Contemporary Authors

• The Last Collar - 2017 Down & Out Books, Tampa, FL
• The Short List - 2016 Down & Out Books, Tampa, FL
• The Backlist - 2015 Down & Out Books, Tampa, FL
• And Every Man Has to Die - 2011 Gray Dog Press, Spokane, WA
• Beneath a Weeping Sky - 2010 Gray Dog Press, Spokane, WA
• Heroes Often Fail - 2007 Aisling Press, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Under a Raging Moon - 2006 Wolfmont, Ranger, GA

• Big Thrill - http://www.thebigthrill.org/2015/09/the-backlist-by-eric-beetner-and-frank-zafiro/

  The Backlist by Eric Beetner and Frank Zafiro
  September 30, 2015 by Jeff Ayers
  15 0

  backlistBy Jeff Ayers

  When the mob finds itself on hard times and has to lay people off, the boss decides to give two different hitters separate lists of “overdue accounts”—a backlist—to see who distinguishes themselves enough to remain on the payroll.

  In their first collaborative effort, Eric Beetner and Frank Zafiro bring readers the sharp-tongued Bricks and the hapless, eager-to-please Cam—two very different protagonists who find themselves faced with challenges they never imagined when they got into the business.

  THE BACKLIST is a fast-paced crime novel full of action, twists, verbal jabs, and mayhem. Lots of mayhem.

  This month, Beetner and Zafiro chatted with The Big Thrill about the book that appears to be the beginning of a thrilling partnership.

  Frank, could you talk about River City? Also, why the pseudonym for your crime writing?

  River City is a thinly-veiled Spokane. Spokane is a city of about two hundred thousand peple. We’re the second largest city in the state and the biggest city between Seattle and Minneapolis…all of which means that we have all of the problems of a large city and yet still retain some of the small town attitude (which can be good and bad, depending).

  I started calling Spokane River City, and using a pseudonym for crime fiction, because I was an active law enforcement officer in Spokane at the time my first book was coming out. I wasn’t really sure what my bosses would think of my work, since there are some dark events and not every cop is portrayed in a positive light. So I went with the pen name. As it turned out, the brass were very supportive, but by that time I had a few dozen short stories and two books out under this name, so I decided to keep it for crime fiction. The last name Zafiro comes from the name a few of us used to name our film “production” company during a high school independent study on filmmaking.

  What sparked the idea for THE BACKLIST?

  Eric: Frank and I had been toying with the idea of writing together for a while since we both knew the other had successful collaborations before. When we started kicking around ideas this was one we both sparked to. I honestly don’t remember who had the initial spark, but we each developed our characters solo and then presented them. I love the way Frank’s character, Bricks, turned out. She’s so different from someone I would have come up with, I think. And she and Cam are different, so the readers get two totally different perspectives as they go through their trials and tribulations.

  Frank: I clearly have a better recollection than Eric here…HE came up with a majority of the idea and the plot framework. I was responsible for all of Bricks, and as we moved through the broad strokes of the plot, we both suggested a tweak here or there and bounced ideas off of each other. But if Beets hadn’t come out of his corner swinging, there wouldn’t have been much of a fight…which is my awkward metaphorical way of saying he is mostly responsible.

  How did you end up collaborating?

  Eric: I design book covers here and there and I had done a few for Frank with a publisher I worked with. I guess I did something right because I ended up doing a few of his self-published works as well. Some of my favorite covers I’ve ever designed, by the way. I’d liked what I read of Frank’s, and we got along well over email so it grew from there.

  Frank: That is exactly what happened. All I can add is that I read Eric’s book The Devil Doesn’t Want Me prior to us writing together and I knew we’d be a good fit. He’s a terrific writer, and has some of the same dark humor as I do. Plus it’s clear how much he likes to explore the human condition by rolling up his sleeves and plunging into the muck, which I enjoy, too. So it’s a pretty good partnership.

  How do you write together? I understand THE BACKLIST alternates first person with each of your characters telling the story, but you still had to make it flow well together.

  Eric: We batted the outline back and forth a few times, each one adding on more about their character but knowing how the final act would play out, basically. Once the outline was set, we dug in and each wrote our chapters and then would send them off. I am always so afraid of writing this way, but I end up loving it because you get to write a book and read a book at the same time. I love being surprised by what came in Frank’s next chapters. I would know the basic from the outline but all the detail and flavor and character would be new to me.

  Once we had a draft we would go through and do minor edits, which went off without a hitch. Neither one of us ever suggested anything that pissed the other guy off, which is easily where it could all break down.

  Frank: Eric was the third writer I’d collaborated with, and my books with Colin Conway (Some Degree of Murder) and Jim Wilsky (The Ania Trilogy—all of which have covers designed by Eric) were in the same format—dual first person narrative with alternating viewpoint chapters. The process Eric describes has worked well for me in those previous projects, and I knew they’d work for him and I, too. It helped that he came up with a great story idea to start things off!

