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Queen Bitch
While locked up in solitary confinement, Mac realizes she has been betrayed by the man who should have loved her most, and a journey of bloody revenge begins. The deadly vengeance threatens her life and all those close to her, but she promises herself it will not end until her justice is served.
Meanwhile, Manfred Fuller, a worn out NYPD detective, has been called to the scene of an apparent suicide. But the jumper is already wanted for the brutal murder of a young girl.
Suicide is ruled out and Manfred is pulled back into the world of child exploitation, a world he had been desperately trying to escape.
As Mac's deadly rampage of revenge and Manfred's investigation converge, the detective will have to make a decision he never thought he could, even after 20 years on the force.
Contains explicit language, sexual content and violence in true hard-boiled fashion. Discretion is advised.
Meanwhile, Manfred Fuller, a worn out NYPD detective, has been called to the scene of an apparent suicide. But the jumper is already wanted for the brutal murder of a young girl.
Suicide is ruled out and Manfred is pulled back into the world of child exploitation, a world he had been desperately trying to escape.
As Mac's deadly rampage of revenge and Manfred's investigation converge, the detective will have to make a decision he never thought he could, even after 20 years on the force.
Contains explicit language, sexual content and violence in true hard-boiled fashion. Discretion is advised.
144 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 22, 2013
McKenzie (Mac) Moss is at the end of her parole having served a five-year stretch. She wants to put her past behind her, but before she can, she has to claim what’s rightfully hers - $1m and revenge against those that put her inside.
Manfred Fuller and Bucky, two New York detectives, investigate the suicide of a paedophile. However, it’s not quite the cut and dried case it first seems, so Manfred and Bucky dig deeper and what they subsequently find has serious implications for them and Mac.
Queen Bitch opens with Mac throwing a man off a roof before seeing her parole officer for the last time. Yes, it’s that sort of book. The writing is sparse. By that I mean there’s not a wasted word. Some chapters are very short, only a few paragraphs, however, it works. There are only a handful of characters, but all are well drawn and the relatively short length and tight style means there’s little room to successfully explore many more anyway so this was a good choice. Mac herself is quite startling, a girl with some serious issues. The dialogue is also sharp and snappy.
*Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received a free copy.**
Throughout Queen Bitch two parallel plots run – Mac taking revenge and the detectives investigating first the apparent suicide and then Mac herself – which ultimately come together at the end.
I like the mix of 1st person and 3rd person perspectives in alternate chapters (it’s a technique I use) as it generates pace and multiple perspectives to make the story richer. There’s also a clever use of time where in the last quarter of the book one chapter deliberately lags another to create tension.
Underneath Queen Bitch is a difficult subject, but Harwood handles it well, using it to justify Mac and the story without sensationalising.
Unfortunately, there were some format and spelling errors but these are easily corrected.
This is a good book, I’d like to see more of Justin Harwood’s work.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
Manfred Fuller and Bucky, two New York detectives, investigate the suicide of a paedophile. However, it’s not quite the cut and dried case it first seems, so Manfred and Bucky dig deeper and what they subsequently find has serious implications for them and Mac.
Queen Bitch opens with Mac throwing a man off a roof before seeing her parole officer for the last time. Yes, it’s that sort of book. The writing is sparse. By that I mean there’s not a wasted word. Some chapters are very short, only a few paragraphs, however, it works. There are only a handful of characters, but all are well drawn and the relatively short length and tight style means there’s little room to successfully explore many more anyway so this was a good choice. Mac herself is quite startling, a girl with some serious issues. The dialogue is also sharp and snappy.
*Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received a free copy.**
Throughout Queen Bitch two parallel plots run – Mac taking revenge and the detectives investigating first the apparent suicide and then Mac herself – which ultimately come together at the end.
I like the mix of 1st person and 3rd person perspectives in alternate chapters (it’s a technique I use) as it generates pace and multiple perspectives to make the story richer. There’s also a clever use of time where in the last quarter of the book one chapter deliberately lags another to create tension.
Underneath Queen Bitch is a difficult subject, but Harwood handles it well, using it to justify Mac and the story without sensationalising.
Unfortunately, there were some format and spelling errors but these are easily corrected.
This is a good book, I’d like to see more of Justin Harwood’s work.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
July 1, 2017
This book is a fantastic tour-de-force of crime fiction. It is a wild crazy
ride from page one to the last page. I never heard of this author
before but he knows how to write. This book is a solid piece of gritty
crime fiction. Watch out for Mac, a trained killer whose skills are
second to none. Have pity on anyone who stands in her way. No. The
hell with them. They probably deserved what they got. The police
detectives on her tail are a fascinating duo in their own. If you are
looking for gritty crime fiction, there could be no better
recommendation than this.
ride from page one to the last page. I never heard of this author
before but he knows how to write. This book is a solid piece of gritty
crime fiction. Watch out for Mac, a trained killer whose skills are
second to none. Have pity on anyone who stands in her way. No. The
hell with them. They probably deserved what they got. The police
detectives on her tail are a fascinating duo in their own. If you are
looking for gritty crime fiction, there could be no better
recommendation than this.
February 28, 2013
I liked the storyline and the general idea of such a hard-ass bitch. However, the writing was not so great... I think part of the problem was that I got this as a free download on my Kindle, and there were still edits visible. (i.e. there would be something the author initially wrote, crossed out, with the correction there as well....) That was a bit distracting and sort of took away from the value of the story. Other than that, I enjoyed it. It was a quick and easy read, but that was just what I was looking for.
March 18, 2015
This feels like it is an attempt to create a modern Noir detective novel, but for me it doesn't really work.
It isn't helped by the fact that the version that ended up on my Kindle really does have the appearance of being a work in progress. There were comments which look like 'Change Tracking' comments within the text, and there are errors in the text of the sort that should be picked up by a bit of editing.
It is worth saying that the narrative itself isn't bad, but the execution really detracts from the end product.
It isn't helped by the fact that the version that ended up on my Kindle really does have the appearance of being a work in progress. There were comments which look like 'Change Tracking' comments within the text, and there are errors in the text of the sort that should be picked up by a bit of editing.
It is worth saying that the narrative itself isn't bad, but the execution really detracts from the end product.
November 28, 2014
This is one tough, mean bitch!!
Hard boiled story of a missed off redhead, just released from parole after getting out of prison. She us bent on revenge, but will she get it before a couple of tough NYPD Homicide cops find her? And what has made this woman so vengeful? Well she has a very tragic past that drives her.
Good story, told in a gritty style that fits the characters of the tale.
Hard boiled story of a missed off redhead, just released from parole after getting out of prison. She us bent on revenge, but will she get it before a couple of tough NYPD Homicide cops find her? And what has made this woman so vengeful? Well she has a very tragic past that drives her.
Good story, told in a gritty style that fits the characters of the tale.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews