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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Pigeon Blood Red by Ed Duncan - 3 stars.
When Rico receives instructions from his gangster boss to retrieve an expensive pigeon-blood red necklace and eliminate the double-crossing thief, he doesn’t think much of it. Given the fact that he has completed countless jobs of a similar nature, he simply treats this as another ordinary task to tick off of his list. However, when the chase takes an unexpected turn and the odds transpire against him, Rico soon realises that this won’t just be another day at the ‘office’. As the chase escalates, he is forced to make a tough decision. Should he follow his order to kill the couple who are gradually earning his admiration and respect, or disobey his boss and endanger the lives of those closest to him?
Pigeon Blood Red does not hesitate to throw the reader straight into brutal and relentless action. The lack of a clear, definitive opening or build up was a little disorienting at first, but made for an exciting reading experience. I was highly engaged from the outset and felt compelled to keep reading. It was interesting to discover how seemingly distant characters became connected as the story evolved and how earlier events sparked later confrontations and deadly consequences for some of the characters. Although I found certain scenes a little cliché, the more I read, the more invested in the plot and Rico I became.
Nevertheless, whilst Rico is the central character, I felt like he was overshadowed by the side characters. We are provided with rich background and details for many of the ‘peripheral’ characters and as a consequence, this drew my attention away from the central plot and from Rico too. I’d anticipated heavier focus to be on Rico, his background and how he ended up working for his boss Litvak, however, I appreciate that such details may be covered more extensively as the trilogy progresses. Despite being given extensive details about the side characters, they remained quite flat, unlikeable and one dimensional. I found the dual timeline and the characters POVs to occasionally blur too, which unfortunately became confusing and disrupted the flow a little.
Overall, Pigeon Blood Red is an easy, action-packed and compelling read. I’d recommend this to those of you who enjoy crime thrillers with relentless action and central themes of gangs, hitmen and vengeance. Thank you very much to @bookpublicityservices on Instagram for gifting me an e-copy of Pigeon Blood Red in exchange for an honest review ✨
When Rico receives instructions from his gangster boss to retrieve an expensive pigeon-blood red necklace and eliminate the double-crossing thief, he doesn’t think much of it. Given the fact that he has completed countless jobs of a similar nature, he simply treats this as another ordinary task to tick off of his list. However, when the chase takes an unexpected turn and the odds transpire against him, Rico soon realises that this won’t just be another day at the ‘office’. As the chase escalates, he is forced to make a tough decision. Should he follow his order to kill the couple who are gradually earning his admiration and respect, or disobey his boss and endanger the lives of those closest to him?
Pigeon Blood Red does not hesitate to throw the reader straight into brutal and relentless action. The lack of a clear, definitive opening or build up was a little disorienting at first, but made for an exciting reading experience. I was highly engaged from the outset and felt compelled to keep reading. It was interesting to discover how seemingly distant characters became connected as the story evolved and how earlier events sparked later confrontations and deadly consequences for some of the characters. Although I found certain scenes a little cliché, the more I read, the more invested in the plot and Rico I became.
Nevertheless, whilst Rico is the central character, I felt like he was overshadowed by the side characters. We are provided with rich background and details for many of the ‘peripheral’ characters and as a consequence, this drew my attention away from the central plot and from Rico too. I’d anticipated heavier focus to be on Rico, his background and how he ended up working for his boss Litvak, however, I appreciate that such details may be covered more extensively as the trilogy progresses. Despite being given extensive details about the side characters, they remained quite flat, unlikeable and one dimensional. I found the dual timeline and the characters POVs to occasionally blur too, which unfortunately became confusing and disrupted the flow a little.
Overall, Pigeon Blood Red is an easy, action-packed and compelling read. I’d recommend this to those of you who enjoy crime thrillers with relentless action and central themes of gangs, hitmen and vengeance. Thank you very much to @bookpublicityservices on Instagram for gifting me an e-copy of Pigeon Blood Red in exchange for an honest review ✨
I was sent this book from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest view. The book is set in Chicago, with a Mafia style vibe to it. Rico is told to retrieve a stolen necklace for his boss, which leads him to Honolulu where innocent bystanders get in the way of his plan. Once he starts hunting down the bystanders to tie up lose ends, he may have found himself an unlikely ally. But are these strangers worth the life of the girl he loves?
This book was really well written and incorporated interesting back stories to a lot of the characters. Although, i do wish there was more drama in the book. I found it jumped a lot with one big event happening and then another one happening but not a lot of build up between events. At least not the kind that had you really invested and wanting more from every page. I would recommend to anyone look for a slow-burn read. I found that I read it slowly and think I enjoyed it so much because i took my time with it and didn’t rush through it!!
