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Rick Cahill #4
Blood Truth
A hard-boiled PI novel for fans of Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald and Dashiell Hammett. From Anthony Award Winning and best-selling author Matt Coyle, the fourth in the Rick Cahill series.
Rick Cahill has long feared the truth about his own blood—the blood of his father coursing through his veins.
When a long-hidden safe unlocks clues about why his father was kicked off the police force twenty-seven years ago and then spiraled into an early drunken death, Rick determines to find the truth even if it proves the one thing he’s always feared.
But as he grapples with his father’s past, the woman he still loves pleads with him to find out if her husband is having an affair—or is involved in something much more sinister. Could the truth send her back into Rick’s arms? Would he have a last shot at happiness? He may never get the chance to find out, as killers who will do anything to protect their secrets lurk in the shadows.
Rick Cahill has long feared the truth about his own blood—the blood of his father coursing through his veins.
When a long-hidden safe unlocks clues about why his father was kicked off the police force twenty-seven years ago and then spiraled into an early drunken death, Rick determines to find the truth even if it proves the one thing he’s always feared.
But as he grapples with his father’s past, the woman he still loves pleads with him to find out if her husband is having an affair—or is involved in something much more sinister. Could the truth send her back into Rick’s arms? Would he have a last shot at happiness? He may never get the chance to find out, as killers who will do anything to protect their secrets lurk in the shadows.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2017
131 people are currently reading
1611 people want to read
About the author
Matt Coyle
20 books319 followersMatt Coyle is the bestselling author of the Rick Cahill crime series. His books have won the Anthony, Shamus, Lefty, Ben Franklin Silver, Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Silver, and San Diego Book Awards, and have accrued nominations for the Macavity, Anthony, Shamus, Lefty, WRONG LIGHT, his latest novel and came out in December and has been nominated for the Lefty Award and been named a Bookreporter.com Top Pick for 2018. Matt lives in San Diego with his yellow Lab, Angus, where he is writing the sixth Rick Cahill novel. You can find him online at: www.mattcoylebooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
July 2, 2018
Just what are the Shamus awards all about ? I was a bit confused as to what ‘officially’ constitutes a P.I. novel, so I looked it up. The rules, according to ‘The Private Eye Writers of America’ organization, for Shamus award nomination is – “In general, the PWA defines a "private eye" as any mystery protagonist who is a professional investigator, but not a police officer or government agent. The full definition is, and I quote, "a person paid for investigative work but not employed by a unit of government. Thus books and stories about private investigators (licensed and unlicensed), lawyers and reporters who do their own legwork, and other hired agents are eligible; works centering on law enforcement officers or amateur sleuths are not."” Membership is open to fans, writers, and publishing professionals. There are three levels of membership: Active, Associate, and International.
In “Blood Truth” ,Matt Coyle, a previous winner of the Anthony Award,, involves his P. I. Rick Cahill in investigating two distinct mysteries in this beautifully told narrative with a balance between the pair of stories. In the first he is hired by his ex-girlfriend to find out if her new husband is cheating on her. The second involves Rick’s piecing together the sequence of events concerning his father, now deceased for over twenty years that brought about his disgrace and downfall.
The writing is engaging, fast paced and has plenty of action. The story is told in the first person so we enter into the mind and emotions of Rick as he investigates both cases. It should be noted that this is the fourth Rick Cahill novel. I had not read any of the previous books and had no difficulty acclimating and enjoying the story.
Mr. Coyle teases the reader with the inclusion of fellow P.I. Moira McFarlane, who helps Rick in various aspects of his investigations, by hinting that Rick may have found a friend or more than a friend in Moira somewhere down the road.
This is certainly an excellent book and one I would recommend highly
Random non sequitur observation:
This being the third book in this years Shames Award nominees I would like to point our what is undoubtedly a strange coincidence (at least so far). All three books have a 'Parker', the first is 'Parker' Bilal, The second T. Jefferson 'Parker', now the third book's client's name is 'Parker'. The next book on this Award reading schedule will be "Y" and I have no doubt that somewhere in the story Kinsey Millhone (I assume that to be who the book is concerning, the last one I finished was "L is for Lawless") will need her to 'Park her' car.
Nominees for the 2018 Shamus Awards:
• Dark Water, by Parker Bilal (Bloomsbury USA)
• Blood Truth, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
• Y Is for Yesterday, by Sue Grafton (Marian Wood/Putnam)
• The Room of White Fire, by T. Jefferson Parker (Putnam)
• Monument Road, by Michael Wiley (Severn House)
In “Blood Truth” ,Matt Coyle, a previous winner of the Anthony Award,, involves his P. I. Rick Cahill in investigating two distinct mysteries in this beautifully told narrative with a balance between the pair of stories. In the first he is hired by his ex-girlfriend to find out if her new husband is cheating on her. The second involves Rick’s piecing together the sequence of events concerning his father, now deceased for over twenty years that brought about his disgrace and downfall.
The writing is engaging, fast paced and has plenty of action. The story is told in the first person so we enter into the mind and emotions of Rick as he investigates both cases. It should be noted that this is the fourth Rick Cahill novel. I had not read any of the previous books and had no difficulty acclimating and enjoying the story.
Mr. Coyle teases the reader with the inclusion of fellow P.I. Moira McFarlane, who helps Rick in various aspects of his investigations, by hinting that Rick may have found a friend or more than a friend in Moira somewhere down the road.
This is certainly an excellent book and one I would recommend highly
Random non sequitur observation:
This being the third book in this years Shames Award nominees I would like to point our what is undoubtedly a strange coincidence (at least so far). All three books have a 'Parker', the first is 'Parker' Bilal, The second T. Jefferson 'Parker', now the third book's client's name is 'Parker'. The next book on this Award reading schedule will be "Y" and I have no doubt that somewhere in the story Kinsey Millhone (I assume that to be who the book is concerning, the last one I finished was "L is for Lawless") will need her to 'Park her' car.
