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hannahmaybookreviews's review against another edition
4.0
Title: The Last Straw
Author: Ed Duncan
Pages: 220
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to the author and Kelsey from Book Publicity services for providing me with a copy of the book to review.
Synopsis:
After Sandra, a young teenage girl, witnesses a car jacking and murder, she is worried about testifying in court. A crime boss, who first appears to have no connection with the girl, puts out a hit on her. Rico, their first-choice refuses, he will not murder a child, but he soon finds that his enemy has taken on the job in his place, he has done this to prove that he is not as weak as Rico. As a result, Rico finds himself in a situation where he has no choice but to protect the innocents from his rival. This means crossing paths again with Paul Elliot, the lawyer that once saved his life.
Review:
The Last Straw is the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series, and I have to say I really did enjoy the first book as it had an old school gangster feel to it. I also really liked Rico’s character despite his job and his decisions not exactly being right. That aside, I was very eager to meet him again. The first book was also action packed from start to finish, and the description of The Last Straw hinted that this would still be the case so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
Chapter one started off with a bang and we were re-introduced to Rico straight away, it’s safe to say this hooked you in. The rest of the chapters were then short and snappy, making this a very pacey read. The story kicked off straight away and I was able to pick up the storyline easily.
I found Rico to be as charming as ever. He is extremely clever and always a head of the game. I also really enjoyed how we saw a little of his soft side in this read, it makes it clear that despite Rico’s life choices, he isn’t all bad. As for the other characters, I wouldn’t say I really connected with them, but what I will say is that Ed Duncan does a fantastic job at creating characters that readers would dislike.
Just like the first book, we have plenty of action around every corner, and the story is full of sneakiness and backstabbing. It is a good job I didn’t really get attached to any character in particular, other than Rico because you generally don’t know who is actually safe in Ed Duncan’s books. What I did find hard to believe at times though was how all these shootings and murders took place and characters got away with them easily. This made it a little unbelievable for me, but it didn’t put me off!
There was never a dull moment in this read, the writing style of the author is easy to connect with, there are plenty twists and turns and the length of the book suits it perfectly. I am looking forward to reviewing the next book, but the ending did leave me satisfied for now. I feel you do not need to read the first book to understand this one, however, I still recommend you do because these are thrilling crime novels.
Author: Ed Duncan
Pages: 220
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to the author and Kelsey from Book Publicity services for providing me with a copy of the book to review.
Synopsis:
After Sandra, a young teenage girl, witnesses a car jacking and murder, she is worried about testifying in court. A crime boss, who first appears to have no connection with the girl, puts out a hit on her. Rico, their first-choice refuses, he will not murder a child, but he soon finds that his enemy has taken on the job in his place, he has done this to prove that he is not as weak as Rico. As a result, Rico finds himself in a situation where he has no choice but to protect the innocents from his rival. This means crossing paths again with Paul Elliot, the lawyer that once saved his life.
Review:
The Last Straw is the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series, and I have to say I really did enjoy the first book as it had an old school gangster feel to it. I also really liked Rico’s character despite his job and his decisions not exactly being right. That aside, I was very eager to meet him again. The first book was also action packed from start to finish, and the description of The Last Straw hinted that this would still be the case so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.
Chapter one started off with a bang and we were re-introduced to Rico straight away, it’s safe to say this hooked you in. The rest of the chapters were then short and snappy, making this a very pacey read. The story kicked off straight away and I was able to pick up the storyline easily.
I found Rico to be as charming as ever. He is extremely clever and always a head of the game. I also really enjoyed how we saw a little of his soft side in this read, it makes it clear that despite Rico’s life choices, he isn’t all bad. As for the other characters, I wouldn’t say I really connected with them, but what I will say is that Ed Duncan does a fantastic job at creating characters that readers would dislike.
