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Bluetick Revenge | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark Cohen
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $1.67
You Save: $5.32 (76%)
New (8) Used (13) from $0.37
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 1023367
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.1
ISBN: 0446617601
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780446617604
ASIN: 0446617601
Publication Date: August 1, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: First Edition, First Printing New Paperback. Minor wear.
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
In the bestselling tradition of Robert B. Parker and Elmore Leonard comes Mark Cohen's second novel featuring Colorado private eye and former Marine Corps JAG Pepper Keane. It doesn't seem like a bad idea when Pepper Keane agrees to steal a champion bluetick coonhound from the leader of a sadistic biker gang. After all, the dog also belongs to the biker's missing girlfriend, Karlynn Slade. And though Karlynn stole three hundred grand from him, she's not entering the Witness Protection Program without the prized pooch. Karlynn's attorney asks Pepper to keep an eye on her until the feds are ready to help her disappear. But when Pepper also accepts payment from the biker to 'look' for Karlynn, things get a little tricky. Soon, Pepper loses Karlynn, the biker puts a price on his head, gangs in every direction are after him, and there's still an unsolved murder that's begging for his attention......
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 Competing with the Best! March 28, 2008
Bluetick Revenge is the second book in the Pepper Keane mystery series. Following The Fractal Murders by Mark Cohen, Bluetick Revenge is a fast-paced action mystery book about a P.I. named Pepper Keane. Once a dog-napper, Pepper has now taken on the job of protecting Karlynn (a sadistic biker's wife) from Bugg (the sadistic biker :)). The story, however, evolves into something more when Pepper discovers the where abouts of the man who killed Hal and an FBI agent.
The characters and their style really seem to jump out at me, more so than other books. The clarity of the messages sent made the book quite understandable. Although there was no mystery plot per-se, this book still kept me hooked.
I would highly reccommend anyone looking for a good, easy-to-read mystery to read this.
 Amazing book March 28, 2008
Mark Cohen Does a great job in telling this gripping story. Relating to his previous book "The Fractal Murders" including the great Pepper Keane. If your looking for a fast pace suspenseful,thriller with a great storyline this is it.
A Satisfying, Atmospheric Thriller January 18, 2008
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
Mark Cohen and his signature character, hard-nosed PI Pepper Keane, were new to me when I picked up this book on a recommendation. What a great find for me as Cohen effectively fully develops his characters, makes them interesting enough that I care for them or against them, and employs wonderfully detailed descriptions of the cities and mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho that make me wish I were there. And, he very adroitly creates a sense of constant tension as the mystery deepens and new layers are added to old layers.
Cohen's leading characters have deeper backgrounds than most fictional PI's. Pepper Keane is a PI with a military background rather than a law enforcement background. He is an ex-marine with a law degree who opened his own law firm and soon retired from it to become a PI, probably because his studies of philosophy and his inner search for his core ideals lead him to the freedom of being his own boss. His best friend and sometimes partner, Scott McCutcheon, is "an unemployed astrophysicist, former navy SEAL, fifth-degree black belt, and one-time field goal kicker for the Colorado Buffaloes." See, I told you they had deeper back stories. And Keane's array of support characters are back including his love interest, Jayne Smyers, brother Troy, Uncle Ray, and his two great canine friends, Buck and Wheat.
In this stand alone follow up to "The Fractal Murders", Keane agrees to dognap a prized bluetick hound that is part of a bitter divorce conflict as a favor for his old partner Matt. This seemingly simple assignment leads to an extension assignment requiring him to babysit and protect Matt's client, Karlynn Slade and her hound, from her soon- to- be- ex, Thaddeus Bugg, a vicious, morals challenged leader of a sadistic biker gang and a major drug producer. Keane is retained to protect her until she can enter the Witness Protection Plan from where she can testify against her ex husband. As you might guess, Karlynn dumps her protector and heads off for parts unknown. Bugg is desperate to find her since she not only can incriminate him, but she also has stolen his hound AND a half million in cash. In a comical yet hard to believe side storyline, Keane agrees to a request from Bugg, who supposedly has chosen him randomly as a PI, to search for his missing wife.
The threads to this story get murkier as Pepper and Scott pursue Karlynn, FBI agents think Pepper may be assisting Karlynn's escape, Bugg may or may not know of Pepper's duplicity, and a cold case involving the murder of Keane's cousin suddenly emerges from the characters they encounter in their pursuit. Pepper and Scott have interesting encounters with bikers, skinheads, racial supremacists, and survivalists in their pursuit of Karlynn and for knowledge that may lead them to the proof needed to solve his cousin's murder. They prove themselves worthy not only through their military and martial arts backgrounds but also with superior tactics and thinking. The camaraderie and humor among the main characters is a welcome respite from the fast pacing of the plot line.
I agree with those who find a similarity in Cohen's writing to that of Robert Parker. He is masterful at developing his characters as well as his sense of place. He moves the storyline in a brisk, fast paced manner but he doesn't take shortcuts that might offend the reader. The book is very entertaining replete with action, excitement, double crosses, humor, suspense, and a satisfying conclusion. Not to be overlooked are the moral dilemmas that Pepper and Scott work through as they deal with potential killers and the need for information. It is nice to see a leading character agonize a bit over diving into the deep gray between black and white.
Mark Cohen is a bright new star on the mystery scene November 3, 2005
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Mark Cohen is a Denver native who is a former JAG and municipal judge in Boulder, Colorado. He presently lives in Nederland, Colorado. His first mystery was THE FRACTAL MURDERS, and BLUETICK REVENGE is the follow-up Pepper Keane mystery.
Mysteries involving private eyes with a military background are particularly engaging, but add an ex-Marine with a JAG background who has a law degree with a penchant for Philosophy, who formed and quickly retired from his own law office, and you have the character of Pepper Keane. Pepper may have left the vagaries of the law behind, but his ex-partner, Matt, calls on him to steel a champion bluetick hound for a client ready to turn state's evidence on her husband, who is the leader of a biker empire called the Sons of Satan. Pepper becomes her bodyguard until she can enter the Witness Protection Program, but she decides to take off. Pepper accepts a job from her husband to find her, and when he double-crosses the husband, his life is suddenly in jeopardy. Pepper's girl is teaching in China, so she is safe. He enlists his friend Scott to help him find the girl, collect evidence against the bikers, and stay out of the line of fire. Scott is as much of a Renaissance man as Pepper:
"Scott McCutcheon. Unemployed astrophysicist. Former Navy SEAL. Fifth-degree black belt. One-time field goal kicker for the Colorado Buffaloes. Brad Pitt with a receding hairline. I thought about him as I sipped coffee at a small table beside the fireplace inside Nederland's Pioneer Inn this cold Saturday morning."
Cohen leads the reader right into the world of sadistic bikers who think nothing of killing to gain their ends. Pepper and Scott aren't afraid to follow them into their lair and beat them with a combination of military skills and intelligent strategy. Pepper's dogs add a rich texture to an already excellent plot, and the bluetick hound is Cohen's centerpiece of the tale.
Mark Cohen has a way with words. His style is crystal clear, his characters jump out at the reader. His background in law, the military, and with self defense makes him a knowledgeable author. BLUETICK REVENGE is a mystery the reader can't put down, and Mark Cohen is a bright new star on the mystery scene.
Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer
More than Bluetick Revenge October 2, 2005
3 out of 9 found this review helpful
Yes, the bluetick gets his revenge, but Private Investigator Pepper Keane also gets revenge. Several threads weave together to make a page-turning novel that is difficult to put down. Characters are well-developed with a depth not often found in mysteries. Finishing the novel, one has the feeling of having gotten to know a number of new people--not all friends. Pepper's/Cohen's sense of humor and breadth of interests are another aspect of the book that make it more interesting than many mysteries.
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