able to finish, or will his side adventures get in the way?
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Hanging in Helena: Capital City Murders Book #6, my ninth read from author Troy Lambert. After reading Silenced in Salt Lake: Capital City Murders Book #11, my first read from author Troy Lambert, I wanted to read more in the series.
Branded in Bismarck: Capital City Murders Book #7, my tenth read from author Troy Lambert.
Parricide in Pierre: Capital City Murders Book #8, my eleventh read from author Troy Lambert.
Carnage in Cheyenne (Capital City Murders, #9), my twelfth read from author Troy Lambert.
Defenestration in Denver: Capital City Murders #10, my thirteenth read from author Troy Lambert. I was given an Audible copy of this book and am voluntarily reading & reviewing it. As always, Joseph L. Stevenson’s narration adds to the book’s enjoyment. I look forward to reading more in this series & from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 – July 24, 2018).
I have been listening to the Capital City Murders one book at a time but this time I was given a chance to listen and review this compilation of 5 books in the series. This is a nice way to listen to them because you can continue on the journey with Nick with the last destination fresh in your mind. Book 6 in Helena, MT was my least favorite. It wasn’t really a mystery as the reader is with the murderer as he commits the crime. It is fun to watchNick connect the dots and lead the police to the conclusion and go sightseeing with him. In Bismarck, ND Nick stumbles on a crime that no one thought was a crime and it was a very interesting and unique one at that. In Pierre, SD Nick arrives as a former lawman is killed in a burglary done wrong. Who is leaving him notes and why? In Cheyenne, WY Nick offers his services to help solve a cold case murder that happened on Halloween in a wedding boutique. Denver almost brought the end of Nick’s assignment and possible his career. He is literally in the middle of things, witnessing the murder before he can even pick up his girlfriend at the airport. In all the books we follow Nick on his sightseeing and on his gastronomical journey as well. We learn how how his keen photographer’s eye helps him see things others don’t. The authors always include a section of facts on each capital city to make the books a learning experience as well.
This review is for the audio book.
I enjoyed this book. This is the second book set of Capital murders, containing books 6 to 10 and what a great way to listen to them. You get the best of both worlds with this book, great if you only have a short amount of time, say a car journey because each book is only about one or two hours long but if you like a longer story then you can just keep listening for the next adventure. Each murder is very different but all happen in a capital city and is investigated by the same person, Nick. The author obviously did a lot of research on all the different locations, so that each method of death had meaning for that location, there is also some cool facts about each place at the end of each book. I did think that by now the stories might be beginning to become predictable, arrive at a new city, met and girl, get caught up in a murder, get told to keep out of it by the police, solve the murder and move on but it is so much more than that and I really enjoyed them.
Book 1 (book six in the series) Hanging in Helena.
This was the weakest book in the set for me because it seemed Nick was just trying to decided if he wanted to start a relationship with a new lady friend and was busy sight seeing more than investigating.
Nick arrives in Helena just in time to caught the lingering smell of smoke in the air. It seems a body was just found hanging in a tree and set alight to cover any evidence. With no plans other than taking photos of the capital Nick joins the receptionist when we asks him to join her for a hike. The trail they take leads them past the crime scene and Nick is unable to stop himself from taking pictures. When we spots something in one of the photos he takes it to the police and brushes his hands of the case to enjoy the sights with Helen but he keeps bumping into the same man and something about him is off. Can Nick figure it out?
Book 2 (book seven in the series) Branded in Bismarck
This was a fun one for me being brought up watching cowboy films with my mum. I liked how Nick had to work out of it was even a murder.
Nick arrives in Bismarck to the tragic news of young boys death of a heart attack. Everybody is talking about it and Nick is shocked at the young age of the boy follows up with his own questions. He learns of a video of the boy getting branded like cattle and quickly learn everything he can on the subject. Was it an accident that caused the heart attack or something a lot more deadly?
Book 3 (book eight in the series) Parricide in Pierre.
I really enjoyed this one as Nick was involved a lot more in the investigation as a crime scene technician and I certainly didn’t work out who the killer was in this book.
Nick is beginning to get recognised and when one of there own is killed the police turn to him to help take crime scene photos of the dead policeman’s home. A speeding ticket he forgot to pay catches up to him and he is taken off the case while it gets sorted out. But Nick is unable to let the fact that he thinks the police are wrong in thinking the murder was a simple burglary and what about the boy that is leaving him notes? Can Nick get to the bottom of another murder?
Book 4 (book nine in the series) Carnage in Cheyenne
This was my favourite and I loved how the authors turned what we thought we knew on our heads.
Nick might be a photographer at heart but all the murders he has investigated along the way has given him the big to investigate, which is why once reaching Cheyenne he offers his services in investigation a cold case. It seems on Halloween a mine walked into a clothes shop and gunned down three model’s who were putting on a show and then disappeared. Can Nick find the clue that means the police can finally solve the cold case?
Book 5 (book ten in the series) Defenestration in Denver.
This was another one of my favourites. I liked the different way Nick solved the case and the fact that he was caught up in it instead of just being nosey.
With his girlfriend and best friend joining him on this part of the trip Nick is eager to get to the airport to collect them when he becomes a witness. The streets of Denver is full of protesters and Nick and his trust camera are just in time to see three people being thrown off the roof of a building. The police aren’t the only ones interested in the photos he took of the event and Nick suddenly gets more attention than he wants when his photos hits the news. Will his photo show the evidence that leads to the killers arrest or has Nick damaged his reputation with the police for good this time?
I liked the narrator he continually brought great and different voices to each of the characters Nick met along the way.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.