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Rex Burns
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Body Slam (The Touchstone Agency Mysteries Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Rex Burns (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 8 ratings
Targeted by thugs, a wrestling impresario reaches out to an old friend
When Otto Lidke got a tryout in pro football, he hired a lawyer friend named Jim Raiford to handle his contract. The negotiations were bungled, forcing both men into a career change. Trying to start a pro wrestling circuit in Denver, Lidke runs afoul of the national federation, which does everything it can—legal and otherwise—to stamp out his new venture. When shady business practices escalate into threats on his life, Lidke calls on Raiford, now a private investigator, to dig up some dirt on the men who are trying to put him out of business.
But instead he gets Raiford’s daughter, Julie—a whip-smart sleuth looking to prove she’s every bit as savvy as her father. As Julie and her dad dig into the vicious world of small-time wrestling, they find that though the fights may be fixed, the danger is all too real.  
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  1. Part of series
    The Touchstone Agency Mysteries
  2. Print length
    322 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
  5. Publication date
    February 11, 2014
  6. File size
    3.3 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  • Kindle Price:
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Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Burns, author of the Gabe Wager mysteries (the first of which, The Alvarez Journal, won an Edgar Award in 1976 for Best First Novel), begins a promising new series. Jim Raiford, a private investigator in Colorado, is approached by an old friend, Otto Lidke, who’s trying to start a new career as a pro-wrestling promoter. Seems the man is being threatened by a bigger fish in the pond, believes one of his partners might have killed himself because of the intimidation, and wants Raiford to look into it. Jim’s busy on another case, so his daughter, Julie, starts the investigation. The man Lidke fingered as the source of the intimidation denies everything (“I don’t give the tiniest squeaky fart what Otto Lidke does,” the man says), and Jim and Julie wonder if perhaps Otto’s a little off base—until another person dies, and this time it’s no suicide. This first Touchstone Agency novel is anchored by a strong father-daughter team, who are supported by a cast of full-bodied supporting characters. The writing offers a nice mixture of hard-boiled detective and whimsy, and it’s hard to imagine any fan of private-eye novels who wouldn’t enjoy this one very much. --David Pitt

Review

“A skillful and sensitive writer.” —The New York Times Book Review
“Among the best fictional police writers . . . [Burns] avoids clichés and provides us with good, intense narrative . . . within a truthful framework.” —The National Centurion: A Police Lifestyle Magazine
“One of our best writers of mysteries.” —The Boston Globe

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HG1SZHQ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (February 11, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 11, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.3 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 8 ratings

About the author

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Rex Burns

Rex Burns

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Rex Burns, born to a Navy family, travelled widely as a child. His earliest memory is of the Japanese invasion of Cheefoo (as it was called then) China, where he and his mother were threatened with beheading by a Japanese officer. Since then, he has always worn his hair cut short. Going to schools in Boston, Pensacola, Coronado (CA), San Francisco, Chincoteague (VA), Jacksonville (FL), Virginia Beach (VA) and other ports of call gave him a comprehensive, if chaotic, education which contributed to his penchant for telling tales. So far these have reached 23 books, several of which won regional prizes and one, "The Alvarez Journal" received an "Edgar." He has written numerous short stories, a few poems, and a number of non-fiction articles on the craft of writing. Under his father's name "Tom Sehler," he published "When Reason Sleeps," a novel that may be found on the Tom Sehler biography page. A series of short stories featuring Constable Leonard Smith and set in Western Australia may be found in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

His recent serio-comic novel "The Better Part of Valour" is published by Tirgearr Press and available wherever e-books are sold. Protagonist Cornelius Mead, a Falstaffian character who survives by wit and luck, is bought out of jail in Guyana to be a demolitions expert in a low budget Colombian revolution. However, he knows nothing about combat demolitions and only wishes to fulfill his dream of making a theme park out of the Jonestown Massacre site.

Rex received his AB from Stanford, served in the Marine Corps, earned his PhD from Minnesota, and spent most of his teaching career at the University of Colorado, retiring in 2000.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
8 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • jameslcolwell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Burns Wins Again!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 15, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    A rousing finish and a great sense of humor make this one of the best Rex Burns mysteries I've ever read.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Paula Tissot
    4.0 out of 5 stars Read it!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 8, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Intelligent writing , well crafted plot and subtle humor. Hard to put down.
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  • Mark Stevens
    4.0 out of 5 stars Knock-Out
    Reviewed in the United States on June 26, 2014
    Straightforward, like a jab to the jaw, "Body Slam" resonates.

