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The Boys Are Back in Town: A Brody James Mystery Kindle Edition

4.3 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

“He smoked that pretty good,” Bullock said as he looked down the ravine at where the car landed. “Autopsy said he didn’t have a heart attack or anything, so the impact must have killed him. Hell of a way to go.”

“Every way is a hell of a way to go,” I said as I knelt closer to the road looking in both directions.

My name is Brody James. After 15 years I've returned to the hometown I swore I'd never return to.

This is my first case since coming back, and one thing I'm sure of is that Gary Hutchins didn't kill himself.

My partner Bullock isn't so sure. He's young, he's passionate, can be annoying as hell sometimes, but he's a good cop. I like him.

With Gary's death one month after Rebekah Wertheimer overdosed, I know there's a connection.

Bullock thinks I might be too personally involved in the case since I went to school with both victims. To be honest, I didn't really like either of them or their friend Joseph Agam.

I'm willing to bet he's in danger too. Bullock is willing to bet that I'm trying to solve these cases to impress Chloe Brown, who smells of lilacs and roast beef.

I have to remember that Bullock is young, he's passionate, can be annoying as hell, and sometimes, I just want to punch him in the face.
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From the Publisher

The Boys Are Back in Town

Riggs & Murtaugh. Starsky & Hutch. Brody & Bullock.

"A classic whodunnit that is more about the relationships between the characters than anything else."

Brody James returns home, and with his new partner Bullock, try to solve the deaths of Gary Hutchins and Rebekah Wertheimer.

"The Boys Are Back in Town" is "imaginative, fast-paced and engaging."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The characters felt like they were supposed to and were smart in the story. Karl Kling does a great job in writing this and left me wanting to read more." - Kathryn McLeer, NetGalley Reviewer

"The Boys Are Back in Town is a light read that I think will appeal to those looking for a fun read." -
Elaine Tomasso, NetGalley Reviewer

"This book gives hard boiled noir vibes and the characters jump right off the pages into your head. The author has the kind of writing style I like - a touch of humour and plenty of quirky descriptors. The plot itself is a fast and fun ride with a satisfying conclusion." -
Louise Gray, NetGalley Reviewer

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CM1KJJ8N
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Three Dorks Publishing (October 27, 2023)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 27, 2023
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.2 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 308 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

About the author

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Karl Kling
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The Boys Are Back in Town (October 2023) was the first book in the Brody James Mystery series written by Karl Kling, who has had a varied career. The sequel, Takin' Care of Business, was released in January 2025.

Karl is proud to announce that the third, yet unnamed book, will be released in Spring of 2025, as well as another book that focuses more on the character of Betsy, that should arrive on shelves in the summer.

Karl is currently writing a manuscript that is not part of the Brody James Mystery series as well.

A longtime baseball coach, Karl has owned a training facility in Howell, Michigan for the past 13 years with his wife, Debra, and three sons. He has coached at the collegiate level (17 years) and the high school level (9 years). He also currently serves as the Field Director for the Detroit Tigers Summer Youth Camps.

Previously, Karl worked as a Sports Information Director at the collegiate level, was a local newspaper reporter and editor (he guided the Milford Times to the Michigan Press Association Newspaper of the Year - Class C Weekly - in 2002). He also spent much of the 90s working in politics as well as being a mobile disc jockey for a few years.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
40 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's mystery compelling, with one describing it as a fantastically twisted murder mystery. Moreover, the characters are well-developed, and customers appreciate the humor throughout the story. Additionally, they consider it a good read, with one mentioning it's great for holiday reading.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

7 customers mention "Suspenseful story"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the mystery compelling, with one describing it as a fantastically twisted murder mystery that kept them guessing.

"...disagreements and quirky inhabitants of Michigan made this a very entertaining story...." Read more

"A very good mystery with some very interesting characters. Can't wait for the next in the series." Read more

"...It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing...." Read more

"...The mystery itself was compelling but not sure I liked the style of writing a lot...." Read more

5 customers mention "Character development"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the well-developed characters in the book.

"I loved the characters! They ranged from diabolically evil to charming and driven to right wrongs...." Read more

"A very good mystery with some very interesting characters. Can't wait for the next in the series." Read more

"...I couldn’t put it down. It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing...." Read more

"...It was a good mystery, but the characters and the dialogue were outstanding. I genuinely cared about them as people, and the humor was very good...." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book.

