#Review : The Last Line #TheLastLine – Robert Dugoni @robertdugoni @AmazonPub

– ‘The Magic of Wor(l)ds’ blog is a hobby, reviews and other bookish stuff on this site are done for free.
I’m grateful of receiving a free copy from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review of this book. –

About the Author :

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series, which has sold more than seven million books worldwide. He is also the author of the bestselling Charles Jenkins series; the bestselling David Sloane series; the stand-alone novels The 7th Canon, Damage Control, The World Played Chess, and The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, Suspense Magazine’s 2018 Book of the Year, for which Dugoni won an AudioFile Earphones Award for narration; and the nonfiction exposé The Cyanide Canary, a Washington Post best book of the year. He is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Book Award for fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest. He is a two-time finalist for the Thriller Awards and the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Silver Falchion Award for mystery and the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Awards. His books are sold in more than twenty-five countries and have been translated into more than two dozen languages. 

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Synopsis :

Title: The Last Line
Author: Robert Dugoni
Page Count: 53 pages
Release Date: October 21, 2021
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories

A newbie Seattle detective gets an education in corruption in a short story by Robert Dugoni, the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite series.
His old life in the rearview, Del Castigliano has left Wisconsin to work homicide for the Seattle PD. Breaking him in is veteran detective Moss Gunderson, and he’s handing Del a big catch: the bodies of two unidentified men fished from Lake Union. It’s a major opportunity for the new detective, and Del runs with it, chasing every lead—to every dead end. Despite the help of another section rookie, Vic Fazzio, Del is going nowhere fast. Until one shotgun theory looks to be dead right: the victims are casualties of a drug smuggling operation. But critical information is missing—or purposely hidden. It’s forcing Del into a crisis of character and duty that not even the people he trusts can help him resolve.

Amazon

Review :

‘The Last Line’ by Robert Dugoni is my first encounter with this author and although I’m not the hugest of fans when it comes to short-stories I thought this to be a very nice read.
It’s fast paced, pleasantly written, with some interesting characters and a well developed plot, which made me fly through the pages.
However, there’s the ending!
I thought it to be rather abruptly and not at all what I expected whilst reading.
It leaves me with the feeling of having read a teaser of a full story and the book isn’t available yet.
Rather frustrating in my opinion and hopefully not the way this author ends all his books as I would love to read another one by his hand one day.

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#Review : The Devil’s Advocate (Eddie Flynn #6) #TheDevilsAdvocate #EddieFlynn – Steve Cavanagh @SteveCavanagh_ @orionbooks

– ‘The Magic of Wor(l)ds’ blog is a hobby, reviews and other bookish stuff on this site are done for free.
I’m grateful of receiving a free copy from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review of this book. –

About the Author :

Steve Cavanagh is the bestselling author of the Eddie Flynn novels and standalone thrillers. In 2018 The Liar won the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger for crime novel of the year. In 2019 Thirteen won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the year 2019. All of his novels have either been nominated for awards, or have won awards internationally. Steve is represented by Shane Salerno of The Story Factory. Los Angeles.
He is a former lawyer, and was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he still lives. If you want to get in touch with Steve, use the social media links below. 

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Synopsis :

A DEADLY PROSECUTOR
They call him the King of Death Row. Randal Korn has sent more men to their deaths than any district attorney in the history of the United States.
A TWISTED RITUALISTIC KILLING
When a young woman, Skylar Edwards, is found murdered in Buckstown, Alabama, a corrupt sheriff arrests the last person to see her alive, Andy Dubois. It doesn’t seem to matter to anyone that Andy is innocent.
A SMALL TOWN BOILING WITH RAGE
Everyone in Buckstown believes Andy is guilty. He has no hope of a fair trial. And the local defense attorney assigned to represent him has disappeared.
A FORMER CON-ARTIST
Hot shot New York lawyer Eddie Flynn travels south to fight fire with fire. He plans to destroy the prosecutors case, find the real killer and save Andy from the electric chair.
But the murders are just beginning.
Is Eddie Flynn next?

