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Jake Longly #4
Rigged
First loves are never forgotten. Ever. Certainly not for Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers. His first-kiss, sixth-grade love, Emily, who he has not seen since grammar school, is sliding toward divorce in the artsy Gulf Coast town of Fairhope, Alabama. Longly Investigations has been charged with looking into the finances involved. When Emily doesn’t appear for their nervously anticipated meeting, Pancake’s radar goes on high alert. Her body, along with that of Jason––one of two guys she has been dating––is found murdered, execution-style, Pancake calls in Jake, Nicole, and Ray. Who would have done this? Could it be the soon-to-be ex, who has an ironclad alibi; the other guy Emily was seeing––jealousy being a motive for harm; or do the drugs found in Jason’s pocket indicate a drug-related hit? That world yields a host of suspects. As they peel back the layers of this idyllic community, dark secrets come to light and convoluted motives and methods of murder emerge.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2020
24 people are currently reading
801 people want to read
About the author
D.P. Lyle
34 books154 followersDP Lyle, MD is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Scribe, Silver Falchion, and USA Best Book Award nominated author of many non-fiction books as well as numerous works of fiction.
He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others
For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.
He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others
For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
June 9, 2020
3.5 stars
Looking for a book to give you some time away from the craziness of our world, then this book might just be for you. The characters I read in the book, Sunshine State, are back and what I loved about them all is still prevalent in this outing. Jake, the ex baseball player who is a PI, but not a PI working for his father's agency is once again pulled into a murder. He is joined by the ever lovely, smart Nicole, as well as Pancake, a lovable tough guy who seems to see and know all, and has a voracious appetite.
In this outing, Pancake is back to visit an old time lost love , Emily. When she doesn't show for their get together, Pancake becomes leery. Later, Pancake learns that she and her boyfriend have been shot in what seems like a mob, drug style killing.
The team from Longly Investigations is called in and goes to work trying to unmask the killer and as the suspects line up the reader wonders who could the murderer be? Could it be the husband who has an iron clad alibi? Could it be the other boyfriend of Emily's, or could it be that drugs have a hand in the murder of these two.
Fast paced with that wonderful repartee that happens between Nicole and Jake, this was a nice addition to the Jake Longly series.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this story.
Looking for a book to give you some time away from the craziness of our world, then this book might just be for you. The characters I read in the book, Sunshine State, are back and what I loved about them all is still prevalent in this outing. Jake, the ex baseball player who is a PI, but not a PI working for his father's agency is once again pulled into a murder. He is joined by the ever lovely, smart Nicole, as well as Pancake, a lovable tough guy who seems to see and know all, and has a voracious appetite.
In this outing, Pancake is back to visit an old time lost love , Emily. When she doesn't show for their get together, Pancake becomes leery. Later, Pancake learns that she and her boyfriend have been shot in what seems like a mob, drug style killing.
The team from Longly Investigations is called in and goes to work trying to unmask the killer and as the suspects line up the reader wonders who could the murderer be? Could it be the husband who has an iron clad alibi? Could it be the other boyfriend of Emily's, or could it be that drugs have a hand in the murder of these two.
Fast paced with that wonderful repartee that happens between Nicole and Jake, this was a nice addition to the Jake Longly series.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this story.
May 19, 2020
Jake Longly is a former major league pitcher, now living in Florida, owns a bar and working "part-time" for his father, who owns Longly Investigations. Jake's father is constantly trying to get Jake to work from me and the only success he has is when his girlfriend (who also is a PI) drags him along with her.
When a friend's first love goes missing, Tommy "Pancake" Jeffers is very concerned. When her body is found, murdered execution style, along with two men, Pancake calls in Longly Investigations ... and Jake.
The woman victim had a soon-to-be ex, a current man she's been dating, and maybe a link to drugs. There's a whole host of suspects. most who have deep[, dark secrets they don't want shared.
But who would want her dead ...and why?
While the subject of murder is a serious one, Jake seems to have some hilarious moments .. mostly those having to do with his father, his ex-wife, his girlfriend, and his friends. The author has nicely blended the two halves of this laid-back character. The action is practically non-stop and leading to an unexpected, surprise ending.
