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leighmowzer's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the story but the two main characters were a bit cheesy and unbelievable. Both of them are just so good looking and upright and great at fighting and doing the right thing. Sorry...but boring. Same reason Superman is boring. One note.
Mama Bliss and the Raven guy were interesting.
Mama Bliss and the Raven guy were interesting.
michellef's review against another edition
5.0
`The Raven` is a thriller/suspense written by author Mike Nappa. Mike Nappa is an entertainment journalist at PopFam.com, as well as a bestselling and award-winning author. The setting of the novel is Atlanta, Ga. The Raven is book two in the Coffey & Hill series.
The Raven is a magician who steals from rich tourists who come to watch his performance. Although he somehow gets involved with the wrong people he also adds a bit of humor by asking the detective if she will marry him. However, Raven is terrorized by a group of Ukrainian hit men.
Trudi and her ex-husband, Samuel, find themselves back together again. Only this time it's as detectives on a case and not husband and wife. Somewhere in Little Five Points, someone is looking to kill someone.
This novel is a cliffhanger and some parts had me hanging by my toes. I just wanted to keep reading and not put it down. Even though I haven't had the opportunity to read the first novel in this series I am drawn into this novel. I look forward to both going back to read book one, and then book three.
The characters in this novel were credible. I would not change anything in this novel. I also recommend this novel to fans of suspense.
Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."
The Raven is a magician who steals from rich tourists who come to watch his performance. Although he somehow gets involved with the wrong people he also adds a bit of humor by asking the detective if she will marry him. However, Raven is terrorized by a group of Ukrainian hit men.
Trudi and her ex-husband, Samuel, find themselves back together again. Only this time it's as detectives on a case and not husband and wife. Somewhere in Little Five Points, someone is looking to kill someone.
This novel is a cliffhanger and some parts had me hanging by my toes. I just wanted to keep reading and not put it down. Even though I haven't had the opportunity to read the first novel in this series I am drawn into this novel. I look forward to both going back to read book one, and then book three.
The characters in this novel were credible. I would not change anything in this novel. I also recommend this novel to fans of suspense.
Disclaimer: "I was provided a free copy of this book. All opinions are my own."
juliannealkire's review against another edition
5.0
And now I must wait through the long days between now and when the next book comes out. I shall fill it by placing my hands on the Sharon Carter Rogers books as quickly as I can.
starsbyname's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this book! It's been a while since I've picked up a work of fiction that's captured my attention and been next to impossible to put down. Suspense is woven through the pages (each chapter rotates to a different narrator, so I may or may not have had to glance ahead a couple chapters every time I finished a chapter)
• Samuel understands the beauty of unusual names (he wishes his middle name had been Danger)
• Raven has an amusing and entertaining way of looking at the world
• Trudi is resourceful, smart, and someone I now consider a personal friend
• *a certain unnamed character* turns out to be very different than what you expected
• references to The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe (one of my favorite poems) are sprinkled throughout
But before you read this book, read Annabel Lee, the first in this series. Another great story with curious characters, suspense, Poe references, and a dog that I fell in love with. But has there ever been a dog I didn't love?
Overall, 5 stars!
(Wouldn't recommend this book for younger children though. Trudi and Samuel are divorced because of an affair, and references to that are repeated through the narrative. Would make a great read aloud though, skipping over those parts!)
• Samuel understands the beauty of unusual names (he wishes his middle name had been Danger)
• Raven has an amusing and entertaining way of looking at the world
• Trudi is resourceful, smart, and someone I now consider a personal friend
• *a certain unnamed character* turns out to be very different than what you expected
• references to The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe (one of my favorite poems) are sprinkled throughout
But before you read this book, read Annabel Lee, the first in this series. Another great story with curious characters, suspense, Poe references, and a dog that I fell in love with. But has there ever been a dog I didn't love?
Overall, 5 stars!
(Wouldn't recommend this book for younger children though. Trudi and Samuel are divorced because of an affair, and references to that are repeated through the narrative. Would make a great read aloud though, skipping over those parts!)
