The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Disappearance
Because Disappearance was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Alice Heritage
This isn't a book I'd have been likely to sample without the programme as I'm not reading much in the thriller genre at the moment. I also won't buy and read it today as I didn't particularly engage with the writing. The book seems cleanly edited, though I believe "back yard" should be written "backyard". I liked the details of the witness security programme - the idea of starting somewhere else with a new identity is good story material. The reference to "manly tough behaviour" could be improved - what's wrong with "womanly" tough behaviour? Also, Sean appears to tell Harry things that he already knows in their conversation - an example is his statement that he thought Harry would never buy another property on the coast after Lucy's death in 1989 - Harry knows when his wife died. I didn't see an official OBC review, which didn't affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 3:48 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
This isn't my genre, so I wouldn't have sampled it, and the sample didn't change my mind.
I didn't notice any errors, and the author's style is very appealing (if it weren't for the genre, I'd actually be interested). My one note would be that the dialogue got a little overdone (drama-wise and exclamation points), at least for my taste.
I believe there was a review for this book, but I did not read it, and it has no impact on my opinion.
My decision not to read this is based entirely on this not being to my taste.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 3:34 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The cover and the title are not indicative of the theme of the book. There are 15 Amazon customer ratings. The Amazon summary is very interesting. Since I like spy and crime novels, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing Larry being spied upon by some agency. As I found the writing style pretty good, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors in the sample. What I liked most about the book is its plot. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. Although I didn't find any OBC review on the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 3:26 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Nisha Ward
I know there's a review, but I didn't get a chance to read it. That being said, the cover for Julien Ayotte's Disappearance promises a mystery for the reader. Unfortunately, despite the clean, error free writing, it's not a mystery that hooked me. The assassination of Larry Morgan lacked enough suspense for me to want to know more, and the resultant flashback then return to the present was just not exciting enough for me. I'm going to pass up on this one.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 3:05 am by Nisha Ward.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, cover, and title. There was also not an OBC review, which would have deterred me from reading the book. After reading the first ten pages, I will not be finishing this book. It started right away with the "assailant" trying to determine if the person they saw was the person on the list to be killed. Once the first one was successful, it was on the the next person on the list. This immediately turned me away as this really isn't my type of story. There isn't anything specific that I liked so far. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 2:39 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Aubrey Lewis
The overall appearance of the book is neat and quite pleasing to the eyes. When I read through the Amazon reviews, I became interested in the story because of the high praises the readers kept giving. When I finished sampling the first ten pages, I decided to read the rest of the book. The contents seemed professionally edited so far, and I like how straightforward and fast-paced the author's writing style was. I felt really sorry for Larry Morgan when he was killed even though he was in the WITSEC program, and I'm already wondering who the killer and the mastermind are. By this, I don't think there are any improvements needed for the book.
First Ten review added on November 5, 2019, at 1:46 am by Aubrey Lewis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Lorraine De Vos
I would definitely have chosen to sample this book based on the cover and title; it is eye catching and intriguing. The first ten pages were enough to get me hooked to the story. The author gradually introduces each character with their back story while smoothly going back and forth in time. The detail used to describe the settings and actions of each character also helps to build the suspense. I could easily imagine the gunman sitting in the diner eating his broccoli while waiting for night to fall so he can carry out his hit. I don’t think anything in this book requires improvement. The book does appear to be professionally edited. There was no official OnlineBookClub review. I will be adding this book to my reading list.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 11:22 pm by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
unamilagra
Before sampling this book, I may have picked it up. There was no official OBC review to get details from, but I enjoy crime novels and like the WITSEC premise. Reading the first ten pages piqued my interest. It was interesting to see the murder first, and then go back in time to when Larry was placed in WITSEC. I am interested to see what happens with the rest of the names on the assassin's list. I do plan to read the rest of the book. I didn't notice any errors in the pages I read.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 10:55 pm by unamilagra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Fu Zaila