  The actual process was a blast, and here’s why. You know when you get coffee with another writer and brainstorm an idea and flesh it out a little, and then you’re motivated as hell? Well, that’s the way it was every few days. I’d get a chapter back and read what Eric had done with Cam, and get excited about that. Then I’d want to make sure I did his chapters justice with my own, so I’d put in my best effort…which was easy to do, because I was super motivated.

  When we got to spots where we had to coordinate story points or plot pieces, usually a quick email or two was enough to handle that. One of the great things about working with Eric is that he isn’t rigid, or at least not unnecessarily so. The other piece that worked out so well was that neither of us seemed to have ego issues at play with each other, which is not only nice, but it lends itself to better editing.

  Since you have both written with others, how was your collaboration together in comparison?

  Eric: My other collaborations with JB Kohl have been an excellent experience. I was wary to try to duplicate that. I figured it would never happen so easily again, but I’m happy I was wrong. Funny thing is, I don’t like being in the same room and collaborating. In both cases I have never met my co-author in person nor ever spoken on the phone. It’s all over email. I feel like I know a lot about Frank and JB (Jennifer) even though I’ve never spent any time with them. Getting a look at someone’s creative process and first drafts of their writing ends up being a very intimate process. You have to have a lot of trust. I couldn’t be more pleased with how both books with Frank have gone (yes, we already wrote the sequel!) or all four of my books with Jennifer.

  Frank: In addition to Colin Conway and Jim Wilsky mentioned above, I wrote The Trade Off with Bonnie Paulson in this same format. And I’ve got a finished first draft with fellow Thrilling Thirteen author Lawrence Kelter, which we wrote in the first person but with a single protagonist and no set number of writing blocks as we went along. We each wrote about half of the book, though. Both of those collaborations went great, and I give full credit to my co-authors. I make it a point not to pick assholes to write with. (Can I write that? I guess I just did.)

  Why write about crime?

  Eric: I write and I read to be taken out of my day-to-day life. I’m very far from a criminal, so it fascinates me. I also think it lends itself to exciting, life-or-death stories. I embrace the seedy underbelly of society so I don’t like getting the white washed good guy image of heroic fiction or movies. I’d rather see a story about real people with flaws and weakness. I especially love stories of ordinary guys put to the test against criminal elements or confronting their own desires and testing the limits of their lawfulness. That’s classic noir stuff and that’s what really excites me as a reader.

  Frank: When I started writing fiction again in 2004 after a long hiatus, crime fiction is simply what came out. I think that given my career at the time, it was some of the “write what you know” sort of thing (or “write what you’re comfortable with,” which is a little bit different). But additionally, crime fiction has some of the same qualities as science fiction, in that there are a great number of possibilities that really let you explore the human condition, especially the baser elements. Understanding those parts of each other and ourselves makes for a great story most of the time.

  What is next for you both separately and together?

  Eric: It’s been a busy 2015 and it doesn’t look to be letting up any time soon for me. I still have a novella, Nine Toes In The Grave, coming out this year with All Due Respect. I have a Western novella out at the end of the year with Beat To A Pulp, part of the Lawyer series. I’m really thrilled to be able to announce that I’ve signed on with publisher 280 Steps, who put out my novel Rumrunners, to re-release my novel The Devil Doesn’t Want Me and to finally let the sequel see the light of day. Those will be out in 2016 and then the third in the trilogy will be probably early 2017. Also in 2016 will be a prequel to Rumrunners. Somewhere in there I’ll write another in The Lawyer series and hopefully finish the novel I started earlier this year but had to set aside to do all this other stuff.

  I’m also excited about an anthology that Down & Out is doing that I put together called Unloaded. It’s crime stories with all the grit and action we love about them but written without any guns. Proceeds will go to a gun control non-profit and if all goes well we can spark a reasoned discussion about common sense gun legislation in this country.

  Frank: Eric and I just finished the sequel to THE BACKLIST (The Short List, due Sept 2016 from Down & Out Books). I’m working on Friend of the Departed, the third novel in my Stefan Kopriva series. I am projecting an October release, maybe November. After that is finished, I’ll either dive into the next River City novel, or a stand-alone I’ve been thinking about lately.

  Normally, I’m more prolific, but I’ve been teaching a lot this year, so my output is down. I suspect things on other fronts will slow down by the end of the year, and I project 2016 to be a bigger year for Zafiro releases.

  *****

  Eric Beetner writes hardboiled crime fiction. A lot of it, with more to come. Many folks have said nice things about his books. He’s won a few awards like the 2012 Stalker award for Most Criminally Underrated author. He lives in Los Angeles where he co-hosts the Noir At The Bar reading series.

  To learn more about Eric, please visit his website.

