Russian Roulette (Dev Haskell Mystery, #1) by Mike Faricy

Russian Roulette (Dev Haskell Mystery, #1) Reviews

• 
  Jilly

  E.T.A. - Oh, I forgot to mention that this book is free on amazon right now. You get the whole series in a pack, so go get it!
  
  Just the other day I was saying I didn't like the noir-style of writing, and yet here I am, liking the crap out of this book, and especially the "hero", Dev Haskell. It's got that noir feel, but contemporary, and very sarcastic and funny. Dev has that dry humor that cracks me up.
  
  I certainly wasn't going to get into anything with her over the phone. I like to watch people when they lie to me.....
  
  "you know, I'm terribly sorry about (the blood on the pavement). Next time I have someone shoot me in the head I'll make sure they do it on the lawn."
  
  
  
  
  So, not only is Dev a smartass, but he's a womanizing smartass with a terrible reputation.
  
  "The list of people who know you and don't want to shoot you would probably be a lot shorter than the ones who do."
  
  
  Never assume that something doesn't want to kill you. Australia teaches us that.
  
  Yeah, his friends are awesome too. He has a female best friend, Heidi, who rushes to his hospital bedside after a shooting:
  
  "I figured I should get over here so you can eliminate my name from the list of dozens of women who want to kill you," Heidi said.
  
  
  
  And, his other best friend is Aaron, a cop, who occasionally helps Dev out in his private investigations. In this book, Dev is trying to find the missing sister of a woman, and things get pretty complicated. Aaron's case and Dev's case have a few suspects in common, so they do a little bit of working together. Regarding one person of interest:
  
  Dev: "You said he's dead too?"
  Aaron: "Yeah assisted suicide."
  Dev: "Assisted suicide?"
  Aaron: "He apparently blew his brains out with a colt .45, then put a second round in what was left of his skull just to be sure. The .45 was still in his hand, an unsigned, typewritten note stuffed in his pocket."
  So, the guy was really good at killing himself. What's the problem?
  
  This book is straight up mystery. Dev sees tons of action, and it's a lot of fun. It doesn't have any romance at all, although he had sex at one point - it was fade to black. There are some dark things in it, but nothing is touched on too strongly so that you get upset or depressed. Basically, it's just some loser P.I. who is running around after people that are way out of his league. Dev is kind of a pig, but he's a lovable pig, so you find yourself rooting for him to .... well, just survive because he IS a loser.
  
  
  Go Dev, go!
• 
  Laurie

  I gotta tell you right now, up front – one of my newest favorite antihero protagonists is hands-down, Devlin Haskell. Dev is an individual who reminds you of somebody you know - someone you wish you could ignore, but can’t. Dev thinks of himself as brave and debonair, but we all know he’s a big disheveled puddy cat who is more at ease dumpster diving in an alley for freebies. Then, inspired by the contentment of a full belly and basically generous nature, calls his friends to partake of the alley feast, as well.
  
  Like a cat, he is seemingly blessed with a multitude of lives and a demeanor that dares you to contradict his “I am the King” attitude. Always in trouble, Dev’s unique code of honor keeps him trudging through his investigation. He doesn’t give up. When he falters, he gathers the tattered shreds of his dignity and keeps plodding on. He is a funny guy, always in trouble, rarely sensible. He makes me groan, and he causes me to laugh aloud.
  
  As my finger rapidly clicked through the screens on my kindle, and the story sped by for me, I kept the faith that Dev would rescue the girl, and solve the case. This well-developed, quirky crime mystery by Mike Faricy is escapist entertainment at its very best. Well-intentioned, inept, lucky and, have I mentioned, always in trouble, Devlin Haskell leads a riotous cast of unconventional characters in a fast-paced who-dun-it that will appeal to readers of all ages.
  
