Official Review: Fair Play by Benjamin Bremasi

[Misael Carlos]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Fair Play" by Benjamin Bremasi.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Unable to get over a failed hostage rescue, Detective Jill Jennson seeks psychological therapy for her depression. After taking a time off from work, she returns to the force and works on a murder case where the serial killer likes leaving a message in the crime scene. Her supervisor suddenly assigns her to take on a different murder case where the victim is found strangled with a rope. When the victim's co-actor Amy Crenates narrowly escapes being hit by an unidentified car, Jill feels there is more to the case than what appears on the surface. Apparently, the victim's stage play group is the killer's target. What makes the case bizarre is that the killer is patterning the murder after the killer in "The Oregon Murders of 1920". It is a race against the clock to figure out who the killer is before the remaining cast members get killed off. Jill has to act fast or fail herself again. Fair Play by Benjamin Bremasi presents a woman's determination to capture a serial killer and reclaim her lost star.

Bremasi's narrative made me visualize each scene in the book. I could easily see the hostage scene as a father murdered his own family; I could feel the terror of the victim as she tried escaping from the killer who was relentlessly pursuing her inside a furniture store. An effective writer has the ability to make the reader feel as if they are in the scenes with the characters; I believe Bremasi is one such writer.He effortlessly captured my attention with the opening paragraph of Fair Play and transported me to a place where there was no escape from the killer's killing spree; and I was to be the next casualty.

I found Jill Jennson's character as a police detective quite unusual. Whereas detectives were usually unemotional and headstrong, Jill was gentle and very apologetic. While police officers were usually firm and aggressive, Jill was meek and hesitant. So when she tried to assure people of getting protection by announcing her achievements as a celebrated detective, it sounded unbelievable. As I read on, I realized where her vulnerabilities and doubts were coming from. Nevertheless, she did not possess the characteristics I usually see in a detective. The stage play group was composed of different, colorful and relatable personalities. They gave me a reminder that people should not be so quick to judge other people based on physical looks alone or the way they behaved around people. Amy Crenates may be kind and caring in some moments, but she was judgmental and prone to stereotyping when observing people. Rick Hughes may sound boastful but deep inside he was vulnerable. As the saying goes, things are not always as they seem. The killer gave off a menacing aura every time they appeared dressed in all black, including the mask and gloves. Even without a dialogue, I could feel the evil vibe.

The novel jumped between two points in time: 1920 and 2020. At first I got confused by the switching of time periods, but as I read on, I realized these jumps were necessary to the plot. The novel's twists and turns threw me for a loop; I did not expect them at all. The plot may be common, but Bremasi's skill in creating nice twists and turns was apparent in Fair Play, culminating in a climax of surprising revelations; my eyes literally bulged from their sockets and I was unable to stop myself from saying: “What?!”

The book has minimal grammatical errors: a few missing hyphens and commas. There was an incomplete sentence on page 84.

Fair Play by Benjamin Bremasi in an exciting suspense novel. Apparently, the book was professionally proofread and the minimal grammatical errors did not in any way distract me from having a smooth reading experience. Thus, I give it 4 out of 4 stars.

Readers who like reading mystery, thriller or suspense novels, Fair Play is for you. But if you are sensitive to graphic violence and bloody death, you have to look elsewhere.

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Fair Play
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[Anon_Reviewer]

I can easily see this being turned into a movie. Except for the minor editing errors, it sounds like a terrific read. I might just check it out. Thanks for the review!

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

This book sounds like an exciting crime thriller. I love books about detectives and how their professional lives overflow into their personal lives. I think I will add this one to my list. Thanks for the enthralling review.

[Kwhitehead]

This book sounds like a terrific read. I love crime books and with the added thrill factor I will definitely add this one to my list.
Thanks for the great review!

[Judicael compaore]

Thanks you for this review. I really loved it. I also liked the thrilling of this book. I recommend it!

[spencermack]

This story seems to be a thrill ride! Thanks for the awesome review. I'll be picking this one up soon.

[hasincla]

Sounds exciting! And I especially like that the ending has a huge surprise, which I love. Thanks for your great review!

[zhenya_reads]

I love books with unusual characters especially when the reason for their "unusualness" is psychological. Thank you for the review!

[Dannyphery]

Sounds super exciting ...
I love it.
Nice review.

[NetMassimo]

This seems an intriguing double-mystery that connects two periods a hundred years apart. When I read this type of novel, I expect it to contain some degree of violence, but if it's part of the plot it's not a problem for me. Thank you for your great review!

[Kachi_Ejiogu+_]

Let me borrow a leaf from what you said "An effective writer has the ability to make the reader feel as if they are in the scenes with the characters; I believe Bremasi is one such writer". This is it for me. I definitely will be reading this book. Nice review!

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I love serial killer stories. This one goes straight away to my to read list. Thanks for the nice review

[Froelich07]

Serial killings books are usually interesting and intriguing reads.
Thanks for the nice review.

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

Now that sounds like an interesting plot. Specially if the characters fall off the archetype of what they are supposed to be. Thanks for the review!

[Reubeney]

This sounds like an enthralling crime thriller. Bravo for a good review.