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Frank Marr #1
The Second Girl
He's a good detective...with a bad habit.
Frank Marr knows crime in Washington, DC. A decorated former police detective, he retired early and now ekes a living as a private eye for a defense attorney. Frank Marr may be the best investigator the city has ever known, but the city doesn't know his dirty secret.
A long-functioning drug addict, Frank has devoted his considerable skills to hiding his usage from others. But after accidentally discovering a kidnapped teenage girl in the home of an Adams Morgan drug gang, Frank becomes a hero and is thrust into the spotlight. He reluctantly agrees to investigate the disappearance of another girl--possibly connected to the first--and the heightened scrutiny may bring his own secrets to light, too.
Frank is as slippery and charming an antihero as you've ever met, but he's also achingly vulnerable. The result is a mystery of startling intensity, a tightly coiled thriller where every scene may turn disastrous. The Second Girl is the crime novel of the season, and the start of a refreshing new series from an author who knows the criminal underworld inside and out.
Frank Marr knows crime in Washington, DC. A decorated former police detective, he retired early and now ekes a living as a private eye for a defense attorney. Frank Marr may be the best investigator the city has ever known, but the city doesn't know his dirty secret.
A long-functioning drug addict, Frank has devoted his considerable skills to hiding his usage from others. But after accidentally discovering a kidnapped teenage girl in the home of an Adams Morgan drug gang, Frank becomes a hero and is thrust into the spotlight. He reluctantly agrees to investigate the disappearance of another girl--possibly connected to the first--and the heightened scrutiny may bring his own secrets to light, too.
Frank is as slippery and charming an antihero as you've ever met, but he's also achingly vulnerable. The result is a mystery of startling intensity, a tightly coiled thriller where every scene may turn disastrous. The Second Girl is the crime novel of the season, and the start of a refreshing new series from an author who knows the criminal underworld inside and out.
354 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 2016
About the author
David Swinson
16 books323 followersDavid Swinson is the author of THE SECOND GIRL, CRIME SONG, TRIGGER and City on the Edge, by Mulholland Books/Little, Brown& Co. He is a retired DC police detective, and a former alternative and punk rock promoter in Long Beach, CA in the eighties.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 318 reviews
July 4, 2016
Frank Marr is a retired Washington D.C. detective with two excellent skill sets: he's a great investigator and he's also very good at managing and concealing his long-time drug addiction. After leaving the force early, Frank is now a P.I. who works most often for a defense attorney. To support his addiction, he also rips off drug dealers and in the process of doing so as the novel opens, Frank accidentally discovers a young girl who is being held captive in a drug house.
Frank takes the girl out of the house, but what does he do with her? How does he take her to a hospital or turn her over to the cops without having to explain how he found her in the first place? He comes up with an alternative solution and, in the process, sets into motion forces that are soon out of his control.
It's impossible to say any more about the plot without giving away details that readers will want to discover for themselves. Suffice it to say, that this is a great read. Frank Marr is one of the most unique and compelling protagonists to appear in a long time, and the story moves at a breakneck pace. David Swinson, who served sixteen years with the D.C. police, clearly knows the territory. His prose is spare and beautiful, and this is a book that's going to appeal to large numbers of crime fiction fans. Over the last couple of years, it's become almost S.O.P. to expect a big summer book with the word "Girl" somewhere in the title. For my money, this is the best of the bunch so far.
Frank takes the girl out of the house, but what does he do with her? How does he take her to a hospital or turn her over to the cops without having to explain how he found her in the first place? He comes up with an alternative solution and, in the process, sets into motion forces that are soon out of his control.
It's impossible to say any more about the plot without giving away details that readers will want to discover for themselves. Suffice it to say, that this is a great read. Frank Marr is one of the most unique and compelling protagonists to appear in a long time, and the story moves at a breakneck pace. David Swinson, who served sixteen years with the D.C. police, clearly knows the territory. His prose is spare and beautiful, and this is a book that's going to appeal to large numbers of crime fiction fans. Over the last couple of years, it's become almost S.O.P. to expect a big summer book with the word "Girl" somewhere in the title. For my money, this is the best of the bunch so far.
July 17, 2016
I have my Goodreads friend James Thane to thank for this one.
Frank Marr is a retired Washington, D.C. police detective, revered for his investigative skills. He was good at his job, well-liked by his peers, but he decided that the job got to be a little too much to live with, so he retired early and does some work for a former colleague on the police force who is now a defense attorney.
Or so the story goes. Because only a few higher-ups in the department, know the truth behind his retirement. And only Frank knows his real secret: he is a (mostly) highly functioning drug addict. He does everything he can to feed his addiction, even if it means making some questionable decisions which could eventually put his life—and his freedom—at risk.
It is in the midst of one of these questionable decisions that he finds a teenage girl being held captive in a house owned by a D.C. drug gang. He knows he needs to save her from what will certainly be her fate, but he wonders how he can do that while also finding the drugs he so desperately needs. His conscience wins out (for the most part), so he rescues the girl, and is lauded for his heroics, although he'd prefer to remain out of the spotlight so he can continue avoiding suspicion.
When a second family from the same neighborhood asks if Frank can help them find their daughter after the police are unable to provide assistance, he's tremendously reluctant. He had vowed never to work a missing persons case, especially where a teenage girl is concerned. But his need to uncover the truth, and his ability to be one step ahead of the police because of his ability to bend the rules where necessary wins out, and it's not long before Frank starts uncovering an operation that could spell danger for more teenage girls—and could lead to the end of Frank's secret life.
Having lived in the Washington, D.C. area for nearly 30 years, I always love books that take place here, especially when they're not political in nature. Frank Marr is a terrific, complex character, one you can't help but root for even as he does stupid, risky things over and over again. David Swinson isn't afraid to expose Frank's vulnerability, showing the irony of his strong sense of right and wrong even as he does everything wrong in his own life. I also liked Frank's relationship with his boss-of-sorts/former colleague, Leslie, and his former buddies from the police force.
I enjoyed Swinson's style and the way he let action scenes unfold. The plot of The Second Girl may not be surprising, but the appeal of Frank's character definitely raises the quality of this book up a few notches. I look forward to seeing what's next in Swinson's career!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
Frank Marr is a retired Washington, D.C. police detective, revered for his investigative skills. He was good at his job, well-liked by his peers, but he decided that the job got to be a little too much to live with, so he retired early and does some work for a former colleague on the police force who is now a defense attorney.
Or so the story goes. Because only a few higher-ups in the department, know the truth behind his retirement. And only Frank knows his real secret: he is a (mostly) highly functioning drug addict. He does everything he can to feed his addiction, even if it means making some questionable decisions which could eventually put his life—and his freedom—at risk.
It is in the midst of one of these questionable decisions that he finds a teenage girl being held captive in a house owned by a D.C. drug gang. He knows he needs to save her from what will certainly be her fate, but he wonders how he can do that while also finding the drugs he so desperately needs. His conscience wins out (for the most part), so he rescues the girl, and is lauded for his heroics, although he'd prefer to remain out of the spotlight so he can continue avoiding suspicion.
When a second family from the same neighborhood asks if Frank can help them find their daughter after the police are unable to provide assistance, he's tremendously reluctant. He had vowed never to work a missing persons case, especially where a teenage girl is concerned. But his need to uncover the truth, and his ability to be one step ahead of the police because of his ability to bend the rules where necessary wins out, and it's not long before Frank starts uncovering an operation that could spell danger for more teenage girls—and could lead to the end of Frank's secret life.
Having lived in the Washington, D.C. area for nearly 30 years, I always love books that take place here, especially when they're not political in nature. Frank Marr is a terrific, complex character, one you can't help but root for even as he does stupid, risky things over and over again. David Swinson isn't afraid to expose Frank's vulnerability, showing the irony of his strong sense of right and wrong even as he does everything wrong in his own life. I also liked Frank's relationship with his boss-of-sorts/former colleague, Leslie, and his former buddies from the police force.
I enjoyed Swinson's style and the way he let action scenes unfold. The plot of The Second Girl may not be surprising, but the appeal of Frank's character definitely raises the quality of this book up a few notches. I look forward to seeing what's next in Swinson's career!
See all of my reviews at http://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blo....