This book was really well written and incorporated interesting back stories to a lot of the characters. Although, i do wish there was more drama in the book. I found it jumped a lot with one big event happening and then another one happening but not a lot of build up between events. At least not the kind that had you really invested and wanting more from every page. I would recommend to anyone look for a slow-burn read. I found that I read it slowly and think I enjoyed it so much because i took my time with it and didn’t rush through it!!
This is the first in a series, it is your typical gangster thriller full of action and excitement. But it also has some relationship content and I particularly enjoyed reading about the contrast between the hard, dark life of guns and murder, and the relationships these men had with their loved ones at home.
This book goes straight into the good stuff, the way the characters are introduced at the beginning, mid- action, is very clever.
This is a fairly short read, worth a go for fans of a fast action packed book.
This book goes straight into the good stuff, the way the characters are introduced at the beginning, mid- action, is very clever.
This is a fairly short read, worth a go for fans of a fast action packed book.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Song: Let's Kill Tonight - Panic! At the Disco
Pigeon-Blood Red is the first installment in a crime trilogy and it sets off with a bang. Richard "Rico" Sanders is an underworld enforcer whose mission was to retrieve the valuable "pigeon-blood red" ruby necklace that was taken from right under their noses. What should have been a simple job from the boss, turns into a wild goose chase from the streets of Chicago to the beaches of Honolulu.
This quick and fast paced story sucked you in from the beginning and throws you right into the action. This is a fun read and it is way more than just a crime novel as we touch on quite a few different subjects such as second chances, love, and doing the right thing. I could 100% see this book being made into a movie, it has all the perfect elements of one!
What I loved:
-Being able to get to know the characters, sometimes we don't always get that in a thriller/crime story.
-Multiple viewpoints left you on your toes! I loved how they weaved together to form the story.
-Rico is a wonderful anti-hero that you couldn't help but root for.
-Despite being the first book in a trilogy, but you aren't left hanging at the end
I would have loved a little more backstory on Rico's livelihood and how he became working for his boss, but we might learn that down the line. Ultimately, this is a classic crime thriller and fans of the genre would really enjoy it!
I would love to thank Kelsey Butts at Book Publicity Services and Ed Duncan for sending me a review copy. I throughly enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
*Special thanks to the author for giving me this book via Kelsey @bookpublicityservices, in exchange for an honest review.*
This was incredibly binge-worthy and I enjoyed every minute of it, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the story. I enjoyed the pace and I enjoyed the events that were happening. However, I also felt like there were very unnecessary plot enhancements, although it seemed perfect as a whole for the book. The plot-twists were also quite shocking and I loved the fact that the story wasn't fixated on a specific theme, since there were many interesting characters to be explored. For the length of a book, it will definitely hype you up for the second and third book.
This was purely a recreational read. I found myself reaching for it more than the permitted time I allow myself to read for the day. Very light and fast-paced.
This was incredibly binge-worthy and I enjoyed every minute of it, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the story. I enjoyed the pace and I enjoyed the events that were happening. However, I also felt like there were very unnecessary plot enhancements, although it seemed perfect as a whole for the book. The plot-twists were also quite shocking and I loved the fact that the story wasn't fixated on a specific theme, since there were many interesting characters to be explored. For the length of a book, it will definitely hype you up for the second and third book.
This was purely a recreational read. I found myself reaching for it more than the permitted time I allow myself to read for the day. Very light and fast-paced.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
*Special thanks to the author for giving me this book via Kelsey @bookpublicityservices, in exchange for an honest review.*
This was incredibly binge-worthy and I enjoyed every minute of it, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the story. I enjoyed the pace and I enjoyed the events that were happening. However, I also felt like there were very unnecessary plot enhancements, although it seemed perfect as a whole for the book. The plot-twists were also quite shocking and I loved the fact that the story wasn't fixated on a specific theme, since there were many interesting characters to be explored. For the length of a book, it will definitely hype you up for the second and third book.
This was purely a recreational read. I found myself reaching for it more than the permitted time I allow myself to read for the day. Very light and fast-paced.
This was incredibly binge-worthy and I enjoyed every minute of it, even though I wasn't a huge fan of the story. I enjoyed the pace and I enjoyed the events that were happening. However, I also felt like there were very unnecessary plot enhancements, although it seemed perfect as a whole for the book. The plot-twists were also quite shocking and I loved the fact that the story wasn't fixated on a specific theme, since there were many interesting characters to be explored. For the length of a book, it will definitely hype you up for the second and third book.
