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John Pilate Mysteries #4
Pilate's Blood
The long-awaited fourth book in the award-nominated John Pilate Mystery Series...
John Pilate reluctantly returns to tiny Cross Township…a place resembling a mutated Mayberry packed with guns, a serious lack of anti-depression meds, a rampaging crime boss and an imaginary friend who won't shut the hell up.
Once a hero, now Pilate is broke, bored and forced to take a job imbued with more authority than the dogcatcher but far less respect. What's worse is there's criminality afoot and nobody to deal with it but Pilate. Sure, things could work out just fine...then again, it may come down to spilling Pilate's Blood...Thicker Than Water, Twice As Deadly.
John Pilate reluctantly returns to tiny Cross Township…a place resembling a mutated Mayberry packed with guns, a serious lack of anti-depression meds, a rampaging crime boss and an imaginary friend who won't shut the hell up.
Once a hero, now Pilate is broke, bored and forced to take a job imbued with more authority than the dogcatcher but far less respect. What's worse is there's criminality afoot and nobody to deal with it but Pilate. Sure, things could work out just fine...then again, it may come down to spilling Pilate's Blood...Thicker Than Water, Twice As Deadly.
219 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2014
About the author
J. Alexander Greenwood
21 books47 followers J. Alexander Greenwood is the author of the acclaimed John Pilate Mystery Series, including Pilate's Cross, Pilate's Key, Pilate's Ghost, Pilate's Blood, Pilate's 7, Pilate's Rose, Pilate's Shadow, and Pilate's Faith (Caroline Street Press).
Pilate's 7, released in summer 2015, is a collection of short stories told from the perspective of characters other than the main character John Pilate. A paperback version was released in February 2017. It was named #35 on the 2016 Shelf Unbound Top 100 Notable Book list.
Pilate's Cross was named a "Page Turner" by Shelf Unbound magazine in 2014. Pilate's Key was a 2012 Kindle Book Review Award semi-finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller. It was named a "Page Turner" by Shelf Unbound magazine in 2012. Pilate's Blood was named #45 on the 2015 Shelf Unbound Top 100 Notable Book list.
Pilate's Ghost was named a semi-finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller by Kindle Book Review in 2013. Most of the John Pilate series is in circulation in the Kansas City and St. Joseph, MO Public Library Systems.
Greenwood also authored the 2011 Shelf Unbound/Wattpad Short Story award-winner Obsidian and the top-selling non-fiction ebooks, Kickstarter Success Secrets, and The Podcast Option. Pilate's Cross, Kickstarter Success Secrets, and The Podcast Option are also Audible.com audiobooks.
In 2018, he cowrote and released Big Cabin and Dispatches from the West, the last known manuscript from his late grandfather, Robert E. Trevathan.
He is the host and producer of the Mysterious Goings On podcast, which interviews and celebrates writers.
He resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and daughter.
Pilate's 7, released in summer 2015, is a collection of short stories told from the perspective of characters other than the main character John Pilate. A paperback version was released in February 2017. It was named #35 on the 2016 Shelf Unbound Top 100 Notable Book list.
Pilate's Cross was named a "Page Turner" by Shelf Unbound magazine in 2014. Pilate's Key was a 2012 Kindle Book Review Award semi-finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller. It was named a "Page Turner" by Shelf Unbound magazine in 2012. Pilate's Blood was named #45 on the 2015 Shelf Unbound Top 100 Notable Book list.
Pilate's Ghost was named a semi-finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller by Kindle Book Review in 2013. Most of the John Pilate series is in circulation in the Kansas City and St. Joseph, MO Public Library Systems.
Greenwood also authored the 2011 Shelf Unbound/Wattpad Short Story award-winner Obsidian and the top-selling non-fiction ebooks, Kickstarter Success Secrets, and The Podcast Option. Pilate's Cross, Kickstarter Success Secrets, and The Podcast Option are also Audible.com audiobooks.
In 2018, he cowrote and released Big Cabin and Dispatches from the West, the last known manuscript from his late grandfather, Robert E. Trevathan.
He is the host and producer of the Mysterious Goings On podcast, which interviews and celebrates writers.
