j. mark bertrandnovelist
J. Mark Bertrand's critically-acclaimed 2010 crime novel Back on Murder launched a series about Houston homicide detective Roland March. In 2011, the next book in the series, Pattern of Wounds, was released. Publishers Weekly called it "gritty and chilling." The third book, Nothing to Hide -- dubbed a "stellar novel" by RT Book Reviews -- was published in the summer of 2012.
Can You Face the Truth?
In Back on Murder, Roland March is a disillusioned homicide detective with one last chance to save his career. All he has to do is find the beautiful missing girl every cop in Houston is already looking for. He has an inside track, a murder scene nobody else thinks is connected. But he's battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past. Getting to the truth might cost March everything, including his life.
This is one of those series that is worth getting attached to.
Books & Culture
Can You Spot the Pattern?
In Pattern of Wounds, it's Christmas in Houston, and homicide detective Roland March is on the hunt for a killer. A young woman's brutal stabbing in an affluent neighborhood bears all the hallmarks of a serial murder. The only problem is that March sent the murderer to prison ten years ago. Is it a copycat -- or did March convict the wrong man?
Bertrand’s got a pitch-perfect ear for dialogue. The cop-talk, for fans of the tough guy genre, hits the right note every time.
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What Are You Trying to Hide?
In Nothing to Hide, a grisly homicide uncovers an international threat. The stakes have never been higher for Detective Roland March. The victim's head is missing, but what intrigues March is his hand. The pointing finger must be a clue -- but to what? According to the FBI, the dead man was an undercover asset tracking the flow of illegal arms to the Mexican cartels. To protect the operation, they want March to play along with the cover story. With a little digging, though, he discovers the Feds are lying. And they're not the only ones.