At Their Own Game (29 page)

Todd Robinson, editor of
Thuglit
 

“A riveting, suspenseful novel in both the human condition as well as storyline. Excellent!”
 

Cynthia Lea Clark, FMAM Magazine
 

“[T]he book presents a realistic and depressing look at how crime affects both the victims and the police officers who try to protect the public.”
 

Brian Triplett,
Examiner.com
 

Beneath a Weeping Sky
 

River City is plagued by a serial rapist. His attacks are becoming more brutal and Detective John Tower is
sure that he’ll go from rape to murder if he isn’t stopped soon.
 

Meanwhile, the rapes stir up ghosts for both Officer Katie MacLeod and Officer Thomas Chisolm. Both struggle to put those haunted memories to rest even as they are drawn into the center of Tower’s investigation. When a series of mis-steps and near misses push the rapist even further, everyone involved must face their old fears…or be destroyed by them.
 

Beneath a Weeping Sky
is the third River City novel.
 

"Frank Zafiro channels Ed McBain and Joesph Wambaugh in this taut and frightening thriller."
 

Simon Wood, author of
Terminated
 

“Frank Zafiro's
River City
series succeeds where so many fail of late, in not only delivering whipcrack plotlines, but characters as real as the breath in your lungs. You feel with them, rage with them, and bleed alongside these cops. Mr. Zafiro's writing deserves more than comparison with the greats of the police procedural sect, it holds it's own amongst them.”
 

Todd Robinson, editor of
Thuglit
 

And Every Man Has to Die
 

Every city has organized crime
.
But only River City has a Russian gangster like Valeriy. He's meticulous, cunning, and willing to sacrifice anything--and anyone--to see his conquest through.
 

In Val's way are the men and women of the River City Police Department, including rookie B.J. Carson.
She's trying to fill the shoes of a legend while the pressures of patrol and her own past catch up to her. She and her colleagues must unite and work together with a former River City cop turned FBI agent to face down the single biggest organized crime threat River City has ever seen.
 

In this novel, Frank Zafiro explores what honor and courage mean on both sides of the law, weaving a complex and engrossing story of crime, justice, and relationships. There are plotters and detectives, usurpers and leaders. Plans within plans. And in the end the price of victory and justice can both be high... and every man has to die.
 

And Every Man Has to Die
is the fourth River City novel.
 

“The novel has a complex plot...that Zafiro has woven together with seeming ease."
 

Debbi Mack, author of
Identity Crisis
and
Least Wanted
 

"Possibly the most complicated and hard hitting novel in the series...Frank Zafiro has created another gem."
 

Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer
 

"...the crime genre prides itself on pacing, and this is where Zafiro delivers."
 

The Inlander
 

“I’ve always been amazed over how well Zafiro handles the female perspective in the past books--mostly through MacLeod’s point of view-- and in
And Every Man Has to Die
he proves that strong believable
characters is definitely his forte, no matter which gender they are. If you like well written, fast paced novel with great characters, then the River City series is definitely for you.”
 

Asa Bradley,
bark
 

“There are many wonderful things to savor in the novel.”
 

Brian Triplett,
Examiner.com
 

"This book should put Frank Zafiro on the fast track."
 

Wil A. Emerson,
BookFetish
 

“This was a compelling read...even though I had to use a Kindle app on my PC. I soon forgot that as I scrolled faster and faster through the involving story. This book deserves wider recognition; perhaps someone will bring it to the attention of a film-maker, as it would make an excellent movie with its short, sharp scenes and rapid pace.”
 

Karen Treanor,
New Mystery Reader Magazine
 

Dead Even: A River City Anthology
 

Detectives and mobsters, missing mummies and a shootout with Gypsies – here are fifteen stories featuring major and minor characters from the novels of Frank Zafiro, now given their own chance to shine. The good, the bad, and the in-between of River City come together in this fast-paced collection of theft, mystery, murder and detection, where the heroes of River City will keep fighting until the scales of justice are once again…Dead Even.
Some of these stories are action packed, others heart-rending, but all will leave you satisfied.
 

"The range of different character voices that Zafiro masters is amazing."
 

Asa Bradley,
bark
 

“Frank Zafiro’s work is the kind readers won’t soon forget. It strikes deep into a reader’s mind and heart creating people and situations so real, they stick with you long after you’ve read the work. From the details of a crime in progress to police banter on and off the job to the gritty particulars of life in River City, Zafiro is a winner. He becomes his characters and you see life and crime and police work through their eyes. It’s impossible to choose a favorite in this collection, they are intertwined and work together in a way that creates a resonance in those who read these tales. Frank Zafiro’s work is powerful and memorable, two things every writer strives for in their work.”
 

Joseph R.G. DeMarco, author of
Murder on Camac
 

“While
Dead Even
is a great introduction to the characters of Frank Zafiro’s River City novels, it is also a superb collection of short stories. From the heartbreaking, “The Worst Door” to the lethal combination of “Pride Goeth” and “And a Fall Cometh”, Zafiro has something for everyone. These aren’t just crime stories, they are stories that touch on the human emotions of both the cops and the criminals while taking readers on a roller coaster ride through the streets of River City.”
 

Sandra Seamans, short story author
 

“Frank Zafiro’s stories possess a ring of realism that can only be created by someone who has actually lived the life of a police officer. For readers who are seeking to get as close to the action as possible without being
exposed to the dangers of police work, DEAD EVEN: A RIVER CITY ANTHOLOGY will be a real treat. They’ll be transported to a world where they’ll be able to actually see, hear, taste, and smell what it’s like to be a cop—but they’ll get to live to tell about it. Frank Zafiro continues to impress with this one.”
 

BJ Bourg, Chief Investigator, Lafourche Parish DA’s Office
 

“Hyper-realistic fiction at its best. Come ride along with cops in DEAD EVEN: A RIVER CITY ANTHOLOGY by Frank Zafiro. It's like being in a squad car, taken to a crime scene.” 
 

O'Neil De Noux, SHAMUS and DERRINGER Award Winning author of the LaStanza New Orleans Police novels.
 

“It's rare to find a collection of characters where each one is fantastically well defined-- and particularly rare in the case of crime fiction, where the crime often dominates. Better still, the crimes that Frank puts out for these characters are both plausible and intriguing-- nothing rehashed or recycled. Compelling characters, engrossing plots, and overall, a fantastic collection of shorts, though I would expect nothing less from the author of the River City novels. I would have read it one sitting-- and certainly tried-- but my infant son doesn't understand why I don't want to put down the Frank Zafiro story I'm reading. At least not yet.” 
 

Clair Dickson, author of Bo Fexler mysteries
 

“Whether you’re already a fan of the River City novels and stories or discovering Frank Zafiro for the first time, you’ll love this book. Every tale provides exactly what his
 

readers have come to expect: fascinating characters, authentic police work, and spot-on dialogue.
Dead Even
is an exceptional—and deliciously entertaining—collection of stories.”
 

John Floyd, award-winning author of
Rainbow’s End
,
Midnight
, and
Clockwork
 

“[T]he characters are interesting and worth spending time with.”
 

Mysterious Reviews
 

“Anyone who enjoys crime fiction should buy this book. Anyone who enjoys great dialogue, gallows humor or strong female protagonists should buy this book. Anybody who has ever driven through Hillyard should buy this book just to see how many places from Spokane they recognize.”
 

Brian Triplett,
Examiner.com
 

“Zafiro has consistently used his experiences as well as ones of other fellow police officers to make the characters he writes about alive for the reader…[He has] a terse writing style filled full with emotion and nuances.”
 

Kevin Tipple, independent reviewer
 

No Good Deed: A River City Anthology
 

An ex-cop looking for redemption...an American man and an Irish lass intertwined in love and violence...a cop with a conscience that he doesn't always listen to...a retired cop looking to repair a broken relationship with his drug-addicted son...a Yankee cop in the West Texas...these are the characters you'll meet and explore in
No Good Deed
.
 

“Frank's style is akin to Dan Brown's and other writers who have "OMG - I can't put this down" quality - keeping you engaged and yearning for more about the characters and the story. The intriguing, well designed action moves you to want to know more about each of the people involved and how the stories end. THIS IS A GREAT READ!”
 

Tom Sahlberg, from a four star Amazon review
 

The Cleaner: A River City Anthology
 

A frustrated crime scene cleaner...an off duty cop in a jam...a patrol officer who believes in a strange fate...a holier-than-thou Internal Affairs whose world gets turned upside down...plus those that are crazy, surrounded in sadness or just trying to get by - these are the many and varied characters of River City, brought to life in 17 short stories by the author of the River City crime novels.
 

“This guy can write a story…Zafiro is exciting to read. I had a hard time putting the stories down and was always ready to go back to them. I will search out his other books.”
 

Brian Howe, from a five star Amazon review
 

The Last Horseman
 

Sandy Banks is the last of The Four Horsemen, a vigilante group of ex-cops determined to right the injustices of a broken court system. But now the project is disintegrating, putting him in the middle of chaos. Betrayed by his final partner, blackmailed by the project
head and pursued by federal agents bent on busting the case wide open, Sandy scrambles to escape this mayhem with his soul intact.
 

“A fast-paced, suspenseful story about crime, corruption and street justice.”
 

Brian Triplett,
Examiner.com
 

“Frank Zafiro has stepped up his game considerably in this thriller/police procedural/crime novel. The plot is packed with startling plot twists, one after the other, that knit together as a whole as seamlessly as any book I've ever read…this book kept me turning the pages late into the night…highly recommended. As if I have to spell that out.”
 

Debbi Mack, author of
Identity Crisis
and
Least Wanted
 

Waist Deep
 

When disgraced former cop Stefan Kopriva is asked by an old high school classmate to find a runaway sixteen year old girl, he reluctantly accepts. Driven by guilt over a terrible mistake that drove him from the force more than ten years earlier, Kopriva battles old injuries, old demons and long ago memories as he unravels the mystery of the missing Kris Sinderling... and seeks his own redemption..
 

“A powerful tale of corruption and redemption.”
 

Brian Triplett,
Examiner.com
 

“This book...brought Humphrey Bogart to my mind. This is his sort of story, and if there were an actor of that type around today, this book could make a confronting
and probably prize-winning film...definitely worth the price of admission.”