Category: Novels

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Novels

Burn Up

“Crisp and edgy writing…enhanced by clliffhanging chapter endings.”

—Clarion Reviews

A fugitive slips away through a crowd of onlookers while Qigiq and Kandy investigate a desert cremation they suspect was designed to destroy evidence. But of what crime? As they attempt to tie up loose ends on their last case, they dodge infernos of destruction only to arrive at a concert where a member of the audience is murdered–putting them on a collision course with the FBI.

The Feds want them out of the way. Captain Jasik wants them on an unexplained death involving a wealthy venture capitalist, a beautiful woman, and a wall safe filled with cash–standing open. Then a second case of a rich male, missing female, and two locked safes has them chasing leads to a casino penthouse where a young woman has died–yet again with no apparent murder weapon.

Evidence so improbable that Qigiq and Kandy initially hesitate to accept it leads back to the violist named Mylin: talented, beautiful, and illegal. Her all-female orchestra is now headlining an extravagant outdoor concert midst the casino life of Reno featuring a rock band named Magnetic Fusion–and extraordinary pyrotechnics.

From black rock desert to a penthouse in San Francisco, the glitter of heavy metal concerts to the desolation of street busking without a home, Burn Up moves like a scirocco-stoked wildfire through the world of concert promotion, high-stakes finance, and fast motorcycle chases as Qigiq realizes, once again, that one picture can truly reveal much more than 1,000 words.

“Klingler has hit the right notes in this continuation of the Mylin series. An excellent blend of mystery and thriller.”

—San Francisco Book Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“Surprise after surprise…players come alive on the page…readers get a visceral feel for just how loathsome [Tuson] is, and how challenging it’s going to be for Mylin to escape his hold on her.”

Starred Review—The Pacific Book Review

“A gripping thriller from beginning to end.”

—Clarion Reviews

“The snap of [Klingler’s] dialog is as tart as ever.”

—The Pacific Book Review

“International espionage and science even Tony Stark would be proud of.”

—Seattle Book Review

“If Tune Up and Burn Up are any indication…we’re all in for one hell of a ride when Lock Up follows these two first-rate examples of the thriller genre”

—The Pacific Book Review
  • Foreword Indies Finalist—Thriller and Suspense
  • Eric Hoffer Book Awards—Finalist
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Categories
Novels

Tune Up

Qigiq and Kandy are once again embroiled in high-tech, high-stakes crime, taking readers on a thrill ride through the streets of San Francisco.

—Tune Up : The Secrets of Mylin – Book I

On their second case, Qigiq and Kandy are loaned to the Traffic Division to investigate an early morning accident. Hit and run. By a motorcycle. The victim is an elderly Asian woman. A young witness in a nearby dry cleaner and a truck driver suggest all “accidents” aren’t created equal. Then the Captain drops a new assignment on their desk: an affluent Bay Area lawyer is missing. The man’s wife stomps into their office screaming about a contract she found hidden in the backups of their home computer. A contract with a seven-figure payout, and an incriminating Exhibit A.

Following the trail of both the motorcycle rider and the lawyer with Kandy complaining, “We’re homicide detectives, there should be a body,” leads to a vintage motorcycle club called the Ton Up where lips are sealed, a yacht harbor on the coast where riddles run deep, and a midnight roadside confrontation that ends with a splash. As the trails twist they soon find that these people and places have one thing in common: a violist named Mylin, who plays in an all-female orchestra called The Girls of the Orient. And, unbeknownst to her, is the subject of a fine-art photographer’s latest collection.

From San Francisco to Mexico, the treacherous cliffs of the Pacific coast to the desolation of Nevada’s high desert, Tune Up moves like Kandy’s turbocharged Mini through a foggy landscape of false identities, fake romance, and frenzied chases, as Qigiq realizes one picture really can reveal more than 1,000 words.

“Tune Up reads like 40s noir in its build-up of suspense in each chapter. The pining of the artist for his muse and his desire to save her recalls the work of James Ellroy. The denouement is worth the wait at every step. Suspenseful mastery in its best form. A book not to be missed!”

—Seattle Book Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“Once again the author succeeds in spinning his story so well that readers can’t help but keep turning the pages to see its spectacular climax. Let’s hope book two arrives soon.”

—Kirkus Review

“Full of plenty of twists, turns, and dynamic characters, Tune Up is a thrilling and satisfying read.”

—Foreword Reviews (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“A fascinating multiple-perspective thriller following a host of characters including Klingler’s Detectives Qigiq and Dreeson. The plot is fast-paced and engaging…it was a struggle to put the book down. The characters are well-developed and fully dimensional. Klingler is also a master at description. Wonderfully trippy climax to the action. For fans of crime thrillers, it will be a highly enjoyable read.”

—Manhattan Book Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“I absolutely devoured this book! The Secrets of Mylin is an intense mystery set in modern day California and Nevada. I enjoyed both storylines, finding Qigiq and Kandy’s humor and working relationship to be quite amusing, while finding Mylin and Joe to be rather endearing. Highly recommended!”