Woah, the sample was quick and on-point. I like the cover and the blurb is okay. The reviews were also rave. The writing seems to be professionally edited. I liked how quickly everything happened. I was wondering whether the assailant had taken any precautions, and the very next sentence was about him wearing gloves. I liked the simple, straightforward descriptions. However, I kind of wanted to know a little more about the assailant and his motivations, other than the money. Unfortunately, the second chapter turned out to be about Larry, the murdered guy. Either way, I'm not a crime thriller person, so I don't want to read further.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 9:56 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ekta Kumari
The book is about a leak in the U.S. Marshals Witness Protection Unit where suddenly two witnesses get murdered and now Paul O’Malley, the director of WITSEC, and Harry Esten, a retired FBI agent, have to find the leak and stop further killings. Well, I would've sampled the book as it sounded action packed. I liked how the book starts with a murder. This inspired curiosity in me to know more about what happens next. I like the author's writing style. He provides to the point information where he also incorporates intimate details about FBI agent, Harry Esten. Overall, the book seems quite engaging. As for the editing, the book looks professionally edited based on my sampling. I like the read, and so I've no suggestion for improvement. I'll read the rest of this book as I enjoyed the sample. I didn't find an official review but that doesn't impact my decision.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 9:09 pm by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
evraealtana
The soft, dreamy colors in the cover art makes the book seem like a romantic novel, perhaps about a long-lost sweetheart. Without an official OBC review, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this one. The first ten pages were well-written and intriguing, although definitely not my genre. I particularly liked the detail of having to move Larry's body to get the lighting right for the photos; reading that made me smile despite the macabre scene and made me want to get to know the assassin better. This is not the sort of thing I enjoy reading, so I will probably not continue with it, but I think a fan of the genre would enjoy it immensely. I found one error: a typo in the phrase, "her pulse thread as she lay motionless" ("thready").
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 4:25 pm by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
OliviaLouise
After reading the review, I was interested in this book because I have never read a crime thriller with a witness protection leak angle before. It sounds really interesting! After reading the sample, I am still intrigued and want to read more of this story because I still think the concept is interesting, although I was disappointed by the writing so far. My main problem with the writing is the confusing way in which the narrator puts the reader in the scene. First we are with Larry as he is loading packages into his RAV4, then all of a sudden we are in the vehicle of some unknown person photographing him and sending the photos to his boss. The scene shifting does not transitions well. As I said, I still want to read the rest of this book, and I did not find any editing errors, I just hope the writing gets smoother!
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 12:58 pm by OliviaLouise.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aditi Sapate
The cover is beautiful, and the title explains the book in a way. I would have chosen to sample this book based on these factors. After reading about Larry Beneducci's changed identity with the help of WITSEC and about Esten's life, I wasn't intrigued a lot. I won't be reading the full book. The writing could be made more interesting and the story could have sharper turns to keep the readers engaged. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors. The book did not have an official OnlineBookClub review. Thus, I wasn't able to get preliminary information about it.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 12:46 pm by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I know I would have conveniently walked past this book outside the first ten program because the book cover didn't snag my attention. The title is a good ol' regular one, so it wouldn't have helped. After reading the first page, I settled in for an unputdownable read. The way the story was introduced with the death of Larry Morgan and the next targets on the assassin's list sent chills up my spine. I linked the all-too-familiar assurance speech the director of WITSEC had given to Larry Beneducci (Morgan) as to the efficacy of the program, proudly stating that over 25 years of the Witness Protection Program, not one of the thousands of witnesses had been lost to the cold arms of assassination to the all-too-real personal experience I had at my current place of residence, with the house agent claiming that there had never been a burglary attack in over 19 years the house had been existing, only for someone to climb through the fence when we were all asleep and make away with some of my personal treasured items. Dark days indeed. I really felt bad for Morgan who'd relaxed at such conviction much as we had, only for that unwelcome interruption to begin with him. The only part of the sample I didn't really fancy was during Harry's conversation with Sean where the former seemed to be telling the history of parts of the story (Larry with his previous name and the WITSEC) in the name of making a link or connection to the deceased man. It felt like the author was trying to jam too much information into the dialogue. I didn't see any grammatical error; I must admit the book went through the hands of a professional editor. The lack of an OBC review did no number on my interest in this book. I'm definitely getting to the climax.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 11:22 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
