Status
Checked out
Due 11 May 2022
Call number
Publication
Bethany House Publishers (2010), Edition: 1, 385 pages
Description
Roland March, a Houston detective with something to prove, gets a chance to redeem himself when he is transferred to a missing person case--the disappearance of the teenage daughter of a famous evangelist.
Media reviews
Me
I was really looking forward to read this novel. The novel turned out pretty good. I though the characters were interesting and realistic.
I look forward to read more novels by J. Mark Bertrand.
I look forward to read more novels by J. Mark Bertrand.
Booklist
Carefully drawn details of police work, well-delineated characters, multiple interesting cases, and a vivid Houston setting add to the strong mystery.
User reviews
LibraryThing member debavp
Very good start for a first in series. Some people may be wary because the publisher handles a lot of 'Christian' titles but need not worry with this one. Religion is addressed subtly and briefly and does not impede the progress of the story at all. Dark, brooding police work with a lot of twists
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and turns. The scene where March has to tell his wife what happened is heartbreaking and Bertrand just adds to the drama with the uniqueness of how that unfolds. Looking forward to book two. Show Less
LibraryThing member ecw0647
***Caution: Contains a Naughty Word***
Roland March, treated as an invisible by the rest of the homicide squad, discovers a key piece of evidence, that someone, presumably a woman, had been tied to the bed where Octavio Morales had been shot.. He’s anathema to the rest of the department for
March wants nothing more than to redeem himself in the eyes of the Homicide Squad, and things begin to look up until he tries to make a connection between the disappearance of a local girl and the girl missing from the murder scene of Morales.
For some reason this book is billed as a Christian mystery and comes from a publisher traditionally known for those kinds of books, whatever the hell they might be. It does have a couple of church member characters but they seemed quite real and flawed to me, and March certainly doesn’t have majestic epiphanies. Then again, perhaps the Christian threshold is so low that all it takes is the absence of “f*ck.”
Just a good, solid detective story. I’ll definitely read more from the author despite the label.
Roland March, treated as an invisible by the rest of the homicide squad, discovers a key piece of evidence, that someone, presumably a woman, had been tied to the bed where Octavio Morales had been shot.. He’s anathema to the rest of the department for
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reasons unknown but having to do with a personal tragedy in his life, and he has been assigned to the “Car Squad” which tricks persons with outstanding warrants into thinking they might have won a car so they show up only to be arrested. It’s not considered to be glamorous duty. But because of his find, the Lt. assigned him back on the murder squad. In the meantime, Charlotte, his wife, an attorney in a premier legal firm, is on drugs to help her sleep, and wants Roland to get their garage apartment renter out for throwing irresponsible parties. And romance? Forget it.March wants nothing more than to redeem himself in the eyes of the Homicide Squad, and things begin to look up until he tries to make a connection between the disappearance of a local girl and the girl missing from the murder scene of Morales.
For some reason this book is billed as a Christian mystery and comes from a publisher traditionally known for those kinds of books, whatever the hell they might be. It does have a couple of church member characters but they seemed quite real and flawed to me, and March certainly doesn’t have majestic epiphanies. Then again, perhaps the Christian threshold is so low that all it takes is the absence of “f*ck.”
Just a good, solid detective story. I’ll definitely read more from the author despite the label.