  Frank Zafiro was a police officer from 1993 to 2013. He is the author of numerous crime novels. In addition to writing, Frank is an avid hockey fan and a tortured guitarist. He lives in Chattaroy, Washington.

  To learn more about Frank, please visit his website.

• Author Annette Drake - http://annettedrake.com/author-spotlight-frank-zafiro/

  Author spotlight: Frank Zafiro

  Welcome mystery author, Frank Zafiro.Author profile

  Why do you write fiction?
  Because I am a writer.

  I know that sounds like a smart-alec answer, but I don’t mean it that way. Writers write because we’re writers. If I were a musician, I’d play guitar (well, I do try to play guitar, but I’m not anywhere close to a musician!). It is who I am, much like a musician or a carpenter or an athlete, and I am pretty sure every writer feels somewhat the same way.

  Now, if you’re asking why fiction….well, I guess my answer is pretty similar. That is what I’m drawn to – being a storyteller. And I really enjoy the journey I get to take with these characters over the course of a book or a series. They become like friends….in a twisted, beautiful sort of way.

  Please tell us about your book. What ideas or images inspired this novel?
  Closing the Circle is the third book in a series I’ve written with Jim Wilsky. In all three books, we have each written one of the two main characters. The chapters alternate between the two characters, both of whom narrate in the first person. As a result, you get that immediacy and intimacy of a first person novel, but also get a wider perspective because as the reader, you get to know everything both characters know.

  In the first book, Blood on Blood, we wrote about half-brothers in Chicago, Mick and Jerzy, as they scrambled to find some stolen diamonds in what was essentially Hardy Boys meets Cain and Abel. In the second book, Queen of Diamonds, we wrote about pro poker player Cord Needham and local Vegas gambler Casey Brunnell, who end up on a crash course with a heads up showdown with more than just chips at stake.

  Closing the Circle stars Andros Krol, muscle for the Polish mob, and John Pearse, insurance recovery agent, as they pursue stolen diamonds, money, and a blonde siren from Chicago to Vegas to California.

  How is this a series, with different main characters in different settings for each book? Glad you asked. The connection is that blonde siren I mentioned, Ania. She is the one character who appears in all three books and drives the plot.

  Do you have an ideal reader in mind when you write? If so, please describe that reader.
  I don’t know that I do, other than I expect that I’m writing for someone who is a little bit sophisticated in the genre and intelligent enough not to need to be spoon fed. Also someone who has some enthusiasm for the genre.

  I do have a “first” reader, and (like many writers) that’s my wife, Kristi. She gives me an honest appraisal (sometimes too honest – ouch!) of that first draft. She’s made some killer suggestions (literally, in one case — she told me, “This character has to die.”) on character and plot, and if she doesn’t like something, she knows why. Like any writer, I keep my own counsel, so I don’t always follow her advice to the letter, but I always know that if she doesn’t like something, there’s something wrong with it. For someone to tell you that, but with a loving heart, is pretty important for any writer.

  Please describe your writing routine.
  Honestly, I don’t really have one. I retired last June and finding the right routine has been a challenge. I’ve got a couple of outside teaching projects going on that break up any routine I might establish. But I try to be at my desk early, coffee in hand, to do writer business. Some days it is marketing, some days it is correspondence and business, some days editing and revising, some days formatting and publishing, and some blessed days are first draft work. While I love all of it, that first blush of a new creation is the best rush there is.

  What advice do you give new writers just starting out?
  Be brave enough to believe in yourself. No one else is going to do it for you, so you have to. Learn the craft. Have a thick skin. Write something, revise it, revise it, revise it, publish it. And find other writers, because as the late Gary Provost once said, “Sometimes another writer will understand what the rest of the world will not.”

  More about Closing the Circle:

  In this hard boiled crime novel, Frank Zafiro and Jim Wilsky team up for the third installment in the saga of Ania, the siren grifter who starred in Blood on Blood and Queen of Diamonds.

  Cover art for Closing the CircleJohn Pearse is a loss recovery agent for an insurance agency. When a set of crown jewels that his company paid out on resurface in the middle of a Russian/Polish mafia war in Chicago, Pearse is sent in to find and recover the diamonds. Standing in his ways are gangsters, grifters, and cops, but the biggest obstacle will be the sexy Ania, who has managed to stay one step of everyone else…until now.

  Andros Krol is muscle for the Polish mafia in Chicago, tasked by his boss to bring back more than just the diamonds. Strong and cunning, Krol is after the money Ania took, but his biggest priority is to deliver brutal justice and a final day of reckoning for Ania.

  Pearse and Krol are locked into a race against time and each other as they pursue the wily Ania. The circle is closing on all of them.

  How to connect with Frank:

  Website: http://frankzafiro.com

  Email: frankzafiro@msn.com

  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/frank.zafiro/

  Twitter: @Frank_Zafiro

• Amazon -

  Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1986-91 in Military Intelligence as a Czechoslovak linguist.

