So I’ve recently been recapping the six books that I read in August. So far I’ve only written about two of the books. Well, today I finished my first book I have read in September and the 40th book I’ve read in 2020. Now, rather than not writing anything about books until I’m caught up writing about the books I read in August, I thought I’d write about book 40 while it’s still fresh in my memory!
The 40th book I’ve finished this year is A Scourge of Vipers by Bruce DeSilva. It is book four in DSilva’s series featuring newspaper reporter Liam Mulligan.
I discovered this series in 2019 when I found book five in the series The Dread Line at our local Dollar Tree. I loved the book and read books 1, 2 and 3 in the series in August, September and November of 2019 respectively. But with the library closed from March to July, it wasn’t until last week that thought about this series, but I’m glad I did!!
A Scourge of Vipers
Liam Mulligan is a dinosaur, an old time investigative reporter working for a dying newspaper The Providence Dispatch. When he is sent to report on an airplane crash, he is pulled into a political quagmire.
A briefcase full of hundred bills is found on the lap of the plane’s dead passenger. Along with the money a written list of politicians is found. It appears that the money is be used to buy the votes of those politicians regarding the state’s plans to legalize sports betting.
Soon the governor’s plan to legalize betting is attacked from all-sides including the NCAA. When body is pulled out of the river appears to be someone who has threatened Mulligan, he becomes a murder suspect.
Can Mulligan discover who’s killing who? While keeping himself alive, employed and out of jail?
James Lee Burke pretty all sums up the writing of Bruce DeSilva …..
Bruce DeSylva writes a story in the tradition of Hammett and Higgins, and he writes it with the knowledge of an old-time police reporter. DeSilva knows cops corruption in the eastern cities in eastern cities, wiseguys, rounders, bouncers, gamblers and midnight ramblers. He writes with authority about the issues of our times and he does it with honesty and candor. his newsman protagonist feigns the role of the cynic but in his way represents the values most of us admire. So if you want a hard-boiled view of how a city actually works this is your book.
I really, really enjoy this series. Mostly because I love the wise-cracking Mulligan, but the stories always deal with the real-life issues of Rhode Island.
Thoughts About Who would Like A Scourge of Vipers
My first thought about who would like this series was fans of Parnell Hall’s Stanley Hastings series. Then I thought fans of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum. Finally, I thought of two series where the protagonists are not police or PIs “Doc”Adams from Rick Boyer and Brady Coyne created by William G. Tapply. They are a dentist and lawyer respectively. Of the two the “Doc”Adams series has more humor.
So check out A Scourge of Vipers and the rest of the Mulligan series. I have proven you can start the series anywhere. However, if you want the full picture start with book one Rogue Island!