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Joe Tesla #3
The Chemistry of Death
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me...or can they?
In the third thrilling installment of this award winning series from New York Times bestseller Rebecca Cantrell, tortured genius Joe Tesla is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer who charms his victims into the bowels of the Manhattan subway system--and who holds the keys to Joe's crippling condition. Can Joe stop the murderous rampage of this silver-tongued killer, or will he become the next victim?
In the third thrilling installment of this award winning series from New York Times bestseller Rebecca Cantrell, tortured genius Joe Tesla is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer who charms his victims into the bowels of the Manhattan subway system--and who holds the keys to Joe's crippling condition. Can Joe stop the murderous rampage of this silver-tongued killer, or will he become the next victim?
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 29, 2015
264 people are currently reading
677 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Cantrell
58 books539 followersA few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s. “A Trace of Smoke,” "A Night of Long Knives," "A Game of Lies," and "A City of Broken Glass." She also co-writes the Order of Sanguines series with James Rollins, starting with the upcoming book 1: "The Blood Gospel." And she writes the iMonster series as Bekka Black, including "iDrakula" and "iFrankenstein."
A faded pink triangle pasted on the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp and time in Berlin, Germany in the 1980s inspired “A Trace of Smoke.” Fluent in German, she received her high school diploma from the John F. Kennedy Schule in Berlin and studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen.
When she visited Berlin in the summer of 2006, she was astounded to discover that many locations in her novel have been rebuilt and reopened in the last few years, including the gay bar El Dorado and the Mosse House publishing house.
Her short story “Coffee” will appear in the “Missing” anthology in February 2009.
Her screenplay “The Humanitarian” was a finalist at Shriekfest 2008: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival. Her screenplay “A Taste For Blood” was a finalist at the Shriekfest 2007: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival.
As of this writing, she lives in Berlin with her Ironman husband and son.
A faded pink triangle pasted on the wall of Dachau Concentration Camp and time in Berlin, Germany in the 1980s inspired “A Trace of Smoke.” Fluent in German, she received her high school diploma from the John F. Kennedy Schule in Berlin and studied at the Freie Universität in Berlin and the Georg August Universität in Göttingen.
When she visited Berlin in the summer of 2006, she was astounded to discover that many locations in her novel have been rebuilt and reopened in the last few years, including the gay bar El Dorado and the Mosse House publishing house.
Her short story “Coffee” will appear in the “Missing” anthology in February 2009.
Her screenplay “The Humanitarian” was a finalist at Shriekfest 2008: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival. Her screenplay “A Taste For Blood” was a finalist at the Shriekfest 2007: The Los Angeles Horror/Sci-fi Film Festival.
As of this writing, she lives in Berlin with her Ironman husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
September 19, 2023
Rated: 4 stars
Location: New York City
Outstanding third offering in the Joe Tesla series by Rebecca Cantrell. THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH kept me biting my fingernails and on the edge of my seat throughout this taut thriller mystery. What an idea; what an ending!!
Joe Tesla is a brilliant entrepreneur and agoraphobic who now must live his life in the tunnels of New York. Ever since he was somehow poisoned, Tesla has been unable to walk outside, enjoy the freedom to feel the wind through his hair or the warmth of sun on his skin. Luckily, the Gallo twins, Celeste and Leandro have a home in the tunnels where Tesla can live and work.
Accompanied by his faithful dog and companion, Edison, Tesla tries to come to terms with his circumstances and improve his way of life on a daily basis. With the challenges he personally faces what can happen in the tunnels that can top that?!
Location: New York City
Outstanding third offering in the Joe Tesla series by Rebecca Cantrell. THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH kept me biting my fingernails and on the edge of my seat throughout this taut thriller mystery. What an idea; what an ending!!
Joe Tesla is a brilliant entrepreneur and agoraphobic who now must live his life in the tunnels of New York. Ever since he was somehow poisoned, Tesla has been unable to walk outside, enjoy the freedom to feel the wind through his hair or the warmth of sun on his skin. Luckily, the Gallo twins, Celeste and Leandro have a home in the tunnels where Tesla can live and work.