  In 1993, he became a police officer in Spokane, Washington. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer, corporal, and detective. In 2002, he became a sergeant and entered into leadership roles. He was fortunate enough to command patrol officers, investigators, K-9 officers (and their dogs!), and the SWAT team. Frank retired from law enforcement in 2013 as a captain in order to write full time and to teach. From 2013-16, he taught law enforcement subject matter at community college, university, and as an independent consultant. He also occasionally taught a series of writing workshops. In 2017, Frank retired from his brief second career as a teacher/consultant, and settled into being a full time writer.

  Frank earned a BA in History from Eastern Washington University in 1998, and an MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville in 2012.

  Frank began writing seriously at about thirteen. In 1995, he started the first draft of Under A Raging Moon, which would become the first book in the River City series of crime fiction. Since then, Frank has completed a number of novels set in River City, a fictional version of Spokane, Washington. The River City series is published in paperback by Gray Dog Press and currently sits at four volumes.

  Other Frank Zafiro books are also set in River City, including mysteries such as Waist Deep and others starring Stefan Kopriva, and Some Degree of Murder, written with Colin Conway. Other novels are set in Spokane proper, such as The Last Horseman and At Their Own Game, or elsewhere, such as the Chicago setting for Blood on Blood, the first book in the Ania trilogy, written with Jim Wilsky. Books with an East Coast flavor include his ”List” series with Eric Beetner beginning with The Backlist, and his novels with Lawrence Kelter, (The Last Collar). He has also partnered with Bonnie R. Paulson in their thriller, The Trade Off.

  Frank has held the #1 author spot for police procedurals on Amazon, and remains one of the top ranked authors in that Amazon category. Frank’s books are available in all formats — paperback, ebook, and audio book.

  In addition to novels, dozens of Franks’ short stories have been published in magazines (print or online) and numerous anthologies.

  Frank also write mainstream fiction under his real name, Frank Scalise, including his hockey novel All That Counts (Gray Dog Press, February 2010) and a children’s book series about Sam the Hockey Player, which begins with The Hardest Hit.

  Frank resides in Redmond, Oregon, with his wife, Kristi. He is an avid hockey fan, reader, movie lover, gamer, and a tortured guitarist.

• Publisher -

  Frank Zafiro was a police officer in Spokane, Washington from 1993 to 2013. He retired as a captain. He is the author of numerous crime novels, including the River City novels and the Stefan Kopriva series. In addition to writing, Frank teaches leader-ship and other law enforcement topics to police officers and college students alike. He is an avid hockey fan and a tortured guitarist. He lives in Chattaroy, Washington with his wife and youngest son.

• Frank Zafiro Home Page - http://www.frankzafiro.com/

  Frank served in the U.S. Army from 1986-91 in Military Intelligence as a Czechoslovak linguist.

  Scalise

  In 1993, he became a police officer in Spokane, Washington. During his career, he worked as a patrol officer, corporal, and detective. In 2002, he became a sergeant and entered into leadership roles. He was fortunate enough to command patrol officers, investigators, K-9 officers (and their dogs!), and the SWAT team. Frank retired from law enforcement in 2013 as a captain in order to write full time and to teach. From 2013-16, he taught law enforcement subject matter at community college, university, and as an independent consultant. He also occasionally teaches a series of writing workshops. In 2017, Frank retired from his brief second career as a teacher/consultant, and settled into being a full time writer.

  Frank earned a BA in History from Eastern Washington University in 1998, and an MS in Administration of Justice from the University of Louisville in 2012.

  Frank began writing seriously at about thirteen. In 1995, he started the first draft of Under A Raging Moon, which would become the first book in the River City series of crime fiction. Since then, Frank has completed a number of novels set in River City, a fictional version of Spokane, Washington. The River City series is published in paperback by Gray Dog Press and currently sits at four volumes.

  Other Frank Zafiro books are also set in River City, including mysteries such as Waist Deep and others starring Stefan Kopriva, and Some Degree of Murder, written with Colin Conway. Other novels are set in Spokane proper, such as The Last Horseman and At Their Own Game, or elsewhere, such as the Chicago setting for Blood on Blood, the first book in the Ania trilogy, written with Jim Wilsky. Books with an East Coast flavor include his”List” series with Eric Beetner beginning with The Backlist, and his novels with Lawrence Kelter, (The Last Collar). He has also partnered with Bonnie R. Paulson in their thriller, The Trade Off.

  Frank has held the #1 author spot for police procedurals on Amazon, and remains one of the top ranked authors in that Amazon category. Frank’s books are available in all formats — paperback, ebook, and audio book.

  In addition to novels, dozens of Franks’ short stories have been published in magazines (print or online) and numerous anthologies.

