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The Motive
2016 Winner of the Tony Hillerman Prize for Best Fiction Book of the Year. In “The Motive,” Joseph Badal presents the first book in his new series, The Curtis Chronicles. This latest addition to Badal’s offering of acclaimed, best-selling thrillers delivers the same sort of action and suspense that readers have come to expect and enjoy from his previous nine novels. Confronted with suspicious information relating to his sister Susan’s supposed suicide in Honolulu, Albuquerque surgeon Matt Curtis questions whether his sister really killed herself. With the help of his sister’s best friend, Renee Drummond, and his former Special Forces comrade, Esteban Maldonado, Matt investigates Susan’s death. But Lonnie Jackson, the head of organized crime in Hawaii, afraid that Matt has gotten too close to the truth, sends killers after him. This is an artfully written book that will appeal to readers who like thrillers with fully-developed characters, a big plot, and plenty of action, seasoned with friendship and romance. “The Motive” puts the reader on a roller coaster ride of non-stop thrills and chills, propelled by realistic dialogue and a colorful cast of characters. It is another entertaining story from a master story-teller where good and evil struggle for supremacy and everyday heroes battle malevolent antagonists. “ ‘The Motive’ is a nail biter I couldn’t put down. Joseph Badal knows how to make his legion of readers sweat to the very last paragraph. He has mastered the art of writing—and suspense. Bravo!” —Parris Afton Bonds, Award-Winning Author of “Dream Time”
406 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2016
142 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Joseph Badal
31 books135 followers"Joe Badal has had a varied and successful career. After 6 years as a decorated commissioned Army officer, having served in Vietnam and Greece, he had a long banking and finance career. He has had 18 suspense novels published: 4 stand-alones (The Pythagorean Solution, Shell Game, Ultimate Betrayal, and Payback); 7 books in the Danforth Saga (Evil Deeds, Terror Cell, The Nostradamus Secret,The Lone Wolf Agenda, Death Ship, Sins of the Fathers, and The Carnevale Conspiracy); 4 books in the Lassiter/Martinez Case Files (Borderline, Dark Angel, Natural Causes, and Everything To Lose); and 3 books in the Curtis Chronicles (The Motive, Obsessed, and Justice).
He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author and has received numerous awards, including being recognized as "One of The 50 Best Writers You Should Be Reading." He is a two-time winner of the Tony Hillerman Award for Best Fiction Book of the Year and has received multiple Gold Medals from the Military Writers Society of America. He was named Write of the year by the Military Writers Society of America in 2021. His books have received Finalist honors in the International Book Awards contest and in the Eric Hoffer Awards.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Finance and Business Administration, is a graduate of the Stanford University Law School's Director College, and of the Defense Language Institute, West Coast.
Joe has also written dozens of articles that have been published in a variety of business magazines and trade journals, and is a frequent speaker at business and writers’ events. His blog, Everyday Heroes, highlights individuals just like you who are confronted with a challenge and rise to the occasion."
He is an Amazon #1 Best-Selling Author and has received numerous awards, including being recognized as "One of The 50 Best Writers You Should Be Reading." He is a two-time winner of the Tony Hillerman Award for Best Fiction Book of the Year and has received multiple Gold Medals from the Military Writers Society of America. He was named Write of the year by the Military Writers Society of America in 2021. His books have received Finalist honors in the International Book Awards contest and in the Eric Hoffer Awards.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in International Finance and Business Administration, is a graduate of the Stanford University Law School's Director College, and of the Defense Language Institute, West Coast.
Joe has also written dozens of articles that have been published in a variety of business magazines and trade journals, and is a frequent speaker at business and writers’ events. His blog, Everyday Heroes, highlights individuals just like you who are confronted with a challenge and rise to the occasion."
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
November 26, 2020
The next No. 1 read in this genre!!!
What an absolute ripper of a read! Having read multiple books by authors such as David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, James Patterson and John Connolly, just to name a few, I have no hesitation in ranking this read by Joseph Badal, as the equal, at the very least, of these illustrious writers.
Murder, drugs, child exploitation, corruption at the highest levels, and revenge make this a brilliant fast-paced read that is rough, tough and gritty. Throw in a touch of romance, an idyllic setting in Hawaii, a tough protagonist and his ex-army buddy, and you have the perfect ingredients for a best seller.
As this is Book 1 of “The Curtis Chronicles”, I literally cannot wait to start the next, of what I know will be a brilliant, sequel.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ amazing stars for this read by the next best-selling author of this genre.
What an absolute ripper of a read! Having read multiple books by authors such as David Baldacci, Vince Flynn, James Patterson and John Connolly, just to name a few, I have no hesitation in ranking this read by Joseph Badal, as the equal, at the very least, of these illustrious writers.
Murder, drugs, child exploitation, corruption at the highest levels, and revenge make this a brilliant fast-paced read that is rough, tough and gritty. Throw in a touch of romance, an idyllic setting in Hawaii, a tough protagonist and his ex-army buddy, and you have the perfect ingredients for a best seller.
As this is Book 1 of “The Curtis Chronicles”, I literally cannot wait to start the next, of what I know will be a brilliant, sequel.
