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Phoenix

by A.J. Scudiere (Goodreads Author)

4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 · rating details · 29 ratings · 21 reviews

Jason Mondy's world is unraveling. His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos. The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire, but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing. His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmares keep him from sleeping. Even just a simple trip home to...more

Paperback, 410 pages

Published October 2nd 2012 by Griffyn Ink

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Oct 03, 2012 Anagha rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is a DNF review - I finished half of Phoenix.

Plot: I'm quite disappointed with this book. The content of the mystery, especially the way it is unraveled by Jason, is very entertaining. However, much of the book is just fluff about firemen's jobs. Granted, the novel made me repect firemen much more, but more ofen than not, Jason is going on job-related adventures (as opposed to brother-locating adventures), a huge letdown.

Writing Style: Not only is the plot rambling and much of it unnecessa...more This is a DNF review - I finished half of Phoenix.

Plot: I'm quite disappointed with this book. The content of the mystery, especially the way it is unraveled by Jason, is very entertaining. However, much of the book is just fluff about firemen's jobs. Granted, the novel made me repect firemen much more, but more ofen than not, Jason is going on job-related adventures (as opposed to brother-locating adventures), a huge letdown.

Writing Style: Not only is the plot rambling and much of it unnecessary, half the time I'm not even sure who or what the author is referring to during the job. For instance, there are so many firemen characters; sometimes, they are referred to by their last names, and sometimes, their first names. Frankly, it's disorienting. I'd just begun to get used to all the (last) names and suddenly, Scudiere attacks me with a herd of Clarks and Connellys. That's the last thing I need with the plot complex enough as it is. As it was, I had some trouble keeping up with the events.
What is even more frustrating is the deluge of cussing that fills this book. Sufficed to say, I was more than a little uncomfortable. Seriously, I should have counted the number of times in each page that the F-Bomb was dropped.

Characters: There is hardly any character development in Phoenix. I couldn't like Jason and his love interest, Aida, was (as far as I read it) just kinda there - without much of a purpose other than to push Jason on when he started getting impatient and disillusioned. The story focuses on action, action, action. Although I love that, I must have at least some sort of connection to the protagonists, which is difficult in itself as they are adult firemen.

What Phoenix needs is a great editor, one who can tighten up the content and remove all the uneccesary plot points and sideplots. It needs to be put together in a way that highlights the mystery within the novel, rather than hides it behind a bunch of fireman stories. Otherwise, this is just another could-have-been-amazing novel.(less)

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Victoria Phillips rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a very compelling mystery that does not even start as a mystery at first. Initially, it seems as if it is just a story about the life of one firefighter who does good, heroic work to only be screwed over by his peers and girlfriend. The way in which this story was unraveled really worked with the way a firefighters life really is. Having been around EMTs and firefighters nearly my whole life, I can really appreciate the amount of time the author took in researching the lingo as well as t...more

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Oct 17, 2012 Diana (Offbeat Vagabond) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: men-in-uniform, mystery, thriller, contemporary

Original post here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/10/phoenix-blog-tour-review-giveaway-by-aj.html

I really enjoyed this story. It is a read that stands on its own because the style is unique. A.J. Scudiere has shown me a world that had substance and felt very real. Scudiere knows how to build suspense, without it feeling over dramatic or forced.

I like our main character Jason. He is dealing with so much. It seems everyone around him has a secret they are keeping from him. The biggest...more Original post here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/10/phoenix-blog-tour-review-giveaway-by-aj.html

I really enjoyed this story. It is a read that stands on its own because the style is unique. A.J. Scudiere has shown me a world that had substance and felt very real. Scudiere knows how to build suspense, without it feeling over dramatic or forced.

I like our main character Jason. He is dealing with so much. It seems everyone around him has a secret they are keeping from him. The biggest one from his adopted mother; he finds out he had a brother and he may or may nor be dead. His world is upside down and you connect with him. You feel sorry for him because life as he knows it won't be the same. I love how the opening scene effects Jason so much. It opens up a floodgate since he keeps having these nightmares about the house and the boys he saved. He doesn't understand it, but he brain is connecting the puzzles. I love where this goes.

