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fictionophile's review against another edition
4.0
You have to have your wits about you when you read this novel. Contrary to what the rather gothic-toned cover would have you believe – this is a modern, action-packed thriller where the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ are clearly defined.
The novel’s protagonist is thirty-seven year old Julia Gooden, a seasoned crime reporter in the crime-ridden city of Detroit, Michigan. The mother of two young boys, she is separated from her attorney husband, David Tanner, though at the beginning of this novel they are attempting a reconciliation. She is beautiful and very fit due to her passion for running. It is usual for Julia to run ten miles in the morning before leaving for work.
Nick Rossi is a kingpin in Detroit organized crime and now heads a vast and powerful illegal empire. He deals a lot of his ‘business’ at the lush Detroit MGM Grand Hotel. The local police and even the FBI have had him in their sights for years. Julia’s husband David is now in the process of prosecuting Rossi in a huge trial which has the power to make or break his career and his aspiration to be a District Attorney.
Navarro is a Detroit cop. Long ago he and Julia had a relationship and as far as Navarro is concerned she is the ‘one that got away‘. Though he cares for Julia still, he will not divulge the name of the surprise witness against Rossi. Knowing who this witness is could be a tremendous coup for her journalistic career.
Knowing that David and Navarro are unwilling to help her get her story, she uses her myriad other contacts that she has built up over her years in Detroit, however she is scooped by a rival journalist. The day that the mystery witness is brought to the courthouse, there is a tragic bombing which kills the witness as well as several bystanders and gravely injures the judge and Julia’s husband, David.
Believing Rossi to be responsible for the bombing, now Julia’s fight against Rossi and his minions is personal, and she will go to any lengths to bring him to justice.
Her investigations are aided by Navarro and the more they find out, the muddier the case seems to get – and the more dangerous it is to Julia and her young sons.
A fast-paced novel, “Duplicity” is well named. Duplicitous behavior is prevalent, making apprehending the guilty problematic. As well as duplicity, this is a novel of hard core corruption, lies, and betrayal. Thankfully, the ending rewards the reader by tying things up quite well. I enjoyed the read, though found some of the action scenes rather ‘over the top’. And the gangsters? Well, they were just SO evil with absolutely no humanity showing at all… Almost like caricatures of how criminals should be. Julia’s character was well rendered, but even she was just a little too ‘perfect’ to be quite believable. But then, this is fiction! “Duplicity” delivers a tension-filled roller coaster read for all who enjoy action-packed crime thrillers.
It has been described by the publisher as #2 in the Julia Gooden mystery series. I’d say it is more of a thriller than a mystery, but that is just my opinion. Although Navarro and his coworkers are police, this is not really a police procedural either. Most of the time Navarro has little contact with his superiors – almost as if he is calling the shots… If anyone is interested in reading the first Julia Gooden novel, the title is “The last time she saw him“.
Don’t let the fact that it is the second book in a series deter you from reading it. I have not read the first novel in the series and I can attest that it works very well as a stand-alone. It is a curious mixture of political thriller, romantic suspense, and gangster story. A page-turner for sure, with SO much action and adrenaline inducing scenes that you’ll feel as though you’ve just watched a “Die Hard” movie. For that reason I think this novel will have a strong appeal for audiences of both sexes.
The novel’s protagonist is thirty-seven year old Julia Gooden, a seasoned crime reporter in the crime-ridden city of Detroit, Michigan. The mother of two young boys, she is separated from her attorney husband, David Tanner, though at the beginning of this novel they are attempting a reconciliation. She is beautiful and very fit due to her passion for running. It is usual for Julia to run ten miles in the morning before leaving for work.
Nick Rossi is a kingpin in Detroit organized crime and now heads a vast and powerful illegal empire. He deals a lot of his ‘business’ at the lush Detroit MGM Grand Hotel. The local police and even the FBI have had him in their sights for years. Julia’s husband David is now in the process of prosecuting Rossi in a huge trial which has the power to make or break his career and his aspiration to be a District Attorney.
Navarro is a Detroit cop. Long ago he and Julia had a relationship and as far as Navarro is concerned she is the ‘one that got away‘. Though he cares for Julia still, he will not divulge the name of the surprise witness against Rossi. Knowing who this witness is could be a tremendous coup for her journalistic career.
Knowing that David and Navarro are unwilling to help her get her story, she uses her myriad other contacts that she has built up over her years in Detroit, however she is scooped by a rival journalist. The day that the mystery witness is brought to the courthouse, there is a tragic bombing which kills the witness as well as several bystanders and gravely injures the judge and Julia’s husband, David.
Believing Rossi to be responsible for the bombing, now Julia’s fight against Rossi and his minions is personal, and she will go to any lengths to bring him to justice.
Her investigations are aided by Navarro and the more they find out, the muddier the case seems to get – and the more dangerous it is to Julia and her young sons.
