Parting Shot is the fourth book in the Promise Falls trilogy from Linwood Barclay. In this episode the story revolves around a case that Detective Barry Duckworth is working and a new job Private Investigator Cal Weaver has taken.
One of m favorite author over the last several years has been Linwood Barclay. His books are always very interesting and they are very character driven. Most times the story revolves around one main character who is thrust into an extraordinary situation. While Barclay’s book are considered stand alone thrillers Barclay has brought back characters for a second go-around. No Safe House was the second installment in the story of Terry Archer and his family. No Safe House picks up the story of the Archer family seven years after the events recounted in No Time for Goodbye
In Broken Promise, the latest from Linwood Barclay, the author returns to the town of Promise Falls, New York and pens another terrific thriller. Promise Falls was the setting for two of Barclay’s previous books, Never Look Away and Too Close to Home. Many familiar character populate Broken Promise including: Police Detective Barry Duckworth, Landscaper Eddie Cutter and his son Derek and the main protagonist David Harwood. Harwood and his family wife Jan and son Ethan were the main characters in Never Look Away. Broken Promise picks up David’s life several years after Never Look Back, David and Ethan have returned to Promise Falls where David has returned to his former job as a reporter for the town newspaper, only to have the newspaper shut down on his first day of work! His only option is to move back in with mom and dad! One day his mom asks David to look in on his cousin Marla. Marla is having a hard time after losing a baby about ten months prior.When David arrives at Marla’s he notices a spot of blood on the front door and Marla is caring for a ten-month old baby, that she says an “Angel” delivered to her door!
The first Linwood Barclay books I read were his Zack Walker mystery books, and I loved them! After I fnished the third book and was ready to move on, I discovered that Mr. Barclay had left that series, and moved on to write stand alone thrillers. The first one was No Time to Say Goodbye and it was great! Since then I have read and enjoyed all of his books. The latest is No Safe House. In No Safe House, Barclay treats his readers to further adventures of the Archer family, the main characters in No Time to Say Goodbye!
Several years ago, well to be a little more accurate back in 2007 I read Linwood Barclay’s first Zack Walker novel Bad Move That book came to mind when I read the first line of Book 34 for 2013 Barclay’s latest thriller A Tap on the Window
Ok so I’ve written before that I loved Linwood Barclay‘s Zack Walker books and wished that he kept writing them. When I questioned him about that he said that while the books received critical acclaim they just didn’t sell well, then he started writing standalone thrillers and his career took off! While after finishing his latest book Trust Your Eyes, I will never again question his decision and I will eagerly awaiting his next standalone!! For me Trust Your Eyes is the best book he has written yet and I am not alone in the opinion:
Ok, so I really did like Linwood Barclay‘s Zack Walker series but once again if he keeps writing books like book number 24 for 2010 Never Look Away I guess I’ll have to forgive him. I think I already mentioned the start of the book which centers around reporter David Harwood who has his life turned upside down and inside out after first his son is abducted at a theme park only to be quickly found and then his wife goes missing! From that point Harwood’s life is shattered and as the story unfolds all signs put toward David as his wife’s murderer. I loved the characters and the plot and overall the pages just flew by and I had to keep reading!
So there was no time to start another book during the time I was reading Book 15 for 2010 Fear the Worst by Linwood Barclay because I couldn’t put this book down! I guess I’ll forgive Mr Barclay for not writing any more Zack Walker books if he keeps writing books as good as this one. The story starts one day when a divorced father Tim Blake questions his daughter, who is staying with him for the summer about some Versace sunglasses that she has. He questions her because he fears she may have stolen them. The result of his questioning is that she storms out of the house leaving the receipt on the kitchen table. Well, that night his daughter doesn’t come home and after receiving no phone calls or informationas to where she is! Tim sets out to find her and starts at her job a motel in town. When he asks about his daughter he is told that his daughter has never worked there! Soon the police locate her car abandoned in a mall parking lot in a neighboring town! The rest of the book revolves around Tim and his ex-wife’s frantic search to find their daughter!
