In this prequel to the CJ Floyd series, it’s the early ’70s when 22-year old CJ returns to Denver after back-to-back tours in Vietnam. He’s a decorated veteran suffering from PTSD and varying degrees of depression, and his main goal is to pull his life together and get on with it.

Eager to resume his hobby of collecting Western antiquities and memorabilia, CJ revisits an old haunt, a pawnshop called GI Joe’s, where he’s befriended by Wiley Ames, a WWII vet and amputee. Not long after, Wiley and an associate are murdered, gunned down in the alley behind the store. CJ’s life threatens to further unravel, but he’s determined to solve the mystery of Wiley’s murder and bring the killer to justice.

The case quickly goes cold for lack of evidence, and CJ finds that catching a killer is not the easy task he thought it would be. He fills his time by getting reacquainted with his uncle, Ike, and by learning the ins and outs of the bail bonds business—and the tradecraft of the bounty hunter.

Half a decade later, his progress on the Wiley Ames murder amounts to zip; neither he nor the police have turned up sufficient evidence to make a case. But when an old license plate that CJ had first seen at GI Joe’s on the day he met Wiley Ames turns up, his investigation finally gets some traction and quickly builds momentum, but ultimately leads to a close friend’s death and an unexpected confrontation by the killer.

First of State is more than just a murder mystery; it’s also the story of a troubled young man coming to terms with the demons of his recent past while he struggles to find his place in the world. Author Robert Greer is sure to delight CJ Floyd fans (and create more than a few new ones) with this glimpse into the life of CJ Floyd before he was … you know … CJ.

 

A native of Columbus, Ohio, and a long-time Denver resident, Robert Greer is a professor of pathology, medicine, surgery, and dentistry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Author of novels, medical textbooks, and numerous short stories, he founded The High Plains Literary Review and presently serves as its editor-in-chief. In addition to writing, medicine, and research, Greer reviews books for a Denver National Public Radio affiliate, KUVO, and raises cattle on his ranch near Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Visit Robert’s Web site at www.robertgreerbooks.com/.

Review by Phil Hanson