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59th out of 81 books
—
154 voters
A Reason to Live (Marty Singer #1)
by
Matthew Iden (Goodreads Author)
In the late nineties, a bad cop killed a good woman and DC Homicide detective Marty Singer watched the murderer walk out of the courtroom a free man.
Twelve years later, the victim's daughter begs for help: the killer is stalking her now. But Marty has retired to battle cancer. A second shot at the killer--and a first chance at redemption--Marty has A Reason to Live.
Twelve years later, the victim's daughter begs for help: the killer is stalking her now. But Marty has retired to battle cancer. A second shot at the killer--and a first chance at redemption--Marty has A Reason to Live.
Paperback, 333 pages
Published
May 2012
by Createspace
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Apr 08, 2013
Arlena
rated it
5 of 5 stars
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Author: Matthew Iden
Published by: Createspace
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Series: #1
Rating: 5
Review:
"Reason To Live" by Matthew Iden was a very good 'riveting and entertaining' detective mystery read from the start until its finish. This is the first in 'The Marty Singer Detective Series' and it will keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what was coming next. I found "A Reason To Live" well written by the author at a fast pace with lots of twist and tu...more
I'm not a fan of crime thrillers and I never did like first person POVs. Matthew Iden had TONS of strikes against him even before I picked up the book (which I downloaded on a whim when it was free and kept on my TBR for an indefinite period of time) BUT he's written an outstanding novel and I will be picking up his sequels. The very best indie novels are indistinguishable from traditionally published novels - they have great characters set in a great story. For that reason, "A Reason To Live" i...more
More of a 4.5 stars!
A Reason to Live introduces an interesting and engaging new character to the mystery/police procedural world -- Marty Singer.
Singer is a recently retired cop who’s starting his battle with cancer when a case from the past comes knocking on his door. A murder victim’s daughter is worried she’s being targeted by the same man who killed her mother twelve years earlier.
This is an impressive debut novel from author Matthew Iden and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work...more
A Reason to Live introduces an interesting and engaging new character to the mystery/police procedural world -- Marty Singer.
Singer is a recently retired cop who’s starting his battle with cancer when a case from the past comes knocking on his door. A murder victim’s daughter is worried she’s being targeted by the same man who killed her mother twelve years earlier.
This is an impressive debut novel from author Matthew Iden and I’m looking forward to reading more of his work...more
From Lilac Wolf and Stuff
The story is classic detective mystery book. Iden's writing has a natural ease to it, and his characters are deep and well rounded. Just look at Marty, a retired homicide detective. Kind of cliche until you see that he's battling cancer.
I don't think Marty likes being retired either. He's a lonely man who is forced to look death in the face. This was a brilliant move because here is a guy who has dealt with the ugly side of death his entire career, now he has to deal wit...more
The story is classic detective mystery book. Iden's writing has a natural ease to it, and his characters are deep and well rounded. Just look at Marty, a retired homicide detective. Kind of cliche until you see that he's battling cancer.
I don't think Marty likes being retired either. He's a lonely man who is forced to look death in the face. This was a brilliant move because here is a guy who has dealt with the ugly side of death his entire career, now he has to deal wit...more
Ex-DC cop, Marty Singer, is facing an uphill battle against cancer. When graduate student Amanda Lane, the daughter of a homicide victim from twelve years earlier approaches him, worried that her mother's killer is now stalking her, Marty decides he must, despite his own health concerns, help her. His reasons are bigger than just helping a young woman in need -- as the lead detective on the mother's case, he feels responsible for the fact that her killer went free.
Soon enough, Marty agrees that...more
Soon enough, Marty agrees that...more
A Reason to Live is the brilliant debut novel by Matthew Iden. It follows retired DC cop Marty Singer as he battles his cancer diagnoses and a past case that has haunted him throughout his career.
The story combines corrupt police, old friendships and good old detective work and begins when Singer is approached by the daughter of a woman murdered some 12 years earlier.
I’ll admit that I found the first couple of chapters a little slow going, but this story soon kicked into gear and I found myself...more
This is a debut full-length novel by this author who's written a lot of short stories prior to this which I never bother with. I want to read a proper lengthed book. (Is that a word) ?? Anyway, you get what I mean !! I don't download a book unless it's longer than 200 pages.