    The style is unmistakably Rex Burns—story before flash, action before sentimentality, moment-by-moment grit.

    You can see the Raymond Chandler roots, sure, or other classic suspense guys who flex a little muscle with their mystery.

    Burns manages scenes with care yet keeps the action chugging hard. The narrative bleeds into the dialogue and the dialogue feeds the narrative like a hungry beast. You know you’re in good hands.

    "Body Slam" introduces us to a father-daughter private detectives who run The Touchstone Agency. The setting is Denver. Julie Campbell is the daughter; Jim Raiford the father. Longtime Burns protagonist Gabe Wager shows up to assist at a few key moments. (By the way, wouldn’t “Rex Burns” make a great name for a fictional private eye?)

    The story starts with a Denver wrestling promoter named Otto Lidke. One of his partners just committed suicide and he wants to put a stop to threats arriving via letter and phone. Lidke has his suspicions.

    Raiford and Lidke go back. They have history. Raiford might have made a mistake that cost them both—something. Their earlier interaction led them to their respective careers today. Lidke turned to wrestling. Ralford might owe him now that he’s in a pinch.

    After a second partner is murdered, the Touchstone Agency loses the job. No surprise—the investigation was fizzing out. But Raiford has his teeth into the investigation and will even go undercover, donning wrestling tights, to get the inside scoop. Sound corny? It’s not. Burns’ unadorned narrative keeps it real. The wrestling scenes are knock-out. You’ll feel privy to the tricks of the trade and the subtle aspects of the sub-culture.

    "Body Slam" includes plenty of smart clue finding, a strong and nuanced father-daughter relationship and a satisfying end that is a perfect product of the plot (in other words, left field is not involved). Organized crime, we learn is “like any other organism” and can grow and adapt to its surroundings when it’s time to move to “new feeding grounds.”

    Rex Burns is a master at character driving plot and plot driving character. "Body Slam" is a fine example of his sturdy, dependable style.
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  • Rhonda Lomazow
    4.0 out of 5 stars body slam
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2014
    A thriller set in the world of wrestling well developed characters a real page turner kept me up late..HIghly recommend.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • David W. Nicholas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ho Hum
    Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2014
    Back in the day I used to pay more attention to various detective novelists. I read a bunch more books back then, especially lighter fiction. Rex Burns was one of the writers I followed pretty closely. His main character was a Denver cop named Gabe Wager. They weren’t my favorite books but they were good enough for me to follow for a good long while. At some point the store where I bought murder mysteries closed, and my tastes shifted from them to more non-fiction. Somehow I lost track of Rex Burns in the shuffle: nothing intentional, it just happened.

    Now I’m reviewing stuff on NetGalley, and Rex Burns shows up with a new book. Now, instead of chronicling the adventures of Wager, Burns has developed a new pair of characters. They’re a father and daughter, and they’re both private eyes who work in Denver. Since I was familiar with Burns from back before, I decided to try out this latest book and see what I thought. My reaction is more or less so-so.
    The detectives, father and daughter, are OK, though I didn’t think their characters were that well-defined. We learn that the father is in ridiculously good shape, in that he can qualify to be a pro wrestler (in a small regional circuit) without having to get into shape. The father used to be a lawyer, but screwed up a particular contract negotiation so badly he decided that he should find another line of work. The guy who lost his shirt because of our hero’s incompetence as a lawyer hires him again, this time as a private eye, to protect him. He claims he already knows the source of the threat. He’s now a professional wrestling promoter wannabe, and the guy who runs the regional circuit locally apparently doesn’t want any competition. The Touchstone Agency (that’s their name) investigates, and soon discovers that the promoter who’s supposedly the source of the threats has mob connections from back east, and might easily be able to arrange what’s happening.

    This was only a so-so book, as I stated above. Some of the characters seemed a bit over the top, some of the dialog wasn’t that good, and as I said the characters weren’t that well-drawn. Wager himself makes a cameo appearance, and frankly I was more amused when he was around than I was with either of the protagonists. Not horrible, not that good either.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Jeffrey Tretin
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Fun Read!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2014
    A mystery/thriller which is set in the world of wrestling. Great characters and a fun read. You won't be sorry you spent the time!
    3 people found this helpful
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