Review of Between Good and Hollywood

[Vicki Cerniglia]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Between Good and Hollywood" by Tyler Patrick Wood.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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"Between Good and Hollywood" by Tyler Patrick Wood is a crime/action/romance novel. It is fast-paced and fun to read. The narrative begins with Benjamin Billings sitting at the breakfast table anticipating the return of his partner, Tabitha Johns, from a party. When she finally does appear, she is so wasted that she can barely talk. Benjamin and Tabitha are two washed-up Hollywood actors whose careers tanked when their last movie flopped. Consequently, they have turned to a very lucrative life of crime, specifically the con game. The party that Tabitha attended would ultimately be part of the long con.

The reader is introduced to many intriguing, albeit shady, characters along the way. From Fowler Dane, an oversized bouncer type, to Davy Lucas, a wiry tech type whose fashion sense and command of the English language are questionable, they are all members of Ben Billings' crew. However, as with any good con, you never know who is going to double- or even triple-cross whom and who will prevail in the long con.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The author is a master of wordcraft, pulling the reader in and not letting go. The first part of the book was somewhat slow, but there were many characters to acquaint myself with. By the latter part, I couldn't put it down. It was intriguing, thrilling, scary, and emotional, often all at once. I was swept up in the midst of the action, with my heart and breath racing. I felt confusion, pain, joy, and relief, all at the whim of the author. The plot twists and turns were remarkable without being implausible.

One aspect that would have made this novel better is some extra editing. Furthermore, the author sometimes refers to characters by their first names and at other times by their last names. With so many characters involved, it was challenging to keep track of who he was referring to. Nevertheless, that did not diminish my joy in reading it. For these reasons only, I removed one star and rated this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

I rarely recommend a book to my family and friends, but I will make an exception for this one. I wouldn't recommend this to young readers as there is some violence with blood and gore, but anyone who likes a gripping action thriller will enjoy this book.

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Between Good and Hollywood
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[kimarijohn]

Once you mentioned Lucas, I loved the guy. But you went ahead to state that the author himself is a master craftsman of the English Language and I really want to read the book. I am a fan of good English Langauge. This book goes straight into my "To Read Shelf"

[Antonio Araujo Bastos]

Entre o Golpe e a Fama – Crítica de Between Good and Hollywood

Tyler Patrick Wood nos apresenta um thriller envolvente sobre dois ex-atores de Hollywood que trocam os holofotes pelo mundo dos golpes. A trama cresce em tensão, com traições inesperadas e personagens marcantes.

O autor constrói bem o suspense e mantém o leitor preso à história, mas a narrativa inicial é um pouco lenta. Além disso, a alternância entre nomes e sobrenomes pode confundir, e uma edição mais cuidadosa teria melhorado a experiência.

No entanto, a ação intensa e as reviravoltas inteligentes fazem deste um ótimo livro para fãs de thrillers. Nota: 4/5 estrelas.

[NetMassimo]

This seems like an engaging thriller with interesting characters. I understand that it can be confusing having characters called in different ways when there are many of them! A bit of polishing might make this novel excellent. Thank you for your great review!