August 5, 2016
I was almost unable to write a review of David Swinson’s detective novel, The Second Girl, as I was overwhelmed in the agony and hopelessness of being denied yet again another Goodreads Giveaway. This makes 96 rejections in a row—going back over a year. Do the folks at Goodreads simply hate me and wish nothing but destruction and doom for my life, or are they just too busy—maybe baking brownies for an ISIS fundraiser, or perhaps downloading possibly illegal pornography from the internet. Something no doubt salacious and vulgar, involving innocent livestock and clowns. Perhaps they were just too plastered from bargain wine and low-grade beer to spend the time to see how deserving, kind, and non-judgmental of a reader I am.
I knew I could probably find out. Being a reader of detective fiction (tragically, all purchased) I had developed the skills to mount an investigation into the questionable and underhanded manner in which a skilled reader such as myself was spitefully discriminated against in free giveaways. But then I realized that people who acted as dastardly and base as the Goodreads Giveaway staff more than likely carried knives (rusty) and would not hesitate to punch me in the balls. These folks would give me the business and not think twice about it, as they would later take their family out to dinner at the cut-rate Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet with coupons clipped from the Penny Saver.
But I will persevere. The Second Girl by David Swinson is a solid book—that tries too hard to be like Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series. Only instead of an alcohol addiction, the Second Girl’s disgraced cop, now private detective Frank Marr is hooked on cocaine.
While raiding a dealer’s house for his nose candy fix, Marr discovers a captive teen girl. He is seen as a hero for rescuing her (obviously prevaricating the reasons he was in the house) and the parents of yet another missing teen enlist his help in the search for their daughter. A second girl!
The Second Girl is violent, the cocaine use is often distracting, and the dialog can come off as somewhat silly—especially with the bro-speak among the cops. However, it does hit it’s stride and becomes quit fun when Swinson puts all the drug taking and introspection on the back burner and gives in to the driving force of the P.I. tracking down a girl in danger.
I knew I could probably find out. Being a reader of detective fiction (tragically, all purchased) I had developed the skills to mount an investigation into the questionable and underhanded manner in which a skilled reader such as myself was spitefully discriminated against in free giveaways. But then I realized that people who acted as dastardly and base as the Goodreads Giveaway staff more than likely carried knives (rusty) and would not hesitate to punch me in the balls. These folks would give me the business and not think twice about it, as they would later take their family out to dinner at the cut-rate Chinese all-you-can-eat buffet with coupons clipped from the Penny Saver.
But I will persevere. The Second Girl by David Swinson is a solid book—that tries too hard to be like Lawrence Block’s Matthew Scudder series. Only instead of an alcohol addiction, the Second Girl’s disgraced cop, now private detective Frank Marr is hooked on cocaine.
While raiding a dealer’s house for his nose candy fix, Marr discovers a captive teen girl. He is seen as a hero for rescuing her (obviously prevaricating the reasons he was in the house) and the parents of yet another missing teen enlist his help in the search for their daughter. A second girl!
The Second Girl is violent, the cocaine use is often distracting, and the dialog can come off as somewhat silly—especially with the bro-speak among the cops. However, it does hit it’s stride and becomes quit fun when Swinson puts all the drug taking and introspection on the back burner and gives in to the driving force of the P.I. tracking down a girl in danger.
July 6, 2016
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads giveaway program. So thanks, Goodreads, I really appreciate your doing this...
But as for the book? I got a little more than half-way through and said okay, that's enough. The MC is a retired cop and a drug addict but he has few redeeming characteristics. (If I can think of one I'll add it to this review.) He saves a girl, yeah, okay, big deal. But he does so in the course of stealing drugs from a gang which was dealing. As for finding her? It's an aggravation; it cramps his style. He'd rather just feed his habit and walk away. Oh, and he kills one of the drug dealers, just kicks him down the stairs. But wait, he's a 'bad guy,' and a rapist, and probably deserves to be brutally murdered, and that's what you get in a book like this. You want to be a dealer/rapist who lives, goes to jail, does his time, etc. etc., you need to go inhabit some other book.
I agree the book is gritty and cold and realistic, but it's also depressing as hell. As one reviewer here said, Frank, the drug addict and former cop, starts in one place and ends in the same place. There's no great arc to this story. Later in the story he does goes looking for a 'second girl' who's also been kidnapped, but I wondered who's Frank going to kill this time in the course of rescuing her and scoring free drugs?
Just not my kind of book.
But as for the book? I got a little more than half-way through and said okay, that's enough. The MC is a retired cop and a drug addict but he has few redeeming characteristics. (If I can think of one I'll add it to this review.) He saves a girl, yeah, okay, big deal. But he does so in the course of stealing drugs from a gang which was dealing. As for finding her? It's an aggravation; it cramps his style. He'd rather just feed his habit and walk away. Oh, and he kills one of the drug dealers, just kicks him down the stairs. But wait, he's a 'bad guy,' and a rapist, and probably deserves to be brutally murdered, and that's what you get in a book like this. You want to be a dealer/rapist who lives, goes to jail, does his time, etc. etc., you need to go inhabit some other book.
I agree the book is gritty and cold and realistic, but it's also depressing as hell. As one reviewer here said, Frank, the drug addict and former cop, starts in one place and ends in the same place. There's no great arc to this story. Later in the story he does goes looking for a 'second girl' who's also been kidnapped, but I wondered who's Frank going to kill this time in the course of rescuing her and scoring free drugs?
Just not my kind of book.
July 12, 2016
Ouch! Was this novel good approaching great. Especially for this particular gutsy "dick" genre. If bad = good. Because Frank Marr is bad.
This reminded me more than a dozen times the mood/feeling/tension that I felt within "True Detective" series- the first year with Mathew Mcconaughy and Woody Harrelson.
In order words and a quote from that series:
"You touch the darkness, the darkness will touch you."
And not only is it dark, but it's daily urban ghetto to the highrises real. In fact, this is the only book this year that I've read out of 206 that I think approached the reality of urban jungle big city mean street 2016. It definitely could happen exactly like this in Chicago. No, it does. Every single day. Last weekend was 44 shootings- 19 of them in one face down / drive by- just exactly like the one in which "Tommy cop" becomes the centerpiece. Gang banger specials all. And not as bad as the weekend before. This is D.C. mostly Adams Morgan, but it's a close twin.
Gangs rule vast areas. Some portions that don't even look like ghetto too. And the "best" cops, the most effective to getting the worst criminals off the streets are just exactly in that same line of territory foul themselves with every breath they breathe. They walk deep into the same actions. The same procedures to get information, that especially. Some like Frank, break the rules or change the game. Not especially and exactly like Frank for his own addiction reasons. But close and undercover or not, similar. I wish I didn't know it as well as I do. One of the reasons my brother most often had no partner. Tricky, tricky, tricky. And not only because of the cop department politics either. It's a matter of trust. Like Frank trusts his old homie "Albino" in this one.
But then again, he isn't always telling him the entire truth either. Is he? No.
Here Frank has ditched the job officially, but never mentally or in fact. So he doesn't have to follow all the "cop rules". And has followed other gigs for his own reasons. And yet, the cop inside still won't ignore. Do I know it. It's truly hard to be an ignorer. Time and time again, I've seen how that goes when cops try. Some would come to school by me and still never lost the searching eyes. Not even while joking on school assignments or within cigarette group break time. Always noticing and seldom does the context of what they notice reflect in the their eyes.
This David Swinson can write. I almost gave him 5 stars on this one, because he knows the territory and the association. And the talk. No copper can get through to the sources without either- but especially the talking ability. I did not have to read the back fly leaf to know he was a big city cop for many years.
And the characters are finely drawn here. And the language is completely theirs too. So beware. No cozy mystery lovers' territory- never on any page. Gang talk related to cop talk related to boss talk. Invective anger, constantly and never ending inflation of their own anger as they vent it. Pushing all those neural centers to a habit of more and more anger and violence. Always expressed in forms of obscene swearing.
So our hero? Is he a hero? He saves the first damsel in distress. And then he will NOT cease to find Miriam (the "second" girl) and return her to her parents.
This is what a hero looks like in 2016.
4.5 star. The only .5 lost because I got tired of hearing about how Frank used the two piece medicine capsules for multiple purposes.