  Frank also write mainstream fiction under his real name, Frank Scalise, including his hockey novel All That Counts (Gray Dog Press, February 2010) and a children’s book series about Sam the Hockey Player, which begins with The Hardest Hit.

  Frank resides in Redmond, Oregon, with his wife, Kristi. He is an avid hockey fan, reader, movie lover, gamer, and a tortured guitarist.

• FantasticFiction -

  Series
  River City Crime
  Under a Raging Moon (2006)
  Heroes Often Fail (2007)
  Beneath a Weeping Sky (2010)
  The Cleaner (omnibus) (2010)
  No Good Deed (omnibus) (2010)
  Dead Even (omnibus) (2010)
  And Every Man Has To Die (2011)
  Trouble in River City (omnibus) (2011)
  Tales of River City (omnibus) (2011)
  Some Degree of Murder (2012)

  Stefan Kopriva Mystery
  1. Waist Deep (2011)
  2. Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2012)
  3. Friend of the Departed (2015)
  The Stefan Kopriva Collection (omnibus) (2015)

  Ania Trilogy
  1. Blood On Blood (2012) (with Jim Wilsky)
  2. Queen of Diamonds (2013)
  3. Closing the Circle (2014) (with Jim Wilsky)
  Ania: A Trilogy (omnibus) (2014) (with Jim Wilsky)

  Bricks and Cam (with Eric Beetner)
  1. The Backlist (2015)
  2. The Short List (2016)

  Novels
  The Last Horseman (2011)
  At This Point in My Life (2012)
  Chisolm's Debt (2013)
  At Their Own Game (2014)
  The Trade Off (2014) (with Bonnie R Paulson)
  The Last Collar (2017) (with Lawrence Kelter)

  Omnibus
  The Crime Cafe 9 Book Set (2016) (with Austin Camacho, Donna Fletcher Crow, W D Gagliani, M Ruth Myers, Dale T Phillips, Benjamin Sobieck, Jim Winter and Kenneth Wishnia)

  Collections
  Good Shepherd (2014)

  Novellas
  The Bastard Mummy (2010)
  In the Shadow of El Paso (2012)

• LOC Authorities -

  LC control no.: no2008011690

  Personal name heading:
  Zafiro, Frank

  Found in: Heroes often fail, c2007: t.p. (Frank Zafiro); bk jkt
  (served in U.S. Army Intellegence as Czeck linguist;
  became police officer 1993, has served as patrol
  officer, corporal, detective, sargeant, & lieutenant;
  because still active in law enforcement writes under
  pseudonym)

  ================================================================================

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AUTHORITIES
  Library of Congress
  101 Independence Ave., SE
  Washington, DC 20540

  Questions? Contact: ils@loc.gov

The Short List
Publishers Weekly. 263.22 (May 30, 2016): p40.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:

The Short List

Eric Beetner and Frank Zafiro. Down & Out, $15.95 trade paper (224p) ISBN 978-1-94340228-1

In Beetner and Zafiro's stirring sequel to 2015's The Backlist, co-narrators Paula "Bricks" Brickey and her partner, Cam, who are kill-for-hire "button men," find themselves in perilous situations resulting from previous assignments--Bricks in New York, Cam in Boston. Though Cam has stumbled onto some backup in the form of the steadfast Vincent the tailor, and Bricks is left with just her wits (and her worries, when she can't reach Cam), their experiences are so similar that sometimes the reader has to recheck whose reportage they're reading. But that doesn't dampen the entertainment in any way. Though there are some grisly scenes, a shoot-out that's unexpected for both its violence and outcome, and a rather stereotypical representation of the Mafia in the form of the Fazzio father-and-son team, Bricks and Cam are two of the most resourceful and likable paid killers one is ever likely to meet. The suspense and action keep the reader transfixed to the end. (Aug.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Short List." Publishers Weekly, 30 May 2016, p. 40. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA454270580&it=r&asid=f7191457a2f76029143c26a4bb37c2a8. Accessed 21 Jan. 2017.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A454270580

• Bark
  http://thebarking.com/2010/08/review-frank-zafiro%E2%80%99s-river-city-crime-series/
  Word count: 863

  By Asa Maria Bradley The VaultAugust 14, 2010
  Review: Frank Zafiro’s River City Crime Series

  Frank Zafiro is an author that many people have recommended to me, but for one reason or another I never got around to reading his stuff. At a recent book signing I finally purchased Under a Raging Moon, the first book in the River City Crime series published by Gray Dog Press. (Coincidentally, this is where our own Marcus Corder now spends many of his working hours.) I finished the novel in one sitting and then rushed down to Auntie’s to purchase Heroes Often Fail and Beneath a Weeping Sky. Now I’m impatiently waiting for the fourth book, End Every Man Has to Die, which won’t be out until March 2011.