  Reviewed by
  Laurie-J
  
• 
  David Freas

  Amazon carries this blurb about Russian Roulette: WHO WILL LIKE IT: Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, Tony Dunbar's Tubby Dubonnet mysteries, the Chevy Chase Fletch movies, and Florida-zany authors like Carl Hiassen, Tim Dorsey, and Dave Barry—though not because this book is set in Florida—it’s just zany!
  
  Sadly, it’s not. Not zany. Not funny. Not even mildly humorous. It’s just tedious.
  
  There was no tension, no sense of danger looming.
  
  Banter between the characters seems forced and often sounds juvenile
  
  Dev Haskell, the main character, acts like a pubescent boy – leering and almost drooling over every pretty woman he sees – instead of like an adult. And every time he answers his cell, he tells us he can’t read the numbers.
  
  Faricy offers no clues or anything that provides a vague sense of where book is set until the fourth or fifth chapter. It’s St. Paul, Minnesota for your information.
  
  Early in the book, Haskell takes a grazing gunshot wound to his head but afterward, there is no mention of stitches, a shaved portion of his head, or a bandage. So either Haskell is an immediate healer or the people he interacts with are terminally blind. Blunders like that can destroy an author’s credibility. Consider your credibility destroyed, Mr. Faricy.
  
  And by the way, it’s ‘make a beeline for’ not ‘make a B-line for’ and it’s throes not throws of passion. Doesn’t anyone use proofreaders anymore?
  
  Several paragraphs and chapters in this download were double-spaced while the rest of the book was single-spaced.
  
  The only good thing I can say about this book is that it was a free download.
  
  That’s not enough to make me want to read more Dev Haskell stories.
  
  I rated this book 2 stars only because I didn’t really hate it. 1½ stars would be a more honest rating – it did nothing for me.
  
• 
  Dee

  😂😂🤭❤️
  
  Reading this book felt like I was just reading a Brooklyn Nine-Nine script and I loved it. The author has a way with words that will just have you laughing even in serious situations and I get why the book is called Russian Roulette. This was an awesome and funny read
  
  The mystery was easy to solve and I’m not complaining, I had so much fun 😄
• 
  Marina Fontaine

  This is a very entertaining book. I liked the main character, the dark sense of humor and the fast paced action. The author is very good at setting the mood and giving the reader the sense of time and place with just a few phrases. The main plotline was interesting, although after Eastern Promises, it's kind of hard for a writer to go into that territory and come out ahead. Still, I would have given this book 4 stars just for the entertainment value (it did keep me reading non-stop for hours) IF not for the author's obvious ignorance of Russian names. For Goodness sake, how hard is it to Google some Russian names if you are going to build a story involving Russians? How did this get by beta readers and editors? This is supposed to be an established author with many books in print. I am willing to overlook the (many) punctuation errors, but the names just kept me shaking my head throughout and pulling me out of the story. What a shame for such an otherwise enjoyable book to be undermined by something so easily fixed.
• 
  Tulay

  Okay story.
  
  Russian mafia, human trafficking and drugs. Dev Haskell over grown teenager, didn't like this character. Constantly looking at his cell and complaining about not seeing who is calling, drunken womanizer. Can't even manage his finances, but drinking in St. Paul bars all day.
• 
  Lynn Worton

  PI Devlin Haskell has been hired to find his latest client's sister. After a one night stand with his client, Devlin finds himself unwittingly involved with the Russian mob. Whilst trying to get answers, Dev finds himself being shot, beaten, car bombed and used as a human shield. Will his luck hold out long enough to find his client's sister?
  
