The Man in the River (Joe Court Book 9)

Kindle Edition
386
English
N/A
N/A
06 Sep

Detective Mary Joe Court returns in a gripping story of murder, madness, and revenge in the ninth—and final—novel of New York Times’ bestselling author Chris Culver’s Joe Court series. 

Joe was driving home when her dispatcher called. An arsonist had doused a local home with gasoline and lit it on fire. The homeowner escaped without injury, and the damage is minimal. It’s a crime, but it’s not a tragedy.  

Only the arsonist isn’t done.  

He has ambitions and grievances, and he doesn’t care about houses. That was practice. His actual targets walk on two legs.  

Joe dives into the case and finds herself confronted by an adversary barely clinging to reality, a man the media have dubbed the Flamethrower. Despite her years as a detective and experience investigating the most heinous crimes imaginable, Joe can’t wrap her head around this one. The Flamethrower’s actions make no sense. His attacks seem random.  

That’s his secret. The flamethrower may be insane, but he’s supremely rational. He has a goal, and he won’t stop until he burns the world to ash…unless Joe gets him first. 

The Man in the River is a riveting thriller with great twists. If you like Michael Connelly, James Patterson, or Lisa Gardner, you’ll love Chris Culver’s Joe Court series. Check it out!

Reviews (68)

I’ll miss Joe Court but I’m glad she’s happy...

I just finished the final Joe Court novel, I was worried because I hate reading the final of any series but my worries were without merit. Perfect conclusion to one of the finest set of crime novels I’ve ever read and I’ve read a ton of them. I just happened upon The Girl in The Motel from a Facebook post and decided to read it and then I was off and running with Mary Joe Court. I have a Kindle Unlimited account so I hope Chris Culver gets a decent amount of $ for each book that is read through that account. I purchased the final one and hope that he can buy a small coffee with his payment for that one. I really believe that authors deserve to be fairly compensated for their hard work and Chris definitely has created a protagonist that is worth the time. Well, I’m off to read the Ash Rashid books now. Thanks so much for your wonderful work Chris Culver.

Great finish to the Joe Court series.

I got to know Joe quite well thru the series of books. She was a little too good to be true at times, but after all she was the heroine in her stories. If you are the kind of reader who likes strong women figures, these books may boost your ego thru her. The writing and stories are smooth colorful and exciting. Somebody is always after Joe. Usually they catch up with her. That makes her the strong woman because she comes out on her feet. Like a cat. I'm glad for the 9 books. I think I would miss # 10, except Chris is still writing and I trust I'll still love his work.

Joe

I love this character so much, but we have come to the end of her story. It was a wonderful send off for all the characters. Thank you Chris for creating Joe , Roy and everyone else.

Bittersweet!

The last book in a series isn’t always the best . Often the author is just finishing the storyline to a good conclusion. Not a bad thing! This last story in the Joe Court series was action packed and puzzling! Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, a new situation changes everything! You will enjoy this last book in the series!

Excellent book! Excellent series! Highly recommend the author, Chris Culver.

This book is about a detective by the name of Joe Court. She has many complicated issues from her past, both on the job and her personal life. It all gets wrapped up and resolved in this book. The book takes many unexpected twists and turns that I found surprising, but it all worked out in the end. Great book!

Excellent Series - Highly Recommended

This is the last (sadly) book in the Joe Court series. I have really enjoyed every book in this series so much. Every story is suspenseful and well written with the characters and their complex relationships. I highly recommend the series and at some point, I will probably read them all again. Thank you, Chris Culver!!!

Man in the River

I loved this book! It was exciting! I am so happy to find so much happened,and so many questions answered! Joe Court has gone through so much in her life. She a good cop, in a fictional story. Really enjoy Chris Culvers work. Hate seeing the series end,looking forward to the new series.But will never forget Detective Joe Court!

The Joe Court Series is Awesomr

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each of the nine books in this series. Chris Culver has a fantastic imagination. Each book has incredible twists and turns and surprises. The series is truly awesome!!!

Detective Joe Court books

I just finished Book 9 and last in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed these detective stories which are hard to put down once started. Well written. I, too, was indoctrinated to detective novels by Mickey Spillane books. Chris Culver is right in there with the big leagues.