Amazon UK
Amazon US

Review :

Although having heard already a lot about Steve Cavanagh and his Eddie Flynn series I must admit that ‘The Devil’s Advocate’ is my first.
This story was, for me at least, a nice introduction to the series and the main characters, but at the same time I also confess that I was rather disappointed.
It took of greatly as I immediately got an eerie feeling after reading the first chapter where we encounter Korn and afterwards it started as a normal set-up for a thriller.
Well written and at a great pace I got to know all the players involved and instantly liked Eddie Flynn and his companions.
So far so good, I thought, as I was going through the pages at full speed and my interest didn’t waver for a second, but then there was the other storyline.
I don’t mind multiple storylines, not at all, but, for me, it felt as 2 separate cases that connected just with a thin thread to each other in the end.
The courtroom case also ended abruptly with a ‘hey presto’ solution, in my opinion, and throughout the whole book there were some twists I found a bit outstretched, weird or confusing.
I guess after having heard how great these books were I expected a far more better plot to an otherwise interesting courtroom thriller.
Not sure if this book is the best representation of Eddie and the gang and therefore the author.
It definitely left me with the conflict of giving Eddie Flynn another go or not, as to me he was a fascinating character in a not so greatly executed narrative.

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#Review @DiaBookshelf : The Phantom of the Opera : The Graphic Novel #ThePhantomOfTheOpera – Varga Tomi @vargatomicomics @AWaveBlueWorld

– ‘The Magic of Wor(l)ds’ blog is a hobby, reviews and other bookish stuff on this site are done for free.
I’m grateful of receiving a free copy from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review of this book. –

About the author :

Tomi is a cartoonist from Hungary & a graduate of The Kubert School.
He colored a bunch of Kevin Eastman’s TMNT covers and created a graphic novel adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera, coming out in October 2020.

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Synopsis :

The Phantom of the Opera, the iconic gothic romance, is retold with all the spectacle its legend demands in this devoted graphic novel adaptation that marries stunning artwork with Gaston Leroux’s haunting prose.
Everyone has heard the whispered tales of the phantom who lives beneath the opera house, the mysterious trickster behind all the little mishaps and lost things. But no one has ever seen the monster . . . until now. When the promise of blossoming love lures him out from his intricately constructed hideaways in the labyrinthine building’s walls and cellars, a hideously disfigured artist trains the lovely Christine to be the opera’s next star for a steep price. Does she choose her newfound success or her beloved Count Raoul? This doomed love triangle threatens to combust when a tragic death, a series of betrayals, and increasingly dangerous accidents cast the players of The Palais Garnier into a heart-wrenching horror story that will echo through the ages.

A Wave Blue World

Review :

‘The Phantom of the Opera’ is one of the few classics I’ve read in the original language, so it’s right to say that I’m always a bit sceptical when it comes to adaptations.
With an open mind however I downloaded this Graphic Novel ARC and couldn’t wait to start reading it so I immediately dived in.
First of all, I’m going to say I find it a great idea to try and make a Graphic Novel out of a classic to get people, who don’t really like reading or like it more visual, to connect with those kind of books.
I believe the style of drawings will attract a lot of people as they work well with the original story’s vibe which is kind of dark, eery and Gothic like.
However, I need to tell that, although loving the illustrations, I instantly kind of disliked the Phantom himself with his reddish eyes and weird mask.
I didn’t connect with him visually and story wise he wasn’t that well portrayed either in my opinion.
Whilst reading the original story you empathize quite a lot with him, you feel for him even if you know he’s bad news and here he’s just a bit to one dimensional in my judgement.
Also the general feeling after reading is that only the biggest gist of the original story was told, without all the great nuances and that’s, in my own view at least, a great pity.
I know it’s hard to put a rather large book into a Graphic Novel, but I felt that for a lover of the ‘Phantom of the Opera’ it lacked.
For a first time reader however, I believe that they will get an interest in Erik, Raoul and Christine and possibly pick up the original and that would be a big plus!

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Review : The Affair – Sheryl Browne

Synopsis :

You trusted her. You shouldn’t have.

Alicia’s been telling lies. And now they’ve come back to haunt her.

When an old colleague turns up at a party, Alicia comes face to face with the man who has the potential to ruin her perfect family life. He wouldn’t, would he?

In order to keep her secrets, Alicia has to tell yet more lies and when a devastating car accident makes the situation even more dangerous, it’s only a matter of time before everything falls apart. Can secrets really stay hidden forever?

Bookouture

Review :

‘The affair’ by Sheryl Browne isn’t my first book by this author. So I thought I would know what to expect. Boy, was I wrong!
I forgot how gut-wrenching the emotions could be in a story written by her. Unbelievable! It made me feel tears pricking in the corners of my eyes and that doesn’t happen that often for fictional characters.
Maybe it was because it hit close to home (Not the affair, but other stuff.) or just because Sheryl is an amazing writer. Whatever it was, it was a freaking roller-coaster of emotions.
Although I needed some breaks to breathe, to get of this ride, I also wanted to read further and further. So I ended up devouring the book.
Was it as great on the thriller aspect? Not really… . Because of the title you already know a big deal about the plot. What you don’t know is being said quite early and the ‘bad guys’ aren’t that wel disguised.
Did this bother me? Not at all. I think it wasn’t the main reason for this book to be with a lot of twists and turns and on your seats horrifying scenes. The meaning was, in my opinion, to write a beautiful story about a family who gets to deal with a lot of relatable things, like lies, affairs, losses,… and how they cope with all of that, not only individually but also as a family. In that Sheryl Browne succeeded and how!
I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone who loves a gripping story, fast paced and well written.

