Mick Callahan is a radio talk show host and psychologist whose friends seem to get into trouble faster then you can say “drug deal gone bad.” ONE OF THE WICKED is Harry Shannon’s third book to feature Callahan, a man who can never turn down a friend when help is needed.
This time, it’s a pal of his nicknamed Bone, a former SEAL who got ripped off on what was to be a quick deal. The major problem is that Bone borrowed half the cash from one of the local mafia biggies who doesn’t want any excuses — just his money. So Bone asks Callahan to look after his mistress while he comes up with the cash. Of course, nothing goes right for anyone, or it would not be a crime novel.
Bone tries to find the men who ripped him off, but one of the people he questions — a big-time pornographer — turns up dead; all the evidence suggest that the killings have been done by someone with major military training. Yeah, it seems Bone has been set up to take a fall. Well. that’s what Callahan believes, but is he right.
On top of that, Callahan is also dealing with some problems in his career, such as being replaced at the radio station. Then there is the discovery of a family relative he had no idea about, which throws a wrench into the machinations of his investigation. Adding to the already boiling plot line is a mysterious disc that the mob wants back.
Shannon is not afraid to pepper his book with enough threads that would leave other authors flustered. It seems he is having fun, taking a break from his horror writing to get into the nitty gritty of the crime world. The only misstep I really had an issue was with the name of the mob boss having the last name of an actor who is synonymous with mob characters. It just forced me to imagine that person in the role. ONE OF THE WICKED continues the exploits of Callahan, as we watch him deal with his inner demons. —Bruce Grossman
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This one sounds interesting to me, but I’d never even consider it based on the cover. When will more small publishers learn that cover design is paramount? It’s the one thing you can’t skimp on, and that means buying a couple of fonts that don’t come pre-installed on your computer.
My former publisher was genuinely disdainful of the idea that covers sold books–to the point that he used the same terrible one for every regional title in the ghost line. It also didn’t help that he had such an insecure need to exert his power that if and when an interesting cover did manage to slip out of production, he would insist on changing or outright removing everything that made it unique or worthwhile. As a result of this only one of my books has a cover I’m not outright embarrassed by.
This doesn’t look like the final cover which is far nicer. The one I have the girl is hidden in the title and there is no building in the rocks. Mucher nicer.