Nominees for the 2018 Shamus Awards:
• Dark Water, by Parker Bilal (Bloomsbury USA)
• Blood Truth, by Matt Coyle (Oceanview)
• Y Is for Yesterday, by Sue Grafton (Marian Wood/Putnam)
• The Room of White Fire, by T. Jefferson Parker (Putnam)
• Monument Road, by Michael Wiley (Severn House)
August 3, 2017
I was provided this ARC compliments of NetGalley. My appreciation sent to Oceanside Publishing for making this available. An unbiased review of this narrative follows.
The author, in his usual style, charged forward, full speed ahead in this fourth installment of the Rick Cahill series. The narrative of this unfortunate, sad sack's self-destructive life continued to spiral downward with non-stop action. The protagonist continued to insert himself into seemingly unlikely if not impossible scenarios of life and limb that anyone else with a right mind would avoid at all costs. Well written, this novel took me through a chaotic journey where I found myself being constantly reminded, "I'm glad I'm not him!" Overall, it made for a fascinating read.
Rick's PI business and ramshackle life had allowed him to survive. Not prosper. Actually, an improvement. One day, he had received an unforeseen call from the former love of his life, Kim. Secretly, he still carried a torch for her since their separation. His undoing. Sad. This had not been a social call. Besides, she was now married, therefore, off limits. Another reminder of his runaway life.
They met at Rick's rent-free makeshift office. A booth inside a Steakhouse. It was all business. She feared her husband had been acting suspiciously lately and wanted to learn of his whereabouts. Thoughts of him having an affair had lingered in her mind. This was where Rick shined best. His specialty - cheating husbands. He agreed to follow him and report back with his findings.
During his investigation, Rick's life took an unexpected turn. He acquired his deceased father's wall safe from his childhood home. Upon opening it, he discovered a 25 caliber pistol with four bullets in it, $15,000 in cash and a safe-deposit box key. Dumbfounded. His father had left the police force a disgraced cop. It had been rumored never proven, he had been working for the mob. A Bagman. It was enough to get him kicked off the force and out of Rick's life. Might the contents of this safe hold the key to his father's innocence? Guilt? Only one way to find out.
The haphazard path to uncovering the truth at any and all cost forced Rick into a whirlwind of murder and corruption as he followed where the leads of the safe had taken him. In his heart he knew it was too late for closure. All he ever wanted was justice. One way or another. Let the chips fall where they may. The truth be known. It was now or never.
The author, in his usual style, charged forward, full speed ahead in this fourth installment of the Rick Cahill series. The narrative of this unfortunate, sad sack's self-destructive life continued to spiral downward with non-stop action. The protagonist continued to insert himself into seemingly unlikely if not impossible scenarios of life and limb that anyone else with a right mind would avoid at all costs. Well written, this novel took me through a chaotic journey where I found myself being constantly reminded, "I'm glad I'm not him!" Overall, it made for a fascinating read.
Rick's PI business and ramshackle life had allowed him to survive. Not prosper. Actually, an improvement. One day, he had received an unforeseen call from the former love of his life, Kim. Secretly, he still carried a torch for her since their separation. His undoing. Sad. This had not been a social call. Besides, she was now married, therefore, off limits. Another reminder of his runaway life.
They met at Rick's rent-free makeshift office. A booth inside a Steakhouse. It was all business. She feared her husband had been acting suspiciously lately and wanted to learn of his whereabouts. Thoughts of him having an affair had lingered in her mind. This was where Rick shined best. His specialty - cheating husbands. He agreed to follow him and report back with his findings.
During his investigation, Rick's life took an unexpected turn. He acquired his deceased father's wall safe from his childhood home. Upon opening it, he discovered a 25 caliber pistol with four bullets in it, $15,000 in cash and a safe-deposit box key. Dumbfounded. His father had left the police force a disgraced cop. It had been rumored never proven, he had been working for the mob. A Bagman. It was enough to get him kicked off the force and out of Rick's life. Might the contents of this safe hold the key to his father's innocence? Guilt? Only one way to find out.
The haphazard path to uncovering the truth at any and all cost forced Rick into a whirlwind of murder and corruption as he followed where the leads of the safe had taken him. In his heart he knew it was too late for closure. All he ever wanted was justice. One way or another. Let the chips fall where they may. The truth be known. It was now or never.
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March 10, 2022
Blood Truth (Rick Cahill, #4) by Matt Coyle
4.0-Stars - "I liked it a Lot!"
Audiobook - 10:21 Hours - Narrated by: Travis Baldree
This book was an almost immediate follow-on listen after "#3, Dark Fissures", and was equally as enjoyable. I loved the "harassed, not-too-successful, hard-boiled private eye" milieu that was expressed in both books. Although Rick Cahill was no pushover, his personal code to pursue the truth, wherever it takes him, provides a great dual-themed story that does not resort to common PI clichés, nor clichéd solutions, as Rick searches for the truth of his father's demise as a former police detective, and tries to solve problems being experienced by a former girl-friend whom he still loves.
The narration by Travis Baldree was generally good, save for the mental musings by Rick often blurring into his own actual dialogue.
I chose to start this series at #3, Dark Fissures, and either this book, #4, Blood Truth, or the previous one could easily be read as standalones. I already have books #5 and #6 "in stock" from Audible, but I will postpone the temptation to listen to them now because I have far too many other books marked "Currently Reading" that are begging for my early attention😊!
4.0-Stars - "I liked it a Lot!"
Audiobook - 10:21 Hours - Narrated by: Travis Baldree
This book was an almost immediate follow-on listen after "#3, Dark Fissures", and was equally as enjoyable. I loved the "harassed, not-too-successful, hard-boiled private eye" milieu that was expressed in both books. Although Rick Cahill was no pushover, his personal code to pursue the truth, wherever it takes him, provides a great dual-themed story that does not resort to common PI clichés, nor clichéd solutions, as Rick searches for the truth of his father's demise as a former police detective, and tries to solve problems being experienced by a former girl-friend whom he still loves.
The narration by Travis Baldree was generally good, save for the mental musings by Rick often blurring into his own actual dialogue.