Accompanied by his faithful dog and companion, Edison, Tesla tries to come to terms with his circumstances and improve his way of life on a daily basis. With the challenges he personally faces what can happen in the tunnels that can top that?!
August 15, 2015
Amazing action and suspense! This book ties up so many mysteries left over from the first two books of the series! Joe Tesla truly has his work cut out for him this time! The serial killer has managed to not reveal who they are over many decades.. but, now.. the killer has truly messed up.. the scant clues strike a chord with Joe and even then.. he finds himself wondering if he was just a little to slow to figure out who the murderer is and what it will mean to him and all of his loved ones.
I do hope that they decide to put all three books out as a trilogy. The readers would LOVE it! This book is a stand-alone. But, I would highly recommend reading books one and two before reading this one. It's going to knock your socks off! So many twists and turns. Diabolical events that will leave the reader breathless! One that you will start reading and must just keep on reading until you hit the end. Yea!! It's THAT good!
I do hope that they decide to put all three books out as a trilogy. The readers would LOVE it! This book is a stand-alone. But, I would highly recommend reading books one and two before reading this one. It's going to knock your socks off! So many twists and turns. Diabolical events that will leave the reader breathless! One that you will start reading and must just keep on reading until you hit the end. Yea!! It's THAT good!
May 17, 2023
The third book in this series and just as enjoyable as the first two. The turn of events in this one did take me a little by surprise and I think the author was tying up a couple of loose ends here. I expect the next book (judging from the title) will take off in another direction so I am looking forward to it.
As with the others, Joe's dog Edison steals the show in many scenes :)
As with the others, Joe's dog Edison steals the show in many scenes :)
November 8, 2019
agreed, that bit with the wheelchair was a reach.
at least edison .
p85: he didn't get reception many places in the tunnels, but he'd installed a leaky coaxial cable at his house to give him a signal when he was close to home.
at least edison .
p85: he didn't get reception many places in the tunnels, but he'd installed a leaky coaxial cable at his house to give him a signal when he was close to home.
June 4, 2020
Review originally published at: https://lomeraniel.com/book-review-th...
I am an unconditional fan of this series. If the first two books were good, this is even better. Joe Tesla is a rich entrepreneur that is doomed to live in the tunnels of the metro of New York due to his agoraphobia, a condition that only has been present for some months. Developer and owner of some complex identification algorithms, he is trying to find what changed in his brain chemistry to make him scared of open spaces. Tesla is a smart man and can fight on several fronts at the same time. While looking for a root cause and a solution, he is also trying to make his life underground better just in case he can never solve his problem. While he is keeping himself occupied on both fronts, a new mystery dwells in his tunnels: a man is killing women with a similar profile, and Tesla finds, by accident, an expensive purse and a lipstick in a locked room in one of the tunnels.
For the ones hooked to this series, like me, this is the book that we all were expecting. It is not only a new mystery that Joe must solve, but many of the questions from the beginning of the series will have some answers here. This is not the only charm of this book, as the new mystery is cleverly built from the start, with some hidden details and gripping action. I have to say that I couldn't stop listening, and I blame obligations and life in general for not allowing me to enjoy this book in one listen. Absolutely thrilling and addictive.
I see there is a fourth book, but this one could have very well been the conclusion. The story arc and series arc are resolved satisfactorily with an ending that I could live with. I understand that there is life after this, and I guess this is where the fourth book comes into play.
Jeffrey Kaffer's narration was simply perfect, as always. He really became Joe Tesla, while also voicing the different characters with subtle nuances to make dialogs a breeze to follow. Kaffer adds value to the book without distracting from the text. He brings the characters to life with heartfelt interpretations, perfect diction, and steady rhythm.
I am looking forward to the fourth book to see what happens next. I believe Tesla's life will still have many surprises for us.
