Back on Murder

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER

Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details•until an unexpected break gives March one last chance to save his career. And his humanity.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

"A rogue homicide detective is assigned to a grisly murder case, and through this investigation discovers core life values that overturn his world. Mark Bertrand's first novel is an astonishing and powerful mystery. Extremely well crafted. Highly recommended."
--Davis Bunn, bestselling author of Gold of Kings

"The first paragraph makes you feel like an astronomer discovering a growing brightness in an unmapped area of the sky, and as you continue you get the excitement of realizing you're the first to witness a supernova, and there's no way you're going to take your eyes off it until it's finished. The story and writing is that good. Give me more.
--Sigmund Brouwer, bestselling author of Broken Angel

"With exquisite prose and poetic style, J. Mark Bertrand has captured the surreal world of homicide detectives with a realism and power rarely seen in fiction. Back on Murder is a fabulous and intriguing story. Highly recommended!"
--Mark Mynheir, homicide detective and author of The Night Watchman

"Bertrand expertly walks a line between the riveting nuts and bolts of a police procedural and a remarkably human story. His Detective Roland March leads the reader along the streets of Houston in what is as much a personal rediscovery as it is a page-turning detective tale. And he does it in gritty, dangerous, and intensely satisfying fashion. We can only hope that this first foray to the Houston Homicide Unit won't be Bertrand's last."
--Don Hoesel, author of Elisha's Bones and Hunter's Moon

"J. Mark Bertrand's Back on Murder has the grit and tension of a great crime novel, with true, three-dimensional realism. A great summer read."
--Tom Morrisey, author of In High Places and Pirate Hunter

"I know that I am already looking forward to the second book in J. Mark Bertrand's series featuring Houston police detective Roland March. To follow a series, you have to find the protagonist congenial. 'Congenial' doesn't imply love and devotion, let alone complete sympathy with the character's opinions and predilections, but there has to be more than mere toleration: you will be spending a lot of time in his or her company. Other factors enter in too, of course: the locale and ambience of the series, the writer's way with words, and more.

"In comparison to many crime series protagonists, Roland March is cast on a refreshingly human scale. If you are weary of fantastic exploits, you may find this a welcome change of pace, as I did. The Houston setting is perfect for such a character. When we first encounter March, he is struggling. Something that went awry on an earlier case has taken him off his usual beat--homicide--and he finds himself tasked with unenviable assignments. A break gives him a chance to get back to what he does best. March was appealing enough for me to overcome my resistance to novels narrated in the present tense. 'I'll give it a few pages,' I said, and ended up reading the entire book.

"Something distinctive about this series: churchgoing characters and their faith figure naturally in the story, as they do in the lives of many Americans (including me) but only rarely in crime fiction. That's refreshing too. I'm ready for the next book." --John Wilson, Books and Culture

"In this first installment of a promising new series, Bertrand has given readers an intriguing plot, delightful prose, engaging dialog, and a story that's well worth reading." --Richard Doster, Comment

"Bertrand captures a realistic view of a homicide detective's life, from the paperwork to life-threatening situations. Readers will relate to the struggles of his characters, their faltering faith and success." --Nicole Anderson, Christian Retailing

"Bertrand's first solo effort will intrigue readers looking for a great police procedural tale. The first-person point of view is a bit limiting, but does allow the reader to stay actively engaged in the story. Twists, turns and a great deal of action balance out the slower moments." --Romantic Times Book Reviews