Title: Vasquez Private Eye
Author: Edward Bardes
Publisher: Pen Culture Solutions
ISBN: 978-1638123613
Pages: 170
Genre: Mystery / Thriller & Suspense
Reviewed by: Christina Avina
Hollywood Book Reviews
One of the hardest things a person can do is move on and let go of the past. Whether the past is holding a person back from moving forward in a relationship with someone, or the past is a painful loss or experience which keeps a traumatic hold, the toughest thing to realize is the past has already happened, and no amount of holding onto it can change what happened. Yet sometimes the past can surprise us and come back to haunt a person’s life in the present, and finding a means of confronting that past is all that stands between heartbreak and the truth.
In author Edward Bardes’s Vasquez Private Eye, the past comes back to haunt a detective and police officer named Johnson Vasquez. After surviving a plane crash six years earlier, the detective and his partner Zelda Thomson are investigating a series of court cases which have gone off the rails when a cryptic note comes into his possession leading to a high-profile murder case which will rock the state to the core. As he races to find the clues that will help stop a ruthless killer, the past of his trauma will threaten to overwhelm him, and the truth behind these killings will prove more shocking than he could have ever imagined.
The author did an incredible job of crafting a mind-bending, twisted, and gritty murder mystery and suspense thriller. The visceral imagery the author utilized in bringing these crimes and action sequences to life on the pages added a depth of storytelling which felt very cinematic in its delivery. The way the author was able to layer the mystery and unravel each clue in a short yet powerful length of reading was remarkable to see come to life, and the heavy atmosphere the narrative took on reflected the themes of corruption, justice, and violence which can occur to society when evil goes unchallenged.
This is the perfect read for those who enjoy mystery novels, especially those that engage with crime thrillers, murder mysteries, revenge thrillers, and suspense novels. The rich dynamic between the cast of characters and the world-building the author was able to develop over time was truly captivating, and the author was able to really establish a foothold in this world early on to help cement the shock and awe of each twist in the case.
Mind-bending, gripping, and entertaining, author Edward Bardes’s Vazquez Private Eye is a must-read thriller and murder mystery you won’t be able to put down. The shocking twists and turns in the narrative, especially the reveal of the killer and the fate of the main players in the case, will keep readers on the edge of their seats, and the heart-pounding action and suspense will stay with the reader long after the story ends.