  River City is fictional, but readers familiar with Spokane will recognize street names and landmarks mentioned in the books. The novels have fast paced plots and fantastic characters. As many of you know, I’m a fan of women’s fiction with strong female leads, but my other weakness is police procedurals and crime/legal thrillers. (My TiVo also have season passes to all flavors of Law & Order.) I love these plot driven books, but they won’t keep my attention unless I’m invested in and care about the characters. In a recent Willow Springs interview, Jess Walter talked about how crime fiction often focus too much on plot but that the complaint about literary fiction is that there isn’t enough story. He thinks there’s a “sweet spot in the middle” that an author can aim for. Zafiro’s novels hit right at that perfect spot and this is one of the reasons why I’m such a huge fan.

  In addition to clever dialogue and clipped sentences, the plot moves quickly because the chapters are divided into chunks marked by the military hours in which they start. At times I felt like I was watching an episode of Southland(which NBC should never have cancelled and it’s a good thing TNT picked it up). Another similarity to that TV show is that the River City books offer the perspective of the cops in uniform, which is refreshing in a genre that mostly deals in detectives as main characters. I like the unique “on the street” perspective and Zafiro creates tension by showing how unpredictable the public can be and how much trust there has to be between police partners. Oh, and there are great chase scenes on foot and in cars.

  Most of the characters in the books arereoccurring and although they have circumstances in common with stereotypical characters of the genre—Thomas Chisolm is a former Green Beret with a bit of a hero complex, Stefan Kopriva is the hotshot new cop who thinks he knows everything, and Katie McLeod is the woman cop having to deal with the testosterone-overload of her profession—Zafiro makes them multi-dimensional. None of them are perfect; all of them are flawed, and they make bad decisions and have bad days like anybody else. I found all of them human and believable.

  I am especially impressed by how the author handles McLeod. In many crime novels, female characters—even those created by women authors—come across as too emotionally damaged or super abrasive because they work in a male dominated field. I love that Katie McLeod is just as assertive as her male colleagues, but also strong enough to have female traits without it making her venerable. In Heroes Often Fail, McLeod is the emotionally strongest person. When things go wrong on a case she keeps it together and soldier on, while her male academy classmate and fellow officer can’t handle the consequences of his choices and actions.

  In addition to the elements that create the fast paced plot and strong characters, the writer in me is interested in how Zafiro crafted a story and character arch in each book but also across the series. Each novel can be read out of order and as a stand-alone, but when read in order, the characters’ depths increase as does the dimensions of their interpersonal relationships. This is also why the books are so addictive. I want to know what happens in the police officers’ new adventures, but also what’s going to happen in their personal narratives. But Zafiro never turns it into a soap opera; the focus stays on the case and the police business at hand. He keeps his prose at a fine balance between enough interpersonal intrigue to make it interesting and enough police adventure to add suspense.

  So, if you’re a fan of well written crime fiction and/or interested in how to balance plot with strong characters and/or want to know how to write a successful serie, you too should read the River City Crime series. I recommend reading them in order and when you are finished, you, like me, will wish that Frank Zafiro could write faster so we don’t have to wait six months for the next installment.

• New Mystery Reader
  http://www.newmysteryreader.com/summer_paperback_mysteries.htm#some%20degree%20of%20murder
  Word count: 587

  QUOTED TEXT: There’s some rough talk and what comes across as genuine cop-speak throughout the book, and some heavy-duty violence that should be stomach-turning but somehow isn’t, given the context—but I wouldn’t give this book to your aromatherapist.

  Some Degree Of Murder by Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway

  Publisher: CreateSpace

  Reviewed by Karen Treanor, New Mystery Reader

  Faced with a choice between two evils, common wisdom advises choosing the lesser: but what if you aren’t sure which one that is? A philosopher might say you should refuse to make a choice, but in real life, that’s not always an option. After an intense and often solitary hunt, Detective John Tower comes face to face with two killers and one of their victims. Of the four people in the room, one has to die, but has Tower the right to choose which one? If he makes the wrong choice, three may die—but any choice is going to leave a heavy mark on him.

  In this latest chapter in the ongoing drama of the River City police force, authors Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway have chosen a plot as old as a Greek tragedy: the death of innocence and the pursuit of evil by an avenging demon. The narrative switches between Tower and Virgil, the agent of Nemesis, and despite their being on opposite sides of the law, there are attributes they have in common.

  Two girls have died in a sleazy neighbourhood peopled by prostitutes, pimps, druggies and gangs. Detective Tower is assigned to the second case before he’s had a chance to solve the first, but he soon makes a connection between them. Despite the bad neighbourhood, the second girl wasn’t on the game, and the first one was a beginner, so this doesn’t seem to be a ‘usual’ prostitute killing. Before long, Tower realises he’s not the only one looking for the killer or killers—there’s a vigilante out there, and he’s not bound by the rules of evidence or any other wussy modern conventions. Worse, there’s a biker gang involved in this somehow, and they’re more close-mouthed than a sprung bear trap—at least until their members start turning up dead…

  Tower calls in a favour here and there to move his investigation forward, but is loathe to share too much information with his colleagues, and especially not his superior, Lt Crawford, the infamous “Crawfish”, whom you hope to see come to a bad end in a future Zafiro book. It’s this lone wolf characteristic that puts Tower in the abandoned building with two killers, one victim, and a big, big decision to make.