Consistently entertaining with craft...very enjoyable read

First of all, I read the complete series without straying elsewhere. The consistent set of characters but with variety aplenty in the stories kept me interested enough and excited to keep turning the pages. Even found myself "cocking my head to the side" now and then...Thanks to you for that, Chris Culver! I'll be looking for your next work soon.

I’ll miss Joe Court but I’m glad she’s happy...

I just finished the final Joe Court novel, I was worried because I hate reading the final of any series but my worries were without merit. Perfect conclusion to one of the finest set of crime novels I’ve ever read and I’ve read a ton of them. I just happened upon The Girl in The Motel from a Facebook post and decided to read it and then I was off and running with Mary Joe Court. I have a Kindle Unlimited account so I hope Chris Culver gets a decent amount of $ for each book that is read through that account. I purchased the final one and hope that he can buy a small coffee with his payment for that one. I really believe that authors deserve to be fairly compensated for their hard work and Chris definitely has created a protagonist that is worth the time. Well, I’m off to read the Ash Rashid books now. Thanks so much for your wonderful work Chris Culver.

Great finish to the Joe Court series.

I got to know Joe quite well thru the series of books. She was a little too good to be true at times, but after all she was the heroine in her stories. If you are the kind of reader who likes strong women figures, these books may boost your ego thru her. The writing and stories are smooth colorful and exciting. Somebody is always after Joe. Usually they catch up with her. That makes her the strong woman because she comes out on her feet. Like a cat. I'm glad for the 9 books. I think I would miss # 10, except Chris is still writing and I trust I'll still love his work.

Joe

I love this character so much, but we have come to the end of her story. It was a wonderful send off for all the characters. Thank you Chris for creating Joe , Roy and everyone else.

Bittersweet!

The last book in a series isn’t always the best . Often the author is just finishing the storyline to a good conclusion. Not a bad thing! This last story in the Joe Court series was action packed and puzzling! Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, a new situation changes everything! You will enjoy this last book in the series!

Excellent book! Excellent series! Highly recommend the author, Chris Culver.

This book is about a detective by the name of Joe Court. She has many complicated issues from her past, both on the job and her personal life. It all gets wrapped up and resolved in this book. The book takes many unexpected twists and turns that I found surprising, but it all worked out in the end. Great book!

Excellent Series - Highly Recommended

This is the last (sadly) book in the Joe Court series. I have really enjoyed every book in this series so much. Every story is suspenseful and well written with the characters and their complex relationships. I highly recommend the series and at some point, I will probably read them all again. Thank you, Chris Culver!!!

Man in the River

I loved this book! It was exciting! I am so happy to find so much happened,and so many questions answered! Joe Court has gone through so much in her life. She a good cop, in a fictional story. Really enjoy Chris Culvers work. Hate seeing the series end,looking forward to the new series.But will never forget Detective Joe Court!

The Joe Court Series is Awesomr

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed each of the nine books in this series. Chris Culver has a fantastic imagination. Each book has incredible twists and turns and surprises. The series is truly awesome!!!

Detective Joe Court books

I just finished Book 9 and last in this series. I thoroughly enjoyed these detective stories which are hard to put down once started. Well written. I, too, was indoctrinated to detective novels by Mickey Spillane books. Chris Culver is right in there with the big leagues.

Consistently entertaining with craft...very enjoyable read

First of all, I read the complete series without straying elsewhere. The consistent set of characters but with variety aplenty in the stories kept me interested enough and excited to keep turning the pages. Even found myself "cocking my head to the side" now and then...Thanks to you for that, Chris Culver! I'll be looking for your next work soon.

Fantastic!

This is an awesome Detective Mary Joe Court book, worthy of the series finale. I have enjoyed every book in the series and have watched and enjoyed all of Joe Courts adventures. Thank you Chris!!

Chris Culver You Are The Best

I have purchased every book Chris has written and this one is a wonderful ending to a great series. He ties up the loose ends from the series. Please read the books in order.

Meh

Meh. Silly mystery with a silly implausible ending. To be fair, I just finished the Cormoran Strike series, so the bar was set pretty high. Wouldn’t recommend this book.

