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uma_booksbagsburgers's review against another edition
3.0
(I received a free copy of this book from the author and the publicist Kelsey Butts in exchange for an honest review.)
Actual Rating - 3.5
CHARACTERS
While the story isn't a long one, we still get to see the personality of each character come through. I enjoyed getting to know Evelyn. She's a woman who believes in herself and at the same time isn't scared to accept her own mistakes. While the summary of the book on Goodreads talks of Rico as the main character, for me it was Evelyn. Through our glimpses into her past, I enjoyed getting to know the person she used to me and the person she'd grown into.
Paul too was an equally interesting character with a past that haunts him. It was interesting to see how he lets go of that and learns to move on even while they're caught up in a dangerous plot. Rico sure is not the kind of character we normally see in books. He is not really a bad guys but not really a good guy either. He's one of those gray characters who always make interesting decisions.
PLOT
Truth be told, I expected the plot to be a lot more complex but I do understand that's not possible when the book isn't long enough. For me the best twist was around the middle of the story when we learn about a certain someone. But I think the little blurb on the backcover would give away this little twist and make readers guess before they get to the part. Thankfully I read the blurb only after finishing the story. The most interesting parts of the story for me was learning about each person through their past. I also liked how the plot was character driven most of the time. It's the kind of book you know would also make for a good gangster thriller movie. At the beginning of the story, I felt a little confused as to what was happening but the author clears up things soon enough
WRITING
The writing is clear and to the point, making this a really fast read. At certain points, I felt the dialogue wasn't natural enough. I think the best part of writing was when we learn about Paul's backstory. The dialogue between him JoAnne was written wonderfully.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The character driven plot
- Evelyn and Paul
- The fast pace
- The cover
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
- how the story feels confusing at first
- certain characters whose personalities weren't explored much.
CONCLUSION
A noir drama that is character driven and fast paced making sure to keep readers interested till the very last page.
Actual Rating - 3.5
CHARACTERS
While the story isn't a long one, we still get to see the personality of each character come through. I enjoyed getting to know Evelyn. She's a woman who believes in herself and at the same time isn't scared to accept her own mistakes. While the summary of the book on Goodreads talks of Rico as the main character, for me it was Evelyn. Through our glimpses into her past, I enjoyed getting to know the person she used to me and the person she'd grown into.
Paul too was an equally interesting character with a past that haunts him. It was interesting to see how he lets go of that and learns to move on even while they're caught up in a dangerous plot. Rico sure is not the kind of character we normally see in books. He is not really a bad guys but not really a good guy either. He's one of those gray characters who always make interesting decisions.
PLOT
Truth be told, I expected the plot to be a lot more complex but I do understand that's not possible when the book isn't long enough. For me the best twist was around the middle of the story when we learn about a certain someone. But I think the little blurb on the backcover would give away this little twist and make readers guess before they get to the part. Thankfully I read the blurb only after finishing the story. The most interesting parts of the story for me was learning about each person through their past. I also liked how the plot was character driven most of the time. It's the kind of book you know would also make for a good gangster thriller movie. At the beginning of the story, I felt a little confused as to what was happening but the author clears up things soon enough
WRITING
The writing is clear and to the point, making this a really fast read. At certain points, I felt the dialogue wasn't natural enough. I think the best part of writing was when we learn about Paul's backstory. The dialogue between him JoAnne was written wonderfully.
WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK
- The character driven plot
- Evelyn and Paul
- The fast pace
- The cover
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE BOOK
- how the story feels confusing at first
- certain characters whose personalities weren't explored much.
CONCLUSION
A noir drama that is character driven and fast paced making sure to keep readers interested till the very last page.
bookingwithjanelle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
moll77's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review. This books was a lot different than books that I normally read, however I still enjoyed it. My favorite aspects of the book was the constant action and twists. However, I never felt like I got to know enough about the characters. I usually enjoy POV switches throughout books, but in this case I felt like it hindered our connection to characters such as Rico.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
heatherloureads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 ⭐
This was a very fast-paced book about a hit man named Rico. It felt like I was watching an action packed movie or TV show. It kept me entertained, which I always appreciate. You can tell that the author knows his way around the legal system!
The only negative is that the story was hard to follow at times since there is so many characters, especially at the beginning, but by the end of the book it was all brought together in a very cohesive way.
This was a very fast-paced book about a hit man named Rico. It felt like I was watching an action packed movie or TV show. It kept me entertained, which I always appreciate. You can tell that the author knows his way around the legal system!