Many thanks to the author / Ocean View Publishers / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
When a friend's first love goes missing, Tommy "Pancake" Jeffers is very concerned. When her body is found, murdered execution style, along with two men, Pancake calls in Longly Investigations ... and Jake.
The woman victim had a soon-to-be ex, a current man she's been dating, and maybe a link to drugs. There's a whole host of suspects. most who have deep[, dark secrets they don't want shared.
But who would want her dead ...and why?
While the subject of murder is a serious one, Jake seems to have some hilarious moments .. mostly those having to do with his father, his ex-wife, his girlfriend, and his friends. The author has nicely blended the two halves of this laid-back character. The action is practically non-stop and leading to an unexpected, surprise ending.
Many thanks to the author / Ocean View Publishers / Netgalley / Edelweiss for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
May 25, 2020
“Rigged” by D. P. Lyle is part of the “The Jake Longly” series, but every reader will quickly fall into the rhythm of the narrative, and be captivated by the characters. The greatness of a story hinges on superb characters, plot, and setting, and “Rigged” has all three. The Gulf Coast draws readers in with its splendor, and the specific localities can easily be seen on Google Maps. The plot is not just another case, but it is a personal journey from the start.
Despite the geography and the plot, there would not be a story without Lyle’s characters. “Rigged” is not about the end, it is about the trip and this specific trip with these people. They do not have cases, they have situations. They might be someone’s best friend or worst nightmare. The book is just a reason for readers to spend time with them. Jake Longly is an ex-major league baseball stud, restauranteur, defender of frivolous lawsuits, and a world-class avoider of work. Too much real thinking gives him a headache. Nicole Jamison is a screen writer and assistant PI. She knows Krav Maga, loves fast cars, and is excellent at multitasking. She is smart, good with people, and able to keep Jake on a short leash. Tommy Jeffers, aka Pancake, is a best friend, has crazy computer skills, and baby sits Jake and Nicole, well just Jake; Nicole can take care of herself.
The story unfolds in Jake’s first person narrative, not really a narrative in the formal since, just a good old boy telling a story. It is conversation driven with short crisp sentences filled with focus, meaning, and a friendly but probing attitude.
“Rigged” is a thrill ride through the Alabama Gulf Coast in a criminal sort of way. There are unlikely victims, lots of questions, and diverse plot elements. People do not have to be smart to commit a murder, but need brains to get away with it. Jake, Nicole, and Pancake have the brainpower to catch them. I received a review copy of” Rigged” from D. P. Lyle, Oceanview Publishing, and Independent Publishers Group. I loved every word.
Despite the geography and the plot, there would not be a story without Lyle’s characters. “Rigged” is not about the end, it is about the trip and this specific trip with these people. They do not have cases, they have situations. They might be someone’s best friend or worst nightmare. The book is just a reason for readers to spend time with them. Jake Longly is an ex-major league baseball stud, restauranteur, defender of frivolous lawsuits, and a world-class avoider of work. Too much real thinking gives him a headache. Nicole Jamison is a screen writer and assistant PI. She knows Krav Maga, loves fast cars, and is excellent at multitasking. She is smart, good with people, and able to keep Jake on a short leash. Tommy Jeffers, aka Pancake, is a best friend, has crazy computer skills, and baby sits Jake and Nicole, well just Jake; Nicole can take care of herself.
The story unfolds in Jake’s first person narrative, not really a narrative in the formal since, just a good old boy telling a story. It is conversation driven with short crisp sentences filled with focus, meaning, and a friendly but probing attitude.
“Rigged” is a thrill ride through the Alabama Gulf Coast in a criminal sort of way. There are unlikely victims, lots of questions, and diverse plot elements. People do not have to be smart to commit a murder, but need brains to get away with it. Jake, Nicole, and Pancake have the brainpower to catch them. I received a review copy of” Rigged” from D. P. Lyle, Oceanview Publishing, and Independent Publishers Group. I loved every word.
