"I loved the characters! They ranged from diabolically evil to charming and driven to right wrongs." - Amazon 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." - NetGalley review
"I enjoyed the story and the humor. It was a fun interesting read." - Goodreads review
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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.
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.
"I loved the characters! They ranged from diabolically evil to charming and driven to right wrongs." - Amazon 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." - NetGalley review
"I enjoyed the story and the humor. It was a fun interesting read." - Goodreads review
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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.
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.
âYouâre kind of like a salmon,â Bullock said. âThe ones from the North Pacific,â he continued. âYou see, theyâre born and then they take off for years living in the ocean only to return. Thatâs you.â
Not taking my eyes off the people dressed to the nines, I reached into the pack of NECCO wafers and popped one in my mouth.
A debate raged in my head as to whether I should get the courage to go inside or sit there and listen to how Iâm akin to a fish. The latter won out by default. I pulled another wafer out, and seeing it was pink, tossed it out the window.
âSee, you were born here in Stonington,â he continued. âThen you joined the Navy. Six years at sea. Like the salmon. Now youâre back. Damn! Youâre a salmon, Brody.â
I wondered what the people passing by thought when they saw me sitting in the car staring back at them. Did they wonder why a cop was sitting outside their reunion? Did they recognized me? It had been 15 years, after all.
âExcept I think they return to spawn,â Bullock said. âYouâre not here to spawn are you, Brody?â
I drifted off and wondered if she was going to be in there. I grabbed another damn pink wafer and then threw it out the window.
âWhy do you keep tossing the pink ones out?â Bullock asked, thankfully switching topics.
I told him they tasted like Pepto Bismol.
That was my cue. I couldnât fathom what the next topic of conversation would be between my new partner and me. As I exited the Crown Victoria, Bullock did, too, as he slid across the hood. He grabbed the door, shuffled past me, and got behind the wheel.
Settling himself into the driverâs seat, Bullock said, âNever was a Pesto Bismol fan myself.â
âNo?â I said. âYou were just a tough guy that fought through it.â
âYou can say that,â Bullock said.
âYour mommy must be proud.â
âOh, sheâs proud of me, thatâs for sure,â he said. âWho wouldnât be?â
In the car window, I gave one last glance, and ran my fingers through my hair.
âWant a breath mint?â Bullock asked as he adjusted the seat.
Before closing the door, he sent me off with, âIâll pick you up at 10, sweetie.â
As he drove away, I had two thoughts: I needed to get my own car, especially one that didnât smell like French fries; and no matter what happened that night, I was going to survive.
It had been a long time since I walked up the steps of Stonington High School: 15 years almost to the day.
I couldnât stop wondering if salmon tell everyone in their fish town to screw off before they leave?
Delete Created with Sketch.
The registration table was decorated in the royal blue and white of the Rams, the Stonington mascot, and sitting behind it was Kristy Fitzgerald, who clearly had a rough decade and a half.
From a red silk ribbon around her neck hung a pewter charm of baby shoes. The red of the ribbon didnât quite match the red of her lipstick, and it contrasted with her blue eye-shadow.
âWell, if it isnât Brody James,â she said with a mix of disdain and surprise. âOur newest officer. Are you here about Gary Hutchins? Or just to see how everyone who stayed in the shit hole fared? Shit hole. Thatâs what you called Stonington when you made your big exit, wasnât it?â
âYou have quite the memory, Kristy.â
âI tend not to forget when Iâve been insulted,â she said. âYou pretty much insulted all of us.â
âWell that was a different me,â I said. âIâve changed a bit. As have you.â
Kristy decided to continue going toe-to-toe.
âYou know, now that I think of it, you have changed,â she said. âDidnât you use to have sandy brown hair? I donât remember it being so salty and peppery. I mean itâs more salt than pepper.â
Before I could offer a retort, another reunion attendee entered the building.
âWell, if it isnât Greg Dunlap!â she exclaimed.
Giving him an undeserved hug, Kristy attempted to pierce me with her eyes.
âItâs Doug,â he said as he received his uncomfortable squeeze.
âI know silly,â she said as she continued to hug him. âDoug, do you remember Brody James? Heâs still as tall as he was in high school but isnât as scrawny as he was back in the day. That might make it hard to remember him.â
Doug and I gave each other a nod, and I left the two of them in their embrace. It wasnât the first time I left Kristy hugging another guy while she thought of me.
Kristy was right in her assumption that my attendance at the Class of â87s soiree was more on account of the death of Gary Hutchins than it was for me to dive head first into the pool of self-pity masked by fond remembrance of days of yore. None of us were where we thought weâd be, and I didnât want to discuss a time of my life that Iâve longed to forget.
What I wanted to figure out was how Gary found himself at the bottom of a ravine off D-19.
Iâd been back in town just a week, and I needed to know what happened since I left. I needed to know if Gary was the victim of an unfortunate accident or if someone helped him over the side of the road, down a cliff, and smack dab into a tree.
REVIEW:Â The Boys Are Back In Town by Karl Kling
I liked The Boys Are Back In Town, by Karl Kling â it is compelling, and a lot of fun! Itâs part police procedural, part you canât go home again, part mystery, and part buddy book. Â
The main character, Brody James, has returned to his hometown of Stonington, Michigan, as a police detective. Fifteen years earlier he left town under less than friendly circumstances â he essentially gave the town the finger with no intention of ever returning. But now heâs back, and heâs looking into the deaths of two former high school classmates. Â
Brody believes that there has to be a link between the two deaths. The manner of death is different, the locations are different, their lives were different, and both deaths were deemed accidental. But heâs sure itâs murder. What were the chances that two classmates who were best friends, would die a month apart? What links them together other than the fact they were part of a mean clique in high school? It has him stymied, but Brody is a dedicated cop â he needs to find the truth. As he delves into the deaths, he searches for a motive, and is surprised by what he finds. Could these murders be linked back to high school? Improbable. Coincidental. But possible?
As he tries to solve the mysteries, we are introduced to the people of Stonington. There are people Brody has reconnected with from high school, like love-interest Chloe, and new people as well, such as his supremely annoying partner Bullock.
The relationship between Bullock and Brody is one of the best parts of the book. They are very different people, but they seem to gel â begrudgingly, on Brodyâs part, enthusiastically on Bullockâs. Itâs the bickering and the back-and-forth that really brings their relationship together. Brodyâs pessimistic, almost world-weary outlook creates a relatable narrative voice. Couple that with Bullockâs absolute confidence in himself and his life, and you have a very enjoyable read.  Â
The whole premise is solid. Murder or accident? Who did it? There are red herrings, foreshadowing, and romance. There are unexpected allegiances, and mysterious neighbours. Â
If you like mysteries, or âbuddyâ relationships, then youâll like The Boys Are Back In Town. If you like trying to figure out âwho done it,â youâll enjoy this book. Itâs well worth your time.