Nothing Else Matters: A Sam Casey Mystery

Nothing Else Matters by S.D. Tooley blends romance, suspense and a touch of Native American culture with flair. With a fast paced plot and richly developed characters, this tale of suspense will hook its reader through the last page. The man has no true identity except the bird tattoo on the back of his left hand and the label Sparrow. A hired gun, he shows up at the River Queen Casino prepared for a hit. But someone else beats him to the murder of Reverend Everett Smith. The Reverend is carrying $50,000 in counterfeit money and Sparrow wants answers. He won't be anyone's fall guy. A rookie cop is dead and Detective Sergeant Samantha Casey is the prime suspect for the killing. Never mind the cop's neck was broken before three bullet's from Sam's gun entered his body. And never mind that she says she didn't pull the trigger. Suspended from the force, Sam seeks answers to the young cop's death before she has to have Jake's baby in prison. But when she goes to headquarters to submit her statement, she finds herself in the interrogation room being set up for Chief of Police Connelley's death as well. Jake: the father of her child and the man Sam blames for her suspension. Of course it doesn't help that this man she's secretly married to has been promoted and has taken her position on the force. Nor does it help that she blames him for keeping information from her on her father's death. With personal relationship and work on a course from hell, Sam needs answers fast. When the owners of the River Queen Casino want to hire her to investigate the murder of Reverend Smith, Sam steps up to the plate. Using the unusual gift of psychometry, or the ability to gather information from the auras surrounding objects, Sam gathers information the cops can't possibly suspect. By picking up a glass he held, for example, Sam sees Sparrow's left tattooed hand, and the game is on. Sam's extraordinary psychic gift provides an unusual inroad for solving crime, making Nothing Else Matters a terrific read. Furthermore, the characterization and the depth of complexity of the man known only as Sparrow is not only stark and brutal, but also heart wrenching. My sincere compliments to the author of this masterpiece. If you're searching for a strong female character, unusual plotting, and a terrifically suspenseful tale, Nothing Else Matters is a must read.Cindy Penn Reviewer

Nothing Else Matters is the second Sam Casey series, written by the somewhat mysterious S.D. Tooley. Sam Casey is a Detective Sergeant with many unique qualities: she is beautiful, stubborn, independently wealthy, and is able to speak to the dead. She is also in trouble with her own department and is married to a fellow cop. She thinks her husband is responsible for her suspension, so when the novel opens their relationship is strained to the breaking point. After an initial introduction to Sam and her problems, the action opens at the River Queen Casino. Reverend Everett Smith is being tracked by a hired killer known as Sparrow, who only kills targets that are part of the underbelly of society. But before Sparrow can make the hit, someone else intervenes and kills the Reverend. The owners of the casino hire Sam as a private investigator, having heard of her unusual talents. Sam begins her investigation, while at the same time dealing with yet another life-altering event; she is pregnant. She and her friend Jackie delve into the seamy side of life tracking the activities of Sparrow's contacts; at the same time dealing with visions which lead her to a confusing meeting with the man himself: "She sucked in a deep breath, as if synthetic self-control were being circulated through air ducts. 'No. Far from it, actually.' He didn't look sinister enough. Didn't look like a cross between a Mafia hit man and a deranged psycho. He looked like a former star quarterback, all-American guy, maybe a decathlon champion. A guy women had dreams about." Nothing Else Matters is a sophisticated mix of an international whodunit; a peak into Indian culture and some mysteries that go beyond the temporal; and a just plain old snuggle up and read book with entertainment savvy. S.D. Tooley keeps the reader at the edge of their seat, while stirring up primitive emotional elements that creates an additional great psychological element to the story. It is a love story at the most basic level, as well as a ghost story. All elements combine to create a great read. And just who is S.D. Tooley, anyway?Shelly Glodowski Reviewer

In this second Sam Casey thriller, the Chasen Heights detective sergeant finds herself stripped of her badge, suspected of shooting a fellow officer, and wondering whether she "could actually end up having this baby in prison." Sam uses her psychic powers (her Lakota genes at work) to prove her innocence and help her estranged husband, Detective Jake Mitchell, track down "Sparrow," a very twisted hit man. (In one particularly memorable scene the hit man uses a rat to kill his victim -- this is definitely not for the squeamish.) In the course of the story, the author takes us inside the riverboat casino scene and explores the difficulties of counterfeiting those new, "counterfeit-proof" 50s and 100s. (Apparently the author was at one time a casino dealer, and her first-hand experiences come through in her storytelling.) As in the first Sam Casey novel, Tooley serves up a cast of believable, quirky characters; a compelling and seemingly doomed romance between cops; and a series of highly imaginative plot twists. If you're like me and you enjoy a little speculation about native American spiritualism, a strong female protagonist, and a good yarn, you will enjoy NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.

Chasen Heights Detective Sergeant Samantha Casey has been suspended from the police force due to some of the activities on her last case. Although feeling major levels of stress especially since her car was bombed in the exact manner that killed her father years ago, the half Native-American blames her spouse, fellow officer Jake Mitchell, for her being placed on suspension. Sparrow is the superstar of hired guns. He has been hired to assassinate Reverend Everett Smith on the River Queen Casino. However, before the deadly Sparrow completes his assignment, someone else kills Smith. Sparrow soon realizes that the fee he obtained form his client is counterfeit. No one lives if they screw Sparrow. He now has a new target. The owners of the River Queen hire Sam to prove their innocence. As she engages in a game of wits with Sparrow, Jake investigates the riverboat murder while struggling to patch up his relationship with Sam. NOTHING ELSE MATTERS is an exciting detective story filled with mysticism, twists, turns, and red herrings that show the talent of S.D. Tooley to provide an entertaining tale. The story line is fun due to the various charcaters. Sam is a wonderful heroine who grapples with her dichotomous feelings towards her husband. Sparrow is an intriguing killing machine who brings the danger to the plot. Mystical elements fit into the tale and add to the overall enjoyment. As with WHEN THE DEAD SPEAK, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS will provide enjoyment to readers who will want more special deliveries like these from a gifted author.Harriet Klausner

I could use words such a spellbinding, intriguing, and captivating to describe the second book in the Sam Casey series. But instead I will give you a warning: Only begin this book on a Friday or Saturday night. If you start it any other night be sure you can afford to be late for work the next morning. You will not put it down.