The Booker by Kevin R. Doyle
Publisher: Camel Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Rated: 4 stars
Review by ChollaSam Quinton hadn’t thought much about the entertainment business for several years. His days as a minor celebrity were part of his past, which was fine with him. But when a Hollywood producer walks through the doors of his gym and offers to create a TV show around his life, Sam doesn’t say no right away.
Then the producer’s partner ends up dead in her hotel room, and Sam has to put on his private detective hat to straighten things out. It doesn’t take long to realize the TV offer may not have been exactly what it was cracked up to be. Suddenly, a whole lot of seemingly bad folks are gunning for Sam. Forget his budding Hollywood career. He has to do everything possible to keep himself and his client alive.
As a former professional wrestler, the entertainment business isn’t completely new to Sam Quinton. However, is a reality show really his style? Deciding that there was only one way to know for sure, Sam agrees to meet with the producer and his partner. Of all the things that might have come out of this meeting, the murder of the female producer has not been on his list.
Sam Quinton intrigued me from the very beginning. How often do you hear of an ex-semi-pro wrestler becoming a private eye? For me, that answer would be zero. Quinton is a smart businessman who knows his limits, even if he does push past them at times. He has a wonderful relationship with his girlfriend, Talia, and it made me smile whenever they were together. She’s really good at putting him in his place gently. They are a nice pair.
Quinton also has an awkward but solid relationship with the police in his small town of Providence, MO. There’s a nice balance between sharing information and helping each other out while still maintaining professional boundaries. The side event with Lieutenant Santiago caught me a bit off guard, but I liked it. There were hints that Quinton and Santiago don’t get along and to see Sam go to bat for him showed character.
The mystery held my attention until the last page. I kept wavering back and forth on whether John Carson was involved in his partner’s death or not, and had no idea who had actually killed Wendy until it was revealed. While I’m rarely able to figure out who the guilty party is, I was definitely stumped with this one. Definitely makes me want to start at book one and dive into the world of Sam Quinton. I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a twisty mystery that’s also a quick and satisfying read.





