I chose to start this series at #3, Dark Fissures, and either this book, #4, Blood Truth, or the previous one could easily be read as standalones. I already have books #5 and #6 "in stock" from Audible, but I will postpone the temptation to listen to them now because I have far too many other books marked "Currently Reading" that are begging for my early attention😊!
December 5, 2017
Storytelling is a skill and Coyle has got it. This book is one that is easy to get into and keeps you interested till the end. It’s a story about bitterness and dying inside day by day. Its a story about wondering who your father really was inside and what the clues about him really mean. Was a hero or a crook? It’s a story about swindlers, cheats, and conspiracies. It’s a private eye story set in the modern age in San Diego and La Jolla with many of the traditional moorings such as a lone wolf st odds with the local police, run ins with the local scion of wealth, and mobsters hovering in the background. A lot of fun to read. Thanks to the publishing house for providing a copy for review.
August 29, 2017
What I really like in the Rick Cahill Series , is a perfect pace of the plot.
The author knows EXACTLY how to keep your attention: melancholic quite parts alternate with pure actions at a dizzying speed. It is why I recommend you not to start this book late in the evening if you have a list to do on the next early morning – there is a high risk that you'll stay awake and read the whole night through.
And what I REALLY love is of course – the main character, a PI Rick Cahill. He is A-MA-ZING, an exemplary model of a lone warrior who has been hit by blows of every kind in his life and yet stays true to himself and his principles, a loyal fighter for justice who is difficult not to fall for.
In Blood Truth Rick works on two cases, that represent two parallel story-lines that on the first sight have nothing in common. The first one is Rick’s private matter related to his long dead father that sheds light on the mystery of his destruction. VERY EMOTIONAL. The other one is a delicate case that he agrees to take only because his ex-girlfriend, a woman that he still loves, begged for it. Rick has to find out if her husband is cheating on her. Is it a possibility to get her back? Is it THE case that will prove his loyalty?
I ENORMOUSLY enjoyed this book. The previous one, Dark Fissures, my first of Matt Coyle, was already good enough, but this one exceed all my expectations.
Matt Coyle’s series has everything you need to savor: dynamics, great characters, an exciting and emotional plot and very enjoyable writing. It was the book#4 in the series, and my second in it. I normally don’t read series in reverse, but I like this so much, that I’m seriously considering to go back to the very beginning and read the first two books that I've missed.
Note: You can read Blood Truth as a stand alone.
And if you like a good mystery with a likable character, you really should.
**Copy provided by Oceanview Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
November 11, 2017
This is the fourth in the Rick Cahill P.I. series and for me, the most emotionally-charged. Rick investigates two cases, both involving loved ones so already, you know there’s a lot at stake. One case involves Kim, his ex-girlfriend, who hires Rick to confirm her suspicions that her husband is having an affair. The other dredges up Rick’s long-suppressed shame of his deceased father, a disgraced cop, when a safe is discovered in his childhood home. The two storylines weave together flawlessly. Kim’s case takes Rick into shady real estate deals and eventually, murder. His personal crusade to uncover the truth about his father leads to a 20-year-old cold case. Rick struggles between his need to see justice served and the fear of what he’ll discover about his own flesh and blood. Coyle skillfully breaks up the thrilling action with more introspective moments, resulting in a topnotch read.
November 8, 2017
4.5/5.0
Rick Cahill is complex character with many layers. He fights for truth and justice and may bend the rules a bit to get the answers he needs.
Read full review in the 2017 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
Rick Cahill is complex character with many layers. He fights for truth and justice and may bend the rules a bit to get the answers he needs.
Read full review in the 2017 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.
June 21, 2017
“Blood Truth” by Matt Coyle is part of the Rick Cahill series, but it is not necessary to have read the previous books to absolutely love this one. Any background information a new reader might need is included as part of the narrative without spending pages and pages unnecessarily rehashing the previous books.
Rick Cahill is a former police officer turned PI who is haunted by his past. Coyle takes us inside Rick Cahill’s head as he tries to do penance for everyone’s misdeeds and bad decisions, including his own. Rick attempts to correct those previous mistakes, and that just is not always possible.
The upside is that we readers get to follow him around beautiful La Jolla California.
“The sun danced off the ocean far below,
and a gentle breeze slowly pushed scattered clouds around the blue sky.
Idyllic. Paradise. “
Unfortunately, this poetic paradise is just out of Rick’s reach. Bad childhood memories come screaming into the present when the owner of Rick’s childhood home finds a long-forgotten wall safe owned by his dad. The contents compel him to resolve his father’s involvement in a long-ago homicide cold case. To further complicate his life, his former girlfriend hires him to investigate her cheating spouse.” Just a typical day for a PI.”
This “typical” day leads Rick into a web of conspiracy, double dealing, and treachery that encompasses everyone from the local police to the Russian mob and the California Coastal Commission. The action bounces back and forth between the “cheating spouse” case and the cold case murder as Rick searches to find answers and to resolve his feelings about himself and about everyone else.
Rumors, accusations, and lies swirl around like papers in the wind as Rick struggles to solve “murder, the one crime with no expiration date.” How far will he go to reconcile past with the present? Will he make a pact with the devil? The good and the bad are hiding in plain sight and Rick cannot tell them apart. Who made just one bad decision and who has always had a hidden dark soul? In the end, the puzzle pieces finally fall into place, and in a most unexpected and upsetting way.
I was able to read “Blood Truth” in advance thanks to Oceanview Publishing, Matt Coyle, and NetGalley. This great book will have every reader speculating about what comes next, and sympathizing with Rick as he flounders through his own life and the lives and deaths of others. Plan your reading time wisely, because this book will take over your schedule.
Rick Cahill is a former police officer turned PI who is haunted by his past. Coyle takes us inside Rick Cahill’s head as he tries to do penance for everyone’s misdeeds and bad decisions, including his own. Rick attempts to correct those previous mistakes, and that just is not always possible.
The upside is that we readers get to follow him around beautiful La Jolla California.
“The sun danced off the ocean far below,
and a gentle breeze slowly pushed scattered clouds around the blue sky.
