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Deadly Sanctuary (Kendall O'Dell #1)
by
Sylvia Nobel (Goodreads Author),
Christy Moeller
Deadly Sanctuary is the first title in Sylvia Nobel's popular mystery series, featuring spirited, flame-haired reporter Kendall O'Dell. The author's trademark style is to produce exciting, well-written, edge-of-your-seat, adventures with "knock your socks off" surprise endings. Her judicious use of language and lack of graphic sex and violence make her novels suitable from...more
Kindle Edition
Published
(first published April 1st 1998)
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The only thing that saved this book from 2 stars was the last 60 pages where things got a little interesting. Another Free ebook via BNs Free Friday's program. I tell you, series are not my thing - especially female detectives.
Anyway, Kendell O'Dell is an asthmatic relocating to Arizona due to health problems. She finds a job in a small town at a newspaper via connections of her father. The editor sends her out on special assignment. Her predecessor mysteriously disappeared. Can she discover wh...more
Anyway, Kendell O'Dell is an asthmatic relocating to Arizona due to health problems. She finds a job in a small town at a newspaper via connections of her father. The editor sends her out on special assignment. Her predecessor mysteriously disappeared. Can she discover wh...more
Mar 05, 2011
Diane
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kindle-edition,
mystery
Kendall O'Dell is a talented journalist looking for a quieter life when she takes a job at a small paper in a tiny town in Arizona. But when her editor assigns her to investigate the disappearance of her predecessor and to find out if the town's sheriff is involved, she finds herself in deeper than either of them expected. Kendall is a strong-willed woman and her determination to find out what really happened creates a story that will keep the reader on the edge of his/her seat.
Although some of...more
Although some of...more
c1998: Oh dear! My DNFs are climbing rapidly due to choosing books via price rather than recommendations etc. This was a freebie on Kindle under the description of 'popular mystery series'. I am not surprised that this never made any Bestseller lists. I found it very hard to read through the dialogue eg "Oh, flapdoodle." I found nothing original in this story and I gave it a good try before realising that I did not have to complete it to know exactly what was going to happen. The blurb on Amazon...more
First, let me just say...as a Southerner, "Y'all" is PLURAL, not singular. It was misused dozens of times throughout the entire book and irritated me so badly that I quickly began to skim over any parts with Ginger speaking. Only once, near the end, was it used properly. This really detracted from my enjoyment of the book. My personal feeling is that if an author is going to take the time to write and have a book published, they had damn well better get it right.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed the s...more
Otherwise, I really enjoyed the s...more
I'm only 60% through this book and it's becoming increasingly more difficult to finish. First of all, just before this book, I read a tween mystery novel. The writing in _Deadly Sanctuary_ reminds me a lot of the writing in the tween novel. The author gives clues and without letting the reader ruminate a couple of chapters, within a couple of sentences, she has made all the connections for you. There's no mystery. Also, the "Texas talk" grates on my nerves. She has the character from Texas repea...more
Let's just say...I'm glad this was a free download. Because if I paid for it, I'd be sorely sorry.
Despite times of book-nerdery, I'm a sucker for mystery and crime novels. It's like food - while I know salads and lean proteins are good for me, sometimes I just want to binge on twinkies and ho hos. Pulp crime novels are like my reading twinkies and ho hos, but this was like a stale twinkie you find under your bed, smashed by piles of forsaken junk, and take a bite out of anyway. But, hey, it stil...more
Despite times of book-nerdery, I'm a sucker for mystery and crime novels. It's like food - while I know salads and lean proteins are good for me, sometimes I just want to binge on twinkies and ho hos. Pulp crime novels are like my reading twinkies and ho hos, but this was like a stale twinkie you find under your bed, smashed by piles of forsaken junk, and take a bite out of anyway. But, hey, it stil...more
I avoided reading this for a while because I'd gotten the impression this was a romance novel. I finally read it and discovered that, while it does have romance elements, it's definitely more of a mystery.
It's written from a female perspective, and the "romance" genre feel is there in comments the lead character makes to herself and in the comments her friend makes. There are discussions about how she feels about two male characters and several dates she goes on, but no steamy sex scenes.
The mys...more
It's written from a female perspective, and the "romance" genre feel is there in comments the lead character makes to herself and in the comments her friend makes. There are discussions about how she feels about two male characters and several dates she goes on, but no steamy sex scenes.
The mys...more
I am sorry, but this is honestly one of the worst books I have ever read. I still have about 25 pages left to read, but I felt the overwhelming need to come on here and vent about how bad of a book it is. The writing is so amateur, I feel like I have probably missed out on a huge amount of money, because if Sylvia Nobel was able to get this book published, then I could easily make a fortune being a writer. I have actually snickered to myself a couple of times, and re-read some lines because I wa...more
After losing her job at the Philadelphia Inquirer and being dumped by her fiancée, Kendall O’Dell takes a job in Castle Valley, AZ. She is looking for not only a job but also a change to a drier climate to help her asthma.