The story is good. I love the journey that Jason takes and the things he learns. He is a very humbling character. After being named a hero for saving the boys, he doesn't like taking credit for it. Problem is, Jason is not the most social guy, so he doesn't really want the attention. But his chief wants to make him the face of the station, but he won't tell Jason what is going on. And him being the face brings him attention of reporters. One reporter in particular will just complicate Jason's life even more. We also find out that what the firefighters have been told about the fire isn't entirely true. Then we have the story about Jason's lost brother. I love the search he goes on and the people he meets along the way. I don't want to spoil anything, but wow, this was a great mystery.

As much as I enjoyed this, I did have an issue or two. I know that Jason is a firefighter, but there were quite a bit of scenes that took place at the firehouse that I don't feel were absolutely necessary. I am not saying they were bad or anything, but I would have preferred this whole book be told from Jason's POV. Just some of those firefighter scenes slowed the story down a bit for me.

This is such a hard review for me because this is different and it is hard not spoil. Overall though, this was a great story. Scudiere definitely has a style all on her own. And yes, I said her. I was surprised that this was written by a woman. I don't mean anything mean by this, but Scudiere really understands the male mind. She gave use a mysterious and suspenseful read that really sucked me in. Like I said, it feels like a real story. This could have been a memoir...well Jason's scenes anyway. Even with a few slow moments, this is a surprising page turner. Jason is a great character that you need to know.(less)

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Oct 13, 2012 Scott rated it 4 of 5 stars

Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere is a tough book to summarize without giving away something important to the plot. It's about a firefighter trying to figure out some truths about his past. There are some relationship issues, family secrets, fires, tragedies, and triumphs.

Jason Mondy was a great character to me. I've read some other reviews that say he wasn't a character that people could relate to, but for me it was easy. He wasn't a guy that was great in the spotlight and didn't really seem to go for...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Valentina rated it 3 of 5 stars

I’ve read a few of AJ Scudiere’s books, and though this one wasn’t my favorite of the group, I still found it an interesting read.
The author obviously does her homework. She knows how to give us vivid descriptions of a firefighter’s life, what he goes through every day. There are so many great details, so many interesting things to learn about their lives that the book is worth reading if only to get a peek into this.
On to the characters. Jason, the protagonist, is not very likeable at first....more

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Sep 29, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books, suspense, thriller

This book started off strong and I didn’t want to put it down. This was a bad thing, because I started reading right before bed on a weeknight. It’s an intense story, but there was just enough humor to keep me from having a heart attack. I really liked Jason, even felt a little sorry for him as he seems kind of clueless, but there was a while where I wanted to thump him alongside the head. A piece of the puzzle was right in front of him the whole time, and had he been paying attention, he could...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 15, 2012 Julie Barrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere
ISBN: 9781937996093
This book is action packed, a bit of romance, and a lot of mystery, not only in the fire department, but police department and other state departments to get to the truth of the matter as to why
a woman was murdered on her couch when 2 little boys were left to burn in the arson fire. Amazing how all the clues lead to them solving the mysteries as other mysteries arise.
I was first attracted to this book because the main character is a fire fighter. I am t...more Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere
ISBN: 9781937996093
This book is action packed, a bit of romance, and a lot of mystery, not only in the fire department, but police department and other state departments to get to the truth of the matter as to why
a woman was murdered on her couch when 2 little boys were left to burn in the arson fire. Amazing how all the clues lead to them solving the mysteries as other mysteries arise.
I was first attracted to this book because the main character is a fire fighter. I am totally terrified of fire and for many years after my kids left home I would need to sleep with the light on so I could see down the hallway, in case of fire. Witnessed 2 fires in a mobile home, starting in wee hours of the morning. It's so terrifying. I love learning how the people do it, safeguard others in harms way.
Jason after having fought the house fire was back in his apartment, just woken up by the phone and noticing there's not much Kelly had left behind.
After struggling through one fire that leaves him with nightmares he heads home for a few days and is finally able to sleep. Problem is his mom informs him of her new job with child and family services. They adopted him after the fire in his apartment with his mother. They were not able to save her.
He never knew of the other child, his brother.
With all that turmoil he also had job problems. He would have to qualify for a higher level of EMT to keep his job and maybe help others out in the firehouse to even have a job months down the road.
He's also got some leads on his brother, still not knowing if he lived or what his name is.
Gunman, cars on fire and screaming from him to the firemen to go get his brother still inside the building...
Although this is all taking place it's not hurried or too fast. You have time to take this all in. Never a dull moment between all that and his money and work problems. He does find out in time that the original fire was probably arson but that's not what others have told him. It's a surprise as to who was at the fire that night.
They meet with others involved and not sure what to do about opening a can or worms or to let the trail of finding his brother/dead or alive, stop there to protect others life's.
Deaths of fireman always brought them all down and they knew who was to blame.
The deeper they dig the more people are involved and it's looking like murder, arson and others who are now dead or have been threatened. Bigger and bigger case.
Love all the learning of the fire protocol when the firemen first come to a fire. So many things I learned.
Love how everything is linked together but you don't find out everything til the very end...
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May 30, 2012 Ellen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: from-publisher, mystery, suspense, fictions-contemporary

“Great fast-paced mystery with enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the most avid reader hooked!”

While researching his brother's death from the fire he was rescued from, Jason opens up a hornet's nest. Why can't he find a death certificate? What really happened in the fire that took his birth mother's life? Why is someone trying to keep it all a secret?

As we meet Jason and the other fire fighters from Smithfield Fire Station #2, we are drawn into their life and careers. Add in a sub-stand...more

1 like · like · see review

May 29, 2012 Katy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Katy by: NetGalley/GriffynInk

Shelves: ebook, galley-for-review, net-galley, upcoming-pub

Book Info: Genre: Thriller Reading Level: Adult book available October 2, 2012

Disclosure: I received a free ebook ARC/eGalley from NetGAlley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: Jason Mondy’s world is unraveling.

His seemingly secure job as a fire fighter is suddenly thrown into chaos. The bright spot in his week is that he rescued two children from a house fire, but he returns home that night to find all his furniture is missing. His girlfriend has left him without warning and his nightmar...more

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 27, 2012 William Bentrim rated it 5 of 5 stars

Phoenix by A.J. Scudiere

Jason Mondy is a firefighter with a troubled past. Current events conspire to complicate his personal and work life. This is a good mystery and a great description of the life of a firefighter.

Jason is a man of few words, deep thoughts and many personal regrets. His inability to express his feelings leads to a less than satisfactory personal life. As a firefighter, Jason’s life seems to be on an even keel until his personal past intrudes into his professional life.

Jason...more

1 like · like · see review

Jun 22, 2012 Sam Kasbrick rated it 2 of 5 stars

Originally reviewed on my blog: SIK Book Reviews

I would like to thank NetGalley and Griffyn Ink Publishing for giving me the chance to read and review this novel before its publication date. Although I appreciate the ARC, my review will be completely honest and I will rate it as it appeals to me/my preferences.

Story/Plot: I found the story to be a bit dull and not all that interesting. It sounds interesting in the synopsis, but the book starts off extremely slooooow and I was pretty bored up unt...more Originally reviewed on my blog: SIK Book Reviews

I would like to thank NetGalley and Griffyn Ink Publishing for giving me the chance to read and review this novel before its publication date. Although I appreciate the ARC, my review will be completely honest and I will rate it as it appeals to me/my preferences.

Story/Plot: I found the story to be a bit dull and not all that interesting. It sounds interesting in the synopsis, but the book starts off extremely slooooow and I was pretty bored up until about halfway through. Then it picked up and I became less bored and more interested in what was going to happen. The story is filled with a lot of fluff that wasn't really necessary...but I am a fan of YA fiction, so I guess I'm just not used to a bunch of fluff!

