Revie & Giveaway: No Known Address by Jo A Hiestand

No Known Address

by Jo A Hiestand

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GENRE: British mystery

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BLURB:

The man seemed not to hear the continuous whine of the phone receiver lying on his lap. He sat upright, stiff-backed, in a wooden kitchen chair that, like the house, had seen better days. As he had also seen better days, he reminded himself, glancing at the calendar on the wall. A date circled in black ink smirked at him, the remaining days of the month X-ed out. As though he was counting down to something. But the dates were three years old.

The discrepancy didn’t bother him. He had never flipped over the rest of the months. They didn’t intrigue him; it didn’t upset him that he had stared at January for more than a thousand days. If he flipped over the page it would signal that the search needed to continue into another month. And possibly another. And another. The consequence was too terrible to comprehend.

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My Review:

 A few months ago I have read the third book in this series and I could not wait to read a new brilliant adventure of detective McLaren .

Michael McLaren is a former policeman turned private detective. In this episode he has to help a father to find his missing son. For three years he didn't hear from him and the policemen that had dealt with the case at that time had failed to find him. Mike is an expert in solving cold cases, will be able to solve this mystery?

The author is very good at creating real characters, with which it is easy to empathize. In fact, Michael isn't perfect, is lunatic but is very good to solving complex mysteries.

This is the sixth book in the series but you can easily read as a standalone. 

It's the ideal reading for lovers of traditional mystery, is a brilliant book, very well written, full of suspense, with a very fast pace thanks to short sentences. To make everything perfect there are the evocative descriptions of English landscape that make you want to take the first plane

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EXCERPT:

 “Is that a threat, McLaren?”

“Just big brother advice, Phil. I’d hate for you to make a big mistake.”

“Looks like you made a few mistakes yourself, mate. You get those bruises and that bloody eye shakin’ hands with a snowman?” He laughed and snuggled into the corner of the sofa.

“I’d say you should see the other bloke, but you wouldn’t believe me.”

“You’re damned right.” Philip angled his wrist so he could see his watch. “You’re beginnin’ to bore me. You about finished?”

“Just about.”

A knock on the door interrupted him. Philip called, “Come on in,” but remained seated. “You know, McLaren,” he said, keeping McLaren’s attention on him, “you just might be right. Maybe I’ve been too hasty about all this. Maybe I should tell you the whole thing. Don’t they say confession is good for the soul?” He smiled, laying his arms along the top of the sofa, and spoke very slowly. “You see, it was like this, McLaren. Luke and I—“

That was the last thing McLaren remembered before waking up in the dark, the feeling of cold and the panic of imprisonment in a small space nearly crippling him.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Books, Girl Scouts and music filled Jo A. Hiestand’s childhood.  She discovered the magic of words and the worlds they create: mysteries, English medieval history, the natural world.  She explored the joys of the outdoors through Girl Scout camping trips and summers as a canoeing instructor and camp counselor.  Brought up on classical, big band and baroque music, she was groomed as a concert pianist until forsaking the piano for the harpsichord.  She also plays a Martin guitar and has sung in a semi-professional folkgroup in the US and as a soloist in England.

This mixture formed the foundation for her writing.  A true Anglophile, Jo wanted to create a mystery series that featured a British police detective who left the Force over an injustice and now investigates cold cases on his own.  The result is the McLaren Mysteries, featuring ex-police detective Michael McLaren.

Jo’s insistence for accuracy -- from police methods and location layout to the general “feel” of the area -- has driven her innumerable times to Derbyshire.  These explorations and conferences with police friends provide the detail filling the books.

In 1999 Jo returned to Webster University to major in English.  She graduated in 2001 with a BA degree and departmental honors.

She has employed her love of writing, board games and music in other ways by co-inventing a mystery-solving game, P.I.R.A.T.E.S., which uses maps, graphics, song lyrics, and other clues to lead the players to the lost treasure.

Jo founded the Greater St. Louis Chapter of Sisters in Crime, serving as its first president. Besides her love of mysteries and early music, she also enjoys photography, reading, crewel embroidery, and her backyard wildlife.

Her cat, Tennyson, shares her St. Louis-area home.

LINKS:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/635131.Jo_A_Hiestand

https://www.facebook.com/Jo-Hiestand-Mystery-Author-203133803128/

http://www.johiestand.com/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Jo A Hiestand will be awarding a $40 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway