Official Review: A Trail of Blood
Posted: 06 Oct 2019, 04:40
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Trail of Blood" by Peter Goldman with Nicola Malatesta, PI.]
4 out of 4 stars
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The magnificent Sophie Guichard was once a ravishing and irresistible star, a screen goddess, and the toast of two continents. Now in her sixties, alone in her grand villa on the French Riviera, and desperately trying to hang on to her glory days, she takes on younger men as lovers. Her latest beau is Tony Orsini, a smooth-talking stranger less than half her age who claims to be trying to float a start-up investment business. Sophie falls hard and fast for him. However, Tony Orsini – real name Antone Tomasi – is really a pimp with ties to the mob. He dreams of building a chain of sex clubs, starting in Miami's South Beach party scene. He spends arbitrary weekends in Sophie's bed and departs with large checks from her fortune.
Out of desperation, Sophie's son, J-J, hires two American private investigators, Max Christian and Nick Testa. He wants them to bring him evidence of Tony's real start-up business; a brothel and call-girl service already operating out of Miami. J-J also wants proof of Tony's real life with his young and even more ambitious partner, Paulette Guyot. Upon presenting their findings to Sophie, she stubbornly refuses to believe the audio and visual evidence laid before her. What will it take for her to see the light? What happens when Tony finds out? Will J-J ultimately have to pay for Sophie's foolishness?
A Trail of Blood (From the Case Files of Max Christian, PI Book 4) is a brilliantly executed work of fiction. It was written by Peter Goldman with Nicola Malatesta, PI. I was thoroughly impressed with the originality of the plot. The writing was impeccable and flowed well, while the dialogue was authentic and witty without being cliché. Although there was enough foul language to make a Nun blush, it was not out of place with the general theme of the book and did not detract from the quality of the story. The book was a fast-paced, action-packed easy read with dry humor woven in for good effect.
There were several high points for me in this book. The character development was superb. None of the characters appeared out of place. They each served a unique purpose, with adequate backstories for their motives to be understood. Sophie Guichard was French, and I appreciated how the language was incorporated into the story without requiring any tedious translation. The French words or phrases used were easily understood. My favorite character was Dani. She was Nick Testa's apprentice and goddaughter. Without trying too hard, she proved to be just as adept at sleuthing and as tough as the guys. Despite being the youngest of the bunch and the one with the least experience at dealing with bad guys, she held her own quite nicely.
Another favorite for me was the portrayal of Max's failing marriage with his wife, the cause of which was steeped in relatable reasoning. Max's wife, Meridew, was dissatisfied with their relationship due to a lack of identity on her part. Max's PI business was the very essence of his being, and she grew tired of competing with his work for his attention. Meridew believed the survival of their marriage depended on her finding her own identity. For her, that meant going away to find something she could be just as passionate about - the way Max was with his work.
Additionally, I was quite impressed with how realistic Sophie's character evolution was written. She came to terms with who she was, recognizing that she had been holding on to an illusion. She freed herself of all pretences and, in so doing, realized that she no longer needed the affirmation of sex with younger men to nourish her sense of self.
There was nothing to dislike about this book. The only part I found a little confusing was Max's interaction with one Albert Camus character. I can only assume Albert was a cross-over character from one of the earlier books in the series. As Albert's role in this book was minute, his appearance was not remarkable enough to detract from the story.
The book appeared professionally edited with little to no grammatical or typographical errors. I wholeheartedly rate A Trail of Blood 4 out 4 stars. This book is perfect for readers of fast-paced crime thrillers. The book had me hooked from start to finish, and I couldn't put it down. I eagerly look forward to checking out the other books in the series.
******
A Trail of Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
4 out of 4 stars
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The magnificent Sophie Guichard was once a ravishing and irresistible star, a screen goddess, and the toast of two continents. Now in her sixties, alone in her grand villa on the French Riviera, and desperately trying to hang on to her glory days, she takes on younger men as lovers. Her latest beau is Tony Orsini, a smooth-talking stranger less than half her age who claims to be trying to float a start-up investment business. Sophie falls hard and fast for him. However, Tony Orsini – real name Antone Tomasi – is really a pimp with ties to the mob. He dreams of building a chain of sex clubs, starting in Miami's South Beach party scene. He spends arbitrary weekends in Sophie's bed and departs with large checks from her fortune.
Out of desperation, Sophie's son, J-J, hires two American private investigators, Max Christian and Nick Testa. He wants them to bring him evidence of Tony's real start-up business; a brothel and call-girl service already operating out of Miami. J-J also wants proof of Tony's real life with his young and even more ambitious partner, Paulette Guyot. Upon presenting their findings to Sophie, she stubbornly refuses to believe the audio and visual evidence laid before her. What will it take for her to see the light? What happens when Tony finds out? Will J-J ultimately have to pay for Sophie's foolishness?
A Trail of Blood (From the Case Files of Max Christian, PI Book 4) is a brilliantly executed work of fiction. It was written by Peter Goldman with Nicola Malatesta, PI. I was thoroughly impressed with the originality of the plot. The writing was impeccable and flowed well, while the dialogue was authentic and witty without being cliché. Although there was enough foul language to make a Nun blush, it was not out of place with the general theme of the book and did not detract from the quality of the story. The book was a fast-paced, action-packed easy read with dry humor woven in for good effect.
There were several high points for me in this book. The character development was superb. None of the characters appeared out of place. They each served a unique purpose, with adequate backstories for their motives to be understood. Sophie Guichard was French, and I appreciated how the language was incorporated into the story without requiring any tedious translation. The French words or phrases used were easily understood. My favorite character was Dani. She was Nick Testa's apprentice and goddaughter. Without trying too hard, she proved to be just as adept at sleuthing and as tough as the guys. Despite being the youngest of the bunch and the one with the least experience at dealing with bad guys, she held her own quite nicely.
Another favorite for me was the portrayal of Max's failing marriage with his wife, the cause of which was steeped in relatable reasoning. Max's wife, Meridew, was dissatisfied with their relationship due to a lack of identity on her part. Max's PI business was the very essence of his being, and she grew tired of competing with his work for his attention. Meridew believed the survival of their marriage depended on her finding her own identity. For her, that meant going away to find something she could be just as passionate about - the way Max was with his work.
Additionally, I was quite impressed with how realistic Sophie's character evolution was written. She came to terms with who she was, recognizing that she had been holding on to an illusion. She freed herself of all pretences and, in so doing, realized that she no longer needed the affirmation of sex with younger men to nourish her sense of self.
There was nothing to dislike about this book. The only part I found a little confusing was Max's interaction with one Albert Camus character. I can only assume Albert was a cross-over character from one of the earlier books in the series. As Albert's role in this book was minute, his appearance was not remarkable enough to detract from the story.
The book appeared professionally edited with little to no grammatical or typographical errors. I wholeheartedly rate A Trail of Blood 4 out 4 stars. This book is perfect for readers of fast-paced crime thrillers. The book had me hooked from start to finish, and I couldn't put it down. I eagerly look forward to checking out the other books in the series.
******
A Trail of Blood
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
