Providence Rag: A Mulligan Novel (Liam Mulligan)

I am sad and dismayed by the positive reviews. This is the third book in the Mulligan series and I'm hoping it's the last. By now, I'd expect more dimensions in our characters and instead feel we've lost any depth. The bad are completely bad. The good are truly noble. The cops are at best incompetent or more likely corrupt. If you're not to the left of Hillary Clinton you're a slobering fool. The only music worth hearing has to be jazz or you're an uncooth Philistine.

Thankfully our protagonist is another superman who always sees the angles and always does the smart thing. In short, the writing was lazy and a disappointment. I'm thinking that what could have been a good story with his friend Lehane is a mediocre shadow in his hands. Rogue ISland was promising, Cliff Walk was an adequate sophmore effort. This is clearly loss of steam.

The plot moved from one convenient event to another with little or not explanation. This reader gave up after one too many of the author's annoying political jabs. The author's politics are of no interest to me.

The story is just OK and you have to work your way through his left wing political agenda and snide comments along the way.

Providence Rag: Bruce Desilva

Imagine someone that spends every waking hour dreaming about his next kill. Imagine enjoying the smell of burnt flesh, the stench of a dead body and the sight of a mutilated animal. A serial killer finds different ways to torture, kill, maim and obliterate a life. Kwame Diggs enjoys hunting and staking out his victims, watching them go about their everyday lives and quietly sneaking into their homes and killing them. Gore does not deter him. Screams are stifled and witnesses non-existent. Kwame Diggs feels justified in his actions and thinks the world owes him something but what no one really knows. From a young age he enjoyed taking apart insects, burning cats and dogs and destroying his own sister’s Barbie Doll collection smiling as he hammered away at each of the doll’s limbs. Kwame Diggs thought he was clever and would never get caught. Killing two young women and their children, two years apart was the just tip of the iceberg. Attacking another woman and leaving her permanently scarred only makes his dreams of what he might do if he is ever freed more vivid, hardboiled and frightening. What would you do if you thought this man was about to be released from prison? Rhode Island has an antiquated law stating that juveniles are to be released from prison at age 21 regardless of the severity of the crime. Bone chilling to say the least! When the scale of justice is even and it is about to be tipped in the wrong direction freeing this man and one other killer, would you bend the law, plant evidence, create situations and lie in order to make sure he never sees the light of day? Moral and ethical values are tested to the limit and two close friends are about to become rivals and go head to head as author Bruce DeSilva brings back his most powerful character, Liam Mulligan to fight for the safety of so many and the safety of a small community.

Liam Mulligan is a sports reporter for the Providence Dispatch until his editor Ed Lomax requested his help on a different story. A young woman and her daughter were murdered in 1992 and the killer remains at large. Teaming up with Detective Andy Jennings they scour the neighborhood, question witnesses, unknowingly even the killer, but no arrest is made. Two years down the line he strikes again but not before he does damage in different ways. Mulligan is persistent, hardnosed and once again teams up with Andy Jennings but this time something will change. Cruising the small community of Warwick he sees a young black teen on a bike. One simple clue would awaken something in Mulligan and the next thing you know they might have their killer but first some legwork needs to be done. Becky Medeiros and her four-year-old daughter were his first victims and Connie Stuart and her two daughters were next. With an arsenal of help at his fingertips and the cooperation of the police, labs and others this young reporter manages to help catch a killer. But, there is much more to this murder and the arrest. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Confession on tape, in prison for six years this young man was never released because people inside and outside worked the legal system to find creative ways to make sure that he served more time. Eighteen years to be exact and now the law says he might be released and the charges against him that were filed keeping him in prison were faked, lies and if proven others will go down.

Edward Mason works for the Dispatch and decides to go on a one-man crusade to find out why Diggs was not released and if the evidence was tampered. Ed Lomax is the chief editor of the Dispatch and must decide which side to take, how to handle the controversy and if Mason should be allowed to continue with his investigation which might result in Diggs being freed. With Mulligan’s limited help, interviewing prison guards in Supermax, hearing the voice of Kwame Diggs telling him why he committed the murders readers will have to decide whether he is deranged, was framed or should be committed. As Mulligan managed to put Kwame behind bars, just how far will Mason go to free him? Edward Mason is the publisher’s son. Whose side will the publisher take? Subscriptions being pulled, advertising down just how far will the publisher goes to save the Dispatch?

Mason is determined to pen a profile of this killer and with the help of Diggs new lawyer a beautiful blonde named, Felicia, he manages to interview him. Killers are smart, cunning and often convincing when the listener does not have a trained ear for lies, deceits and wants to believe what he says. Claiming he killed all of these white women, who are blonds because of racial slurs, comments and being treated as a pariah in his community, Mason takes his word as gospel and when he lies the truth things take on a different turn.

Law enforcement agencies are supposed to protect the rights of all citizens so when Kwame came up for release why did so many team up to make sure he remained inside? His incarceration was legal but the extension of it unethical and Mulligan and Mason fight on opposite sides, putting many lives in danger to protect the innocent, the public and the rights of one man who does not warrant anyone really caring. Moral decisions and ethical choices are at the center of this complex novel bringing to light many issues regarding both our legal and prison systems.

Each step of the way Mulligan, enlists the help of many close friends as he reunites with the Governor of Rhode Island hoping she will give him the information he needs to keep this man in prison. Working feverishly with her to find new evidence to make sure that he is never released will they succeed or will it be too late? But the Attorney General brings information to light, the judge listens to both sides and a verdict is rendered. Should those that lied, planted evidence perjured themselves and broke the law to keep others safe be held liable? With Mulligan working closely with the police and Mason with Kwame’s lawyer which side will succeed in their quest but can there be a clear winner?

What would you do if you were the presiding judge and had to decide if the state presented enough evidence to keep this man inside? What would you do to balance or tip the scales of justice in the right direction? A decision so controversial and a killer so diabolical you won’t believe the final result. Based on real life events this killer confesses to the crime and is convicted as a minor. But, history was made when the state law stating juveniles as adults could not be applied retroactively. His crimes so horrific that it was the opinion of the state’s psychologists that he could not be rehabilitated. Vigilante justice, mobs, threats against correction officers, judges, reporters, lawyers and violations of probation rights, extortion and even refusing to allow doctors to test him allowed the courts to give him more prison time. But, claiming he was jailed due to racism and breaking into the homes of two young women, smoking weed and stabbing victims countless times yet showing as you can tell when you hear his voice within this novel that he enjoyed his work and could not wait for his next kill. Just where is this killer now and what was his final fate? Two reporters on opposite sides of the scale of justice. Just where will the gavel land?

Author Bruce DeSilva brings to light many issues within this five star novel. Lies, deceits and cover-ups revealed but should they go unpunished? A man so dangerous that releasing him might endanger his own mother. Liam Mulligan and Edward Mason: two outstanding reporters each having a different style. Liam persistent, strong, careful and meticulous when researching a story. Mason hoping to get that major first page byline and headline learning the ropes.

Courthouse drama, a judge, Attorney General and a Lawyer that put it all on the line: Kwame Diggs: Freed or Remained in incarcerated! If you were the judge how would you rule? Surprises every step of the way and a killer whose words will send chills down your spine and a reporter who is relentless. Providence Rag: DeSilva and Mulligan at their best.

Let’s give this Five Golden Brand New Tires for Secretariat.

Liam Mulligan, investigative reporter for The Providence Dispatch newspaper has come a long way since June 1992. Back then he was a young reporter working the sports beat who, by the luck of the draw and the fact that no one else was available, was forced into helping cover from the start one of the worst murder cases in the history of Rhode Island. A case that ultimately resulted in the very justified conviction of a killer who is definitively going to kill again if he ever gets out.

In the spring of 2012 that release is looking more and more likely. Not only is the killer going to get out, Mulligan probably will see that happen very soon as well as the death of his employer, The Providence Dispatch. Newspapers are a dying industry thanks to a population that either reads online or doesn't read at all. Mulligan knows the end is near every time he walks into the nearly empty newsroom and considers all the empty workstations, but looking for a new job isn't a high priority right now. Mulligan instead is focused on the case and the huge ethical dilemma it has created. It seems increasingly clear that prison officials were fabricating charges to keep the killer behind bars beyond his original sentence because the laws passed by the legislature were never ever designed to handle this unique situation. If prison officials really could make up charges and did so the obvious implication is that they could do it again with somebody else. Where does the public’s all-encompassing right to know about corruption and other matters fit into this situation? Beyond the thorny issue of what they did, if it did happen and Mulligan and possibly other reporters write about it, all heck is going to break loose with the most likely result in a killer being released to kill again. A killer who, no doubt, is far smarter about how to do what he wants to do without getting caught than when he went in all those years ago.

Inspired by two famous Rhode Island murder cases, Providence Rag: A Liam Mulligan Novel is the third book in the very good Liam Mulligan series. While Mulligan is getting older and maybe wiser---through that is questionable--- he is certainly more and more aware of the fact that he is the last of his breed in a dying industry. The obvious question as to who is going to expose corrupt politicians and flawed government actions when newspapers are gone is one that comes up again here as well as the ethics in reporting all that one knows about a situation.

This latest in the series is another good one from author Bruce DeSilva. Shifting in time from various dates in 1989 to 2012 the complicated read features further development of many characters as well as an illustrative history of what is being lost as the newspaper industry dies before our eyes. The world has changed a lot in those years and readers are reminded of those changes as the book works its way through and increasingly suspenseful situation on various fronts. Based on real life events with names and other details fictionalized Providence Rag: A Liam Mulligan novel, like the preceding two books Rogue Island and Cliff Walk, is absolutely well worth your time.

