Today, I'l like to introduce author Mike Fuller, who wants to showcase his latest novel,
Side Slip (book three in the Sam Deland series). Mike belongs to the group of Rogue Phoenix authors. During this book tour, Mike will be giving away a digital copy of one of his books to a lucky commenter.
Blurb
Stuck in paradise and he isn’t very happy about it. Even
the beautiful lady detective that gunned down the man trying to kill them both
can’t get him to stay. Corporal Sam Deland wants out. Back to work leading his
squad of state troopers and home where he can take up the life he had to put on
hold. But Sam isn’t the only one wanting him to return. The woman he left
behind is waiting for him and so is the Russian Mob. Sam’s past is catching up
with him, and he doesn’t see it coming, yet. Detective Christie O’Shea, the
pretty Florida cop that nursed Sam back to health won’t have the time to miss
him when he’s gone. Murder is what she’s paid to solve, and she has to go after
a killer that has sent shock waves deep into the police community around her. A
triple play of heart stopping and heart warming suspense, action and life as
Sam, his troopers and Christie all find they are in the middle of murders and
mobsters. A story that twists and turns through the investigations and the
lives of characters you will grow to know, to cheer and to fear. Sharp
dialogue, real characters and enough drama, humor and mystery to keep the
reader up late not ready to put it down yet. Another thrilling Sam Deland crime
novel from the author of Sink Rate
and Rope Break.
Excerpt
The search for a hidden key did not go well. All the usual spots came up
empty. Dickie went down the steps to the garage but still no luck and then back
up to where Ray stood next to the front door and sighed, "Well, ain't no
key. Let's get it over with."
The pry bar didn't get it done. Ray had to whack the deadbolt a couple of
hard hits with the sledge before the door flew inward. Dickie started in and
stopped short. He smelled cinnamon. Ray almost ran into his back. Probably one
a them plug in thingys.
Dickie held up his hand and then swiveled his head back and forth, trying
to adjust to the slightly brighter light inside. Dickie heard nothing except
the clicking of a wall clock somewhere. He shrugged and crossed to the kitchen
door at the other side of the living room. Ray split to the right and did a
quick walk through of the downstairs.
They met at the foot of the stairs and Ray pointed to a metal cabinet
next to the cold fireplace, "I'll start on that, give me the bar,
eh?" It wasn't a real gun safe, just a thin metal locker meant to keep
kids away from the guns.
Dickie handed the pry bar to Ray and started up the stairs, shining the
flashlight as he moved out of the light cast by the lamp. The cash and handguns
were usually in the bedrooms. There seemed to be three upstairs and a bathroom.
Dickie had to piss by now and stopped to go. He started and almost pissed on
his hand when he realized there was a candle in a glass jar burning on the tub
rim. That appeared to be the source of the cinnamon odor and was certainly the
source of big trouble.
Ray was pounding loudly on the metal cabinet downstairs, and Dickie
almost shit his pants as the figure of a small woman in a bathrobe passed by in
the hall just outside of the bathroom. Dickie didn't even zip up his jeans and
stuck his head out of the bathroom and looked down the hall. The small woman
was there leaning out to try to get a look at what was making all the noise
downstairs. Dickie's blood turned to ice when she turned toward him, and he saw
the black automatic in her left hand.
She hadn't seen him yet. She just stood there but then turned to go back
toward the bedroom. He knew there was probably a phone there, and he couldn't
let her get to it. He tried to melt into the small space between the sink and the door, and
as she moved past, he stepped in behind her and grabbed at the gun.
He missed. All that police training didn't help. She yelped and turned
the pistol toward him. It was not quite full dark in the hall and Dickie could
see it happening and knew what was coming. Without hesitating, he swung the
heavy flashlight and struck her across her left cheek. The blow emitted a
sickening crunch as bone gave way to the heavy metal light. She staggered but
did not go down. The gun was waving in the short space of air between them and
Dickie expected it to spit flame and his death at any moment. He stepped into
her and brought the flashlight down with all his strength on top of her head.
She followed the motion of the blow and crumpled onto the hallway floor.
Dickie was breathing in gasps by now, but he could still hear Ray pounding
metal on metal. He tried to hit the button on the flashlight to see if the
woman was still conscious but his finger slipped across. The wetness puzzled
him for a moment but he got the light to come on and as he played the beam down
on the figure at his feet, he was surprised to see blood dripping off the end
and falling through the shaft of light onto the pink bathrobe of the very dead
woman beneath him.
Review
Side Slip is not an easy read, but well
worth it. There is nothing predictable about this book, but it does have a sort
of familiarity. It has everything a crime novel reader could want. There are decent plot lines, but it is
character driven all the way, which is why it is sometimes hard to read. Fuller
has made the characters so real that the reader sympathizes with them, even the
bad guys. And he gives you a wide range of characters to choose from,
Pennsylvania State Troopers, Male and Female, Florida Sheriffs, Male and
Female, Farmers that used to be Navy
SEALS, Dope seller/ murderers, crooked cop/burglars, and dogs.
Side Slip is worth the read.
G. Lloyd Helm (rating: five stars)
Author bio and links
After
writing professional documents for many years, Mike has finally devoted time to
his true passion, writing fiction where the story and characters come alive in
the reader’s mind. While his days were filled with authoring hundreds of detailed
crime reports, arrest affidavits, search warrants and grand jury presentments,
he took some of his own time and devoured books by the dozens. Reading not only
was a rewarding diversion, it provided him with the added education he needed
to function at a high level in his profession.
This has
led to the creation of Mike’s crime/suspense/detective novels Sink Rate, Rope Break and Side Slip, the
first three in the Sam Deland Crime Novel series. All are expected to be
published in 2015 and 2016 by Rogue Phoenix Press
Mike writes
with the real life experience that many years of law enforcement shaped and
influenced. The stories may be fiction but are based on how things happen in
the real world. His books are honest and
captivating novels written with a unique voice that will both chill and charm.
Mike is a
veteran police detective. He did it all from rookie patrolman to Senior Special
Agent. His life has been enriched by a wonderful marriage, parenting, work,
flying, sailing and good books. Mike is a lifelong outdoorsman, an experienced
tactical firearms instructor, champion sailplane pilot and the captain of his
own sailboat. All of these skills have made his novels vivid, exciting and
real. Now retired after a career with three law enforcement agencies, Mike
enjoys winters writing in Naples, Florida and summers sailing, writing and
researching the next novel at his rural Pennsylvania home.
On
Twitter: @mikefullerwrite
