Turnabout & Shallow Secrets
by Rick Ollerman
Genre: Crime
Published by: Stark House Press
Publication Date: September 26, 2014
Number of Pages: 389 – the “book” contains 2 novels
ISBN: 978-1933586472
More: This is a set of two books featuring Crime.
These include strong language.
Purchase Links: 
MY REVIEW
I love the simple cover, the colors and palm trees spoke to me. Murder and crime are my game, so I was excited to read this twofer. I thought it was two separate mysteries, but it is really one long book. I am going to review it that way.
This noir detective story started out with a splat. Rick’s description of what it’s like to fall (or to be pushed) out of an airplane, with no parachute, counting down the seconds until you hit, knowing you are going to die, had me white knuckled as I read. With a start like that, I am eager to read on. So I did.
Frankie O’Neil sets out to determine what really happened to his best friend. He never believed he committed suicide and he would not let the deed go unpunished. If something happened to me, I would love to have a friend like him.
O’Neil had retired from the police force because it was so hard on his wife. He loved her and did not want to lose her. He knew getting involved in this investigation would take its toll on their marriage, but it was something he had to do. He has a plan, but there are two police officers who are determined to be kept in the loop, dogging him at every turn.
This is in the early days of computers and his friend, Tim Clayton had a consulting business. He had taught O’Neil the ropes and he had started his own consulting business.
Reed is a naive and innocent kid he recruits to help him with the investigation. I love the kid. Poor Katy is caught in the middle.
Five years later, B J Donnelly is busted with a thirteen year old girl in his trunk and he drops O’Neil’s name. They try to keep O’Neil out of the investigation. He had been running the Sun Coast Murders Task Force, but Detective Sergeant James Robinson will be running it now and every time O’Neil turns around, James is there.
O’Neil has become a suspect and once accused, it doesn’t matter much if you are guilty or not. The stigma will follow you everywhere you go. Your life will be ruined.
Now it’s eight years later and there is another body. How could that be if Donnelly was the guilty party? Guess there is only one thing for him to do, and that’s to solve it himself. I knew that, but I am happy to ride along with him as we dodge the dirt and corruption. When you don’t know who to trust, trust no one.
There is more going on than meets the eye. I had my suspicions. I am so glad I did not quit reading after finishing Turnabout and went right on to read Shallow Secrets. Yes, there are secrets. Suspense, oh yeah. Fear, oh yeah. Twists and turns that kept letting me relax for a moment, thinking the story is over, then knocking me for a loop, again and again.
I would highly recommend the debut twofer, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, by Rick Ollerman.
I received a signed first edition paperback in return for an honest review.
4 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Remember those old Ace paperbacks, with two actioners in one volume? Stark House is reviving them, with the current offering holding all the slam-bang anyone might want.
In Turnabout, ex-cop Frankie O’Neil is skeptical when a friend’s death is ruled a suicide. He uncovers a crime unknown to the Ace masters: computer theft. These crooks have friends with guns, and halfway along the novel becomes a series of cliffhangers that hit another memory: movie serials. Will Frankie escape in time? Find out in the next chapter. You won’t stop until you know.
Shallow Secrets moves slower, with a subtext: the power of chance to provoke horrors, then avenge them. Cop James Robinson doesn’t just know the accused killer. They’re roommates. The coincidence ruins his career. Then there are fresh killings, and Robinson is “a person of interest.” Near the end, Robinson almost tells a woman that “there wasn’t anything they could do to make the world safe” from murders. But coincidence can bring them down, as when someone sees something he’s not supposed to.
– from Don Crinklaw
EXCERPT
When they touched down in Miami, Gene could have passed out in relief. In a superhuman test of will, he forced himself through the cattle call of customs without drawing attention to himself. From there he almost ran to the nearest rest room and claimed the first open toilet as his own. He had pains in his gut now, his lower abdomen, and he swallowed two Ex-Lax tablets as he lowered himself onto the toilet.
