Shakedown: A Jack Davis Thriller

Shakedown was my first Joel Goldman mystery,but won't be my last. You will be inexorably drawn into the world of FBI agent Jack Davis,an unlikely protagonist with a tendency to shake at the worst possible moment. The characters are compelling and the plot twists will keep you turning the pages through to the satisfying end. A warning to all true detective fans, you will not be able to stop. I immediately ordered The Dead Man, and since consuming that in an afternoon, am hungry for more. I guess I will have to satisfy my cravings by going back to his prior series until he cranks out the next Jack Davis thriller.

The other reviewers do a good job of explaining what this book is all about, so rather than be redundant, let me say this: I truly enjoyed the book, the complex characters and the great dialogue. Goldman is a smart writer. I only discovered his work about six weeks ago. Since then I have read all five of his books. The first four featured lawyer Lou Mason, a delightful and complicated character. Shakedown's Jack Davis is also a strong character -- and I look forward to following his journey and the complicated life that he now faces. I have added Goldman to my list of a dozen mystery writers whose books I will always buy. So if you like: Carl Hiaasen, Elmore Leonard, Harlan Coben, Ian Rankin, Michael Connelly, Victor Gischler, I believe you will like told Joel Goldman. Harvey McKinnon is the co-author of The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All (Penguin).

FBI Agent Jack Davis is in the process of getting divorced, he's fighting a never-ending battle to keep his daughter straight, he lost his son to a child-molesting killer, and he's afraid that his daughter's boyfriend may be a corrupt agent. Developing uncontrollable shakes is not the best way for him to deal with his problems, but that's what his body has decided to do. When he starts shaking at the scene of a mass murder--which took place on a group he was actually investigating--he's suspended from his job and given a strong message that he won't be welcomed back until the doctors give him the okay. But Jack is certain he saw something in the darkness. He can't just back off and let the team he built mess up the case. And when he learns that his daughter might be involved, he becomes a bulldog after any evidence that will prove her innocence. In the meantime, he's got a sexy witness expert, and a sexy near-ex-wife who both seem interested. Author Joel Goldman keeps up the suspense as Jack digs himself more and more deeply into trouble. Relying on friends, providing only partial information to his former co-workers in the FBI, and boning up on the techniques for reading microexpressions, Jack seems determined to learn the truth--no matter how much it hurts. For the most part, the story works. With his multitude of problems, Jack is sympathetic. That his dog loves him and two women are attracted makes him admirable, as well. Since he's doing the crazy things he does for his family, for his daughter, we're prepared to cut him a lot of slack. Ultimately, Goldman relies a bit too much on coincidence. It's a coincidence that the killer happens to murder right when Jack is unable to see. Another coincidence when Jack catches a look at a possible suspect running from the scene. Yet another that he happens to learn about connections between his daughter, her boyfriend, and possible suspects--connections you'd think would be closely hidden. Still, the story is strong enough that I'm willing to cut Goldman a fair amount of slack.

Jack Davis is an FBI Special Agent in Kansas City. His wife is divorcing him and has already moved most of the furniture out of their house. Their only remaining child, Wendy, is out on her own and dating Colby, an FBI agent who is undercover - something Jack finds very risky. And now someone is systematically killing the crack dealers that Colby is involved with - and there are few clues. In the middle of one crime scene, Jack suddenly gets the shakes and loses sight of a possible suspect. He is put on administrative leave and knows he's one step from his career being over - unless he can solve the crime. But officially he's off the case and without the resources that he is used to having. He knows the suspects, he has questions, but no answers, and he has help from some unlikely friends, including a Kansas City Police detective and a psychologist who specializes in jury consulting and micro expressions - tiny fleeting facial movements that most people can't see, but that enable her to read people like a book. Goldman does a wonderful job of painting characters that you can care about - including some of the people that end up being villains. His descriptions of Kansas City will make you feel as though you lived there. The ethical and psychological dilemmas he has given Jack Davis, including those surrounding the abduction and death of his son some years earlier, will have you feeling the same emotions of helplessness, anger, commitment, and hope that Jack does. Armchair Interviews says: Book really touches emotions.