If you can read Southern Grit. Lit. - you should be brave enough to take a realistic glance into Frank's world here. Beyond that, D.C. was nailed. I'm taking a trip there this Fall and I'm glad I'm not getting a car now. David Swinson reminded me why.
I'll be reading all of his. He knows the lay of the land. And exactly what it takes to pry out the vilest. Oh, does this Frank Marr scream out for an entire series. If his health can last!
This reminded me more than a dozen times the mood/feeling/tension that I felt within "True Detective" series- the first year with Mathew Mcconaughy and Woody Harrelson.
In order words and a quote from that series:
"You touch the darkness, the darkness will touch you."
And not only is it dark, but it's daily urban ghetto to the highrises real. In fact, this is the only book this year that I've read out of 206 that I think approached the reality of urban jungle big city mean street 2016. It definitely could happen exactly like this in Chicago. No, it does. Every single day. Last weekend was 44 shootings- 19 of them in one face down / drive by- just exactly like the one in which "Tommy cop" becomes the centerpiece. Gang banger specials all. And not as bad as the weekend before. This is D.C. mostly Adams Morgan, but it's a close twin.
Gangs rule vast areas. Some portions that don't even look like ghetto too. And the "best" cops, the most effective to getting the worst criminals off the streets are just exactly in that same line of territory foul themselves with every breath they breathe. They walk deep into the same actions. The same procedures to get information, that especially. Some like Frank, break the rules or change the game. Not especially and exactly like Frank for his own addiction reasons. But close and undercover or not, similar. I wish I didn't know it as well as I do. One of the reasons my brother most often had no partner. Tricky, tricky, tricky. And not only because of the cop department politics either. It's a matter of trust. Like Frank trusts his old homie "Albino" in this one.
But then again, he isn't always telling him the entire truth either. Is he? No.
Here Frank has ditched the job officially, but never mentally or in fact. So he doesn't have to follow all the "cop rules". And has followed other gigs for his own reasons. And yet, the cop inside still won't ignore. Do I know it. It's truly hard to be an ignorer. Time and time again, I've seen how that goes when cops try. Some would come to school by me and still never lost the searching eyes. Not even while joking on school assignments or within cigarette group break time. Always noticing and seldom does the context of what they notice reflect in the their eyes.
This David Swinson can write. I almost gave him 5 stars on this one, because he knows the territory and the association. And the talk. No copper can get through to the sources without either- but especially the talking ability. I did not have to read the back fly leaf to know he was a big city cop for many years.
And the characters are finely drawn here. And the language is completely theirs too. So beware. No cozy mystery lovers' territory- never on any page. Gang talk related to cop talk related to boss talk. Invective anger, constantly and never ending inflation of their own anger as they vent it. Pushing all those neural centers to a habit of more and more anger and violence. Always expressed in forms of obscene swearing.
So our hero? Is he a hero? He saves the first damsel in distress. And then he will NOT cease to find Miriam (the "second" girl) and return her to her parents.
This is what a hero looks like in 2016.
4.5 star. The only .5 lost because I got tired of hearing about how Frank used the two piece medicine capsules for multiple purposes.
If you can read Southern Grit. Lit. - you should be brave enough to take a realistic glance into Frank's world here. Beyond that, D.C. was nailed. I'm taking a trip there this Fall and I'm glad I'm not getting a car now. David Swinson reminded me why.
I'll be reading all of his. He knows the lay of the land. And exactly what it takes to pry out the vilest. Oh, does this Frank Marr scream out for an entire series. If his health can last!
November 16, 2015
A gritty detective story with authentic dialogue and a plot like a cold, fast-moving river where bodies are dumped
I had the pleasure of an advance read of this authentically-told tale of finding a missing girl on the mean streets of DC. I loved seeing the evolution in David's writing from his first book--this is a tight, tense tale that sucks you in and, while sometimes repellent, won't let you go. There is a feel of the TV show "the Wire" about this book, along with writing that's reminiscent of Michael Connelly or Jo Nesbo's best work. Gritty, authentic action, spot-on dialogue, sense of place and voice, and a plot that just moves.I felt like I stuck a toe in and got caught in that cold river where he liked to dump people...I was swept away, and washed up in the end with a sense of relief and hope...which is just what I like in a crime story.
Well told, David Swinson!
I had the pleasure of an advance read of this authentically-told tale of finding a missing girl on the mean streets of DC. I loved seeing the evolution in David's writing from his first book--this is a tight, tense tale that sucks you in and, while sometimes repellent, won't let you go. There is a feel of the TV show "the Wire" about this book, along with writing that's reminiscent of Michael Connelly or Jo Nesbo's best work. Gritty, authentic action, spot-on dialogue, sense of place and voice, and a plot that just moves.I felt like I stuck a toe in and got caught in that cold river where he liked to dump people...I was swept away, and washed up in the end with a sense of relief and hope...which is just what I like in a crime story.
Well told, David Swinson!
May 7, 2016
Frank Marr is an ex-cop, now working as a Private Investigator, sometimes for a Defense Attorney.
Frank is a functioning drug addict ... but no one seems to know. He's very good at hiding things.
He's also very good at breaking into drug houses to keep his supply of drugs and money.
It's during one of these runs that he accidentally finds a young girl being kept prisoner. He frees her, does some hocus pocus, spins a well-thought out story and turns the girl over to the attorney he works for.
It so happens that another girl has gone missing .... she attended the same school and her parents hire Marr to find her.
This book is full of drugs, dope runners, errand boys, syringes full of whatever, lots of what I will call street language. There is also a lot of graphic violence ... and not all of it is done by the bad guys. There are people killed ... guilty and innocent alike.
On the upside, I actually like Frank Marr. He is good-hearted to a point .. he wants to be the good guy, but he crosses way too many lines. His drug addiction is a huge problem ... he's always thinking about what he has, how much he needs to maintain during the day, or on a stakeout.
There are other characters who play a role. Although most of them are drug dealers, or thugs who are buying the drugs, there are a couple of cops that don't cross those lines that Marr does. They seemingly are intelligent and do their jobs well, but they accept whatever story Marr tells them without batting an eyelash.
From the book blurb, this is the start of a new series. I didn't love this book, but I am intrigued at what Marr will do from here. I will, most likely, take a look at the next one.. but no promises after that.
I gave it 3.5 stars - mainly for the distinctively unique storyline.
My thanks to the author / Mulholland Books / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Frank is a functioning drug addict ... but no one seems to know. He's very good at hiding things.
He's also very good at breaking into drug houses to keep his supply of drugs and money.
It's during one of these runs that he accidentally finds a young girl being kept prisoner. He frees her, does some hocus pocus, spins a well-thought out story and turns the girl over to the attorney he works for.
It so happens that another girl has gone missing .... she attended the same school and her parents hire Marr to find her.
This book is full of drugs, dope runners, errand boys, syringes full of whatever, lots of what I will call street language. There is also a lot of graphic violence ... and not all of it is done by the bad guys. There are people killed ... guilty and innocent alike.
On the upside, I actually like Frank Marr. He is good-hearted to a point .. he wants to be the good guy, but he crosses way too many lines. His drug addiction is a huge problem ... he's always thinking about what he has, how much he needs to maintain during the day, or on a stakeout.
There are other characters who play a role. Although most of them are drug dealers, or thugs who are buying the drugs, there are a couple of cops that don't cross those lines that Marr does. They seemingly are intelligent and do their jobs well, but they accept whatever story Marr tells them without batting an eyelash.
From the book blurb, this is the start of a new series. I didn't love this book, but I am intrigued at what Marr will do from here. I will, most likely, take a look at the next one.. but no promises after that.
I gave it 3.5 stars - mainly for the distinctively unique storyline.
My thanks to the author / Mulholland Books / NetGalley who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
November 30, 2016
Frank Marr used to be a great cop, but his drug habit got in the way and made him dirty. Now he is one of the best Private Investigators in Washington DC. Liked by most of the cops he used to work with - they don't know about his secret drug habit, they only know he was a great cop and friend who retired early from the force - and feared by criminals.
While breaking into a drug house to steal drugs, Frank rescues a captive teenage girl and becomes an instant hero. His police friends are clapping him on the back, and now Frank has been hired to find a second missing teenage girl by her distraught family.