The Castle Valley Sun is a small paper and Kendal is taking the place of a reporter who disappeared several months ago and has not been heard of since. Her new boss thinks that the disappearance is linked to a story the reporter was working on and he wants Kendall to look into...more
The Castle Valley Sun is a small paper and Kendal is taking the place of a reporter who disappeared several months ago and has not been heard of since. Her new boss thinks that the disappearance is linked to a story the reporter was working on and he wants Kendall to look into...more
This was an awesome mystery! There were some things I didn't like about it...Jesus Christ was used as a swear word (many times), which really bothers me. There were a few typos that somebody should have caught. Plus the beginning is difficult to get past. A couple of the characters are heavy on the southern accent, and seemed a bit cliche. But as more characters were introduced that were not so cliche, it was fine. I just found her friend Ginger extremely annoying. Oh, and I also found her use o...more
May 25, 2011
Lauren
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
e-reader,
thriller-mystery
Kendall O'Dell moves to Arizona because of bad asthma. She gets a job at the local paper where a friend of her father is editor. She begins looking into the disappearance of the reporter whose job she has taken over. Many of the character's didn't seem to havee much depth. I felt like I had a very limited perspective of them as whole people. I really liked the self-appointed best fried Ginger.Perhaps not deep but fun.
There were a couple times when Kendall would come across information that it di...more
There were a couple times when Kendall would come across information that it di...more
Feb 05, 2011
Deb
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-books-read,
kindled-ebook
I'm glad I didn't pay for this one. I downloaded it for free on my Kindle. Kendall O'Dell (don't like the similar sounding first and last name) is a feisty reporter who has just moved to a small Arizona town. Her first assignment is actually a secret one. She's looking into the sudden disappearance of the reporter she's replaced. This was just plain silly. She meets two men who fascinate her: Eric, the handsome rich guy, and Tally, the long-suffering cowboy. It's no mystery as to who she'll end...more
This book snagged me right from the beginning, "Oh... my... god. What have I done?" I immediately wanted to know what s/he did. It set off a chain reaction of wanting to know what happens next that ended with me finishing the book in one sitting.
There were many twists, and while too many twists can leave me feeling lost, this had just enough. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a wrench was thrown in my deductions.
Kendall O'Dell makes a great lead character, she is witty and smart, on th...more
There were many twists, and while too many twists can leave me feeling lost, this had just enough. Every time I thought I had it figured out, a wrench was thrown in my deductions.
Kendall O'Dell makes a great lead character, she is witty and smart, on th...more
This was a fast-moving, well-developed, page-turner that doesn't bog down at any point. There are enough hints to guess who are the bad guys, what they are up to, and where they are up to it--it is just a question of hanging in to see if you are right (yeah) and how does the heroine prove it--proving it being her main obstacle when so much important evidence keeps disappearing. I think this book tends to be underrated by other readers because the villains are evident early on, but I think a book...more
I downloaded this free for my Kindle, as I believe it was labeled Christian fiction. That needs to be corrected or maybe my memory is just bad! It is definitely not Christian fiction, although it is fairly clean for mainstream mystery fiction. There is little depiction of violence and marginal cursing (the Lord's name is taken in vain several time, but I don't remember the F word many times, not bad considering other books I've tried to read). There's no preaching or depiction of faith or anythi...more
Clearly this book wasn't keeping me on the edge of my seat, since it took me nearly a month to finish. The storyline and the characters were boring. The mystery was so boring, I can barely remember what it was about. Something about a dead journalist and then someone planting some taratulas in the main character's (Kendall) shower.
This book wasn't a total waste of time, however. The relationship between Kendall and Tally was semi-interesting, even though it was entirely predictable. Kendall is...more
This book wasn't a total waste of time, however. The relationship between Kendall and Tally was semi-interesting, even though it was entirely predictable. Kendall is...more
This was a solid 3-1/2 stars. It took me just a little while to get into it - I enjoyed the second half much more than the third. I felt that it did well in both the romance, and the suspense department. There were a few times when the main character annoyed me a bit, but not in an "out of character" way - more like a "wish she'd wake up and smell the coffee" way.
