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theannawise's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
graff_fuller's review against another edition
4.0
This is the best novel in the seres, so far.
I like Nick Heller. Walked into traps. He seems overconfident at times. This is an advantage at times, but also it is frustrating when the reader sees it as a problem, which I did a few times within this story. Akin to yelling at the TV when the protagonist is about to do something stupid.
Soft targets make people who are dealing with bad people vulnerable. This is like heroe 101 things to avoid. Actually, this is a real problem. There are always people out there who can get to someone that we'll miss if taken out. This will be a deterant for most people. I think Nick played loose and careless with his friend at the end of the book.
I am going to read the fourth book in the series...need to know how much more he grows as a character.
I like Nick Heller. Walked into traps. He seems overconfident at times. This is an advantage at times, but also it is frustrating when the reader sees it as a problem, which I did a few times within this story. Akin to yelling at the TV when the protagonist is about to do something stupid.
Soft targets make people who are dealing with bad people vulnerable. This is like heroe 101 things to avoid. Actually, this is a real problem. There are always people out there who can get to someone that we'll miss if taken out. This will be a deterant for most people. I think Nick played loose and careless with his friend at the end of the book.
I am going to read the fourth book in the series...need to know how much more he grows as a character.
brokebybooks's review against another edition
1.0
Trigger Warning: Suicide, Kidnapping, Murder, Conspiracies. Bunch of deranged white people running around getting away with shit no POC could.
The Gist:
➜Didn’t realize it was a series
➜Can be read as a standalone with no problem
➜Nick Heller is detached, clinical as is the writing
➜Could easily be an action/thriller movie with some bland, tall mediocre white guy as the lead
➜Obligatory hook up
➜Several damsels in distress
➜Hard to feel anything when the MC doesn’t.
➜Lots of details on the practical skills required to pull everything off.
➜Author clearly did his research.
➜Saw the hidden Bad Guy waaaay early. As soon as his father opened his mouth actually, though I was suspicious beforehand.
➜Some events were obvious, some weren’t, but I can’t say was shocked.
➜Given the intro with “I can tell when people are lying” I expected more than just random gut feelings and unexpected questions.
➜Typical action thriller with former military dude going outside the lines despite protesting he doesn’t do it much and doesn’t like to
➜Really liked Nick’s nephew
➜Recommended for fans of the series and white guys allergic to feelings wanting mindless action.
The Gist:
➜Didn’t realize it was a series
➜Can be read as a standalone with no problem
➜Nick Heller is detached, clinical as is the writing
➜Could easily be an action/thriller movie with some bland, tall mediocre white guy as the lead
➜Obligatory hook up
➜Several damsels in distress
➜Hard to feel anything when the MC doesn’t.
➜Lots of details on the practical skills required to pull everything off.
➜Author clearly did his research.
➜Saw the hidden Bad Guy waaaay early. As soon as his father opened his mouth actually, though I was suspicious beforehand.
➜Some events were obvious, some weren’t, but I can’t say was shocked.
➜Given the intro with “I can tell when people are lying” I expected more than just random gut feelings and unexpected questions.
➜Typical action thriller with former military dude going outside the lines despite protesting he doesn’t do it much and doesn’t like to
➜Really liked Nick’s nephew
➜Recommended for fans of the series and white guys allergic to feelings wanting mindless action.
jonjeffryes's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyable thriller with lots of good characters and unexpected twists that ultimately doesn't all add up to a storyline that makes a lot of sense. It starts out with a private spy being called in to help disprove a TMZ-style story about a Supreme Court Justice and then it goes all over the place. It's a diverting read.
audra_spiven's review against another edition
4.0
This book was recommended to me on an NPR list of books to read if you liked a certain TV show, and this one was recommended for people who like Scandal. And I would call that a pretty decent comparison. It's not about a fixer, per se, although there is a company like Olivia Pope's in the book, except they're portrayed as bad guys whereas Pope & Associates are always portrayed pretty much as good guys. It was a fun book, though, and the chapters were very short, and the story moved really fast. I enjoyed this book a lot.
jpustka's review against another edition
3.0
Straight forward mystery novel with interesting plot and characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary digital review copy.
Thanks to NetGalley for the complimentary digital review copy.
mrsbooknerd's review against another edition
3.0
Political thrillers are the type of novel that I avoid most. I just find that novels based on untouchable characters can often become over dramatic and frustrating to read. Our hero knows that Mr. Politician has been bad, but Mr. Politician has a long reach and so nobody believes our hero, and he is portrayed as the bad guy.