Without the sample and the review I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this book. Especially, without the review. I know we shouldn't judge a book by its cover but, honestly, the cover is not eye-catching and doesn't convey the idea of a thrilling plot. I thought it was a poetry book, at first glance. The blurb offered on the Kindle app isn't very convincing, either. But I enjoyed the sample, it's fast paced and opens with a bang, and the review helped me decide to read it. I think the book was professionally edited and didn't find obvious mistakes or typos. The author should definitely improve the cover and blurb.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 10:51 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
MarisaRose
After reading the Amazon blurb for "Disappearance," I was excited to sample the book. The many awards the book has won coupled with the intriguing murder-mystery plot left me eager to see what this book was all about. I wouldn't purchase the book blindly though, because I always prefer to sample the author's writing style to make sure I find it enjoyable. An OBC review might sway my opinion in this case because though I was already excited about the book, an OBC reviewer might have added some insight about the author's writing style. After sampling the first ten pages, I was less excited about the book. Although I didn't notice any grammatical errors in the text, I thought the writing was awkward in places. Right from the start, there were a few sentences I had to re-read to fully understand. Despite the tedious writing, I was curious to know why there was a hired gun killing Larry Morgan and Fred Simpson: Who were these men and what did they do that made someone want them dead? I thought the second chapter, which focused on Agent Harry Esten, was more interesting than the start of the novel. The writing wasn't as tedious, and Harry's character intrigued me. I wanted to know what the connection to Cottonwood Arizona was between the two chapters (this is where one of the men is murdered in the first chapter, and it is where Harry is sending two witnesses to their new life in witness protection). I also enjoyed that the chapters in the novel are short; I find this makes for a quick read. After sampling the book I was torn about whether or not I wanted to read more. On the one hand, I thought the plot was interesting and I had a lot of questions I wanted to learn more about; however, the writing was slightly off putting and this led me to decide not to read any more of "Disappearance" at this time.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 9:57 am by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't usually read suspense novels, but I did see that it had a positive review. I didn't find any grammatical errors in the first ten pages, and I appreciated that the author tried to build suspense by showing Larry being followed and photographed. However, I didn't get attached to Larry, so I didn't care when he died. Because of this, I won't finish the book.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 8:59 am by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nuel Ukah
If I had not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the title because it sounds simple and catchy. I am going to buy and read the whole book because I'd like to know who the assailant is, what happens to him, and who he's working for. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess.
Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited as I didn't notice any error. What I like most in the bit I read is that the author took it back to twenty years earlier, so that the reader can understand what's happening. What I know about the book is that it gives clearer understanding about witness protection program (WITSEC). I didn't notice anything that could be improved in the bit I read. There is no Official OnlineBookClub review for this book. Notwithstanding, the lack of an Official OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 7:03 am by Nuel Ukah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
briellejee
Based on the cover and title, I think I would have sampled the book. Both aspects are appealing because of the shrouding mist of mystery all over. By the looks of it, I was intrigued as to what it could be and nailed that it was a crime thriller. As for the first few pages, I think it started well enough. With Larry being followed by a hired gun and got killed immediately, one’s interest would surely escalate, especially when the killer pulled out a list. However, my only concern is that it seemed like a cliche plot. Based on the short description of the book, I think the list was full of witnesses that needed to be killed. Since I’m still hesitating, I think I will not be buying the book. Having no reviews done, I am not sure whether my theory is correct or not; and so I will not be taking the risk. I hope a review would be done soon. I found no noticeable errors.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 3:29 am by briellejee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Cristina Chifane
I would have read this book even without the first ten program because I like the cover and title as well as the promise of a suspenseful plot as it is highlighted by the Amazon blurb. I love reading crime thrillers and the customer reviews praise the book for being fast-paced and action-packed. The sample kept me tuned in all the way to the end. There were no editing errors and the story flew smoothly with interesting changes of perspective from a hitman to a witness seeking protection in WITSEC and a retired FBI agent. I'll add this book to my reading list as I want to find out who's targetting the witnesses in the system and how Harry and O'Malley are going to solve the mystery. Although there is no official OBC review, I think I'd enjoy reading the novel.