  PI Devlin Haskell seems to have the devils own luck. When his client asks him to help locate her missing sister, he doesn't realise what he is getting into. His innocent investigation takes a decidedly dangerous turn when he is shot and ends up on the Russian mob's radar!
  This is the first time I've read one of Mike Faricy's novels, and I was struck by how the PI managed to get himself into so many incidents without getting himself killed!
  He is a charming womaniser who thinks women are great. However, there are a few of his ex-girlfriends who would not return the compliment! I tend to agree with them! Dev comes across as a player, and I'm surprised he hasn't caught anything with all the bed hopping going on!
  However, I loved the story as it unfolded. I think that I'm in love with Dev's best friend, Lieutenant Aaron LaZelle! I love his witty and irreverent comments! They made me snigger! - Can I keep him please?
  Mike Faricy has written a fantastic novel that kept me hooked from the first page. I actually have another one of his books downloaded on my Kindle, and I am now looking forward to reading it soon! I recommend this book if you love a detective story with a likeable (or is it un-likeable?) rogue as the hero.
• 
  Madelon

  Remember Donny and Marie? "I'm a little bit country… I'm a little bit rock 'n' roll…?" Devlin Haskell, PI, is a little bit 30s noir detective and a little bit 21st century screwup. Modern noir sometimes uses throwback technology to set the scene. Mike Faricy gives Dev Haskell all the modern gadgets, but sets the mood with sharp language.
  
  RUSSIAN ROULETTE is a well written mystery/thriller that includes the private eye and his cop buddy, interfering Feds, booze, and women. Yes, let us not forget the women.
  
  I'm not one to give away the farm while reviewing. If you want that, read the blurb. Faricy sets the stage for the books to come without actually giving away too much about Devlin. It is suggested in the blurb that followers of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series will enjoy this book. Ms. Plum has several traits that follow her through the books. I am reserving judgement on this until I have read more books in this series because the one thing that stands out about Stephanie (in my mind anyway) does happen to Dev.
  
  I confess to having put off reading this series (17 books and counting) for far too long. My excuse? So many books, so little time! I see this first book in the series as the start of an ongoing, beautiful relationship. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series: MR SWIRLEE.
• 
  Susan (aka Just My Op)

  Looking for something light and quick to read, I thought maybe this book that I downloaded to my Kindle some time ago might fit the bill. And it did. It's the first in the Dev Haskell – Private Investigator series.
  
  I didn't expect great literature and I didn't get it. I got a fun, entertaining, and nicely written novel with some darkness to it, including human trafficking, and a protagonist who isn't quite the cream of the crop, and who bumbles his way through investigations and personal relationships.
  
  This is a good “interlude” book, for those times you want something light before you tackle the more serious stuff. I liked it enough so that I am going to continue reading the series.
• 
  Mike French

  Very enjoyable and entertaining. Second book of Dev Haskell that I read and looking forward to reading more.
• 
  Karen

  I like a good mystery now and then along with a PI who is interesting as well as flawed in some way. This guy is everything I look for in a good private dick. I have never read this author before and this first book has made me willing to read more books by him.
  
  I was pulled in at the start of the book because Dev came across as a noir type of private detective, which immediately made me like him. The other characters were fairly interesting as part of the overall storyline and you know who will be coming back in future books. The story itself was a little thin to me as they set it up but never really fully got into it. As I said before the characters who will be a part of later stories were being developed well so that they did not come across as one dimensional.
  
  Once the initial rush of the story wore off I was less enthusiastic but still willing to continue with the story though at a slower rate since it was harder for me to stay interested long term.
  
  A woman contacts Dev about a job and when he meets her they seem to hit off, or so he thinks. Kerri wants to hire Dev to find her missing sister but gives him very little to go on. The with this job is that he does not find out until he gets in deep that both women are involved with a Russian mobster called Bracko the Whacko. Things take a downturn almost immediately once he gets on the job through no fault of his.
  