  The story is as bleak and cold as a rainwashed murder scene, but leavened here and there with domestic interludes for Tower, who is the guardian for his wheelchair-bound nephew, and some surprisingly gentle moments between Virgil and his ally Gina, the friend of one of the murdered girls. There’s some rough talk and what comes across as genuine cop-speak throughout the book, and some heavy-duty violence that should be stomach-turning but somehow isn’t, given the context—but I wouldn’t give this book to your aromatherapist.

  If you’re still in mourning for Robert B Parker, you might want to visit River City and see if that eases the grief a bit.

• Alinefromabook
  https://alinefromabook.wordpress.com/2016/12/03/thriller-book-review-some-degree-of-murder-by-frank-zafiro-and-colin-conway/
  Word count: 243

  QUOTED TEXT: This is a great read for mystery and thriller lovers.

  Thriller Book Review: “Some Degree of Murder” by Frank Zafiro and Colin Conway

  River City has a serial killer, but who will find him first. Will it be police detective Tower, on whose desk two of the murders have fallen, or will it be Virgil, estranged father of one of the victims? This tightly written thriller takes the reader into the dark side of River City as Tower and Virgil alternate as narrators of this gripping tale.

  This is a fairly fast-paced story and I really enjoyed it. The use of two narrators added to the drama and kept the story moving forward. It reads like a candle burning at both ends and the reader is watching the two flames come together. Virgil is a father who never knew his daughter though her mother kept him up-to-date with her life. He works as an enforcer for the underworld and uses those skills as he navigates the dark side looking for the killer. Tower is a career detective with personal challenges but he takes his job seriously and his thorough and dogged in tracking down his man. As these two get closer and closer in their investigations the story really starts to heat up. This is a great read for mystery and thriller lovers.

  Alinefromabook’s rating: THUMBS-UP!

  Happy Reading!

• Curled Up with a Good Book
  https://www.curledup.com/undrmoon.htm
  Word count: 621

  QUOTED TEXT: If you enjoy this genre and take great pleasure in reading police stories, this novel is definitely for you. This particular story is gritty, profane, and compelling; the excitement is fast-paced and loaded with sharp dialogue. Zafiro’s style of writing is short, quick and snappy, yet, he omits nothing in his characterizations of the men and women of this police department. What more can the reader ask for?

  Buy *Under a Raging Moon* by Frank Zafiro online

  Under a Raging Moon
  Frank Zafiro
  Wolfmont Publishing
  Paperback
  308 pages
  June 2006
  rated 4 of 5 possible stars

  The police officer sat seriously wounded in the front seat of the squad car, head on the headrest behind him, and thought, we live and work under the moon every night, and now, I will die here under the raging moon. He drew a wet, shuddering breath and let it out slowly.

  These are the words of one of the characters in Under the Raging Moon that author Frank Zafiro chooses to be in the middle of most of the action.

  Zafiro, a working police sergeant in Washington State, uses the fictitious River City as the location for his first published novel, with others on the way. Zafiro has also written and published many short stories in the police/crime genre. Under A Raging Moon is running chronology of a police precinct covering several shifts of working hours and the characters within.

  As the story begins, River City police are trying to apprehend a serial robber who seems to be striking convenience stores without fear of arrest, injury or death. He vanishes within minutes of the robberies, even when the police have surrounded and blocked off the area. The robber is into double-figure statistics when it suddenly dawns on veteran Patrolman Winters how the thief is escaping without being seen.

  Throughout the book, Zafiro complements his work by revealing the inner feelings of the men and women of the precinct, their petty jealousies, heavy drinking in some cases, divorces, their real grievances, and yes, even the occasional love affair. They frequent a local bar when off duty, and there, under the haze of cigarettes and alcohol, many truths and hard feelings are revealed. In a way, the story is cross-generational. There is youthful energy, middle-aged expertise, and sometimes too much traditional observance. Zafiro covers the routine traffic stops that the police perform and the strange, perilous events that sometimes follow those stops. He, of course, does not omit the most common of the dangerous calls that a police officer can receive, the domestic dispute.

  The hold-up man is an addict with a dishonorable discharge from the U.S. Army Rangers after five years of service. He lives with two female addicts, and between the three of them it is an endless race for a fix - and the money to obtain that fix – every day of the week. Even with all of the money that the robber brings in, one of the girls decides to earn her own money by going back to prostitution.

