When Death Intervenes

With this third of the Harry Bronson series (following WHY CASEY HAD TO DIE, an Agatha Award Best Novel finalist), L.C. (Elsie) Hayden continues her breezy style. A member of Mystery Writers of America, Hayden was host of MWA's only talk show, Murder Must Air. A retired Dallas detective, Bronson finds himself in more pickles than Jovny the Vlasic stork delivers. When touring South Dakota by motor home, he meets Linda Randig, whose parents and husband Mitch have been murdered. On the lam, Linda learns from Bronson that her RV is bugged --- and not by the kind Orkin exterminates. Bronson gives details about investigative work, as though he is an instructor at police academy. Being retired, "Bronson made a mental note to stop at a toy store and buy an official-looking badge." "Don't move. Get on your knees. Turn around. Put your hands up. On the floor. Now." Bronson shows his wit while facing death. "What TV show had he been watching? Since this was a multiple-choice command, Bronson slowly raised his arms." Small plot holes are paved over with sometime-humorous action, a zany look at murder and mayhem. Uncharacteristically, he unquestioningly accepts what nefarious characters present as truth. Several diabolical characters try to locate the hidden formula for a youth-restoring potion made by Mensa Enterprises, to mass produce it. Mitch Randig, who worked at Mensa, "destroyed all our notes and hid the formula in a computer game that only he or Linda could successfully play." The key to the miracle topical balm is written into the code of a computer action game called Ella, a program that self destructs with one wrong move. Since her husband is dead and only she knows how to play the game and thus unlock the hidden code, "Linda could describe both men, which meant that after she won that game for them, they would kill her." In deep with his own kind, Bronson discovers some bad bad cops at Two Forks PD. Circumstantial evidence links Bronson to murders, but only for these small-town cops. "Benjamin Carrier [is] a notorious criminal who derives pleasure from killin' people." As always, the Cowboy Cop drops the G in gerunds like names in high society. Carrier then creates his own game of taunting Bronson, leaving notes with his name signed and bits of evidence that he survived his own staged death. Cherry-hued herrings draw readers away from the obvious. "So Carrier set me up to be a killer." Carrier makes a career of killing people, and eyes the death of Bronson as a prize pension. "Bronson frowned. He'd been beaten, threatened, lied to, and now spoofed." Not exactly computer savvy, he learns that caller ID can be manipulated by those using the Internet, giving the impression that a call came from someone else. While held prisoner at various sites, Bronson uses common items to make good his escape. One of those innocuous items puts to bloody shame Hollywood special effects. "You'd be surprised what an angry cop can do." Using nothing more than his

WHEN DEATH INTERVENES by L.C. Hayden pulls Harry Bronson from a boring motor-home vacation back to his life, investigation with the help of his friend, Mike Hoover. When someone retires from a beloved profession, the first thing loved ones attempt is the essence of withdrawal treatment. A long vacation with lots of things to see and do is the perscription. This ploy is no exception for Harry who is first, last, and always a cop. Parked in a South Dakota rest-stop Harry finds their neighbor traveler Linda Randig interesting. As Linda isn't enjoying a vacation, she is a frighten woman on the run from the death of her husband and parents. A cozy visit with a genuinely nice-guy, which doesn't lack for convoluted puzzles, tense interaction of the characters, and psychotic danger lurking in the shadows. WHEN DEATH INTERVENES is the perfect book to take with you on your next vacation. Nash Black, author of Indie finalists WRITING AS A SMALL BUSINESS and HAINTS.

In Two Forks, Wyoming, Linda Randig mourns the deaths of her parents in a car crash. Soon afterward, she receives a call from an anonymous person who tells her to open an envelope that he left her and that he can see what she is doing even inside her house. Inside the large parcel is three other envelops. One is labeled open me first which contains pictures of her parents' car. Another says open me next; inside is a picture of her estranged son Eric with her grandson. The third shows her spouse Mitch lying dead in the garden. She races outside to see her husband is dead. The caller tells her to use her SUV and head to Minnesota to await further instructions. At the South Dakota Custer State Park, Linda is parked next to retired Dallas police detective Harry Bronson and his wife Carol. He recognizes a troubled soul and gets her to talk about her woes. Unable to resist although Carol warns him not to play cop anymore, Harry with the help of his former police partner Mike Hoover, who remains on the force, begins to piece together the motive behind a serial killer whose lethal signature is that of a dead man. When Death Intervenes is a great thriller as Bronson cannot stop himself from intervening to save the life of a beleaguered widow who has not had time to grieve. Bronson is terrific with his bowling theory of life as much as his clever investigation. Although the Randig family extended dynamics is dysfunctional to the point of being over the top of the Black Hills, fans will relish this strong tale as Bronson works the case from two angles: keeping his "client" and her son and grandchild alive and identifying the killer. Harriet Klausner