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A Phil Brennan Mystery #1
A Long, Hard Look
"It was one of those days when breakfast wanted to be cheap whiskey straight from the bottle."
A short, fat banker. A willowy, buxom blonde.
Phil Brennan's latest client is the former. He prefers the latter — until he gets to know her better.
She and her family back Brennan into a corner. His only way out is to choose between truth and love.
With this family, there's a third choice, just for good measure.
Death.
(Pssst . . . if this is on your TBR list, you can get it free by signing up for my newsletter at joeldcanfield.com . . . )
A short, fat banker. A willowy, buxom blonde.
Phil Brennan's latest client is the former. He prefers the latter — until he gets to know her better.
She and her family back Brennan into a corner. His only way out is to choose between truth and love.
With this family, there's a third choice, just for good measure.
Death.
(Pssst . . . if this is on your TBR list, you can get it free by signing up for my newsletter at joeldcanfield.com . . . )
252 pages, Paperback
First published May 22, 2014
2 people are currently reading
271 people want to read
About the author
Joel D. Canfield
20 books11 followersHowdy!
I'm Joel D Canfield. (Note the lack of a period after the middle initial. You'll make points if you remember it.)
I'm a writer. Most of my books are about my business philosophy. There's also a mystery, with a sequel on the way. And let's not forget over 100 songs in the past decade.
Independent publishing has changed how artists connect with fans. We no longer need gatekeepers to decide what can or should be published. Every singer, songwriter, artist, and author should have the ability to share their work, even sell their work, if they choose to.
Little Purple Books is my publishing company. We professionally prepare my books and those of my clients, then publish them under the Someday Box imprint.
My Best Beloved and I were nomads for a year-and-a-half before we semi-settled in New Jersey in the fall of 2011, then semi-settled again in Wisconsin in the spring of 2012. We've signed a 1-year lease, but more to the point, a 2-year contract on our internet access, so we're here for at least two years. What happens after that is anybody's guess.
Whether you're a close friend or a total stranger, give me a shout. I love nothing more than meeting interesting people like you.
I'm Joel D Canfield. (Note the lack of a period after the middle initial. You'll make points if you remember it.)
I'm a writer. Most of my books are about my business philosophy. There's also a mystery, with a sequel on the way. And let's not forget over 100 songs in the past decade.
Independent publishing has changed how artists connect with fans. We no longer need gatekeepers to decide what can or should be published. Every singer, songwriter, artist, and author should have the ability to share their work, even sell their work, if they choose to.
Little Purple Books is my publishing company. We professionally prepare my books and those of my clients, then publish them under the Someday Box imprint.
My Best Beloved and I were nomads for a year-and-a-half before we semi-settled in New Jersey in the fall of 2011, then semi-settled again in Wisconsin in the spring of 2012. We've signed a 1-year lease, but more to the point, a 2-year contract on our internet access, so we're here for at least two years. What happens after that is anybody's guess.
Whether you're a close friend or a total stranger, give me a shout. I love nothing more than meeting interesting people like you.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2014
Definitely a Chandleresque style mystery. Truly twisted plot. We'll spun and totally believeable!
August 29, 2014
Dropped words and grammar errors in a published novel are a pet peeve. A Long Hard Look did suffer this setback. Some examples are: “... programmer, the she’d...” (should be that); “...a sort screwy sense.”(missing of); “...as I pulled door open.”(missing the).
Written in first-person narrative, this is not a classic noir hard-boiled novel with a stereotypical detective. The protagonist, Phil Brennan, is a well-written character with lots of personality, some great one-liners and human flaws. Phil is an endearing coward, which is nice to see since it’s real. Normal people don’t run into the face of danger. Phil also exhibits self-effacing humour. The antagonist does sway into a cliché, and the setting is tough to determine, although it appears to be set in modern day in Chicago.
Canfield’s voice is strong throughout the novel, and the plot is well-structured. This is a light read, and the touches of humour heighten the entertainment factor.
I reviewed this ARC from Story Cartel and would recommend this book. Good job.
Written in first-person narrative, this is not a classic noir hard-boiled novel with a stereotypical detective. The protagonist, Phil Brennan, is a well-written character with lots of personality, some great one-liners and human flaws. Phil is an endearing coward, which is nice to see since it’s real. Normal people don’t run into the face of danger. Phil also exhibits self-effacing humour. The antagonist does sway into a cliché, and the setting is tough to determine, although it appears to be set in modern day in Chicago.
Canfield’s voice is strong throughout the novel, and the plot is well-structured. This is a light read, and the touches of humour heighten the entertainment factor.
I reviewed this ARC from Story Cartel and would recommend this book. Good job.
January 24, 2015
I read lots of mysteries, but prior to reading this book I had never read a “Chanderlesque” mystery. I confess that I had no idea what that meant. The book description perked my curiosity. It was immediately clear that the style was different from what I was used to finding in a cozy mystery. It felt more like a traditional detective story told by the quasi-detective himself.
The story is told by Phil, a likeable guy with a vague back story and unclear purpose in life. The narrative is conversational as Phil comments on the bizarre characters he encounters and the ethical and romantic dilemmas he faces as he squares off against an incredibly dysfunctional family and tries to discover who killed his client. I had a bit of trouble keeping track of the characters at first, but as I got farther into the book every became clear. This was a clean and enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told by Phil, a likeable guy with a vague back story and unclear purpose in life. The narrative is conversational as Phil comments on the bizarre characters he encounters and the ethical and romantic dilemmas he faces as he squares off against an incredibly dysfunctional family and tries to discover who killed his client. I had a bit of trouble keeping track of the characters at first, but as I got farther into the book every became clear. This was a clean and enjoyable read.
Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 22, 2014
I enjoy a fun mystery and this is one. Keeps you entertained and guessing who done it. It's a clean read so our 10-year old could even read it.
July 21, 2016
A Long, Hard Look by Joel D Canfield was a fun, quick paced, thrilling mystery novel that left me in suspense.
When I picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect, and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. The novel was a mystery/suspense novel that kept me hooked at every turn. I did not see the twists and turns coming in this novel, which had me highly impressed.
There were a few faults with this novel: I felt like it dragged on a bit to long. When I was about 3/4's of the way through the novel I felt like the plot could have come to an end and it would have been fulfilling. I was left feeling like the book was a little too long, but that is just a personal opinion.
The story itself is well thought out, and in the end the finale makes sense. The entire book was logical (for a mystery/suspense/thriller genre novel) and I enjoyed it.
The characters were well developed, and the information about these characters were released at the perfect timing. No information came to soon or to late, it all tied in perfectly.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. It wasn't my all time favourite book, but it was a good, quick read that kept me hooked.
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
When I picked up this book I wasn't sure what to expect, and it was definitely a pleasant surprise. The novel was a mystery/suspense novel that kept me hooked at every turn. I did not see the twists and turns coming in this novel, which had me highly impressed.
There were a few faults with this novel: I felt like it dragged on a bit to long. When I was about 3/4's of the way through the novel I felt like the plot could have come to an end and it would have been fulfilling. I was left feeling like the book was a little too long, but that is just a personal opinion.
The story itself is well thought out, and in the end the finale makes sense. The entire book was logical (for a mystery/suspense/thriller genre novel) and I enjoyed it.
The characters were well developed, and the information about these characters were released at the perfect timing. No information came to soon or to late, it all tied in perfectly.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel. It wasn't my all time favourite book, but it was a good, quick read that kept me hooked.
Four out of five stars.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews