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titagee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
danaswift_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
luellen1990's review against another edition
1.0
19 Souls by J.D Allen
Title: 19 Souls
Author: J.D Allen
First Published: Feb 2018
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Pages: 360
Price on Amazon: Paperback £12.41 Kindle: £10.88
ISBN: 073875403X
Obsession can be a dangerous thing.
Daniel is not Sophie's brother, in fact, she is obsessed with him she believes they should be together and she is willing to kill to get what she wants. Sophie hatches a plan to find Daniel after he went into hiding from her. She hires a private detective named Jim Bean, telling him that she is Daniel's sister and that her name is Cynthia. When in actual fact Sophie has killed the real Cynthia. Bean sets out to find Daniel believing he will be reuniting a family, will he discover what is going on before its too late or will be become one of Sophie's victims himself?
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I only made it through thirty-three percent of this book. I found there to be several spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes throughout the book which put me off from the outset however I persevered and continued reading. It was the plot that defeated me in the end. I found this book to be a very slow starter, it seemed to take a long time to read for nothing much to happen. I found Bean to be a really annoying character and for some reason, i can't seem to put my finger on he just grated on me.
I was disappointed that I didn't get on with this book as reading the blurb it did sound like it was going to be a great read. Maybe one day I will go back to it and give it another go but for now, I must say I have unfortunately given up on. So I am unable to give a full review having like I said only read thirty-three percent of the book but for me this is a one star read
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley,
My Blog at www.lu-ellensreadingandreviewingblog.co.uk
Links to this review can be found on:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lusreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Tumblr: lusreviewsblog
Flikr: Lu's Reviews
Title: 19 Souls
Author: J.D Allen
First Published: Feb 2018
Publisher: Midnight Ink
Pages: 360
Price on Amazon: Paperback £12.41 Kindle: £10.88
ISBN: 073875403X
Obsession can be a dangerous thing.
Daniel is not Sophie's brother, in fact, she is obsessed with him she believes they should be together and she is willing to kill to get what she wants. Sophie hatches a plan to find Daniel after he went into hiding from her. She hires a private detective named Jim Bean, telling him that she is Daniel's sister and that her name is Cynthia. When in actual fact Sophie has killed the real Cynthia. Bean sets out to find Daniel believing he will be reuniting a family, will he discover what is going on before its too late or will be become one of Sophie's victims himself?
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately, I only made it through thirty-three percent of this book. I found there to be several spelling mistakes and grammatical mistakes throughout the book which put me off from the outset however I persevered and continued reading. It was the plot that defeated me in the end. I found this book to be a very slow starter, it seemed to take a long time to read for nothing much to happen. I found Bean to be a really annoying character and for some reason, i can't seem to put my finger on he just grated on me.
I was disappointed that I didn't get on with this book as reading the blurb it did sound like it was going to be a great read. Maybe one day I will go back to it and give it another go but for now, I must say I have unfortunately given up on. So I am unable to give a full review having like I said only read thirty-three percent of the book but for me this is a one star read
Reviews for this book can be found on:
Amazon under Lu's Reviews
Goodreads,
Net Galley,
My Blog at www.lu-ellensreadingandreviewingblog.co.uk
Links to this review can be found on:
Twitter: @lusreviews
Facebook: @lusreviews
Instagram: lusreviews
Tumblr: lusreviewsblog
Flikr: Lu's Reviews
abrswf's review against another edition
1.0
Oh what a bad book. Our hero is a self pitying, drunken PI. His antagonist is a highly confused female serial killer who also rapes men after dosing them with ketamine. The author may be female but this book reeks of misogyny, with occasional ageism and racism tossed into the mix. Plus the author hates vegans for some reason. And the writing is beyond atrocious. I definitely won’t be reading any more of this series. I finished this awful entry only because I have a self imposed reading challenge to meet.
mommasaystoread's review against another edition
4.0
19 Souls is a well-written and gripping start to a promising series. We're introduced to PI, Jim Bean, a plain-spoken guy who does business out of diner. He's somewhat rough around the edges and has a wit about him that is, at times, quite humorous. Jim takes on what he thinks is a straight-forward case and bites off a bit more than he wants to chew. The story is more thriller than mystery as we know who the antagonist is from the start. The suspense surrounds when Jim will figure out what Sophie is up to, who she will kill next, and how long it will take to stop her. I was pleasantly surprised with how well done Sophie's character is. I am often disappointed in a female antagonist, but Sophie is the very picture of a psychopath. She's completely obsessed with Dan and almost arrogantly sure of her actions as she manipulates, connives, and kills her way to having him. The little voice in her head was an added bonus that lends itself to just how far round the bend she's gone.
