The Printed Page

Journal notes: Gravewriter and Loot the Moon are the first two books in the Billy Povich mystery series. I received Loot the Moon from the publicist. As I don’t like to read series out of order I requested Gravewriter from the library (no Kindle edition available). Both are good, solid mysteries though I enjoyed Loot the Moon more than Gravewriter.

Gravewriter is definitely written as the introduction book to this series as the author spends more time acquainting us with his characters, their history and flaws then pursuing any action packed mystery case. Billy is a member of murder trial jury yet he stealthy goes about uncovering the true perpetrator of said crime. Unfortunately he takes his sweet time which made Gravewriter a bit slow for me.

Now Loot the Moon is the opposite of Gravewriter except for the main characters. It starts with action and death – guns, murder, a car-jacking and an out-of-control vehicle accident. And who really was doing the driving and shooting is at the very core of this mystery. Solving this murder through investigative action seems to be theme of Loot the Moon. Billy is working for Martin as his case investigator, in addition to writing obits for the local paper, and very actively involved trailing this killer. I won’t say that it was a pure adrenaline ride but it most certainly kept my interest.

It’s not like I really need another series to capture my attention but Billy Jr, Billy Sr & Bo have most certainly gone and done that. Actually Billy Jr reminds me a bit of one of my other favorite male lead characters, Harry Bosch, from author Michael Connelly.  Billy and Harry are loners with work and personal issues of their own making. And now that AE is buried with the little boy downstairs who, or what, will become Bo’s next ‘security blanket?’

Title: Gravewriter (Billy Povich Mysteries, book 1)
Author/website: Mark Arsenault
272 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Minotaur
Publication date: November ’06
Genre: Mystery
Would I recommend it: Yes

Set in Providence, R.I., this first in a series introduces down-on-his-luck obituary writer Billy Povich. Deeply in debt to loan sharks and still reeling from the death of his ex-wife, Billy finds distraction as a juror in the murder trial of a street punk who shot a career criminal in a daring prison break. What looks like a slam-dunk case of murder begins to unravel as Billy looks closer, and more bodies appear in his path.

Title: Loot the Moon (Billy Povich Mysteries, book 2)
Author/website: Mark Arsenault
276 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication date: October ’09
Genre: Mystery
Would I recommend it: Yes

In this next electifying thriller from up-and-coming author Mark Arsenault, former journalist and beaten-down gambler Billy Povich returns to aid Martin Smothers, the Patron Lawyer of Hopeless Causes.

Martin’s old law partner, the well-respected superior court judge Gilbert Harmony, has been shot by a thief who dies in a car crash. The cops close the case, but Martin doesn’t believe a two-bit shoplifter would suddenly kill a judge—somebody must have paid him to do it.

The suspects range from a vengeful mobster to a jealous brother to the judge’s widow, and—oops—his mistress and her son. And as Billy comes closer to the truth, it isn’t long before the killer takes aim at him.

(Gravewriter is a library book which I’ve returned. Loot the Moon was provided to me by Anne of Minotaur Books. I was not paid and the book is being shipped to another reader. )