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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2498 KP) rated A Killing Way in Books

May 8, 2025 (Updated May 8, 2025)  
A Killing Way
A Killing Way
J. R. Sanders | 2024 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Tracking a Painting Stolen by a Dead Man
When famed silent film cowboy William S. Hart hires Nate Ross, he is looking for a portrait that was recently stolen from his home. He even knows who stole it. The catch? The thief was killed in a suspicious accident that has deeply divided the community of cowboy actors. Can Nate navigate the controversy and find the painting?

Since I live in the town that William S. Hart called home, I got a kick out of seeing a couple places I know well show in this historical mystery. The plot and pacing were great, and I had a hard time putting down this PI novel. Speaking of being a PI novel, there is a little more content than I might normally read, but it was a small amount. The characters are good overall. A few could be stronger, but fans will be happy to spend more time with everyone. If you haven’t started this fun series yet, fix that today.
  
Fortune Favours the Brave.

Otherwise known as Dando on the Delhi Ridge.

I actually read this as the first part in a 3-book compilation ("THE RIFLEMAN DANDO ADVENTURES three action-packed historical military thrillers"), thinking it may be something interesting, something akin to Bernard Cornwell's Napoleonic-set Sharpe series, or to Paul Fraser Collard's 'Jack Lark' series.

While the history may be - and, for me, was - interesting, unfortunately the plot around the rest of the story was not all that much so. I have to say, I also found the phonetic spelling "See 'ere" rather off-putting, although understandable in that the soldiers were usually drawn from the lower classes rather than the posh higher classes.

I also found the flashbacks to a pre-soldier Dando, and just how he came to be a redcoat, actually more interesting than the 'current events' of the Indian mutiny, for some reason.

Still, I'll read the next two as well at some point (but doubt I'll be going out of my way beyond that)