_d_o_r_k_'s review against another edition
5.0
I don't know why I was struggling to get through the first part of the book, but WOW! When I broke through my funk, this book grabbed me by the wrist and took me on an adventure. I fell so dumb for Tyson.
mnehrig's review
5.0
Mike Nappa nails the faith-based, suspense, edge-of-your-seat, thriller, yet again.
In the beginning, the good guys are indistinguishable from the bad guys. That is what makes the book so captivating. Right about the time you think you have it figured out, Mike drops some plot twist in your lap.
Told in differing points of view, the reader is taken on a journey through political, mob, and blue collar perspectives.
Through the main character, The Raven, we learn of the city councilman’s ‘extra-curricular’ activities. Through Sister/Mama Bliss, we learn of the heartbreak that comes with living in a crime infested area of Atlanta. Through Trudi, we learn of her unwavering dedication to truth and justice.
Why are Mama Bliss and Max secretly meeting?
Who did the gift of an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii for Samuel and Trudi come from?
What is The Raven running from in his past?
How did The Raven come to work for Mama Bliss?
These are some of the many questions that will arise when engaged in reading The Raven.
Once again, Mike Nappa writes a stellar novel that has hairpin twists and turns, some romance, an element of faith and Christianity, and is clean. Clearly, Mike doesn’t need to fill his books with gore or sex to sell them. His writing ability and his intriguing characters sell his books for him.
If you haven’t picked up on it, I would highly recommend this book! Mike Nappa has a fan in this reader.
In the beginning, the good guys are indistinguishable from the bad guys. That is what makes the book so captivating. Right about the time you think you have it figured out, Mike drops some plot twist in your lap.
Told in differing points of view, the reader is taken on a journey through political, mob, and blue collar perspectives.
Through the main character, The Raven, we learn of the city councilman’s ‘extra-curricular’ activities. Through Sister/Mama Bliss, we learn of the heartbreak that comes with living in a crime infested area of Atlanta. Through Trudi, we learn of her unwavering dedication to truth and justice.
Why are Mama Bliss and Max secretly meeting?
Who did the gift of an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii for Samuel and Trudi come from?
What is The Raven running from in his past?
How did The Raven come to work for Mama Bliss?
These are some of the many questions that will arise when engaged in reading The Raven.
Once again, Mike Nappa writes a stellar novel that has hairpin twists and turns, some romance, an element of faith and Christianity, and is clean. Clearly, Mike doesn’t need to fill his books with gore or sex to sell them. His writing ability and his intriguing characters sell his books for him.
If you haven’t picked up on it, I would highly recommend this book! Mike Nappa has a fan in this reader.
fiction_aficionado's review
5.0
What a cracker of a read! Mike Nappa definitely knows how to spin a good yarn, not to mention create unique and complex characters. This book is full of them, but only three provide their point-of-view: The Raven, Bliss Monroe (Mama Bliss), and Trudi Coffey.
The Raven is such complex character! He’s very entertaining – quite droll, even in some of his most dire moments – but also a bit of a lost boy, with a story that provided some surprisingly deep and poignant moments in the novel. In fact, there were a few times I got a little watery-eyed on his behalf, one of which was an incredibly powerful and well-written scene. It was impossible not to like him, as most of the characters in this novel discovered at some point (even his ‘enemies’), but neither is he without his faults. I mean, for starters, he’s a ‘deception specialist’...
Then there’s Mama Bliss – or Mama, as she is often known: a seventy-one year old diabetic who mostly gets around in a wheelchair. She owns Sister Bliss’s Secret Stash, a ten-thousand-square-foot superstore of unique and unusual items imported from all over the world: Movie memorabilia, stage costumes, antiques, first editions, one-of-a-kinds, and anything out of the ordinary. But there’s more going on behind those doors than most people realise, and like The Raven, she also has a tragic story to tell.