  While I enjoyed this I was disappointed that the main story ended at the 68% mark and they filled up the rest with an excerpt from book 2 (4 chapters) and an excerpt from a book written under his pseudonym. Makes for a less than stellar end to the first novel.
• 
  Jenene

  Very good! Love the main character!
• 
  Jann

  When I started this book, the main character, Dev Haskell irritated me because of his loose-living life style and his series of one night stands. Does a private investigator have to be a slob and heavy drinker with an inflated ego? Perhaps they do, as otherwise they might not have any idea how the criminal element operates or where to find informers. I felt that the focus was more on his behaviour than the actual plot but eventually that gave way to more action. By this time I was quite interested in where the events would take him and wanted to see if he would be able to solve the various crimes happening around him. Although the story is told from Haskell's point of view, he wouldn't have been able to find the answers without the participation of his pal in the local police, help from a Homeland Security team and an FBI agent who can translate Russian for them from the otherwise obstructionist FBI task force. The Russian mobsters with Braco the Wacko who runs, among other things, an escort agency whose young girls are virtually slaves, seem to pop up everywhere. After having several attempts on his life and landing in hospital every few days, Haskell is eventually in on the arrest of all the key players in the underworld crew. I guess I will rethink my plan not to read any more of these Dev Haskell crime books as I own several now, but I will read a few from other genres before I get into another.
• 
  Ana Valenzuela

  Dev Haskell is as some reviewers did say is misogynistic in a way, he's full of himself, which the author refutes with the turnout of events. His curiosity is both a plague and an advantage.
  
  The author's upbeat writing was the only thing that kept me reading. Enjoyable!
  
  Will I be reading other Dev Haskell mysteries, I guess. That's something to think about.
  
  But, I just have to post this question: would you still continue on a case if your client has gone incognito and has admitted to accidentally hurting (no spoilers here) you? Well, if yes, then go ahead read it.
• 
  Dave

  
  Russian Roulette was a fun read. Much of it, especially the beginning, is evocative of 40s noir. A blonde bombshell with a French accent walks into a seedy bar and hires our hero, a PI who is so down on his
  luck that he doesn't have an office, to find her sister. The only clue to her sister's whereabouts is a nude photo of the sister taken at a lake. The PI, Devlin, pounds the streets searching for the mysterious sister
  and often searching for his missing client. In between, Devlin is shot, assaulted, and hunted by everyone from the Russian Mafia to the FBI. A worthwhile read.
• 
  Denise

  This book was a great read. I loved how the story played out. The characters were all great. Poor Dev has some crappy luck. The humor had me laughing throughout. The action was fast paced and full of events. This is a must read to add to your tbr list. Great read. Recommended.
• 
  Jennifer K.

  Pretty good story of a poor private dick pulled into a bigger pond then he was ready for. For a first book it was pretty engaging and entertaining. A normal guy in a crazy yet believable situation. Can’t wait to read the next one to see what happens to him next.
• 
  Chaplain Stanley Chapin

  A fun read
  
  Having just finished a heavy Afghan military story that although probably quite accurate and serious, it was a welcome change of Pace
• 
  Sheri

  I totally recommend this series!!
• 
  C.A. Knutsen

  Intriguing mystery
  
  I have read the number of the Dev Haskell Mysteries. This is the first one in the series. There are others that are good but this one was very enjoyable.
• 
  Danielle

  Easy to read private eye detective story; PI Dev works out of a series of bars, gets embroiled with the Russian mafia and, with some help from his police officer friend Aaron, saves the day.
• 
  Craig Kingsman

  PI Devlin Haskell is hired to find a woman's sister. Turns out the woman is involved with the Russian mob and while the sister exists, she's not the woman's sister. Devlin gets pulled into a joint FBI/ICE/local police investigation into the mob.
  
  There are several things wrong with this story that just a bit of research would have cleared up. Here's a sampling
  - Cordite was last used in the early 1960. It's smell would not exist inside a car in 2011.
  - There is a reference to Nurse Ratched of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Except she's called Nurse Ratchet.
  - The FBI shuts down a bank that is being used by the Russian mob to launder money for it's Mexican drug connection. The book calls the bank "a Casa de Cambio." The correct word is "Cambia.". There is no such Spanish word Cambio.
  - Local police and ICE takee along not one, but two civilians as it raids several drug houses and the apartments of under-age prostitutes run by the mob. No way that would happen. If the civilian were injured or killed, it would spell the end of at least one LOE's career.
  - The above raids (and the closing of the bank) take place over a period of several days. The Russian mob boss would stay around, just sitting in his penthouse apartment.
  - When the penthouse is raided, SWAT doesn't clear the penthouse allowing the hero to be taken hostage. Worst SWAT team ever.
  