A fast-paced novel, “Duplicity” is well named. Duplicitous behavior is prevalent, making apprehending the guilty problematic. As well as duplicity, this is a novel of hard core corruption, lies, and betrayal. Thankfully, the ending rewards the reader by tying things up quite well. I enjoyed the read, though found some of the action scenes rather ‘over the top’. And the gangsters? Well, they were just SO evil with absolutely no humanity showing at all… Almost like caricatures of how criminals should be. Julia’s character was well rendered, but even she was just a little too ‘perfect’ to be quite believable. But then, this is fiction! “Duplicity” delivers a tension-filled roller coaster read for all who enjoy action-packed crime thrillers.
It has been described by the publisher as #2 in the Julia Gooden mystery series. I’d say it is more of a thriller than a mystery, but that is just my opinion. Although Navarro and his coworkers are police, this is not really a police procedural either. Most of the time Navarro has little contact with his superiors – almost as if he is calling the shots… If anyone is interested in reading the first Julia Gooden novel, the title is “The last time she saw him“.
Don’t let the fact that it is the second book in a series deter you from reading it. I have not read the first novel in the series and I can attest that it works very well as a stand-alone. It is a curious mixture of political thriller, romantic suspense, and gangster story. A page-turner for sure, with SO much action and adrenaline inducing scenes that you’ll feel as though you’ve just watched a “Die Hard” movie. For that reason I think this novel will have a strong appeal for audiences of both sexes.
suspensethrill's review
4.0
Have you ever followed a high profile case on television and just known the defendant was guilty? Now, imagine you are actually being paid to report on the case; you're a competent journalist who is fully invested in seeing this scum bag go down, except the only witness set to testify is silenced in an explosion at the courthouse. Oh, and your estranged husband, who happens to be the Assistant District Attorney is injured as well. This is where our leading lady Julia Gooden finds herself when we begin reading. I don't know about you, but if my boss told me to back off from a case like this, with all I had involved, I don't think I could follow instructions either. The set up for this novel gives a completely different feel than the previous in the series, but more on that in a minute.
What is so attractive about this series is that you can read them in order and soak up all the characterization in [b:The Last Time She Saw Him|27208873|The Last Time She Saw Him (Julia Gooden Mystery, #1)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479327532s/27208873.jpg|47250525] before moving on, or you can simply pick up [b:Duplicity|32075982|Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery, #2)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474278981s/32075982.jpg|51682366] to read as a stand alone. The novels complement each other well and carry over continuing characters, but you could just as easily pick this book up on it's own and not feel confused. While the first book featuring Julia Gooden was a suspenseful mystery with a slow burning plot, this entry had a completely different feel of a high octane thriller! There was so much action packed into the story and the pacing had you wanting to blow through the book in a single sitting. I also feel the cover is a huge improvement to the last; the blue is striking and really draws the eye in.
I'll admit, I was able to connect more with Julia this go around than I did in the previous book, but in my humble opinion I feel that her ex-boyfriend, Detective Raymond Navarro, is truly a fan favorite. I immediately connected with him in the first novel and only grew to love him more in this one as well; I don't want to spoil anything but let's just say I'm interested to see where Haseldine choses to take his character on down the series. It was also highly enjoyable to read about a working mother with two small children; sometimes as women we need characters who don't feel all that different from us, and Julia is a working, semi-single mother who at the end of the day is fully human like the rest of us.
In retrospect, this was a great read and a wonderful addition to the series. I'm really pleased and quite impressed with the author's choosing to write [b:Duplicity|32075982|Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery, #2)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474278981s/32075982.jpg|51682366] with a completely different feel than her first in the series; it was a risky move and one that paid off. Changing things up kept me on my toes and the characters, plot, and pacing were fresh, something I'm always grateful for. Whether you pick this up alone or go ahead and invest in both books, you'll be pleased with just how entertaining Haseldine's writing is. Recommended to fans of thrillers, mainly those in the sub-gene of investigative journalism with a heavy legal sense.
*Many thanks to the author and TLC Book Tours for providing my copy; it was a pleasure to participate in the blog tour.
What is so attractive about this series is that you can read them in order and soak up all the characterization in [b:The Last Time She Saw Him|27208873|The Last Time She Saw Him (Julia Gooden Mystery, #1)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1479327532s/27208873.jpg|47250525] before moving on, or you can simply pick up [b:Duplicity|32075982|Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery, #2)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474278981s/32075982.jpg|51682366] to read as a stand alone. The novels complement each other well and carry over continuing characters, but you could just as easily pick this book up on it's own and not feel confused. While the first book featuring Julia Gooden was a suspenseful mystery with a slow burning plot, this entry had a completely different feel of a high octane thriller! There was so much action packed into the story and the pacing had you wanting to blow through the book in a single sitting. I also feel the cover is a huge improvement to the last; the blue is striking and really draws the eye in.