I am an unconditional fan of this series. If the first two books were good, this is even better. Joe Tesla is a rich entrepreneur that is doomed to live in the tunnels of the metro of New York due to his agoraphobia, a condition that only has been present for some months. Developer and owner of some complex identification algorithms, he is trying to find what changed in his brain chemistry to make him scared of open spaces. Tesla is a smart man and can fight on several fronts at the same time. While looking for a root cause and a solution, he is also trying to make his life underground better just in case he can never solve his problem. While he is keeping himself occupied on both fronts, a new mystery dwells in his tunnels: a man is killing women with a similar profile, and Tesla finds, by accident, an expensive purse and a lipstick in a locked room in one of the tunnels.
For the ones hooked to this series, like me, this is the book that we all were expecting. It is not only a new mystery that Joe must solve, but many of the questions from the beginning of the series will have some answers here. This is not the only charm of this book, as the new mystery is cleverly built from the start, with some hidden details and gripping action. I have to say that I couldn't stop listening, and I blame obligations and life in general for not allowing me to enjoy this book in one listen. Absolutely thrilling and addictive.
I see there is a fourth book, but this one could have very well been the conclusion. The story arc and series arc are resolved satisfactorily with an ending that I could live with. I understand that there is life after this, and I guess this is where the fourth book comes into play.
Jeffrey Kaffer's narration was simply perfect, as always. He really became Joe Tesla, while also voicing the different characters with subtle nuances to make dialogs a breeze to follow. Kaffer adds value to the book without distracting from the text. He brings the characters to life with heartfelt interpretations, perfect diction, and steady rhythm.
I am looking forward to the fourth book to see what happens next. I believe Tesla's life will still have many surprises for us.
September 1, 2015
You’re probably going to laugh at this review. I know I would. I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of Joe and Edison’s third adventure together, THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH. I started reading it while vacationing in San Diego, listening to the sound of the seagulls as I sped through page by page. You’ll find this amazingly fitting as you read the book.
I snuck out to the balcony early the first morning. It was the perfect place to read, but boy did I freeze my tail off (even under a jacket and several towels.) It was a family trip, so I didn’t get a spare moment to read again until early the next morning. I’m not a fan of the cold, so instead of sneaking out to the balcony again, I sat on the floor of the bathroom so the lights wouldn’t wake the kids or my hubby. For the next couple of early mornings, that’s where you could find me. My butt and back didn’t like me for it, but man, I couldn’t stop reading. Yes, it was THAT good! I wonder if Rebecca Cantrell’s heart races as much as her readers’ hearts do when she writes Joe and Edison into all of these predicaments? I won’t go into detail (beyond the seagulls). I don’t want to spoil a thing!
If you’re already a fan of Joe Tesla, you’ll LOVE where THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH takes you (although I’d highly recommend a big comfy chair instead of a hard bathroom floor!) If you haven’t read Joe before, you can read THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH by itself. If you want to get the whole feel for Joe and Edison’s story, grab THE WORLD BENEATH and THE TESLA LEGACY. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see where Rebecca and Joe take us next!
I snuck out to the balcony early the first morning. It was the perfect place to read, but boy did I freeze my tail off (even under a jacket and several towels.) It was a family trip, so I didn’t get a spare moment to read again until early the next morning. I’m not a fan of the cold, so instead of sneaking out to the balcony again, I sat on the floor of the bathroom so the lights wouldn’t wake the kids or my hubby. For the next couple of early mornings, that’s where you could find me. My butt and back didn’t like me for it, but man, I couldn’t stop reading. Yes, it was THAT good! I wonder if Rebecca Cantrell’s heart races as much as her readers’ hearts do when she writes Joe and Edison into all of these predicaments? I won’t go into detail (beyond the seagulls). I don’t want to spoil a thing!
If you’re already a fan of Joe Tesla, you’ll LOVE where THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH takes you (although I’d highly recommend a big comfy chair instead of a hard bathroom floor!) If you haven’t read Joe before, you can read THE CHEMISTRY OF DEATH by itself. If you want to get the whole feel for Joe and Edison’s story, grab THE WORLD BENEATH and THE TESLA LEGACY. You won’t be disappointed. I can’t wait to see where Rebecca and Joe take us next!
