Official Review: Hardened Hearts by William Joiner

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 05 Oct 2019, 15:08

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hardened Hearts" by William Joiner.]

3 out of 4 stars

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Three gang members rob a bank, but unfortunately for them, their car won’t start afterward. When they hear police sirens approaching, they enter a nearby school, shoot a teacher, and take several children as hostages. Derrick Forrester, a police officer who suffers from bipolar disorder, is off his medications and in a manic phase. He takes on the gunmen by himself. Derrick kills one of them, injures another, and arrests the third. Because of endangering the students and going against orders, he is fired. The man killed was Robbie Kilmore, who was the brother of Ravi Kilmore (the gang leader) and Ricky Kilmore (also a gang member). Ravi and Ricky want revenge for their brother’s death.

Since losing his job with the LAPD, Derrick has started a private investigation business with Sparta (his partner from LAPD), Bryce (a surveillance expert), and Jennie (the receptionist). Their office is located in the house he owns with his girlfriend, Trina.

Alana Reinar hires them to find out if her estranged husband, Alex, has been having an affair. He has filed for divorce, and the prenuptial agreement states she will get one-half of his assets if he cheats on her. Shortly after Alana hired Derrick, Alex is murdered, and she is the primary suspect. The police officers on the case find out she was married twice before, and each of those husbands died under suspicious circumstances. Is Alana a serial killer? Can Derrick take care of her case while also dealing with the threat from the Kilmore brothers?

There are many things to admire about Hardened Hearts, which was written by William Joiner. This is the first novel in the series A Derrick Forrester & Associates Novel. It is a crime drama full of fast-paced action with several mysteries to solve and dangers to overcome. The reader jumps into the action on the first page of the tale. Although this is the first book in the series, all the salient points are answered by the ending. The prose is fluid and easy to understand.

I don’t care for stories where the characters know they are in danger but do nothing about it. That is definitely not the case in this thrilling tale. Derrick and his associates know that trouble is coming, and they plan to defend themselves. This is my favorite aspect of the book.

Another thing I appreciate is how Mr. Joiner uses the knowledge he gained from a degree in psychology and experience as a marriage and family therapist in his writing. He brings much-needed attention to bipolar disorder and depression.

Regrettably, there are things about the novel I don’t enjoy as much. The characters need to be better developed and described. With only a couple of exceptions, I don’t have any idea what anyone looks like. We are rarely told what they are thinking and are not given any backgrounds, except for Derrick and Alana (which wasn’t much). This prevents us from bonding with them, and the readers don’t become as immersed in the tale as they should. This is my least favorite aspect of the novel.

Also, I detected too many errors in the story, mostly in the form of punctuation flaws, misspelled words, and a few run-on sentences. It could use a professional editor.

I gave a lot of thought on what rating to award Hardened Hearts and settled on 3 out of 4 stars. In my opinion, this plot-driven novel is too clever for anything lower, and the problems described above prevent me from giving anything higher. Lovers of crime dramas and mysteries who appreciate fast-paced action will enjoy this story. Some profanity is seen in the novel. Therefore, it is unsuitable for children.

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Hardened Hearts
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Post by **kandscreeley** » 06 Oct 2019, 17:39

I wonder if the author didn't describe the characters on purpose. I'm not sure that's the best idea, though. I don't think this is one I would enjoy, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 07 Oct 2019, 04:32

Alana's past is definitely worth looking into, I'm curious about what the investigation will unearth. I feel sad that despite Derrick's heroic act he was fired. Rules are rules, I guess. Thank you so much for this fantastic review.

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 07 Oct 2019, 06:40

kandscreeley wrote: ↑06 Oct 2019, 17:39 I wonder if the author didn't describe the characters on purpose. I'm not sure that's the best idea, though. I don't think this is one I would enjoy, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks.

Possibly, but I would have enjoyed it more if they were more developed. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 07 Oct 2019, 06:48

Michelle Fred wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 04:32 Alana's past is definitely worth looking into, I'm curious about what the investigation will unearth. I feel sad that despite Derrick's heroic act he was fired. Rules are rules, I guess. Thank you so much for this fantastic review.

You are welcome! I hope you get a chance to read it.

nana7613 · Post by **nana7613** » 07 Oct 2019, 09:12

Sounds like it could potentially be a great book. Just needs some work done. Thanks for the review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 07 Oct 2019, 13:37

nanabanana7613 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 09:12 Sounds like it could potentially be a great book. Just needs some work done. Thanks for the review!

Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Kelyn · Post by **Kelyn** » 07 Oct 2019, 14:02

The plot sounds a bit complex, but then I don't usually read crime/mystery novels, so that may be normal for the genre. It's too bad the errors affected the story flow negatively. This isn't my area of interest, but I'm glad you enjoyed the book!

Mbrooks2518 · Post by **Mbrooks2518** » 07 Oct 2019, 21:15

It sounds like a thrilling story, and the characters seem interesting. Thanks for the great review!

kdstrack · Post by **kdstrack** » 07 Oct 2019, 22:04

Derrick has an interesting personality. The author shows how hard it is for policemen to carry out their duties. I really liked the way you described the story line of this book. Great writing!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 08 Oct 2019, 07:02

nana7613 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 09:12 Sounds like it could potentially be a great book. Just needs some work done. Thanks for the review!

Yes, it could be. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 08 Oct 2019, 07:04

Kelyn wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 14:02 The plot sounds a bit complex, but then I don't usually read crime/mystery novels, so that may be normal for the genre. It's too bad the errors affected the story flow negatively. This isn't my area of interest, but I'm glad you enjoyed the book!

I enjoyed the plot-it wasn't too complex. Thanks for stopping by and reading my review!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 08 Oct 2019, 07:06

Mbrooks2518 wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 21:15 It sounds like a thrilling story, and the characters seem interesting. Thanks for the great review!

Thanks! I hope you get a chance to read it!

Prisallen · Post by **Prisallen** » 08 Oct 2019, 07:08

kdstrack wrote: ↑07 Oct 2019, 22:04 Derrick has an interesting personality. The author shows how hard it is for policemen to carry out their duties. I really liked the way you described the story line of this book. Great writing!

Thank you, kdstrack! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Erin Dydek · Post by **Erin Dydek** » 08 Oct 2019, 08:13

I like the premise of this book. The story is definitely something I would be interested in reading. I'll take into consideration that this is the first novel, maybe the author will improve character development as he writes more books. I like to see growth in writing skills through a series. It shows that the author cares about their stories and the characters they write about. Thanks for the great review!