First Ten review added on November 4, 2019, at 3:18 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Washboard
This genre is hit-or-miss for me. The title and cover art are eye-catching. There was no official review at the time I was reading. The sample pages didn't contain any noticeable errors, and introduced the assassination of Larry Morgan after he entered a witness protection program and relocated with his wife, Rose. I won't be continuing to read this one, as I didn't find the first ten pages captivating. It seemed pretty straightforward to me.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 10:57 pm by Washboard.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb, I don't think I would pick this book up because I've recently read too many action, spy, thriller type of books and I'm in the mood to read a different genre. However, this does look like a good book and I'm sure action fans would enjoy this as it does sound very adventurous and full of twists and turns. After reading the first ten pages, I spotted a few errors. In the first chapter, "...UPS office in Sedona or to the nearby post office..." there should be a comma after Sedona. Later in the chapter, "The assailant had parked his car at a different location past Larry's house and quietly made his way..." there should be a comma after house. I like that the book has an action-packed start with an assassin murdering one of the WITSEC members, Larry. In the next chapter, I already was sad for Larry reading about the flashback about how he and his wife Rose got involved in WITSEC in the first place. It's sad seeing him take the deal knowing how his future is going to end up. I can tell this is going to be a great action-packed book. I wasn't hooked enough to want to read the rest though but I'm just in the mood for a different genre.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 10:24 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
I love crime and mystery novels, so I would have read the sample even without The First Ten, and I am going to buy it. The plot about people in WITSEC being murdered is intriguing. I also like the writing style, which quickly drew me into the story.
I found no editing errors, and there is nothing that needs to be improved. The lack of an official review did not affect my opinion.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 10:01 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
LV2R
The book cover and title were both interesting. The Amazon blurb described the thriller crime mystery as one about the witness protection program ran by U.S. Marshals Service. After 46 years of protecting 8500 witnesses perfectly, there was a leak and witnesses began to be murdered. WITSEC director O’Malley and retired FBI agent Harry Esten team up to find the leak and stop the murders. I wanted to read the sample. I best liked that the story began with someone taking photos of Larry Morgan and confirming that he was the one to kill. The assassin waited until 9:30 pm and shot Larry twice as he was getting out of the pool in his backyard. The shooter confirmed that Larry was dead and sent photos to the one who hired him to kill him. The killer has a list of 20 names, and he crosses out Larry Morgan’s name and sees that the next person is Fred Simpson. This was a good way to begin the story, as it caused questions to the reader as to why was Larry Morgan shot and who was ordering the hits? Then, the story goes back 20 years earlier and Larry Morgan was in the protection program after being a witness to two mobsters on trial. The book seems to be edited well, as I did not notice any errors. There was no OBC review. I would like to have read a review on the book to help decide if I wanted to read it or not. I do not want to read this book because I do not enjoy reading about assassins and their executive-style murders.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 9:02 pm by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
KendraRobinson
Upon first glance of this book, I find the cover photo and title intriguing. If I saw this on a bookshelf I would likely pick it up. There was no OBC review to read, and I was a little dissappointed because I was curious to learn a little more about the book than the first ten pages had showed me.
After reading the first ten pages, I won't be reading this one right now, but I will likely add it to my future reads list. The story begins with a hired hitman tracking down his next hit and killing him in cold blood. I liked how the first chapter ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. There is nothing I would suggest improving on at this time and I did not find any grammatical errors (which is a huge plus!).
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 8:28 pm by KendraRobinson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kelyn
If I were not a member of this program, it is unlikely that the cover, author, title, or blurb would have led me to pick up this book. The cover, title, and blurb all reveal the book to be a crime thriller/mystery, which is not a genre I favor. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have affected my decision. The customer reviews were overwhelmingly positive, as was the review from this program. This may well have tempted me to give the book a try. The sample was intriguing. The idea that the witness protection program could be hacked from within is believable, and the main character is very relatable. In the end, however, it remains a book in a genre that I know from experience I find less enjoyable than others. I may revisit it in the future, but, for now, I have decided not to continue to read the book. It seemed reasonably well-edited, but I did find mistakes in the sample. One of these was: 21% of the sample – “…her pulse was thread as she lay…” “thread” should be “thready.”
