The word is out, so I've decided to share a little bit about the third Roland March novel, Nothing to Hide, which is coming out in July 2012. This installment takes March into the twilight world of the paranoid conspiracy thriller. It also reveals his "origin story." But the question on a lot of minds is, what color is the cover? Back on Murder was yellow, Pattern of Wounds was red, so if you know anything about the traffic laws, you probably won't be too surprised by this:
Can I confess what may seem like a superficial trait? I love "sets" of books. If you toured my shelves, you'd see that some of us do judge books by their covers. Books by the same author should look like they go together. These do, which fulfills my little fantasy nicely:
Here's the back cover copy on Nothing to Hide:
Publishers Weekly calls J. Mark Bertrand's writing "gritty and chilling." He returns once more to the streets of Houston for another twisting mystery featuring Detective Roland March. This time, a new case is launched by the discovery of a headless corpse ... only the investigation quickly becomes complicated when a blood sample analysis brings a phone call from the FBI.
The body was an undercover agent working to bring down Mexican drug cartels. The feds want the case closed rather than risk exposing other agents in the field, but March can't abide letting a murder go unsolved. And he doesn't have to dig long to figure out something isn't right. Someone is covering something up, and it seems that everyone has something to hide. Maybe even March, as the case soon intersects, unexpectedly, with the murder that led him to become a homicide cop, all those years ago.
The bare bones listing at Amazon is up, which means Nothing to Hide is available for pre-order. I'll be sharing plenty more about the book in the months ahead.
Ooh! Sounds delightful! And the cover is great!
Posted by: Mocha with Linda | October 27, 2011 at 10:51 AM
I have greater reason to look forward to placing the third volume on my shelf since it promises to be quite the aesthetic experience. The only question now is whether or not there will be a fourth tome of Roland March mysteries?
Posted by: Jacob | October 27, 2011 at 11:11 AM
Thanks, Linda! Jacob, that's a good question, and only time will tell. It's very much up to the readers.
Posted by: J. Mark Bertrand | October 27, 2011 at 11:28 AM
Love the theme, and I agree with the recognizable format. Anxious for the next one, Mark.
Posted by: Nicole | October 27, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Just finished Pattern of Wounds & I can't wait 'til July for Nothing to Hide! Have learned not to start a Roland March story unless I can read into the wee hours without consequence the next day--can't not know how it ends :)
Posted by: Cecilia | November 25, 2011 at 07:13 AM
Thanks, Cecilia! That's great to hear. (And I've stayed up into the wee hours writing about March, so I know where you're coming from.)
Posted by: J. Mark Bertrand | November 28, 2011 at 08:11 AM
Just read "Pattern of Wounds" this weekend ... had to force myself to put it down and participate in the Thanksgiving chatter! Not sure how in the world I'll survive until "Nothing to Hide" makes its way into my hands. I was not familiar with your work before, but you have quickly made it onto my "favorites" list!
Posted by: Renee | November 28, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Great to hear from you, Renee. If you haven't read BACK ON MURDER yet, maybe that will tide you over until NOTHING TO HIDE hits the shelves. :)
Posted by: J. Mark Bertrand | November 28, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Oh WOW!!! I couldnt put it down! I love love LOVE these books!
Posted by: Hannah | January 21, 2012 at 07:39 PM
we just finished Pattern. where is Charlotte? not at all the ending I was expecting!
Posted by: mary | January 24, 2012 at 07:58 PM
Just found Back on Murder on a CBD clearance list and bought it for a break. No fair! I lost a lot of sleep finiishing this one, and now I have to order the next, and the next, and hope there's a next. Thanks.
Posted by: Judith Hunter | February 12, 2012 at 12:17 PM
I'm glad to hear you're all enjoying the books! I just finished proofs for NOTHING TO HIDE, so rest assured it's on the way. Thanks so much for the comments.
Posted by: J. Mark Bertrand | February 13, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Mark, I just finished PATTERN OF WOUNDS and I just preordered the Kindle ed of NOTHING TO HIDE. I'm looking forward to it. One question: is Charlotte okay???!!! What a suspenseful way to end! :)
Posted by: John R. Gentry | March 11, 2012 at 12:45 AM