Idyllic. Paradise. “
Unfortunately, this poetic paradise is just out of Rick’s reach. Bad childhood memories come screaming into the present when the owner of Rick’s childhood home finds a long-forgotten wall safe owned by his dad. The contents compel him to resolve his father’s involvement in a long-ago homicide cold case. To further complicate his life, his former girlfriend hires him to investigate her cheating spouse.” Just a typical day for a PI.”
This “typical” day leads Rick into a web of conspiracy, double dealing, and treachery that encompasses everyone from the local police to the Russian mob and the California Coastal Commission. The action bounces back and forth between the “cheating spouse” case and the cold case murder as Rick searches to find answers and to resolve his feelings about himself and about everyone else.
Rumors, accusations, and lies swirl around like papers in the wind as Rick struggles to solve “murder, the one crime with no expiration date.” How far will he go to reconcile past with the present? Will he make a pact with the devil? The good and the bad are hiding in plain sight and Rick cannot tell them apart. Who made just one bad decision and who has always had a hidden dark soul? In the end, the puzzle pieces finally fall into place, and in a most unexpected and upsetting way.
I was able to read “Blood Truth” in advance thanks to Oceanview Publishing, Matt Coyle, and NetGalley. This great book will have every reader speculating about what comes next, and sympathizing with Rick as he flounders through his own life and the lives and deaths of others. Plan your reading time wisely, because this book will take over your schedule.
January 2, 2021
PI Cahill, La Jolla (San Diego area) again is mentally, emotionally and physically challenged beyond what can be believed. I bought this quite some time ago and decided to put my brave hat on and finally read it. It takes courage, for me at least, to read so much violence as this PI gets himself involved in.
Everyone treats Cahill as unwanted company, never receiving a welcome hello.
In this episode much is resolved about his father. That's all I have the strength to say about this.
There is some really good stuff but the violence almost erases it.
and then there are the bad cops, the Russians, the crooked developers....oy vey
Everyone treats Cahill as unwanted company, never receiving a welcome hello.
In this episode much is resolved about his father. That's all I have the strength to say about this.
There is some really good stuff but the violence almost erases it.
and then there are the bad cops, the Russians, the crooked developers....oy vey
August 25, 2017
BLOOD TRUTH is hard boiled California noir served over easy. Author Matt Coyle saddles disgraced ex-cop turned P.I. Rick Cahill with more than enough tragedy to sustain him through brief moments of joy (okay a Yeats rip-off here.)
Unintentionally heroic and emotionally stunted –especially when it comes to relationships – Rick struggles under the weight of his failures and those of his father before him. So, when evidence surfaces that makes him question whether his father really was a dirty cop—and his now-married-ex-girlfriend begs him for help-- he is propelled forward and backwards in his search for the truth.
BLOOD TRUTH is deftly written, fast paced, and full of emotion-packed twists and turns that will keep even the most discerning reader on the edge of their seat.
Unintentionally heroic and emotionally stunted –especially when it comes to relationships – Rick struggles under the weight of his failures and those of his father before him. So, when evidence surfaces that makes him question whether his father really was a dirty cop—and his now-married-ex-girlfriend begs him for help-- he is propelled forward and backwards in his search for the truth.
BLOOD TRUTH is deftly written, fast paced, and full of emotion-packed twists and turns that will keep even the most discerning reader on the edge of their seat.
September 13, 2021
“ Blood Truth” is a good crime novel that is filled with twists and turns as the hero, PI Rick Cahill is led deeper into a past he cannot forget or ignore. The past plays a big part in the book and past events often arise in the narrative, but “Blood Truth” is complete in itself. It will, if you enjoyed it as much as I, lead you to read previous novels to get the backstory.
It begins with Rick arriving at the site of his childhood home. It is being demolished by a developer so a new modern home can be erected in its place. The builder phoned Rick when he found an old, locked safe in a secret wall partition behind a room used by his father as an office. After trying every possible combination he can think of, Rick takes the safe to a locksmith. Opened, there, wrapped in an oily cleaning rag, is a .25 automatic, a cheap “Saturday Night Special” type of gun and an envelope containing $ 15, 000.
Like a snowball to the face, the sad, tragic fall from grace of his policeman father jolts Cahill. Not that he has ever left it behind. How could he forget that his father was an officer known for his probity as one of the good cops - a straight arrow. Then eighteen years ago, Officer Cahill was implicated as taking mob payoffs and as the murderer of a man suspected of laundering cash for the mob. Cahill was forced to resign in disgrace. He drank himself to death, leaving behind a wife who despised him and a broken-hearted son.
Rick looks at the contents of the safe and has two questions: why woluld his father keep the murder gun since it would prove his guilt, and why was the envelope of cash never touched? Finding the answers leads Rick into places someone wants to remain closed.
As usual in many, if not all, of today’s detective novels, the hero is flawed. Rick Cahill is quick to anger, and easily annoys people.Nor does he know when to accept friendly hand. Alienated from the remnants of his family , and, after his own wife dies a suspicious and violent death, he seethes with darkness.The darkness inside him cost him the love of the only other woman in his life who grew tired of his inability to commit himself to a future with her. Now she has come back into his life-as a client who hires him to determine if her husband is cheating on her.
That routine investigation leads Rick back to whatever happened to his father all those years ago as he uncovers threads that endanger everyone from people who do not want the past uncovered.
Recommend for lovers of noir crime novels. It is well written and the character of Rick Cahill is well drawn. You may figure out who did what to whom , but the author never loses track and lets the reader wander off. Worth a read and worth looking into Mr. Coyle’s backlist.
It begins with Rick arriving at the site of his childhood home. It is being demolished by a developer so a new modern home can be erected in its place. The builder phoned Rick when he found an old, locked safe in a secret wall partition behind a room used by his father as an office. After trying every possible combination he can think of, Rick takes the safe to a locksmith. Opened, there, wrapped in an oily cleaning rag, is a .25 automatic, a cheap “Saturday Night Special” type of gun and an envelope containing $ 15, 000.
