The Meanest Flood by John Baker is the 6th in his series about private detective Sam Turner. Unfortunately it is also the last of the series. I have enjoyed every one of the Sam Turner books and I will miss this series a lot. This particular book is a fast moving thriller that has Sam being blamed for a series of murders. The victims are all women from Sam’s past, and someone is deliberately making it look like Sam is the murderer.

This has been an unique series, full of wonderful characters that were carefully developed into genuine individuals. They communicate with each other through a mix of banter and philosophy that is fresh and unique. The group of characters that work for Sam all have a deep caring and respect for each other. So in this book, when Sam must work outside the law to protect the women in his life, they are all there is help.

The Meanest Flood does not shy away from depicting the horror and violence of murder. Set against the backdrop of the city of York as it is being ravaged by flooding rivers, this book has a grim and dark side. The author keeps the book from descending into despair by touches of humor and with his warm characters. All these books are more than simple action driven thrillers, the characters and their dialogue as well as the finely crafted plots put these book in a class of their own and I am going to miss this consistently excellent series. ( )

There are several reviews of The Meanest Flood on my blog.