April 6, 2016
The Chemistry of Death By Rebecca Cantrell Narrated by Jeffery Kafer
This is the third installment of the Joe Tesla Series.
Joe is a brilliant man and his Synesthesia was never a hindrance to him however the Agoraphobia has proved to be a big stumbling block but he wouldn't let it stop him from his many endeavors. Edison is his service dog who helps him investigate what ever job he is on at the time. He has been an undeniable asset, not only for Joe's well being but a great detective’s partner. Edison saves Joe’s life in this book.
Joe Tesla is on the trail of a serial killer who is killing women in the forgotten tunnels of the New York subway system. his particular Serial killer favors a very expensive Christian Dior lipstick Red 999. After a little digging done by Joe’s body guard Vivian a strong confident and smart women they found out there had been Ten similar deaths in the tunnels and all the victims had similar features.
At a point in the investigation Joe became the obsession of the “Silver -tongued killer”.
Joe Tesla was also working on his brain mapping data base for his new company LUCA
when his inner- sanctum the house under Grand Central Station in the underground subway tunnels were breached by a depraved killer his every sense was heightened.
During this story he was also closing in on who had poisoned him and caused his agoraphobia.
I loved the rich and vibrant world Rebecca Cantrell had created. It is very colorful and suspenseful. The Hero Joe is not only working with one affliction but his struggles help to give him a full 360 degree personality. All of her characters are full and deep. Jeffery Kafer did a brilliant job at narrating this story.
This is the third installment of the Joe Tesla Series.
Joe is a brilliant man and his Synesthesia was never a hindrance to him however the Agoraphobia has proved to be a big stumbling block but he wouldn't let it stop him from his many endeavors. Edison is his service dog who helps him investigate what ever job he is on at the time. He has been an undeniable asset, not only for Joe's well being but a great detective’s partner. Edison saves Joe’s life in this book.
Joe Tesla is on the trail of a serial killer who is killing women in the forgotten tunnels of the New York subway system. his particular Serial killer favors a very expensive Christian Dior lipstick Red 999. After a little digging done by Joe’s body guard Vivian a strong confident and smart women they found out there had been Ten similar deaths in the tunnels and all the victims had similar features.
At a point in the investigation Joe became the obsession of the “Silver -tongued killer”.
Joe Tesla was also working on his brain mapping data base for his new company LUCA
when his inner- sanctum the house under Grand Central Station in the underground subway tunnels were breached by a depraved killer his every sense was heightened.
During this story he was also closing in on who had poisoned him and caused his agoraphobia.
I loved the rich and vibrant world Rebecca Cantrell had created. It is very colorful and suspenseful. The Hero Joe is not only working with one affliction but his struggles help to give him a full 360 degree personality. All of her characters are full and deep. Jeffery Kafer did a brilliant job at narrating this story.
August 31, 2022
I received a review copy of this book free on my request from Audiobookboom. This in no way changed the content of this review.
This is the third book in the Joe Tesla series and I'm only sad that so far there's only one more to go. I love Joe Tesla, he's perfectly imperfect as the hero, and his service dog Edison is always a bright spot. In The Chemistry of Death, Joe is pitted against a serial killer who is using the subway tunnels underneath Manhattan, those same tunnels that Joe and Edison call home. I dearly love serial killer thrillers so this mash-up of favorite characters and favorite plot device was perfect.
The author really shines with her character development. We learn more about girlfriend Celeste's slowly dying from ALS, Celeste's brother playboy Leandro, and Vivian the bodyguard gets the spotlight in several chapters. There was a new character, Parker, who I really liked even though he was only in briefly, I hope he gets some more play later in the series. The story tied up almost all of the loose ends from the previous two books. We find out who is behind Joe's agoraphobia and why.
The X-Men reference made me laugh out loud. I really like the narrator so after I finish up the Joe Tesla series I'm going to see if he's read any other books I might like.