The story did slow down a bit more than I cared for at times, but that aside, this first Sin City Investigation held my interest and kept me turning pages. It's an impressive start to a new series and a solid introduction to the author. I'll be interested to see what's next.
The story did slow down a bit more than I cared for at times, but that aside, this first Sin City Investigation held my interest and kept me turning pages. It's an impressive start to a new series and a solid introduction to the author. I'll be interested to see what's next.
mandylovestoread's review against another edition
4.0
Jim Bean is a Private Investigator in Las Vegas. He is hired to find an attractive young ladies brother... only he discovers too late that he is not her brother and that the lady is a serial killer! I really enjoyed this book.. it was definately a page turner and I needed to know what happens next. Thanks to Netgalley and Midnight Ink for an advance copy of this book to read and review
hereforthebooks's review against another edition
3.0
"Hello, Mr. Bean. My name is Cynthia Hodge. I'm looking for an investigator to help me track down my brother."
When Jim Bean receives a call from Cynthia Hodge about her missing brother, Daniel, he thinks it'll be a quick cash grab. He soon learns Cynthia Hodge is really Sophie Evers. And Daniel is not her brother. In "19 Souls," our private investigator, Jim, is quickly dragged into a case of tracking down a serial killer before she gets to him first.
Traveling from Vegas to Utah to Texas and back again, Jim joins forces with the FBI to catch Sophie. But Sophie is looking for him, too. And she'll do anything to see Daniel, her beloved childhood obsession.
"19 Souls" immediately caught my attention, especially with the character of Sophie. She draws you into the mystery and her sociopathic world. The writing style reminded me a lot of Robert Galbraith (aka J.K Rowling). It's very blunt and gritty. And for a debut novel, it's great.
Some parts felt a little flat, but it succeeds as a suspenseful mystery. The characters and the story are there- it was just missing that extra oomph.
I received a copy of J.D. Allen’s 19 Souls in exchange for an honest review. 19 Souls is available to purchase on February 8, 2018.
When Jim Bean receives a call from Cynthia Hodge about her missing brother, Daniel, he thinks it'll be a quick cash grab. He soon learns Cynthia Hodge is really Sophie Evers. And Daniel is not her brother. In "19 Souls," our private investigator, Jim, is quickly dragged into a case of tracking down a serial killer before she gets to him first.
Traveling from Vegas to Utah to Texas and back again, Jim joins forces with the FBI to catch Sophie. But Sophie is looking for him, too. And she'll do anything to see Daniel, her beloved childhood obsession.
"19 Souls" immediately caught my attention, especially with the character of Sophie. She draws you into the mystery and her sociopathic world. The writing style reminded me a lot of Robert Galbraith (aka J.K Rowling). It's very blunt and gritty. And for a debut novel, it's great.
Some parts felt a little flat, but it succeeds as a suspenseful mystery. The characters and the story are there- it was just missing that extra oomph.
I received a copy of J.D. Allen’s 19 Souls in exchange for an honest review. 19 Souls is available to purchase on February 8, 2018.
chopeclark's review against another edition
4.0
What attracted me first was the cover, then the fact it was set in Vegas. I love PI novels, and I'm a lover of noir. My favorite author is Howard Browne, then Raymond Chandler, which means my reading standards are set rather high. Jim Bean is a classic, stereotypical PI. He screws up with the antagonist Sophie, literally, having been mislead by her as a client. I love the opening. I love the fact he fell for Sophie's ways. The case was fun and the leads solid. The plot wove out nicely with a wide diversity of characters that worked very well from the Hodge mother to the cowboys. Using Sandy in the beginning and the end worked nicely. Great touch having Sophie step into Bean's personal world like that. Great bones for a series, and I see this series continuing. On the other side, I am not a fan of Bean being uncomfortable with guns, a very un-stereotypical trait. That did not feel natural. The relationship with the FBI agent was lukewarm and almost didn't flesh out well enough to be part of the story. I would like Bean to be tougher. A PI in Vegas has seen a lot, and if he had been in the FBI academy, he would have had to be tougher than he seems. Just didn't like him being so easily whipped or second guessing himself so much. Almost sounded like this was a woman trying to write like a man...almost. All in all a good story, and I'll read the series again. Good luck, JD Allen. (Note to publisher: six typos jerked me out of the story)
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