—San Francisco Book Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
  • Winner NY City Big Book Awards—Best Multi-cultural Fiction
  • Book Excellence Awards Finalist—New Fiction
  • New York Book Festival Honorable Mention—General Fiction
  • Hollywood Book Festival Honorable Mention—Genre Fiction
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Categories
Novels

Mash Up

Disturbed by the death of a suspect in a recent case he feels was the result of his own failure to unravel a high-tech crime; Qigiq, Fairbanks detective, motorcyclist and knife-thrower, heads south to partner with the energetic, action-loving Kandy Dreeson of the San Francisco Police Department to be schooled on all things digital.

But when Robina, a violinist from a local college, arrives at the police station with body parts in an Amazon box screaming about her missing roommate, Kandy and Qigiq are soon drowning in a torrent of cyber-clues from YouTube videos to disappearing music files while dodging threats to their lives. With each bit they decipher they grow ever closer to the dangerous forces that would trade money for murder, and secrecy for seduction.

High-speed chase suspenseful, exploding with power-struggle intrigue, and awash in Silicon Valley “innovation,” Mash Up captures the enchantment of the Internet Age, and the deadly power of a file copy.

“Klingler is skilled at writing action scenes. He puts the reader directly in the line of fire, and he doesn’t let up…Anyone interested in thrillers or police procedurals will find much to appreciate in this newest Qigiq installment.”

—Foreword Clarion Reviews (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“Klingler makes supreme use of his tech knowledge in a grisly mystery that strives to address the ethics of content ownership. His effortlessly clever prose makes the subject thoroughly entertaining…a thoughtful, well-constructed tale.”

—Kirkus Reviews
  • Winner Beverly Hills Book Awards—Best Thriller
  • Finalist Next Generation Indie Book Awards—Second Novel
  • Paris Book Festival—Honorable Mention General Fiction
  • Finalist Eric Hoffer Book Awards
  • Winner National Indie Excellence Awards—Best Thriller
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Categories
Novels

RATS

One man on a decades old mission. A woman who hunts him. And the bullet they share.

—RATS a Daemon Thriller

Joe Klingler’s acclaimed debut novel explodes from the remnants of a war long past to headlines of Washington secrets masquerading as corporate incompetence when two modern-day warriors face off. Both skilled at violence. And deception. Both accustomed to winning.

Summer greets the land of the midnight sun as a lone rider races across the last American wilderness, delivering on a promise he made long ago. He has many names, but the world only knows a shadow called the Daemon. Claire Ferreti, an Army sniper soon to be drawn into a black-ops mission, sips sake in Washington D.C. with her lover, a young, ambitious General whose geosecurity specialty remains classified. When a boy finds a small machine, Claire and the Daemon embark on a collision course that leads to a test of skill, a clash of ideologies, and Claire’s unconscious body lying in a typhoon-ravaged jungle. In that instant she becomes the hunted, the Daemon’s tool for survival, and an unforeseen threat. As the General pursues them into a labyrinth of cyber-secrets, political necessity and financial reality collide like a fireball piercing steel.

“Klingler’s debut offers a deep logistical jungle sure to entertain buffs and newcomers to the techno-thriller genre. Throughout, he displays fierce writing chops. Short chapters balance action and subterfuge with political thought targeted keenly at modern drone warfare.”

—Kirkus Review
  • 2015 International Rubery Awards—Fiction Short List
  • Great Midwest Book Festival—Winner
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Categories
Novels

Missing Mona

Tommy has boomeranged back to his parents residence and a dead-end job after too many years in college. As he looks squarely at his next decade of life his smartphone convinces him the time is ripe for a change. A gift from his grandfather provides the means, so he embarks on the path of blues artists and beatniks before him—and hits the road.

He immediately meets a damsel in hitchhiking distress who says her name is Mona. Her presence persuades him that the bright lights and dark clubs of Chicago might be his kind of town. So on a summer Saturday night they settle into a fancy hotel overlooking the beaches of Lake Michigan.

On Sunday…Mona disappears.

But she leaves behind more than a sweet memory that involves Tommy in a brand new cash flow problem he never imagined. While trying to sort out how to stay on the right side of the law and get back on the road, he meets a young criminologist who helps him, a DJ who doesn’t, and a librarian who teaches him about the city, women, and the art of the makeover. After truth and lies are stirred like a blue martini, being assaulted by a pink monkey, and witnessing a drive-by shooting that drowns a Ferrari—Tommy is desperate to help Mona.

If he can find her.

“Missing Mona has twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end. What is even more appealing is Klingler’s ability to write a private investigator novel reminiscent of one from years ago and bring it into the present day… making this book unique and a must-read.”

San Francisco Book Review (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“This engaging and romantic story is packed with action and intrigue.”

—Foreword Reviews (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

“Here’s hoping that Tommy Cuda continues with his new profession.”

—San Francisco Book Review
  • London Book Festival Winner
  • INDIEFAB Book of the Year Award—Mystery Finalist
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