Review by J. M. Landon
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of this book and a link to purchase it.
Trapped is Book 3 of the City Streets Mystery series and is also a stand-alone mystery. If you’ve read the first two books, Missed and Hunted, you are already familiar with the key players in this mystery, especially Oscar the dog. If you have not read the other two in the series, prepare to be introduced to several things: the outrageous living conditions of the homeless in our country; a pack of well-trained dogs (just four in total), one of which can communicate with his owner; and a splash of colorful characters from all walks of life ––from gangsters, to P.I.s, to homeless people.
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| Image Source Thomas & Mercer |
Oscar and Victor are the main characters. The special thing about Oscar is that when Victor talks to him, he answers. Oscar often starts the conversation and ends up keeping Victor’s nose out of trouble and/or saves lives. It’s just that only Victor can hear Oscar. It becomes evident that someone is trying to kill them because a series of homeless men with dogs are being beaten or burned to death. Two factors contribute to waylaying the police in following up with investigating these murders: first, the victims are homeless, and, unfortunately, people tend to overlook them; and second, there may be someone on the police force trying to cancel Victor.
While all this is going on, KSD Investigative Services comes into the picture. The agency is run by Kasper and Sophia Dabrowski, who hire Victor and, by proxy, Oscar. But someone is out to ruin the company. Is it the same person trying to rub out Victor and Oscar? KSD’s license is threatened. Sophia gets framed for a hit-and-run, and Victor’s home, a borrowed van, is ruined. As this cascade of events nearly wrecks Victor’s will to continue, he is offered a fantastic job at the Casino owned by the Novaks.
The Novaks played a large part in the previous two books as gangsters supreme. Judy, the crime family daughter, spends this book reworking her daddy’s mistakes. This is a very tangled piece of yarn, and she never knows who is really on her side. But Victor has repeatedly proven himself and steps into a management position while Judy tries to make all aspects of the family business legal.
The excitement and adventure never disappoint. And if you love dogs, as I do, you’ll find the four four-legged characters very endearing.
Beckler has penned another set of books, the Mason & Sterling series, as well as two anthologies and several Sci-Fi novels. This master wordsmith is still creating. We all eagerly await his next novel. Meanwhile, try to read the first two books in the City Streets Mysteries: Missing and Hunted.
To enter to win a copy of Trapped, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line "trapped,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen September 12,2026. US residents only and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win. If entering via comment please include your email address so we can contact you. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section in Kings River Life and in our mystery category here on KRL News & Reviews. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. And check out our new mystery podcast which features mystery short stories and first chapters read by local actors!You can click here to purchase this book.
Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.J.M. Landon is retired and blissfully at work on the ‘great American novel.’ She’s worn many hats through her career including: wife, mother, piano teacher, middle school teacher, university professor, painter, jewelry maker, and dragon tamer. She has eight published short stories.
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