[English review + Reseña en español]
Body in the Woods by Behcet Kaya
Independent, 2019
387 pages
Fiction: Private investigation.
The body of a Caucasian man has been found in the middle of the woods in Wild Oaks. The corpse belongs to the German Engineer Heinrich Hines, who made plans to sell to the highest bidder some military technology capable of tilting the balance very strongly in favor of its buyer.
Santa Rosaria, Miami-based private investigator Jack Ludefance is urgently called by his friend Vance McGruder from Santa Monica, California, as he has been pointed as a suspect in the Hines homicide. Ludefance must investigate in the least thought of places to find the true killer of the man in the woods and secure McGruder's freedom, while he unravels the shady multi-million dollar deals that surrounds the case.
In his fifth novel, Turkish author B. Kaya takes private investigator Jack Ludefance, known for the recent media coverage of his most recent case, in which he managed to capture a famous criminal, to an international investigation of a crime encircled by intrigue, betrayal, cutting-edge technology, dangerous attractions and lots of action. The pace of the story is dizzying, with discoveries around every corner, an agile prose, highly effective characters, a good dose of suspense and a fairly interesting plot.
I recommend this book to you if you love private investigation, tangled crimes, and those active, brash, cunning detectives with the best traits of classic Mr. Bond, but with a personality, appeal, and touch all of their own.
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Body in the Woods, de Behcet Kaya
Independiente, 2019
387 páginas
Ficción: Investigación privada.
El cuerpo de un hombre caucásico ha sido encontrado en medio del bosque en Wild Oaks. El cadáver se trata del alemán Heinrich Hines, quien planeaba vender al mejor postor cierta tecnología militar capaz de inclinar la balanza fuertemente en favor del comprador.
El investigador privado radicado en Santa Rosaria, Miami, Jack Ludefance, es llamado urgentemente por su amigo Vance McGruder desde Santa Monica, California, ya que ha sido señalado como sospechoso del homicidio de Hines. Ludefance deberá investigar en los lugares menos pensados hasta dar con el verdadero asesino del hombre del bosque y asegurar la libertad de McGruder, mientras que desenmaraña los turbios negocios multimillonarios que rodean el caso.
En su quinta novela, el autor turco B. Kaya lleva a al investigador privado Jack Ludefance, conocido por la reciente difusión mediática de su caso más reciente, en el que logró la captura de un criminal afamado, a una investigación internacional sobre un crimen rodeado de intrigas, traiciones, tecnología de punta, atracciones peligrosas y mucha acción. El ritmo de la historia es vertiginoso, con descubrimientos a la vuelta de cada esquina, una prosa ágil, personajes muy efectivos, una buena dosis de suspenso y una trama bastante interesante.
Te recomiendo este libro si amas la investigación privada, los crímenes enredados y a esos detectives activos, arrojados y astutos con el estilo clásico del Sr. Bond, pero con una personalidad, atractivo y toque totalmente propios. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller Good story, characters, and intelligent. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller Most amazing book to read on the beach. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller Great story, very intelligent and thoughtful. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller Utterly brilliant writing. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
Body in the Woods: A Jack Ludefance novel by Behcet Kaya is a crime thriller that keeps the reader engaged until the end. Private Investigator Jack Ludefance had recently finished a high-profile case when his friend Vance McGruder asked him to come to California to find the killer who framed him for murder. Vance’s business partner had crossed the line when he began playing one country against another for highly dangerous technology. As Jack looks into Heinrich Hines life, he finds he was not a well-liked person to begin with. After dealing with his own personal problems, Jack finds the closer he gets to the killer, the more dangerous it is for him.
