Is Eva’s friend Shade an innocent victim of a brutal criminal justice system or is he a ruthless serial butcher?
Houston PI Eva Baum knows how to find people, even if they don't want to be found.
Her newest client is Shade, a mentally ill, homeless artist, and he wants Eva to tackle a bizzare case. His ex-wife, Julie, may hold the key to revealing the identity of a vicious serial killer---known as Hacksaw---who tortured and mutilated underage prostitutes years ago and was never caught. When Shade asks Eva to find Julie, her new mission could turn this very cold case hot again.
Eva isn't the only one searching for Julie. A vicious Seattle mobster, a couple of unscrupulous federal officers, and possibly even the Hacksw Murderer are keeping close tabs on Eva's progress. Eva is looking for Julie, the truth, perhaps even some justice and redemption, but all she can see at the end of this complicated trail is terror, blood, and death. What she cannot see coming is ultimate, devasting betrayal.
Excerpt
I jammed the accelerator to the floor and slammed into the rear of Baldy’s car just as he had regained control and was attempting to turn onto Holcomb. I didn’t have a belt on and flew face first into the exploding air bag.
I sat there stunned for a few seconds, and then clawed my way out from behind the air bag. The door would only half open before it jammed. I squeezed out and stood there on shaky legs. Baldy was a little less stunned than I was. His car had stalled, turned the wrong way on Holcomb, but he was cranking it back to life. I started to move towards him. The driver’s side window was open – I could reach right through and get my hands on him. He saw me before I had taken two steps, pulled a huge revolver out of a shoulder rig beneath his jacket, and sighted it right in the middle of my chest. Left-handed – arm extended through the side window, he had me point-blank. I considered it a moral victory that I didn’t pee my pants. We held our positions for a few seconds. He smiled again. He moved his aim a few inches and the gun exploded. The sound alone hit me like a physical blow.
Professional Reviews
Midwest Book Review
HACKSAW, Charlotte Phillips & Mark Phillips, iUniverse, $15.95, 210 pages, ISBN: 9780595456079, reviewed by Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
Weird clients are nothing to new to Houston PI Eva Baum. "Hacksaw" is the tale of how she might be forced onto the trail of a brutal serial killer whose case has turned cold. Eva is close to taking it out of that file and not everyone is excited about her snooping about, not even the law itself - but Eva is determined to discover the truth anyway, not for money, but because she must know. A riveting read from first page to last, "Hacksaw" is highly recommended to community library collections dedicated to suspenseful fiction.
Reader Views
HACKSAW, Charlotte Phillips & Mark Phillips, iUniverse, $15.95, 210 pages, ISBN: 9780595456079, reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views
I always know that whenever I get my hands on a book published by iUniverse, I am going to love it. Once again, iUniverse did not let me down. "Hacksaw" is the first book in the Eva Baum Detective Series. It is written by the husband and wife writing team of Charlotte Phillips and Mark Phillips.
"Hacksaw" immediately pulled me in. It is one of those books that has so many twists and turns that you won't want to put it down. The main character, Eva Baum, is a private investigator. She does her best to do what is right, but she also has to deal with temptations that sometimes involve having to step around the law. She learns from those lessons. When pushed into a corner, she does not back down. As a matter of fact, you really wouldn't want to find out what she can do when pushed. I loved this aspect of her character. As a woman, it made me feel empowered. Even if she is just a fictional character, I had thoughts like, "If she can do it, so can I."
I also liked Eva's independence. She knows what she wants and goes for it. She is loyal to the people around her. In this story, Eva is trying to help Shade, who is a mentally ill man still emotionally recovering from having been accused of being Hacksaw. Hacksaw is a serial killer who likes to torture and dismember his victims. Shade was cleared of any wrongdoing; however, mentally he suffered dearly from the whole ordeal. When Shade is beaten up by someone seeking his ex-wife Julie, Eva steps in. She discovers that there are several people looking for Julie and none of them are reputable characters. It appears that Hacksaw himself is after her.
Eva has to step down into the dark world of drugs, pornography and prostitution to get clues of Julie's whereabouts. She encounters some really unscrupulous people. Her own life becomes at stake. She also learns a hard lesson about betrayal.
"Hacksaw" is a great female private-eye mystery. Both men and women will love this book. I am looking forward to future books in the Eva Baum series. I don't think that we have heard the last of the Phillips and Phillips writing team.
Better Than Sex
HACKSAW, Charlotte Phillips & Mark Phillips, iUniverse, $15.95, 210 pages, ISBN: 9780595456079, reviewed by Diana L. Driver, Author of Ninth Lord of the Night, www.dianaldriver.com
Beginning on page one, HACKSAW is one mystery/thriller that the reader won’t want to put down – not for food, sleep or even sex. In fact any interruptions that took me away from reading this book was a MAJOR irritation. Brilliantly plotted, skillfully written, and extremely well-presented, HACKSAW is a book to rave about.
Congratulations to Charlotte Phillips and Mark Phillips for a job well-done. HACKSAW deserves 10 stars, too bad I can only give five.
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