I really liked Frank, although I felt I shouldn't like him at all. His drug habit, his violence towards those of the criminal fraternity who cross his path, all make me feel that I shouldn't like him, but despite all that Frank Marr is a decent guy, scarred by an unhappy childhood, and with a weakness he doesn't seem to want to do anything about fixing, deep down he is a gentle, caring guy.
The Second Girl is a fantastic crime thriller. Different, and with a deeply flawed protagonist, I loved this book and could not put it down. At times the drug use can be distracting and the mind boggles as to how Frank can function as he does. I found myself fearing for his future, and hoping that author David Swinson gives us more of Frank Marr in a second, and even though i know i'm being greedy, a third book! Because I don't want to leave Frank here, I want his story to go on, I need to know that he will be ok, but I can't see how his destructive way of life will not catch up with him soon, as really it should.
If you like your detectives flawed, and your crime gritty, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more by David Swinson. I hope he will give us more Frank Marr, but whatever his next book is about, I will be at the top of the queue come publication day!
My thanks to Mulholland books for providing me with a free pb copy of this wonderful book via bookbridgr.com
While breaking into a drug house to steal drugs, Frank rescues a captive teenage girl and becomes an instant hero. His police friends are clapping him on the back, and now Frank has been hired to find a second missing teenage girl by her distraught family.
I really liked Frank, although I felt I shouldn't like him at all. His drug habit, his violence towards those of the criminal fraternity who cross his path, all make me feel that I shouldn't like him, but despite all that Frank Marr is a decent guy, scarred by an unhappy childhood, and with a weakness he doesn't seem to want to do anything about fixing, deep down he is a gentle, caring guy.
The Second Girl is a fantastic crime thriller. Different, and with a deeply flawed protagonist, I loved this book and could not put it down. At times the drug use can be distracting and the mind boggles as to how Frank can function as he does. I found myself fearing for his future, and hoping that author David Swinson gives us more of Frank Marr in a second, and even though i know i'm being greedy, a third book! Because I don't want to leave Frank here, I want his story to go on, I need to know that he will be ok, but I can't see how his destructive way of life will not catch up with him soon, as really it should.
If you like your detectives flawed, and your crime gritty, this is the book for you. I can't wait to read more by David Swinson. I hope he will give us more Frank Marr, but whatever his next book is about, I will be at the top of the queue come publication day!
My thanks to Mulholland books for providing me with a free pb copy of this wonderful book via bookbridgr.com
July 22, 2016
Frank Marr is a retired detective who was forced out of his job for reasons his former colleagues know nothing about. Since he's no longer a cop he's no longer constrained to the rules that police (ostensibly) have to follow, so he's constantly abducting "suspects" who end up being murdered in the next chapter, but that's not why he was kicked off the force. You see, Marr uses, like, so much coke.
"I've got a nice chunk of coke on the glass table to chop up. I can't think of anything better to do today."
"These thoughts I'm having are more than likely the result of fatigue, too much alcohol, and not enough blow. But what can I do? Stop drinking? God forbid!"
"Drug abuse if something I know all too well. But it's not something I'm fighting."
"I can't remember the last time I had a hangover. A bit of a headache, maybe, but that's about it."
Yes, Frank, I get it. I found Marr to be one of the more insufferable characters I've ever come across. About halfway through I started to hope that this book was going to be about his downfall, that the many convoluted situations he kept creating for himself, the many ridiculous lies he told would eventually snowball and the book would end with his flimsy, cocaine-caked house of lies crumbing around him. But no! He suffers no ill effects or repercussions from the tremendous amount of cocaine, Klonopin, Valium, and Jameson that he consumes in a bloodless, highly dubious fashion, so why should I care about his drug use? At best this is a middling crime story that's not particularly interesting or compelling, featuring a bland protagonist who is supposed to be some sort of renegade yet vulnerable anti-hero because he abuses drugs unconvincingly. If you want to read entertaining books about a guy with some actual charisma who solves crimes while getting wasted in his spare time, look no further than Nick Stefanos, and certainly don't come looking here.
"I've got a nice chunk of coke on the glass table to chop up. I can't think of anything better to do today."
"These thoughts I'm having are more than likely the result of fatigue, too much alcohol, and not enough blow. But what can I do? Stop drinking? God forbid!"
"Drug abuse if something I know all too well. But it's not something I'm fighting."
"I can't remember the last time I had a hangover. A bit of a headache, maybe, but that's about it."
Yes, Frank, I get it. I found Marr to be one of the more insufferable characters I've ever come across. About halfway through I started to hope that this book was going to be about his downfall, that the many convoluted situations he kept creating for himself, the many ridiculous lies he told would eventually snowball and the book would end with his flimsy, cocaine-caked house of lies crumbing around him. But no! He suffers no ill effects or repercussions from the tremendous amount of cocaine, Klonopin, Valium, and Jameson that he consumes in a bloodless, highly dubious fashion, so why should I care about his drug use? At best this is a middling crime story that's not particularly interesting or compelling, featuring a bland protagonist who is supposed to be some sort of renegade yet vulnerable anti-hero because he abuses drugs unconvincingly. If you want to read entertaining books about a guy with some actual charisma who solves crimes while getting wasted in his spare time, look no further than Nick Stefanos, and certainly don't come looking here.
April 11, 2016
Mainpain smorgasbord.
Frank Marr is a drug addict, a former cop, a drug addict, a PI working some missing persons cases, and a drug addict. Did you get that he's a DRUG ADDICT? I've heard that addiction can wipe out all other aspects of someone's personality, and I guess that's what happened with Frank, because DRUG ADDICT is basically all you get.
I'm all for books starring complex, morally ambiguous antiheroes, but Frank is boring. There is no nuance to his characterization or this story. The novel's opening chapters are all about Frank trying to score and accidentally finding a girl who's been kidnapped and raped, and how the whole thing's just so inconvenient for him. Frank's not self-aware or human enough to really realize how fucked up this is; he never even seems all that guilty, just annoyed.
I almost gave this book two stars because the prose is competent and Frank's voice is consistent(ly unpleasant), but then I realized: as a character, he starts the novel in exactly the same place he finishes it. 354 pages with this guy and he has no arc whatsoever. What was the point?
The most complex message I can scrape together is that it's sure a drag when those teenage girls get kidnapped and raped when you're trying to get your coke fix.
Frank Marr is a drug addict, a former cop, a drug addict, a PI working some missing persons cases, and a drug addict. Did you get that he's a DRUG ADDICT? I've heard that addiction can wipe out all other aspects of someone's personality, and I guess that's what happened with Frank, because DRUG ADDICT is basically all you get.
I'm all for books starring complex, morally ambiguous antiheroes, but Frank is boring. There is no nuance to his characterization or this story. The novel's opening chapters are all about Frank trying to score and accidentally finding a girl who's been kidnapped and raped, and how the whole thing's just so inconvenient for him. Frank's not self-aware or human enough to really realize how fucked up this is; he never even seems all that guilty, just annoyed.
I almost gave this book two stars because the prose is competent and Frank's voice is consistent(ly unpleasant), but then I realized: as a character, he starts the novel in exactly the same place he finishes it. 354 pages with this guy and he has no arc whatsoever. What was the point?
The most complex message I can scrape together is that it's sure a drag when those teenage girls get kidnapped and raped when you're trying to get your coke fix.
November 25, 2015
"It isn't the first time I've had to leave a body, stuffed in a suitcase, in the back of my car."
Crime fiction doesn't get better than this. A tense, multi-layered thriller set in DC's underbelly, featuring a flawed, desperate, but resourceful (and very human) protagonist. Highly recommended.
Crime fiction doesn't get better than this. A tense, multi-layered thriller set in DC's underbelly, featuring a flawed, desperate, but resourceful (and very human) protagonist. Highly recommended.
June 16, 2019
I'm really liking this "retired" private detective Frank "Frankie" Marr. This is the first book in which we are introduced to Marr. Unknowingly I previously read the 3rd book, Trigger, which can be read as a stand alone just fine, and I had to go back and read this first book of what I hope becomes a long running series featuring PI Marr. The Second Girl is a great book that takes place in the Washington DC area that I would highly recommend to others to check out. I really like the way Marr operates other than his "small" problem with cocaine and other vices.