I loved the thrill of the chase while reading Body in the Woods. Behcet Kaya found his niche in the Private Investigator Jack Ludefance. The novel has multiple layers of mystery, suspense, and drama. The author builds the tension between the characters and events until you feel you know who the killer is, and then he adds a twist that changes everything. I liked how the characters become more interesting and developed as Jack digs deeper into the murder. This is the book people who enjoy crime thrillers can sink their teeth into lots of action. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller This is my second novel that I’ve read of Kaya’s, and he continues to do a great job with his visual writing style. Most of my concerns with the book have nothing to do with the actual story, but (as before) some characters that seem to be filler, and some small editing misses (which fall on the editor and not Kaya).
The story opens with a horse rider taking some trails in the woods (Cathy Shumway) who stumbles upon a body. The POV here is 3rd person omniscient (the narrator can “know” what both the horse and rider were aware of). Later in the story we switch to Jacques’ POV, as first person. Jacques’ continues, quickly being enlisted to solve the case of the titular issue. I think that I really like Jacques as a character and how he methodically works through problems even though his character is a bit more fluid. Kaya does a good job of tying up lose ends, while still leaving room for more stories.
This is a neat book in the series and if you’ve been following Jacques Ludefance then this book has got to be on your list to read. Kaya’s knack for vivid detail stays strong in this tale.
Mystery, Fiction, Thriller ‘A dead human body in the woods’
There is something to be said about the combination of a writer who also is an actor that somehow makes tension scenes more credible. At least that is the case with author Behçet Kaya who is also known by his stage name as an actor Ben Kaya (`Fast Food', `The Practice', `Being American' on film and numerous roles on the legitimate stages such as The Noise Within among others). Whether it is the fallout of thinking though a storyline or actually taking on the role of a fictional character, the result in the case of Behçet Kaya heightens the verismo as is evident in his short stories and his novels VOICE OF CONSCIENCE, MURDER ON THE NAVAL BASE, ROAD TO SIRAN: ERIN'S STORY, TREACHEROUS ESTATE, and now BODY IN THE WOODS. True, his background of having been born and raised in a small village in Turkey, secretly consuming the exemplary works of the Turkish writer of Kurdish origin Yaşar Kemal, his subsequent rebellious flight to Istanbul and London, compelled and succeeding to earn a degree in engineering, his successful introduction to the stage while attending the inner London Education Authority and his subsequent move to the United States where he gained citizenship and worked successfully to achieve his Screen Actors Guild card after studies in Georgia, and then moving to Los Angeles to embrace both his acting ambitions and writing skills - all of this is the progress of a man committed to his art - and it shows.
Having experienced the pleasure of reading four of Behçet’s five novels, it is comfortable to share that his gifts multiply with each book, and for this reader BODY IN THE WOODS is his finest to date. In a near nonchalant manner he opens his mystery with fine atmosphere of discovery – ‘Cathy Shumway saddled her horse Lightning and then headed out for her daily morning ride on one of the many trails meandering through Wild Oaks Mountain Park. At 7:08am it was still foggy. But fog in the morning was not at all unusual for this part of the Southern California coast and was often referred to as ‘June Gloom.’ She knew it would clear later. It always did. She encouraged Lightning into a gallop across the open field and then brought the Arabian back into a trot when they started up the narrow trail chosen for today’s ride. She relaxed her hands. Lightning knew the way…Lightning reared up and nearly knocked her off…Cathy knew without a doubt that her horse was having a panic attack…She walked back to where Lightning had panicked…Her high-pitched scream escaped her lips before she could think. There, lying in the tall grass between two large oak trees, was a body…a dead human body…’ And so the title is explained and the mystery unfolds.
The plot is well distilled – ‘Set in the hills in Malibu, California, PI Jack Ludefance is asked by his friend, a wealthy businessman in the military defense industry, to come to his aid to help solve a murder; because it seems his business partner’s body has turned up murdered and the police have pegged him as the prime suspect. Although not yet formally charged, he needs Jack’s help to find the real killer and thus secure his freedom, while solving the crime of who actually killed his partner. Jack obliges and travels from his home in Florida to Los Angeles to pick up the case. What begins as a step-by-step private investigation into the evidence surrounding the death of the notoriously cunning, smart and cleverly manipulating business partner of Jack’s client, turns into an international quagmire of intrigue, scientific secrets, and vast amounts of money. People with power, influence and fortunes are all jockeying for a once–in-a-lifetime business deal, while death surrounds the periphery of their involvement.’