This is the third book in the Joe Tesla series and I'm only sad that so far there's only one more to go. I love Joe Tesla, he's perfectly imperfect as the hero, and his service dog Edison is always a bright spot. In The Chemistry of Death, Joe is pitted against a serial killer who is using the subway tunnels underneath Manhattan, those same tunnels that Joe and Edison call home. I dearly love serial killer thrillers so this mash-up of favorite characters and favorite plot device was perfect.
The author really shines with her character development. We learn more about girlfriend Celeste's slowly dying from ALS, Celeste's brother playboy Leandro, and Vivian the bodyguard gets the spotlight in several chapters. There was a new character, Parker, who I really liked even though he was only in briefly, I hope he gets some more play later in the series. The story tied up almost all of the loose ends from the previous two books. We find out who is behind Joe's agoraphobia and why.
The X-Men reference made me laugh out loud. I really like the narrator so after I finish up the Joe Tesla series I'm going to see if he's read any other books I might like.
September 8, 2015
I recently finished Rebecca Cantrell’s third book about Joe Tesla, and it gripped me from the very beginning. Joe still suffers from crippling agoraphobia, and in this book we come to learn more about his condition and its origins. When we learn that a serial killer is prowling the subway tunnels and Joe and Edison inadvertently stray into the killer’s crosshairs, it made for a very exciting read (and unexpected twists)! I really love the character of Vivian Torres, and I was happy to see her in this book again. I hope that she continues to figure prominently in future books (I could even see her as the main protagonist in her own book series… I hope Rebecca gives that idea some thought!). I really love ALL of Rebecca Cantrell’s books, and if you haven’t delved into this series yet, now is the time!
September 17, 2015
Review
Rebecca Cantrell arrived on my radar as part of an excellent series with James Rollins ( Blood Gospel,Innocent Blood andBlood Infernal ). This opened up the question about her stand alone projects. So she dangled her Joe Tesla book one under my nose.
This began with The World beneath and i have to say it was an excellent book, something a bit different and unexpected, rather than lose that individuality or flog the idea to death in The Tesla Legacy and now Chemistry of death she has produced a fantastic story arc following the exploits be they mental, emotional or physical for Joe Tesla in his search to return to the outside world and discover how he became trapped
read the full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
Rebecca Cantrell arrived on my radar as part of an excellent series with James Rollins ( Blood Gospel,Innocent Blood andBlood Infernal ). This opened up the question about her stand alone projects. So she dangled her Joe Tesla book one under my nose.
This began with The World beneath and i have to say it was an excellent book, something a bit different and unexpected, rather than lose that individuality or flog the idea to death in The Tesla Legacy and now Chemistry of death she has produced a fantastic story arc following the exploits be they mental, emotional or physical for Joe Tesla in his search to return to the outside world and discover how he became trapped
read the full review: https://parmenionbooks.wordpress.com/...
September 1, 2015
As with the other two Tesla books, The Chemistry of Death features intriguing subplots including high-tech toys, and most fascinating--cutting edge technology intent on re-training the brain. Fascinating and intense, some of this full-throttle thriller takes place in the tunnels beneath NYC.
The read is at times terrifying, because the main plot focuses on a brilliant hero, Joe Tesla, in constant agony, trapped in a brain he cannot "fix" as he faces his fears, with the aid of his four-footed sidekick Edison.
Cantrell is the mistress of suspense. A writer of the highest quality and imagination, who never ceases to amaze with her command of language and prowess for the arc of suspense. A must read.
The read is at times terrifying, because the main plot focuses on a brilliant hero, Joe Tesla, in constant agony, trapped in a brain he cannot "fix" as he faces his fears, with the aid of his four-footed sidekick Edison.
Cantrell is the mistress of suspense. A writer of the highest quality and imagination, who never ceases to amaze with her command of language and prowess for the arc of suspense. A must read.
August 28, 2015
Joe Tesla Series Book #3
I was given this book from the author for free for an honest review.
The world of Joe Tesla doesn't disappoint.