Characters: I did not care for the main character, Jason, very much at all. I found him to be a very unlikeable character, in fact. He says "holy s**t" A LOT; it's almost the only thing he says in the first part of the book. I felt that I didn't get to know him or his personality until pretty far into the story. He seemed to be a very shallow, sexist a**hole. He also seemed hard and emotionally unattached. However, he did get better toward the end, after falling for a different kind of girl.
The other characters are pretty likeable. I found Clark to be likeable and I felt sympathetic toward him and his story. And Amara was a lovely character, in my opinion.

Writing: The writing was good. I didn't really find anything wrong with the writing style (other than some mistakes, but the book is not ready for publication yet, so I am assuming that they will be fixed). The only thing that I found undesirable (and this is strictly my preferential opinion) was that the novel was written in third person. I am partial to first person narration, because the reader gets to know the main character better. Maybe this is one of the reasons I was dissatisfied with the character of Jason.

Uniqueness/Creativity: I do not feel that the story was very unique. It was creative at times, I suppose. There were some nice twists and turns in there, but I saw most of them coming...so no real surprises until maybe the very end.

Overall: The book started off very dry, but picked up somewhere near the middle. I was not impressed at all during the first half. I had to will myself to keep reading. I'm glad I did, as I was surprised that it did get much better later on. But I swear, I was truly beginning to wonder if there were subliminal messages in the text to cause a person to fall asleep. It took me a long time to read due to the first half trying to put me to sleep whenever I picked it up. Seriously, it was unreal! But, I would recommend this book to adult readers who have patience with their books and who don't mind a lot of fluff. I would also recommend it to fans of mysteries.
(less)

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Jun 13, 2012 Alex Sheldon Savva rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-fiction

This is a good example of the kind of book to get into, not because the plot entices you to do so, but for its valid contemporary style of writing that, no matter what it's about, you're bound to have a good time reading it regardless.

Which is how I felt, when two chapters into this book I was fully engaged; before the main plot had even manifested.
For what really draws you in, is the convincing dialogue, the believable characters, the daily routines and challenges of a fire department and the v...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this in a Goodreads giveaway

Jason Mondy saves two brothers rom their burning house.
He's a firefighter - it's his job.

Nightmares force him to go back home, to spend some relaxing time with his [adoptive] mother.
Then she drops the bomb that the fire that killed his mother when he was 7 (which is when he was put in the system) also probably claimed the life of another. His brother.

Jason remembers nothing before that time and goes on a search that uncovers more skeletons than anyone expected.

I...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars

With a title like this, you know someone will rise from the ashes. An interesting story about firefighters just doing a job until firefighter Jason learns a secret. As Jason does his oh-so-dangerous job, loses and gains girlfriends, loses and gains family, he tracks that secret. The suspense subtly gets tighter until the secret is exposed and everyone has to come to terms with it. Some chapters are written so you see what Jason sees as he moves through the day and other chapters see the station...more

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Oct 16, 2012 Jessica rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved the mystery, the characters and A.J. has such an easy to read writing style.

Phoenix starts out with a guy Jason, his girlfriend has moved out and taken everything with her. He has a mattress thrown on the floor and rent due that he can’t pay alone. While down in the dumps about that at work as a firefighter he get’s a call where he saves the lives of two little boys. The big hero now with attention he doesn’t want and nightmares that surface resulting in little sleep. What’s a guy to do...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Kai rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads

Phoenix is a great book to read. Jason Mondy is a fireman. After Jason Mondy rescued two kids from a fire, he wasn't able to sleep. On top of it, his girlfriend/roommate took off with everything he has. Compounded, Jason was ordered by Chief Adler, his boss/Fireman Chief to do public relationship for the city fire department. When Chief Adler tells him to do that, Jason knew bad news from City Hall is coming. Chief Adler also told Jason to go to his parents to sleep. A familiar surrounding might...more Phoenix is a great book to read. Jason Mondy is a fireman. After Jason Mondy rescued two kids from a fire, he wasn't able to sleep. On top of it, his girlfriend/roommate took off with everything he has. Compounded, Jason was ordered by Chief Adler, his boss/Fireman Chief to do public relationship for the city fire department. When Chief Adler tells him to do that, Jason knew bad news from City Hall is coming. Chief Adler also told Jason to go to his parents to sleep. A familiar surrounding might help Jason fall sleep better.