It was a very unpleasant feeling when the first one came out, goose bumps breaking out across his thighs and arms, but Gene almost cried he was so thankful. He counted carefully, not wanting to get up until every last one of those damned things was pushed through his body, never relaxing, always afraid that any one of them might rupture, get caught on something on the way out, just before it cleared his asshole. Never again, he thought. His days as a mule were over.
Finally, the last condom exited his spent body and Gene slumped forward, exhausted. He had to spend some more time waiting for the effects of the laxatives to subside, but he didn’t mind. It was over and he had made it. He was tired and stinking of dried sweat and public bathroom, but he had brought the drugs in. All he had to do now was pick those little white torpedoes out of the toilet and boogie on back to Everglades City. To Midge and his knife and that damned spooky necklace.
Gene finally stood up and looked over his shoulder. It was hard to imagine how much money that ugly mess was worth. He took a half step forward and bent over to pull up his pants then stumbled and fell into the door of the tiny cubicle. The whoosh of water from the flushing toilet sent a bolt of electrified panic down his spine.
On his knees he turned and dove towards the toilet bowl in time to see the last wad of crumpled tissue get sucked into the hole at the bottom. In a futile gesture he grabbed for it, grabbed for anything, jamming his hand up to the wrist into the small opening.
Oh my fucking lord, Gene thought as he looked up at the piping coming out of the wall. What the fuck happened? There was no way to flush the damned thing, no goddamned lever to pull. Christ! he swore again. He hadn’t done anything!
He pulled his hand out of the toilet and wiped it in his shirt as he got to his feet. Staring in disbelief, he finished fastening his pants as he took a step back toward the door. Again the toilet flushed itself.
The damned thing was like the automatic doors to the terminal! It flushed itself when he moved away from it! How the hell was he supposed to know, God damn it? Nobody ever told him anything about fucking automatic toilets.
Author Bio:
Rick Ollerman made his first dollar from writing when a crossword magazine printed a question he’d sent. Later he went on to hold world records for various large skydives, appear in photo spreads in LIFE magazine and The National Enquirer, can be seen on an inspirational poster during the opening credits of a popular TV show, and has been interviewed on CNN. He also had a full-screen shot as an extra in the film Purple Rain. His writing has appeared in technical and sporting magazines and he has edited and proofread many books, and written introductions for a dozen more. Notably in 2014 he sold a short story and an essay to Noir Riot and his first two books, Turnabout and Shallow Secrets, were published by Stark House Press in September.
Catch Up:
Grab you copy at Amazon.
Tour Participants:
1. 3/02 Guest Post & Showcase @ Our Wolves Den
2. 3/05 Review @ fundinmental
3. 3/09 Review @ 3 Partners in Shopping
4. 3/10 Review @ Tea and A Book
5. 3/16 Guest Post @ Writers and Authors
6. 3/16 Review @ Deal Sharing Aunt
7. 3/19 Review @ Vics Media Room
8. 3/22 Review @ Quirky Book Reviews
9. 3/25 Showcase @ Mommabears Book Blog?
10. 3/29 Radio Interview @ Suspense Magazine
11. 3/31 Showcase @ Ryder Islingtons Blog
GIVEAWAY
This is a giveaway hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours for Rick Ollerman. There will be three winners of 3 sets of – 1) Signed book plus a 2) signed, limited chapbook of two essays on paperback original writers that served as introductions to other books. The giveaway begins on Feb 28th, 2015 and runs through April 3rd, 2015.
Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours
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Thanks for stopping by fundinmental!
Sounds like a really interesting book. I like the idea of two connected novellas in a single volume; glad to hear it works so well.
Yes, it did! 🙂 I loved not having to wait to find out the end. I think there are too many novels that are parts of trilogies…and I miss out on the ending because I am on to the next. Sometimes I won’t read a book because I know it is the first one and I will need to be looking for the rest. Probably miss some good ones that way. 🙁 Thanks for dropping in Lance.
My kind of reading and a twofer! Sounds fantastic Sherry!
Thanks Laura. I definitely enjoyed it and will look for more from Rick Ollerman.