Behçet Kaya's gift is not limited to the creation of brilliant intriguing stories: his style of writing captures the essence of ‘mysteries,’ giving the reader a sense of place and tenor like few other writers are capable of achieving. He is obviously one of our more important writers of the times and his niche in literature is secure. Highly recommended on every level.
Mystery, Fiction, Thriller I have to say that I got off to a slow start. The opening scenes were necessary, but at the same time they made me impatient to get right into the action. My fault. Even so, I was beginning to think it might be a slow burner, which it was for me, not being familiar with the main character who appears in this series. So it took me a while to hook me, but when it did, I have to say I was well and truly hooked. I read it through the night on my Kindle. And the next night. The further I got, the more absorbed I became in the narrative. It is well plotted, with believable characters, even though at times I felt that perhaps too much detail was supplied about some of the minor characters.
But this author has one huge talent which puts him head and shoulders above so many other mystery/thriller writers; what I mean is, every writer tries to do what this author does, but very few are able to do it as well as he does. Quite simply, he is able to place himself inside the narrative, deep within the psyche of his main character, and describe in the most amazing detail every second of how his main character is feeling, anticipating his every thought, predicting his every action – – in short, he becomes the main character to an extent where this is passed on to the reader, and the reader in turn is so immersed that s/he enters into the main characters shoes.
The detail is truly impressive. Everything is perfectly logical. It cannot be helped if some of the twists and turns taking place start to feel as if good luck is a bit too often on the side of the main character, that events as they transpire are a shade too fortuitous…… But let me tell you this, that doesn’t matter one bit when handled by a writer of this high calibre. Think of John Buchan and his classic The 39 Steps. After a while you don’t care if the main character seems to have a little too much good luck, because you want him to win and after all, don’t all of us world-weary guys and gals know that when all is said and done, there are some people who appear to have all the luck in the world? After what for me was a slow start, I just couldn’t put my Kindle down. The story had me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. I still don’t know how tall Jack Ludefance is, the colour of his eyes or hair, how he sounds, moves, what he looks like. But do you know what? It doesn’t matter. I don’t care. Because for a few hours I became him. He was me. I was he!
Mystery, Fiction, Thriller There’s a dead body in the woods, a crazy German within invention only underhanded leaders from dangerous companies want and before it’s over more will die and it’s up to Jack to figure it all out. This was a good book and although I am not Big into books about terrorist and international intrigue but this book keeps you in gross the whole time. You could tell a very intelligent person wrote this book and I will definitely be reading more books by Bay Set Kya. I highly recommend this book to those who like really fast paced plots that are going along so fast you don’t realize how much time is past. This is a book for you it was so good. Mystery, Fiction, Thriller
Award-winning author Behcet Kaya has once again brought his PI protagonist Jack Ludefance to life in a novel of suspense and mystery, filled with indelible characters, and laced with threads of credible circumstances, in his latest book titled Body in the Woods.Set in the hills in Malibu, California, Jack is asked by his friend, a wealthy businessman in the military defense industry, to come to his aid to help solve a murder; because it seems his business partner’s body has turned up murdered and the police have pegged him as the prime suspect. Although not yet formally charged, he needs Jack’s help to find the real killer and thus secure his freedom, while solving the crime of who actually killed his partner. Jack obliges and travels from his home in Florida to Los Angeles to pick up the case. What begins as a step-by-step private investigation into the evidence surrounding the death of the notoriously cunning, smart and cleverly manipulating business partner of Jack’s client, turns into an international quagmire of intrigue, scientific secrets, and vast amounts of money. People with power, influence and fortunes are all jockeying for a once–in-a-lifetime business deal, while death surrounds the periphery of their involvement. Body In The Woods (Jack Ludefance, #2)