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BAD TIDINGS
Genre: Mystery
ISBN: 1-58124-788-5
Author: F.M. Meredith
Cover art: Rickey R. Mallory Trade Paperback, 198 pgs., $12.99
eBook version, only $4.17!

Lt. Tom Gilbreath, who is called "the old hound dog" behind his back, is the one who often delivers bad news. He is soon to receive some of his own. His wife, Marlene, often knows as much about what is going on with the Rocky Bluff P.D. as her husband, and she knows even more about the other officers' private lives.

Officer Joe Guzzo has a perfect wife and a wandering eye. A knock-out, Officer Georgia Lindquist captures the interest of all the single guys in the department and the notice of the married ones.

Two murders bring chaos to the beach community of Rocky Bluff and keep Lt.Gilbreath busy as he faces a crisis of his own.

Click here to read an excerpt

Reviews:

"I read through Final Respects so quickly and was so eager to continue with the Rocky Bluff P.D. series that I moved right onto Bad Tidings, which I finished in under a day.

"In the second book of this series, Lieutenant Tom Gilbreath is often the one who gets to deliver bad news. Little does he know that he's about to receive some bad news of his own.

"Officer Joe Guzzo has a perfect wife, but suffers from a wandering eye. Is it any wonder he and many of the other officers in the department notice Officer Georgia Lindquist is a knock-out?

"Two murders rock the once small beach community of Rocky Bluff and keep Lt. Gilbreath busy while he faces a crisis of his own.

"As I already mentioned, I moved swiftly from Book 1 into Book 2 of the Rocky Bluff P.D. series. Not only did I not want to lose my momentum on learning the back story of characters I have become attached to through the reading of the other books in this series, I was so impressed with the first book that I didn't have the desire to read anything else but Bad Tidings this week, which also explains why I'm reading Fringe Benefits right now.

"Like Final Respects before it, there are several smaller crimes that take place, but the two murders are the focus of the story. As has been true in every Rocky Bluff P.D. book I've read, the reader not only gets to watch the detectives unravel clues and capture criminals; he also gets a chance to see how each officer's job affects his family.

"Now divorced, Doug Milligan has thrown himself into his job and is considering taking Officer Lindquist out on a date. Problem is, several others guys, single and married, are interested in the sexiest member of the department. Is jealousy going to affect their working together?

"In addition to familiar characters, readers get a chance to meet some new faces. But again, as someone who read the later installments of this series first, I truly enjoyed moving back in time to see where characters like Frank Marshall were in Bad Tidings as opposed to where they are in An Axe to Grind.

"With Joe Guzzo, Meredith created a cop that you really don't like too much, which was new for the series when the book first came out. In Final Respects, the cops were all good guys. They dealt with stuff, but they didn't have serious flaws that made you want to beat them with a stick. Guzzo, on the other hand, while a good cop, he's a jerk as a husband. He's stepping out on his beautiful wife, and his son doesn't seem to be too high on his priority list either. What ultimately happens with him didn't come as a surprise, but I have to admit I spent some of my reading time wondering how Meredith was going to deal with Guzzo.

"Bad Tidings by F.M. Meredith is an excellent police procedural. Meredith's level of research is obvious, and she shares her knowledge without losing the reader in a bunch of jargon and unncessary details.

"You can purchase this book from the author's website. If you are interested in picking up a copy of Bad Tidings, you better do it soon. Once the author's copies are gone, it will no longer be available. And let me tell you, if you get into this series like I have, you won't want to miss this one."
--Cheryl Malandrinos, The Book Connection

"Bad Tidings by F.M. Meredith gives a realistic look on the life of policemen, not only on views on their harsh jobs, but at a personal part as well. The everyday practical issues are dealt and expressed between the pages of this thrilling book, one that does not only contain actions during work, but in the private lives of officers as well. It is a wonderful, cleverly crafted novel that depicts the entire spectrum of human nature and characteristics--love, loyalty, sorrow, dishonesty, doubt, and inward feeling of self-fulfillment--all in one book, with a happy ending."

December 23, 2003 Reviewed by Shirley Cheng, author of Daring Quests of Mystics

"It is just another typical night for Lieutenant Tom Gilbreath when he gets called out to a suspicious accident scene. He suspects the victim was already dead before car crashed into a tree and burst into flames. The case takes an even stranger twist when the medical examiner identifies the body as one of a young man who had recently been buried rather than the owner of the vehicle, Granville Wheatley, a well known real estate broker in the small community of Rocky Bluff.

Things get very tense in the police department when the wife of one of the cops is brutally murdered. The officer himself in out of town on an illicit rendezvous which only fans the rumors. Is he responsible or is there a bigger danger that may be connected to another murder of an older wealthy woman?

In this police procedural the reader gets a look behind the life of small town cops, warts and all. Their real life struggles are often more compelling than the cases they must handle. Although, the story has many bad tidings for those involved they are able to handle what life deals them with a mixture of humor and bravado.

Ms. Meredith has another winner on her hands with Bad Tidings. Her talent to create engaging characters and taut, dramatic plots is evident in this 'must read' novel."

--Roberta Austin reviewer for All About Murder and Murder and Mayhem