May 22, 2020
Story started strong with what was to be a meeting between a couple who were sixth grade sweethearts. Then... Longly Investigations gets involved in a murder times two instead of a divorce of Emily who was half of this sixth grade romance with Pancake (Tommy Jeffers) who is a member of Longly. Lots of investigating but also a lot of same scenes being replayed again and again. Plot was a bit slow but kept the push to want to know how this tale is resolved. "A copy of this book was provided by Oceanview Publishing via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion." Lyle presents this as a series staring Longly Investigations but Rigged worked well as a stand alone.
June 8, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for a review copy of Rigged, the fourth novel to feature Alabama bar owner and occasional, reluctant PI Jake Longly.
Emily Patterson has filed for divorce and her lawyer has asked Longly Investigations to look at the financials, so her primary school beau, Thomas “Pancake” Jeffers, is in Fairhope to investigate and meet with Emily for the first time in over 20 years. When she doesn’t turn up for their meeting he is alarmed. When her body and that of one of her boyfriends are found he is determined to get justice for her.
I have not read any of this author’s work before, so being always on the lookout for new series I accepted the offer to read Rigged. I enjoyed it as it can only be described as a caper with a good mystery attached.
The novel is mostly told from Jake Longly’s first person perspective with other characters’ thoughts and actions in the third person added as and when required. Jake is a bar owner and not a PI, but gets roped in when his father’s agency needs him or when his best friend, Pancake, and girlfriend, Nicole, encourage him to help them with their work for Longly Investigations. He has an amusing take on life and investigative work so the novel has a lighthearted tone. Unfortunately his shtick gets a bit repetitive as the novel progresses. It seems like Nicole’s voracious sexual appetite and Pancake’s appetite for food get a mention on every second page.
Fortunately there is a puzzle surrounding the murder and that keeps the reader occupied for the first three quarters of the novel with the last quarter occupied with getting proof against their prime suspect. Who would want to kill the clean living Emily and her boyfriend? There aren’t many suspects and they all have alibis. It’s intriguing and the solution ingenious.
I’m glad I read Rigged as it is entertaining but, for me, it’s one and done with the series. I don’t think I could cope with the humour over a series.
Emily Patterson has filed for divorce and her lawyer has asked Longly Investigations to look at the financials, so her primary school beau, Thomas “Pancake” Jeffers, is in Fairhope to investigate and meet with Emily for the first time in over 20 years. When she doesn’t turn up for their meeting he is alarmed. When her body and that of one of her boyfriends are found he is determined to get justice for her.
I have not read any of this author’s work before, so being always on the lookout for new series I accepted the offer to read Rigged. I enjoyed it as it can only be described as a caper with a good mystery attached.
The novel is mostly told from Jake Longly’s first person perspective with other characters’ thoughts and actions in the third person added as and when required. Jake is a bar owner and not a PI, but gets roped in when his father’s agency needs him or when his best friend, Pancake, and girlfriend, Nicole, encourage him to help them with their work for Longly Investigations. He has an amusing take on life and investigative work so the novel has a lighthearted tone. Unfortunately his shtick gets a bit repetitive as the novel progresses. It seems like Nicole’s voracious sexual appetite and Pancake’s appetite for food get a mention on every second page.
Fortunately there is a puzzle surrounding the murder and that keeps the reader occupied for the first three quarters of the novel with the last quarter occupied with getting proof against their prime suspect. Who would want to kill the clean living Emily and her boyfriend? There aren’t many suspects and they all have alibis. It’s intriguing and the solution ingenious.
I’m glad I read Rigged as it is entertaining but, for me, it’s one and done with the series. I don’t think I could cope with the humour over a series.
May 24, 2021
When the book opens, we find Jake Longly, a retired baseball pitcher and bar/restaurant owner on trial over an incident which happened at his bar, Captain Rocky’s. Fortunately, his attorney, the same lawyer that helped Jake’s ex-wife take him to the cleaners when they divorced, gets him off. Jake’s father, Ray, owns a Gulf Coast private detective agency, Longly Investigations. As it sometimes happens, Jake and his girlfriend Nicole get pulled into one of his father’s investigations when a young couple in Fairhope, Alabama, go missing and later the police find them in a farmer’s field, shot dead execution-style. The pair work with Ray and his investigator, Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers, one of Jake’s childhood friends, to help the Fairhope police find the motive and the killers.
