A Deadly Scam

A Joey Mancuso, Father O'Brian Crime Mystery, Book 9

By: Owen Parr

Narrated by: Randy McCarten

What kind of sick game is this? The killer is texting Joey Mancuso after each murder with the location.

Is it a challenge? Is he just toying with Mancuso? What kind of psychopath would do this?

Joey Mancuso, Father O'Brian, and the rest of the team are back for their ninth hard-boiled tale. Consistently working out of their Lower Manhattan Irish pub and office. This time, there is no client. Instead, Mancuso has been sucked into this series of senseless murders by personal invitation. A text with the location and an invite to come over.

It appears like random killings of homeless people at subway stations. But there is nothing unexpected about the texts. Witnesses all seem to know there is a white male dressed in a trench coat and a hoody hiding his face. The killer strikes in the daytime, night, and early mornings, with no particular schedule. Not even the same weapon. But he's a professional. No cameras have caught his face, and no forensics were found at the scenes.

The murder rate in New York City is rising, and a series of homeless people dying, but as crazy as it sounds, this doesn't seem to be anything out of the normal.

But did the killer make a mistake inviting Mancuso to a joust?

NYPD detectives are asked to join an FBI task force, as Mancuso is sidelined and becomes an FBI person of interest. Mancuso and Father O'Brian, nicknamed the Last Advocates for the Victims by the New York City media, are not standing down. On their own, they're working the case, and no one will stop them.

Anyone who loves Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch will devour Joey Mancuso and his team. Likewise, lovers of novels and police procedurals like Nelson DeMille's John Corey and those by Raymond Chandler, Joseph Wambaugh, Lawrence Block, and Rex Stout will love this motley detective team. As will devotees of clerical mysteries and the greatest detective of all time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.

©2022 Owen Parr (P)2022 Owen Parr

Stand alone!

I have not read/listened to any of the previous 8 books in this series and I don't feel that I missed anything. The author, Owen Parr, does a fantastic job of helping the reader with 'catching up' on any of the necessary background story referenced. This author gives some awesome twists and turns and some circles in the middle. I thought I had it all figured out, until I realized that I didn't. I especially enjoyed the epilogue where the author is speaking to the reader with the 'oh by the way' this is what happened. A great way to wrap up the story.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book and Randy McCarten has some amazing talent. I could see what he was telling me to see and believe in each character he was portraying as if he was that person. Not one time during this audiobook did I NOT believe him. Each character came alive for me. He is an excellent narrator!
I highly recommend this book and this narrator and I look forward to others by both of them.

A Deadly Scam

It was awesome as all of them have been. Randy does a great job on each of them.

Love the Mancuso Mystery

Another fantastic book by Owen Parr with Joey Mancuso! This one left me hanging and I had to get to the next chapter to find out what happens next...Loved it! Narrator was spot on and love the voices. Looking forward to the next one!

Another great Joey Mancuso story

Another tale of Mancuso and O'Brian.
Every time I listen to a Joey Mancuso book it always seems like meeting up with old friends.
Owen Parr tells a good tale a master storyteller. Narration of Randy McCarten is excellent smooth and flowing.
This is a stand alone book though there are some references to previous books but they don't impact the story.
I highly recommend this and any other books in the series. .

Good read

I have found a new author and narrator to add to my faves!
The story kept me wondering until the end... And I loved Randy Mcarten's narration.

Another Fascinating Mancuso Story

4.25 out of 5 stars

Owen Parr has been such a great hitter for me; I knew going into the ninth book in this series that even though I didn’t think Parr could surprise me, he still did.

A Deadly Scam was probably the most like the historical tales that Sherlock Holmes would take on. The twists and turns in this one were killer. And the ability to keep me hanging on until the end to figure out what was going to happen (and who was to blame), while very tactical by Parr, had me jumping to conclusions every time he would spend a little longer talking about a character/lead.

Overall, I thought A Deadly Scam was well done and jumped off the page. Mancuso tried his damndest to be the last advocate but kept getting sidelined while trying to help solve these cases. I found it an interesting twist on the normal books, and honestly, I loved it with one caveat that may not bother everyone.

Have read the entire series

Really enjoyed this series. The mystery is always intriguing! The characters are great. Will be waiting for the next in the series!

Best Yet!

This one was excellent! Terrific mystery! The thoughtful reader may actually get ahead of Joey on the nature of the Deadly Scam!

Wow - a great story

A Deadly Scam is #9 in the Joey Mancuso and Father O'Brian mystery series by Owen Parr. Homeless people are being killed and Mancuso receives texts and is being pulled into the crimes by the killer! Lots of adventure, twists and turns that grab and keep the readers attention. The narration by Randy McCarten is excellent. The performance brings the characters and story to life. I received a free copy of the audiobook for my honest review.

Enjoyable Read!!

Randy’s narration brings vivid life to the story. My only complaint is that keeping all the characters straight was difficult but in typical fashion Parr sorts everything out in the end!