Like a snowball to the face, the sad, tragic fall from grace of his policeman father jolts Cahill. Not that he has ever left it behind. How could he forget that his father was an officer known for his probity as one of the good cops - a straight arrow. Then eighteen years ago, Officer Cahill was implicated as taking mob payoffs and as the murderer of a man suspected of laundering cash for the mob. Cahill was forced to resign in disgrace. He drank himself to death, leaving behind a wife who despised him and a broken-hearted son.
Rick looks at the contents of the safe and has two questions: why woluld his father keep the murder gun since it would prove his guilt, and why was the envelope of cash never touched? Finding the answers leads Rick into places someone wants to remain closed.
As usual in many, if not all, of today’s detective novels, the hero is flawed. Rick Cahill is quick to anger, and easily annoys people.Nor does he know when to accept friendly hand. Alienated from the remnants of his family , and, after his own wife dies a suspicious and violent death, he seethes with darkness.The darkness inside him cost him the love of the only other woman in his life who grew tired of his inability to commit himself to a future with her. Now she has come back into his life-as a client who hires him to determine if her husband is cheating on her.
That routine investigation leads Rick back to whatever happened to his father all those years ago as he uncovers threads that endanger everyone from people who do not want the past uncovered.
Recommend for lovers of noir crime novels. It is well written and the character of Rick Cahill is well drawn. You may figure out who did what to whom , but the author never loses track and lets the reader wander off. Worth a read and worth looking into Mr. Coyle’s backlist.
May 28, 2017
Read on Netgalley. Rick Cahill PI receives a call from a man who has torn down the house where Rick grew up and found a safe in the wall. Rick goes to pick it up and has an old .25 pistol and $15,000 in hundred dollar bills. There is a safe deposit box key also and so the mystery begins. All of this has something to do with his dad's leaving the La Joya PD 28 years ago and a still unsolved murder from that time. About the same time he is hired by his ex girlfriend to follow her husband who she thinks is having an affair. Rick worshiped his dad until her left the force and drank himself to death. This story takes us through how he finds what happened in the unsolved murder and how it is related to what is going on in his life today. Great old gumshoe kind of work by Rick and his friend Moria.
July 25, 2017
Definately a must read. Received the book as an arc from netgalley for an honest review. Trying to solve a cold case is not an easy task.
December 8, 2017
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley to read an review.
BLOOD TRUTH by Matt Coyle is the 4th book in the Rick Cahill Series (the first novel in the series that I’ve read to date), and opens with a scene from his childhood playing catch in the yard with his father after he’s cut the grass, and after being hit by a ball that takes a bad bounce, his perfectionist and stubborn nature is revealed, along with a glimpse into his father’s qualities and personality.
Rick now an adult is currently running a one man investigation firm specializing in divorce cases, which provides him with a meager existence and lack of respectability in his town of La Jolla along with the cloud of his late father’s past as a dishonorable former policeman who died in the throes of alcoholism after years of shame and depression resulting from his troubled past.
Kim is Rick’s ex-girlfriend who remarried after he broke it off with her, and she contacts him in an effort to investigate her husband for the possibility of infidelity, pressuring Rick into taking on the case knowing it likely will not end well.
Further added to Rick’s plate is his interest in reopening the case that brought shame to his family and tarnished his father’s name based on new evidence in a hidden safe is discovered while renovating is being done by the new owner of the house he grew up in, also opening old wounds much like Kim’s case.
Moira is an investigator that Rick previously angered by getting a case she wanted to be hired for; yet afterwards the two reach a tenuous agreement for her to work with him on cases from time to time.
Rick finds several things on both cases that spell trouble and involving sketchy legalities, corruption, and eventually murder that place Rick and Kim in danger, as well as Kim’s husband Jeffery.
Will Rick succeed in digging to the bottom of one or both cases without finding himself and the woman he still loves in even more danger, or will it be impossible for him to find the truth in both cases based on the complexity of the current case and time passed in his father’s unsolved mystery?
Solid detective novel with a strong emphasis of involvement based on personal relationship and unwavering determination to find truth, this would be a great read for those who enjoy novels involving detectives, police, mobs, and those drawn into circumstances based on other’s greed.
4 stars.
BLOOD TRUTH by Matt Coyle is the 4th book in the Rick Cahill Series (the first novel in the series that I’ve read to date), and opens with a scene from his childhood playing catch in the yard with his father after he’s cut the grass, and after being hit by a ball that takes a bad bounce, his perfectionist and stubborn nature is revealed, along with a glimpse into his father’s qualities and personality.
Rick now an adult is currently running a one man investigation firm specializing in divorce cases, which provides him with a meager existence and lack of respectability in his town of La Jolla along with the cloud of his late father’s past as a dishonorable former policeman who died in the throes of alcoholism after years of shame and depression resulting from his troubled past.
Kim is Rick’s ex-girlfriend who remarried after he broke it off with her, and she contacts him in an effort to investigate her husband for the possibility of infidelity, pressuring Rick into taking on the case knowing it likely will not end well.
Further added to Rick’s plate is his interest in reopening the case that brought shame to his family and tarnished his father’s name based on new evidence in a hidden safe is discovered while renovating is being done by the new owner of the house he grew up in, also opening old wounds much like Kim’s case.
Moira is an investigator that Rick previously angered by getting a case she wanted to be hired for; yet afterwards the two reach a tenuous agreement for her to work with him on cases from time to time.
Rick finds several things on both cases that spell trouble and involving sketchy legalities, corruption, and eventually murder that place Rick and Kim in danger, as well as Kim’s husband Jeffery.
Will Rick succeed in digging to the bottom of one or both cases without finding himself and the woman he still loves in even more danger, or will it be impossible for him to find the truth in both cases based on the complexity of the current case and time passed in his father’s unsolved mystery?
Solid detective novel with a strong emphasis of involvement based on personal relationship and unwavering determination to find truth, this would be a great read for those who enjoy novels involving detectives, police, mobs, and those drawn into circumstances based on other’s greed.
4 stars.
December 27, 2017
I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for a review copy of Blood Truth, the fourth novel in the La Jolla based PI Rick Cahill series.
