It's Hard to Keep a Good Cop Down

By Carl Austin

Are you familiar with the old adage, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all?”  Well, that pretty much sums up Inspector Dennis Delaney’s situation in a nutshell.  For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of reading some or all of the four crime novels in which he’s been prominently featured, Dennis has had his share of bad luck.  Since the very first book, he’s not only been called onto the carpet by his superior, clubbed into submission by a Chinese gang member and brainwashed by a lovely lady librarian, but his finances are such that it’s a miracle he can keep a roof over his head.

In my most recent novel The Daemon of Destruction, Dennis and his partner of 10-years, Roscoe Turner are handed a real whodunit when they’re ordered to a one-car crash.  Not even sure why a pair of homicide detectives were called to an accident scene in the first place, they soon find that the car crash didn’t so much occur as was prearranged.  At least that’s what the sole survivor tells them.  What the surviving tech executive fails to mention is that his company is in a knock down drag out fight with several other rival firms in the multi-billion-dollar autonomous vehicle industry.  It soon becomes apparent that the competition will do anything to gain the upper hand.

What’s even worse is that the evidence points to the fact that a computer glitch could be to blame for the rollover crash that claimed three lives.  At least, that’s what Dennis and Roscoe are hoping to find, since they’re going to be way out of their depth if the crime proves to be a hi-tech case of murder.  As luck would have it, Central Station does have one overworked, underpaid techie named Keith who’s more than happy to be let out of his cave to assist the detectives in their quest for the truth.  But the truth is hard to find once international hackers start to undermine the evidence, not to mention keep tabs on the investigators every move.

Add to it that Dennis has his hands full keeping his teenage daughter from driving him crazy and his latest ex-wife from taking him to the poorhouse and you’ll understand why I say it’s hard to keep a good cop down.

Book Blurbs from All four Inspector Delaney Novels  (Click on the link to read 2 chapters)

1.      Anatomy of Annihilation - When Inspectors Dennis Delaney and Bill Claiborne arrive at the scene of a mass shooting on Fisherman's Wharf, they're not only stunned by the carnage, but at the bizarre way in which the shooter took his own life. The medical examiner soon announces the cause to be a one-in-a-million brain lesion. Case closed. Two days later, another strange crime takes place when a schoolteacher stages a brazen smash and grab at a jewelry store. Even stranger is the discovery that the teacher has the same brain lesion. Soon, Dennis and Clay are confronted by a never-ending crime wave committed by first-time offenders. The detectives must rewrite the rule book if they're going to crack the case and unmask the criminal masterminds who threaten to bring San Francisco to its knees.

 

2.      The Beast on the Bayou - Retired police chief Earl Moultrie was all set to enjoy the simpler things in life until the night a strange craft came out of the sky to set the bayou ablaze. Then the former air crash investigator couldn't get anyone in town to believe him, not even the current chief newly arrived from California. It isn't long before the pair are forced to contend with an ambitious Army colonel who's looking to make general or die trying. It quickly becomes apparent to both chiefs that they'll need to put their differences aside and pool their resources if they're going to keep the Army from tearing the town out from under them.

3.      Chinaman’s Chance - What was supposed to be a slam dunk white collar crime bust goes sideways for Bunco Detective Dennis Delaney. As a result, he's suspended for 90-days. Forced to leave town, Dennis decides to lick his wounds and soak up some sun in Las Vegas. Along the way, he has a chance encounter with a 21-year old dice wizard named Ming who fleeces him out of $260. Instead of busting the kid, Dennis takes Ming under his wing to show the kid how to clean up in the casinos. It's only after making the acquaintance of a high-priced call girl that the pair have a reversal of fortunes when her pimp tries to muscle in on the action.

4.      The Daemon of Destruction - Artificial intelligence, computer hackers and self-driving cars all come together on the streets of San Francisco when three tech executives are murdered after their prototype autonomous car plunges off Twin Peaks Blvd. The two detectives assigned the case are soon hip deep in intrigue when the hackers responsible for the crash turn the City by the Bay on its head to cover their tracks and achieve their nefarious aims.

 

Carl Austin is a professional writer, blogger and author from Jacksonville, Florida.  Check out his website at http://authorcarlaustin.com for more information, including vlogs, book reviews, and social connections.