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Review : Sins of the Father (DI Matthew Adams #2) – Sheryl Browne

Synopsis :

What if you’d been accused of one of the worst crimes imaginable?

Detective Inspector Matthew Adams is slowly picking up the pieces from a case that nearly cost him the lives of his entire family and his own sanity too. On the surface, he seems to be moving on, but he drinks to forget – and when he closes his eyes, the nightmares still come.

But the past is the past – or is it? Because the evil Patrick Sullivan might be out of the picture, but there’s somebody who is just as intent on making Matthew’s life hell, and they’re doing it in the cruelest way possible.

When Matthew finds himself accused of a horrific and violent crime, will his family stand by him? And will he even be around to help when his new enemy goes after them as well?

Choc Lit

Review :

What can I say more than ‘OMG what a read’! I really don’t know … except ‘I LOVED IT’ !!!! 🙂
Although it’s the second book of the series – I know not really that smart starting with a series like that, but it was for free. 😉 – I didn’t have the feeling of missing out on things. On the contrary, Sheryl gave more than enough information to keep up with everything and everybody without robbing me of the desire of reading book one. Great!
The story itself now, is just one big rollercoaster of emotions. You want to cry, laugh, yell, … . It’s like you’re there with Adams and his family. You’re going through all the (e)motions and that’s just impressive. The book isn’t only an action packed thriller, but also women’s fiction. The right combination for me!
And then there’s this villain. Mad, crazy, insane … looking for revenge. You would easily hate him, but somehow you feel for him too – not much, but … – . He’s a broken character, well portrayed by the author.
This makes it all just heart gripping! A fast paced storyline which will keep you on the edge of your seat. I want more! So I’m definitely going to read the first and the third book in this series. And afterwards? Hoping the author is not done with writing stories like this!

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Review : Marry Me Tomorrow – Carla Burgess

Synopsis :

Emily needs a husband…fast. It’s just a few days until Christmas and to finally put a stop to her nagging mother’s matchmaking plans, Emily has convinced her that she’s already married!

And when her excited mum announces that she’s coming to stay, Emily can think of only one man to play the part: gorgeous ex-soldier, Sam. It’s the best part of her day, handing him a coffee every morning – but then, Emily never expected to offer him her hand in marriage, too…

All that’s left is for Sam to say ‘I do’ – it’s the perfect plan! So why then, do her ‘pretend’ feelings for Sam seem far too real?

Amazon

Review :

I’m not really a Christmass-y person, but to this book I was just attracted to. It’s plain crazy to ask a man to pretend marrying you, certainly if you don’t know him that well.
And yes, I was right. Everyone thinks Emily is insane, but while I was reading I got to know her better. She’s just lovely and not that out of her mind! I really hoped Sam would see that too … Does he? Read the book! 😉
Sam is by the way very charming and witty – no wonder Emily falls in love for real -. I enjoyed the conversations between him and Emily (and her mother too). He has his troubles though, but who doesn’t?
All in all it’s an easy, fun, holiday season, read which you’ll love, I promise!
Why I don’t give a full rating? I found some writing mistakes and the ending is a bit rushed for my taste … . But maybe that is just me being a little Grinch-like!

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Review : Icarus Rising (The Second Chances Series Book 1) – N.W. Moors

Synopsis :

After his fall to Earth, Icarus has been in Hell, punished for his hubris. When he wins a chance at parole, he’s thrilled – except for the set of wings attached to his body.

Eve Gregory runs a small bookstore in northern Connecticut. When she hires the handsome stranger to work for her, she doesn’t know the secrets he’s hiding. Or that becoming involved with him will embroil her with the Greek gods and goddesses.

Icarus and Eve must perform a quest set down for them by Zeus. If they are successful, will that be end of their relationship? Or will love teach them a new way to soar?