Rick is a busy man. His ex, Kim, has hired him to find out if her new husband, Jeff, is having an affair. Keen to protect Kim he investigates further than he strictly has to and uncovers something more than affair although he's not quite sure what that something is. In the meantime the owner of his childhood home has discovered a hidden safe belonging to his dad. He is in two minds about investigating further as his dad died an alcoholic 18 years previously after being dismissed from the La Jolla Police Department amid a swirl of rumours about corruption and the mob.
I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Truth which is the first novel in the series that I have read although it won't be the last. The novel is a great read with a well paced plot as each plot line gradually builds to a crescendo, not that gradually implies a slow burner as there is plenty of action, developments and unexpected twists and turns throughout. Rick's first person narrative adds an immediacy and poignancy to the novel in his quest to uncover his father's past.
The two plot lines intersect tangentially as the novel progresses but are mostly separate. I think the first person narrative helps to keep them clear in the reader's mind and, at the same time, keeps the novel flowing without any awkward change of focus or point of view. It is an easy novel to read despite the fairly complicated plot and it held my attention from start to finish. The plot is interesting and logical with a certain amount of violence which probably pushes the boundaries of plausibility but makes for a good read.
Of course, in a first person narrative characterisation becomes more important as the reader lives the novel with that voice. It's not an easy thing to pull off successfully but Mr Coyle manages it with aplomb. Rick Cahill is not an easy character to like. He is obviously damaged and is rude, insensitive and not very good at friendship and yet he is blisteringly honest in his self appraisal. I came to admire both him and Mr Coyle's skill by the end of the novel. The only odd note is his relationship or lack of one with the La Jolla Police Department who hate him. It makes for good reading but seems facile in comparison with the depth of Rick's character.
Blood Truth is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Rick is a busy man. His ex, Kim, has hired him to find out if her new husband, Jeff, is having an affair. Keen to protect Kim he investigates further than he strictly has to and uncovers something more than affair although he's not quite sure what that something is. In the meantime the owner of his childhood home has discovered a hidden safe belonging to his dad. He is in two minds about investigating further as his dad died an alcoholic 18 years previously after being dismissed from the La Jolla Police Department amid a swirl of rumours about corruption and the mob.
I thoroughly enjoyed Blood Truth which is the first novel in the series that I have read although it won't be the last. The novel is a great read with a well paced plot as each plot line gradually builds to a crescendo, not that gradually implies a slow burner as there is plenty of action, developments and unexpected twists and turns throughout. Rick's first person narrative adds an immediacy and poignancy to the novel in his quest to uncover his father's past.
The two plot lines intersect tangentially as the novel progresses but are mostly separate. I think the first person narrative helps to keep them clear in the reader's mind and, at the same time, keeps the novel flowing without any awkward change of focus or point of view. It is an easy novel to read despite the fairly complicated plot and it held my attention from start to finish. The plot is interesting and logical with a certain amount of violence which probably pushes the boundaries of plausibility but makes for a good read.
Of course, in a first person narrative characterisation becomes more important as the reader lives the novel with that voice. It's not an easy thing to pull off successfully but Mr Coyle manages it with aplomb. Rick Cahill is not an easy character to like. He is obviously damaged and is rude, insensitive and not very good at friendship and yet he is blisteringly honest in his self appraisal. I came to admire both him and Mr Coyle's skill by the end of the novel. The only odd note is his relationship or lack of one with the La Jolla Police Department who hate him. It makes for good reading but seems facile in comparison with the depth of Rick's character.
Blood Truth is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
December 7, 2017
Detective series about Rick Cahill. This was a stand-alone read that gumshoe Cahill kept moving on a mission of a personal nature. Lost Love Kim Parker needs PI Cahill to trail her husband who she suspects is having an affair. Childhood demons of his father Charles haunt Rick when a hidden safe is discovered. Police could be called to assist but which one would help out and which one will prove fatal. Wanted more about Rick's side kick detective Moira McFarland because she was a hoot. A bit over the time with the scrapes Rick got into and was unable to be victorious. Anyway.. entertaining crime-murder mystery with some good and bad characters. "A copy of this book was provided by Oceanview Publishing via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
April 1, 2019
I won this book at goodreads.com !
This novel is the fourth in the Rick Cahill series. I've found another author and character to love. I WILL read the first three!
Rick is a P.I. out of La Jolla / San Diego. He's long feared the truth about his father. His father, Charlie, was kicked off the La Jolla PD 27 years ago with suspicions of taking money from the mob in exchange for favors.
Rick finds a hidden safe at his father's old house that holds clues to why Charlie was kicked of the force and then wound-up in an early drunken death.
While Rick deals with this a woman from his past, one he still loves, asks him to find out if her new husband is cheating on her.
He becomes embroiled in shady land deals, corrupt politicians and cops, the Russian mob and more.
Killers who will do anything to protect their secrets are after him.
It's a thrill ride from start to finish!
This novel is the fourth in the Rick Cahill series. I've found another author and character to love. I WILL read the first three!
Rick is a P.I. out of La Jolla / San Diego. He's long feared the truth about his father. His father, Charlie, was kicked off the La Jolla PD 27 years ago with suspicions of taking money from the mob in exchange for favors.
Rick finds a hidden safe at his father's old house that holds clues to why Charlie was kicked of the force and then wound-up in an early drunken death.
While Rick deals with this a woman from his past, one he still loves, asks him to find out if her new husband is cheating on her.
He becomes embroiled in shady land deals, corrupt politicians and cops, the Russian mob and more.
Killers who will do anything to protect their secrets are after him.
It's a thrill ride from start to finish!
August 22, 2018
Matt Coyle has developed an intriguing protagonist, Rick Cahill. He is a PI, formerly with the LAPD. The reader senses his disgrace and depression, although we don't know the cause. The reader is privy to something lurking in his background and his relationships that leave him damaged and desolate. This is the first Cahill book I have read; I am quite sure that these characters traits/flaws were fleshed out in the beginning of the series ( this is the 4th book in the series). The plot is compelling, dealing with bribes, kickbacks and corruption in land development. The characters are well developed and likeable. I will definitely go back to the beginning of this series!
My thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy of BLOOD TRUTH in exchange for an honest review
My thanks to NetGalley for providing a free copy of BLOOD TRUTH in exchange for an honest review
February 25, 2019
This is one of the best Rick Cahill's -- a lot of his history gets tied into this one, and it all falls together right before Rick seems to fall apart....ha. No spoilers.
February 5, 2018
Loved this book, it reminded me of the old TV shows: Columbo, Rockford Files, etc. Lots of twists and turns as Rick Cahill sets out to clear his father's name and solve a few murders along the way.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway.
January 31, 2018
The best noir crime thriller of 2017!
May 28, 2017
4 stars
Our story opens with Rick going to his old home where he lived with his now deceased father. The current owner is remodeling and found a safe under the floor. He wants Rick to have it.
He then gets a call from a former girlfriend Kim who is now married. She wants him to follow her husband Jeffrey to ascertain if he is cheating on her. Reluctantly, Rick takes the case. In no time at all Rick and Moria his sometimes assistant track the man to a hotel where he meets with a woman. After taking pictures, Rick notices someone else in the area. It is Peter Stone, a man who tried to kill him some years earlier. He tracks him to the woman’s room. Things are getting interesting – and odd. What would this guy have to do with the woman and by association, the Kim’s husband?
Meanwhile, Rick leaves the safe at a locksmith’s to have it drilled open. He finds a packet of money, a key and a gun in the safe. The key belongs to a safe deposit box that Rick tracks down quickly. He learns that there is also a checking account with a co-signor on it named Antoinette King. This account has been active for eighteen years – since his father died.
Kim asks Rick to tail the woman with whom Jeffrey met on the balcony of the hotel. Rick is reluctant because tailing someone without authority is unethical. Rick and Moira begin to tail the woman named Sophia Domingo.
The book takes off on an interesting trail of bribes, extortion, deceit and lies. All this has to do with shady dealing and property development deals.
This is a well written and plotted novel. I enjoyed reading it. The characters are likeable and sufficient background information is given to flesh out the characters, but not so much that it detracts from the story. The suspense builds nicely and the novel moves along apace. This is my first Matt Coyle novel, but I am sure it won’t be my last.
I want to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
Our story opens with Rick going to his old home where he lived with his now deceased father. The current owner is remodeling and found a safe under the floor. He wants Rick to have it.
He then gets a call from a former girlfriend Kim who is now married. She wants him to follow her husband Jeffrey to ascertain if he is cheating on her. Reluctantly, Rick takes the case. In no time at all Rick and Moria his sometimes assistant track the man to a hotel where he meets with a woman. After taking pictures, Rick notices someone else in the area. It is Peter Stone, a man who tried to kill him some years earlier. He tracks him to the woman’s room. Things are getting interesting – and odd. What would this guy have to do with the woman and by association, the Kim’s husband?
Meanwhile, Rick leaves the safe at a locksmith’s to have it drilled open. He finds a packet of money, a key and a gun in the safe. The key belongs to a safe deposit box that Rick tracks down quickly. He learns that there is also a checking account with a co-signor on it named Antoinette King. This account has been active for eighteen years – since his father died.
Kim asks Rick to tail the woman with whom Jeffrey met on the balcony of the hotel. Rick is reluctant because tailing someone without authority is unethical. Rick and Moira begin to tail the woman named Sophia Domingo.
The book takes off on an interesting trail of bribes, extortion, deceit and lies. All this has to do with shady dealing and property development deals.
This is a well written and plotted novel. I enjoyed reading it. The characters are likeable and sufficient background information is given to flesh out the characters, but not so much that it detracts from the story. The suspense builds nicely and the novel moves along apace. This is my first Matt Coyle novel, but I am sure it won’t be my last.
I want to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read.
December 11, 2017
This was my first experience with Matt Coyle's Rick Cahill series and I LOVED it!! Not having read any of the prior books in the series did not diminish my enjoyment of this book one bit.
Blood Truth has Rick, a disgraced former policeman and now a straight-shooting, get-it-done PI, taking a case for a former could-have-married-her girlfriend, as well as following an unexpected lead that may finally tell him the truth about his father.
Rick is brought evidence regarding his father, which pushes him into investigating a cold-case that led to his father's dismissal from the police force after 22 years of service. The dismissal caused his father to go into a subsequent downward spiral until his death nine years later. Rick is determined to know the truth about his father, good or bad.
Meanwhile, his investigation into ex-girlfriend Kim's husband whom she suspects of having an affair, leads him into places neither one of them expected and gets Rick almost killed several times.
Real estate deals, murder, betrayals, the mob, conspiracies, romance, action this book has it all. Full of emotional attachments and conflicts in both well-plotted story lines; complex characters; and twists, turns and surprises that kept me guessing right up to the end all made for one heck of a read!! I definitely look forward to reading more of the Rick Cahill series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book. All opinions in this review are strictly my own.
Blood Truth has Rick, a disgraced former policeman and now a straight-shooting, get-it-done PI, taking a case for a former could-have-married-her girlfriend, as well as following an unexpected lead that may finally tell him the truth about his father.
Rick is brought evidence regarding his father, which pushes him into investigating a cold-case that led to his father's dismissal from the police force after 22 years of service. The dismissal caused his father to go into a subsequent downward spiral until his death nine years later. Rick is determined to know the truth about his father, good or bad.
Meanwhile, his investigation into ex-girlfriend Kim's husband whom she suspects of having an affair, leads him into places neither one of them expected and gets Rick almost killed several times.
Real estate deals, murder, betrayals, the mob, conspiracies, romance, action this book has it all. Full of emotional attachments and conflicts in both well-plotted story lines; complex characters; and twists, turns and surprises that kept me guessing right up to the end all made for one heck of a read!! I definitely look forward to reading more of the Rick Cahill series.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for allowing me to read an e-arc of this book. All opinions in this review are strictly my own.
