Despite the hot Asheville weather, Private Investigator Sam Blackman and his fellow PI and romantic partner Nakayla Robertson are happy to join friends at the CANarchy Collaboratory brewpub to celebrate Cory DeMille’s birthday. Cory is a paralegal at Hewitt Donaldson’s law office which is conveniently next door to their own office.

Their bantering and teasing start off in the usual way and continues as two Asheville detectives, Curt Newland (Newly) and Tuck Efird, belatedly join them. As Newly apologizes for their lateness, things take a dramatic turn when he mentions a phone call from Sheriff Hickman about a recent discovery of skeletal remains at the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute PARI).

Sunned by the news, Cory is in shock as she believes the body could be that of her long-lost uncle. Can it possibly be? Can Sam find out? Was it an accident or murder?

As other law enforcement agencies get involved in this 40-year-old skeleton mystery, other murders occur. What is really going on and what is someone trying to cover up?

MURDER IN RAT ALLEY is the seventh mystery by North Carolina author Mark de Castrique involving Sam Blackman, a former Iraq war vet with a prosthetic leg and his smart and beautiful partner Nakayla Robertson. While fans of the Blackman series are sure to appreciate this latest installment, I can attest that MURDER IN RAT ALLEY can also easily be read as a standalone story as this is my first book to read by this multi-book author. Sam and his friends are all likeable and realistic characters with their own quirks and concerns. Their banter and mannerisms come across authentically as their actions and interests move the plot quickly along.

Set in the historic city of Asheville, North Carolina, Mark de Castrique brings a strong sense of place to this intriguing mystery that soon evolves from a simple case of personal identification to dangerous linkages at PARI that reach back to Vietnam war and Cold War times to future concerns and murder.

With its intriguing plot development, MURDER IN RAT ALLEY comes across in a realistic manner that would appeal to readers of all genders whether mystery fans or not. Long standing fans are sure to be thrilled by this compelling new adventure and new fans, like myself, can look forward to reading de Castrique’s previous Sam Blackman stories. As I quickly got absorbed in Sam’s search for answers, I could barely put MURDER IN RAT ALLEY down and read late in the night to finish it.

MURDER IN RAT ALLEY is definitely a very compelling mystery with some surprising twists and unexpected connections! Do check it out!

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