It's about a retired cop in Virginia who has recently started treatment for cancer. A young girl tracks him down since he was the lead detective in her mother's murder twelve years ago and now she thinks she's being stalked b...more
It's about a retired cop in Virginia who has recently started treatment for cancer. A young girl tracks him down since he was the lead detective in her mother's murder twelve years ago and now she thinks she's being stalked b...more
I don't read a lot of noir, but A Reason to Live reminded me how much fun it can be. Characterization is the most important part of a novel for me, and I don't always find it in crime fiction, but Iden's Marty Singer is a guy I enjoyed getting to know. Marty has retired from DC police work to deal with cancer, and this possibly lethal illness colors his decisions and actions and adds complexity to his character. The plot revolves around an old case where a former colleague of Marty's got away w...more
A good start, indeed. I especially like the way you handle the first-person narrative of Singer. It's real enough get me float along with the story flow. You definitely have a personal touch in the story-telling part. And for that, the book should get 2.5/5 stars from me. It's almost a 3 (in GR definition: like it) but I still think there is still some gaps to be filled.
- Depending on your target audience, this may applies or it may not:
the plot unravels kinda too fast, almost like a movie. Many...more
- Depending on your target audience, this may applies or it may not:
the plot unravels kinda too fast, almost like a movie. Many...more
Marty Singer gets a second chance when Amanda Lane reenters his life. Their paths crossed for the first time--twelve years prior--when a murder, and its failed prosecution, changed both of their lives forever.
As the story unfolds, it is clear that Marty and Amanda aren't the only ones carrying heavy baggage.
Marty's struggle with cancer, and the requisite rounds of chemo, bring another layer of humanity to the retired ex-cop archetype.
A Reason to Live is well-written crime-fiction. I cut short my...more
As the story unfolds, it is clear that Marty and Amanda aren't the only ones carrying heavy baggage.
Marty's struggle with cancer, and the requisite rounds of chemo, bring another layer of humanity to the retired ex-cop archetype.
A Reason to Live is well-written crime-fiction. I cut short my...more
Spot on! Iden not only brings his characters to life, he makes it sexy to have a deadly disease. Well written, well plotted; the storyline flowed from beginning to end and what an ending! Marty Singer, ex-homicide detective forced into early retirement doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. When others would have thrown in the towel and given over to the disease, he faces it head on, refusing to let it slow him down. This is one of the best stories I have read in a long time. Highly recommen...more
I really enjoyed this novel. Gotta say, had a pretty hard time putting it down. I would have give this a 5 if it wasn't for all the grammar errors in the Kindle edition; at times I'd had to reread sentences to try to make sense of it.
I feel like this novel was a complete story from beginning to end. I didn't feel like there were any gaps or important things left out like you sometimes get with novels. Something I love about mysteries is the fact that they keep you guessing what's going to happen...more
I feel like this novel was a complete story from beginning to end. I didn't feel like there were any gaps or important things left out like you sometimes get with novels. Something I love about mysteries is the fact that they keep you guessing what's going to happen...more
When I saw this book advertised by the author as a free download for Kindle I thought I would go ahead and pick it up since I'm always looking for an interesting read. I didn't expect it to be so good, especially for a debut novel! Iden wrote this in first person through the main character Marty and did a great job consistently writing in his "voice". It's also very fast paced which is something I really enjoy in novels like these. Nothing is worse than a crime/suspense/mystery book that rambles...more
I read the first chapter as a "sample" and ended up spending most of today reading the rest of this novel. The main character, Marty Singer, is a Washington, DC, homicide detective of 30+ years who retires when he is diagnosed with cancer. This is the author's first crime novel, I believe, and he has done an outstanding job with characterization, plot, and dialogue. I am looking forward to reading more from Matthew Iden. ( )
Thank you to the author for the free ebook to read and review. A Reason To Live is a terrific crime thriller...with a heart. The main character Marty Singer is the quintessential detective: he's gritty, smart and sarcastic, but has a big heart and believes in ultimately doing what's right. This novel finds him reeling from unexpected changes in his life. By a twist of fate, he is approached by Amanda Lane, whose mother was the victim of a homicide a decade earlier, and is given the chance to fin...more
Wow, where to begin? From the very first pages I was captivated. I thoroughly enjoyed the character development, even allowed myself to feel emotionally invested in them. I could not guess the ending, which is one of my favorite things in a book. It left me wanting to find every spare moment so I could keep reading. Looking forward to the next in this series...
