Review of No Escape

[Laura Ungureanu]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "No Escape" by Donald Steven Collins.]

---

3 out of 5 stars

---

Share This Review

---

No Escape by Donald Steven Collins presents a mystery that awaits solving. Private investigator Kenny Marquette is having his coffee when a van stops in front of the café and two girls are kidnapped in front of his eyes. One of the girls is the daughter of a judge, which means that the kidnappers aren’t only looking for money. On top of everything, a policeman is shot at the scene when he tries to interfere. Will the girls return home safely? What do the kidnappers really want?

Kenny is collaborating with detective Brenda Farrell on this case. I love the fact that we get to see the life of a private investigator and that of a detective. The fact that Donald Steven Collins is a former NYPD investigator makes it even more interesting because you know you will get a piece of what it really means to be an investigator.

This is the third and final book in The Marquette Mysteries. However, it can be read as a standalone. The author provides a summary at the beginning, telling Kenny’s history and explaining why he ended up the way he did. Nonetheless, I think reading the previous books would offer the reader a more enriching experience, having known this character for a longer time. There are some references, especially about his former place, Ashford, which would be easier to understand if you are familiar with this series.

The fascinating thing about this book is its multiple perspectives. Every character gets to tell their side, even the kidnappers. It’s interesting to see how they see the situation compared to the police. I also loved the detective work of the team. It was captivating to see them getting closer to finding the girls. The perspective of the kidnappers gets even more interesting when you discover how intricate their personalities are. I liked seeing that their characters had a background. I also liked the love story because it was sweet, even if a little predictable. The chapters are short and full of action, so I wasn’t bored for a second while reading this book. I also learned a bit of history about a real event in Vietnam called Hamburger Hill.

It was interesting to see Kenny working on another private case, but I expected that case to be extraordinary as well. The case felt flat and too predictable. It would’ve been amazing if the author linked the two cases together. As someone who doesn’t read a lot of mystery books, I was fine with things being a little predictable, but others might not like it. I was bothered by some unnecessary repetitions. We learn some information when one of the characters discovers it, but then also hear the information repeated when the characters share it. The author could’ve been considerate that the reader already knows that information.

No Escape deserves a rating of 3 out of 5 stars. The book has many qualities that I stated above, so I wouldn’t give it a lower rating. However, the number of editing errors and the repeats made me take away two stars. The book needs more professional editing because I lost count of all the errors.

I can recommend this book to people who love reading about detective cases, especially to get a perspective into the minds of the bad guys. If that’s your thing, this book is a must. People who are avid fans of mysteries will probably be disappointed by some predictable things. Despite having a love story, the book is free of any sexual material. The profanities and the violent scenes are also kept to a minimum, so I can recommend this book to everyone, including teens.

******
No Escape
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Amy Luman]

Poor editing really takes away from a good book. I do find the use of separate perspectives interesting. Even bad guys have a viewpoint

[NetMassimo]

I have mixed feelings about this novel because of the merits and flaws you pointed out. I hope that the author at least does proper proofreading, as reading a book full of errors can be frustrating. Thank you for your honest review!