  If you enjoy this genre and take great pleasure in reading police stories, this novel is definitely for you. This particular story is gritty, profane, and compelling; the excitement is fast-paced and loaded with sharp dialogue. Zafiro’s style of writing is short, quick and snappy, yet, he omits nothing in his characterizations of the men and women of this police department. What more can the reader ask for?

  Originally published on Curled Up With A Good Book at www.curledup.com. © Lawrence McMicking, 2007

• Out of the Gutter
  http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2016/09/review-backlist-by-eric-beetner-and.html
  Word count: 425

  QUOTED TEXT: I thought the alternating chapters were seamless and I was left wondering who wrote which parts. But in the end it doesn’t matter because the book was a fun, engaging read that begs for a sequel…isn’t it great that I have it locked and loaded and I am ready to jump in.

  Review: The Backlist, by Eric Beetner and Frank Zafiro
  Tuesday, September 20, 2016
  Email This BlogThis! Share to Twitter Share to Facebook
  Posted in: book review, books, Derrick Horodyski, Eric Beetner, Frank Zafiro, Review Tuesdays, reviews

  Seeing how Eric Beetner is one hell of a prolific author, it is a bit tough to keep up with all his new books. But that’s okay right now, because I find myself in the enviable position of being able to read The Backlist and soon thereafter, jump into its sequel. Both this offering and its sequel are coauthored with Frank Zafiro, who is a new author to me. Some authors just seem to have a knack…no matter what book you pick up from their library you recognize that their books are always fun to read, the books flow with a natural pace, the characters come to life, and the reader always feels satisfied. Beetner is one such author and I was anticipating this being a worthwhile read and it sure was.

  The Backlist, coauthored with Frank Zafiro, has alternating chapters, narrated by two hitmen; Bricks, a woman who finds herself fighting for a spot in a man’s world, and Cam, a hitman who can’t seem to keep a simple job simple. The two hitmen find themselves each taking orders that are simple…eliminate some loose ends for their handlers, or find themselves eliminated. Knowing they must keep their handlers happy to keep their jobs, and maybe their lives, each are put to the test. But when their handlers push them into jobs that set them on a collision course, they need to determine if a friend can really be an enemy, does it stand to reason that an enemy can be a friend?

  I thought the alternating chapters were seamless and I was left wondering who wrote which parts. But in the end it doesn’t matter because the book was a fun, engaging read that begs for a sequel…isn’t it great that I have it locked and loaded and I am ready to jump in.

  Recommended.
  Reviewed by Derrick Horodyski.

• Inlander
  http://www.inlander.com/spokane/and-every-man-has-to-die-frank-zafiro/Content?oid=2135011
  Word count: 417

  'And Every Man Has to Die,' Frank Zafiro
  The Spokane police captain's fourth novel is a genuine page-turner.
  By E.J. Iannelli
  click to enlarge Frank Zafiro

  Frank Zafiro

  The fourth novel in Frank Zafiro’s “River City” crime series takes us back 13 years in a thinly disguised Spokane. A Russian mob syndicate led by Sergey Markov is making inroads across the city by outwitting and outgunning the more ragtag black, Hispanic and white supremacist gangs.

  But the otherwise solid Russian front is being undermined by Valeriy Romanov, a cold and cunning strategist who is planning to usurp Sergey; and by Oleg, a traitor-turned-FBI informant.

  The Russians also have a tough adversary in the River City police department. If only certain members could set aside egos and emotions long enough to listen to their more diligent colleagues, they’d have this crime ring busted in no time. Unfortunately for them, many characters still lick the wounds they accumulated in the previous three novels.

  From time to time, the book strains under the weight of cliché and romanticism. The police — described as “largely incorruptible [and] idealistic” — are good despite their myriad shortcomings, whereas criminals and the media — such as the local newspaper that “seemed to delight in hammering the cops at every opportunity” — have hearts of unfathomable darkness.

  There are unimaginative stock characters, too. The buddy cops. The hard-bitten Vietnam vet who always delivers a verbal smackdown. The effete and incompetent bookworm who returns on a mission to show up the locals (yes, he inevitably fails). A handful of barely fleshed-out ethnic stereotypes.

  But while Zafiro is far from impartial (by day, he is Captain Frank Scalise of the Spokane Police Department), he doesn’t always let the good guys (and, importantly, gals) win. His cops find themselves in some bleak situations — many of their own creation. And he’s more unsentimental than not when it’s their turn to suffer the losses we expect for the criminals.

  Above all, the crime genre prides itself on pacing, and this is where Zafiro delivers. He knows when a bit of slack only serves to heighten the tension; and the romance, brutality, scheming, arguments, heart-to-hearts, jovial banter, and, of course, death are dished out in just the right amounts in the right places. And Every Man Has to Die is a one-sitting read for all the right reasons.