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 7:53 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I probably wouldn’t have picked it up because the title has a negative feel to it for me. For this reason, I do not intend to buy and read the whole book. The first ten pages confirmed my first impressions of the book as they detailed a murder. Based on what I read, the book seems to be professionally edited, although I did notice a grammar issue (a preposition at the end of a sentence) at location 6% of the sample, “What time are you folks open until?” What I liked most in the bit that I read was the description of the friendly waitress, Rose. I know that readers who enjoy thrillers will enjoy this novel. As far as improvements, aside from some minor grammar improvements, I could see no need for any in what I read, and even that could have been character-related. I did not see an Official Online Book Club review, but that did not affect my opinion of the book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 7:31 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Brenda Creech
I was intrigued by the cover and title of this book, but was disappointed there wasn't a review to read to find out more of the story. I read the sample and my interest was piqued even more. After 20 years in the Witness Protection program, how did someone manage to find Larry and Rose? So I do want to find out what happens. I did notice a couple of errors early in the book, for example: 'small- time' should have been 'small-time.' I feel the narrative sounds a little stiff and formal at times as far as what could be improved. I will get this book today and read it soon because I love crime thrillers, and I want to find out how someone in the Witness Protection program was found.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 7:19 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
desantismt_17
This book’s title caught my interest. The description didn’t hook me. It just didn’t sound like the kind of mystery/thriller I like. Before sampling, I wasn’t interested in reading. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. Though grammatically correct, many of the sentences didn’t read well. The writing felt like it needed another round of revision for flow. Some things felt choppy, and others had strange word orders. There were also some events that seemed mixed-up. For example, the assailant goes to the bathroom to dispose of his gun. Then, he goes to his flight gate, where he apparently flushes his phone down the toilet. I had a difficult time believing the methods described here are realistic as to how hit men get rid of the evidence, but I wouldn’t know. Another round or two of edits could improve this book. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review, but I won’t be reading this.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 5:51 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
'Disappearance' is a book written by Julien Ayotte. The title, cover, OBC review, and Amazon review did a good job at convincing me to give this book a try.
The sample of the book leads me to believe that it is a crime thriller. A hit man kills a man named Larry, who went into Witness Protection Program. He even has a new target. Harry Eaten was the police officer who offered the program to Larry. Now retired, Harry gets the news from Sean. I like the premise. I found some errors. The sentence construction in “What time are you guys open u till?” is faulty. I do not think that it is professionally edited. I will give this book a try as I like reading books of this genre.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 5:22 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
HRichards
I normally wouldn't have picked this book up as the summary didn't really appeal to me. Having read the sample I won't be continuing on with the book since I wasn't that interested in the content. The sample deals with a hitman making a deal to take out a target and then get paid with money in a locker. The action then flashes back to a couple going into witness protection. The writing is good and I didn't notice any grammar errors. Those who like thrillers might like this book. I'm not that interested in the genre and wasn't really compelled by the content. I have not read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 5:05 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would not have read Disappearance if it had not been a part of the First Ten program. There wasn't a Book of the Day review for it, so I wasn't sure what to expect. The book seemed like it was professionally edited, but I noticed an error while reading. A comma is not needed before "and" in the following phrase: "He tossed the phone into a trash bin after removing the memory card, and flushed..." I appreciated the flashback that gave information on Larry's identity change. I didn't like how anticlimactic Larry's murder was. As a result of this, I will not buy the book today.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 4:16 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AvidBibliophile
Love the mysterious impression given by the cover art, and the Amazon product summary is intriguing, but I did find several errors. On page 2, "back yard" should be a single word, not two, and the same could be said for "finger prints" on page 3. The U.S. Marshals are an entity worthy of proper name recognition every time they are mentioned, so "the marshals" referred to more than once on page 5 should still have the (m) capitalized. Page 8 mentions a "thread" pulse that needs to instead say (thready). Also on page 8, it seems like "Mid-Eastern" should be corrected to (Middle-Eastern). On page 10, there is a descriptive mention of the "July bright sun" that might flow more smoothly as (the bright July sun). I felt like the inclusion of certain, very specific details about brand names actually distracted from the flow of the story (e.g., Toyota RAV4, Tanqueray) but perhaps some readers might appreciate the added detail. The plot begins with great suspense, but without further professional editing, and without additional consideration given to make some of the wording less awkward, I would personally not buy this book in its current state.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 4:08 pm by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AA1495
Had I not sampled the book, I would not have read it. I usually read pure romance books and do not normally read crime thrillers. Further, the book did not have an OBC review. However, the award and the positive reviews on Amazon gave me a good impression. Having read the sample, the lack of a proper introduction disappointed me. The cover was followed by an index, after which the actual content began. Further, the book contained 39 chapters, which made it seem tiresome to read. In terms of language, the book was easy to read and follow. Larry's character was also introduced well. The chapters were rather short, which ensured that my attention was not diverted. I did not find any major grammatical error in the sample. Since I do not read the genre usually, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 4:03 pm by AA1495.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliet+1
I didn't see any reviews. Nor could I tell anything about the book from the title and cover. But one blurb provided information about the plot and characters that made it sound like a good read. I like mystery and crime books.
Reading the first 10 pages changed my mind. I don't intend to read any more of "Disappearance." Although the plot is very clever and could be interesting, the writing is not good.
The story jumps around a lot, both in time and location. And with each jump there is a huge backstory for the characters and the situation. It's impossible to keep track. Worse yet, some of the backstory is provided through the sort of artificial dialog that begins with "as you know."
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 3:55 pm by Juliet+1.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
The cover picture and the title, Disappearance, are exciting, mysterious and intriguing. They would cause me to take a second look at this book. Someone is murdering people in the Witness Protection Program. This exciting crime drama is fast-paced and action-packed. The story starts out with the murder of Larry Morgan, a participant in Witness Protection. The hired killer is cold and calculated. It is clear he will kill again. Later we meet Harry Esten, a retired FBI agent. I can relate to him since I am about to retire myself. There isn't an official review, and so I am rating this book on my reading alone. I found a spelling error at location 256 where it says, " five-foot- two inch man." It should be written as "five-foot-two-inch man." Although I liked the part I read, it didn't keep my interest. I will not be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 3:27 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
After the murder of two witnesses in the WITSEC program, the director of the U.S. Marshals Service (Paul O'Malley) works together with a retired FBI agent (Harry) and another colleague (Sean) to solve this mystery and prevent other possible murders. As I am a huge fan of crime thriller novels, I would have read the book without The First Ten program. I must admit, the title and cover caught my attention. Also, this story has many positive Amazon reviews, so the lack of an official OnlineBookClub review did not affect my decision. However, I would suggest the author shorten the Amazon blurb; it was a bit too long. The story was told from multiple perspectives, and I liked I was thrown into the action from the very first pages. The characters intrigued me, and the fast-paced writing style and suspenseful tone kept me engaged throughout the sample. Therefore, I will surely read this murder mystery novel. Unfortunately, I am not sure the book was professionally edited; I found an inconsistency, a typo, and some misplaced, missing commas throughout the sample. For example, there should not be a comma after "here" in the following sentence: "If you stay around here, and try to do this on your own, you’ll never make it." (location 113 of 383 • 29%)
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 2:45 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chelsy Scherba
I was impressed with the author’s many awards for this book, even though I rarely read crime fiction. The book is well-edited and appears to be error free. I’m curious about the identity of the hit man and who hired him to kill Larry Morgan. I’m also wondering if Rose will become a bigger part of the picture since she served the killer and is now under witness protection. I like the title and cover image. There was no review so I’m not sure content wise whether or not the book is suitable to my tastes. I might consider it in the future, but for now I’ll wait to read what others think.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 2:30 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
I have not come across reviews of this book. There are a couple of minor errors, such as a missing preposition at 1% in the sample: "...attached took him (down) to the patio floor...". I like that the story starts off with a bang, where the reader sees an unnamed assassin kill someone named Larry Morgan expertly, by shooting him twice (with a gun that has an attached silencer) when Morgan was just getting out of the pool in his own home. I would suggest that the book undergo another round of editing to eradicate the minor errors, as well as to polish the writing to have smoother reading flow, as it reads rather stiltedly. I will not be purchasing the book today, as personally, the stiltedness of the story detracts much from my interest in the book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 1:07 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
I liked the book cover - it had an aura of anonymity. The blurb was interesting. I have read another book by this author, and I would have read a sample even if I had not been part of this program. I wanted to see if the author’s style was consistent. In the prior book, I found the author’s description of things to be tedious. In the sample pages, I noted this sentence at Loc 68: “At around five o’clock, he ordered a steak with a baked potato and broccoli, complemented with a glass of house cabernet.” I realize this is a minor thing, but I don’t know why we need to know this. Statements like this distract me for some reason, so I will not continue reading this book. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample. There was not an official OnlineBookClub review of this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 1:06 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Erin Dydek