  These are the glaring issues. There are others that are more subtle.
• 
  Autumn

  
  http://fallenoverbookreviews.blogspot...
  I have read the other books in the Dev Haskell series and I can say that not only did I enjoy them, but I didn't feel lost by reading out of order.
  
  So this is the very first Dev Haskell book and let me say Dev still finds himself in with the wrong crowd....women and booze are his downfall. I love how being a P.I. he does things his own way, he doesn't listen to those with a badge.
  He gets a case of a missing person though what he uncovers is something way more deeper than someone missing. It seems that bodies will start piling up and Dev will find himself in the crossfire. Is the Russian Mob actually involved? Well the FBI believes so and with the help of Dev they plan to put an end to their ways.
  There are parts that will have you just shake your head and laugh, while other parts you ask yourself why did he put himself in that situation.
  Overall Dev is a good P.I. and stops at nothing to get the answers to the cases he takes on. If you like humor in your P.I. stories check out this series.
• 
  Mcf1nder_sk

  I recently bought a 7-book boxed set of detective novels featuring Sevlin (Dev) Haskell, written by Mike Faricy. I've read the classic detective authors (Chandler, Hammett, Spillane), and wondered what the current crop of detectives would be like. Dev is a hard-drinking, misogynistic loser of a detective who may have a loveable streak, but I couldn't find it. Dev's interactions with Aaron, his stereotypical friend on the local police force, were like a cross between Sam Spade and Abbott and Costello. This book was so over-the-top with ridiculous banter between these two, I almost quit reading. I'm glad I continued reading.
  .
  Aside from Dev's encounters with Aaron and members of the opposite sex, the storyline was very interesting. Haskell is hired by a mysterious woman to find her sister. Besides the facts that 1) it wasn't her sister, 2) the Russian wants Dev to find her so they can kill her and 3) there's a federal Task Force after this same mob, the tale is nicely paced and the action is fun and plentiful. If you can get past the caricatures inhabiting this book, the story itself is a decent one.
  .
  My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
• 
  Scot

  This was fun, and just what I needed. A protagonist P.I. who has dismal luck with women (though he does seem to charm many for a visit to the boudoir. . .), Dev Haskell is often broke, has no office, and can't figure out who is calling him when his phone rings. He seems to run into trouble constantly without asking for it, yet in the clinch, knows how to lose a tail, sweet talk an informant, or figure out a nemesis's planned strategy.
  
  The opening won me over: A seedy bar, a flippant bartender, and a lollapalooza of a femme fatale, ranking with old school greatness, in my estimation. She pulls Dev into an intrigue, a web of crime masterminded by a Russian mafia overlord. Dev never loses his sense of humor, even as the local cops then the FBI get pulled in. Can he find the mysterious missing call girl for his client? It's a fun read. There were a few painful typos that editing should have caught (double word errors not so bad, but for some reason your/you're errors in printed final copy really set me off and then I'm pulled out of the story flow) but I would and will read more in this series. This is kick back, relaxing reading, a masculine equivalent of a female cozy.
• 
  Elizabeth Rebecca Shaw

  Interesting book that introduces Dev Haskell. He works out of a bar and meets a woman who hires him to find her sister. She gives him $500, they get drunk and sleep together and she takes back $100 for professional courtesy. He tries to get a hold of her to find out more about what he is supposed to be doing but has a hard time reaching her. When he does meet with her he ends up shot in the head and in the hospital. Another meeting and he escapes by the skin of his teeth and someone else ends up shot dead. Turns out that he's working for the Russian mob and there isn't a sister just someone in the white slave business. He ends up solving the case after a few more beatings. The only real problem that I have with this story is that if he is getting hit in the head that often and drunk all of the time, he is going to be incoherent.