Review of Poison kills in the Shadows
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Sham Gwalani
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Review of Poison kills in the Shadows
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Poison kills in the Shadows" by Gene Xavier.]
Book Review: "Poison Kills in the Shadows" by Gene Xavier
As a reader, fiction and suspense thrillers are my favorite books. I approached this book with the excitement that any wannabe detective has on coming face-to-face with a mystery. But all my excitement calmed down on reading the first two chapters. Usually, any author of a suspense-thriller begins the book with a mystery to get the reader hooked. But this was not the case here. The author used the first two chapters to paint a picture of the environment in which Cedric Montgomery, the past P.I., lives. The calm and quiet of an old man's retired life calmed me down too, and I was ready to enjoy the story at the pace at which the author intended.
The story begins with the introduction of Cedric, who had been a detective for years but is now retired. He lives his life as an irritated old man with only his gardener, Jack, and his neighbor, Frank, to keep him company. As fate would have it, he gets pulled into solving a murder mystery that has many similarities to one of his old unsolved cases. We meet other characters from the police department, like Chief Ramirez and another detective, Gary Windham. As the case progresses, the two detectives sometimes seem to support each other, while at other times they seem to be at each other's throats over their different investigative techniques. What connects Cedric's past to his present? Why can he not trust anyone? Who are all the people who are trying to throw him off his case? And why can he not just let everything go? All these questions can be answered only by reading the book.
While the author has tried to pick up the pace with the storytelling, there isn't much excitement in the book. The main excitement for the reader with such books is trying to figure out the mystery themselves. But here, the author has not given much material for the reader to do that. The book seems more like an introduction of the characters to be used in a series of books to come later, rather than a stand-alone mystery. I wish the author had spent some more time developing the mystery.
The book has been edited reasonably well, as I could find only a few errors in the writing. I would give the book three out of five stars, for being a decent attempt but nothing extraordinary. The book can be used for leisure reading, without expecting much from the mystery point-of-view.
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Poison kills in the Shadows
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Book Review: "Poison Kills in the Shadows" by Gene Xavier
As a reader, fiction and suspense thrillers are my favorite books. I approached this book with the excitement that any wannabe detective has on coming face-to-face with a mystery. But all my excitement calmed down on reading the first two chapters. Usually, any author of a suspense-thriller begins the book with a mystery to get the reader hooked. But this was not the case here. The author used the first two chapters to paint a picture of the environment in which Cedric Montgomery, the past P.I., lives. The calm and quiet of an old man's retired life calmed me down too, and I was ready to enjoy the story at the pace at which the author intended.
The story begins with the introduction of Cedric, who had been a detective for years but is now retired. He lives his life as an irritated old man with only his gardener, Jack, and his neighbor, Frank, to keep him company. As fate would have it, he gets pulled into solving a murder mystery that has many similarities to one of his old unsolved cases. We meet other characters from the police department, like Chief Ramirez and another detective, Gary Windham. As the case progresses, the two detectives sometimes seem to support each other, while at other times they seem to be at each other's throats over their different investigative techniques. What connects Cedric's past to his present? Why can he not trust anyone? Who are all the people who are trying to throw him off his case? And why can he not just let everything go? All these questions can be answered only by reading the book.
While the author has tried to pick up the pace with the storytelling, there isn't much excitement in the book. The main excitement for the reader with such books is trying to figure out the mystery themselves. But here, the author has not given much material for the reader to do that. The book seems more like an introduction of the characters to be used in a series of books to come later, rather than a stand-alone mystery. I wish the author had spent some more time developing the mystery.
The book has been edited reasonably well, as I could find only a few errors in the writing. I would give the book three out of five stars, for being a decent attempt but nothing extraordinary. The book can be used for leisure reading, without expecting much from the mystery point-of-view.
******
Poison kills in the Shadows
View: on Bookshelves
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Although I haven’t read “Poison Kills in the Shadows” by Gene Xavier, your review gives me a clear sense of the book’s strengths and weaknesses. It’s intriguing that the author takes a slower approach by setting the stage with Cedric’s retired life rather than diving straight into the suspense. While I appreciate character-driven stories, it’s disappointing to hear that the mystery lacks enough depth for readers to engage actively. Your mention of it feeling like an introduction to a series rather than a stand-alone mystery makes me wonder if the author intended this as a foundation for more compelling sequels. From your critique, it seems like a decent read for those seeking a leisurely, light suspense, but I might hesitate to pick it up if I’m craving a truly gripping thriller. Thank you for such an honest and detailed review!
Latest Review: The Invisible Industry by Bob McGlincy and Larry Kulchawik
