Into the Fire

The Spike is Book 4 in A Marty Singer Mystery Series by Matthew Iden. 

Learning the intricacies of the Washington DC real estate wheeling and dealing is possibly the last thing former MPDC detective Marty Singer expected to address after witnessing the ultra-shocking murder of a woman by a subway train. Facing the shock of watching it happen in split-second time, Singer gathers himself and pursues the man who pushed her into the oncoming train, but he's too fast and too fit and Marty loses him in the chase. However, after giving his statement to the police which he knows is vague because he never saw the man's face or evaluated him from any near distance, he is asked by the family of the woman to find her killer. All he knows for sure is the guy was athletic. 

Marty really doesn't want to take the job, but Amanda is facing a serious medical bill for her broken arm received after chasing a guy who tried to harass his former girlfriend at the women's shelter where Amanda works, and Marty intends to pay for it. With so little to work with, Marty starts with the well-to-do family. Next, he visits her well-known firm of real-estate attorneys. Suddenly, the dead woman isn't the only body to turn up murdered and there seems to be something telling about a deal facing difficulty in a development deal. Marty has to learn all the ins and outs of DC real estate development and discover who "the spike" is for this failing deal that both dead people were working on. 

Underlying his search for the killer using unlikely sources to zero in on the reason(s) for these murders and his former partner from his days at MPDC, his suffocating fear of getting his cancer checkup after receiving the reminder in the mail keeps him agitated and uneasy. Plus, the woman he felt betrayed him by withholding information on a case they were investigating keeps turning up in his thoughts and now in person at the women's shelter, helping the shelter with some pro bono work. 

If you enjoy mega-information about how DC works in its real estate hustles, this is the story for you. The payoffs, the political rewards, the enormous tax breaks, and campaign donations – all of it gets detailed attention in this story to expose the complex and unexpected "purpose" of the elimination of certain individuals. 

Marty Singer is the typical east coast cynical former cop with a tender heart and a normal fear regarding his mortality. Cancer is an ugly word for all of us, and Matthew does a great job of portraying his character's personal challenges in facing the possibility that it's returned. He's back to full strength, things finally seem right again, and having the threat of it lurking in his body causes him real fear.   

Some vivid characters in this story, some likable, some detestable, but entertaining just the same. This is a good well-written series with some stories more in the police procedural model and others more in the freelance investigation of a mystery mode. Marty Singer will definitely draw you into his world. His sarcasm, dry humor, exaggerations, and determination will keep you engaged in each book, and you'll feel glad to have made his acquaintance. 

A Marty Singer Mystery Series is definitely one you should consider. 

Profanity present. 

Father, please continue to bless Matthew, encourage him, and keep him and his family safe from all harm. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.