Joe Tesla finds a serial killer. Twists, turns in the tunnels again. Though some parts were slow and it jumped around quite a bit, it was still an enjoyable read. I did feel like this one moved more then the second book for me.
I suggest reading the series starting with book 1 for the introduction to the characters. If you liked the first books, this one is another hit.
I was given this book from the author for free for an honest review.
The world of Joe Tesla doesn't disappoint.
Joe Tesla finds a serial killer. Twists, turns in the tunnels again. Though some parts were slow and it jumped around quite a bit, it was still an enjoyable read. I did feel like this one moved more then the second book for me.
I suggest reading the series starting with book 1 for the introduction to the characters. If you liked the first books, this one is another hit.
November 12, 2017
Another successful thriller in the Tesla series, in which Cantrell is back to form after a less good second novel. Even though I realized who the killer was halfway through, I still enjoyed reading this book, turning page after page quickly to find out whether I was right. The characters of Tesla and Vivian are very well done, and keep me intrigued and wanting more of them. The minor characters are also written expertly, and add a lot to the enjoyment of the book. A good series to savor when you really need to be swallowed whole by a novel.
April 20, 2017
This was the third book in the Joe Tesla trilogy. We learn more about why Joe became an agoraphobic and there is some resolution for him and his girlfriend Celeste. I liked this series. It provided me with something a little different, with a lot of suspense and mystery thrown in. Cantrell had collaborated with James Rollins (another one of my favorite authors) on some of his books, so I knew her writing would let me imagine a new world as portrayed in these books! Fast reads.
July 5, 2016
I hope there will be more of Joe.
May 16, 2023
Depression, how far down can you go before you decide to die?
What would happen if someone would develop a drug that brings your deepest fears to the surface? One person did and 10 women committed suicide. He has to be stopped, but who is he.
Joe Tesla lives in the tunnels under New York. He programs an alert system that would bing when someone enters the tunnels hoping to catch the killer.
Enjoyed the story and was a little surprised by the ending. Going to read next in series.
What would happen if someone would develop a drug that brings your deepest fears to the surface? One person did and 10 women committed suicide. He has to be stopped, but who is he.
Joe Tesla lives in the tunnels under New York. He programs an alert system that would bing when someone enters the tunnels hoping to catch the killer.
Enjoyed the story and was a little surprised by the ending. Going to read next in series.
May 16, 2023
Chemistry of Death
Dark thriller with madness and betrayal. Jealousy twists thought. Some aspects of the previous books have not been resolved and are nebulously hanging. Edison is the best character.
Dark thriller with madness and betrayal. Jealousy twists thought. Some aspects of the previous books have not been resolved and are nebulously hanging. Edison is the best character.
August 8, 2018
I initially chose this book from among 500 others because I wanted a book I'd know I'd like. This is my third solo book by this author and fifth book total, and I liked the others so this seemed a safe bet.
And it was in many ways. It is a good book: fast-paced, interesting storyline, unique characters, etc, but I had one huge problem. This book was so easy to figure out!
First off, it's a fairly short book, so there aren't many people to choose from when one is searching for the bad guy. There's only a few people it could be and I don't even think there was a red herring. It's a longer book condensed into a novella. Which I don't mind, because it makes for a quick, tight read, but it makes the mystery quite easy to solve. I figured it out when the author dropped the first hint (an obvious one) and every hint after that only made me more sure. I was really hoping that she would turn things on their head and make the culprit someone else entirely, but she went right along with it. It was so obvious that I actually was annoyed at the main character for not figuring it out, a death knell for a series if ever there was one. Joe Tesla is supposed to be a genius and all these clues danced in front of his eyes and he didn't figure it out before I did? Some genius.
As you can see, I really only had one problem with this little book, but it's driving me crazy thinking of someone missing such obvious hints, and I'm somewhat ashamed of the author who I thought always wrote so well before this book.
And it was in many ways. It is a good book: fast-paced, interesting storyline, unique characters, etc, but I had one huge problem. This book was so easy to figure out!