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LibraryThing member PermaSwooned
This is evidently the first of a series using Roland March as the lead character. He is a Houston detective who is mysteriously "on his way out" for reasons that are never fully explained, since he was once quite good and was featured as the hero of a True Crime book. He is haunted by a personal
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tragedy affecting his performance and marriage the nature of which is only hinted at for at least 2/3 of the book...again, for no discernible reason. There were some good elements here, but I thought the author got too caught up in his "craft" of the story without thinking to make his main characters either sympathetic or relateable. I think I'll pass on any sequels. Show Less
LibraryThing member ansate
A good cop mystery novel. Reminds me strongly of the Rebus series by Ian Rankin and the Bosch series by Michael Connelly. Bertrand does a great job of piecing together the mystery from multiple threads. I like the reminders that police do a lot of things besides investigate murders, and that they
My only complaint is that the main character is not very likable - but that's the premise: March has messed up his life in a variety of ways and this is the book where he gets back on track. I wish the next book was out already so we could see if he manages to stay on track and no longer say, do things he doesn't remember clearly while drunk. It's also annoying how long we have to wait to find the much hinted at reasons for why his life went down the tubes. The main problem with this approach is that this kind of backstory won't make sense in later books, so this doesn't give me a good feel on what any given book from the series will read like.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
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are influenced by the media.My only complaint is that the main character is not very likable - but that's the premise: March has messed up his life in a variety of ways and this is the book where he gets back on track. I wish the next book was out already so we could see if he manages to stay on track and no longer say, do things he doesn't remember clearly while drunk. It's also annoying how long we have to wait to find the much hinted at reasons for why his life went down the tubes. The main problem with this approach is that this kind of backstory won't make sense in later books, so this doesn't give me a good feel on what any given book from the series will read like.
Looking forward to the next book in the series!
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LibraryThing member BrianEWilliams
In the final analysis I can say that this is a good story. I only began to like it at the beginning of Part 2. Before then I found it tedious going (I found it difficult to get past the first few chapters), and the protagonist Roland March was difficult to like. He came across as a major pain in
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the neck. By the end, which was satisfying, he is more appealing. There's several unnecessary storylines, e.g. the one about Tommy the tenant and the waitress Marta, that go nowhere.The story would have been improved with some explanation of how March got to be "on the way out". In view of the way things picked up in Part 2 and the good ending, I'd be willing to read the sequel to this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member ct.bergeron
Good read, it was really different than a usual mystery. We follow the life of Roland March a homicide detective who is at an all time low in his career and wants to get it back to the top. He get's his chance but things aren't really rolling is way. He gets bounce around different case, trying to
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make sense of everything. I enjoyed the book, will probably try to read a follow up story if there is one. A mystery made like the real life. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tracykrauss
Back On Murder by J. Mark Bertrand is a murder mystery extraordinaire. Houston detective Roland March is disillusioned and misunderstood, relegated to special assignments nobody else wants. He gets his big chance for redemption when he is assigned to a missing person’s case - one which he thinks
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is connected to a drug murder; but proving it might just cost him his life. Beyond a very engaging story line with plenty of plot twists and surprises, Bertrand’s writing style is masterful. His voice is fresh, descriptive, insightful and never, ever cliché. Coming from a Christian publisher, I can honestly say that this book will appeal to the masses, no matter what one’s religious stripe. There are some Christian characters in the book, but they are portrayed as real people and there is never a preachy moment. This is achieved, I think, by the use of the first person narrative. Since the main character himself is not a believer, he is simply observing the behavior of those around him, weighing their worth on a human level. This novel deserves a five star rating, without a doubt. Show Less
LibraryThing member rdurant1217
First off, let me say that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and how much I ended up getting into it towards the back half. The story ended up being interesting with some decently solid characters. That said, the novel is not without its problems.
The first quarter of the
Secondly, it seemed like there was an awful lot of telling us that Det. March was "on the way out" and not a whole lot of showing us why and how. Carefully written situations, dialogue and interactions with the other characters could have more powerfully and deftly let us readers figure that out without having to bash us over the head with it again and again and again.
I did finally stop editing each sentence in my head about halfway through and did get into the storyline. A little formulaic, but with a bit of editing and better development of characters without letting them fall too far into cliche, this could be a decent series.
The first quarter of the
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book needs, in my opinion, heavy editing. It felt like the author was trying to create a character for a series (Det. Roland March) and fill you in on his entire back story with as much explanation as possible instead of just letting pieces of his character fill in as necessary throughout the book. Good series develop characters over time and don't try to cram so much explanation and musings into the first quarter of the first book. The sentences were too long and too dense, and the action was almost non-existent. I could have lived with half the amount of descriptions as they really screamed "I'm trying too hard." Secondly, it seemed like there was an awful lot of telling us that Det. March was "on the way out" and not a whole lot of showing us why and how. Carefully written situations, dialogue and interactions with the other characters could have more powerfully and deftly let us readers figure that out without having to bash us over the head with it again and again and again.
I did finally stop editing each sentence in my head about halfway through and did get into the storyline. A little formulaic, but with a bit of editing and better development of characters without letting them fall too far into cliche, this could be a decent series.
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LibraryThing member fvg
After reading that his first book was a co-authored romantic suspense novel, I started reading Back on Murder with some concern.
But this first solo novel was a pleasant surprise.
Roland March is a near-failing police detective who falls into a case which he solves with help from an unlikely
His writing is clear and often clever. The quality was pretty even throughout. Hs describes his characters well and they seemed real. The book was fun to read.
Two problems...he and his wife are depressed and estranged over some personal tragedy that is not described for way too long. The long delay in describing the problem is a distraction. It doesn't take long to figure out what's happening here.
Second, and less important, is the use of the sad/depressed/poorly functioning/ about to go under character as the lead. March is less sad and dysfunctional than many, but the detective with personal problems seems to be the required protagonist in today's mysteries. Aren't there any Travis McGee's out there anymore? Does every detective have to be a drug addict or alcoholic or ex-con or murderer or have a dead wife/child/partner?
But this first solo novel was a pleasant surprise.
Roland March is a near-failing police detective who falls into a case which he solves with help from an unlikely
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partner.His writing is clear and often clever. The quality was pretty even throughout. Hs describes his characters well and they seemed real. The book was fun to read.
Two problems...he and his wife are depressed and estranged over some personal tragedy that is not described for way too long. The long delay in describing the problem is a distraction. It doesn't take long to figure out what's happening here.
Second, and less important, is the use of the sad/depressed/poorly functioning/ about to go under character as the lead. March is less sad and dysfunctional than many, but the detective with personal problems seems to be the required protagonist in today's mysteries. Aren't there any Travis McGee's out there anymore? Does every detective have to be a drug addict or alcoholic or ex-con or murderer or have a dead wife/child/partner?
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LibraryThing member coker74
After having a run of less than stellar early review books I finally picked a good one. Back On Murder by J. Mark Bertrand put me in the middle of what I think is a good look at a police detective living day-to-day. Complete with all the bumps, bruises, dumb mistakes, dead-ends, relationships, and
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successes. Although, never having been in law enforcement, I felt this was a fairly realistic look at how the lives of police officers intermingle, their motivations, their jealousies, their inner demons. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a good mystery, CSI type shows, an interesting look at how a troubled man in a difficult profession goes about his job. Show Less
LibraryThing member SherriLee
I live in Houston and have read several books set here--none were any good. I know it sounds pretentious to say that Bertrand shows great promise, but he does. This is a very good book, esp for a first solo novel. It is realistic, well written and interesting. I cared more about the characters than
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the crime, so that needs a bit of balance but I really enjoyed it. Very Michael Connelly but in Houston. Saying which, I wasnt beat over the head with minute descriptions of the town; just given enough to orient me or provide a chuckle. March needs to be a little easier to relate to but overall, I liked him. My one real criticism...we were teased for 3/4 of the book with an unknown tragedy in March's life. Anyone with a brain had it figured out in a general way after 50 pages so then it just got irritating. Will I read the next one? You bet...I may even read the 'romantic suspense' novel he cowrote. Maybe. Show Less
LibraryThing member PhilipTroy
An OK novel. I did enjoy it, but there were some places where I lost the thread of the story or had to reread. I'm hoping that future sequels will not have the same pitfalls.
LibraryThing member Readanon
While I found the story to be good, the characters interesting, this is a book I would not have bought on my own. I would have enjoyed this book very much if it had not been written in present tense, which I find exceedingly annoying and pretentious. If future books in this series were written in
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past tense rather than present, I would read more of them. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zumbanista
Good, Not Great
Based on its Amazon ratings, I downloaded "Back to Murder" by J. Mark Bertrand when it was a free e-book (now see it is listed at $8.99).
For the most part, I found "Back to Murder" to be a fairly well-written, but long, crime story with many interwoven subplots. I wasn't quite sure
The protagonist, Roland March, is a flawed police veteran who's fallen on hard times professionally and personally. He's rash and makes faulty judgments. His stubborn persistence pays off in the end, but all told he's not a very likeable character. The author's writing style, especially in the first book, seemed passive, tired & unexciting, perhaps reflecting March's inner state of being.
The formatting was odd in a few places, sometimes glaringly so. But I plodded forward, as did the story.
The book gives a seemingly authentic insider's glimpse into the politics & working relationships of various departments of the Houston PD. The writing is believable when underscoring the hierarchy, grudges, bad feelings and corruption found within the world of law enforcement.
Sometimes the author brought storylines forward and left them dangling without resolution or reason (thinking of Tommy, the tenant, and Marta, the cocktail server). And I'm not quite sure why he revealed March's personal tragedy so late in the book, when most readers would have already guessed the truth long before. It seemed a little strange.
Not a bad book, but it does take some effort to read, keeping all the various threads and characters clear in your mind. That may be just what some readers are seeking, but I wasn't "wowed" with this one.
Based on its Amazon ratings, I downloaded "Back to Murder" by J. Mark Bertrand when it was a free e-book (now see it is listed at $8.99).
For the most part, I found "Back to Murder" to be a fairly well-written, but long, crime story with many interwoven subplots. I wasn't quite sure
Show More
the first person voice worked for me, as it's usually something I prefer to avoid in storytelling if I can. The protagonist, Roland March, is a flawed police veteran who's fallen on hard times professionally and personally. He's rash and makes faulty judgments. His stubborn persistence pays off in the end, but all told he's not a very likeable character. The author's writing style, especially in the first book, seemed passive, tired & unexciting, perhaps reflecting March's inner state of being.
The formatting was odd in a few places, sometimes glaringly so. But I plodded forward, as did the story.
The book gives a seemingly authentic insider's glimpse into the politics & working relationships of various departments of the Houston PD. The writing is believable when underscoring the hierarchy, grudges, bad feelings and corruption found within the world of law enforcement.
Sometimes the author brought storylines forward and left them dangling without resolution or reason (thinking of Tommy, the tenant, and Marta, the cocktail server). And I'm not quite sure why he revealed March's personal tragedy so late in the book, when most readers would have already guessed the truth long before. It seemed a little strange.
Not a bad book, but it does take some effort to read, keeping all the various threads and characters clear in your mind. That may be just what some readers are seeking, but I wasn't "wowed" with this one.
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LibraryThing member grammyellen
the book was set in houston where i grew up, so i enjoyed reading about places that i knew about. some of the book was kind of disjointed to me and was slow reading, but i did enjoy it in the end. i will give this author another try in the future.
LibraryThing member pepe76
Quite enjoyed this book. I love a typical crime fiction, and this really delved deeply into the main characters. I found myself rooting for March nearly from the beginning, intrigued to read more and find out about his background story. It kept me confused for a while about why he was doing things
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the way he was, but didn't disappoint in the end. I'll look forward to the next in this series! Reminiscent of Patricia Cornwell, but more believeable reality. Show Less
LibraryThing member NikkiBarcus
What do you do with a trouble-maker who also happens to be a cop? J. Mark Bertrand explores the question in his new release, Back on Murder.
Homicide detective Roland March used to be the go-to guy when you wanted results, but a personal tragedy colors everything else in his life now, causing him
The twists and turns of this mystery will keep you turning pages wondering what’s to become f March, his marriage, his investigation, and his safety.
Bertrand allows the reader a glimpse into the politics and personalities of big-city crime fighting. When the detective feels a personal connection to a case or when a case sticks in his gut, the opportunity for failure is a non-option. When lives are involved, police work isn’t just a job.
An engaging read that will keep you guessing until the end, pulling for March to succeed in his professional and personal lives. A new series sure to delight readers of crime novels and mysteries alike.
Homicide detective Roland March used to be the go-to guy when you wanted results, but a personal tragedy colors everything else in his life now, causing him
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to fall from grace with his superiors and fellow officers. Passed from one superior to another in a real-life game of “hot potato”, March finally lands one more chance to catch a killer. Success means entry back into the ranks as a contributing detective and the security of a future. Failure will undoubtedly cost him his career, his sanity, and perhaps his life. The twists and turns of this mystery will keep you turning pages wondering what’s to become f March, his marriage, his investigation, and his safety.