He resides in Kansas City, Missouri with his wife and daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 8, 2017
Dead men, family troubles, money problems and martinis seem to follow John Pilate. And, luckily for us, this latest book sees John’s buddy Taters Malley also following him on another adventure — whether Pilate really wants to go on one or not.
This time, ‘Pilate’s Blood’ has Taters transplanted from the Florida Keys to the midwest, and an informal spot in the right-hand position of newly-anointed Commissioner John Pilate, who himself has been charged with keeping small peace in a familiar town to ‘Pilate’ readers
But! No spoilers from me. I’ll stop here on spilling plot details. But I will give my take on this book. First thing’s first; ‘Pilate’s Blood’ can be read on its own. It’s a series, sure, and each one fills out Pilate and his main cohorts with more flesh on the bones. But don’t feel the need to have any familiarity with the previous John Pilate books to get a kick out of this one.
‘Blood’ is part mystery romp, part family drama, part whodunnit, part treasure hunt, and part action thriller, all against a familiar backdrop. Without revealing any of the plot, I think it’s safe to mention that, in this book, Pilate and his newish family are back in the namesake town that got the whole Pilate Mystery series off the ground. But the back story of that town is keenly woven into this one so there is nothing lost in translation. The narration of those historical details doesn’t bog things down and also doesn’t feel like you’ve missed a heap. You can pick up here, starting with ‘fresh Blood’, so to speak, and not worry you’ve missed a beat. However, I must admit: the B-roll stories and back details carried forward from other books to this one do get fresh perspective and new depth. So, if you have read some of the others, this story adds new layers to the characters, and the mythology of the universe. Pilate even gets to look back at some previous events through the 20-20 lens of time, just as we do.
Second thing’s second: It’s kind of neat for the Pilate universe to explore different genres. Here, we have slices of modern Americana, topical material like gun violence, deep dark mysteries like something out of Knights’ Templar lore, oh, and the whole tale unbelievably morphs into a formidable homage to classic western novels and cinema by the middle-to-late acts. Fun to read.
The series is truly its best when John, Taters’ and John’s inborn twin, Simon are all mashing about in some playground or another. And with ‘Blood’, that’s just what we get — in addition to a formidable and colourful cast of new characters and a few pre-existing ones. Get ‘Blood’ today and then, if you haven’t read the others, catch up on them before the next ‘Pilate’ adventure hits shelves.
This time, ‘Pilate’s Blood’ has Taters transplanted from the Florida Keys to the midwest, and an informal spot in the right-hand position of newly-anointed Commissioner John Pilate, who himself has been charged with keeping small peace in a familiar town to ‘Pilate’ readers
But! No spoilers from me. I’ll stop here on spilling plot details. But I will give my take on this book. First thing’s first; ‘Pilate’s Blood’ can be read on its own. It’s a series, sure, and each one fills out Pilate and his main cohorts with more flesh on the bones. But don’t feel the need to have any familiarity with the previous John Pilate books to get a kick out of this one.
‘Blood’ is part mystery romp, part family drama, part whodunnit, part treasure hunt, and part action thriller, all against a familiar backdrop. Without revealing any of the plot, I think it’s safe to mention that, in this book, Pilate and his newish family are back in the namesake town that got the whole Pilate Mystery series off the ground. But the back story of that town is keenly woven into this one so there is nothing lost in translation. The narration of those historical details doesn’t bog things down and also doesn’t feel like you’ve missed a heap. You can pick up here, starting with ‘fresh Blood’, so to speak, and not worry you’ve missed a beat. However, I must admit: the B-roll stories and back details carried forward from other books to this one do get fresh perspective and new depth. So, if you have read some of the others, this story adds new layers to the characters, and the mythology of the universe. Pilate even gets to look back at some previous events through the 20-20 lens of time, just as we do.
Second thing’s second: It’s kind of neat for the Pilate universe to explore different genres. Here, we have slices of modern Americana, topical material like gun violence, deep dark mysteries like something out of Knights’ Templar lore, oh, and the whole tale unbelievably morphs into a formidable homage to classic western novels and cinema by the middle-to-late acts. Fun to read.
The series is truly its best when John, Taters’ and John’s inborn twin, Simon are all mashing about in some playground or another. And with ‘Blood’, that’s just what we get — in addition to a formidable and colourful cast of new characters and a few pre-existing ones. Get ‘Blood’ today and then, if you haven’t read the others, catch up on them before the next ‘Pilate’ adventure hits shelves.