June 23, 2017
La Jolla PI Rick Cahill makes his living mainly by investigating adultery cases, until one day he gets a call from workers at his former home. It seems they’ve discovered a safe behind a hidden panel in a closet that belonged to his now-deceased father. Cahill has to have the safe opened by a pro. Inside is a key to a safe deposit box. When he finally manages to view the contents of the safe deposit box, he is shocked. He finds a Saturday Night Special, two spent shell casings and $15,000 in cash. Cahill’s father left the La Jolla PD under a dark cloud and Rick wonders if any of these items are connected. His investigation will lead him down a dark path towards a truth that may cost him the ultimate price.
Blood Truth by Matt Coyle is the 4th entry in the Rick Cahill series. Set in La Jolla, CA, this series features a mid-weight sleuth relative to others in this genre. Coyle has created a cast of interesting characters which engage readers and leave them wanting more. If you are looking for a mystery series that is somewhere between the hard-core plots of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and the mystery-solving cat of Lillian Braun, then I would recommend the Rick Cahill mysteries. I would give this book 4/5 stars.
**An electronic copy of this book was the only consideration received in exchange for this review.**
Blood Truth by Matt Coyle is the 4th entry in the Rick Cahill series. Set in La Jolla, CA, this series features a mid-weight sleuth relative to others in this genre. Coyle has created a cast of interesting characters which engage readers and leave them wanting more. If you are looking for a mystery series that is somewhere between the hard-core plots of Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch and the mystery-solving cat of Lillian Braun, then I would recommend the Rick Cahill mysteries. I would give this book 4/5 stars.
**An electronic copy of this book was the only consideration received in exchange for this review.**
April 15, 2018
As soon as I finish this review I am looking up every other book in the Rick Cahill series and any writing by author Matt Coyle. This book was amazing!
Yes, it is #4 in a series, but I read as a stand alone without any issues. Rick Cahill is a bad*** PI and this story begins with two different story lines that seems worlds apart but somehow Matt Coyle tells this story flawlessly and ties everything together.
I don't want to give too much away but Kim, was Rick's ex-girlfriend, whom he still has strong feelings for. She is currently married to a huge realtor in the La Jolla, CA area and hires Rick to investigate her husband as she is concerned he is cheating on her. The second story line involes Rick's father, a police officer who died 18 years ago and Rick finding a 25 caliber pistol with 2 bullets missing in the chamber, $15k cash, and a safety deposit box key in a wall safe in his father's home. I won't go into anymore detail as I don't want to spoil this amazing story. But, what starts as a simple investigation quickly becomes intense and quite a page turner.
*** Special thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an advance read copy in exchange for an honest review."""
Yes, it is #4 in a series, but I read as a stand alone without any issues. Rick Cahill is a bad*** PI and this story begins with two different story lines that seems worlds apart but somehow Matt Coyle tells this story flawlessly and ties everything together.
I don't want to give too much away but Kim, was Rick's ex-girlfriend, whom he still has strong feelings for. She is currently married to a huge realtor in the La Jolla, CA area and hires Rick to investigate her husband as she is concerned he is cheating on her. The second story line involes Rick's father, a police officer who died 18 years ago and Rick finding a 25 caliber pistol with 2 bullets missing in the chamber, $15k cash, and a safety deposit box key in a wall safe in his father's home. I won't go into anymore detail as I don't want to spoil this amazing story. But, what starts as a simple investigation quickly becomes intense and quite a page turner.
*** Special thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an advance read copy in exchange for an honest review."""
August 14, 2017
Author Matt Coyle knows how to write suspense well. At its center, this book is the story of a father and son, but it's also a mystery that takes many of the classic elements associated with this genre and transports them to a contemporary place.
What worked best for me about Blood Truth is Coyle's use of first-person to build the tension in the story. We get to know this character (Rick Cahill) very well, and we get to know precisely what he is thinking, how his mind is working. This is one of my essentials for a good detective story, and Coyle uses this convention very capably.
Blood Truth is set to be released December 5, 2017 in the United States. This book is the fourth in the series.
What worked best for me about Blood Truth is Coyle's use of first-person to build the tension in the story. We get to know this character (Rick Cahill) very well, and we get to know precisely what he is thinking, how his mind is working. This is one of my essentials for a good detective story, and Coyle uses this convention very capably.
Blood Truth is set to be released December 5, 2017 in the United States. This book is the fourth in the series.
July 15, 2017
Rick Cahill, PI, is a man on a precipice, held there by the past, reluctant to meet his future, a man resigned to living day-by-day but champing at the bit to be free of ugly rumors and a dark past. Once again, trouble lands in Cahill's lap. A cop from his old PD is the latest victim. Suicide, say the cops. No way, says his sexy widow. Cahill is hired to prove or disprove--and he'll do almost anything for a pretty lady. Author Matt Coyle's writing gets better and better with each book. I see in his phrasing traces of early Michael Connelly-type talent. Not a bad place to be with more books to come.
June 19, 2017
Rick Cahill's on-going struggles with the La Jolla Police Department, his ex-wife, his former girlfriend and a PI colleague add sparkles of interest to a case that begins with a simple request to check up on his former girlfriend's husband and grows to a conflagration of murders, bribes, treachery, and elements of Rick's father's past problems. The style of writing is clear and follows a distinct timeline. The characters are unique and developed in depth. The suspense is palpable as danger threatens at every turn. I guarantee you will not guess the ending.
November 27, 2017
Book #4 in the series (Rick Cahill). I haven't read the previous 3 but I don't think it was neccessary. Fast paced and engrossing from the beginning this book is about Rick trying to solve a cold case involving his father from decades ago. As he tries to solve his personal history he works on cases as a PI and gets reinvolved with an old flame. The story has twists, turns and keep you on your toes wondering what is going to happen next. Definitely plan on reading other in the series. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway thank you!
June 28, 2017
How have I missed Matt Coyle???
Blood Truth was a fantastic read, full of crime and investigative twists and turns and for a newbie to the Rick Cahill saga, fully followable.
Looks like I have a new author to get well and truly stuck into, I could not be happier!
This was a Netgalley ARC copy but the review is all MINE!
Blood Truth was a fantastic read, full of crime and investigative twists and turns and for a newbie to the Rick Cahill saga, fully followable.
Looks like I have a new author to get well and truly stuck into, I could not be happier!
This was a Netgalley ARC copy but the review is all MINE!
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