Amazon

Review :

When I saw the title, ‘Icarus Rising’, I was intrigued. After reading the description I knew immediately that this could be a book I would fall in love with.
It sure was!
I started reading and I couldn’t/wouldn’t stop. I needed to know what would happen to Icarus and Eve. Would they make it till the end of the story or not?
The book really had all I wanted. It had mythology, a bit of romance (a real chick lit like vibe.) and a quest. I enjoyed it so much that I found it a pity it was out before I knew it!
That was the only big shortcoming for me. It went too fast. I wanted it to be slower, more pages to read / to savor.
So I definitely want more. I hope we get more!! A sequel? Or something about the Gods? As long as Icarus and Eve come back, I’m game!
I’m also certainly going to read other books by this author.

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P.S. Did you read books by this author? Which one would you recommend?

Review : Curious Minds (Knight and Moon #1) – Janet Evanovich, Phoef Sutton

Synopsis :

Emerson Knight is introverted, eccentric, and has little to no sense of social etiquette. Good thing he’s also brilliant, rich, and (some people might say) handsome, or he’d probably be homeless. Riley Moon has just graduated from Harvard Business and Harvard Law. Her aggressive Texas spitfire attitude has helped her land her dream job as a junior analyst with mega-bank Blane-Grunwald. At least Riley Moon thought it was her dream job, until she is given her first assignment: babysitting Emerson Knight.

What starts off as an inquiry about missing bank funds in the Knight account leads to inquiries about a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. Through the streets of Washington, D.C., and down into the underground vault of the Federal Reserve in New York City, an evil plan is exposed. A plan so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it.

Amazon

Review :

It isn’t easy to say something about a book that is the starter of a new series. Luckily for me I know one of the authors – I’m a huge fan of Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich! – so I know a little bit of how she presents her characters. They are nutty, over the top, humoristic, … This book has this too, but isn’t as great as I would like it to be, coming from her.
Maybe it’s because it wasn’t only her story to tell, but also that of Phoef Sutton. I don’t want to blame him for everything I disliked about the book though. Evanovich and the editors were there too! There were just too many missed opportunities, too much hopping between characters and running gags which weren’t all that funny because the authors repeated them over and over.
Other than that I found it a fine read and quite entertaining. I’ll read another Knight and Moon, but I want more and another ending please. I guess that bugged me even the most. It was rather quick. I would love to have seen some more fun, over the top, action there and some explanation. It was too compact!

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P.S. Did you read it too? What are your thoughts?

Review : Every Little Kiss (Kissed by the Bay #1) – Susan Hatler

Synopsis :

When Wendy Watts left Blue Moon Bay, she vowed never to return to the small coastal town where her parents had abandoned her and her brother. Now she’s a successful Realtor, and a workaholic who stays away from complicated emotions—until her grandmother dies, leaving Wendy the Inn at Blue Moon Bay and mandating that if Wendy sells it, she must put it on the market herself “in person.”

As soon as Wendy arrives in Blue Moon Bay, bad memories, the inn’s poor condition, and her brother’s pleas to keep the inn overwhelm her. Then she meets a sexy laid-back stranger on the beach, and Wendy does something she never does . . . she opens up and confides her problems to him. Since Max Huntington’s only in town for one night, Wendy spontaneously kisses him, hoping to be distracted from her troubles for just one evening.

But when Wendy begins the painstaking process of fixing up the inn in order to sell it, Max tells her he’s staying on longer. He’s enchanted by the charming inn and even more with the kisses they shared on the beach. He wants to help her with the repairs, and she reluctantly accepts his offer.

Although she’s determined to remain detached from the allure of her inn, Blue Moon Bay and Max, every repair, every stroll on the beach, and every moment spent with Max, draws her in and reminds her of the local legend she’d believed as a child: that being kissed by the bay under a blue moon will lead to love that lasts forever.

Amazon

Review :

I’ve read this book out in no time and that says a lot since I’m quite difficult when it comes to reading romance novels.
‘Every Little Kiss’ however is a great read in its genre. It’s fun, romantic, people do act stupid, … . But there’s more, something that piqued my interest – the legend ofcourse! 😉 – and I just love it. The girl in me – which I give only sometimes permission to be very girlie – got to say ‘aaaaaah’ and ‘ooooh’ and even got a bit mushy in the end.
Really a nice way to meet a new author albeit in the romantic department. Fans of Jill Mansell or Sophie Kinsella will love this I’m sure! I definitely became a fan and I’ll read more books by Susan Hatler. – My girlie girl just started to dance by the way! –

That’s it folks, my first bookreview here on my blog!

Feel free to comment on my writing, my review or the book itself.
Have any must-reads in this genre which you think I’ll like, leave a synopsis behind. My to read pile will thank you! 🙂

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P.S. I don’t know for how long, but book 2 is available for free here. (In Belgium anyway)