I didn't read the blurb very well when I picked up 'Guilty Minds' so when I started reading, my enthusiasm dropped when I realised that it was political. Still, I am nothing if not a trier, so I carried on. Soon enough I was over 100 pages in without even realising and was rather enjoying myself.
The writing style is actually really refreshing and engaging, and I found it really easy to read, right from the offset. I enjoyed the writing as much as I did the plot and characters.
Nick Heller is your standard wonder-man. He always lands on his feet - literally actually - and can outmaneuver the best of them. By the end of the novel, this was actually a little irritating, because just once I'd like to see him trumped and maybe needing to rely on someone else to survive. I did genuinely feel tense when things did start to go wrong for Nick though, another sign of good writing.
I wished that perhaps Nick had had more a team, just something to break up the luck that always seemed to be on his side. There were a number of connections that he called, but none were really developed as supporting characters. Dorothy was unengaging and I didn't warm to her at all, yet she was the closest thing that we had to a supporting character until Mandy Seeger was introduced and became both love interest and supporting character.
The initial case was actually solved rather quickly, and I worried that the remainder of the book would be lacking in excitement and progression, but the focus just shifted. The fallout of this initial case came to the forefront, and reinvigorated the novel again. I rather enjoyed this, especially as it all came back full circle at the end to tie up loose ends.
I loved the easy writing style, and I didn't get bored of the plot once, but I guess I found it all a little too easy. Nick was an all-round action man who didn't need anyone for anything. He escaped every situation that he found himself in, whether physically escaping a situation or calling a 'contact' and suddenly getting information to help. He never hit a dead end or encountered something that set him back. I just felt that a little sprinkling of grit would have raised the tension.
I would absolutely read another by this author.
I didn't read the blurb very well when I picked up 'Guilty Minds' so when I started reading, my enthusiasm dropped when I realised that it was political. Still, I am nothing if not a trier, so I carried on. Soon enough I was over 100 pages in without even realising and was rather enjoying myself.
The writing style is actually really refreshing and engaging, and I found it really easy to read, right from the offset. I enjoyed the writing as much as I did the plot and characters.
Nick Heller is your standard wonder-man. He always lands on his feet - literally actually - and can outmaneuver the best of them. By the end of the novel, this was actually a little irritating, because just once I'd like to see him trumped and maybe needing to rely on someone else to survive. I did genuinely feel tense when things did start to go wrong for Nick though, another sign of good writing.
I wished that perhaps Nick had had more a team, just something to break up the luck that always seemed to be on his side. There were a number of connections that he called, but none were really developed as supporting characters. Dorothy was unengaging and I didn't warm to her at all, yet she was the closest thing that we had to a supporting character until Mandy Seeger was introduced and became both love interest and supporting character.
The initial case was actually solved rather quickly, and I worried that the remainder of the book would be lacking in excitement and progression, but the focus just shifted. The fallout of this initial case came to the forefront, and reinvigorated the novel again. I rather enjoyed this, especially as it all came back full circle at the end to tie up loose ends.
Spoiler
I guessed the mastermind behind it all rather quickly, and would have been more shocked had it not been Gideon. He was suspicious from the start, or at least, he was to me. I liked that his reasoning behind the whole saga was quite undramatic. It made it all feel more honest and sincere. Not some crazy and tenuous reason just added for dramatic effect.I loved the easy writing style, and I didn't get bored of the plot once, but I guess I found it all a little too easy. Nick was an all-round action man who didn't need anyone for anything. He escaped every situation that he found himself in, whether physically escaping a situation or calling a 'contact' and suddenly getting information to help. He never hit a dead end or encountered something that set him back. I just felt that a little sprinkling of grit would have raised the tension.
I would absolutely read another by this author.
stricker's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hp_'s review against another edition
2.0
I liked “Suspicion” better.
The main dude kept sneakily mentioning that he’s 6’4. Compensating for sum, bud?
The last bit with the dude-saves-his-lady cliché is a little (very) bored in my ~humble~ opinion.
The actual ending was pretty interesting. I didn’t see it coming, either bc it was actually good or maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention
The main dude kept sneakily mentioning that he’s 6’4. Compensating for sum, bud?
The last bit with the dude-saves-his-lady cliché is a little (very) bored in my ~humble~ opinion.