ARC was provided by the author for my use in an objective review.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2014

Liam Mulligan, sports reporter for Rhode Island's "Providence Dispatch," begins a new line of reporting when he is asked by his boss to investigate the brutal stabbing deaths of Becky Medeiros and her four-year-old daughter, Jessica. Two years later, another blond woman and her children are slaughtered in the same fashion. Mulligan helps solve the crimes. The perp's identity does not fit the FBI's profile of a typical serial killer. When the perp is eligible for parole, prison officials fabricate reasons for keeping him in prison. All hell breaks loose when Mulligan's young, ambitious coworker, Edward Mason, begins a one-man crusade to free the serial killer.

I must brag about Bruce DeSilva's provocative thriller, "Providence Rag." It is one of the most thoroughly entertaining novels I've read this year; it is positively engrossing. "Providence Rag" is the best of the Liam Mulligan trilogy, which includes "Rogue Island" ([[ASIN:0765329816 Rogue Island]]) and "Cliff Walk" [[[ASIN:076533237X Cliff Walk: A Liam Mulligan Novel]]]. Spanning several decades, the novel chronicles the life of a psychosexual killer from childhood to adult. It is controversial in that it raises questions about nature versus nurture in regards to the creation of a serial killer. Does an abusive environment create a serial killer or simply reinforce their innate desire to murder? I found it disturbing that the serial killer's collection of favorite horror films mirrored my own. However, I am not a serial killer. Coincidentally, both the serial killer and I were raised in Christian homes with supportive, loving families. The serial killer in "Providence Rag" chooses to kill; I do not.

Perhaps DeSilva's novel would have been more aptly titled, "Providence Rage." Many are enraged over the events of this novel, including myself. The serial killer may be released and all of Rhode Island is enraged. I detest the serial killer, who is extremely perverse, demented, and amoral. He declares his innocence while dreaming of being released so that he can kill again. I am angry at the rich, spoiled Mason who is working diligently to free the serial killer while his coworkers, Mulligan and Gloria Costa (a victim of a brutal attack herself), are diligently trying to thwart his efforts and keep the murderer in prison. Sometimes, there are hilarious consequences. Mason suffers much abuse (in the form of threatening letters, a vandalized car, etc.) from concerned citizens and prison guards. I kept wondering when Mason was going to realize that this scumbag's freedom wasn't worth the suffering he was enduring. However, he is persistent that justice be served despite the consequences towards him and the many blonde women who are potential prey when the killer who is released.

"Providence Rag" is both a superb whodunit and a gripping courtroom drama. Much of the novel is spent on Mulligan and his police friend, Andy Jennings, investigating the brutal slayings of two blonde women and their daughters. Next, the perp is incarcerated and, years later, Mulligan must relive the nightmare as he struggles with his conscious while trying to keep the serial killer locked away. "Providence Rag" is seeped with human drama. I felt sorrow for Mulligan as he experiences one tragedy after another as the years pass. His trips to the graveyard to visit a dear friend tore at my heart. His coworker, Gloria, must struggle with her fear that the serial killer will be released. Her eye patch is a constant reminder of the pain she suffered from one brutal attack. Meanwhile, Mulligan, Gloria, and Mason must also live with the fear of losing their jobs as subscriptions for the "Providence Dispatch" are cancelled because of a disastrous economy and anger over its publication of articles that will help free the serial killer.

There is something for everyone in Bruce DeSilva's superb "Providence Rag": a vicious psychosexual killer, gory killings, a riveting whodunit, controversial political issues, emotional human drama, dark humor, and tender romance. I can't give this novel enough praise. All mystery fans should read it. What disturbs me the most about this novel is that it is based on two actual serial killers who terrorized Rhode Island. DeSilva, a former reporter for the "Providence Journal," obviously knows what he is writing about in this fast-paced novel, which reads like non-fiction. Readers will stay up late to learn the identity of the serial killer and whether or not he will go free. I can't wait to read DeSilva's next Liam Mulligan novel to learn if it as good as "Providence Rag." That is going to be a tough act to follow.

Joseph B. Hoyos

Love Mulligan. You do not want to put down Bruce DeSilva books. Want more!!! Told him. I wrote to him. He said no new ones in near future but I will be watching!!!!!

good story,

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This is the third in Bruce DeSilva's superb hard-boiled series of mysteries set in Rhode Island and like the first two, it is one of those books you can't put down. The main story is that of what to do when the state must, by law, release a killer who is very, very likely to kill again? The details send the creepy-crawlies up you spine.

A strong sub-plot is the coming-of-age story of the privileged son and would be inheritor of The Providence Dispatch, a once superb, award-winning newspaper now in the process of being killed off by the media of the computer age. The son appears as a minor character in DeSilva's first two movels and then, in Providence Rag, he comes of age as a full-blown person you admire and would like to know.

I left this novel hoping that DeSilva is hard at work on his plans for the full series--he's a good writer who writes good books, and who is keeping alive the hard-boiled detective novel.

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Opened this book and haven't put it down for 3 hours! I am hooked into it! The storyline is compelling. The characters are compelling. At times heartbreaking but the superb writing by Desilva makes you keep reading in anticipation of knowing how the story ends.