Five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ amazing stars for this read by the next best-selling author of this genre.
June 4, 2019
Great Read
Excellent piece of work by Joseph Badal. Long laying and detailed, rich in plot and character. Lots of twists and turns to keep you engaged. Good job!
Excellent piece of work by Joseph Badal. Long laying and detailed, rich in plot and character. Lots of twists and turns to keep you engaged. Good job!
June 9, 2020
Good plot about an Albuquerque doctor who’s called to Hawaii upon the death of his sister. He doesn’t believe it’s a suicide, as the police claim, and sets out to prove it. Along the way, he meets a woman his sister worked with to help kids, and when they’re both threatened, enlists the aid of a former pal. My only gripe is the novel spends too much time on the bad guys’ stories and also drags out the ending – which segues to the next book in the series. Still, it was full of action and adventure, tension and plot development and several great characters.
May 18, 2022
Interesting, if not always believable tale of a crime boss, corruption and murder in Honolulu filled with stereotyped characters.
This could have earned more stars if the author had known more about the locale he used. Even with the license of fiction, dialog and descriptions shod a lack of knowledge of local culture. The ending was a much too convenient happily ever after ... except for what's looming in the next volume.
This could have earned more stars if the author had known more about the locale he used. Even with the license of fiction, dialog and descriptions shod a lack of knowledge of local culture. The ending was a much too convenient happily ever after ... except for what's looming in the next volume.
December 11, 2019
He felt disorientated in the operating room, that was when his sister Susan committed suicide. Feeling like he let her down.as he heading to Honolulu.
Cops aren’t looking, said she fell off the balcony. Matt decided to do his own investigation, in which he meets unsavory characters.The story is well written, direct, and the setting of Hawaii is good.
Cops aren’t looking, said she fell off the balcony. Matt decided to do his own investigation, in which he meets unsavory characters.The story is well written, direct, and the setting of Hawaii is good.
June 10, 2024
The Motive
An okay book. A bit predictable. Did not care for the way the relationship between Matt and Renee developed so quickly. The plot was a bit choppy and did not fully address the development. Some things were started and never completed satisfactorily e.g. the runaway young girl.
An okay book. A bit predictable. Did not care for the way the relationship between Matt and Renee developed so quickly. The plot was a bit choppy and did not fully address the development. Some things were started and never completed satisfactorily e.g. the runaway young girl.
August 11, 2020
😳🥴
This was a good story but I felt like it was tooooo long.. Matt was hell on bent trying to find out what happen to his sister.. He knew what they said wasn’t right.. This is a thriller at its best but again way to long for me in my opinion..
This was a good story but I felt like it was tooooo long.. Matt was hell on bent trying to find out what happen to his sister.. He knew what they said wasn’t right.. This is a thriller at its best but again way to long for me in my opinion..
November 22, 2021
Started off slow and I thought I might have picked the wrong book. But it soon picked up and went down avenues I was not expecting. Some nice twists to the plot and a bunch of interesting characters along this journey.
June 3, 2020
A gripping thriller from start to end.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but Badal tells a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a lot of twists and that kept me glued!
Warning: There are some violent and graphic scenes.
I wasn't sure what to expect, but Badal tells a story that kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a lot of twists and that kept me glued!
Warning: There are some violent and graphic scenes.
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February 3, 2019MWSA Review
"The Motive" introduces a new character, Dr. Matthew Curtis an orthopedic surgeon with a background in special forces. His main antagonist is a wily and street smart Hawaiian who manages to keep more than one step ahead of the law.
Matt flies to Hawaii upon learning of the death of his sister, to whom he was very close. He does not believe she committed suicide as the main investigator believes. Meeting his sister's friends and colleagues takes him into various parts of the islands including an important flight to Kauai. When he realizes that his sister's best friend Renee may be in danger, he calls on former special forces comrades who come equipped to defend Matt and Renee, for whom he has a special attraction.
A complicated web of crime in this tropical paradise with some international players creates a fast-moving thriller with many twists in the story. Who can be trusted? Who is in charge? And who does that crime boss own? It's hard to put this book down, and the end leaves you wanting the next book in the series.
MWSA Review by Nancy Kauffman (February 2019)
"The Motive" introduces a new character, Dr. Matthew Curtis an orthopedic surgeon with a background in special forces. His main antagonist is a wily and street smart Hawaiian who manages to keep more than one step ahead of the law.
Matt flies to Hawaii upon learning of the death of his sister, to whom he was very close. He does not believe she committed suicide as the main investigator believes. Meeting his sister's friends and colleagues takes him into various parts of the islands including an important flight to Kauai. When he realizes that his sister's best friend Renee may be in danger, he calls on former special forces comrades who come equipped to defend Matt and Renee, for whom he has a special attraction.
A complicated web of crime in this tropical paradise with some international players creates a fast-moving thriller with many twists in the story. Who can be trusted? Who is in charge? And who does that crime boss own? It's hard to put this book down, and the end leaves you wanting the next book in the series.
MWSA Review by Nancy Kauffman (February 2019)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews