Title: Big Sick Heart: A Detectives Seagate and Miner Mystery
Author: Mike Markel
Publisher: BooksForABuck.com
ISBN: 9781602151222
Pages: 213, Paperback
Genre: Fiction/Mystery
Reviewed by: Beth Adams, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
Mike Markel emerges on the scene with his detective murder mystery, Big Sick Heart: A Detectives Seagate and Miner Mystery, instantly assimilating new fans into the realm of his story telling acumen. In this popular genre of fiction, Mike Markel captivated my attention by his masterful dialog and interaction between the two main characters, detective Karen Seagate and her younger male police partner, detective Ryan Miner.Seagate and Miner were assigned to cover a stem cell research debate in their small town of Rawlings, Montana and to keep an eye on the speakers for safety due to the controversial subject. They thought the evening would be uneventful, which for the most part it was. However, later that night, after the event, the headliner of the debate, Arlen Hagerty, wound up dead in his hotel room with multiple stab wounds. Hence begins the routine questioning of all of the key players; his wife, his assistant, his colleagues and acquaintances whereas it’s discovered that Hagerty suffered from a medical condition called Dilated Cardiomyopathy, DCM for short, or a Big Sick Heart by definition. Why someone would brutally kill a man that would likely be dead anyway in a matter of weeks became a nuance of the investigation.
Mike Markel takes this plot foundation and in a fascinating way brings the reader into the mind of detective Seagate. He lets out the knowledge of Seagate’s past like a fishing line hooking the reader into wanting to know more. Seagate sees the world with a wry sense of realism etched by her own failures in her marriage and mothering; being a divorced mom and an alcoholic with a closet full of personal problems. However this only enhances her ability as a police investigator, making her immune to the false stories of the suspects. Peeling the truth out of not only everything she is told, but also from what is not said during an interview, the reader becomes very comfortable with her character. Ryan Miner is the perfect sidekick as a working partner, amplifying Seagate’s character and polishing the facets of this diamond of a book.
To me, this finesse of perception in human behavior, the ability to perceive beyond ordinary charlatans’ alibis made Mike Markel shine as an author and Big Sick Heart becomes an extraordinary read. I highly recommend this book to all for not only its entertainment value, but for the wisdom one can gain by seeing the world through the eyes of detectives Seagate and Miner, or better stated, through the writing of Mike Markel. This excellent book touches on many critical aspects of research towards stem cell therapy and the political controversies involved.
