Wolf Point (Ashe Cayne)
Wolf Point (Ashe Cayne) book cover

Wolf Point (Ashe Cayne)

Hardcover – October 5, 2021

Price
$13.09
Format
Hardcover
Pages
348
Publisher
Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1542027861
Dimensions
5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
Weight
1.05 pounds

Description

Review Praise for Wolf Point “Smith’s love of Chicago is palpable in his rich depictions of its diversity, vitality, and unique pockets…A brisk and twisty whodunit with a motley cast that includes the city of big shoulders.” — Kirkus Reviews “Smith’s entertaining sequel to 2020’s The Unspoken …This is smart, smooth escapism. Readers will hope Cayne will be back soon.” — Publishers Weekly “An intriguing sequel…fans of Stephen Mack Jones’s August Snow mysteries will enjoy.” — Library Journal Praise for The Unspoken An Amazon Best Book of the Month: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense “With its huge, entertaining cast and smooth sleuth, this series kickoff recalls vintage Chandler or Hammett.” — Kirkus Reviews “This fine series launch from bestseller Smith ( The Ancient Nine ) introduces PI Ashe Cayne, a former Chicago PD detective…Ashe is just one of many well-drawn, multilayered characters. Readers will eagerly await his return.” — Publishers Weekly “Ian K. Smith has created a suspense story where the pages practically turn themselves all the way to the twist at the end.” —AuthorLink “Smith creates a fond and layered portrait of the Windy City, in all its multidimensional glory, as we traipse from fancy high-rises, to grungy boxing gyms, to tastefully decorated criminal lairs. Here’s hoping for many more installments in the series!” —CrimeReads, Most Anticipated Crime Books of 2020 “Ian K. Smith’s The Unspoken is the start of a big, bold, original new series. Chicago PI Ashe Cayne is the perfect hero for our times. I can’t wait to read his next adventure.” —Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author About the Author Dr. Ian K. Smith is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Shred: The Revolutionary Diet , as well as Super Shred: The Big Results Diet , Blast the Sugar Out! , The Clean 20 , and twelve other books, with millions of copies in print. Dr. Smith’s critically acclaimed novel The Blackbird Papers was the 2005 BCALA fiction recipient of the Honor Book Award. His other highly praised novels include The Ancient Nine and The Unspoken . Dr. Smith, a graduate of Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago, is the medical contributor and cohost of The Rachael Ray Show . He has written for Time , Newsweek , Men’s Fitness , and the New York Daily News . Dr. Smith has served on the boards of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition; the American Council on Exercise; the New York Mission Society; the Prevent Cancer Foundation; the New York Council for the Humanities; and the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. Keep up to date with Dr. Smith by visiting his website at www.doctoriansmith.com and following him on Twitter (@DrIanSmith) and Instagram (@DoctorIanSmith).

Features & Highlights

  • In the second installment of the suspense-filled series from #1
  • New York Times
  • bestselling author Ian K. Smith, an ex-cop turned private investigator seeks to fight corruption on the streets of Chicago.
  • A Cadillac, a pistol, and a corpse make for another morning in Chicago. The body belongs to Walter Griffin, a prominent Black Chicagoan insider hailing from the city’s West Side. He ascended to the upper echelons of the mayor’s office only to meet his end in a watery grave at Wolf Point. Forensics finds his prints on the gun; it’s ruled a suicide.
  • But grizzled private investigator Ashe Cayne knows better.
  • Griffin’s children plead with a reluctant Ashe to hunt their father’s killer. They know their dad wouldn’t have taken his own life without a goodbye. And Ashe knows this town’s dark secrets often mean murder is not too far away.
  • Ashe decides to take on the case and navigate a city rotting with corruption, racial tensions, and sketchy backroom deals. On the bleak streets of Chicago, it’s every man for himself―and that makes everyone a suspect.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
30%
(577)
★★★★
25%
(481)
★★★
15%
(288)
★★
7%
(135)
23%
(441)

Most Helpful Reviews

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I loved the protagonist in Wolf Point!

"Griffin’s children plead with a reluctant Ashe to hunt their father’s killer. They know their dad wouldn’t have taken his own life without a goodbye."

I loved the protagonist in Wolf Point! What a smooooth guy Ashe is!! He made me smile and/or laugh many times! Ashe was a police officer at one time but left when he could no longer tolerate the politics in the department. He's now a private investigator who answers people's questions with quotes from poets or authors. The reactions were hilarious! He also is a golf addict. And, did I mention he has a bit of a complicated love life, as well?

Griffin was a complicated man whose political ties and personal life give Ashe an interesting and varied number of suspects to question. There were twists in Wolf Point and I enjoyed every one of them. Especially the last one.

I'd like to see more about Ashe's dog, Stryker, in the next book. (I wonder if he was named after Stryker surgical handpieces.)

