Books with author R. Snyder

Black Kayak offers us a different perspective from your run of the mill detective story; among other items are the facts that a vintage automobile and a very specialized boat could almost be considered minor characters as they both provide important supporting roles in this tale. Unusual most certainly, but quite intriguing nonetheless. This account involves the reader emotionally into the narrative; it is not a chronicle of guessing games. This book introduces us to Jonathan Steele and George Wilson, best friends and business partners. Test readers have commented strongly on how interesting it is watching Jonathan and George ‘Come of Age’ in the art of investigation. I strongly believe in letting the reader get to know my characters and what makes them tick. I do not believe in just throwing someone into the deep end. This is the opening book in the Series, and the sequel, Relentless Pursuit, is a finished product. As one delves deeper into this yarn, it becomes apparent on how important good old common sense still continues to be. A diamond smuggling enterprise is being operated through Bar Harbor, Maine, by club owner Miles Parker, and his deadly associate Packard Lane. During one of the operations designed to bring the stones ashore, a young couple preparing to head off to college, are caught in the wrong place at the wrong time and they pay for that unfortunate timing with their lives. Their deaths are initially ruled a terrible accident by the county coroner. Margot Henson, Innkeeper of the nationally acclaimed ocean front inn, Tidewater, is grieving over the loss of her daughter. In a choking message, she manages to inform her semi-estranged brother, Jonathan Steele, of the horrible news of his niece’s death. Jonathan, currently living in Florida, gathers items of interest, and heads north to comfort his sister. With a military and professional sports background, he cannot rid himself of the nagging feeling that there is more to the circumstances surrounding his niece’s death, than what is being reported. With his best friend and business partner, George Wilson at his side, Jonathan is determined to find the truth. With such strong suspicions, he asks his sister not to tell anyone of his impending arrival. Once Jonathan and George arrive in Bar Harbor, they slowly devise a plan, to find out with certainty exactly what happened. Hindering this feat is the fact, that neither of them has any real investigative experience, and thusly are forced to learn ‘on the fly‘. This issue balances the tension, with levity. Jon ultimately relies on his military training, but mostly, on plain old common sense. He begins nosing around under an alias, stumbling onto the fact that a particular club owner in town has a history of drug involvement. For lack of a better place to look, Jonathan decides to scrutinize him while trying to avoid the ire of the local police chief. He observes Miles Parker’s associate, Packard Lane, immediately taking a strong dislike to the man. On nothing more than a mere hunch, Jonathan bugs Miles Parker’s office. The conversations recorded in that office, confirm all of Jonathan’s concerns; the accident was no accident. It also reveals secrets involving his sister’s second husband. Together, Jon and George set a trap for a third accomplice, forcing him to reveal all that he knows. Once all the details are divulged, a final strategy is devised, to trap Parker and Lane, who was personally responsible for the deaths of his niece and her boyfriend. Parker and Lane get suspicious with the mysterious disappearance of Ronnie, the third party involved, and decide to leave the country. The ensuing action employed by Jonathan and George, to prevent their departure, is fast and furious, culminating in the brutal showdown between Jonathan Steele and Parker Lane, an engagement the reader has been anxiously awaiting.

George Wilson was flabbergasted with the message left by Chief Carleton Olds of Bar Harbor, Maine. The last time he had seen him, he had threatened his best friend and partner, Jonathan Steele, to “Bury him under the jail”. The message was short. He had a problem and would they give him a call?In total disbelief, they return the call only to find out that the Chief’s granddaughter is missing and local law enforcement including Portland PD seem to be doing little if anything about it. They offer to return to Maine for a face to face meeting. The Chief discloses everything he knows which is not much. One bit of information he can provide is that her passion is riding motorcycles. Sport bikes to be exact. They agree to look for the girl, Lyn Watson, a decision partly based on Jonathan losing his niece just eight months prior.Studying the two bars where she worked and two sport bike bars where she liked to hang out they discover that she is thought of as a very responsible individual. This leads credence that her disappearance is not of her own choosing.The first break comes when a bartender remembers seeing she with a blond man who he knows is one of three brothers who live up on Moosehead Lake. Deciding to use him as a starting point, observation reveals that the three brothers are Russian which raises the suspicion level. An intense internet search reveals their father, Viktor Stronoff, is an obscenely rich Russian industrialist who immigrated to America eight years previously. At a local restaurant Jon sees the middle brother, the hot tempered Leonti, attempt to place a drug in his date’s drink. George, following the youngest blond haired brother, is lucky enough to be able to warn Mikhail’s date saving her from a similar fate.Further investigation reveals that Stronoff has an extremely large custom built private estate on the shores of Moosehead Lake in northern Maine. While examining its history they run across a story revealing the masonry crew who built the foundations for the buildings were all killed in a vehicle crash. Their truck plunged over a cliff. Jonathan hates coincidences.Jon and George begin to believe that the Stronoffs may be hiding a kidnapping ring. Why? No ransom has been made. They finally come up with a plausible explanation. They are participating in human trafficking, or more appropriately, the sex slave trade. Close scrutiny and sound hunches fuel a plan.Jon and George launch an attack. A hidden door in the rear wall of the guard house reveals a set of stairs leading to a long tunnel. A secret sound proofed chamber has been built under the basement of the main house. A prison. They find eight women are currently being held including Lyn Watson, the Chief’s granddaughter. He arrives catching Leonti Stronoff, out on bail from the attempted date rape charge in Portland, just as he is about to brutally rape Lyn. They also learn of a sadistic game employed by the Stronoffs and guards. He gathers the girls and has George drive them out while Jonathan stays behind to cover their escape.Later that evening two of Stronoff’s guards pay the rental cabin of Jon and George a visit. One of the guards meets Jon’s two Dobermans who play distinctive roles in this story. That meeting does not go well.George thinks that an attack is imminent on Jon or his family at their homestead in Blue Hill. Jonathan calls his sister and orders everyone away. George joins him in the defense of the property. The trap is set.Margot, Jon’s sister, demands to know everything. Jonathan manages to duck most of her questions but George slips up. On the ride home he does the one thing George fears most. With Jon driving his Suburban with child-proof locking windows, he feeds his big male Doberman a meatball sandwich which always has dire consequences. While Jon can lower his window for fresh air, George much to his regret, can’t. Begging Jon, “No, don’t”, is trapped.

NEW! REVISED EDITION! 2018 When Smokey Joe and Peanut discover that there is a boisterous varmint in the Hykell home, the two are determined to find out what or who is the cause of the daily and nightly disturbances. With the help of some of the other animals on the farm, Smokey Joe and Peanut are quick to put the clues together to solve the case! Can you figure it out before they do? **New vocabulary words, definitions, and reading comprehension questions**