This was purely a recreational read. I found myself reaching for it more than the permitted time I allow myself to read for the day. Very light and fast-paced.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings about this book.
I found the main character, Rico, to be ridiculous and extremely unlikeable until the last couple of chapters. This didn’t feel like a book or story where we should be rooting for him and wanting him to succeed.
With that being said, I loved the two characters that he was on a mission to kill, and I loved the way this story was built out with all of the side plots and side characters.
This was a fun (if absurd) crime chase novel.
*** thanks to Book Publicity Services for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
I found the main character, Rico, to be ridiculous and extremely unlikeable until the last couple of chapters. This didn’t feel like a book or story where we should be rooting for him and wanting him to succeed.
With that being said, I loved the two characters that he was on a mission to kill, and I loved the way this story was built out with all of the side plots and side characters.
This was a fun (if absurd) crime chase novel.
*** thanks to Book Publicity Services for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ***
Big thanks to the author and publisher for the copy in exchange for my honest review!
This crime thriller follows a hit man who is hired to retrieve a ruby, but things go horribly wrong and this Chicago based killer finds himself in Honolulu. PIGEON - BLOOD RED by Ed Duncan is a very fast paced and quick read. If you like crime thrillers, then this will be one you want to pick up.
Richard "Rico" Sanders is a hit man out of Chicago. He's hired for a job like any other, he needs to retrieve a pigeon blood red ruby necklace that was stolen from his boss. His mission? Get the ruby back and make the double-crosser pay for what he did. However, the chase quickly goes horribly wrong and Rico finds himself going from Chicago out to Honolulu to find this guy.
As the cat and mouse game continues, an innocent couple, Evelyn and Paul, find themselves tangled up in everything. As Rico gets closer and closer to getting his target, he must decide if he is going to follow his orders and kill all of those involved (including Evelyn and Paul) or will he refuse and risk the life of the woman he loves?
I will say, off the bat, this is a good mafia and crime thriller. The reader is thrust into the action right away and that can be a little confusing for the first portion of the book. I feel like there wasn't a lot of connecting with the characters. I cared about them, but I wasn't invested in them (if that makes sense). Don't let that discourage you from reading this quick thriller though. Duncan was able to pack in a lot of action into this shorter book (just under 300 pages). There wasn't a huge twist or loose ends, Duncan did a nice job of bringing everything together for the reader.
Overall, this is a great mafia/crime thriller. It was a solid 4 stars from me when it came to the story and action. It wasn't lacking those thriller elements. However, I took off a little from there because I wanted more of a connection to the characters. If just felt like something was missing - maybe a little more background would have helped.
I give this one 3.5/5 stars!
This crime thriller follows a hit man who is hired to retrieve a ruby, but things go horribly wrong and this Chicago based killer finds himself in Honolulu. PIGEON - BLOOD RED by Ed Duncan is a very fast paced and quick read. If you like crime thrillers, then this will be one you want to pick up.
Richard "Rico" Sanders is a hit man out of Chicago. He's hired for a job like any other, he needs to retrieve a pigeon blood red ruby necklace that was stolen from his boss. His mission? Get the ruby back and make the double-crosser pay for what he did. However, the chase quickly goes horribly wrong and Rico finds himself going from Chicago out to Honolulu to find this guy.
As the cat and mouse game continues, an innocent couple, Evelyn and Paul, find themselves tangled up in everything. As Rico gets closer and closer to getting his target, he must decide if he is going to follow his orders and kill all of those involved (including Evelyn and Paul) or will he refuse and risk the life of the woman he loves?
I will say, off the bat, this is a good mafia and crime thriller. The reader is thrust into the action right away and that can be a little confusing for the first portion of the book. I feel like there wasn't a lot of connecting with the characters. I cared about them, but I wasn't invested in them (if that makes sense). Don't let that discourage you from reading this quick thriller though. Duncan was able to pack in a lot of action into this shorter book (just under 300 pages). There wasn't a huge twist or loose ends, Duncan did a nice job of bringing everything together for the reader.
Overall, this is a great mafia/crime thriller. It was a solid 4 stars from me when it came to the story and action. It wasn't lacking those thriller elements. However, I took off a little from there because I wanted more of a connection to the characters. If just felt like something was missing - maybe a little more background would have helped.
I give this one 3.5/5 stars!