Big thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC! Great book!!
3 people found this helpful
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Ashe Cayne series continues

Wolf Point is the second in the Ashe Cayne series by Ian K Smith, and takes you into the underbelly of Chicago's corruption. Ashe, a former Chicago PD detective turned PI is selective in the cases he takes. Walter Griffin's death is ruled a suicide but his family doesn't believe it, and neither does Cayne. Griffin, a prominent figure in Chicago's political arena, still has ties to Chicago's West side from where he came. Unfortunately Griffin's investments, political ties and personal life gives Cayne an abundance of suspects to track down. Some surprising twists will keep you guessing as this investigation continues. Ashe's character and personal life further develops in this novel, surprising you when you think you have him figured out. I look forward to following Cayne as this series continues.
Thank you @NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book!
3 people found this helpful
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Loved it

Great reading
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PI Ashe Cayne is Persistent; He Takes the Dangerous Cases Nobody Else Wants!

Walter Griffen, president of the Chicago Board of Education, supposedly shot himself to death at Wolf Point, an abandoned, rat-infested neighborhood along the Chicago River. No one believes he committed suicide, including his family who hires PI Ashe Cayne to reinvestigate what they believe is a murder cleverly disguised as a suicide. Realizing that Griffen's suspicious suicide was mishandled by authorities, Ashe agrees to reinvestigate. He soon learns that Griffen had a dark side and was linked with corrupt politicians, crooked businessmen, and a mysterious high-class prostitute, Sophia Caballe. Though Ashe becomes heavily involved in fighting Russian mobsters and ghetto gangbangers, he still finds time to mete out vigilante justice and date two women.

Indeed, PI Ashe Cayne is a very busy man in Ian K. Smith's complex, intricately plotted "Wolf Point." It is a superb sequel to the series' wonderful debut, "The Unspoken." "A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing." That phrase kept repeating itself in my brain while I read "Wolf Point." It aptly describes numerous characters in the novel. Appearances can be deceiving. Our hero soon learns this while investigating successful businessman Walter Griffen; he had a lot of secrets. Griffen's friends, business associates, and supervisors had secrets--many of them are of a sexual nature. Readers should be prepared to be shocked more than once. In all fairness, how well do we truly know our friends and relatives?

Smith makes ample usage of Chicago's diverse cultures, neighborhoods, and eating establishments. Ashe loves to drive sports cars, hang out with the elite, play golf at exclusive country clubs, and dine at extravagant restaurants with awesome scenic views of the city--the type where one must make reservations months in advance and prepare to leave with one's wallet weighing much less. Ashe is wealthy from a court settlement dating back to when he was a cop for the CPD; he refused to turn a blind eye to an incident involving racial injustice on the police force. He rails against the same system that made him a rich man. His father, Dr. Oliver Wendell Cayne, is a renown psychiatrist who complains that Ashe should have become a tennis pro. I cannot relate to Ashe Cayne.

However, I do admire Ashe for his persistence and for not being afraid to pursue justice for a dead man. Well, I wouldn't be afraid either if I had a killing machine, nicknamed the Mechanic, for a part-time bodyguard. Among his friends and enemies, Ashe is known as a wiseass. He is always cracking annoying jokes, especially when he is confronted by muscle thugs who don't appreciate his type of condescending humor. (He reminds me of one of my favorite private investigators from the Twin Cities, Rushmore McKenzie; he was created by best-selling author David Housewright.) Besides being very athletic, Ashe is also very attractive; the ladies (and some gay men) think he is. He is also a vigilante who abducts and tortures his victims into repentance. Ashe is a mixture of Paul Kersey from "Death Wish" and John Kramer from "Saw"; both are hit films that spawned numerous sequels.

In 2009, Chicago lost the bid to host the Olympics. Ian K. Smith uses this incident to lay the foundation for the unique plot of his novel, "Wolf Point." Chicago businessmen bought cheap land in undesirable neighborhoods in hopes it could be resold to the city for building facilities for the Olympics. Unfortunately, tons of money were lost. Smith also explores the social issue of crooked politicians profiting from inner city schools that have low test scores. Readers will also learn why rich people sometimes buy more than one unit in a high-rise condominium. As I stated earlier, Smith's novel is very complex and intricate. It is also very fast-paced. Ashe never experiences a dull moment and neither will readers. There is plenty of action, violence, intrigue, sensuality, and mystery. I may have enjoyed "Wolf Point" more than the series' debut, "The Unspoken." I definitely look forward to the next installment.
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serice

personal reading
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This sequel🔥🔥🔥Details = all about the details. Topped Unspoken💯🙌🏾

Was a GREAT read from start to finish. He even added a little flirty fun...romance...why do people do what they do...the importance of keeping your mouth shut...loyal even during a person's death💯 EXCELLENT READ!!! The suspense and I am still trying to figure out a couple things. Can't wait for the next one and I believe there may be sitcom in the works💣💥🔥💯🙌🏾🥳🥳🥳