February 17, 2016
What a great novel! The author navigates you through the tough streets of DC and police politics. Much of which will feel familiar if you've spent some time in DC. The Second Girl leaves you wanting to read more about Detective Frank Marr.
April 3, 2019
Well, for this reader, The Second Girl by David Swinson balances on a tightrope of ambivalence. It gives nothing away to tell the lead character, Frank Marr, is a disgraced former Washington DC police detective now working as a private investigator. Marr is a drug and booze addicted man in a downward spiral of depravity but still reigned in by morals when it comes to decent, law-abiding regular people.
The novel opens with him preparing to invade the drug stash house of street drug dealers to replenish his own drug supply. Marr stays away from crack cocaine and heroin but seems fond of about any other drug.
During his stash house rip-off, Marr discovers a drugged and bound woman in a bathroom and after taking the young woman to his some time attorney-employer-love interest Leslie Costello, soon becomes involved in the investigation of a second missing young woman.
The story moves on from there and includes Marr being hounded by a current assistant police chief over Marr's past corruption.
Though Marr is a private investigator, this is what could be considered a "police procedural." The Second Girl is an entertaining and good novel. The story is tight and the plot and plot lines not far fetched. The villains are believable and do not extend beyond belief.
To this reader, the weak link was the likability developed toward the main character. Hopefully in the next two novels more of his character will be revealed that will allow either a better understanding or care to grow regarding Marr.
The novel is recommended to those that enjoy police procedurals with troubled investigators in a gritty environment.
The novel opens with him preparing to invade the drug stash house of street drug dealers to replenish his own drug supply. Marr stays away from crack cocaine and heroin but seems fond of about any other drug.
During his stash house rip-off, Marr discovers a drugged and bound woman in a bathroom and after taking the young woman to his some time attorney-employer-love interest Leslie Costello, soon becomes involved in the investigation of a second missing young woman.
The story moves on from there and includes Marr being hounded by a current assistant police chief over Marr's past corruption.
Though Marr is a private investigator, this is what could be considered a "police procedural." The Second Girl is an entertaining and good novel. The story is tight and the plot and plot lines not far fetched. The villains are believable and do not extend beyond belief.
To this reader, the weak link was the likability developed toward the main character. Hopefully in the next two novels more of his character will be revealed that will allow either a better understanding or care to grow regarding Marr.
The novel is recommended to those that enjoy police procedurals with troubled investigators in a gritty environment.
July 21, 2018
Frank Marr, was a police detective in Washington, D.C., but was forced to retire due to his own drug habit. Now a private investigator, Frank creates his own accountability, his own rules, hovers between the ups and downs of his habit and sometimes comes very close to his own edge.
When a novel is written by an author that has training and years of experience in law enforcement, the reader is given a gift of authenticity that penetrates the mind and tugs on emotions unlike any other reading experience. David Swinson served 16 years with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. His creation of Frank Marr as private investigator shows us realism, humanity, and vulnerability. Frank can't be put in a mold. As the layers of Frank's thought process unfold during the investigations, it depicts a different side of life than many of us will ever experience. I found it thought-provoking.
As an aftereffect of reading this novel and again watching the news of the day, the reader wonders how many unnamed heroes helped to bring back a little balance to law and order within the last 24 hours as the wheels of justice keep turning. Would we have sanctioned his/her behavior? Was there a "Frank Marr" among them? I would softly answer, "yes." I think the author would too.
When a novel is written by an author that has training and years of experience in law enforcement, the reader is given a gift of authenticity that penetrates the mind and tugs on emotions unlike any other reading experience. David Swinson served 16 years with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. His creation of Frank Marr as private investigator shows us realism, humanity, and vulnerability. Frank can't be put in a mold. As the layers of Frank's thought process unfold during the investigations, it depicts a different side of life than many of us will ever experience. I found it thought-provoking.
As an aftereffect of reading this novel and again watching the news of the day, the reader wonders how many unnamed heroes helped to bring back a little balance to law and order within the last 24 hours as the wheels of justice keep turning. Would we have sanctioned his/her behavior? Was there a "Frank Marr" among them? I would softly answer, "yes." I think the author would too.
Shelved as 'dnf'
December 10, 2023DNF at 13%. I’m finding the writing style to be pretty unreadable. Just a very stereotypical grizzled old cop with a drug problem. No originality.
April 3, 2016
I defy anyone to find a more exciting opening scene than David Swinson has written here. From there it moves along with the pace of a runaway train and somehow he manages to keep it from jumping he rails, bringing a deft facility with words and an insiders knowledge of the game to the story of an ex-cop desperately trying to keep one step ahead of his demons and maybe find a little hope along the way. One helluva a good read.
May 31, 2017
This book is an excellent example of modern hardboiled crime fiction with an anti-hero protagonist. The story starts as Frank Marr, retired D.C. cop and drug addict, stakes out a house which he hopes to plunder for its drug stash. Instead, he finds a teenaged girl from the Virginia burbs, tied up in the bathroom.
Given the circumstances, Marr handles the situation in a way that helps the girl and covers his own ass. But as the old saying dictates, "No good deed goes unpunished." And one missing girl simply leads to another. The parents are frantic to find her and seek Marr's help in doing so.
The book is fast-paced read, with short chapters that make it easy to finish quickly. But more than that, the book presents a flawed character with enough redeeming qualities to make him likable. It also provides a very realistic look at the D.C. drug culture, not to mention all the other qualities of life in D.C. that you don't read about in political thrillers.
This is my first time reading David Swinson's work and it won't be my last. :)
Given the circumstances, Marr handles the situation in a way that helps the girl and covers his own ass. But as the old saying dictates, "No good deed goes unpunished." And one missing girl simply leads to another. The parents are frantic to find her and seek Marr's help in doing so.
The book is fast-paced read, with short chapters that make it easy to finish quickly. But more than that, the book presents a flawed character with enough redeeming qualities to make him likable. It also provides a very realistic look at the D.C. drug culture, not to mention all the other qualities of life in D.C. that you don't read about in political thrillers.
This is my first time reading David Swinson's work and it won't be my last. :)
October 10, 2016
If you like your protagonists flawed with baggage, then Frank Marr is your man! He is the very epitome of an anti-hero. An ex-cop turned private investigator in his mid-forties, Frank is also a high-functioning cocaine addict.
Frank is single. He does some investigative work for Leslie Costello, a defense attorney who was also once a cop. They went through the police academy together and have remained close. In fact, some nights after a few drinks, they are 'very' close.
Costello does not know about his addiction, no one does. As he becomes more and more dependent on the cocaine to give him courage and clarity, Frank finds himself having to tell some convincing lies. He is getting so good at it that he half believes them himself.
The first girl.
While casing out a house in the Adams-Morgan area of D.C., where known drug dealers live, Frank aims to break in while they are gone to replenish his stash of cocaine. His plan is foiled somewhat by the teenage girl he finds handcuffed to a ring in the floor of the bathroom. She had been injected with heroin and gang-raped by the crew. Frank is a druggie, but not without a soft heart. He rescues the girl and takes her to Costello, who in turn reunites her with her parents.
Afterwards he returns to the house where he meets up with one of the crew. It is then that Frank's life becomes even more complicated.
Back when Frank was a cop, he bought a row house on 12th St. NW. Always handy, with good D.I.Y. skills, Frank gutted the building and remodeled. Now it is worth much more and the area has become gentrified. While remodeling, Frank built a false wall in the laundry room. It is here that he keeps his stash and anything else he wouldn't want anyone else to find.
The second girl.
The parents of the first girl are overjoyed to have their daughter returned to them. When word gets out, another set of parents turn up and request Frank's help in finding their daughter, who is also missing. She attended the same school as the first girl and they speculate she might have met the same fate... Although Frank does NOT usually get involved with missing persons cases, his soft heart coupled with the 'clarity and courage' derived from his cocaine seduce him into taking the case - against his better judgment.
Because he is no longer a cop he has an advantage over the police as he doesn't have to abide by all the rules and regulations that they do..., though he has his own, rather warped, standards. He is, by his own admission, weak, broken, and lonely. As Frank becomes immersed in his search for the second girl, his own welfare and his dirty secrets are in jeopardy.