December 6, 2014
Pilate's Blood was the perfect distraction. It was a great palate cleanser to the steady stream of negative broadcasting that has dominated the last two weeks. I enjoyed being entertained without any political agenda or moralistic teaching.
What I loved most about this book was John Pilate's real life frailties. Despite his obvious heroics, he worries about paying bills, the grey at his temples and whether or not he drinks too much. It's exciting when he faces death or feels nervous that he sweats because I can relate to that. While I am unlikely ever to save the day in a desperate gunfight, for the few hours I spent reading Pilate's Blood, I believed I could.
I also enjoyed the snarky Simon. In fact, I developed a bit of a crush on John's irreverent companion and found myself missing his intrusions and inserting my own Simon dialogue.
What I loved most about this book was John Pilate's real life frailties. Despite his obvious heroics, he worries about paying bills, the grey at his temples and whether or not he drinks too much. It's exciting when he faces death or feels nervous that he sweats because I can relate to that. While I am unlikely ever to save the day in a desperate gunfight, for the few hours I spent reading Pilate's Blood, I believed I could.
I also enjoyed the snarky Simon. In fact, I developed a bit of a crush on John's irreverent companion and found myself missing his intrusions and inserting my own Simon dialogue.
April 12, 2015
Having not ever read anything from J. Alexander Greenwood I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! I understand that this is the 4th book, and as I'm writing this I am looking for the first three. Great job!! My autographed copy said "Simon says - "Enjoy the book"" which I really did. I won this great book on GoodReads.
Read
June 17, 2019Everybody slows down in their forties. Shouldn’t the same go for action heroes? This is the sort of commentary with which author J. Alexander Greenwood subverts the mystery series formula in Pilate’s Blood.
John Pilate returns home to Cross Township to accept a position as the town constable while they work to elect a new sheriff. There he reconnects with old friends and tries to settle into small-town living with his new family. What follows is a compelling character study where intimate moments take precedence over dazzling set pieces and nonstop thrills. There’s still a mystery to be unraveled, but the meat of the story is laser-focused on Pilate’s growth.
Having started the series with this, the fourth book, I haven’t seen Pilate before as a bachelor, but his balancing family life with his responsibilities as a (sort of) cop is very entertaining.
On top of the constable gig and Pilate’s stepdad/father/husband duties, he must contend with a voice in his head, who he’s dubbed “Simon,” perhaps referring to the children’s game Simon Says. Simon voices Pilate’s doubts and fears. Is he capable of standing up to defend his family? Can he keep the town safe, even when an anonymous axeman is on the loose? Is the Saab he’s been driving uncool?
I found myself growing very fond of Pilate over the course of this novel. For one thing, it’s refreshing to read a novel with an anti-gun action hero. Pilate is more comfortable pistol-whipping a perp than firing his firearm. Even in a scenario where the NRA might proffer “The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Pilate runs in and proves that this is hogwash and a good guy without a gun can save the day as well.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/pilates-...
John Pilate returns home to Cross Township to accept a position as the town constable while they work to elect a new sheriff. There he reconnects with old friends and tries to settle into small-town living with his new family. What follows is a compelling character study where intimate moments take precedence over dazzling set pieces and nonstop thrills. There’s still a mystery to be unraveled, but the meat of the story is laser-focused on Pilate’s growth.
Having started the series with this, the fourth book, I haven’t seen Pilate before as a bachelor, but his balancing family life with his responsibilities as a (sort of) cop is very entertaining.
On top of the constable gig and Pilate’s stepdad/father/husband duties, he must contend with a voice in his head, who he’s dubbed “Simon,” perhaps referring to the children’s game Simon Says. Simon voices Pilate’s doubts and fears. Is he capable of standing up to defend his family? Can he keep the town safe, even when an anonymous axeman is on the loose? Is the Saab he’s been driving uncool?
I found myself growing very fond of Pilate over the course of this novel. For one thing, it’s refreshing to read a novel with an anti-gun action hero. Pilate is more comfortable pistol-whipping a perp than firing his firearm. Even in a scenario where the NRA might proffer “The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” Pilate runs in and proves that this is hogwash and a good guy without a gun can save the day as well.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/pilates-...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews