PAST THE LINE
(Book # 1-The Blake Cutter Detective Series)
A good cop never goes past the line in pursuit of truth and justice.

Past the Line

By E. T. Milligan

Manuscript

440 Pages

During the past week, this reviewer has had the rare opportunity and pleasure to read the manuscript of a first novel. Past the Line is as exciting and suspenseful as those from James Patterson, Jonathan and Faye Kellerman, Nora Roberts/J. D. Robb, John Sandford, Linda Howard, and many of my favorite authors. In the first of a new series, Edward Milligan, with Past the Line, has already been added to that list!
 

Blake Cutter, a law man, broken after the violent murder of his wife, is on his way back to recovery and, hopefully, full reinstatement in his previous position with the Miami PD, when murder happens. In the small town of Bullett, Georgia, where he has been serving a probationary position with the State Bureau of Investigations, he has become, during the past year, one of their lead agents. He also happens to have been on call when a body is found on the beach of Devil Island. Phillip Drummond, a well-known real estate tycoon has been murdered. Preliminary results from the autopsy shows he was drowned, he was drugged, and he was bludgeoned. But what killed him? And who killed him?

The first hurdle Blake has to overcome is the controversy between his frustrated boss and the sexually aggressive mayor who wants Blake to head up the investigation. Too, he has partners who know that he is still experiencing dream flashbacks of his wife’s murder and are worried that he is hiding this from his police-appointed psychiatrist. Can he be trusted to handle a major murder case?

 

The second hurdle comes when there are so many possible suspects, including a wife in the midst of a bitter divorce, a jilted girlfriend, a young waitress who has revenge on her mind or the Mafia legend, Bennie DeSalvo, with whom Drummond had been involved. Cutter gathers lots of evidence but never enough to hone in on just one suspect.
 

The third hurdle is that suspects are constantly revealing more, but not enough, to determine “whodunit.” And the prime suspect, Drummond’s wife, is also murdered. Another suspect is wanted for the murder of a known drug seller and gang leader. And the Feds want the local police to hold off on action against DeSalvo, since they are building a case against him, one of the men on the “Top Ten Wanted List.” Blake falls in love with the final suspect. Penelope Lane, who looks so much like Blake’s murdered wife, that he is drawn in, first, by her startlingly familiar beauty and then by her aggressive play for his attention.

 

Past the Line is a suspenseful whodunit, this time bringing all of the possible suspects right to the reader in the first few chapters. I found this to be an interesting and effective presentation since it allowed me to think along with the investigator—considering which one might really be the murderer.
 

Milligan has created exceptional characters for his book and provides an in-depth look at each, so much so that the reader will find the desire to start choosing who “should” be the murderer, rather than believing that this one or that one “could” murder. Milligan entwines the evidence needed to solve the case into the interactions with suspects so effectively that you never really are quite sure. Blake Cutter is a man you automatically want to see win—his job, his new love, and, yes, his revenge for his lost one. This book is full of twists and turns, forcing the reader to reconsider who the murderer could be. The story includes terroristic-type actions so realistic that the reader is caught up with what is happening…and, at the same time, sees a successful kidnapping of the police-guarded suspect and Blake’s new love, Penelope Lane, during that crisis.
 

So, how far would you go if tragedy strikes your beloved? And, if by some miracle, someone comes along that can fill that hole inside, perhaps allowing you to love again—how far would you go to grab for that new chance? Would you be willing to Pass the Line? That line that falls somewhere between the strict letter of the law and those that blatantly go against it? Blake Cutter, in the first of a new thriller series, faces those questions when he meets Penney Lane, a primary suspect ― of murder.

 

With a surprise ending that you won’t quite believe, Milligan has created a series that will leave you thirsting for more. This first book is a Must-Read for lovers of romantic suspense and action!
 

 

G. A. Bixler
IP Book Reviewer

 

Title: Past The Line Author: E.T.Milligan
Rating: Excellent!
Publisher: Unistar Books
Reviewed by: Heather Froeschl

A cop on reassignment, Miami Mafia dealings, murder, real estate tycoons, dirty business and a mistress add up to a nightmare of trouble in Bullett, Georgia. The tourist season is shot, local political aspirations go down the drain and lives are shattered. "Past the Line" demonstrates the moments when people go just too far over the boundaries of decency, legality and humanity.

Detective Blake Cutter is putting in his time on reassignment after losing his cool on his own beat. After his wife is killed he needs some time to be removed from the area and get a new direction in his life. But when that direction involves investigating the death of a real estate giant and quickly branches into a multiple homicide case, Blake becomes more personally involved than he ever should.

Drama and tension take over the book right from the start as readers become sucked into a wild ride around Devil's Island. This isn't your typical cop story though. The characters have reasons for acting out their roles. The action is fast paced and flows smoothly right up to the end.

"Past the Line" is a well-planned piece of fiction that is written well. E.T. Milligan shows promise as an author. I recommend this book to readers who wish an edge to their fiction and enjoy a good cop story.

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ForeWord Magazine-Clarion Book Review

Already a published poet, biographer and YA author, Milligan has only recently turned    his skills to novels for adults. Past the Line is his first effort in the suspense/mystery category, but his previous experience in captivating an audience serves him well in this initial book starring Blake Cutter. With earlier works including the “inspirational biography” On Linda: The Case for Human Organ Sharing, Milligan clearly demonstrated how to draw audiences in with affecting portrayals of controversial subjects.
 

  Again Milligan faces a wrenching topic head-on with Past the Line. When police detective Blake Cutter’s wife dies in a car bomb meant for him, Cutter becomes a morose alcoholic.  Then he begins to investigate the drowning of a local real estate magnate in a small Georgia town. Strangely enough, one of the women implicated in this web of homicide and lies closely resembles Cutter’s dead wife. Cutter pursues the woman, Penney. His attraction to her jeopardizes his investigation and threatens to take him past the titular line, from duty into the murky realms of obsession.
 

  Milligan’s novel starts strongly with Cutter’s wife’s senseless death. Perspectives and focuses switch for the next few chapters, with rough, distracting effect. However, readers absorbed in Cutter’s pain and pursuit of justice, careen through Milligan’s early awkward patches to reach the smoothly paced, compelling bulk of the book.  Milligan conjures up Cutter’s perspective right before readers’ eyes. In this excerpt, the detective tries to rescue his wife. “Peering through the window [of the burning car], he began jerking at the driver’s side door handle. …Then he heard a faint scream. ’JENNIE!’ he screamed back in desperation. …He tugged at the door in an attempt to   pry it open, oblivious to the scorching metal charring away the skin on his palms.” Vivid scenes such as this one compensate for some stylistic awkwardness.

  Past the Line boasts interesting writing and a well-constructed plot. Besides the engaging point of view, the book’s strengths include tight pacing and sympathetic characterization of all players.
 

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