"The second girl" is the first novel in a proposed series featuring the anti-hero Frank Marr. The fact that the author was a policeman himself assures that the police scenes and procedure are of the utmost accuracy. The suspense coupled with the beguiling rogue himself, ensure that the series will be a resounding success.
The Washington, D.C. setting lends itself to a noir crime thriller and the author's intimate knowledge of the city enhances the reader's enjoyment of the novel. The reader gets to see a seamier, more gritty D.C. than we see on television. It had the feel of a police procedural coupled with the action and tough guy scenes of an action novel. This makes it appealing to both genders, but I think it would especially appeal to a male audience.
The next book in the Frank Marr series, "Crime Song" is due for release in the summer of 2017 by Mulholland Books. "Crime Song" has just been added to my TBR! I have to find out if Frank gets his act together someday...
I'm grateful to Mulholland Books via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel.
Frank is single. He does some investigative work for Leslie Costello, a defense attorney who was also once a cop. They went through the police academy together and have remained close. In fact, some nights after a few drinks, they are 'very' close.
Costello does not know about his addiction, no one does. As he becomes more and more dependent on the cocaine to give him courage and clarity, Frank finds himself having to tell some convincing lies. He is getting so good at it that he half believes them himself.
The first girl.
While casing out a house in the Adams-Morgan area of D.C., where known drug dealers live, Frank aims to break in while they are gone to replenish his stash of cocaine. His plan is foiled somewhat by the teenage girl he finds handcuffed to a ring in the floor of the bathroom. She had been injected with heroin and gang-raped by the crew. Frank is a druggie, but not without a soft heart. He rescues the girl and takes her to Costello, who in turn reunites her with her parents.
Afterwards he returns to the house where he meets up with one of the crew. It is then that Frank's life becomes even more complicated.
Back when Frank was a cop, he bought a row house on 12th St. NW. Always handy, with good D.I.Y. skills, Frank gutted the building and remodeled. Now it is worth much more and the area has become gentrified. While remodeling, Frank built a false wall in the laundry room. It is here that he keeps his stash and anything else he wouldn't want anyone else to find.
The second girl.
The parents of the first girl are overjoyed to have their daughter returned to them. When word gets out, another set of parents turn up and request Frank's help in finding their daughter, who is also missing. She attended the same school as the first girl and they speculate she might have met the same fate... Although Frank does NOT usually get involved with missing persons cases, his soft heart coupled with the 'clarity and courage' derived from his cocaine seduce him into taking the case - against his better judgment.
Because he is no longer a cop he has an advantage over the police as he doesn't have to abide by all the rules and regulations that they do..., though he has his own, rather warped, standards. He is, by his own admission, weak, broken, and lonely. As Frank becomes immersed in his search for the second girl, his own welfare and his dirty secrets are in jeopardy.
"The second girl" is the first novel in a proposed series featuring the anti-hero Frank Marr. The fact that the author was a policeman himself assures that the police scenes and procedure are of the utmost accuracy. The suspense coupled with the beguiling rogue himself, ensure that the series will be a resounding success.
The Washington, D.C. setting lends itself to a noir crime thriller and the author's intimate knowledge of the city enhances the reader's enjoyment of the novel. The reader gets to see a seamier, more gritty D.C. than we see on television. It had the feel of a police procedural coupled with the action and tough guy scenes of an action novel. This makes it appealing to both genders, but I think it would especially appeal to a male audience.
The next book in the Frank Marr series, "Crime Song" is due for release in the summer of 2017 by Mulholland Books. "Crime Song" has just been added to my TBR! I have to find out if Frank gets his act together someday...
I'm grateful to Mulholland Books via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this novel.
April 28, 2024
3.5 stars Looking forward to reading about what happens next with Frank.
April 6, 2017
Frankie Marr is not a good guy. After seventeen years on the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police, he was forced to retire when the brass discovered he had been helping himself to the drugs recovered in narcotics busts. Now, he works as a private eye to supplement his meager police pension. To feed his habit, he breaks into drug dealers’ stash houses to steal cocaine, marijuana, and prescription painkillers. Frankie persuades himself that he has everything under control because he resists using crack cocaine. “Cocaine is a monster,” he says, “but crack is the devil. You can keep the monster in a closet, but not the f**ing devil.” Somehow, he has managed to hide all this not just from the drug dealers and the detectives he used to work with but also from the plaintiff’s attorney who hires him from time to time.
David Swinson’s engaging detective novel, The Second Girl, opens as Frankie has just crashed his way into another stash house. In a futile search for drugs, he tears the place apart. Then he discovers a padlocked door that seems promising. Breaking it down, he finds a naked teenage girl trussed up on the floor. She has several track marks in her arm and has clearly been drugged. He frees her but has no explanation for being in the house. So, instead of taking her to a hospital or turning her over to the police, he drops her at the office of the attorney he works with.
Eventually, the girl is returned to her grateful parents in suburban Virginia. Frankie comes across as a hero. When neighbors of the girl’s parents learn the story, they insist on hiring him to search for their own missing sixteen-year-old daughter. Miriam Gregory is the “second girl” of the title. Frankie’s investigation into her disappearance takes him to the heart of the drug and prostitution rackets in DC. The course of his investigation is violent — and not all the violence is the work of drug dealers and pimps. Frankie proves himself to be little better than they are.
This is an unorthodox work of detective fiction. It’s only the author’s second novel and shows promise of better to come.
David Swinson’s engaging detective novel, The Second Girl, opens as Frankie has just crashed his way into another stash house. In a futile search for drugs, he tears the place apart. Then he discovers a padlocked door that seems promising. Breaking it down, he finds a naked teenage girl trussed up on the floor. She has several track marks in her arm and has clearly been drugged. He frees her but has no explanation for being in the house. So, instead of taking her to a hospital or turning her over to the police, he drops her at the office of the attorney he works with.
Eventually, the girl is returned to her grateful parents in suburban Virginia. Frankie comes across as a hero. When neighbors of the girl’s parents learn the story, they insist on hiring him to search for their own missing sixteen-year-old daughter. Miriam Gregory is the “second girl” of the title. Frankie’s investigation into her disappearance takes him to the heart of the drug and prostitution rackets in DC. The course of his investigation is violent — and not all the violence is the work of drug dealers and pimps. Frankie proves himself to be little better than they are.
This is an unorthodox work of detective fiction. It’s only the author’s second novel and shows promise of better to come.
January 23, 2018
I have to admit that I really enjoyed this novel and have found another great character in ex-Detective turned P.I. Frank Marr. Frank reminds me a lot of Lawrence Block’s Matt Scudder as both are addicts. Scudder an alcoholic and Marr a cocaine addict and both leave the force under a cloud, although the nature of Marr’s misdemeanours are never fully revealed.
Frank gets his cocaine supply by hitting stash houses of local D.C. suppliers, who he stakes out. While raiding one such house however he comes across an abducted female who has been drugged and chained up in the bathroom. She had been taken from her home in the suburbs and they had given her a taste for crack and eventually she would have been forced into prostitution if not for Frank’s intervention. It turns out she is not the only one and another missing girls parents employ Frank to try and find their missing daughter. The local cops, the D.C. cops and an The F.B.I. are also now involved but their investigation is hampered as the have to use legal means to gain their evidence. While Frank on he other hand can use every dirty trick in the book to gain the information that the cops need to crack the case.
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel from an author I hadn’t read before. What I liked about the novel was that although a crime novel, it also informs you to the habits and behaviours of a cocaine addict and the lengths they go to keep themselves productive and also how they manage to hide their habit from those close to them. Despite his addiction and his underhand dealings, Frank is still a likeable character as he still lives and works by a certain code and there are certain boundaries he won’t cross.
There is a second Frank Marr novel and I’m looking forward to reading it as I think I may have discovered another favourite !
Frank gets his cocaine supply by hitting stash houses of local D.C. suppliers, who he stakes out. While raiding one such house however he comes across an abducted female who has been drugged and chained up in the bathroom. She had been taken from her home in the suburbs and they had given her a taste for crack and eventually she would have been forced into prostitution if not for Frank’s intervention. It turns out she is not the only one and another missing girls parents employ Frank to try and find their missing daughter. The local cops, the D.C. cops and an The F.B.I. are also now involved but their investigation is hampered as the have to use legal means to gain their evidence. While Frank on he other hand can use every dirty trick in the book to gain the information that the cops need to crack the case.
