Andrew Diamond (1)

FROM AMAZON: After four years on the straight and narrow, Russell Fitzpatrick has a boring job, the wrong woman, and an itch for something more. All he needs to get his life going again is a nudge in the wrong direction.

When he receives a cryptic email from a legendary and slightly deranged fellow hacker--his old friend, Charlie, whom he knows to be dead--he tries to tell himself it's none of his concern. But the guy who stalks him across town at night, the two thugs waiting in the alley, and a ruthless FBI agent let him know his days are numbered if he doesn't turn over the money Charlie stole.

The problem is, Russ doesn't have it. As his enemies close in from all sides, Russ slowly unwinds the mystery of his old friend's paranoid mind and finds that Charlie left behind something worth much more than the money. And no one but him is onto it...… (mais)

This was the first book by this author that I have read and I found it very interesting and well written. I enjoyed the various different characters as well as how the story had multiple plots in it between the characters lives and Wanda the writers life. At one point we even got to see Trevor in his original story before he comes back to the house Hannah is stuck in. It was also nice to be able to see things from different perspectives (Hannah's view versus Trevor's when it was the character's story and Wanda's the rest of the time) and how the characters were able to help Wanda break free of her circle of bad habits long enough for Austin to help her find clarity. I liked the character Austin and seeing how him and Wanda interacted once he entered the story. The last chapter takes place 18 months later and it is nice to see how things turned out for Wanda as well as her characters.… (mais)

I write because the characters trespassing through my mind leave me no alternative.

That's my truth, and it's those fictional people inhabiting my mind that made this book so relatable for me. I don't know if readers who aren't also writers will feel the same, but I found this to be a fun, totally unique read.

The chapters alternate between Wanda, the struggling romance author whose personal life is a gigantic mess, and Hannah, the rebellious fictional character who won't fit into the various roles in which Wanda has attempted to cast her. Hannah and Trevor, another wayward character, are stuck in an imaginary house while they wait for Wanda to get herself together and write them into the correct story. These chapters were my favorite parts, largely because I can relate to characters who seem to have minds of their own.

Wanda's problems with her longtime boyfriend are exaggerated, though I think that's intentional, giving a comic spin to a serious issue for too many women.

This is a quick read that offers some laughs along with some thoughtful content.

*I received a review copy from the publisher, via BookishFirst.*… (mais)

Readers are introduced to Johnny Manic aka Tom Gantry aka John Manis losing money like there's no tomorrow in Vegas.
Down to the last ten thousand he buys a home tech service business from The Kid and tries to lose & calm himself in a small town in California wine country. Too bad Marilyn lives there too.
The minute Johnny sees Marilyn it's evident he's fighting a losing battle. Kipling was so right. From that point on Johnny's life goes from bad to worse; a slow motion train wreck.

TO HELL WITH JOHNNY MANIC is so noir my mental movie was in black & white.
Deeply flawed characters possessing few, if any, redeeming qualities. Every face is a mask. Put 'em in a bag, shake 'em up & see who comes out alive.
If noir is your thing you don't want to miss TO HELL WITH JOHNNY MANIC. You aren't likely to be disappointed.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.… (mais)