Just like the first book, we have plenty of action around every corner, and the story is full of sneakiness and backstabbing. It is a good job I didn’t really get attached to any character in particular, other than Rico because you generally don’t know who is actually safe in Ed Duncan’s books. What I did find hard to believe at times though was how all these shootings and murders took place and characters got away with them easily. This made it a little unbelievable for me, but it didn’t put me off!
There was never a dull moment in this read, the writing style of the author is easy to connect with, there are plenty twists and turns and the length of the book suits it perfectly. I am looking forward to reviewing the next book, but the ending did leave me satisfied for now. I feel you do not need to read the first book to understand this one, however, I still recommend you do because these are thrilling crime novels.
luellen1990's review against another edition
4.0
The Last Straw by Ed Duncan
Title - The Last Straw
Author - Ed Duncan
Published - Dec '17
Publisher - Independently Published
Genre - #Crime #Thriller
Pages - 227
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £9.99 Kindle - £3.99
ISBN - 9781973444008
The Last Straw is the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series by Ed Duncan.
A young girl witnesses a carjacking gone terribly wrong, she then becomes the target of a crime boss who has marked her for death. Nobody knows why he has targeted her as he seems to have no apparent connection to the carjacking. All everyone knows is they need to protect this young woman.
The girl and her family seek guidance from a family friend and lawyer Paul Elliot and it's not long before he is caught up in the whole mess.
Rico is a hitman for hire but has always said he has never killed anyone who doesn't deserve it and he tries his best never to kill women or children. So when this crime boss tries to hire Rico to take out the young witness he refuses. But that, unfortunately, means the job goes to someone else, someone without Rico's morals. He has no issues killing children or women and his name is D'Angelo.
Rico and D'Angelo have a long-standing feud and when Rico hears the job has gone to D'Angelo, he forms an unlikely alliance with Paul Elliot to save the young girl.
I know this is the second book in the series, now I haven't read the first one but this didn't impact on my enjoyment of the book. I found Rico to be a really complex character. You get to see the harder side of him as he does his hitman businesses but then when his girlfriend is attacked you get to see a much softer side to him, as he cares for her and worries about her. You get to see a much more sensitive side to him.
D'Angelo is your typical villain, you dislike him and you don't want him to succeed which also makes you root more for Rico and Paul. The characters are really well written and so is the plot. A really easy to follow plot with a steady pace which builds up throughout the book.
A really well-written book and I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading the first one and then this one again so that I get a better understanding of the characters and their backgrounds and histories.
Rating - Four out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - Yes
Would I Recommend? - Yes
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Title - The Last Straw
Author - Ed Duncan
Published - Dec '17
Publisher - Independently Published
Genre - #Crime #Thriller
Pages - 227
Price on Amazon - Paperback - £9.99 Kindle - £3.99
ISBN - 9781973444008
The Last Straw is the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series by Ed Duncan.
A young girl witnesses a carjacking gone terribly wrong, she then becomes the target of a crime boss who has marked her for death. Nobody knows why he has targeted her as he seems to have no apparent connection to the carjacking. All everyone knows is they need to protect this young woman.
The girl and her family seek guidance from a family friend and lawyer Paul Elliot and it's not long before he is caught up in the whole mess.
Rico is a hitman for hire but has always said he has never killed anyone who doesn't deserve it and he tries his best never to kill women or children. So when this crime boss tries to hire Rico to take out the young witness he refuses. But that, unfortunately, means the job goes to someone else, someone without Rico's morals. He has no issues killing children or women and his name is D'Angelo.
Rico and D'Angelo have a long-standing feud and when Rico hears the job has gone to D'Angelo, he forms an unlikely alliance with Paul Elliot to save the young girl.
I know this is the second book in the series, now I haven't read the first one but this didn't impact on my enjoyment of the book. I found Rico to be a really complex character. You get to see the harder side of him as he does his hitman businesses but then when his girlfriend is attacked you get to see a much softer side to him, as he cares for her and worries about her. You get to see a much more sensitive side to him.