Good bye Joe, you will be missed!

Great ending for a great character. I miss the Ash series but loved the Joe series! Will miss Joe but can't wait to see the new character that this author comes up with.

Great series

I will miss Joe Court😥! Never enjoyed a series more! Mr. Culver grabs your attention and holds it until the book ends, you never want the book to end! Great mysteries!

Final case for Joe.

This was a fitting end to the Joe court series. All the real culprits in the town got Justice one way or the other and Joe goes on with her life much more satisfied.

Great series

I have loved each and every Joe Court book I have read! They keep you racing to the end cuz you can’t put it down! Like me, the saddest book is the last one. I love Joe Court and cant imagine life without her😢Absolutely spell binding. Don’t miss out

Great series

I loved every one of the books in this series. I can't wait for the new series gets started Thanks for the many hours of enjoyable reading

A good ending

A rather hectic story,had me confused several times,and never workedout who killed who until the end.What more can you ask for?

Disappointing series end

I read all the Joe Court books and looked forward to this one. The final book of the series was a waste of the author's and my time. Several storylines with no real solution. I should have quit while I enjoyed the series.

Another good read and ending to the series.

Enjoyed all the books in this series! Too bad this is the last book. That was the only thing that disappointed me!

great seies

i have enjoyed reading the entire series. there is usually a little something unexpected and joe seems like a real person with real problems

Great finale

I have all the Ash and Joe court books. Obviously, I loved them. Easy reads but riveting. Can’t wait for next series by Mr. Culver.

Great book!

Great book and great series! Interesting storyline, characters and plot twists.

Great series

It's a shame that this series had to finish. I enjoyed every one of them.

Nice read

Enjoyed this character and the people she encounters. Sorry it's the last book in the series.

Best Series to date!!

Chris, you have done it again! The Joe court series was great and I appreciated the ending. Very fitting! I look forward to your next series! I read the Jack Reacher books so I am eager to see what you come up with. The best!

Sad to see the series end

I generally hate the ending in fiction; However I think the end was pretty dang good. The series overall was addicting and easy reads (I read all 9 books in approximately 2 months). The only bad thing I have to say is the typos were driving me a little nuts.

Wonderful series

All of the books in this series have been wonderul to read, very suspenseful and exciting. So sorry this series had to come to an end.

The Man in the River (Joe Court Book 9)

I have been reading all of Chris Culver’s books for a number of years. As usual, this was a great read. I would recommend all of his books. I’m looking forward to his next series.

No Court

I loved this series, and caricatures in them. I will miss them but look forward to the next series from this author

Going to miss you Joe.

But I look forward to more great writing from Chris. He's high on my list of favorite authors. Well done.

Fantastic series. Excellent

Loved every book in the series. Hard to put the books down. And yes you can start with any of the books and know the back story.

Joe Court books

I have thoughly enjoyed all nine books in the Joe Court Series and look forward to reading more by Chris Culver

Joe Court series

I read this entire series and really enjoyed all of them. I’ll be looking for more books by Chris Culver

Excellent Series Conclusion

I am a huge fan of the authors books, especially the Joe Court series. I didn’t realize that this book would be the last. I’m glad I didn’t know it beforehand because it made the ending so much better for me. Mr. Culver created a relatable, multi dimensional character in Joe. I’m glad to see the conclusion to her story ended in a way that I felt complete closure. So many times, an author will leave a series abruptly and with so many unanswered questions. That’s not the case with Joe. I look forward to reading whatever comes next from Mr. Culver, as he has yet to disappoint me.

A must read series!

Having just finished a mystery series by another author I stumbled on Chris Culver firsts Joe Court book. Needless to say very shortly I was hooked! The characters are well thought out and the story is captivating . I have been on a Joe Court marathon. Sadly I have finished the series but admit was very satisfied with the ending. I am now heading off now to find other books by this author . Do yourself a favor and try this series!

This is the best book series I've read in a while

Joe Court grew up with a drunk mother and a few foster homes until she was finally adopted by a chief of police woman and her family. Joe has never let anyone be close to her except her dog. Sherman excellent police woman and works hard to solve her cases. The series is well written and hard to put down. I highly recommend this series.

