Rick Ollerman

Instantly compelling, “Truth Always Kills” is a top-notch contemporary crime-noir thriller from author Rick Ollerman. As his personal and professional lives collide to crash and burn, Florida homicide detective Jeff Prentiss is fighting to keep his family safe and somehow keep his career alive. His wife Lori takes their daughter Roxy and leaves Jeff when she is unsure of his role in the disappearance of her ex-husband, Roy Lee Evans, who has just been released from prison. The murder of an infamous celebrated thief brings the hot, white glare of the media attention on to the investigation of the case by Jeff and his partner, Terry Moran. The dead thief may be connected to a big-time politico, and the murky question of the whereabouts of Roy Lee Evans clouds the air along with the stench of organized crime. The best, most-readable lawmen are those whose personal flaws are at war with their skills at law enforcement. Fascinatingly imperfect, and impossible to resist. Author Rick Ollerman’s other works include “Turnabout” and “Shallow Secrets”.

Book Copy Gratis Author via AuthorBuzz//DearReader… (plus d'informations)

Down and Out: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2 offers a short welcome back note from Editor Rick Ollerman before diving into the short stories. First up is the tale titled “One at a Time” by Lissa Marie Redmond. The problem with a 1969 Ford Fairlane is that it is old. Bad news if you are trapped in the trunk and being driven out to somewhere out in the woods so that you can be killed and dumped. Being strapped for cash and a beautiful woman was the combination that led to imprisonment in a trunk with no emergency release.

“Family Business” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins comes next where a man by Foley needs to take care of various issues. That includes ending his relationship with Kelsey. A relationship that has had its benefits, but that has also crossed too many of his self-imposed boundaries.

In a world where it is rare for a person to actually drive a car, technology has the ability to record, for a fee, everything in your loved one’s home after their death. “Closure” by Nick Kolakowski details a small slice of that world where a VR recorder can move from room to room scanning and collection the visual record in order to recreate the place later for the family. It can also be used in other ways which the customer may never see.

As he was in the first issue, J. Kingston Pierce of the website, The Rap Sheet, is back with his book suggestions column, “Placed into Evidence.” Just take a moment and go ahead and get out your checkbook, your credit card, or your library card, as there is reading to do.

A work by the late and deeply missed Bill Crider comes next. “Tell the Bees: A Sheriff Dan Rhodes Story” features the good sheriff at work in a mystery story with plenty of humor and Texas flavor. Note that the next and possibly final installment in the long running Dan Rhodes series, That Old Scoundrel Death, is scheduled for release in February 2019. I keep hoping that his daughter, Angela Crider Neary, will pick up the Sheriff Rhodes legacy as she is the only person remotely qualified to do so.

Timothy J. Lockhart is up next with his tale “Last Night at Skipper’s Lounge.” It has been quite a few years, but the bar that Mackey spent a lot of time in during aviation officer candidate school still stands. Mackey is back in Pensacola as the bar will soon close for good. Back to relive memories good and bad and maybe make some new ones.

Sam has a problem and he is pretty sure his current plane ride is going to end badly for him and everyone onboard. In “A State of Decline” by J. J. Hensley, Sam has to try to talk some reason into the man who just killed everyone who could fly the plane. Not only has he got to figure out how they are going to safely land the plane with the flight crew all dead, he has to figure out a way to disarm the man who has proven more than willing to use that gun.

“Say It with Lead: A Race Williams Story” by Carroll John Daly comes next. This story originally appeared in the June 1925 issue of Black Mask Magazine and it is a good one. Howel L. Foster knows that his life is about to be in serious danger. Mr. Foster knows as he is a man of resources who has his fingers in a lot of endeavors. He also knows who is most likely behind the threat and knows the motive most likely would be revenge. He wants Race Williams around to prevent his death. Should Foster die anyway, he intends to set up things so that the person who captures or kills those responsible will get two hundred thousand dollars. Foster hopes that by having Race Williams at his side and letting it be known that if he is killed the well-known Race Williams would come after the killer or killers for the two hundred thousand dollar reward just might keep him alive. To make all this happen and to make sure the word gets out Foster will pay him a significant sum of money know for Race to accompany him back home and make his presence known. The deal is struck and soon Williams and Foster are headed north out of NYC on the business of trying to keep Foster alive. As always, the context introduction by Rick Ollerman is very helpful to the reader.

Revenge is also a theme in the closing story, “A Calculated Risk” by Ben Boulden. It has been six years, two months, and thirteen days since everything changed. Most folks would have forgotten. He had lost it all. But, like the proverbial phoenix, he is back with a vengeance and a plan. Harry is ready to have his revenge.

A final word from Editor Rick Ollerman previewing the third issue and a listing of other books available from the publisher brings the second issue to a close. Building on the strength of the first issue, the second issue is another solid and highly entertaining read. The book column from J. Kingston Pierce is a definite winner as are the short intros to each story that place the work in context while also making reading suggestions. Down and Out: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2 is a solidly good read and very much worth your time.