The only negative is that the story was hard to follow at times since there is so many characters, especially at the beginning, but by the end of the book it was all brought together in a very cohesive way.
shaniaaube's review against another edition
4.0
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
While this isn't a book I would typically pick up, I am glad I got the chance to read it! I was in the mood for a fast paced, suspenseful read and this book did not disappoint.
Rico was given a job that wasn't unfamiliar to him. He was sent to retrieve a ruby necklace that was stolen from his gangster boss and teach the thief a lesson. Simple enough. Until things begin to go south and he finds himself in an unfamiliar situation as he is faced with a difficult decision of following his boss' orders or put the woman he loves in danger.
While this isn't a book I would typically pick up, I am glad I got the chance to read it! I was in the mood for a fast paced, suspenseful read and this book did not disappoint.
Rico was given a job that wasn't unfamiliar to him. He was sent to retrieve a ruby necklace that was stolen from his gangster boss and teach the thief a lesson. Simple enough. Until things begin to go south and he finds himself in an unfamiliar situation as he is faced with a difficult decision of following his boss' orders or put the woman he loves in danger.
samanthapearl's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to the author and Book Publicity Services for sending me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
One thing I didn't like is how we kept going into little side stories. I thought these were unnecessary because they were either about an insignificant character, or it was about a significant character with unnecessary information.
This one had a lot more twists than I expected. I thought it was going to be something more straightforward but I was pleasantly surprised. It had drama, action, adventure and lots of murder. It was quite exciting.
This is really well written. There are quite a few characters in this story, and usually the more characters a book has, the harder they are to keep track of. However, I didn't find that to be an issue here. Each character was distinct enough to be tracked with just a normal thought effort.
This is the first book in a trilogy. I thought it wrapped up nicely with no loose ends. I'm looking forward to what happens next in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.
One thing I didn't like is how we kept going into little side stories. I thought these were unnecessary because they were either about an insignificant character, or it was about a significant character with unnecessary information.
This one had a lot more twists than I expected. I thought it was going to be something more straightforward but I was pleasantly surprised. It had drama, action, adventure and lots of murder. It was quite exciting.
This is really well written. There are quite a few characters in this story, and usually the more characters a book has, the harder they are to keep track of. However, I didn't find that to be an issue here. Each character was distinct enough to be tracked with just a normal thought effort.
This is the first book in a trilogy. I thought it wrapped up nicely with no loose ends. I'm looking forward to what happens next in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys crime fiction.
omgbeansgoreadabook's review against another edition
3.0
When I started this book last year I feel like I didn't appreciate it as much as I do now reading through it a second time. At only 250 pages it manages to pack a surprising punch.
We follow Evelyn, wife of an unfaithful gambling addict from the streets of Chicago to Honolulu. What was supposed to be her second honeymoon to try and fix things with her husband turned out to be way more than what she could have ever imagined.
Evelyn's husband Robert has gotten in deep with a loan shark named Litvak. In what he sees as an opportune moment he manages to steal a necklace that seems to have come with a hefty price tag to pay back his debts in a warped sense. He manages to put not only Evelyn in danger but Evelyn's old flame Paul as well as one of her closest friends.
I would recommend this book for people who like a book that's fast-paced with several likable characters (and a decently likable anti-hero) and a whole lot of mob-styled bloodshed. I couldn't keep track of how many bodies there were by the end of the book, and because I'm demented, I liked that. Lol!
We follow Evelyn, wife of an unfaithful gambling addict from the streets of Chicago to Honolulu. What was supposed to be her second honeymoon to try and fix things with her husband turned out to be way more than what she could have ever imagined.
Evelyn's husband Robert has gotten in deep with a loan shark named Litvak. In what he sees as an opportune moment he manages to steal a necklace that seems to have come with a hefty price tag to pay back his debts in a warped sense. He manages to put not only Evelyn in danger but Evelyn's old flame Paul as well as one of her closest friends.
I would recommend this book for people who like a book that's fast-paced with several likable characters (and a decently likable anti-hero) and a whole lot of mob-styled bloodshed. I couldn't keep track of how many bodies there were by the end of the book, and because I'm demented, I liked that. Lol!
emma_not_watson_reads's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
readwithhugo's review against another edition
4.0
Fast-paced and action-packed, Pigeon-Blood Red certainly won’t leave you bored. Though at times it seemed like there was *too* much going on, this book is the first in a trilogy so I’m assuming we’ll get the answers to our questions and see some loose ends tied up in the following two books. I enjoyed reading this book - it was a fun read that was well-written, compelling, and features a fascinating, morally-gray main character.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
emviolxt's review against another edition
3.0
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 ✨