hiphipmurray97's review
4.0
3.75 stars. A good weekend read; suspenseful but not heart-crushing, gruesome and realistic but neither haunting nor excessive. The author does a great job at keeping the plot twists and milestones generally unpredictable and the dialogue engaging. There are sections in the beginning and middle that read like pulp procedurals and the list of names stacks up, but the latter is definitely realistic - slimming the cast would detract from the realism.
jtrigger's review against another edition
3.0
Good... not great. There were moments of great promise that this might turn out to be an excellent book in disguise but it was not to be. It certainly isn't a "bad" book; merely average. Maybe some day I will read further in the series; perhaps not.
lisaeirene's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book because it was free for kindle. I'd never heard of the author and really didn't know much about the book. I realize half way through that it was categorized as "christian fiction" and that was kind of a turn off as I'm not religious. However, there wasn't TOO much preaching in the book. It seemed to be part of the characters and story line as opposed to obnoxious soap box preaching.
That being said, I'm glad I kept reading because I enjoyed the book. I disagree with the other reviewers that say the main character was unlikable. I felt like he was likable and relatable.
That being said, I'm glad I kept reading because I enjoyed the book. I disagree with the other reviewers that say the main character was unlikable. I felt like he was likable and relatable.
felinity's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
It was a refreshing change to read a crime/mystery book that was free from bad language, extra-marital sex, and hordes of alcoholic or drug-addicted officers, and Roland's backstory was definitely more unusual than most - enough so that it felt more realistic. I just didn't feel a gripping compulsion to keep reading, or a strong connection with any of the characters. I'd be willing to give book 2 a try though, to see if the series continues to strengthen.
It was a refreshing change to read a crime/mystery book that was free from bad language, extra-marital sex, and hordes of alcoholic or drug-addicted officers, and Roland's backstory was definitely more unusual than most - enough so that it felt more realistic. I just didn't feel a gripping compulsion to keep reading, or a strong connection with any of the characters. I'd be willing to give book 2 a try though, to see if the series continues to strengthen.
shortthoughts's review against another edition
3.0
I'm not a big fan of crime fiction and reading this book reminded me of why. I'm not saying it's a bad book at all. It's a good book. Bertrand is a good writer and the story was suspenseful and rewarding, just as a mystery book should be. It's just not my shelf. I know, why read it? I have my reasons.
I first encountered J. Mark Bertrand on his Bible Design Blog. I also recently discovered I had his 2007, Crossway-published "Rethinking Worldview" on my shelf. I have also read a couple of his essays on Christians and art. In one particular essay, Bertrand applied theological thinking to the noir genre and put up some defense. That essay is what brought me to this book. I wanted to see how he practiced what he preached. I think he did it well.
If you like murder mysteries, then I would recommend this book to you. If you like mysteries but want some a little less grim, then read Sherlock Holmes.
I first encountered J. Mark Bertrand on his Bible Design Blog. I also recently discovered I had his 2007, Crossway-published "Rethinking Worldview" on my shelf. I have also read a couple of his essays on Christians and art. In one particular essay, Bertrand applied theological thinking to the noir genre and put up some defense. That essay is what brought me to this book. I wanted to see how he practiced what he preached. I think he did it well.
If you like murder mysteries, then I would recommend this book to you. If you like mysteries but want some a little less grim, then read Sherlock Holmes.
eatingfiction's review against another edition
4.0
I don't read many books like the, but I really enjoyed this one.
books2pineapples's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! Can't wait to read the next in the series!
beccaandthegingercat's review against another edition
3.0
Another Kindle freebie. The mystery part was interesting, but I had a hard time with the main character for the first half of the book or so. He just didn't seem to really care about much of anything.
thestarman's review against another edition
3.0
VERDICT: 3.1 stars. A solid missing persons/possible murder story set in big city Texas.
Moderately paced. Many of the usual tropes, but mostly well-executed here. No big twists. Satisfactory ending.
Consider this book with more of an edge (I gave it 4 stars):
[b:Angel Killer|20527023|Angel Killer (Jessica Blackwood #1)|Andrew Mayne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393788161l/20527023._SY75_.jpg|19187717] by Andrew Mayne (Book #1 in a series)
Moderately paced. Many of the usual tropes, but mostly well-executed here. No big twists. Satisfactory ending.
Consider this book with more of an edge (I gave it 4 stars):
[b:Angel Killer|20527023|Angel Killer (Jessica Blackwood #1)|Andrew Mayne|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1393788161l/20527023._SY75_.jpg|19187717] by Andrew Mayne (Book #1 in a series)
shammons's review against another edition
3.0
A freebie for my Kindle that I had high hopes for. I believe the reviews at Amazon were good, and under different circumstances, maybe I would have enjoyed this one more. As it is, I got really bogged down in it and couldn't seem to push through. Maybe it was the plot or storyline or writing, or maybe it was just me, with everything going on right now. Either way, it wasn't that great for me, and I had a lot of trouble finishing it. That said, I finally did, and I'm off to read something light and airy next :)