Official Review: Students of Pain

Joy Boudreau · Post by **Joy Boudreau** » 21 Aug 2018, 12:57

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Students of Pain" by Peter Goldman, with Nicola Malatesta, PI.]

4 out of 4 stars

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Not always do you find a third book in a series that stands on its own merit. Students of Pain by Peter Goldman with Nicola Malatesta, PI, is such a book. Although some of the characters clearly have a history of interacting with other characters, I was never left with that lost feeling of not knowing what was happening or why.

Max Christian is former police turned private investigator. He has recently become separated from his very wealthy wife, Meridew. Although they are not living together, it is obvious throughout that they still share a common bond and friendship. They have one college-age son, Jay. Because of his job in law enforcement and private investigating, Max has made enemies. One such enemy is an unbelievably wealthy crime lord, Carlo Paolucci, a.k.a., Charlie Beak. While all the mob families are one by one declining, Beak has managed to stay ahead of the law and continue a thriving business in crime.

The action starts off hot and heavy when Max receives a phone call from Charlie Beak with the information that Max's son, Jay, has been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. A $25 million dollar ransom. Having a background on the police force, Max knows that the odds of getting his son back alive are low. The more probable outcome, regardless of whether the ransom is paid, is death. In fact, with Charlie Beak at the helm, the most likely outcome is death for Jay, Max, Meridew, and anyone else Beak may suspect has any knowledge of the kidnapping.

Max and Meridew agree on the ransom, and the countdown begins. Max begins calling in favors, and coordinating the largest secret manhunt possible. His goal is to retrieve his son before anyone is murdered. On the other hand, Charlie Beak is confident in his plan and his ability to succeed. In addition to his own prowess, he relies on his henchmen for protection and his son's business acumen to keep them above the law.

As I indicated, the action moves quickly just like a crime thriller should. The characters are well-rounded and behave according to his or her own inclination. Never are the decisions or plot turns forced. Instead, Students of Pain seems to give you a peek into the dark underbelly of a large metropolis. With danger lurking around every corner, there is an edginess to this novel that pulls you in. I was particularly fond of the way the authors ended the story. Instead of ending with a predictable hurrah and defeated "bad guys," the authors include somewhat of a debriefing. I enjoyed this section as much as the action-filled thrill ride from the rest of the book.

This is not a "whodonit" mystery; rather it is a crime thriller with high stakes and a race to the finish. I was happy that the author did not include steamy sex scenes, as that tends to slow down a plot like this. Also, the editing is quite clean. There are unwholesome four letter type words sprinkled liberally, particularly with certain characters. I understand this is likely how these people talk, so that is understandable. However, if this is a deal breaker for you, you will want to pass on this book. Additionally, the nature of the story demands that violence be included. I felt that the authors handled this well without overemphasis or including unnecessary gory details. However, it is something I would want to know before I handed it off to a middle grade student. Overall, with a thrilling plot, good editing, masterful characters, and realistic ending, I am glad to give this book a 4 out of 4 stars rating!

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Students of Pain
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Ruba Abu Ali · Post by **Ruba Abu Ali** » 22 Aug 2018, 03:57

This is definitely an appealing crime thriller. The well-rounded characters, the enthralling plot, and the clean editing are all intriguing factors for me to put the book on my reading list. Thanks for the thorough and candid review.

Joy Boudreau · Post by **Joy Boudreau** » 22 Aug 2018, 08:00

Ruba Abu Ali wrote: ↑22 Aug 2018, 03:57 This is definitely an appealing crime thriller. The well-rounded characters, the enthralling plot, and the clean editing are all intriguing factors for me to put the book on my reading list. Thanks for the thorough and candid review.

Thanks

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Post by **kandscreeley** » 22 Aug 2018, 08:02

I'm always reluctant to start a series in the middle. However, there are ones that are so well done that you can. This sounds like one of those. I'm not sure it's my cup of tea, but I am glad that you enjoyed it so.

Joy Boudreau · Post by **Joy Boudreau** » 22 Aug 2018, 08:07

kandscreeley wrote: ↑22 Aug 2018, 08:02 I'm always reluctant to start a series in the middle. However, there are ones that are so well done that you can. This sounds like one of those. I'm not sure it's my cup of tea, but I am glad that you enjoyed it so.

You actually can pick this one up in the middle of a series. It's more along the lines of a Sherlock Holmes when it comes to that - not that it reads like Sherlock, not at all. But, although Holmes and Watson clearly have a history, you can read any of the stories and not feel left out.

prhyme · Post by **prhyme** » 22 Aug 2018, 23:45

I particularly enjoy mystery novels which offer story lines that are dark and harrowing.I hope that the sooner,if but the book is made available,I pick tthis one,it should be an entertaining piece

AmySmiles · Post by **AmySmiles** » 23 Aug 2018, 09:46

It sounds like you could easily read this even though it is in a middle of a series. I'm not much for doing that though myself, so I'd probably want to start at the beginning and I'm not sure I have time for something like that right now. I appreciate your review though.

Jackie Holycross · Post by **Jackie Holycross** » 24 Aug 2018, 22:42

I love a good action thriller. I also appreciate the lack of sexual content. This sounds like a good read.

Beelzebruh · Post by **Beelzebruh** » 31 Aug 2018, 12:25

This story definitely seems interesting. I've always been a fan of the gritty noire style of crime novels. The dark and foreboding atmosphere contrasting to the fast paced action seems enthralling. I also appreciate that the characters have that level of unspoken history that you can easily pick up on. It makes a lot of difference in how you interpret their interactions.

Thoroughly enjoyed the review. I'll definitely have to check out the book.

rainydaysc64 · Post by **rainydaysc64** » 31 Aug 2018, 14:28

Definitely sounds like my type of crime novel. It also makes me happy to know that even though it’s not the first book in the series I can read it almost like it is. I’ll definitely have to give this book a read at some point.