Bertrand allows the reader a glimpse into the politics and personalities of big-city crime fighting. When the detective feels a personal connection to a case or when a case sticks in his gut, the opportunity for failure is a non-option. When lives are involved, police work isn’t just a job.
An engaging read that will keep you guessing until the end, pulling for March to succeed in his professional and personal lives. A new series sure to delight readers of crime novels and mysteries alike.
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LibraryThing member johnbotkin
A surprise hit! Excellent writing, characterization, and plot: a near perfect novel that fulfills in every way, even leaving a small door open for a sequel. Bertrand's writing has a unique voice, and I'm looking forward to hearing it again in the next Roland March mystery. (And for those familiar
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Bertrand's non-fiction writing, there's a even few easter eggs for you to enjoy!) Show Less
LibraryThing member WaterLily311
An intelligent, powerful, gritty mystery with brilliant prose and an eye for vivid detail. The complex but appealing protagonist, Houston Police Detective Roland March is a man haunted by former triumphs and tragedies. In his attempt to solve both a murder and a missing persons case that may be
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connected, March is pitted against both the bad guys and his fellow police officers, and he tenaciously fights for his survival. Boasting a rich cast of compelling characters, the author weaves a complex plot and intricate subplots, exploring the depths of evil, corruption, forgiveness, and love. I eagerly await the next Roland March mystery. No serious reader of crime novels should miss this one, especially fans of authors James Lee Burke and Michael Connelly. Show Less
LibraryThing member btfoss
This is my second Early Reviewer book and I'm happy with it. I enjoyed the authors style and descriptive abilitys. It kept me in suspence and I look forward to his next in the series.
LibraryThing member caroljels
Not so much my style. Disappearance of a tv evangelist's daughter in Houston leads to Roland, detective, investigating. He's too anti-establishment and gets into "hot water" too often for my taste.
LibraryThing member Bumpersmom
Well done, I enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing the next book in the series. Well written, interesting characters, and the story is sufficiently complex to hold my interest all the way to the end. A detective about to lose his place in the coveted homicde bureau, is tossed around and
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loaned out to various task forces in an attempt to force him out, yet he is determined to regainhis place and finds himself in the middle of not one but two large cases. Show Less
LibraryThing member Romonko
This book is set in Houston Texas and it introduces Detective Roland March. I am looking forward to reading this new series after reading this first book. I was lucky enough to get an advance copy for reviewing. The book is full of unexpected twists and turns and a few red herrings. But mostly it
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is a hard-hitting cop procedural with a very fallible hero in the driver’s seat. It’s all about kidnapping, drugs, dirty cops and a very human detective who is trying to make sense of it all while he tries to get his place back on the Detective squad after going off the rails due to personal issues. This is entirely a satisfactory beginning to what is looking like is going to be a great series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Blanchard
Despite a few quibbles about the past history of the Houston cop who was trying to get "back on Murder", meaning the Homicide Detail, I generally liked this book. I shouldn't have since the past history looms large in Detective Roland March's eroding career and we are never told exactly why. Over
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and over, we are reminded that the detective is in trouble with his superior officers and some of his erstwhile buddies but never once is it made clear to us what this guy did that was so bad! His marriage was also in dire straits but we know that his ten year old daughter was killed by a drunk driver and that he feels guilty about it for little reason. He and his wife console themselves separately and only come together on the sad anniversary during a graveside visit once a year. There are many opportunities for the author to pull us down under a layer of gore and bloody descriptions but fortunately we're spared the terrible details. For this I was grateful and it was largely the reason why I enjoyed the book as much as I did. Certainly the situations might have been difficult to handle but they were managed with some care. I would be interested in at least one more in the series for which the author seems to have set the wheels rolling but I'd really appreciate the chance to decide for myself whether this cop is as much a good guy as he appears in this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member leandrod
Good entertainment. Get the paper edition as the electronic is badly converted.