Black Market Angels

Fallen Angels Series, Book 2

By: C. Mack Lewis

Narrated by: John Bell

Private investigator Jack Fox will sweet-talk the Devil on a Sunday and kiss the Pope on a Monday - whatever it takes to get to the truth. Between his newest case involving the brutal murder of a Russian mail order bride, his 17-year-old daughter who is the poster child for anger non-management issues, and his ex-girlfriend-from-hell who is giving him an ultimatum that threatens to end in murder, Jack is pushed past his limits as he tries to keep his sanity - and catch a killer!

A fast, fun detective story served up with wit, grit and shocking twists. C. Mack Lewis offers up a murder mystery with a father-daughter relationship that careens from bad to worse and some unexpected places in between. High stakes thrills and drama!

©2017 Cathleen A McCarthy (P)2018 Cathleen A McCarthy

High Stakes - Thrills and Deals

Following “Gunning for Angels“, private investigator Jack Fox is back in this second installment in the Fallen Angels mystery series. If you haven’t listened to the previous book, there is enough information here to get new listeners caught up, but for a deeper understanding of the characters’ relationships, and simply because it was so much fun, I’d suggest listening to Gunning For Angels first.

In Black Market Angels, Jack is trying hard to become a better Dad to seventeen-year-old Enid, but Enid has a way of attracting trouble and her anger issues are by no means under control yet. Throw in a life-altering issue with his incarcerated ex-girlfriend, his current case of a missing Russian bride, and Jack has his work cut out for him. True to form, he takes everything that’s thrown at him with the necessary pinch of humor and ready wit. Favorite characters from the previous book, such as detective Bud Orlean with his marital and health problems, are back, and new characters are introduced. I loved the addition of Enid’s new school friends.

This is a brilliant follow-up to the first book. The plot hooks you from the beginning and the suspense and mayhem just keeps building and increasing. C. Mack Lewis takes great care with the descriptions of the Arizona setting and ensures all characters are fleshed out to make the story come fully to life. Told from multiple perspectives, it is easy to follow and thoroughly and originally plotted. Yes, there’s a lot of drama, and some over-the-top action/developments but it is all so much fun to follow and the characters are incredibly entertaining, it’s impossible to not become fully engaged in it all. The growing relationship between a fairly new, hesitant father and his troubled teenage daughter who become embroiled in some dangerously dark crimes makes this series unique.

Fortunately, John Bell is also narrating this second book. His character voices are distinctive and underline each character’s personality perfectly. His style of narration fits this type of story flawlessly. I’m already looking forward to the release of the third book. There were no issues with the production of the audiobook.

I would highly recommend this to anybody who enjoys well crafted, fast-paced crime fiction with plenty of wit and drama.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog.
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Modern Throwback

If you like gum shoe noir fiction, you might love this. 2nd in the Fallen Angel trilogy, Lewis gives us a tour of Phoenix, Arizona’s seedy side. The parts where human origins and human beings are a commodity. While the subject matter is midnight dark, Lewis’s sharp humor provides a nice balance - exactly what I’m looking for in Noir. John Bell, the reader, is a real pro. He manages a distinctive voice for each character. Looking for a fun, gripping story? Here she is.