D'Angelo is your typical villain, you dislike him and you don't want him to succeed which also makes you root more for Rico and Paul. The characters are really well written and so is the plot. A really easy to follow plot with a steady pace which builds up throughout the book.
A really well-written book and I very much enjoyed it and look forward to reading the first one and then this one again so that I get a better understanding of the characters and their backgrounds and histories.
Rating - Four out of Five Stars
Would I Read Again? - Yes
Would I Recommend? - Yes
Would I read other books by the same author? - Yes
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon (UK) under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley (If a NetGalley Book)
My Blogs at http://www.readingbeyondobsession.co.uk/
Links to this review can be found at:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lucyluisbookreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
cyireadbooks's review
4.0
It all started with a car-jacking gone horribly wrong. Jeffrey Phillips, an impressionable teen caved in to peer pressure when he is tasked to conduct a car jacking — standard stuff as a loyalty test. However, not being prepared for the worst, Jeffrey is caught up in a scuffle with the driver and the driver is killed by a gunshot from Jeffrey.
Sandra Yanders was there when everything happened. She witnessed the entire ordeal and has a solid testimony.
However, crime boss Howard Forester is not having any of Sandra’s testimony revealed and is determined to eliminate her at all costs. Heaven only knows why. Howard reaches out to Rico Sanders, a trusted hit man, to take on the job. Rico refuses leaving Howard to hire John D’Angelo. D’Angelo could give a “rat’s ass” about the teen as long as the money was good. And if Rico didn’t take the job, D’Angelo was certainly not going to pass on the opportunity to show up Rico.
The Last Straw is the second installment of the Pigeon Blood Red trilogy; and I highly recommend that one reads the series in order. Primarily because the main characters are introduced and developed in the first novel. The second novel builds upon the first as there are a number of references to Rico’s past and how that past affects him in the present.
I didn’t quite enjoy The Last Straw as much as I did Pigeon Blood Red. Perhaps it is because the novelty of that “Soprano-like” feel wasn’t as strong. Or perhaps the narrative didn’t seem that feasible. Some of the decisions made by the actors felt a little far-fetched in my opinion, but The Last Straw was still an enjoyable read. I am still looking forward to reading the last installment of this trilogy. Four admirable stars.
I received a physical copy of the book from Ed Duncan (author) through Book Publicity Services. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
Sandra Yanders was there when everything happened. She witnessed the entire ordeal and has a solid testimony.
However, crime boss Howard Forester is not having any of Sandra’s testimony revealed and is determined to eliminate her at all costs. Heaven only knows why. Howard reaches out to Rico Sanders, a trusted hit man, to take on the job. Rico refuses leaving Howard to hire John D’Angelo. D’Angelo could give a “rat’s ass” about the teen as long as the money was good. And if Rico didn’t take the job, D’Angelo was certainly not going to pass on the opportunity to show up Rico.
The Last Straw is the second installment of the Pigeon Blood Red trilogy; and I highly recommend that one reads the series in order. Primarily because the main characters are introduced and developed in the first novel. The second novel builds upon the first as there are a number of references to Rico’s past and how that past affects him in the present.
I didn’t quite enjoy The Last Straw as much as I did Pigeon Blood Red. Perhaps it is because the novelty of that “Soprano-like” feel wasn’t as strong. Or perhaps the narrative didn’t seem that feasible. Some of the decisions made by the actors felt a little far-fetched in my opinion, but The Last Straw was still an enjoyable read. I am still looking forward to reading the last installment of this trilogy. Four admirable stars.
I received a physical copy of the book from Ed Duncan (author) through Book Publicity Services. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
hyperashley's review
4.0
I'm not going to lie it's been so long since I've read Pigeon-Blood Red that I really don't remember it. As soon as the name Rico was mentioned I was flooded with memories though. Ed Duncan is very talented when it comes to writing an action-packed story. I liked both of the storylines in this book and had to keep reading until the end. It was truly hard to put this book down.
