Review - 3M Detective Agency

November 15, 2019November 15, 2019

Book Reviews – Blue Moon, by Lee Child

Blue Moon by Lee Child

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series is suffering the fate of too many long-running series. It’s becoming predictable. Of course, that may be exactly what Reacher’s fans want. In this installment, Reacher wars against the Albanian and Ukrainian mobs in an unnamed American city, to right wrongs done to an elderly couple who are fighting to save their daughter from cancer. Early on, Reacher finds a sweet young thing working in a bar to share his bed and adventures, and we’re off and running. Fine if you like that sort of thing.
My biggest problem with the series these days is that all the suspense is gone. Reacher’s not only gonna win, there’s no one or nothing that’s even gonna challenge him. He just mows through the bad guys like they’re not even resisting. It’s pure catharsis, again, which may be exactly what Reacher’s fans want. Will I buy the next one? I swore after I read the last book that I wouldn’t, but guess what? At least I didn’t pay full price for it. Child’s still doing something right, but I wish he’d take a chance and change the formula.

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July 9, 2019July 9, 2019

Book Review – Penhallow, by Georgette Heyer

Penhallow by Georgette Heyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Penhallow is a tour de force of psychological suspense. It’s a crime novel but not a mystery–the reader is privy to all details of the crime and its sad denouement. Its strength lies in Heyer’s masterful portrayal of her characters’ inner thoughts and emotions. Its conclusion is logical, unexpected and ironic, leaving one with bittersweet feelings about the Penhallow family members’ respective fates. Its only fault was its excessive length, generally due the repetition of facts that had been previously presented. Penhallow is a masterpiece in the English country house/gothic genre, and should not be neglected by anyone partial to that type of story.

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April 6, 2019April 6, 2019

Trafficked is a fast paced read!

**** Burns knows how to drive a plot with high...... review gif

M. K. Graff is also the author of the Trudy Genova Mysteries. The second book, Death at the Dakota, is coming in May, 2019. http:// https://bookbitsnbobs.blogspot.com/2019/04/cover-reveal-death-at-dakota.html?fbclid=IwAR021KLm-66priB6ACgHJZxye2atUkLfqhwC_0-jpWjltnuHeUTyQwa90OY

April 5, 2019April 5, 2019

Another Great Review for Trafficked!

Here’s a review of Trafficked! from Betsy Ashton, author of the Mad Max Mysteries and Eyes Without a Face.

**** TRAFFICKED! is a dandy good yarn, well worth...... review gif

November 2, 2018

Another Great Review for Revenge!

Amazon is at it again – they removed a 5* review for Revenge! the other day. Happily, it has now been replaced by a new 5* review which I am copying here so I don’t lose it forever.

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars
November 1, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition

Awesome Read

This was an unexpected gem. I was fully gripped from page one to the last word as the pace was fast without much down time. Natalie was the type of character I appreciate, with dimension. While hard, and often crass, there is also a vulnerability to her that makes her more than the average cardboard sassy heroine. Since I haven’t read the first part, I did get the feeling that I might have missed some of the depth between Natalie and her girlfriend, Lupe, however, that just makes me want to give it a read and see what I missed. From the other snippets of backstory, it sounds like I missed another wonderful story.

The story has a whole lot of threads that twine together to keep things tense as you try to figure out who it is that’s causing trouble for Natalie, and Lupe. Is it all related? The stakes continue to grow as well, the deeper you get. I found myself staring harder and gripping the kindle tighter as I reached the end. That end. Fantastic.

If you are looking for a thrilling mystery this one will satisfy.

August 21, 2018August 21, 2018

And Two More Reviews for Revenge!

Peter J. Reilly

Fast paced exciting page turner

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

It was great to have Natalie McMasters back in my head. Burns has crafted one of the greatest opening paragraphs in detective fiction.
“When you kill someone, it changes you. Totally. My name is Natalie McMasters. I’m twenty, short and blonde (OK, it’s bleached) and I’m way cute. And I’ve killed three people.”
As Natalie is dealing with the psychological strain created by the events in Stripper!, the first book in the series, we learn enough to follow along without having read Stripper! (although you really should read it).
And by the end of the first chapter we are back to the races again as one or more somebodies is out to get Natalie again.
In the process we see matters develop in Natalie’s romantic and family life as the pretense with her uncle that her lover Lupe is just a roommate is uncovered and family trumps other concerns. The characters flesh out more, although I keep wanting to get more of Uncle Amos and also the setting is fleshed out more – a University city i the south.We also get some backstory on Natalie her pre-Stripper walk on the wild side, which may now be coming back to haunt her. So character and setting are good, quite good, but it is the relentless plot that keeps the pages turning.The biggest criticism I have is that a couple of the villains don’t quite hang together and their actions against Natalie are a little implausible. Behind the though is a villain of Moriarty quality lurking from Natalie’s past.

Although the book ties things up in a quite satisfactory manner, we are left with a new crisis that will keep us waiting for the next installment.

