Dead of Knight - A Jack Staal Mystery - William R. Potter, Author

Dead of Knight – Review by Martha A. Cheves, Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat



“It’s a good day to die,” he said quietly. “Pardon?” “Happy birthday,
Kim.” “What?” She retreated a step. “How did you know it’s my
birthday?” Tyro clenched the lighter in his fist, pulled back and
struck a quick blow to her throat. The porcelain cup of steaming coffee
burst from her grip and smashed to the ground. Her eyes widened in
shock as she clutched at her neck and sunk to her knees. He grabbed her
hair in both hands and slammed her face down against his rising knee
once, twice, releasing her so that she cracked her head against the
wall. He stepped aside to survey the results of his attack. “You have
accomplished a great deal in your thirty-two years, haven’t you, Miss
Walker?” he said as he dragged her into the hidden space between the
two dumpsters. “Two illegitimate children, a deadbeat boyfriend, and a
minimum wage job slinging burgers to the scum of the earth.” He undid
his leather belt and pulled it from his waist.



Jack Stall is a detective with the Hanson Major Crime Section. At
times, teams from his department are sent to a crime scene to start the
work-up and secure the scene until the Integrated Homicide Investigation
Team arrives. Jack and his partner Rachel Gooch have both been
assigned to this preliminary work for two prior cases where the victims
have been violently raped and murdered on their birthdays. The media
has dubbed the killer as “Birthday Boy.” Now they can add a third
victim to the list with the killing of Kim Walker, who has been murdered
on her birthday.



Author William R. Potter takes Jack Stall through the wringer with Dead
of Knight. He is already fighting depression from a mass killing in the
park. His deceased partner’s wife Wendy Reynolds has called asking him
to find her missing daughter and now the Birthday Boy killings. This
may be a lot for one person to deal with, even in fiction, but the
writing abilities of William R. Potter not only makes the characters
believable but the story as well. This story was so well written.
There were no super cops coming along to save the day. The events
unrolled so well that you actually felt as if you were following a real
police story. This is one author that I will continue to follow and
will be waiting on his next Jack Stall Mystery. Until then, I’ll be
indulging myself in his book Lighting the Dark Side.

2009
270 Pages
ISBN 978-1-84961-025-4
TheEbookSale Publishing