Now Comes Death (Harry Brock Mysteries)

By Kinley Roby

Book Overview

Carrying out an Audubon bird census on Hobson's Choice, a piece of undeveloped Gulf shore property, with his friend Helen Bradley, Harry Brock, a private detective by trade and naturalist by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1594142874
• ISBN13: 9781594142871
• Release Date: July 2005
• Publisher: Five Star
• Length: 292 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Harry Brock - A great addition to the Florida detective scene

I stumbled across the first book in this series at a book store and was intrigued enough to purchase, just based on the cover. As a long time Florida resident and a big fan (starting with Travis McGee) of the Florida detective scene I can highly recommend the entire three book Harry Brock series. In Now Comes Death the author builds on a fantastic group of characters that were introduced in the first novel (Death in a Hammock) to create an entertaining and very satisfying second novel. I've noticed that a major character of each of the first two books in this series is the environment of Southwest Florida. Not the environment that we see in Randy Wayne White's Doc Ford Novels, but much more of an inland, old Florida environment - that type that you have to get off the beaten bath of Florida to see. If you're a fan of character driven mystery novels please do yourself a favor and check out the work of Mr. Roby.

I'm Glad I met Harry Brock

This is the first Harry Brock mystery I've read. I surely will go back for more. Harry is a private investigator - much to his wife's chagrin. Unlike most p.i. mysteries, he has a full plate of cases. He has everything from murders, to tenants stealing appliances to a generations-old family feud. Rather than impeding the pace of the book, Mr. Roby handles the many plots so well that they keep the pace moving. Just as there are inroads on one, the book moves to another, leaving the reader hanging. In addition to the three or four good plotlines, the characters are terrific. Harry actually has relationships that are complex and not easy. The most amusing characters are his elderly friend and mentor, Tucker, and Tucker's mule (Oh Brother) and dog (Sanchez) who have English as a second language. They lend a good dose of humor to the intrigue. This mystery stands alone. However, due to the depth and complexity of the characters' relationships, I look forward to reading the other Harry Brock mysteries. This is highly recommended as a very good mystery, or more accurately, mysteries, with a good main character who has depth and complexity.

A fine all around novel

On Hobson's Choice near Tequesta City, Florida, Helen Bradley and Harry Brock are conducting a bird census for the Audubon society when they come across a rotted corpse. Harry realizes that the dead man is Truly Brown, who was to shortly inherit a fortune. The police tell Harry, a private investigator, to stay out of their case as he intends to do without their warning. Helen's friend Riga Kraftmeier, vice president at Three Rivers Bank & Trust Company, wants to purchase Hobson's Choice so she hires Harry to expedite her efforts to include if necessary solving the homicide. As Harry investigates, his pregnant wife Katherine warns him that she will leave him if he fails to change jobs. Harry wants to comfort her, but ignores her threat as this is his occupation, but soon wishes he heeded her admonition as he finds himself endangered by two families feuding. The second Harry Brock investigative tale (see DEATH IN A HAMMOCK) is a fabulous who-done-it as the hero's personal life interferes with his concentration on the case. The story line is action-packed, but also loaded with angst as Katherine lays out an ultimatum and Helen is more fun to be with so readers who do not want a large spoonful of the humanizing element will want to pass. For readers like this reviewer the personal aspects enhance a strong murder investigation that leaves the audience with a fine all around novel. Harriet Klausner