mariposaazul21's review against another edition
1.0
What a Stinker!
I'm really surprised that this novel is as highly rated here as it is. There are several problems with the story:
* Predictable plot
* Huge plot holes
* Forced dialog
* Extremely shallow and unlikable protagonist
* etc
This one was definitely a disappointment. I recommend taking a pass on The Fixer
I'm really surprised that this novel is as highly rated here as it is. There are several problems with the story:
* Predictable plot
* Huge plot holes
* Forced dialog
* Extremely shallow and unlikable protagonist
* etc
This one was definitely a disappointment. I recommend taking a pass on The Fixer
annabella82's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly had a little bit of a hard time getting into this book.
The plot was pretty straightforward...there weren't too many twists and turns. Also, the main character never really seemed to be in that much danger.
The thing I didn't really enjoy were the characters. They were a little lacking. However, I did enjoy ready about the relationship between the father and son.
All in all this wasn't a great book but it wasn't bad...and it was a quick read.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
The plot was pretty straightforward...there weren't too many twists and turns. Also, the main character never really seemed to be in that much danger.
The thing I didn't really enjoy were the characters. They were a little lacking. However, I did enjoy ready about the relationship between the father and son.
All in all this wasn't a great book but it wasn't bad...and it was a quick read.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
claudetteb's review against another edition
2.0
This was a hard book to rate. The protagonist is unlikable for most of the book, making the redemption arc too extreme. I found myself skimming through endless descriptions of cars, clothes, restaurants..... blah blah... filler, really, because the story was a pretty simple one. All in all, not Finder's best effort.
kiks396's review against another edition
2.0
Rick Hoffman is the perfect example of why the human race is doomed to failure. Greedy, selfish and self-centered. All for $5 million. His treatment of his father and family in general was sad and pathetic and I didn't care for him or his success. Actually found myself rooting for the bad guys to get him.
jennyrbaker's review against another edition
3.0
The Fixer is my first introduction to Joseph Finder’s novels and I must say I have mixed feelings about it. The novel has a plot that’s compelling and engaging with well-developed characters that are both interesting and likeable. There’s immediate tension at the beginning, but the pacing tends to drag at times. It has a satisfying ending, but there aren’t a lot of surprises.
The story starts out strong when Rick Hoffman finds over three million dollars behind a wall of his father’s abandoned house that’s in desperate need of renovation. Rick had his share of glamorous jobs when he worked as the executive editor for Back Bay magazine and as an investigative reporter for The Boston Globe. His father is in a nursing home and can’t speak because of a stroke he had over 18 years ago, so Rick has to put his investigative skills to the test to find the origin of the money. During his investigation, he learns about his father’s secret past and realizes just how little he knows about him.
My excitement fizzled about 60 pages into it during a boring dating scene, but you learn the significance of the date much later in the novel. The story picks up steam again when Rick discovers dangerous people are following him and threaten his life. He connects with different people when he begins researching his father’s business connections and each piece of the puzzle gets more intriguing, but the story loses steam again with some of the backstories. Half way through the novel, I still wasn’t sure if I liked or disliked the book, but I kept reading and I’m glad I did.
Rick quickly learns that he’s in way over his head, but of course that doesn’t stop him. The more he probes to find the source of the money, the more dangerous Rick’s situation becomes. The last half of the book has outstanding suspense. This is when you can’t put the book down, so if Joseph Finder had maintained this level of suspense from the beginning, this would have been a four-star novel.
If you enjoy mystery/thrillers that have good action scenes and haven’t tried Joseph Finder, he’s still worth reading.Jenny's Book Bag The Fixer Review.
The story starts out strong when Rick Hoffman finds over three million dollars behind a wall of his father’s abandoned house that’s in desperate need of renovation. Rick had his share of glamorous jobs when he worked as the executive editor for Back Bay magazine and as an investigative reporter for The Boston Globe. His father is in a nursing home and can’t speak because of a stroke he had over 18 years ago, so Rick has to put his investigative skills to the test to find the origin of the money. During his investigation, he learns about his father’s secret past and realizes just how little he knows about him.
My excitement fizzled about 60 pages into it during a boring dating scene, but you learn the significance of the date much later in the novel. The story picks up steam again when Rick discovers dangerous people are following him and threaten his life. He connects with different people when he begins researching his father’s business connections and each piece of the puzzle gets more intriguing, but the story loses steam again with some of the backstories. Half way through the novel, I still wasn’t sure if I liked or disliked the book, but I kept reading and I’m glad I did.
Rick quickly learns that he’s in way over his head, but of course that doesn’t stop him. The more he probes to find the source of the money, the more dangerous Rick’s situation becomes. The last half of the book has outstanding suspense. This is when you can’t put the book down, so if Joseph Finder had maintained this level of suspense from the beginning, this would have been a four-star novel.
If you enjoy mystery/thrillers that have good action scenes and haven’t tried Joseph Finder, he’s still worth reading.Jenny's Book Bag The Fixer Review.
poisedpenpro's review against another edition
5.0
When Investigative Journalist Rick Hoffman loses his job, his girlfriend, and his apartment, his only option is to move back into the home of his youth. The old house has sat abandoned since his father’s stroke years earlier. The house is in decay from neglect and as Rick starts to make repairs and renovations, he makes an electrifying discovery- millions of dollars buried in the walls. His father knows the secret of how the money got there, but is still unable to communicate. Soon Rick finds, there are deadly enemies that also know the truth, and they are determined to keep the past hidden at all cost.
This book has all the elements of a great thriller, greed, corruption, cover-ups, and murder. The plot is fast- paced, the storyline and characters are well developed and, absolutely believable. I have always enjoyed book by Joseph Finder and this one is no exception.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review.
This book has all the elements of a great thriller, greed, corruption, cover-ups, and murder. The plot is fast- paced, the storyline and characters are well developed and, absolutely believable. I have always enjoyed book by Joseph Finder and this one is no exception.
I was given a copy of this book by the publisher for an honest review.
nickieandremus's review against another edition
5.0
*** I received an advance e-copy from First To Read in exchange for my honest opinion
When you start to read a Jospeh Finder novel, you expect great things. This book did not disappoint. Fast paced from the very beginning, it was a roller coaster ride the entire book. A journalist whose tagline is "I just want to know how the story ends" gets wind of the mother of all stories..... full of greed, coverups, payoffs and murders. You will definitely not be disappointed!
When you start to read a Jospeh Finder novel, you expect great things. This book did not disappoint. Fast paced from the very beginning, it was a roller coaster ride the entire book. A journalist whose tagline is "I just want to know how the story ends" gets wind of the mother of all stories..... full of greed, coverups, payoffs and murders. You will definitely not be disappointed!
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