Dead of Winter

I did not know author Stephen Mack Jones prior to this read, which is apparently the 3rd book featuring protagonist August Snow. Snow is a native of the Mexicantown area of Detroit and is an ex military sniper and ex Detroit PD officer; now he's a philanthropist. He apparently won a wrongful termination suit against DPD and now spends his time and money (millions) buying up properties in Mexicantown and reselling them. His goal is to support his community and help it prosper; he has no need for more money. When he is approached by the terminally ill owner of Authentico Foods--which has been an institution in Mexicantown for decades--to buy the place, August declines. He doesn't know the first thing about running such a business. But he does agree to investigate the anonymous offer for the business that has been presented to its owner. But his investigations stir up a hornet's nest of violence from international sources who care nothing about the residents of Mexicantown and want to bring dangerous people to live in the community. August and his godfather are both attacked and the owner of Authentico is murdered. But of course August is not going to walk away no matter the danger. This is a book that I really wish I had read the previous books in the series. The writing is very good, the characters are gritty and intriguing. I will look for the earlier books to get caught up on how August came to be who he is in this episode. Positive reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus. According to Michigan Radio, the series is set to be made into a TV series. In Michigan Radio's interview with the author, he "cites Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series as a key influence" and you can certainly see that, particularly in the relationship between Snow and his godfather, Tomas.