Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

*** LANGUAGE *** The Night Bird is written in plain English, with very little cussing and zero f-bombs. If this were a film, (indeed, it probably will be), it would probably be rated as PG-13. In my opinion, there is nothing in this story to preclude it from being enjoyed by all ages, save, perhaps, for your youngster under ten years of age. Quick & Dirty Highlights Unlike many, or most, of the recent Kindle First titles, this is not overly quirky and is not a translation. The author is an established NY Times best-selling writer. This is told in third person POV and, whether or not a series follows, this is good stand-alone fiction. I am fortunate this month to be in Egypt. My new year started ten hours earlier than it did on America's West Coast, just in case your wondering how I got this book read so early in the day. I stated that this is not overly quirky. Well, the detective has a cat that accompanies him while he investigates, and his cat is not afraid of riding in the car. I have a friend in North Dakota whose cat rides at her side in her pickup truck, much like a dogs ride alongside their masters. Still, it does give a certain nuance for cat lovers. There's more of interest about this cat, but I shall permit readers the pleasantry of discovery. In other words, no spoilers here. I like the flow and the way the writer sets the scenes and alternates suspense in and out. In most circumstances, what you expect to happen may not be what does happen. This is why I refer to it as in the spirit of Alfred Hitchcock. Length: Print, 362 pages; Audible, 10 hours 5 minutes. Unfortunately, this is not a deep-discounted Whispersync title that makes it easy to switch between reading and listening to a professional narration, but it still is a title I will have loaded onto my iPhone so I can listen to it while commuting. Target Audience/Genre: Suspense, somewhat like Alfred Hitchcock would do a police procedural. Q - How was this book obtained? A - Bought on Amazon while in Cairo, Egypt, as my Kindle First selection. Q - Is this a book that I can read without having to read others first? A – Yes. Q - Are there a lot of typos/misspellings, grammatical errors or other editing failures? A – No. Q - Is this a fast, easy read or is it more of a leisure read? A – This is an engrossing page-turner. Q - My biggest pleasure or disappointment? A - Nothing sticks out insofar as disappointment. The characters feel real, authentic. Ebb and flow of the story is just right. The one comment that needs to be stated is that certain aspects are just a touch unrealistic. To say more would be a spoiler. I’ve included a small excerpt below, so readers can peruse the style of presentation utilized by the author. EXCERPT '...“My situation is a little odd,” he told her. “I live in a house on Russian Hill.” "Wow,” Lucy remarked. “Nice.” "It’s not mine. The house belongs to Shack.” Her head cocked. “Wait, isn’t Shack—?” "My cat.” "You rent from your cat?” she asked. "Yeah. He’s a pretty good landlord.” Lucy folded her arms across her chest. She wore a white sweater. Her brown curls brushed the collar. Her capris showed off the thin taper of her legs. “You’re teasing me.” "Nope.” "Are you going to tell me the story? Because now I’m intrigued.” Frost grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, okay. About a year ago, I was called in on a home invasion case. Rich old widow, beautiful house on Russian Hill. She’d been shot dead in her bedroom. The uniforms who responded had a problem because the woman’s cat was sitting on her chest, and he wouldn’t let anyone near the body. Hissed and batted at them with his claws if they came close. He was protecting her. I grew up with cats, so I figured I’d give it a try. So I just talked to him.” "You talked to the cat?” "Yeah. I told him..." ' Excerpt taken from Chapter 7 of The Night Bird by Brian Freeman. Bottom Line: I wavered ever so briefly before deciding that this is a five star read. Although, as written, it is too tame for HBO, this story screams out for somebody to use it as the pilot movie to commence a television series. Not so quirky as Monk, but it will play well to that audience or to fans of Rockford Files. Five stars out of five. Comments regarding your opinion of this book or of my review, whether favorable or unfavorable, are always welcome. If you buy the book based on my review and become disappointed, especially, I do want to know that and I want to understand how I can improve as a book reviewer. Just please be polite. Thank you.