Reviews

ECHOES from the Grave

This is a very interesting series, full of psychic and Native American nuances. The author truly paints a picture with her descriptions, I felt like I was at the construction site in the early scenes. Sam and Jake are well developed characters with very interesting interactions. Abby and Alex are also very well done and I had no problem disliking Mr. Breyton or his men. The author tells a great mystery story that will keep the reader interested from beginning to end and I will definitely look for more of this series in the future.

— Maura, Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance 

Author S. D. Tooley delivers this fourth installment in the exciting Sam Casey series with suavity and grace. In a writing style which will rivet the reader to the roller-coaster plotting, Echoes from the Grave is a page-turner which will have the reader racing with heart in mouth to a stunning and unexpected denouement. This reviewer predicts readers will be picking the story up yet again, simply for the pleasure of rereading it to its conclusion, then looking up S. D. Tooley’s other novels as well!

Euro-Reviews

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The misfits Remy Bauer and Rob “Roadkill” Haislett are an unlikely pair of sleuths in their small Indiana town.  Each deals with issues like a parent’s death or abandonment.  When Remy buys a monkey’s skull at a local estate sale, she takes it to Rob, who has a reputation as an amateur taxidermist.  The skull proves to be that of a newborn human baby, and the search for its identity leads to long-buried secrets and murderous attempts to cover them up.  A runaway from a nearby Indian reservation, a retired school teacher and a stalwart sheriff play their part in unraveling the mystery behind the skull.  Remy and “Roadkill” work out a lot of their issues while they cement their friendship in the thoughtful look at small-town life.”

— Roberta Rogow, Mystery Scene Magazine

Author S.D. Tooley pens a fascinating young-adult mystery in The Skull, an installment in her Remy and Roadkill Mystery series. The characters are so well-rounded that they become like friends we know in depth greater than usual. Even the secondary characters are well-turned and elicit the reader's empathy. The plot line reverberates with mystery and suspense, drawing in threads of social issues such as civil rights, class-ism, and modern-day gang violence, with psychological echoes of death, grief, and childhood abandonment. Truly The Skull is an effective mystery novel well worth reading, suitable for young adults but also enticing to older adults as well.

— Euro-Reviews

Tooley weaves the troubles of teens living in the 21st century throughout in a way that only strengthens the characters and plot. Remy is a child of divorce, with a seriously deadbeat dad. Roadkill is dealing with the death of his mother a few years earlier and a father who prides work over time at home with his son. Andy is a runaway whose parents died when he was a young child. These characters are real, as are their struggles dealing with parents and just growing up.

What Tooley has started will receive hearty approval from parents who monitor their tweens and teens reading material – and offer an exciting new series as clean and mysterious as old standbys Nancy Drew or the Hardy Boys.

Angela Wilson  —  www.popsyndicate.com

When the Dead Speak

“A promising first mystery of particular interest to readers of Native American mysteries.”

— Booklist

“Nifty, X-Fileish without the alien tint, this novel slyly pulls you in and under, immersing you in an intricately woven plot.”

— Buzz Review News

“Tooley’s excellent debut novel of mystery and suspense, with its unforgettable characters and vivid story, shows the depth of research into not only police investigation, but Native American culture as well.”

— ForeWord Magazine

“…an action-packed mystery that will garner much attention from fans who enjoy a police procedural with a twist.”

— Midwest Book Review

“For those readers with an interest in the religion of Native Americans and specifically the Sioux, they will find tantalizing hints of these practices within the pages of When the Dead Speak. It looks like Tooley has a winner on her first novel and I look forward to her next, Nothing Else Matters.”

— Leslie Doran, Mystery News

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Nothing Else Matters

“Entertaining reading in what looks to be a solid series.”

— Booklist

“Psychic police sergeant Sam Casey faces impending motherhood as well as murder in S.D. Tooley’s Nothing Else Matters, Casey’s second outing (the first was 1999’s When the Dead Speak). The author, who spent six years as a casino dealer, effectively blends Native American lore with the world of riverboat gambling.”

— Publishers Weekly

“…the characterization and the depth of complexity of the man known only as Sparrow is not only stark and brutal, but also heart wrenching. My sincere compliments to the author of this masterpiece. If you’re searching for a strong female character, unusual plotting, and a terrifically suspenseful tale, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS is a must read.”

— Cindy Penn, www.WordWeaving.com

“…an exciting detective story filled with mysticism, twists, turns, and red herrings that show the talent of S.D. Tooley to provide an entertaining tale …Mystical elements fit into the tale and add to the overall enjoyment. As with WHEN THE DEAD SPEAK, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS will provide enjoyment to readers who will want more special deliveries like these from a gifted author.”