First off, it's a fairly short book, so there aren't many people to choose from when one is searching for the bad guy. There's only a few people it could be and I don't even think there was a red herring. It's a longer book condensed into a novella. Which I don't mind, because it makes for a quick, tight read, but it makes the mystery quite easy to solve. I figured it out when the author dropped the first hint (an obvious one) and every hint after that only made me more sure. I was really hoping that she would turn things on their head and make the culprit someone else entirely, but she went right along with it. It was so obvious that I actually was annoyed at the main character for not figuring it out, a death knell for a series if ever there was one. Joe Tesla is supposed to be a genius and all these clues danced in front of his eyes and he didn't figure it out before I did? Some genius.
As you can see, I really only had one problem with this little book, but it's driving me crazy thinking of someone missing such obvious hints, and I'm somewhat ashamed of the author who I thought always wrote so well before this book.
May 21, 2020
As usual, Book Three of the Joe Tesla series was a fast-paced action thriller. This time around, Joe faces off with a serial killer who has been using the NYC subway tunnels as his playground.
The Good: Regular readers of the series will be excited by all the reveals in this book, including how Joe’s agoraphobia started, who was behind it, and why they poisoned him. For this reason alone, Book Three is a must read for those who have invested time into the first two books in the series.
The Bad: I was disappointed by the author’s decision to have Dirk make a transphobic comment. Additionally, Joe picked on his beloved dog, Edison, at one point for doing something “kind of girly.” Neither of these comments were necessary, nor did they feel true to the characters.
Overall: The last half of the book is truly exciting and breaks some important ground for the series. If some of the oddly mean-spirited and completely unnecessary comments from earlier in the book had been omitted, this might have been my favorite Joe Tesla book. As it is, though, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth a couple of times, and that’s not easy to forget. It’s a shame the author let such commentary dampen the reading experience.
The Good: Regular readers of the series will be excited by all the reveals in this book, including how Joe’s agoraphobia started, who was behind it, and why they poisoned him. For this reason alone, Book Three is a must read for those who have invested time into the first two books in the series.
The Bad: I was disappointed by the author’s decision to have Dirk make a transphobic comment. Additionally, Joe picked on his beloved dog, Edison, at one point for doing something “kind of girly.” Neither of these comments were necessary, nor did they feel true to the characters.
Overall: The last half of the book is truly exciting and breaks some important ground for the series. If some of the oddly mean-spirited and completely unnecessary comments from earlier in the book had been omitted, this might have been my favorite Joe Tesla book. As it is, though, I was left with a bad taste in my mouth a couple of times, and that’s not easy to forget. It’s a shame the author let such commentary dampen the reading experience.
May 24, 2020
I got the first Joe Tesla novel (The World Beneath) for free on BookBub and thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided to buy a 3 volume box set including the next two in the series. They were surprisingly delightful reads, especially this third volume. It had me hooked from the first page and had me guessing who-done-it till the very end.
Read these books if you want an engaging, well thought out, quick easy read.
I loved the characters, the plot twists, the suspense and the intrigue of living under NYCity. And how can you go wrong when one of the main characters is a dog?
Great read. Highly recommend. I'm off to read the 4th in the series..... I will be reading everything I can from Rebecca Cantrell namely the Hannah Vogel series.
Read these books if you want an engaging, well thought out, quick easy read.
I loved the characters, the plot twists, the suspense and the intrigue of living under NYCity. And how can you go wrong when one of the main characters is a dog?
Great read. Highly recommend. I'm off to read the 4th in the series..... I will be reading everything I can from Rebecca Cantrell namely the Hannah Vogel series.
September 17, 2019
I just love this series. In this "episode," Tesla uses his knowledge of the underground tunnels and technology to track a crazed serial killer who murders young women by convincing them (with the help of drugs) to stand on the subway tracks in the path of a train while he watches. Joe's hunt nearly results in his own death -- and his dog's, and his gilfriend's-- but he lives on to star in a fourth book, which I have already reserved at the library. Had to reserve it through Worldcat, and it was in the catalogue of exactly one library in the nation. Why? That's a bigger mystery to me than the serial killer!