Trudi Coffey is the PI who works at Coffey & Hill, the firm she and her now-ex-husband, Samuel Hill, began. Now there’s a complicated relationship! They were, of course, introduced in Annabel Lee, but even if you haven’t read that novel, you’ll pick up enough of their story in this one that you won’t be lost. I have to say, I didn’t find Trudi’s attitude as grating as I did in the previous one; although I’m still not fond of her constantly referring to Samuel as ‘my ex-husband’ (which seems to have taken the place of his name even in her thoughts). Maybe I’m just getting more of a handle on her personality, but I think she’s also softening a little.
Now, as for the plot. Phwooaaaarrrrrrr! Like I said, Mike Nappa knows how to tell a ripping yarn. He hooked me from the beginning with an opening scene that ends up being a glimpse at the novel’s climax – the type of glimpse that has you on the edge of your seat, but manages to avoid giving any spoilers. We learn that “Nevermore” is imminent and it’s about to get really messy–
And then we jump back in time four weeks and the story begins.
There is nothing predictable about this story, but it unfolds in a way that has you piecing the big picture together as you go along. Once you do have the big picture, though, the tension continues to mount as you brace for the impact without having a clue how it’s all going to pan out.
It’s definitely a thriller, but I did think some of the narrative could have been more concise at times. That was the one thing that occasionally slowed things down for me, but I still have no hesitation in giving this one five stars.
Oh, and while this is not a cliff-hanger (everything from this story is resolved) be prepared for an ending that will leave you itching for the next in the series...
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
The Raven is such complex character! He’s very entertaining – quite droll, even in some of his most dire moments – but also a bit of a lost boy, with a story that provided some surprisingly deep and poignant moments in the novel. In fact, there were a few times I got a little watery-eyed on his behalf, one of which was an incredibly powerful and well-written scene. It was impossible not to like him, as most of the characters in this novel discovered at some point (even his ‘enemies’), but neither is he without his faults. I mean, for starters, he’s a ‘deception specialist’...
Then there’s Mama Bliss – or Mama, as she is often known: a seventy-one year old diabetic who mostly gets around in a wheelchair. She owns Sister Bliss’s Secret Stash, a ten-thousand-square-foot superstore of unique and unusual items imported from all over the world: Movie memorabilia, stage costumes, antiques, first editions, one-of-a-kinds, and anything out of the ordinary. But there’s more going on behind those doors than most people realise, and like The Raven, she also has a tragic story to tell.
Trudi Coffey is the PI who works at Coffey & Hill, the firm she and her now-ex-husband, Samuel Hill, began. Now there’s a complicated relationship! They were, of course, introduced in Annabel Lee, but even if you haven’t read that novel, you’ll pick up enough of their story in this one that you won’t be lost. I have to say, I didn’t find Trudi’s attitude as grating as I did in the previous one; although I’m still not fond of her constantly referring to Samuel as ‘my ex-husband’ (which seems to have taken the place of his name even in her thoughts). Maybe I’m just getting more of a handle on her personality, but I think she’s also softening a little.
Now, as for the plot. Phwooaaaarrrrrrr! Like I said, Mike Nappa knows how to tell a ripping yarn. He hooked me from the beginning with an opening scene that ends up being a glimpse at the novel’s climax – the type of glimpse that has you on the edge of your seat, but manages to avoid giving any spoilers. We learn that “Nevermore” is imminent and it’s about to get really messy–
And then we jump back in time four weeks and the story begins.
There is nothing predictable about this story, but it unfolds in a way that has you piecing the big picture together as you go along. Once you do have the big picture, though, the tension continues to mount as you brace for the impact without having a clue how it’s all going to pan out.
It’s definitely a thriller, but I did think some of the narrative could have been more concise at times. That was the one thing that occasionally slowed things down for me, but I still have no hesitation in giving this one five stars.
Oh, and while this is not a cliff-hanger (everything from this story is resolved) be prepared for an ending that will leave you itching for the next in the series...
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
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