Level Best Books has released Reprisal Road, a new mystery novel by local author Lynn-Steven Johanson. Reprisal Road is the sixth installment in his Joe Erickson Mystery series.
The books follow Detective Joe Erickson as he investigates homicides for the Chicago Police Department.
Known for his razor-sharp intuition, keen investigative skills, and the occasional use of unorthodox methods, he works to solve murders, often with little or no evidence to go on.
Reprisal Road starts when Erickson is called to an apartment where a young woman, an up-and-coming model, has been found murdered. At the scene, a box of dead roses and a cryptic note reading 'Sic semper scortilla,' Latin for 'thus always to bitches,' are discovered. A week later, another young woman, also a model, is found murdered in her apartment. This scene also contains a box of dead roses and an identical note.
Who killed these women?
And what is the meaning of the dead roses and the note?
With no clues about the killer's identity, Joe and his partner start an investigation that leads them to disturbing revelations about what motivated the crimes and who was responsible for their deaths.
In its review of Reprisal Road, The Book Revue wrote, 'A significant contribution to contemporary mystery fiction, Reprisal Road is distinguished by its literary craftsmanship and thematic depth. It is remarkable for its captivating plot and its eloquent examination of the human condition under extraordinary pressure.' And D. Donovan, writing for the Midwest Book Review, stated, '...readers who delight in detective stories that are powerfully rendered will find the characterization, suspense, and puzzle make for compelling whodunit reading.'
Reprisal Road and Johanson's five other Joe Erickson mysteries are available online through Amazon and all major bookstores. They are written as standalone books, so it is not necessary to read them in sequence. A book signing event will be held in the near future at the New Copperfield's Booksellers in Macomb.