— Harriet Klausner, Midwest Book Review

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Restless Spirit

The 3rd Sam Casey Mystery

“During a visit to a Chasen Heights construction site, Samantha “Sam” Casey, a suspended Native American cop with psychic powers, “sees” the stabbing of a young woman. Her subsequent sleuthing reopens a 17-year-old, apparently cut-and-dry rape-murder, for which the wrong man is about to be executed. Sam and husband Jake, also a detective, eventually back up her vision with concrete clues, all the while side-stepping intrusive media, dis-believing family, and political maneuverings. An exciting mix of police procedure, spiritual ‘intuition,’ creeping suspense, and page-turning narrative.”

— Library Journal, October 1, 2002

“Inspired by an actual 20-year-old unsolved murder that took place in the author's hometown, Restless Spirit is an action-packed mystery that satisfies readers seeking an unusual police procedural. S.D. Tooley's gift for combining powerful police drama, Indian mysticism, and mystery results in an exciting, chilling puzzle that is a real page turner.”

— Midwest Book Review

“Sam Casey is amazing-a beautifully described and magically interesting character...the plot, characters and pacing are all excellent.”

— Romantic Times

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“Its story is intriguing—private detective Chase Dagger looks into the apparently recent murder of a woman who supposedly died several years ago—and its characters, especially Dagger’s sidekick, a beautiful young woman with a very special gift, are well drawn and original. This is a delightfully nontraditional mystery that should appeal to a wide variety of readers.”

— Booklist

“The attendant breezy sex, violence, and action, coupled with bits of Indian lore and Einstein the talking macaw, should have readers clamoring for the projected next novel.”

— Library Journal

“The Good Die Twice is an excellent start to a series that promises to entertain for books to come. Chase Dagger is sinister and handsome; Sara, his assistant, is unearthly and young; Einstein is a hoot...or should we say Awk...and the flow of the book is fascinating. The fantasy remains in the background, but is just evident enough to elevate the book to hero status.”

— Shelley Glodowski, The Midwest Book Review

“Hasn’t the horror market seen enough supernatural detective tales? No, not if the next entry into the market is this savage and stylish mystery from Lee Driver. It may be a crowded field, but you will want to make room for private investigator Chase Dagger and his offbeat crew, especially Sara Morningsky, able assistant and shapeshifter.”

— Lisa DuMond, www.sfsite.com

“This is a sure top seller — #1 on my best books of the year list! An incredible first in series exhibiting an exceptional writer and a great mystery.”

— Ann Saunders
                          Murder Mystery and Mayhem Book Store

“The Good Die Twice is a thoroughly entertaining introduction to the characters that populate Dagger Investigations. An agency that any mystery fan will wish to hire again. I’m looking forward to Full Moon-Bloody Moon.”

— Tim Perry, Booksights - UK

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“The appeal of cross-genre novels is sometimes difficult to target, but this one should have no trouble attracting readers from either the mystery or the fantasy side of the fence.”

— Booklist

“This fantastic mystery series contains elements of fantasy and horror that are fully interwoven into the who-done-it story line…Fans will anxiously await more novels in what appears to be a winning series.”

— Harriet Klausner, The Midwest Book Review

“…it is impossible to separate the lure of the plot and the magnetism of the characters. Every piece works together as an integral part of the breathless, heart-pounding situation. Watch the cast as carefully as you search for the villain in Full Moon-Bloody Moon. The chance to catch a hell of a mystery and the growing, unfolding enigma of such characters as these is exceedingly rare. Don’t miss the opportunity.”

— Lisa DuMond, www.sfsite.com

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The Unseen

“Colorful characters such as the paranoid Skizzy and Einstein the clever macaw add a touch of humor and interspecies camaraderie.  Devotees of this series will enjoy the continuing adventures of their favorite characters.”

— The Drood Review of Mystery

“Conversation carries most of the story forward, with sketchy Indiana and Lake Michigan locales bringing intermittent relief.  A quick read for undemanding readers and fans of paranormal fiction.”

— Library Journal

“Chase is a figure shrouded in mystery but readers will appreciate his loyalty to his friends and adore his confusion over his growing feelings for Sara. Although Sara is a shapeshifter, she is more human than most people are in her reverence towards life and the earth. Lee Driver has written an exciting paranormal mystery that has excellent plotting, brilliant characterizations and an enthralling storyline.”

— Midwest Book Review

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