"...The dialogue is fast pace, funny and natural. I recommend this and want to thank Goodreads for selecting me to receive an ARC." Read more

"...I couldn’t put it down. It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing...." Read more

"...I genuinely cared about them as people, and the humor was very good. The characters are believable and relatable. I highly recommend." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable, with one mentioning it's a great holiday read.

"Great book to read during the holidays!" Read more

"good read..." Read more

"Great read!..." Read more

Couldn’t put it down
5 out of 5 stars
Couldn’t put it down
I’m an avid reader, and it not uncommon for me to go through 4-5 books a month despite a busy schedule. I finished this book in 16 hours, and 7 of those I was asleep. I couldn’t put it down. It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing. Just when I was convinced I had it figured out I found that I was completely wrong. I’m excited for to read many more from Karl!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
    I loved the characters! They ranged from diabolically evil to charming and driven to right wrongs. Romance hovered on the edges for old acquaintances and long-time spouses let their love for each other show on a daily basis.

    The mysteries, several murders as well as stolen lawnmowers, rental disagreements and quirky inhabitants of Michigan made this a very entertaining story.

    The dialogue is fast pace, funny and natural.

    I recommend this and want to thank Goodreads for selecting me to receive an ARC.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 14, 2023
    A very good mystery with some very interesting characters. Can't wait for the next in the series.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
    I’m an avid reader, and it not uncommon for me to go through 4-5 books a month despite a busy schedule. I finished this book in 16 hours, and 7 of those I was asleep. I couldn’t put it down.

    It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing. Just when I was convinced I had it figured out I found that I was completely wrong.

    I’m excited for to read many more from Karl!
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Couldn’t put it down

    Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2023
    I’m an avid reader, and it not uncommon for me to go through 4-5 books a month despite a busy schedule. I finished this book in 16 hours, and 7 of those I was asleep. I couldn’t put it down.

    It’s funny, the characters are well developed, it kept me guessing. Just when I was convinced I had it figured out I found that I was completely wrong.

    I’m excited for to read many more from Karl!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Reviewed in the United States on February 6, 2024
    Brody James returns to his home town after many years as a police officer. He has an obnoxious younger partner that I found useless and irritating. He is checking out what appears to be an accident when a friend suggests that it might not be. The friend, Chloe, then mentions that another person they knew from high school had overdosed and Brody thinks the two deaths might be related. He then goes on a mission to find the killer. He becomes convinced he knows who the murderer is but doesn’t have any evidence.
    Brody is a very impulsive person who has a tendency to react a bit rashly. Not good characters for a cop. His police captain tries to steer him I. The right direction. He really wants to help people but can be a bit narrow focused.
    The mystery itself was compelling but not sure I liked the style of writing a lot. Definitely found Brody’s partner really annoying and it detracted from the story for me. Also the structure was a little odd as every once in awhile it seemed that the author just stuck in a descriptive paragraph or two that seemed unnecessary. The story was set in a smaller town near Detroit and there were the usual comparisons between the big city and small town life. Did like the way that the author led the reader to find one of the key items that the police had been searching for. He used another crime to help in the discovery. Liked Brody’s late night talks with his neighbor, would have liked to learn a little more about her, felt like it was left hanging a bit.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023
    I didn’t know what to expect when this was recommended to me by a friend. It was a good mystery, but the characters and the dialogue were outstanding. I genuinely cared about them as people, and the humor was very good. The characters are believable and relatable. I highly recommend.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
    The storyline is entertaining and easy to follow. The character’s personalities are well developed and I laughed out loud several times reading it!
    Customer image
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Loved it!

    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2023
    The storyline is entertaining and easy to follow. The character’s personalities are well developed and I laughed out loud several times reading it!
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
    Brody James is a recent addition to the police force. Bullock is his senior partner and not the least bit shy in management. Three people have died in their town of Stonington and they are tasked with finding the reason.

    This tome has brilliant writing at times and I enjoyed the tale. Trying to fit a square peg into a round hole seemed to be the officer’s tactic. Decide who did the crime and then prove it. Occasionally forensics would help but the crime did not always fit their theory with confounding evidence.

    I enjoyed the book but found it aggravating to have to untangle some of the words grouped together—a formatting problem. The final conclusion was well thought through and overall the book was entertaining. Otherwise, an additional editor or two would greatly smooth the narrative. 4 stars – CE Williams
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2023
    Great book to read during the holidays!

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