How do you get an innocent kid out of jail, when the evidence against him seems overwhelming?
Just when Cal Rogan thought heâd left behind his former life as a PI, a student begs him to help her brother who has been jailed for a murder he didnât commit. As Cal tries to unearth the real killer, he uncovers a plot which could destroy not just him but also the people he loves.
Get Jailed now for a thrill-ride that will keep you guessing up to the very end.
How do you get an innocent kid out of jail, when the evidence against him seems overwhelming?
Just when Cal Rogan thought heâd left behind his former life as a PI, a student begs him to help her brother who has been jailed for a murder he didnât commit. As Cal tries to unearth the real killer, he uncovers a plot which could destroy not just him but also the people he loves.
Get Jailed now for a thrill-ride that will keep you guessing up to the very end.
His stare cuts into me. The eyes look dead. They give no clue as to whatâs going on behind them; except that itâs bad. Itâs worse than just bad. I can feel the fear turning my stomach to mush but I canât look away. Not just yet. Prison protocol. Not too submissive, not too aggressive.
He stands up and stretches his menacing, six-foot-six frame, never taking his eyes off me.
Beside me, a voice says, âDonât let the Giant bother you, kid.â
The words give me an excuse to break eye contact. I turn towards him. Heâs an inch shorter than me but muscled like I never could be. Blackbird is my only friend in here and has, so far, protected me from the Giantâs gang who have it in for me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see my tormentor lumbering towards us. He stops in front of me.
I sense, rather than see, that Blackbird is tensing his muscles beside me. These two hate each other. It can only be a matter of time before violence breaks out between them and their gangs. I just pray that now is not that time.
The Giantâs nose is inches from mine. Maskless, he blows in my face and leers at me, âYour boyfriend here wonât be around to protect you forever.â There is an intake of breath beside me. Prison honour canât let an insult like that go unpunished. I glance quickly at Blackbird. Every muscle in his body is tensed, ready to spring, and his one good eye is drilled into the Giantâs face. The Giant turns towards him with a cruel smile. âLook around,â he says. Blackbird doesnât move but I obey the command. None of Blackbirdâs gang are in the room but three of the Giantâs good buddies are.
Totally outside of my control, my legs move and I take a step back from the violence about to explode. I know I canât escape it this time.
Five long seconds.
Then the Giant chuckles. âGoodbye, ladies,â he says as he limps away.
For a second Blackbird and I stay frozen in our positions. I am the first to break the spell. My sigh of relief is audible.
Blackbird finally lets the tension out of his body. âDonât worry, kid,â he says, âI have more friends in here than he does and he knows it. Weâve got your back.â
âThanks, man,â I say, embarrassed by the squeak in my voice.
âLetâs go,â he says. âGym time.â
He leads the way out of the common room and I follow, trying to avoid eye contact with anyone else.
For the thousandth time in the twenty-three days Iâve been in here, I am overwhelmed with bitterness at the unfairness of it all.
I shouldnât be jailed at all.
First and foremost, a large thank you to Reedsy Discovery and Robert P. French for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
Picking up soon after the last novel, Robert P. French offers Cal Rogan fans another electrifying novel that tackles crime on the streets of Vancouver. A young man is stuck in jail when he is convicted of murdering his girlfriend. His sister hopes to exonerate him by hiring Cal Rogan, whoâs recently left his role as a private invetigator. Itâs a case that is more complicated than meets the eye and Rogan will have to use all his resources to help, while being targeted for his inquisitive nature. French keeps the momentum going with another thrilling novel, which shows just how talented he continues to be.
 Cal Rogan has turned over a new leaf, one might say, choosing to pursue academics rather than stay as a private investigator at the firm he helped build. However, when he is approached by a student on campus, he is intrigued about the case, where a young man is in jail for murder, having been convicted on some evidence that may have been tampered with by a crooked cop. Rogan agrees to approach his former colleagues, feeling that there is something to the claims, but makes no promises.
When Rogan arrives, he is able to sell the case effectively and have the team looking into what could be a major frame-up. It turns out the woman he is accused of killing was his girlfriend, part of a strict Muslim family. While Canada is a fairly open society, many of the strict beliefs espoused by the womanâs brother are chilling, particularly when he praises her death for sullying the family name.
While the investigation takes off in many directions, Rogan finds himself crossing paths with some disturbing members of a radical organisation who would like nothing more than to erase his constant queries. All this leads to some truly devastating actions that could put Rogan and those he loves in serious danger.
When a new angle emerges in the case, it provides additional suspects that could be involved, while also tossing the victim in a new light. Just when Rogan thought he knew what was going on, this turns things on its head and makes the streets of Vancouver all the more dangerous. Robert P. French delivers again and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat throughout this stunning novel!
I stumbled upon the early work in this series by accident, but could not put the books down as soon as I started. They are so full of intensity and drama, while also set on the streets of Vancouver, one of Canadaâs great cities. Shedding light on the Canadian angle made me want to read the books even more, as I felt a sense of home with each chapter. Add to that, French has such a way with words and there is no doubt that this is a series worth the attention of any reader who loves the genre!
Cal Rogan has been through a lot in this series, yet heâs never lost the grit that makes him a stellar protagonist. Series fans have seen his exponential growth throughout the series, while makes for some wonderful development, as well as a little backstory that never quite goes away. Revisiting some of the early struggles heâs faced, Rogan is also able to assess how far things have come since those early days as a washed-out cop who relied on heroin to get through the tough times. Rogan has also amassed some wonderful characters to surround him, many of whom enrich the novel in their own way.Â
French has always had a talent with his writing, even if he tells you that he struggles at times. The narrative is always on point and moves along at such a pace that the reader must remain attentive or risk falling behind. Short chapters propel the story forward effectively and left me eager to see where things were going. Using Canada as a backdrop adds to the story and keeps me wanting to read more, something that makes me happy as I have finally found a strong investigative thriller set in my own backyard. Working with multiple plot twists and injecting some poignant âcurrent eventsâ with mention of COVID, French does an amazing job of electrifying the story and keeping the reader enthused throughout. I cannot wait to see whatâs to come and how I can be a part of it!
Kudos, Mr. French, for yet another powerful addition to the series. These books keep getting better and your ideas seem endless.