Body in the Woods: A Jack Ludefance Novel

By: Behcet Kaya
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Publication Date: September 2019
ISBN: 978-1694592125
Reviewed by: Lynette Latzko
Review Date: December 20, 2019

Behcet Kaya, author of Treacherous Estate, returns once again with another thrilling installment in the PI Jack Ludefance series with his latest, Body in the Woods.

Body in the Woods has a tense, atmospheric beginning that starts with a body. The body is that of Heinrich Hines, discovered by a woman on her daily trail ride with her horse in the woods of Southern California. Readers quickly discover that Mr. Hines was an extremely intelligent, and often abrasive, scientist who had access to a complex, powerful formula that once placed on the body of an aircraft, made it completely undetectable to radar or satellites. He was in the process of what he referred to as “a deal of a lifetime” with one of five countries, and their government heads, in attempts to sell the formula to the highest bidder. Unfortunately for Heinrich, he was unable to complete his mission, and worse yet, investigators only had one possible flimsy lead into the identity of his killer. His business partner, Vance McGruder, was overheard arguing with, and threatening to kill Heinrich a few days before his body was discovered in the woods, and was now the prime suspect. But did McGruder try to foil Heinrich’s plans by murdering him, or was there someone else involved?

To hopefully not only discover the identity of the murderer, but more importantly to clear his name, wealthy businessman Vance McGruder hires Private Investigator and friend, Jack Ludefance. Without a moment of hesitation, Ludefance flies out from his home in Florida to Los Angeles where McGruder resides, and starts what becomes a tricky and difficult investigation involving political maneuverings from several countries all vying for the chance of getting their hands on the invisibility technology.

Although Body in the Woods is the second time PI Ludefance stars in a gripping thriller, readers will be able to quickly delve into, devour and enjoy every aspect of this story without any confusion about the events in his past novels. This is because author Kaya’s writing and character development is just as strong in this book as in his first installment. Readers easily become attached to the “realness” of this private investigator and not only become engrossed in the storyline, but will quickly want to root for him to ultimately discover who’s the real killer behind the Hines murder. There are also other characters throughout this story that help to enhance the overall reading enjoyment, including Rudy, the malodorous computer hacker hired by Jack who’s quite adept at pulling data out of Hines’ computer and other pertinent information, and Mariana, the lovely housekeeper at Heinrich’s home who has a shocking secret of her own to reveal as the story progresses. Body in the Woods should not be missed. Even the most seasoned fan of the thriller genre will be shocked at the intricate and twisty ending.

Quill says: Body in the Woods is an exciting, fast-paced read for mystery/thriller readers and PI Ludefance fans alike that will capture your attention, and hold it tight until the surprising conclusion.

For more information on Body in the Woods: A Jack Ludefance Novel, please visit the website: www.hollywoodturk.com

Author Interview