A Lonesome Place for Dying, by Nolan Chase

There’s something to be said about the load their job brings to the mental state of cops the world over, if all the cliches about divorced and lonesome cops are true. Sure, within the realm of fiction, it’s a common trope, whether you’re looking at books or series or movies. But all those tropes and cliches tend to ring true at their core – after all, they exist for a reason.

Ethan Brand, who is probably setting out to be a new series hero, fulfills this role, including the »former war veteran who has seen too much shit« trope as well. Butt it’s not overdone, and it makes for a great character. (Which is good, if the author wants to take him further in the next books.) In fact, character development feels absolutely great, to a point where I wondered if this is really a debut novel. Guess what?

It’s not. Nolan Chase is the pen name Sam Wiebe took for this new series, probably because his name is tied to his gritty Vancouver novels, and maybe he thinks as a Canadian, he will have a tough time selling books to an American audience, what with the setting leaving Canada and arriving on American soil. (Although just shy of the Canadian border.)

I told you I’m not trained to hurt people with my fists. Everything I learned about hand-to-hand combat involves killing.

Ethan after kicking some guy’s ass

But never mind that, because Sam is an experienced author of gritty crime novels, and with this start of a new series, he proves that he can bring his wit from the city of Vancouver to a more rural setting, along the Washington sea side.

Ethan is an instantly likeable character, although he tends to overshadow the rest of the cast a bit. And the characters are what really shines about this book.

Yes, there is a plot here, and it’s quite good as mystery plots go. Nice whodunit, although most of the time we are pretty sure who has done it, but the evidence needs to be found. And the motive is a little unclear, with an interesting twist right at the end that promises more to come in future installments.

I’m reminded a little of Elmore Leonard. As with his books, this story is more about the dialogues and the characters than the plot. And it works! I, for one, will follow the story of Ethan Brand. I recommend you do so, too, if you like this kind of story.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a free Advanced Reader’s Copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.