When Jason told his mother about rescuing the two kids from an apartment fire, his mother broke down and told him that he was adopted and worst of all, he had a brother. With this revelation, Jason went to find if his brother is still alive or not. It was to help him have closer to a life that he didn't remember before he was adopted.

Nothing turn out as Jason expected. Searching for his brother also opened a fire investigation cover-up that his biological mother was murdered. He enlisted help from Chief Adler, his two fireman friends, his police friend, Castor, and a news reporter, Clark Jernigan to find what happened to his brother and what was the motive for his biological mother to be killed.

The Phoenix story worked. The story portrayed that Jason is a normal person that the readers can identified with. He doesn't have a very good relationship with women. He picked and dated the wrong women who are basically psychotic. Jason may not have a lot of friends but those that he have, does have his back.

The story also goes into the politics of city government and budget cut. Whenever there a budget cut, the city either outsource or prove that the new positions are cost saving. The story showed the role that Jason has to played in when he was to do PR.

The story really thorough with each scene and setting that Jason interacted in. The story flows very well from the beginning to the end. There are so many plots and conflicts that Jason has to deal with, that I'm amaze that the story is told very well.(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: humor, review-books, thriller

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Oct 08, 2012 Lucie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A gripping novel which delves into the world of firefighters. On a daily basis, they face dangers to save the lives of anonymous people. Sometimes the outcome is full of emotions when lives are saved. Sometimes, it's a very bad day and lives are destroyed.

I enjoyed being immersed in the daily routine of a fire station. I also liked that the author took the time to tell the stories of the brigade and their daily hassle before starting the police investigation part of this novel.

"Phoenix" is a bit...more

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Oct 08, 2012 Sarah (Workaday Reads) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, read-in-2012

This is a procedural fire fighter story with strong mystery/crime elements, yet little to no romance. It was a bit confusing trying to figure out all the fire fighter lingo and procedures at the same time as trying to understand the storyline. Once I got a handle on the fire fighting parts, the story took centre stage and became much easier to follow and enjoy.

Jason was a contradictory character. His actions when viewed from outside make him seemed like a jerk. He is a womanizer with no emotions...more

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Feb 27, 2013 Emily (Heinlen) Davis rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Such an easy-to-read book. The characters are realistic and flawed (in a good way), exactly the way that I like them. The story is engaging and has some nice twists that I didn't expect. I recommend this book for anyone who likes mysteries (and maybe firefighters).

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Nov 28, 2012 Craig rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

*free copy won off of another book review blog*

I found Phoenix to be a wonderful mystery. There were plenty of twists, some I saw and others I didn't. While this story seemed to start slowly (unlike some of the author's other books) it certainly picked up by the end. I could not put it down. My only real complaints are how some of the chapters seemed to shift between viewpoints (from one character to the next) without any warning. There were also a few times where it gave viewpoints of minor cha...more

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May 22, 2013 Adryenn marked it as to-read · review of another edition

May 11, 2013 Legato Darksummers added it

Shelves: daddy-dark-s-baby-warrior-list

May 03, 2013 Jaime is currently reading it · review of another edition

Apr 07, 2013 Susan marked it as to-read

Mar 27, 2013 Heather marked it as to-read

Shelves: netgalley

Mar 27, 2013 Amy marked it as to-read

Mar 27, 2013 Shelley Kasunich marked it as to-read

Mar 23, 2013 Delancey marked it as to-read

Mar 17, 2013 Dhanya Thomas marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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About A.J. Scudiere

It’s AJ’s world. A strange place where patterns jump out and catch the eye, very little is missed, and most of it can be recalled with a deep breath. It’s different from the world the rest of us inhabit, but anyone can see it - when we read. In this world, the smell of Florida takes three weeks to fully leave the senses and the air in Dallas is so thick that the planes “sink” to the runways rather...more

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