I enjoy crime thriller novels, but I have read another book by this author and did not enjoy his writing style. In this book, much like the other, the author started jumping back and forth in time. The first chapter is in the present, where Larry in Witness protection is killed. Chapter 2 goes back twenty years to Larry entering witness protection. Then chapter 3 starts with Harry Esten in the present (2016) meeting up with an old friend. Harry’s chapter is packed with details about his first wife’s death, his house exploding, and his marriage to another woman named Laura in 1991. The amount of detail is abrupt and overwhelming. I found one small error where the author said the woman’s pulse was “thread” instead of “thready” so I can’t assume it was professionally edited. There was no OBC review for this book, but I was already convinced not to read it. This one is not a good for for my preference so I will not buy it.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 11:19 am by Erin Dydek.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. Murder mysteries is a genre that I'm particular about. Therefore, the genre and blurb would not have piqued my interest. I do like how concise the title is and the cover is nice and simple, too. However, these would not have considered to sample the book. The lack of an OBC rating and the current positive customer ratings do not affect my opinion of the book. While reading, I didn't notice any glaring errors. I really liked the way the author described the opening scene as the assailant planned and committed the murder of Larry. It was intense and well-planned. Though I liked being introduced to Larry right before he entered the Witness Protection Program, it does make me curious how the jump in timeline will connect to the opening scene since there is a twenty-year gap. Also, when the third chapter states it is being taken place in 2016, I became confused what is the present. Due the confusion between timelines and the fact that I am not interested learning about the Witness Protection Program, I do not plan on buying and reading the book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 9:45 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
Larry Morgan loads his Rav 4 with packages he has labeled for delivery. Due to the 4th of July holiday, he has more than usual to take to a UPS store or the post office. He has no idea his movements are being monitored by a man sitting in a car up the street. Pictures of Larry are taken by the driver and sent. The word is given to the driver that this is the target and to kill him. After the murder, the assailant is instructed to take pictures of the deceased Larry and send them as proof. Later that night as Larry exits his swimming pool, the man returns with a silencer on his gun firing two shots. He kills Larry and drags him into the house. After pictures are taken and sent, the killer is told where to find a key and a locker containing $50,00 in cash. He is to board a plane for Boston and already has his next assignment for killing another person.
I won’t be finishing this book. I’m not interested in reading a novel that focuses on murder. I generally read non-fiction, so this one does not interest me.
The writing seemed professionally edited as I found no errors in punctuation, spelling or grammar in the first ten. There was no review to give further details, so as far as I saw, there wasn’t anything out of order:
I think murder mystery fans will find this one appealing as the opening pages leaves many unanswered questions. I will send it out on my social media for others to look into. Without the online book club, I probably wouldn’t have found this one as the market is so flooded. I wish this author the best of luck.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 9:40 am by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Theresa Moffitt
I really like the cover of this book and the title. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. I haven’t read a review of this book yet. The first ten pages were interesting and well written. The story drew me in immediately. It was suspenseful and enjoyable to read. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages. I liked how each chapter told a different perspective. The first chapter focuses on a hitman scouting out his latest victim. The second chapter focuses on the victim when he previously was put into witness protection and the third chapter begins with a focus on the FBI agent. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages so I believe the book was professionally edited. I really enjoyed the sample and would like to finish reading this book.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 9:21 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. I'm not really a fan of crime thrillers and therefore wouldn't have grabbed this one. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I enjoyed the suspense that was introduced early on. When the "assailant" tosses his phone, flushes the memory card, and leaves with the money, it definitely grabs the reader. That being said, I'm not looking for a new crime thriller at this point and but will likely look out for this one later. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on November 3, 2019, at 8:51 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 36%
Disappearance earned a score of 36%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 36% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Disappearance