Some Programmer

Something Different (For Me)

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book occupies a niche outside of my usual reading, and I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance if I’d stumbled across it on Amazon. I only discovered it because the author and I attended the same beta reader group, and I’m glad I did. Revenge! turned out to be a very enjoyable read.

First off, the writing is great. Natalie McMasters, the protagonist, has a distinct voice and a complicated personality. Most of the supporting characters have some depth to them as well, and the setting (a fictionalized version of a certain Southern city) is vividly drawn. I thought the book nailed the plot and pacing as well. The story does a great job of sprinkling in little details that turn out to be important later, and the tension level increases with almost every page up to a downright thrilling climax.

No book is perfect, and I did find a few minor elements I was less enthusiastic about. I wished that Natalie’s girlfriend Lupe had been fleshed out as thoroughly as Natalie herself. Also, there’s some very graphic sex and violence throughout the book. Given the theme, it’s kind of unavoidable, but it’s something you should be aware of going in.

These quibbles took very little away from a great book, and I’m looking forward to the sequel. Speaking of sequels, it’s worth mentioning that while Revenge! is the second book in a series, it stands on its own very well. Even though it (minor spoiler) ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, it manages to tell a complete story while still fitting into a larger plot. I wish more authors could pull this off.

These reviews are posted on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Natalie-McMasters-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07FNVV3ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534337515&sr=8-1&keywords=burns+revenge%21.

August 21, 2018August 21, 2018

More Great Reviews for Revenge!

New Natalie McMasters Mystery

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Natalie McMasters, the heroine from Tom Burns’s novel Stripper, is back in another fast-moving mystery–Revenge. I really like this lead character. She’s a smart, sexy, hard-edged detective but the story reminds us that she’s also a naïve and vulnerable college-age girl. The plot is full of perplexity that kept me guessing about the source of the many troubles that threaten Nattie and the ones she loves. I found myself applauding her pluck and determination, while cringing at her tendency for putting herself in danger.
I appreciate authors who do their homework and Burns has certainly done his research. Besides the obvious background on police procedures, the story takes us into the ins and outs of CCTV signaling, trends in street narcotics, the arcane rules of federal deportation proceedings and the psychology of a young woman dealing with her history of violent confrontations and a same-sex relationship. These details helped make the story real and relevant.
Revenge gives us plenty to chew on while taking us through the heroine’s misadventures. Great reading for people who appreciate intelligent and exciting mysteries.

Skip Dyer

Fast paced, interesting characters, topical themes

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This story was well-written with a “keep turning the pages” pace. The plot is well-crafted, the characters interesting and well-developed. There was one minor character whose story didn’t seem to resolve by the end and I wanted the bad guys to get a more robust comeuppance. Those items aside, it was an entertaining read and kept my interest throughout. I’ll definitely continue with the series.

Brian

Another great Natalie McMasters book

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Well written book. Great story. Well developed characters. This is a great read and you’ll find yourself rooting for Natalie throughout! I’m already curious to see what she’ll get into next!

Susan Rice

A Great Read!!

August 21, 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

A fast-paced story, Intriguing true-to-life characters with an explosive ending. Looking forward to the next book!

These reviews are posted on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Natalie-McMasters-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07FNVV3ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534337515&sr=8-1&keywords=burns+revenge%21

August 19, 2018August 21, 2018

Revenge! just got its first review

Thanks to Rebecca Winkler for this excellent review:

Rebecca Winkler

Well-developed characters

August 19, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

What I liked:
Let me start out by saying the synopsis takes care of telling you what the story is about, so I’ll give you my thoughts about the writing.

The story itself held my interest and kept me turning pages to find out what will happen next. The pairing of characters and interaction between them is well written—Rebecca and Nattie, Danny and Nattie, Lupe and Nattie, and LeBrowne and Nattie, just to name a few. You can hear the distinction in each of their voices. They are all well-developed characters. Well done, Mr. Burns.

What did not work for me:
The overuse of the word “I” in parts of the writing slowed down the flow. For instance, a paragraph with several sentences that all begin with “I” made the writing feel like wood, telling and not showing, and then things would begin to flow again wonderfully.

The information dump regarding immigration law is too much at one time and took me out of the flow of the story. At this point we do not know what Lupe will face in the future to fix her problem. Reveal the legal immigration process as Lupe is living it. Let the law support the action she needs to take at that moment in time. Spoon feed it to me.

The Final Say:
This author has created a refreshingly original character in Natalie McMasters. She has all the flaws of a real person, a little offbeat, quirky, roughed up edges, with a heart and soul. She has loved strongly and lost painfully for her young years. She’s a survivor and faces her challenges. She also keeps secrets and is guarded. She’s wonderful. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

The review is posted on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Natalie-McMasters-Mystery-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B07FNVV3ZY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1534337515&sr=8-1&keywords=burns+revenge%21 and on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2495097752?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

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