Blog Tour, Book on the Bright Side, Book Review, Crime, Mystery, Police Procedural, Series, Thriller

Am I the Killer? (A Luca Mystery Crime Thriller: Book #1) by Dan Petrosini

ABOUT THE BOOK

Peter hated him…

…and the murder was brutal.

Could he really be the killer?

Peter served his country in Afghanistan. The brain injury was severe. To survive in the hospital, he kept his focus on the one thing that mattered, Mary. What he found back home, broke him.

Mary was with Billy, the bully who terrorized his childhood.

When the police arrested him for Billy’s murder, they had just one problem…

…Peter claimed he couldn’t remember what he did that night.

Detective Luca’s career can’t afford another mistake. This case could be a problem, though, as the obvious suspect doesn’t remember a thing. Is Peter trying to pull a fast one?

Who else could have done it?

There’s more at play than meets the eye. Politics and personal demons plague him. Luca’s career and maybe his life are on the line.

MY REVIEW

This is a nail-biting whodunit crime thriller that leaves you scratching your head and wondering what just happened.

Peter Hill has a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a freak accident in the military.  The TBI leaves him with little to no short-term memory needing physical and cognitive therapy in his home.  His brother and only living relative, Vinny, has adjusted his life to help Peter transition to his new way of life.  When Billy Wyatt’s body is discovered in his home, suspicion lands on Peter because of their violent past and Billy was seeing Peter’s girlfriend when he was deployed.  When the police ask Peter what he remembered, of course he couldn’t because of the TBI…but what about the nightmares?

Detective Frank Luca is being pressured by his superiors to find a killer to save face for  the Monmouth County Prosecutor William Stanley who is a typical politician wanting all the glory.  However, the man they want to prosecute with circumstantial evidence is Peter Hill, a military hero with a TBI and Frank has a gut feeling it is a meth addict with priors.  Time is not on Frank’s side.

Petrosini does a terrific job hooking the reader from the very beginning.  His characters are well developed and complex making them more realistic. Peter’s afflictions are distressing, but the way he copes is commendable considering he can’t remember something that happened a short time ago.  Peter’s brother Vinny seems selfish at first, but he comes around and supports his brother when he needs him. However, I just don’t understand why Vinny is so dense and forgiving about how Billy treated his brother as a kid. As for Frank Luca, he seems like a sleazebag when it comes to ogling women even though he’s trying to reconcile with his wife. As for Frank’s instincts as a cop, he is a bulldog with a bone when it comes to finding his perp.

My introduction to Mr. Petrosini’s writing with the first book in the Luca Mystery series is a great experience.  This fast-paced crime thriller introducing the main character drew me in completely to where I wanted to read more on detective Luca.  If you like police procedural crime thrillers with a surprising turn of events, give this book a try.

Thank you to Mr. Petrosini for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

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Am I the Killer

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dan PetrosiniDan wrote his first story at age ten and is still at it.  Married, with two daughters and a needy Maltese, Dan lives in Southwest Florida. A New York City native, Dan teaches at local colleges, writes novels, and plays tenor saxophone in several jazz bands. He also drinks way too much wine.

Dan has his own view of the world and culture, or lack thereof. He passionately believes people can realize their dreams if they focus and act, and he encourages just that.

His favorite saying is – ‘The price of discipline is always less than the cost of regret’

Dan also reminds people to get negativity out of their lives. He feels it is contagious and advises people to steer clear of negative people.

Dan has written over fifteen novels and has an active blog at http://danpetrosini.com

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