The actual ending was pretty interesting. I didn’t see it coming, either bc it was actually good or maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention
canada_matt's review against another edition
4.0
Bringing Nick Heller back for a third thriller, Joseph Finder pulls out all the stops and offers a wonderful story with just enough mystery to keep the reader hooked. When Heller is summoned to meet with a high-powered attorney under veil of secrecy, he cannot guess what might be going on. Gideon Parnell is a legend in the legal world, having made a name for himself amongst the Washington elite, but also spent his youth marching with Martin Luther King, Jr. and pushing the envelop. Parnell seeks to retain Heller's services, but won't divulge anything until he commits. As a matter of habit, Heller will not take the bait until he meets with the actual client, forcing an impasse between the two men. After much banter and a non-disclosure agreement, Heller agrees to head to Washington to meet with the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, who is being accused of sleeping with an escort on numerous occasions. A sleazy online rag is about to publish the story, offering 48 hours before they post it. While the Chief Justice has a strong alibi, he refuses to let it become public knowledge, for it relates to a medical condition. Heller must dig a little deeper, uncovering that many of the accusations do not hold up to basic fact-checking and that the escort has been hired as part of a large fabrication and paid handsomely by a mysterious group of businessmen. Before he can approach Mandy Seeger, the journalist who is penning this story, the article appears online early and the 24 hour news cycle begins. Acting quickly, Heller presents some concrete facts he has uncovered, forcing a retraction. The website's reputation is ruined and the journalist is sent packing. Case closed, as least as far as the Chief Justice and Parnell are concerned. With residual curiosity and the momentum of the investigation, Heller wants to know more about who might have put the escort up to this and greased the wheels for this erroneous story. Trying to protect her, Heller hides the escort away and seeks to get to the bottom of the entire scheme, only to return to the hotel and find her body in the tub, victim of an apparent suicide. Heller does not buy it and and reaches out to Seeger for some help, along with a rookie homicide cop who has some questions of his own. Working together,Heller and Seeger dig a little deeper and realise that there are people in positions of power who want to use political backers to bring down the Chief Justice, an everyday sport in Washington. They soon learn of a security firm that will go above and beyond to protect its clients, scrubbing out any issue rather than reacting to breaches. Heller finds himself up against a serious threat and in the crosshairs of a rogue cop, but will not stand down until he gets all the answers, even if it ends up killing him. Finder offers a wonderful thriller that gets better the further the plot advances. A treat for series fans and general thrill seekers alike.
Finder has mastered the art of the thriller through his years of writing and numerous novels. I am constantly impressed when offered the chance to explore Finder's work and this novel was no exception. Nick Heller has been well developed and his character fits perfectly into this story, quirks and all. The plot flourishes and takes quick turns, forcing the reader to remain attentive as the action stops for nobody. There is little idle time as the narrative takes Heller on his most daring adventure yet. While none of it is unique within the genre, its fresh approach keeps readers curious. Finder also uses a variety of great characters, developing those who play some role in the larger plot, but does not stuff chapters full of trivial names on which the reader will trip. Finder reveals little as he drops literary breadcrumbs towards possible future alliances, should Nick Heller live to see a fourth novel, which forces the reader to ponder. Full of fast-paced storytelling and a plot that mixes politics with nefarious criminals, Finder has a wonderful novel for readers to enjoy without cutting any corners.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for this wonderful novel. You always have a way to lure readers into your narratives so effortlessly.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Finder has mastered the art of the thriller through his years of writing and numerous novels. I am constantly impressed when offered the chance to explore Finder's work and this novel was no exception. Nick Heller has been well developed and his character fits perfectly into this story, quirks and all. The plot flourishes and takes quick turns, forcing the reader to remain attentive as the action stops for nobody. There is little idle time as the narrative takes Heller on his most daring adventure yet. While none of it is unique within the genre, its fresh approach keeps readers curious. Finder also uses a variety of great characters, developing those who play some role in the larger plot, but does not stuff chapters full of trivial names on which the reader will trip. Finder reveals little as he drops literary breadcrumbs towards possible future alliances, should Nick Heller live to see a fourth novel, which forces the reader to ponder. Full of fast-paced storytelling and a plot that mixes politics with nefarious criminals, Finder has a wonderful novel for readers to enjoy without cutting any corners.
Kudos, Mr. Finder for this wonderful novel. You always have a way to lure readers into your narratives so effortlessly.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/