Review of tattle the little black box

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Erin Dydek
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Review of tattle the little black box

Post by Erin Dydek »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "tattle the little black box" by Hank Gunlock.]
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3 out of 5 stars
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Dr. Henry Lynch has the looks and the brains, but he’s never found the right beauty to complete his life. With his focus on helping his best friend, President Jack Armstrong, make historical efforts to eliminate prominent drug cartels, Lynch may have to settle for the love of his Golden Retriever, Tattle. Tattle is a considerable asset to Lynch’s animal research, and her puppy charms may be enough to help Lynch win the heart of the right woman for him.

When Lynch meets Clo Ellis after helping locate a missing Supreme Court Justice’s granddaughter, there may be hope for the doctor to find a partner who can keep up with his crazy lifestyle. Lynch has a few secrets about his life that he’s not ready to share, but Clo’s got a few of her own. As a suspected deep state organization raises the stakes by threatening the life of President Armstrong, Lynch and Clo must stay one step ahead of the action. Will their time together seal the deal on a serious relationship? Or will their secrets break the bond before it has a chance to take root?

Discover if their love is meant to last in Tattle: The Little Black Box by Hank Gunlock. While this book was not as action-packed as the description led me to believe, there were some positive aspects. I loved Gunlock’s idea that dogs have more intelligence within them, just waiting for humans to discover. Through Lynch’s dedicated research, the author introduced the concept of finding the unique capabilities of dogs and other animals that were humanely studied and observed for particular behaviors. I also enjoyed the addition of a new lie-detecting technology that could help eliminate corruption in the government and politics. I loved the reveal at the end of the novel, which you’ll have to discover for yourself. It would be a monumental effort that could save innocent lives and provide an interesting topic for a second Tattle Tale.

I certainly enjoyed the concepts and flirty romance, but it was a hard-to-read story. The author used an unconventional writing style that I found distracting and significantly slowed down the pacing. Random phrases frequently caught me off guard as I tried to discern why they were underlined or in italics, bold font, or all capital letters. The author’s obsessive use of ellipses was also distracting while I read. Since this was a subjective preference, I did not take off a star but did not enjoy this style. However, I had to take off a point for the numerous objective editing issues with the writing. I also took off a second point for the number of random rabbit trails this book followed. Every time the author would build up some action, he quickly diluted it with mundane scenes that slowed the pacing back down and removed the suspense. Therefore, I give this book three out of five stars. I didn’t rate it lower because the book had a conclusive ending and made a decent standalone story.

I’d recommend this novel to readers who enjoy experimental writing techniques. The writing style of this book is very unconventional, so it may only appeal to readers looking to try something new, but it may be worth a try if you’re looking for something different. I also think that readers who enjoy cozy thrillers would enjoy this book because there’s action without the feeling that the characters are in constant danger. Mild non-borderline swearing exists throughout, and the sensual content does get moderately erotic near the end.

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tattle the little black box
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

This novel has some interesting plot elements but the unconventional style is a bit discouraging. I also understand being distracted by an abuse of ellipses. Some changes could make this story easier to read. Thank you for your honest review!
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Post by Alex Reeves »

I'd say that I'm blown away by any thriller that has romance in it, and this book is a shining example. I think I'll love this book, as much as I enjoyed your summary. Great review, your thoughts on this book were clearly voiced. Have a great day
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Post by Alex Reeves »

NetMassimo wrote: 05 Feb 2023, 04:21 This novel has some interesting plot elements but the unconventional style is a bit discouraging. I also understand being distracted by an abuse of ellipses. Some changes could make this story easier to read. Thank you for your honest review!
I'm not certain how the ellipse diminishes the excitement in the book. Can you explain better?
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Post by NetMassimo »

Alex Reeves wrote: 15 Feb 2023, 12:29
I'm not certain how the ellipse diminishes the excitement in the book. Can you explain better?
I find that an ellipse where it's not necessary breaks the flow of words. Too many of them become easily distracting for me.
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Post by Alex Reeves »

That's very understandable.
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Post by Shedrack A »

As much as the storyline seems interesting, i can see that the book has a lot of drawbacks from your review!
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