Peer Reviewed

Every professional desires recognition by his peers. Especially those peers who have the greatest recognition by the public and critics, and who are considered the best in the field.

Unfortunately for me, Rex Stout, Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Earl Stanley Gardner have passed on to the great writing desk in the sky.

However, in my little pond, I am very honored that I’ve been able to garner recognition from and support of writers who I very much respect. Writers such as Crispian Thurlborn, Richard Schwindt, Joe Congel, and Caleb Pirtle III.

And that means a lot to me. There’s a reason why scientists submit their papers to peer-reviewed journals.

Now there is a danger in peer review. The old, entrenched establishment can use peer pressure to squash new ideas, enforce political correctness, and derail change. We also see the same when the old guard is kicked out and a new group takes over.

This is what has happened in the writing world. For the most part, writing organizations have been taken over by radical elements that are enforcing extreme political correctness on what may be published. And have been extending that censorship to works of the past. Book burning has given way to book suppression and shaming.

Consequently, I find it very refreshing that there is no censoriousness amongst the writers in my corner of the world.

The other day, Joe Congel posted a fabulous review of my book, A Nest of Spies. He is the author of the Tony Razzolito, P.I. mysteries. And he is a doggone good writer.

In Tony Razzolito, Congel has given us a contemporary P.I. who is in the tradition of the hardboiled greats. Reading the Tony Razzolito mysteries reminds me of Hammett and Chandler. There’s none of the frenzied thriller in Congel’s books. Sure there’s action and excitement, but done in the classic whodunit tradition. And done quite well. Quite well, indeed.

You can find the Tony Razzolito mysteries on Amazon.

So when a mystery writer I admire takes a liking to my mystery series, it’s an honor I cherish.

Here’s Joe Congel’s review of A Nest of Spies.

Hawes has hit his stride. A worthy addition to this already fabulous series!

If you’re not reading this wonderful Private Investigator Mystery series, you should be. CW Hawes has created a cast of characters that I believe stand tall next to any traditional detective, whodunit mystery you want to put them up against. 

In this, the 5th installment of the series, the reader gets a peek into private eye, Justinia Wright’s secret government past. A past that she never talks about, not even with her brother, Harry. But when government (the U.S as well as other countries) spies and contract killers start appearing on her doorstep, it becomes obvious to Harry that his baby sister may still have at least one toe dipped in a pool filled with espionage and treason. 

Spies can be a funny bunch; they will put their mutual trust in one another when it’s beneficial to them, but will not hesitate to pull the trigger to save themselves. And all the while, you cannot believe a word any of them say. When a former agency partner tries to unsuccessfully hire Tina to help secure a flash drive with plans for a top-secret weapon by posing as the buyer, it is just the beginning of a fun, interesting mystery filled with lots of twists and turns.

As more and more people from Tina’s past show up wanting to talk with and hire the great detective’s services, the lies… and the body count begin to grow. And when Tina is accused of murder, she and her team of sleuths devise a scheme to recover the missing flash drive, catch a murderer, clear their names, and in the process make a little profit for their troubles.

With all that is going on in this story, you would think that the Wrights would have time for nothing else. And as interesting as the main plot of this novel is, the subplot that fleshes out the on again, off again relationship saga between Tina and police Lieutenant Cal Swenson, all the fabulous meals cooked up by Harry and his wife Bea, and the side characters like Tina’s tenant, the quirky artist wannabe, Solstice, is perhaps what really makes this series special. 

Hawes has developed characters that you can’t help but care about. It’s what makes me continue to buy and read every book in this series. I really want to know what’s going on in Tina and Harry’s personal life as well as how they will solve the mystery at hand.

I highly recommend A Nest of Spies. It is my favorite Justinia Wright Mystery so far, and I can’t wait to dive into the next one to see where the mystery and mayhem takes this talented brother and sister detective duo.

That is high praise. Reviews such as that one get me through the occasional dark day.

If you haven’t read A Nest of Spies, you can find the book on Amazon, along with the entire Justinia Wright series.

Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!

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