By and 
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “Shamus Dust”, Hard Winter, Cold War, Cool Murder” by Janet Roger, Troubador Publishing, Oct. 28, 2019
Janet Roger, Author or “Shamus Dust Hard Winter, Cold War, Cool Murder” has written a unique, intriguing, intense, captivating and dramatic novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Mystery, and Suspense. The timeline for this story is during the cold war and is around 1947. The novel goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events. The setting of the story is in London. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex, complicated, quirky, and suspicious.
Mr. Newman is a “shamus” or American “detective” who has been involved in London during the war and now does private investigations. He is called by someone in the government, Councilman Drake who wants to hire him on Christmas morning. Newman is supposed to check out a situation about the client’s property. Newman finds instead a dead body by a nearby church.
Who could have possibly been the murderer? This is more than a “who done it”. This reminds me of some of the black and white mystery movies on TV, such as Alfred Hitchock, which are very intense, with the music in the background getting louder and sharper when something is going to happen.
London still has to rebuild many places. There is rubble, broken-down buildings, and streets after the war. There seem to be back-exits to back streets to help you get lost in a crowd, or could be very dangerous. Various people have motives for rebuilding or buying land. There are secrets and dangers. Even the Police seem to have their own agenda. Who is trustworthy?
As Newman investigates further, he finds more and more suspects with motives and more bodies. Janet Roger has provided a well-written story with twists and turns, red herrings, the chase, blackmail, danger, and murder. I would recommend this intense book for those readers who enjoy a good “who done it”.
Linda's Book Obsession: 