The action starts in the first chapter and doesn't stop until the last. There are plot twists throughout the book making it fast paced and very interesting. Honestly, I think this book was better than the first. I still liked Rico even if he is a hitman. At least, he has some ethics to him. It makes you like him and root for him no matter what he does.
The action starts in the first chapter and doesn't stop until the last. There are plot twists throughout the book making it fast paced and very interesting. Honestly, I think this book was better than the first. I still liked Rico even if he is a hitman. At least, he has some ethics to him. It makes you like him and root for him no matter what he does.
foreverawordaway's review
4.0
I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Last Straw by Ed Duncan
4/5⭐️
Hired killer Rico Sanders returns in the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series. But will he be able to carry out what is expected of him? This book uncovers more of Rico’s story and follows him as he battles with his conscience. I loved how the book continues the story of the same characters from book one, but delivered an entirely different plot. This book is fast paced and action packed. It was a fast, easy read and is perfect for all who love thriller/action books.
The Last Straw by Ed Duncan
4/5⭐️
Hired killer Rico Sanders returns in the second book in the Pigeon-Blood Red series. But will he be able to carry out what is expected of him? This book uncovers more of Rico’s story and follows him as he battles with his conscience. I loved how the book continues the story of the same characters from book one, but delivered an entirely different plot. This book is fast paced and action packed. It was a fast, easy read and is perfect for all who love thriller/action books.
mdtreadwell's review
4.0
This book started with a scene that instantly sucked me in. I knew this book would be action packed and keep me wanting more, and it was just that. Full of suspense and needing to know what happens next. A teenage girl witnessed an accidental murder and then got a hit put on her so she doesn't testify. Rico tries to do the right thing and stop the hit, but stuff happens and people get in the way that you wonder how it's going to end. This was a page turner that I didn't want to put down. Good story line with action packed details that kept me up reading! Great second book!
carimayhew's review
4.0
When I read the synopsis for this book, I thought “Aah, here’s a story with some oomph!” The book starts with the line “Perry Mason unzipped his pants…” and I thought “I didn’t think it was that sort of a book!” There were no erotic scenes though, but there was violence and drama aplenty!
The events in the book are sparked by the witnessing of a murder at a car hijacking gone awry. However, there is a snowball-come-avalanche effect for the surrounding characters. The central character is Rico, a hit man with conscience, albeit a very selective conscience. Rico’s sworn enemy is tasked with taking out the murder witness, but this puts a friend of Rico’s at risk, and tensions quickly escalate between the hit men.
There are countless high octane action scenes, and they are shocking! Rico often put me in mind of Jack Reacher, and his killer instincts mean the action scenes are so rapid that I found myself reading them twice to take everything in. And the death count becomes comparable to Game of Thrones!
In between the action scenes, a lot of background information is provided on the surrounding characters, such as the on the lawyer looking after the murder witness. And many of these characters are often working through their own moral dilemmas in relation to what’s going on. (As usual, NO spoilers in my book reviews!)
This book is the second in a series, and I usually start with the first in a series (unless I’ve seen the first portrayed in a film) but the synopsis had me sold! Much of what happened in the first book is explained in dribs and drabs throughout the second. You certainly don’t need to read the first book to enjoy the second, but I imagine you’d get more from it by reading the whole series.
It wasn’t always the most realistic story in places; like when Rico does nothing to cover his tracks after a hit, but then again we often read novels as a means of escapism, it’s not supposed to represent the real world. And in fairness, it’s done a damn good job of distracting me from my current worries. Recommended!
The events in the book are sparked by the witnessing of a murder at a car hijacking gone awry. However, there is a snowball-come-avalanche effect for the surrounding characters. The central character is Rico, a hit man with conscience, albeit a very selective conscience. Rico’s sworn enemy is tasked with taking out the murder witness, but this puts a friend of Rico’s at risk, and tensions quickly escalate between the hit men.
There are countless high octane action scenes, and they are shocking! Rico often put me in mind of Jack Reacher, and his killer instincts mean the action scenes are so rapid that I found myself reading them twice to take everything in. And the death count becomes comparable to Game of Thrones!
