Malicious opens with Robert Mitchum
heading to Newburgh and the bar where his big brother, Natty
(Nathaniel), works. Natty is a drug dealer, but he’s
also Mitchum’s brother. Family is family, and Natty
needs help. Mitchum defends Natty and helps him get away from
the thugs in the parking lot. One of those thugs killed Petey
Stahl, another drug dealer, and they’re trying to frame
Natty. Petey was a high school friend the Mitchums. So far,
the pros in Natty’s case would be Mitchum taking his
case. The cons would be Natty’s affection for the new
widow, the two thugs who want him dead, and a bartender hiring
an attorney for him.
Mitchum’s next step is checking up on Petey’s
murder. A detective updates Mitchum on the case, then offers
him a job with the Newburgh police. The same detective shows
up later to arrest Natty and thanks Mitchum for giving him
the idea. Mitchum pushes forward with the case to clear his
brother’s name.
Malicious is a strong second in series. The storyline is
easy to follow, and the authors delivers clues in just the
right places. The key to this series has to be the main characters.
Robert Mitchum is a likable character. The other characters
and the small town feel keep the story light even though the
subject matter is sometimes strong.
The Mitchum PI series is one of the best BookShot series.
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