My review last month of the first issue.

Down and Out: The Magazine Volume 1, Issue 2
Editor Rick Ollerman
Down And Out Books
http://www.DownAndOutBooks.com
December 2017
ASIN: B077XYK2XV
eBook (also available in print format)
168 Pages
$5.99

Material was purchased by way of a gift card from my oldest son late last December.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018… (plus d'informations)

Edited by Rick Ollerman, Down & Out: The Magazine: Issue 1 is packed full of lots of good reading. After a short introduction, it is on to the stories. Each story has a brief introduction that explains a little bit of the background of the author as well as placing the presented in the context of the author’s work. Many of the tales in this issue tie into series work by authors.

Such is the case with the first author, Michael A. Black. His tale that leads off this first issue features the author’s signature character, private investigator Ron Shade. In “Dress Blues: A Ron Shade Story.” Inspired by a real life case according to the introduction, Mr. Shade has to find a boy who has run away from the Woodsen Academy.

Editor Rick Ollerman is up next with “Hit Me: A Scott Porter Agency Story.” Amanda has been difficult for far too long. He needs her gone. The only question is how to make it happen permanently. How do you go about hiring a hitman?

Late September and the breeze off the Seine is colder than it should be. For Inspector Alain Ducard of the Police Nationale it was hard to leave his warm bed and the comforts of his wife, but when the boss says go to the murder scene, he goes to the murder scene. He didn’t have a choice even though he works Intelligence and not Homicide. He has no idea why he was called in, but will soon find out in “The Solitary Man: A University Story” by Terrence McCauley.

Readers take a break from reading stories with the next piece by J. Kingston Pierce titled “Placed Into Evidence.” Best known for his highly entertaining site, The Rap Sheet, Mr. Pierce gives readers the highlights on seven books coming up. He also points out the fact, at least for some of us; the change in seasons does not mean a change in what one looks for in a good book.

I have been a longtime fan of the work of Reed Farrel Coleman. He hooked my parents who were avid readers and raved about the early installments of the Moe Prager series. I got hooked and used his work in reviews and FFB review entries. The last couple of years Mom could no longer read much at all due to her failing eyesight and memory issues, but she often talked about how much she enjoyed the series. As I now again live in the house I grew up in after inheriting it last year after my Mom passed from the consequences of a massive stroke, reading “Breakage: A Moe Prager Story” had a strong emotional impact. 1984 in Brooklyn and Moe has been doing very little detecting work. In fact, he has done none in several months. That is until Mr. Israel Roth, forty years Moe’s senior and a friend and far more, comes to see him. He needs Moe to find a concertation camp survivor just might be the wife of a dying man.

“On the Job Interview: A Slick and Bo Story” by Eric Beetner follows where Bo is glad he smoked on the way to the bar to calm his nerves once he had seen the man known as “Slick.” The job is a smash and grab. Slick is not about to go back to jail for anyone. Slick needs a good partner so if the first job goes right there could be future work. One also has to deal with the current partner as well.

It might be time to get a dog in “Trash: An Andrea Vogel Story” by Jen Conley. A cop, a widow, and the depression is pretty deep. A dog might help. Then there is the problem of Sheila Kemper. 2002 was a long time ago, but seeing her brings back the old fury.

After an introduction about Black Mask Magazine and the context of the story, “Rough Justice: A Donahue Story” by Frederick Nebel. Donahue is in town and working a case that has taken him from New York to St. Louis. Donahue is not happy. Not only is it too damn hot, he has to rely on a local contact for information and support. First up, Donahue needs a local cop with certain qualities.

Closing the fiction is a stand-alone story by Thomas Pluck titled “Deadbeat.” Our narrator works the high steel while trying to hide the extent of his knee injury. He chews pain pills so he can keep working to pay his mounting bills. He is a supervisor and needs to do what he needs to do to keep his job and also make sure that the union stays happy.

A final word from the editor and a listing of other books available from the publisher close out the issue. There are a lot of books so there plenty of reading suggestions. These suggestions are in addition to the books already mentioned by way of the introductions to the various stories.

Down & Out: The Magazine: Issue 1 is a good one. Plenty of variety in stories, both old and new, as well as the nice addition of the upcoming books by J. Kingston Pierce make this first issue well worth your time and money. If the quality of content in this first issue continues in subsequent issues, this magazine should be able to find a steady if not growing audience.

Down & Out: The Magazine: Issue 1 (Volume 1)
Editor Rick Ollerman
Down And Out Books
http://www.DownAndOutBooks.com
July 2017
ASIN: B074CFW523
eBook (also available in print format)
168 Pages
$0.99

Material was purchased by way of a gift card from my oldest son late last December.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018… (plus d'informations)