This book started off kind of slow but it came around really quickly. The story line is easy to predict to some degree. It also like you might imagine has a lot of turns and twists at the end that I didn't see coming. I have a hard time with books that spend a lot of time describing everything that's going on trying to set up the story. He doesn't do that he gets into the story pretty quick. The book also has a lot of conversation in it. I found the book easy to read and it held my interest. I...more
I am a lifelong fan of detective-genre mysteries, and this book reminds me of some of my old favorites, especially good old Lawrence Block. The prose is clean and concise; the story is deep and heartfelt; the hero is both flawed and stouthearted. This book was a pure pleasure to read. Very highly recommended!
This was the book I was looking for ... the quality of the story, the details, the characters. PERFECTION!
There is a thread for a love story, but it develops in the real world way. The cancer, greatly detailed but not whimpy ... Thrill and suspense, the right recipe.
Amanda, Marty, Julie and Jim ... they were a part of my life during the time I was reading. Oh, I could I not put in a good word for Pierre!!! Love that frisky little feline.
This is a great book and I do recommend that you follow Mar...more
There is a thread for a love story, but it develops in the real world way. The cancer, greatly detailed but not whimpy ... Thrill and suspense, the right recipe.
Amanda, Marty, Julie and Jim ... they were a part of my life during the time I was reading. Oh, I could I not put in a good word for Pierre!!! Love that frisky little feline.
This is a great book and I do recommend that you follow Mar...more
It was really wonderful to read a book whose characters were so well developed and humanized. While Marty Singer is battling cancer he still finds the energy to help Amanda Lane for the second time. I will not write about the plot because I recommend you read it and feel the sensitivity of the author and his knowledge. I found have found a new author.
I'm a big fan of crime fiction and love a hard-boiled detective. This gem of a book was a pleasure to read because it gave me my crime and my detective but one who was so different and not wholly likable. Will be reading more Iden.
This book kept me guessing. The characters were well developed and I had a hard time putting this book down. I loved how vulnerable yet determined Marty Singer is. I will definitely be reading more from this author. Great job!
An ex-cop is battling cancer (the reason he is retired from the force). The daughter of the victim of one of his open cases contacts him because she believes her Mother's killer is now stalking her. He takes on the case and begins chemo at the same time. The rest is a well written procedural in which the protagonist learns more about himself than he anticipated.
This was a very well-written book (a high 4-4-1/2). A bad cop stalks and kills a woman and Marty Singer, the protagonist, is in charge of the investigation and is haunted when the killer walks away. 12 years later the woman's daughter comes to him, asking his help because the killer is back...giving him (ta-dah!) a reason to live.
This was a good suspense. Marty is dealing with cancer and chemo when all this happens. Iden weaves a great tale that sucks you in; his use of language is riveting, an...more
This was a good suspense. Marty is dealing with cancer and chemo when all this happens. Iden weaves a great tale that sucks you in; his use of language is riveting, an...more
Good book to read, worth the time. The main characters were interesting but the author spent too much time with one character's urge to run and the other's recurring urge to beat or kill someone. That said, I did enjoy this book.
I like reading police procedurals, and this one was good. I had some things figured out but not all, so a little twist at the end did surprise me. I will probably buy more books in the series.
amazing novel, i don't read indie novels often, but this one was one of the best ive read, there so many twists and turns, and it just leaves you wanting more! fantastic book!
A great detective story filled with all kinds of twists and turns. A real page turner that rivals the best, in the fashion of Connelly.
A compelling mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end. Highly recommended.
Jim gave this a 4, I gave it a 5. I liked it a lot.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinematic action, not enough introspection | 1 | 10 | Aug 14, 2012 04:50am |
I write fantasy, science fiction, horror, thrillers, crime fiction, and contemporary literary fiction with a psychological twist.
I’ve held jobs with the US Postal Service, international non-profit groups, a short stint with the Forest Service in Sitka, Alaska, and time with the globe-spanning Semester at Sea program. Trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Antarctica added to the creative pot, as well, a...more
More about Matthew Iden...
I’ve held jobs with the US Postal Service, international non-profit groups, a short stint with the Forest Service in Sitka, Alaska, and time with the globe-spanning Semester at Sea program. Trips to Iceland, Patagonia, and Antarctica added to the creative pot, as well, a...more
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