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Review: FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers is puzzled when he's sent to Wisconsin to investigate a routine murder, something the local Sheriff's Department could and should be handling, in The Queen, the fifth mystery in this series by Steven James.

Donnie Pickron is missing. His wife and daughter have been found murdered in their home. Snowmobile tracks are found leading to a stretch of open water. No footprints are found in the snow surrounding the tracks. It appears whoever was driving went down with the snowmobile. Was this a murder/suicide executed by Pickron? But Pickron was no ordinary man, hence Bowers involvement. He was ex-military and a person of interest in an international conspiracy with its origins in the Cold War.

From a plot perspective The Queen is a thrilling adventure-style mystery, with lots of twists and turns and plenty of action. But what makes it truly special are the characters of Patrick Bowers and his step-daughter Tessa. They've had a rocky relationship in the past, but have now bonded, two years after the death of her mother. Because Bowers has a brother living in Wisconsin, one with whom he is somewhat estranged, Tessa accompanies him to the state, intent on getting to know more of his family, to get more integrated into his life. This grounded personal element to the story contrasts well with the unpredictability of the storyline, which itself mirrors the unpredictability of the weather in northern Wisconsin.

The Queen by Steven James — A Patrick Bowers Mystery

Publisher: Revell
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0-8007-3303-2
Publication Date: September 2011
List Price: $14.99