In between the action scenes, a lot of background information is provided on the surrounding characters, such as the on the lawyer looking after the murder witness. And many of these characters are often working through their own moral dilemmas in relation to what’s going on. (As usual, NO spoilers in my book reviews!)
This book is the second in a series, and I usually start with the first in a series (unless I’ve seen the first portrayed in a film) but the synopsis had me sold! Much of what happened in the first book is explained in dribs and drabs throughout the second. You certainly don’t need to read the first book to enjoy the second, but I imagine you’d get more from it by reading the whole series.
It wasn’t always the most realistic story in places; like when Rico does nothing to cover his tracks after a hit, but then again we often read novels as a means of escapism, it’s not supposed to represent the real world. And in fairness, it’s done a damn good job of distracting me from my current worries. Recommended!
wanderwithjon's review
4.0
Disclaimer: The author has sent me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
♥
The Last Straw is an interestingly amazing crime/mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat with it’s hidden agenda, and wonderfully woven story.
Ed Duncan really did great in writing this book. It has an easy reading pace and a none complicated vernacular. All was straight to the point and won’t leave you confused and hanging. The story flows amazingly and the interwoven connection between the characters unravels as the story progresses, which mesmerized me. My only trouble with the writing is how the transitioning is inconsistent, there were abrupt changes and there were changes with good pacing.
Going into the characters, they are all interesting. I especially love our main protagonist Rico. He is well-made and has an interesting ideal with which he follows with great conviction. He knows what he wants and yet he has self-doubts and that’s what makes him a perfectly crafted persona. Although it would have been great if I was able to get to know him more, given the chance I was able to read the first book, this book really did good in giving the reader a perspective of who he is.
Overall, The Last Straw is a spectacular read perfect for fans of crime/mystery fiction. The weaving of the characters’ connection with one another is definitely something to praise and each of their personality is something that all can relate. The book shows us what we’ll do to protect the ones we love, and what we are capable of doing to protect our ideals.
♥
The Last Straw is an interestingly amazing crime/mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat with it’s hidden agenda, and wonderfully woven story.
Ed Duncan really did great in writing this book. It has an easy reading pace and a none complicated vernacular. All was straight to the point and won’t leave you confused and hanging. The story flows amazingly and the interwoven connection between the characters unravels as the story progresses, which mesmerized me. My only trouble with the writing is how the transitioning is inconsistent, there were abrupt changes and there were changes with good pacing.
Going into the characters, they are all interesting. I especially love our main protagonist Rico. He is well-made and has an interesting ideal with which he follows with great conviction. He knows what he wants and yet he has self-doubts and that’s what makes him a perfectly crafted persona. Although it would have been great if I was able to get to know him more, given the chance I was able to read the first book, this book really did good in giving the reader a perspective of who he is.
Overall, The Last Straw is a spectacular read perfect for fans of crime/mystery fiction. The weaving of the characters’ connection with one another is definitely something to praise and each of their personality is something that all can relate. The book shows us what we’ll do to protect the ones we love, and what we are capable of doing to protect our ideals.
thetasigma906's review
5.0
After a young girl, Sandra, witnesses a carjacking/murder, she is debating about whether to testify. A crime boss, who seemingly has no connection to the crime, puts a hit out on her. Rico, who has turned down the job, finds out that his enemy has taken the job, and Rico takes it upon himself to protect any innocents who find themselves caught up in this, predominantly Paul Elliot, the lawyer who saved his life.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was great to see some familiar characters and to be introduced to some newbies. I enjoyed reading more about Rico and his relationship with Jean, and his 'complicated relationship' with Paul Elliot. D'Angelo was the sort of villain that was written so well that you really loathed him from the start, and even when I found out why he and Rico had a dislike towards each other, I still could not like D'Angelo, not even slightly.
