The Corruptible

Ray (not Raymond) Quinn has been run through the ringer.  A shattered hip, a dead finance, not much cash, and a couple of big guys who want to permanently remove Ray's head from his body - nothing this retired-cop turned PI can't handle.  A wealthy new client and a few bottles of Jack Daniel's will have Ray back on top in no time.  But when finding his client's missing information leads him to a seedy motel and a dead, dirty cop, Ray quickly learns that PI work is not the same as police work and completing the job he was paid for is not the same as seeking justice and righting wrongs.

The second book in the Ray Quinn Mystery series by Christy nominated author, Mark Mynheir, starts out slow but picks up speed about half-way through.  I was tempted to set it aside and not even finish it.  Not having read the first book, I didn't particularly like Ray and found his partner/sidekick Crevis to be too-goofy to be believable.  But as I delved further into the story, I was caught up in the details Mynheir sprinkled into the story about detective work and police life. Little by little, the curmudgeonly private investigator shows his softer side and Crevis' eagerness to please Ray becomes endearing.

Ray is not your typical Christian publishing house hero - he doesn't buy the whole religion thing and you can forget about Jesus - but I really liked that.  I want to see Ray battle his demons one day at a time rather than have a big miraculous conversion in the final chapter.  He's ultimately lying to himself about how well he can cope with the trauma he experienced and the darkness and oppression seen during his time as a homicide detective.  But when the time comes for Ray to make a choice between sinking into the bottle or becoming a stronger, better man, he finds the courage to be honest with himself and the people he cares about.

After a rocky start, I genuinely look forward to catching up with Ray's story in Book One, The Night Watchman and Mynheir's subsequent books.



Corruptible by Mark Mynheir (Chapter 1)

**I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review**