White Soul by Brandt Dodson

At least White Soul isn't another Colton Parker mystery. But this new cast of characters pales in comparison to the ones in his previous series.
When a DEA agent is ordered to go to Miami and pretend to be a drug dealer so he can get inside information, he is put in a position in which he must do several actions he is morally against, like being a drug money enforcer. Meanwhile, back at home, his pregnant wife wants to him to take a leave of absence before the baby's born.
The majority of this book is pretty boring; mostly showing off Brandt's research on drug gangs in Miami. This is an interesting subject to breach, one that has never been breached before. Most people will like this book because of it's "suspenseful" nature. Believe me, Brandt is not good at suspense. We saw that mistake in The Lost Sheep.
In the end, there is the usual "Judas Iscariot" agent who betrays them all the to the enemy, whom they face in the "suspenseful" scene in which tells them all his plans and in which the lead almost dies.
Please.
The lead makes several bad choices that he does not get consequences for. Though this shows he isn't perfect, he portrayed as perfect in the end by the other characters because he did a "heroic" deed.
I didn't think I would be saying this, but I think that Brandt needs to stick with mysteries. He was better at them.
2 stars

The Root of All Evil by Brandt Dodson

Colton Parker has now been charged by a multi-millionaire to find the heir to his estate-his wayward son. His son apparently has himself involved with a local biker gang. Colton must use whatever clues he can to hunt down the heir.
But someone does not want him to find the heir, of course. Someone is trying to block Colton's efforts at every turn.
The characters from Original Sin remain true to their personalities in this book. Colton has yet to achieve the inevitable hero personality.
Who the villain is and their purpose for trying to stop Colton is realistic and believable. It's not who you think it is at all.
But the icing on the cake is the ironic end. Something happens that no reader will expect at all. It's something very unpopular and original. I can't believe Brandt did it, but I'm glad he did.
All in all, The Root of All Evil is Brandt's best book to date.
4.5 stars

The Lost Sheep by Brandt Dodson

It's a good thing The Lost Sheep is the last Colton Parker mystery. Dodson's quality suddenly takes a turn for the worst in this non-mystery.
When Callie goes missing, Colton goes searching for her. After forcing some information out of the locals (that seems to be his specialty), he finds out that Callie has run away to Las Vegas with her new boyfriend.
This a good adventure, but it isn't really a mystery. Though Dodson throws in a few unexpected twists, such as several key characters dying, the "suspenseful" confrontation at the end really ruins the whole thing. Surely Brandt could have come up with a more complex plot like he has done in the past.
The Colton Parker series should have probably ended several books ago. At least he doesn't have any plans for anymore.
2 stars

Original Sin by Brandt Dodson

Colton Parker is a detective going through a mid-life crisis. He has just been fired from the FBI for "unfair treatment of criminals", so he decides to open up a detective practice and take on cases. His first case is a man who has been accused of killing his aunt. He claims he didn't do it, but he has no remorse for her death, even though he says she was his favorite aunt. Colton detects something fishy about the case and decides to look into it. What he finds was something no one expected.
His family life is suffering, namely his teenage daughter. Colton doesn't have a very good relationship with her because she always spent time with her mother, who is now dead.
Probably the best thing about Original Sin is that Colton isn't the typical perfect male lead with a troubled past. He makes multiple mistakes, including reiterating his "unfair" treatment of criminals to get information.
Original Sin is a good mystery and a good start to this series.
4 stars

Daniel's Den by Brandt Dodson

From the same pen that wrote original novels such as The Root of All Evil and Seventy Times Seven comes Daniel's Den, Dodson' worst book to date. Dodson stoops to the level of an average debut novel by writing this book. The worst thing about it is that we have seen better and more creative things from Dodson than this particular novel.
It's about a broker from New Orleans who finds himself the victim in an evil scheme at his office. When he finds out about it, it puts him on the run.
The story also follows a young widow who runs an inn along with her young son in Virginia. The way these two characters meet is all too convenient, having Daniel just happen to stay at her inn.
The characters are nothing short of perfect; making all the right decisions and having the right thoughts about one another. It would have been slightly better without the convenient romance.
The plot is overall average and it seems like Dodson ran out of ideas and decided to borrow an age old plot. This could be true because the plot starts out interesting, but the mediocre ending ruins the whole thing and makes everything turn out perfectly. This book will be popular because the plot is popular, but that doesn't mean it's worth your time.
2 stars