Thoroughly enjoyed this novel from an author I hadn’t read before. What I liked about the novel was that although a crime novel, it also informs you to the habits and behaviours of a cocaine addict and the lengths they go to keep themselves productive and also how they manage to hide their habit from those close to them. Despite his addiction and his underhand dealings, Frank is still a likeable character as he still lives and works by a certain code and there are certain boundaries he won’t cross.
There is a second Frank Marr novel and I’m looking forward to reading it as I think I may have discovered another favourite !
February 1, 2017
A new author for me, but familiar territory as I grew up in the DC area. Fortunately, not the area of crack houses, brothels, drug dealers and gang bangers. The continual movement through these areas gets a bit wearisome, almost like listening to your car's GPS but it does lend some authenticity, as does the dialogue in this story of a retired cop turned PI. Might be a bit of a stereotype except this one is a cocaine addict who needs his fix throughout the day. Interestingly, it is while ripping off some dealers that he stumbles across a young girl handcuffed to bathroom pipes. Obviously there for nefarious purposes and against her will, our "hero" actual has to wonder whether to rescue her or just grab the drugs and go. George Pelacanos fans will love him. The things he gets away with - hey, he's no longer a cop bound by silly rules - are a bit hair raising. Looking for something a bit different? Give this one a look.
September 27, 2016
A decent little crime novel. Swinson's writing won't set your heart aflutter, but he has a gift for dialogue and a talent for narrative. In fact, his latter two skills so outshine his prose that I kind of wonder why he isn't writing movies or TV shows, but if he wants to stick with novels, it's hardly a disastrous choice.
Swinson's narrator, private investigator Frank Marr, is an ex-cop on drugs. That's not exactly original, but Marr's refusal to agonize or rationalize is certainly a nice change-up and makes for cleaner storytelling. Marr is also a moral character with no ethics, and his knack for doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons keeps things efficient as well. A moment of introspection, however, would have slowed the action but added dimension to the story. I'd pick up another Marr book, though.
Swinson's narrator, private investigator Frank Marr, is an ex-cop on drugs. That's not exactly original, but Marr's refusal to agonize or rationalize is certainly a nice change-up and makes for cleaner storytelling. Marr is also a moral character with no ethics, and his knack for doing all the wrong things for all the right reasons keeps things efficient as well. A moment of introspection, however, would have slowed the action but added dimension to the story. I'd pick up another Marr book, though.
July 24, 2016
It has everything a dark crime novel should: a retired Narcotics Detective that confiscates the evidence of target crimes for personal use as well as an assortment of underworld characters, such as prostitutes, drug dealers, corrupt cops, overzealous FBI agents, and drug-addicted teenagers, cumulatively painting a compelling portrait of how to straddle the moral boundaries between justice and crime. The action is non-stop and the vocabulary filthy. You put all that together and you come up with a very good novel. The main character is riveting-I was enthralled by his life style and how a once good cop could be brought by the dark side. Do not expect brilliant writing but then who cares when the action is this good. In addition, the description of downtown Washington is quite good.
July 16, 2016
3.5
Not quite up to the "another Pelecanos/Lehane" hype but otherwise very engaging debut crime novel featuring Frank Marr, former narcotics detective in D.C. and now P.I. with a secret/serious drug habit.
Will Frank successfully navigate between the local drug gangsters and his former colleagues to find a missing teen? Will his secret life be revealed? Will the sexy defense attorney realize Frank wants more than an occasional roll in the hay?
When put like that it does sound quite cliched but Swinson delivers a solid story.
This sounds like the start of a new series and I will definitely pick up the next.
Not quite up to the "another Pelecanos/Lehane" hype but otherwise very engaging debut crime novel featuring Frank Marr, former narcotics detective in D.C. and now P.I. with a secret/serious drug habit.
Will Frank successfully navigate between the local drug gangsters and his former colleagues to find a missing teen? Will his secret life be revealed? Will the sexy defense attorney realize Frank wants more than an occasional roll in the hay?
When put like that it does sound quite cliched but Swinson delivers a solid story.
This sounds like the start of a new series and I will definitely pick up the next.
June 20, 2016
Swinson's job as a former crime detective serves him well in this gritty novel of a former cop turned PI. Unfortunately, this cop also has a mean drug habit as well. It is a down and dirty story of a man who helps solve an arms and drug ring coupled with a missing girls scenario but didn't draw me in. I didn't care about the characters and didn't find the pace suspenseful. Resolution of his drug habit wasn't part of the premise leaving many threads dangling . An ok read, but one you could miss..
July 17, 2016
Frank Marr was a cop, an anti-hero who no longer plays by the rules, a man with secrets, and who never stopped working the bad guys, and now saving the innocent one step ahead of personal disaster.
September 12, 2016
Audience: Readers who enjoy fast paced, drug fuelled thrillers with a little bit of heart.
Rating: ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧
Summed up in one word: Paradoxical
Author Bio: David Swinson is a retired police detective who served 16 years with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department. The Second Girl is Swinson's second novel, his first being A Detailed Man.
First Impression: If you are looking for a non-nonsense thriller that features an unpredictable, drug addicted, ex cop turned private investigator then this is the book for you. A fast paced plot, questionable moral choices, guns, drugs and a P.I with some heart is what you get in The Second Girl and I enjoyed my time within its pages. It doesn't break any new ground, I have read other books with addicted, trouble and heartfelt cops, but it is well written, entertaining, insightful and at times incredibly brutal and intense.
Summary of the Story:
Frank Marr may be a decorated former cop and the best private investigator Washington DC has ever known, but the city doesn't know his dirty secret.
A high-functioning drug addict, Frank has devoted his considerable skills to hiding his
habit from others. But after accidentally discovering a kidnapped teenage girl in the home of a drug gang, Frank becomes a hero and is thrust into the spotlight.
Reluctantly, he agrees to investigate the disappearance of another girl - possibly connected to the first - all the time knowing that the heightened scrutiny may bring his own secrets to light...
The Second Girl is a raw, real and incredibly gripping thriller from a former DC Major Crimes detective. You won't regret meeting Frank Marr...but his enemies will.
(Synopsis from The Second Girl by David Swinson)
Review
Plot: Frank Marr is an ex cop turned private investigator with a serious drug addiction and a mild grapefruit/oyster obsession. Frankie is a top of the range P.I but with hard drugs always in the back of his mind, he gets side tracked often. One particular attempt to score drugs leads him to a house run by Latino drug dealers. Upon searching the house for drugs he can take home with him, Frankie also finds a 16 year old girl chained up in the bathroom... his saviour instinct kicks in, he scoops her up and takes her to safety.
The family are ecstatic to have their daughter back. Frankie finds the money and drugs he was looking for and manages to stay out of the way of the local police. Everyone wins. Until a friend calls in a favour and asks Frankie to assist another family in finding their missing girl, fuelled by the hope that if the other daughter is still alive, they believe their daughter must be too. Frankie agrees to take the job but does not give them any hope. Not bound by the same rules and regulations that the police have to battle every day, Frankie soon uncovers the How/Why these girls have started to go missing, along with the people involved. All he has to figure out is the Where....and he will find out.
Fast paced, brutal, gritty plot with some heart and a lot of hell.
Writing Style: Choosing the first person perspective and having the reader deep inside Frankie's head for the duration of this story works really well. The reader goes through all the feelings of addiction, anger, happiness and stress with Frankie and time flies when your in that man's head. Brief chapters was also a great idea and intentionally speeds up the readers pacing and makes it feel more intense and speedy. The tone of The Second Girl switches rapidly and frequently, I think trying to mirror the mood swings that Frankie suffers from constant drug use. We get tension, relief, fear, anxiety, happiness and anger, each in rapid succession over the entire course of this novel. I enjoyed it, keep me on my toes. (While I was sat down reading...). I also enjoyed the fact that DS choose not to fuel the cliche that the good guy has to run in guns blazing all the time, but can be smart and methodical too.
Setting: Being from Norwich, England and not from anywhere in America or Washington DC itself, I did not really appreciate the setting as much as I should. That said, Swinson put a lot of effort into including his setting into the story/action and making it feel real. There are places, street names and reactions to the landscape that a citizen from DC would appreciate, that to me is a great additional touch.
Characters: There is only one main character in this book. Frankie Marr. Leslie Costello and Scott Davidson are secondary characters with Costello being a kind off love interest and Davidson being a sort of adversary. Frankie is the showcase here and he is a decent one. He is smart, effective, brutal, frenzied at times and a ruthless interrogator. He definitely has a conscious though, so much so that he starts making promises to people that he is not even sure he can fulfil.
Themes: The biggest idea/theme this book has to offer in my opinion is that you should never truly give up if you want answers, there is always another way of looking at a situation. TSG also lays it on thick that drug abuse is 100% bad and only complicates lives or even destroys them, a view I happen to completely agree on. Other themes include protecting the weak. Persistence and truth. It also sends the message that if you cannot get things done the official way, bending some rules may do the trick.
Likes: Pacing. Decent Lead Character. Solid Plot. Realism. Humour. Entertaining.
Dislikes: Some American cop cliches. Does not break any new ground.
Thoughts on the cover art: Great colour. I like the black sketchy look to the detail. 8/10
Overall: The Second Girl is a great addition to the genre, I feel that David Swinson can go a lot further with his writing and I am seriously looking forward to his next book. If you want to be entertained, faced with questionable moral decisions and live inside the head of a high functioning drug addict for a few hours then you will enjoy this book! Thank you David Swinson, Mulholland Books and Bookbridgr for the opportunity to read this book.
Rating: ✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✧✧
Summed up in one word: Paradoxical
Author Bio: David Swinson is a retired police detective who served 16 years with the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department. The Second Girl is Swinson's second novel, his first being A Detailed Man.
First Impression: If you are looking for a non-nonsense thriller that features an unpredictable, drug addicted, ex cop turned private investigator then this is the book for you. A fast paced plot, questionable moral choices, guns, drugs and a P.I with some heart is what you get in The Second Girl and I enjoyed my time within its pages. It doesn't break any new ground, I have read other books with addicted, trouble and heartfelt cops, but it is well written, entertaining, insightful and at times incredibly brutal and intense.
Summary of the Story:
Frank Marr may be a decorated former cop and the best private investigator Washington DC has ever known, but the city doesn't know his dirty secret.
A high-functioning drug addict, Frank has devoted his considerable skills to hiding his
habit from others. But after accidentally discovering a kidnapped teenage girl in the home of a drug gang, Frank becomes a hero and is thrust into the spotlight.
Reluctantly, he agrees to investigate the disappearance of another girl - possibly connected to the first - all the time knowing that the heightened scrutiny may bring his own secrets to light...
The Second Girl is a raw, real and incredibly gripping thriller from a former DC Major Crimes detective. You won't regret meeting Frank Marr...but his enemies will.
(Synopsis from The Second Girl by David Swinson)
Review
Plot: Frank Marr is an ex cop turned private investigator with a serious drug addiction and a mild grapefruit/oyster obsession. Frankie is a top of the range P.I but with hard drugs always in the back of his mind, he gets side tracked often. One particular attempt to score drugs leads him to a house run by Latino drug dealers. Upon searching the house for drugs he can take home with him, Frankie also finds a 16 year old girl chained up in the bathroom... his saviour instinct kicks in, he scoops her up and takes her to safety.
The family are ecstatic to have their daughter back. Frankie finds the money and drugs he was looking for and manages to stay out of the way of the local police. Everyone wins. Until a friend calls in a favour and asks Frankie to assist another family in finding their missing girl, fuelled by the hope that if the other daughter is still alive, they believe their daughter must be too. Frankie agrees to take the job but does not give them any hope. Not bound by the same rules and regulations that the police have to battle every day, Frankie soon uncovers the How/Why these girls have started to go missing, along with the people involved. All he has to figure out is the Where....and he will find out.
Fast paced, brutal, gritty plot with some heart and a lot of hell.
Writing Style: Choosing the first person perspective and having the reader deep inside Frankie's head for the duration of this story works really well. The reader goes through all the feelings of addiction, anger, happiness and stress with Frankie and time flies when your in that man's head. Brief chapters was also a great idea and intentionally speeds up the readers pacing and makes it feel more intense and speedy. The tone of The Second Girl switches rapidly and frequently, I think trying to mirror the mood swings that Frankie suffers from constant drug use. We get tension, relief, fear, anxiety, happiness and anger, each in rapid succession over the entire course of this novel. I enjoyed it, keep me on my toes. (While I was sat down reading...). I also enjoyed the fact that DS choose not to fuel the cliche that the good guy has to run in guns blazing all the time, but can be smart and methodical too.
Setting: Being from Norwich, England and not from anywhere in America or Washington DC itself, I did not really appreciate the setting as much as I should. That said, Swinson put a lot of effort into including his setting into the story/action and making it feel real. There are places, street names and reactions to the landscape that a citizen from DC would appreciate, that to me is a great additional touch.
Characters: There is only one main character in this book. Frankie Marr. Leslie Costello and Scott Davidson are secondary characters with Costello being a kind off love interest and Davidson being a sort of adversary. Frankie is the showcase here and he is a decent one. He is smart, effective, brutal, frenzied at times and a ruthless interrogator. He definitely has a conscious though, so much so that he starts making promises to people that he is not even sure he can fulfil.
Themes: The biggest idea/theme this book has to offer in my opinion is that you should never truly give up if you want answers, there is always another way of looking at a situation. TSG also lays it on thick that drug abuse is 100% bad and only complicates lives or even destroys them, a view I happen to completely agree on. Other themes include protecting the weak. Persistence and truth. It also sends the message that if you cannot get things done the official way, bending some rules may do the trick.
Likes: Pacing. Decent Lead Character. Solid Plot. Realism. Humour. Entertaining.
Dislikes: Some American cop cliches. Does not break any new ground.
Thoughts on the cover art: Great colour. I like the black sketchy look to the detail. 8/10
Overall: The Second Girl is a great addition to the genre, I feel that David Swinson can go a lot further with his writing and I am seriously looking forward to his next book. If you want to be entertained, faced with questionable moral decisions and live inside the head of a high functioning drug addict for a few hours then you will enjoy this book! Thank you David Swinson, Mulholland Books and Bookbridgr for the opportunity to read this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2019
I read this book in a day, which says something about it, although I’m not the kind of reader who bases much on a quick read. I think a lot of people will rave about any stupid book they were able to finish simply because they are so proud of themselves.
An ex-cop turned private investigator, a ruthless inner-city drug gang, and white slavery: what’s not to like? Did I mention that the cop is a drug addict? For me, this plot gimmick wore thin very quickly. I’ve known a cokehead or two in my life and they were all mostly turned into idiots by their addiction. I just didn’t think this was an interesting angle to pursue. I wonder if he keeps this up in the other books in this series?
The author's descriptions and pacing were very good throughout the novel. I only learned after I finished that he is an ex-cop, so this made sense. I lived in the D.C. area for a bit and his setting seemed very real for me.
On the downside, his dialogue and the interactions between characters needs work. He relied a bit too much on the “I’ll just beat the information out of him” school of detective work. Perhaps he has already ironed this out in his subsequent novels. I’ll definitely move on to the next one in this series.
An ex-cop turned private investigator, a ruthless inner-city drug gang, and white slavery: what’s not to like? Did I mention that the cop is a drug addict? For me, this plot gimmick wore thin very quickly. I’ve known a cokehead or two in my life and they were all mostly turned into idiots by their addiction. I just didn’t think this was an interesting angle to pursue. I wonder if he keeps this up in the other books in this series?
The author's descriptions and pacing were very good throughout the novel. I only learned after I finished that he is an ex-cop, so this made sense. I lived in the D.C. area for a bit and his setting seemed very real for me.
On the downside, his dialogue and the interactions between characters needs work. He relied a bit too much on the “I’ll just beat the information out of him” school of detective work. Perhaps he has already ironed this out in his subsequent novels. I’ll definitely move on to the next one in this series.
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