"Excellent Characters:  Reminds me of Nick and Nora"
By C. John, Virginia
Kohl's wit shines through in her writing. The interaction between the main protagonist Detective "Ham" Baker (awesome name) and key members of the supporting cast is excellent.

Baker is obviously confused and innocently unaware of his attraction to Dierdre which makes for some very charming and memorable scenes.

Edwards, Baker's fussy and physically imposing British assistant cracked me up with his repeated attempts throughout the novel to see his rumpled and bruised employer properly attired.

But, by far the most entertaining, is the charged tension between Baker and his ex-wife's new husband, Police Detective Lewis. The verbal digs exchanged between the two men as their private and professional paths cross is fantastic. Imagine some of the cheekier courtroom exchanges between Perry Mason and the obviously intellectually inferior District Attorney Hamilton Berger. Throw in a cheating wife, a smug cop, a wise-acre private dick and amplify by a factor of 5.

For me, the intrigue and events surrounding the murder was more about providing Kohl's sublime and humorous characters the opportunity to interact. The stellar cast and 1940's noir setting are what set this novel apart from a crowded mystery / crime genre.
"Hard-Boiled Review"
By Lloyd Ritchey, author of Stormdragon

The Deputy's Widow:

Hard-as-nails Detective Baker confronts bone-breaking wise guys, truculent cops, and sexually charged femmes fatales in this gritty murder mystery staged in a 40's New York town. Story and characters are evocative of Mickey Spillane, Raymond Chandler, and Dashiell Hammett (Baker is perhaps like Sam Spade played by a younger, tougher Humphrey Bogart). But author J.B. Kohl has her own, strong noir voice.

This reader was sorry to reach the book's conclusion, wanting to spend more time with the colorfully drawn characters and linger in the tough world where men are quick with the "heaters" and fast with the fists--and the dames "fill the room with fire." I look forward to J.B Kohl's next Detective Baker novel.

Now, where did I put those unfiltered Camels?
"Refreshing new cast of characters" by T. Lloyd (Wisconsin)

Quite a different "Sam Spade or Mike Hammer" cast of characters in this novel. Younger readers will wonder if anyone could smoke that much or get beat up that much, but back in the late 40's that's the way it was. Usually, every novel I read becomes predictable, but not his one. The author has created a great visual picture of the 40's country club, asylum, cafes, cars and old office buildings. I caught only one factual error in the book. See if you can find it too. It's trivial but dated.
"Retro-Noir" By "Noir Guy", (Los Angeles, CA)

Modern Noir novels fall into two categories: the neo-noir world of sex and ultra-violence and the retro Noir, period-set books that harken back in plot and style to the glory days of Sam Spade and Phillip Marlowe. The Deputy's Widow is the former. The first in a series about Detective Hamilton Baker there is plenty of set up for the sequels and a charming cast of characters that feel like they could surely go the distance. While the set up of the quirky small town and the seeds of mysteries to come does add some padding not essential to the central case the plot moves briskly through a host of suspects and intertwining mysteries that all come to a satisfying conclusion that is unexpected while not succumbing to the all-too-common mistake of total incredulity.
JB Kohl wears her influences on her sleeve but seeing as we're not getting any more Raymond Chandler books then she has proven herself a worthy author who is here to satisfy those of us who still like a good old fashioned detective story. It's familiar not in a worn-in blanket sort of way but in the way a favorite revolver fits snugly in your hands on a cold winter night.
"Captures the Noir Essence" By Mary Menzel, "Reviewer-www.allthesebooks.com"

J.B. Kohl has brilliantly succeeded in capturing the noir essence in her debut novel "The Deputy's Widow." We are instantly transported back to the days of 1948 when men where tough and gritty and women were called dames. Here we meet Detective Hamilton Baker, who is a well rounded character: a great detective, a rejected husband and a man who believes in finishing the job... regardless of the consequences. This talented new author has taken a mix of murder, deception and repressed memories and created an enticing read reminiscent of the noir classics we all know and love.
"Excellent Noir Book" By Lisa A. Litwin, Chesapeake, VA

This novel provides the reader a variety of story lines with twists and turns. Did an excellent job of keep me interested - I couldn't put the book down! JB Kohl did a great job of keeping the reader guessing as to the ending. I hope the story line continues in the next book. I cannot wait to read it.