November 29, 2019
A serial killer is wandering about in Joe’s underground world and burying his trophies in a locked room. He’s just as annoyed that Joe is in what he considers ‘his’ space.
And the two are on a collision course. Assuming, they’ve not met before.
888
The third book in the series answers some questions from the previous titles, fills out the lives of some of the other characters, and ends on a kind of upbeat note for Joe.
Celeste his old love with ALS, is still refusing to see him and given his crippling agoraphobia it’s not like he can pop over for a visit.
Edison, his assistance dog does not get hurt… just letting you know.
4 stars
Lucky I’ve already got book 4!
And the two are on a collision course. Assuming, they’ve not met before.
888
The third book in the series answers some questions from the previous titles, fills out the lives of some of the other characters, and ends on a kind of upbeat note for Joe.
Celeste his old love with ALS, is still refusing to see him and given his crippling agoraphobia it’s not like he can pop over for a visit.
Edison, his assistance dog does not get hurt… just letting you know.
4 stars
Lucky I’ve already got book 4!
September 12, 2017
best of the series so far, story and character (and author) really coming into their own now. great story, more backstory filled, more questions answered! i get the benefit of reading these all in a row vs waiting a year for each story though.
only concern - not sure how much longer this series can go on in it's current form with stories. i guess i'll find out if/where it's leading in final available 4th book next. certainly looked somewhat possible in this #3 for different ideas going forward, TBD...
only concern - not sure how much longer this series can go on in it's current form with stories. i guess i'll find out if/where it's leading in final available 4th book next. certainly looked somewhat possible in this #3 for different ideas going forward, TBD...
September 15, 2017
This is the 3rd book in the series (I've read #1 and #2, also good books). I was pretty sure who the bad guy was, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story. The environment (hello, a victorian house underground in the subway system!! :-) characters and mysteries are interesting, and the whole thing is just very well written. A quick read that just pulled me along through the tunnels. I would recommend starting from book #1 ("The World Beneath"). One more to go for me! (write more please Ms. Cantrell)
August 7, 2017
I still like the world that Cantrell has created, but I thought that the villain was a little weak. I don't want to go into detail because of spoilers, but I thought that the author relied too much on old, boring tropes (some of which are a little offensive, tbh) and not enough on creating a cool villain. It's disappointing because her main character and some of the supporting cast are much better done.
January 28, 2018
A satisfying entry in the Joe Tesla series. This story tied up loose ends and sets the stage for the next stage of Joe's life. The action moved the story along and so I found it a quick read. The who of the whodunit wasn't readily apparent which I always appreciate. I liked the supporting characters and thought they were pretty well drawn. I will be reading the next book in this somewhat quirky series.
May 13, 2017
I read both number 2 and number 3 of the Joe Tesla in quick succession. The continuing story of brilliant Joe Tesla, crippled by agoraphobia and living in a house deep below New York, is fascinating. I highly recommend this series, both on Audible and written form. I am looking forward to the next installment!
July 13, 2020
Another good Joe Tesla book
It is great to keep up with Joe Tesla and his wonderful dog Edison. As usual the writing in this series is great and there is a lot to love about this book. But since I don't like to read about serial killers, the subject matter of this book drags my enthusiasm down to a 4 star rating.
It is great to keep up with Joe Tesla and his wonderful dog Edison. As usual the writing in this series is great and there is a lot to love about this book. But since I don't like to read about serial killers, the subject matter of this book drags my enthusiasm down to a 4 star rating.
January 10, 2021
I am enjoying this series. While I didn’t love it as much as the first book, it still contains information to help piece together certain parts of Joe’s story. I like the characters and that Joe has a dog sidekick. Great ending, by the way!
I also found it interesting to read the addition by the author at the end.
I also found it interesting to read the addition by the author at the end.
February 3, 2023
An excellent end to the series though Cantrell does leave a loophole for another book.
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