So I’ve recently been recapping the six books that I read in August. So far I’ve only written about two of the books. Well, today I finished my first book  I have read in September and the 40th book I’ve read in 2020. Now, rather than not writing anything about books until I’m caught up writing about the books I read in August, I thought I’d write about book 40 while it’s still fresh in my memory!

The 40th book I’ve finished this year is A Scourge of Vipers by Bruce DeSilva. It is book four in DSilva’s series featuring newspaper reporter Liam Mulligan.

I discovered this series in 2019 when I found book five in the series The Dread Line at our local Dollar Tree.  I loved the book and read books 1,  2 and 3 in the series in August, September and November of 2019 respectively. But with the library closed from March to July,  it wasn’t until last week that thought about this series, but I’m glad I did!!

A Scourge of Vipers

Liam Mulligan is a dinosaur, an old time investigative reporter working for  a dying newspaper The Providence Dispatch. When he is sent to report on an airplane crash, he is pulled into a political quagmire.

A briefcase full of hundred bills is found on the lap of the plane’s dead passenger.  Along with the money a written list of politicians is found. It appears that the money is be used to buy the votes of those politicians regarding the state’s plans to legalize sports betting.

Soon the governor’s plan to legalize  betting is attacked from all-sides including the NCAA. When body is pulled out of the river  appears to be someone who has threatened Mulligan, he becomes a murder suspect.

Can Mulligan discover who’s killing who? While keeping himself alive, employed and out of jail?

James Lee Burke pretty all sums up the writing of Bruce DeSilva …..

Bruce DeSylva writes a story in the tradition of Hammett and Higgins, and he writes it with the knowledge of an old-time police reporter.  DeSilva knows cops corruption in the eastern cities in eastern cities, wiseguys, rounders, bouncers, gamblers and midnight ramblers. He writes with authority about the issues of our times and he does it with honesty and candor. his newsman protagonist feigns the role of the cynic but in his way represents the values most of us admire. So if  you want a hard-boiled view of how a city actually works this is your book.

I really, really enjoy this series. Mostly because I love the wise-cracking Mulligan, but the stories always deal with the real-life issues of Rhode Island.

Thoughts About Who would Like A Scourge of Vipers

My first thought about who would like this series was fans of Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings series. Then I thought fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie  Plum. Finally, I thought of two series where the protagonists are not police or PIs “Doc”Adams from Rick Boyer and  Brady Coyne created by William G. Tapply. They are a dentist and lawyer respectively. Of the two the “Doc”Adams series has more humor.

So  check out A Scourge of Vipers and the rest of the Mulligan series. I have proven you can start the series anywhere. However, if you want the full  picture start with book one Rogue Island!

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Bruce DeSilva

Author’s Website
Bruce’s Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon

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After reading five books in October I only read three books in December. Reading fewer books over the last three months of the year has typical for most years since I began keeping track of what I read in the late 1980s.

I think it’s a result of all four sports being played during those months. So I’m watching more sports instead of reading. Over the last few weeks my wife and I have been babysitting our grandchildren Zoe and Logan more often. Consequently, that cuts down on the free time I have to read. Anyway, the three books that I did manage to finish this month, brought the total number of books I’ve read this year to 50! While that total is way below the number I challenged myself to read, I think it’s still a respectable total.

Here are the three books I read in November, in reverse order….

50.Providence Rag – Bruce DeSilva

Providence Rag is the third book in the Liam Mulligan series by Bruce DeSilva.  I discovered this great series earlier this year. I found The Dread Line at the Dollar Tree took a chance on it and loved it. The Dread Line is the fifth book in the series and after finishing it I immediately went and found book one Rogue Island.  I followed that up with Book two Cliff Walk. So now I only have A Scourge  of Vipers left and I’ll be eagerly awaiting book six in the series.                 .

One of the reasons that I like this series is Mulligan is neither a cop or a PI. He is a newspaper reporter working for the struggling  (aren’t all newspapers?) Providence Dispatch. As a solid investigative reporter he knows the good the bad and the ugly sides of Rhode Island.

About Providence Rag

The events presented in this story are those that set him on his course to be an investigative reporter. From Goodreads….

Inspired by a true story, Providence Rag finds Mulligan, his pal Mason, and the newspaper they both work for at an ethical crossroad. The youngest serial killer in history butchered five of his neighbors before he was old enough to drive. When he was caught eighteen years ago, Rhode Island’s antiquated criminal statutes—never intended for someone like him—required that all juveniles, no matter their crimes, be released at age twenty-one. The killer is still behind bars, serving time for crimes supposedly committed on the inside. That these charges were fabricated is an open secret; but nearly everyone is fine with it—if the monster ever gets out more people will surely die. But Mason is not fine with it. If officials can get away with framing this killer they could do it to anybody. As Mason sets out to prove officials are perverting the justice system, Mulligan searches frantically for some legal way to keep the monster behind bars. The dueling investigations pit the friends against each other in a high-stakes race against time—and snares them in an ethical dilemma that has no right answer.

Bottom Line:

The book didn’t have the suspense and less of the caustic wit of Mulligan, rather it tackles some series questions.

The first is how far should you go to keep an evil person in prison, when the law is on their side? An the second should the press print a story when that story will lead to the release of that prisoner? Especially if you know the story will lead to a struggling paper lose readers!

So while Providence Rag was not your typical mystery or Mulligan book it was still a terrific read. So check it out! As for me I’m going to see if I can get Mulligan four from the library!

When I found The Dread Line I read this on the cover. Since Steve Hamilton is one of my favorite authors, I thought I’d take a chance and hoped he was right! He was….

The best yet in one of my favorite series ever — fast and funny, yet it packs a serious punch. This is hardboiled crime fiction at its best.”

Ok this post ran longer than I anticipated. Therefore, I will write about the other two books I read in November in another post!.

Links for the Further Exploration of the Books of Bruce DeSilva

Author’s Website
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon

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