Black Velvet (1) (Erin O'Reilly Mysteries)

I love it when a book gets under my skin, and I've just GOTTA keep going back to it till I've read it all. I call this "book fever," and boy, did BLACK VELVET give me a case of book fever!

This story appealed to me on many fronts: an art heist, a mystery, and a well-researched K-9 team. Erin O'Reilly is an appealing protagonist. She behaves like a genuine cop, and also like a genuine woman (too rarely the case, from a male author). I also really like it that Rolf, the K-9, behaves in realistic dog ways (no "magical dog" who solves the mystery by chance or intuition). He plays an important part, but he's always a genuinely believable dog.

It's clear Steven Henry has done his research on many fronts. There are many excellent heart-pounding moments, but when the choice is "flashy" or "what would really happen?" this author goes for "what would really." The book is much stronger for it. Erin doesn't stumble onto clues--she works for them. Henry also doesn't have her doing some of the stupid things you too often find in books, that real police officers would not do. I liked that a lot. This protagonist reads more like a "real cop" than so, so many fictional cops!

Yes, there are a few stereotypes and clichés, but they're quiet ones, and they don't get in the way of the story overall. Would I like to have seen a more diverse cast? Definitely. But BLACK VELVET is a promising start for a potentially interesting mystery series, and Steven Henry is an author whose career I intend to follow.

I loved the development and descriptions of the characters, the pace of the story line, and the authenticity of character history - seemed so very real. I'm more of a movie goer than a reader but found this book as intriguing as any well played movie on the big screen. Thank you, Steven Henry - looking forward to more Erin O'Reilly Mysteries!

I brought this book along on a recent trip, and I found it thoroughly enjoyable. I am not a literary critic, nor am I an art expert or knowledgeable in police activities. I’m just a big reader with a desire to get “sucked in” by the books I read for a temporary escape into someone else’s world. This book fit the bill perfectly. It was a pleasurable read with a good pace to the story, and I found it difficult to put down. I absolutely recommend it, and can’t wait for the second installment!

Very well written. Good character. Purchased a. Sample and wanted to keep reading. I hope he continues this story line because I want to read the next novel.
Now I finally finished I can't wait for the next book "Irish Car Bomb"
Steven Henry writes much like John Grisham or John Sandford.
Definitely an Author I want on my must read list.

What a great summer read! The author takes me back to my old stomping grounds of the City with an exciting read about a cop, her K9 partner, and a modern twist to a traditional art heist.

I enjoyed this book a lot and appreciated the immersive writing and storytelling. The characters were well developed and believable, and I felt a connection to Erin from quite early in the novel. The story was paced nicely and had enough plot turns and revelations to keep me interested and engaged throughout. Looking forward to reading more in this series!

Black Velvet is the first book in a series of 13 thus far by Steven Henry, who lives “a very quiet and ordinary life in Minnesota.” His two principal characters in this series of police procedurals are Erin O’Reilly and her K-9 partner Rolf. Erin is a NYPD patrol officer and Rolf is a male Belgian Malinois which accompanies her, responding to her single-word commands in German. As a patrol officer, Erin is supposed to follow the rules and stay out of the way of the detectives, who do all of the glamor stuff, including appearing before the microphones. If Erin minded her p’s and q’s, there would not be much of a story and Rolf would not have an opportunity to bite any bad guys. So, needless to say, Erin does not follow the rules and Rolf does have chances to munch on the extremities of the bad guys, even the suspected ones. In this fine first effort, Erin chances to break up a petty burglary, but eventually she becomes embroiled in a theft of a priceless painting, which she has to investigate on her own, since she has been warned off the case by the detectives assigned to it. As a consequence, Erin skates on some very thin ice as she attempts to find the guy who set up the theft, and paid a number of thugs to pull it off at a gala premier that Erin chances to attend, along with her new art evaluator boyfriend. This short book (195 pages) moves at a fairly rapid clip to its conclusion and definitely whets the appetite for the next entry in the series. If you like police procedurals, especially one also involving police dogs, then this series is for you. I already have the next four in hand and am set for the next several days.

I enjoyed Black Velvet; I like Erin, the heroine (a dedicated cop--not a detective yet--but she really focuses on solving her cases even if it's not her case and the real detectives give her a hard time while screwing up the case--and she's a little reckless); Rolf, her K-9 partner; and Doctor Schenk, a German with a background that gets him involved in solving the art heist also. I was slightly suspicious of the villain early on, but I wasn't the only one... Satisfying ending.

Great book, if you love dogs and books about dogs.

This book is written by one of my favorite authors. Always and enjoyable read.