I'll admit, I was able to connect more with Julia this go around than I did in the previous book, but in my humble opinion I feel that her ex-boyfriend, Detective Raymond Navarro, is truly a fan favorite. I immediately connected with him in the first novel and only grew to love him more in this one as well; I don't want to spoil anything but let's just say I'm interested to see where Haseldine choses to take his character on down the series. It was also highly enjoyable to read about a working mother with two small children; sometimes as women we need characters who don't feel all that different from us, and Julia is a working, semi-single mother who at the end of the day is fully human like the rest of us.
In retrospect, this was a great read and a wonderful addition to the series. I'm really pleased and quite impressed with the author's choosing to write [b:Duplicity|32075982|Duplicity (Julia Gooden Mystery, #2)|Jane Haseldine|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474278981s/32075982.jpg|51682366] with a completely different feel than her first in the series; it was a risky move and one that paid off. Changing things up kept me on my toes and the characters, plot, and pacing were fresh, something I'm always grateful for. Whether you pick this up alone or go ahead and invest in both books, you'll be pleased with just how entertaining Haseldine's writing is. Recommended to fans of thrillers, mainly those in the sub-gene of investigative journalism with a heavy legal sense.
*Many thanks to the author and TLC Book Tours for providing my copy; it was a pleasure to participate in the blog tour.
chymerra's review
5.0
I was so excited when Jane Haseldine contacted me to review her 2nd book in the Julia Gooden series. I had absolutely loved The Last Time She Saw Him and hoped that Duplicity would be just as good. Well, I wasn’t disappointed.
The book starts off a few months after The Last Time She Saw Him ended. Julia and David are working very hard on repairing their marriage. David had flaked out during the last book and moved out when things got really tough for Julia. Plus, which was even more unforgivable, he had an affair with a fellow lawyer. Julia, on the other hand, is working on getting her trust back in David, which is understandable, and is going to therapy to help get over the guilt she carried over her brother Ben’s disappearance when she was 7. So each of them have a lot to overcome.
Julia is working on a story about Nick Rossi, who is on trial for a number of charges and is being tried by her husband, David. Which, to me and her editor, seems like a conflict of interest but she claims it isn’t. The same day that she is going to be in court, following the trail, her son, Logan is going on a field trip to the courthouse. She promises Logan that she will be there for the field trip.
While reading a newspaper, she finds out that the identity of the key witness was leaked to press. Which means that Rossi knows who he is and there is a legit concern that he will try to take him out. She tries to call David to warn her, but he isn’t answering his phone. So she heads towards the courthouse…..when the bomb goes off. The bomb kills 13 people and injures many more, including David and the Judge presiding over the case. Luckily Logan’s bus got caught up in traffic and never made it to the courthouse.
I loved the whodunit about the bomb because the author genuinely kept it under wraps and threw out red herrings left and right. Just when I thought I knew who set it, bam, it goes in a different direction. So when it was revealed who was the bomber at the end of the book, I was very surprised. Probably as surprised as Julia.
I will say that David did have my sympathy during after he got hurt during the bombing. But what came to light afterwards, well let’s just say that I wouldn’t have been as nice as Julia. I probably would have beaten him in the hospital bed. Just saying.
The end of the book, well starting with when Navarro and Julia were in California and going on from there, was awesome. Full of action and surprises, I was kept in suspense until the very end.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
The book starts off a few months after The Last Time She Saw Him ended. Julia and David are working very hard on repairing their marriage. David had flaked out during the last book and moved out when things got really tough for Julia. Plus, which was even more unforgivable, he had an affair with a fellow lawyer. Julia, on the other hand, is working on getting her trust back in David, which is understandable, and is going to therapy to help get over the guilt she carried over her brother Ben’s disappearance when she was 7. So each of them have a lot to overcome.
Julia is working on a story about Nick Rossi, who is on trial for a number of charges and is being tried by her husband, David. Which, to me and her editor, seems like a conflict of interest but she claims it isn’t. The same day that she is going to be in court, following the trail, her son, Logan is going on a field trip to the courthouse. She promises Logan that she will be there for the field trip.
While reading a newspaper, she finds out that the identity of the key witness was leaked to press. Which means that Rossi knows who he is and there is a legit concern that he will try to take him out. She tries to call David to warn her, but he isn’t answering his phone. So she heads towards the courthouse…..when the bomb goes off. The bomb kills 13 people and injures many more, including David and the Judge presiding over the case. Luckily Logan’s bus got caught up in traffic and never made it to the courthouse.
I loved the whodunit about the bomb because the author genuinely kept it under wraps and threw out red herrings left and right. Just when I thought I knew who set it, bam, it goes in a different direction. So when it was revealed who was the bomber at the end of the book, I was very surprised. Probably as surprised as Julia.
I will say that David did have my sympathy during after he got hurt during the bombing. But what came to light afterwards, well let’s just say that I wouldn’t have been as nice as Julia. I probably would have beaten him in the hospital bed. Just saying.
The end of the book, well starting with when Navarro and Julia were in California and going on from there, was awesome. Full of action and surprises, I was kept in suspense until the very end.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
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