The ending wasn't a complete shock, but I sort of enjoyed putting the pieces together on this one. I didn't have all the details work...more
The ending wasn't a complete shock, but I sort of enjoyed putting the pieces together on this one. I didn't have all the details work...more
I read this book because one of the reviewers said something like, "Don't start this book at bedtime if you want to sleep tonight!" Well, that was not true for me. I had no problem putting this book down and not thinking about it for a while, and that is very unlike me. I liked the idea, there just wasn't enough action to make it really compelling until I'd read more than 85% of the book! Also, the dialogue was ridiculous--especially everything Ginger had to say. Having finished the book I can n...more
I would really like to give this one 3 1/2 stars. I will give it 3 since it doesn't merit 4. It was a decent, although completely predictable, story. It kept my attention throughout the story and I enjoyed the characters. The one thing about this book that really grated on my nerves was one of the characters, Ginger, kept saying "y'all." The annoying part about that is that she was always saying it to the main character...one person only. Y'all means you all or all of you. I could be wrong, but...more
This book was either a freebie or a cheapie on Kindle. As a romantic suspense novel, it was ok, mainly because the setting was interesting. I found the heroine to be rather superficial, for someone who was supposedly a competent investigative reporter, she seemed rather obtuse. I liked Tally, the romantic hero. The plot was also rather predictable because the villains were obviously villains and the threads to the denouement were not at all concealed. As entertainment, the book was ok, but I'm g...more
Jan 20, 2011
Debra
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mystery-thriller-suspense
Kendell, a new reporter at a small Arizona newspaper, faces a dizzying array of situations that threaten her coworkers, herself, and the political powers. In addition, she has two desireable men vying for her favor. Full of atmosphere, nicely drawn characters, red herrings and a sense of place, I enjoyed this book despite too prolific adjectives. (And no, I don't normally notice adjectives. Enough said?) I would like to read more in this series, but this appears to be the only one available from...more
Poorly written and predictable. I would not have finished this book if I had not been trapped in a doctor's office. Another review said it all when she said "I found nothing original in this story and I gave it a good try before realising that I did not have to complete it to know exactly what was going to happen." The story could have been workable, but, the relationships were completely unrealistic. There was no character development. Misuse of y'all was frequent and became increasingly annoyi...more
Dec 01, 2011
Hikerdee
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
readers of cozy mysteries; romances
This book was my Nook Free Friday selection for Dec 31, 2010, and it is no longer free. This is the first book in the Kendall O'Dell series. This Free Friday selection introduced me to a new author and new series in the mystery genre which I enjoy.
The stoy moved fast and was plotted well so that it held my attention. Kendall is hired as an investigative reporter; but her editor wants to keep her investigations secret so that she does not arouse antagonism from the local sheriff who no longer co...more
The stoy moved fast and was plotted well so that it held my attention. Kendall is hired as an investigative reporter; but her editor wants to keep her investigations secret so that she does not arouse antagonism from the local sheriff who no longer co...more
I'm a sucker for journalism mystery adventure so chalk this one up to a guilty pleasure adding an extra star to the rating it likely deserves. Although this is no "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", it is not easily dismissible as "just another writer solving a mystery" story, either. Kendall O'Dell is a three-dimensional character with feelings, flaws, and emotions. Perhaps I found her a bit too romantic, but hey, I'm a guy so maybe her two love interests actually were realistic under the circumstan...more
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A true mystery/romance story. Kendall O'Dell relocates to a small Arizona town where her father's friend is editor of a small town newspaper. There is something fishy about the disappearance of John Dexter, one of the story writers for the newspaper. Kendall begins an investigation into Dexter's disappearance and soon finds herself uncovering some other startling secrets about the small town. Romance is thrown into the picture when two men begin courting her while she is working at the newspaper...more
Having recently been to Arizona for the first time, and that it was featured for free for the Nook, I thought I would give it a try. It turned out to be better than I thought. The writing style made for an easy read though at one point the author briefly started referring to one of the main characters by his first name, which was a little confusing.The downside was that I had pretty much fugured it out with the exception of one twist very early on. Still, a good read and I might check out the ot...more
I'd have gone with a 3.5 but apparently halves aren't available. I liked the story but felt like it took longer to get around and through the story than the suspense/drama/attention level warranted. I also wanted to yell at the heroine various times for being a total airhead blonde even if that wasn't her supposed hair color. It was an ok read and I liked some of the other characters so if there are further volumes in the series I might read another if it is pretty inexpensive.
I loved the scenes described and really felt I was there. THe characters were interesting, but being in first person, I felt very detached from the characters. The plot arched very well and I loved the jam packed climax. The antagonists were a little stereotyped for me and a little unrealistic, but the colorful scenes let me suspend belief enough to enjoy.
Overall, this is a good beach/vacation book and I would recommend it for a quick read at face value.
Overall, this is a good beach/vacation book and I would recommend it for a quick read at face value.
This was a free Noook Book but I DO NOT recommend it. This author is trying to start a series based around a main charater who is a reporter in a small Arizona town. All of the characters are over the top in all their qualities and they make some of the silliest decisions on how to live their life. It was not enjoyable and I will not be reading the rest of the series.
P.S. The author's information says she lives in AZ with her husband and SIX CATS!
P.S. The author's information says she lives in AZ with her husband and SIX CATS!
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Author Sylvia Nobel, has been a resident of Arizona since 1961. In that time she has learned to understand and enjoy Arizona's unique beauty and the people who have made the State synonymous with the "Old West". Through the books available from Nite Owl, readers can participate in an adventure that provides the true ambiance of the modern west. The attention to detail and the eloquence of the mast...more
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Jun 12, 2011 11:36am