Another success!

I hate that this is the final book of the Joe Court series. It did not disappoint but I’m going to miss the character. To get the very best experience read the series in order. They are all very good and if you’re just starting to read this series, you’re lucky because you won’t have to wait for the next one, you can just read on. It’s a really well written series. Enjoy...

Fantastic series

I started this series like I do all of them, if I did not care for it ,I would not read any more. It was such a surprise to find a really really good book. They were all so good , I would quickly read this one,so I could move on to the next. I could hardly wait till I had time to get back to reading them. This is a very good author who grabs you from the beginning and keeps you there to the end. I very much hate that this series has ended and I do not get to hear anymore about Detective Mary Joe Court.I highly recommend this author and this series .

I'm going to miss Det. Joe Court (this is last of the series)

I borrowed this book through KU and this is an honest review. This is the last of the series and I wish it would continue - Joe seems like a friend after this many novels. This one has twists, turns, and surprises and it puts loose ends from previous novels. Read it, you'll love it if you like suspenseful mysteries.

Just finished all 9 books in the series--I usually tap out long before this

but if this had not been the conclusion of the series, I would have kept on reading. This is a phenomenal series of novels that takes the reader to places we've not been or if we've been there, we're not seeing things we did not know. The conclusion is satisfactory--it works, although I'm sad that it is over.

The last Joe Court book

I didn’t realize this was the last Joe Court novel, and that makes me sad, but there is another series in the works by Mr. Culver, and that makes me happy. This is a great book. I read it in one day. I’ll miss Joe, but look forward to Mr. Culver’s next series.

Joe

This book was the final story of Joe Court, and I will miss her. Chris Culver has created a protagonist that you grow to love and cheer for. I have enjoyed the complete series and recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well-written mystery with a strong main character.

Great Series!!!!!

I havd just finished this series.I loved every one of the 9 books. I am so sorry it has ended. Loved this author and going to find another series by the same author. The only trouble I have is not being able to put them down for sleeping.

Sorry to see it end

I have read the entire Joe Court series and enjoyed all of them. I am sorry to see the end of the series and look forward to the next one. Bring it on Chris it sounds interesting. This book was a delight to read with enough twists to keep you on the edge.

Excellent book & series

Fantastic book! Love all the twist and turns in the story. The author makes Detective Court so real. It's best to read the series in order but each can stand alone. Keep writing Mr. Culver! I'm looking forward to reading more of your books.

Joe Court

From the first book in the series to the last, I could not put them down. It was a refreshing series that I came to enjoy and sadden to see it end. I would definitely recommend this series.

The Man in the River

I loved this series and cannot wait to see the new one. Joe have is a great character, plots that twisted all around and action.

Witty and entertaining

I really enjoyed reading this series. Joe Court is smart, funny and always up to her neck in trouble. I blew through all 9 books in a week. Very enjoyable reading.

Enjoyed the Series

This book concludes the Court series and for once I was not disappointed in the way an author spun the final book. Kept the new case going while nicely wrapping the series in a surprising bow!

Sad to See It End (A Good Book)

I have enjoyed the Joe Court series. I am a bit sad to have finished. Good characters and stories. I like all 9 books

Great series

What a great way to end a series. You closed all the doors and left your readers satisfied Joe was extra cool...

Page tuner

This is an excellent series I couldn’t put down. If you like detective stories that have grit then this is for you. If you like detective stories where you can fall in love with the main character then this series is for you!! A great read!!

The Man in the River

I really enjoyed this last book in this series. It is a very good mystery. It keeps you in suspense through out the book. I recommend this book.

Good way to wrap it up

Most importantly Culver has created a character you root for. That's what makes you want to follow the series to the end

What is coming next

I have read all the Joe Court books. They are thrilling and always keep you on my toes. I am sorry to hear that this is her last story. I have read most of your books. You have me sane during this virus. I am not allowed out because of health concerns. Please keep writing you make it for me to be indoors Do you think you will bring back Ash. Thanks Therese Cooperstein

Great read!

Love this author, none of his books disappoint. Once you start reading you cannot put down until done with whichever series you are reading and all are awesome! Great finish to Joe Court series.

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