There were some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and that is part of the reason I like this book so much, it kept me guessing right up until the very end. I would have liked to find out what happened to Sandra and her mother, but that is my personal opinion, and not finding out did not make me stop liking this book as much as I did.
Thank you to Book Publicity Services and the author for the complimentary ebook copy.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was great to see some familiar characters and to be introduced to some newbies. I enjoyed reading more about Rico and his relationship with Jean, and his 'complicated relationship' with Paul Elliot. D'Angelo was the sort of villain that was written so well that you really loathed him from the start, and even when I found out why he and Rico had a dislike towards each other, I still could not like D'Angelo, not even slightly.
There were some twists and turns that I did not see coming, and that is part of the reason I like this book so much, it kept me guessing right up until the very end. I would have liked to find out what happened to Sandra and her mother, but that is my personal opinion, and not finding out did not make me stop liking this book as much as I did.
Thank you to Book Publicity Services and the author for the complimentary ebook copy.
shayneyj's review
4.0
I received this book from the author/publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review of the book.
When I was asked to read ‘The Last Straw’ and was sent a description of the book, I was instantly intrigued. Then when I started reading the book, those first couple of chapters just had me gripped. That first chapter is just so dramatic, it just pulls you into the book and sets you up and gets you excited for what’s to come. You get to know one of the characters instantly and it sets up one of the other characters perfectly, plus that story.
You get introduced to all of these characters throughout the book, all these different storyline and lives that intertwine. I remember reading it and thinking (even making little notes) “these characters have a history, is there something I’m missing?” And that’s when I found out that this was book 2! It was like a flashlight. It doesn’t spoil it once I know, especially as the history does get explained in this book so I don’t feel like eventually I’ve missed anything, but I wish that was made clearer to be before is started this book, as I would’ve have possibly have read that book first.
The way that some of the characters is pure genius. You do see some real development and growth from the start, to the end of the book, which is saying something considering the time span of the book isn’t that long. The two main characters, (who I class as the main characters) are Paul and Rico. Paul is a Lawyer who has been through a few things and Rico is a, let’s just say he’s good at what he does.
There were some parts I didn’t like too much about this book. There was this one section that seemed misplaced and seemed more of a spoiler out of nowhere and took the shock and emotion away from something that came up further along. There were also some random racist remarks that came up out of nowhere and just didn’t seem to fit or just weren’t handled or wrote right.
But I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the style that it was written in. It was easy to read and it kept me gripped and wanting more. Plus, I do want to pick up book one and see how it all started.
When I was asked to read ‘The Last Straw’ and was sent a description of the book, I was instantly intrigued. Then when I started reading the book, those first couple of chapters just had me gripped. That first chapter is just so dramatic, it just pulls you into the book and sets you up and gets you excited for what’s to come. You get to know one of the characters instantly and it sets up one of the other characters perfectly, plus that story.
You get introduced to all of these characters throughout the book, all these different storyline and lives that intertwine. I remember reading it and thinking (even making little notes) “these characters have a history, is there something I’m missing?” And that’s when I found out that this was book 2! It was like a flashlight. It doesn’t spoil it once I know, especially as the history does get explained in this book so I don’t feel like eventually I’ve missed anything, but I wish that was made clearer to be before is started this book, as I would’ve have possibly have read that book first.
The way that some of the characters is pure genius. You do see some real development and growth from the start, to the end of the book, which is saying something considering the time span of the book isn’t that long. The two main characters, (who I class as the main characters) are Paul and Rico. Paul is a Lawyer who has been through a few things and Rico is a, let’s just say he’s good at what he does.
There were some parts I didn’t like too much about this book. There was this one section that seemed misplaced and seemed more of a spoiler out of nowhere and took the shock and emotion away from something that came up further along. There were also some random racist remarks that came up out of nowhere and just didn’t seem to fit or just weren’t handled or wrote right.
But I enjoyed the writing, the characters and the style that it was written in. It was easy to read and it kept me gripped and wanting more. Plus, I do want to pick up book one and see how it all started.