Russian Roulette

by Austin S. Camacho

Washington D.C.'s professional troubleshooter, Hannibal Jones, is enraged when he is forced to take a case at gunpoint. His client is a Russian assassin who will kill Hannibal's beloved, Cindy Santiago, if Hannibal refuses to help him. With no choice, Hannibal agrees to investigate the smooth, wealthy Algerian who has stolen the heart of the woman his new client loves. At first the case looks simple, but Hannibal's view quickly changes when evidence...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0979478847
• ISBN13: 9780979478840
• Release Date: June 2009
• Publisher: Intrigue Publishing LLC
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Right On Target!

Austin Camacho's Russian Roulette, the fifth book in the Hannibal Jones mystery series, is a hard-boiled detective novel about a D.C. troubleshooter who is coerced by Russian assassin Aleksandr Dimitri Ivanovich into taking a case. As Hannibal investigates the background of a wealthy African businessman for his client, blackmail plots, scandals, Russian mob money, and several dead bodies litter Hannibal's path. Hannibal's mix of toughness and vulnerability make him sympathetic to the other characters around him. The relationship between Hannibal and Ivanovich develops into an uneasy partnership as Hannibal continues to search for the truth even after he was released from his obligation. Camacho juggles a fairly large cast of characters, all with realistic motivations and personality quirks. He is a master at painting characters with details that leave you feeling like you know them personally. Here's how he describes Hannibal's person of interest Dani Gana: "He was aggressively handsome, wearing a day's growth of beard and the kind of self-possessed smirk that women are drawn to and men want to slap off any face they see it on." Camacho lives in northern Virginia and it's obvious that he knows the Washington D.C. area. You can track Hannibal Jones's movements with a street map as he drives to Rock Creek Park, to Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue up to Rockville, to the corner where Florida Avenue crosses Connecticut at the Russia House, to Roosevelt Island. You can just see jam-packed roadways and sense the frustration of trying to find a parking space around Dupont Circle. It's right on target! The book's strengths lie in its solid pacing and many creative plot twists and turns that wind up with a surprising ending. This book keeps you wondering who did it. The main suspect changes often.

Smooth as a Black Russian; Vodka and Kahlua

Russian Roulette was the first book of the Hannibal Jones series that I have read. I enjoyed the book and want to read others in the series to see if the quirky hero is true throughout the series. I was bothered by Hannibal's tendency to rush from one scene to the next. I felt that when Hannibal was interrupted by a phone call, while questioning someone, that he abruptly left - left me wondering why he didn't finished what he started before moving on to the next clue? Just like my real-life friends, Hannibal doesn't always catch the obvious. In many respects, this character flaw makes Hannibal more human, and therefore believable. I found his behavior frustrating sometimes, but then I still like him. The book is set in the Washington DC area and accurately reflects community. Well written, well researched and certainly worth the read!

Plenty of action to keep the reader mesmerized

Austin S. Camacho spent years as a military news reporter for the American Forces Network. He now works as a public affairs specialist for the Defense Department. He is the author of four previous Hannibal Jones mysteries: THE TROUBLESHOOTER; COLLATERAL DAMAGE; DAMAGED GOODS; and BLOOD AND BONE. He currently lives in Springfield, Virginia. Hannibal Jones, troubleshooter extraordinaire, has a new experience when a well known Russian assassin pays him a visit in his office and convinces Hannibal, at gunpoint, to take his case. It seems that the love of his life (assassins have hearts too) is about to marry a rich, sleazy, African businessman of dubious morals. Gee, what a choice...assassin or crook! At any rate, Jones gamely takes the case when the assassin convinces Hannibal that his own girlfriend, Cindy Santiago, is at risk should he fail: "'...But why would I take your case? Do you really think you can force me to investigate at gunpoint? I could walk out that door and just keep going. Or, I could call the cops and let them come in here and yank you out. Why on earth would I invest any of my time and energy into helping you stalk this girl who doesn't appear to need help or to be interested in you at all?' Ivanovich's voice deepened and became a bit harder, as if he wanted to be very sure that Hannibal understood him clearly. 'Because, my arrogant friend, I have very competent associates watching Miss Cintia Santiago, associate at Baylor, Truman, and Ray and daughter of Reynaldo Santiago who lives upstairs from you. My associates are invisible, obedient, and deadly. If you fail to find the answers I need about Dani Gana, your beloved Cintia Santiago will die.'" With that motivation Hannibal Jones swings into action, with the menacing Ivanovich invading not only his psyche, but his personal space and life. Jones is game, though, and picks his way through a complicated maze that centers around the Russia House. Camacho employs his usual rich layers of plot; fascinating characters; and plenty of action to keep the reader mesmerized in his latest Hannibal Jones installment Shelley Glodowski Senior Reviewer

Excellent

This is one of my new favorites. I completely enjoyed this book. It was fast paced and kept me interested from the start to the very end. The main character, Hannibal, in this book is tough and gritty and yet he still seems like a real life person, not dime store novel detective. He is required, at gun point, to look into the fiancé of a Russian assassin girl friend. The old girl friend is marrying an African Businesman and the Russian believes all is not as it seems. As Hannibal digs into the background and starts looking at the people surrounding the African businessman he learns so much is not what it seems. This book is not without a touch of humor too. It is funny that the Russian stayed in Hannibal's office while Hannibal was off detecting and looking for answers to the questions the Russian had about this fiancé of his old girl friend. Overall, it is an interesting book with many twists and turns. It kept me interested and I really enjoyed it.

An assignment that Jones can not say nyet to...

I may have to add Austin S. Camacho to my list of authors to follow and catch up on after reading his latest novel, Russian Roulette. I received the book for review before I left on vacation, and I would have been perfectly happy to have all of the Hannibal Jones series with me to read. Jones is minding his own business, going along on his detective duties, when a new client shows up in his office... with a gun, an assignment, and a threat if Jones doesn't take the case. The client is a Russian assassin with contacts to the Russian Mafia. His love interest has decided to marry a person who purports to be a rich African businessman. The assassin isn't buying it, and wants Jones to see if this guy is really who he says he is. Jones has little choice, as *his* love interest might be hurt or killed if he doesn't take the job. But Jones quickly finds that very few of the players in this mystery are really who they appear to be. The African businessman has as many layers as an onion, the girl may have just as many layers and connections in her past, and the longer Jones digs, the more people start to turn up dead or missing. What starts out as an assignment he has to take turns into one that he can't put down until he figures out just who is who. I enjoyed the character of Hannibal Jones much more than I expected. I probably would have gotten a bit more out of the book and character had I read some of the previous installments. For instance, there's a level of tension between Jones and his girlfriend Cindy Santiago. I'm pretty sure there's a back story that explains their love interest as well as the employer/employee relationship that appears to exist. But even without knowing that, the story was complete enough on its own. Plenty of mystery, suspense, and excitement to keep the pages turning. Now all I have to do is track down the earlier installments to get caught up, and I'll be happy...