Heather’s Bookshelf: Cross Checking
Author: Dennis Pierce
Released: 11/03/25
Genre: Adult Mystery/Procedural
“With mere hours left before what I feared would be a horrific attack, I was so desperate that I was willing to consider the unthinkable. I was going to ask a mob boss for help in preventing a crime.”
“Cross Checking” follows Parker Hanson in book 2 of the title character mystery series. However, this book was read and reviewed as a standalone story.
Parker Hanson is a private investigator working with his friend and ex-Army Ranger, Amalia Valaquez. The two become entangled in 2 mysteries they must solve. One of the mysteries involves a decades-old art heist and a theif on the run. A second involves a church led astray by a fanatical leader and a connection to a terror plot.
When Parker and Amalia can’t find enough details of the pending terror attack for the police to get involved, they must turn to a surprising and questionable partner.
Will their alliances help solve their cases and save the day or will unexpected foes bring the investigation to an end?
Trigger Warning: violence, attempted murder, arson, adult language
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Read and reviewed as a standalone book, the author did well in providing enough background on the main characters while also detailing their personalities and motivations through their actions. I could see how this could be part of a larger book world, but it also worked just fine as a standalone. The story is told through the POV of the main character, Parker, an intelligent, well-meaning, though sometimes overconfident protagonist. A combination of the three characteristics and his chosen profession lead him to dangerous situations that keep the story moving forward at a rapid pace. The mysteries are more like police procedurals in that you follow the investigation and findings along with the protagonist and there is no way to discover the solution on your own. The ancillary characters are not especially developed and Amalia comes off as hired muscle without much more to offer. The author did well in achieving a dislike for a couple of the “villains” through minimal exposure and dialogue. A majority of the tale follows the mystery surrounding the church and the art story feels more like an afterthought with an abrupt resolution. The end of the tale felt very lopsided with a lack of connection between storylines but clear openings for future tales.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A fast-paced mystery/procedural with a likable protagonist but underdeveloped ancillary characters and only one of the two mysteries that feels truly developed.
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