Rick Murcer

This was an quick and easy read. The characters are interesting and I wouldn't mind reading a second book. It's not the best crime book I've ever read but it did good. There was a few things I didn't see coming. I like books that depict terrible acts but don't go into gory details, which this does.

I liked the characters more than the crime, to me, that made the book great.

I like Ellie and she was my favorite perspective to read, with big harv being second. Ellie has a strong background and you can see what drives her to be the best at the forensic aspect of the crimes.

Only thing I didn't like, was the interactions between Ellie and Sanchez, a cop. They don't like each other, which is fine, not everybody has to get along. Only thing I didn't like, was that the antics seemed juvenile, for adults, let alone professionals. It does fix itself at the end, with them acting like adults, which was good.

Overall, I'm pleased with the book. The author is off to a good start. If he decides to continue on and make a series, with a few tweaks, I can see the books becoming a real hit.

I received this in a giveaway.… (mais)

Caribbean Moon
by Rick Murcer
3 Faerie Points

Before I start in on the main review of this book I need to go on a bit of a rant about something that ticks me off about books, which was brought back up for me with this particular book. In one section of this book, I won't mention where due to spoilers, the author has a character talk about fags and queers in a basic derogatory manner. In Murcer's case I can forgive him somewhat because it is from the viewpoint of a killer, but a part of me can't even forgive him. If a writer wants to talk down about gay people I think there needs to be a bit of a balance in their book where they put something positive about them as well, so that readers that may identify in that particular persuasion do not instantly want to throw the book (or in my case their kindle) out of a moving vehicle. When did it become okay to just blatantly be hateful in writing with no balance? I would have given this particular book a higher rating if it hadn't been for this simple inclusion on Murcer's part.

There was another less minor issue that I had with Murcer's writing of "Caribbean Moon", which was that he included religion sometimes in the weirdest spots. A character would be dealing with something very profound on the case and suddenly they would mention God or have a thought about him. I understand a writer that believes in Christ including those elements in their work, but it needs to feel organic in the story. There was one point of the book where it was organic and felt very much a natural part of the story. This was in the preacher woman that was on one of the islands. This didn't feel like Murcer was forcing religion into his story. I understand that I am not an author and nor should I criticize heavily on any aspect of writing, but again elements of a story need to feel natural to the reader. The inclusions of religion in many spots of this book felt like an after thought that Murcer has shoved in to appeal to the Christian market. It doesn't work that well here.

The murder mystery aspect of this story and the character of Manny Williams, however, does work masterfully in this story. The story is just a fun little romp on a cruise ship that turns deadly. Murcer makes you feel like you have been on a cruise even if you never have (I never have been) because he tells us that the basic behavior of them is crazy and over the top. This drags us into the world that Williams finds himself in. The story develops in a manner that is believable and at times jaw-dropping. One of the only issues with the mystery aspect of the book is the sheer number of people that end up dead in the book or have something horrible happen to them. It feels like a bit much, but it adds to the urgency of the story as well, thus I am not sure I would have changed this aspect, but still it could be seen as a deficit to another reader of the book.

I would give Murcer's "Caribbean Moon" a solid three faerie points with a few knocks coming off for some of the above issues I have mentioned. If you are looking for a story where you can just try to figure out what is really going on in the story without a lot of moral questions then this could be the book for you. It is definitely one that I could see people sitting on their lawns in their lawn chairs devouring in a single sitting.… (mais)

ABR's original Deceitful Moon audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.

Deceitful Moon picks up 3 months after the events of Caribbean Moon, the first book in the Detective Manny Williams series. I would suggest listening to the books in order, as the story line from the previous book continues. They are not really stand alones.

In Deceitful Moon, there are two plot lines, so there is a lot going on and a lot to keep up with. Firstly, Manny and his partner, Sophie Lee, continue to hunt the serial killer who appeared in the first book, briefly sending them back to the Caribbean. Secondly, they have a new serial killer in their hometown of Lansing who is killing males. As in the previous book, the body count keeps rising and Manny and Sophie once again join forces with the FBI.

Both books have been fast paced and action packed, and I have enjoyed every minute of them. There are plenty of dead bodies, violence and some rather gory details, but there is also plenty of humor and some very likable characters. I truly loved the blend of jokes and grisly serial killer hunting, but I appreciate that the humor and sexual innuendos may not be every listener’s cup of tea. If you’ve listened to J.A. Konrath’s Jack Daniels series and enjoyed it, you will like this. The writing is engaging, and there are some breathtaking twists and turns. Mannie’s partner, Sophie, is a great character and I loved her attitude. I also enjoyed the nice camaraderie and witty banter within the police department and with the FBI. They are the sort of books where you will be laughing out loud one minute and be on the edge of your seat and totally spooked the next.

In Deceitful Moon, there was one heart breaking moment that totally shocked me. In hindsight, everything was building up to that development, but still, a very brave move, Mr. Murcer. The ending definitely leaves you wanting to read the next in the series

There was a change in narrator from book 1 to book 2. Not really a problem, it just took a little while to adjust to the different voices, especially as I started this one straight after finishing the first.

The narration provided by DJ Holte for Deceitful Moon was fantastic. Great pacing, intonation and range of different voices as well as great expression of a range of emotions. There were no issues with the quality of the production.

I am eagerly waiting for book 3, Emerald Moon, to be made available as an audiobook, and I am hoping DJ Holte will once again provide the narration for it.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.… (mais)