Rigged is a unique private investigator novel in many ways, not the least of which is the Gulf Coast setting which I haven’t often encountered. Lyle does a good job of incorporating a lot of local favor into the book. Another distinctive aspect of the book is that despite a plot that centers on a murder investigation, there is humor aplenty which makes the novel a fun read.
While Pancake is my favorite character in the book, all the major characters are fully developed and realistic, even Jake’s angst-ridden ex-wife, Tammy, who we never see but who still makes frequent appearances via near constant harassing phone calls to Jake.
Generally, the book is face-paced and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next, but during the investigation there are some redundant scenes where Jake, Nicole, Pancake, or Ray interview a host of witnesses who all tell them basically the same thing, so much so that the scenes seem interchangeable. Little of what the witnesses tell the investigators serves to move the plot forward. The book does end, however, with a bang at the satisfying conclusion.
The plot, while a bit on the predictable side, is logical and realistic and in keeping with what I expected after reading the synopsis. At the beginning, Lyle begins the book in a conversational first person point of view style that much reminded me of another author I like, Robert W. Stephens, who also writes private detective novels. But then he flips back and forth between first person when giving us Jake’s perspective, to multiple third person points of view when dealing with the other characters, including the villains. I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, preferring that an author pick one and stick with it beyond the odd prologue. But Lyle does well enough with switching points of view that it isn’t as distracting to the reader as the practice often is.
Those who enjoy private detective novels with a healthy serving of humor and Gulf Coast colloquialisms should enjoy Rigged, which is the fourth installment of the Jake Longly series. It was my first book by D. P. Lyle. My enjoyment of it has sparked an interest in trying some of the previous titles in the series.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Edelweiss for the purposes of this review.
Rigged is a unique private investigator novel in many ways, not the least of which is the Gulf Coast setting which I haven’t often encountered. Lyle does a good job of incorporating a lot of local favor into the book. Another distinctive aspect of the book is that despite a plot that centers on a murder investigation, there is humor aplenty which makes the novel a fun read.
While Pancake is my favorite character in the book, all the major characters are fully developed and realistic, even Jake’s angst-ridden ex-wife, Tammy, who we never see but who still makes frequent appearances via near constant harassing phone calls to Jake.
Generally, the book is face-paced and keeps the reader turning the pages to see what happens next, but during the investigation there are some redundant scenes where Jake, Nicole, Pancake, or Ray interview a host of witnesses who all tell them basically the same thing, so much so that the scenes seem interchangeable. Little of what the witnesses tell the investigators serves to move the plot forward. The book does end, however, with a bang at the satisfying conclusion.
The plot, while a bit on the predictable side, is logical and realistic and in keeping with what I expected after reading the synopsis. At the beginning, Lyle begins the book in a conversational first person point of view style that much reminded me of another author I like, Robert W. Stephens, who also writes private detective novels. But then he flips back and forth between first person when giving us Jake’s perspective, to multiple third person points of view when dealing with the other characters, including the villains. I’m not a fan of multiple points of view, preferring that an author pick one and stick with it beyond the odd prologue. But Lyle does well enough with switching points of view that it isn’t as distracting to the reader as the practice often is.
Those who enjoy private detective novels with a healthy serving of humor and Gulf Coast colloquialisms should enjoy Rigged, which is the fourth installment of the Jake Longly series. It was my first book by D. P. Lyle. My enjoyment of it has sparked an interest in trying some of the previous titles in the series.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Edelweiss for the purposes of this review.
May 24, 2020
Following DEEP SIX, A-LIST and SUNSHINE STATE, this fourth Jake Longly installment finds Jake amusingly mulling that he’s “an ex-major league baseball stud, restaurateur, defender of frivolous lawsuits, lover of women, well, one in particular [Nicole Jemison], and for sure a world-class avoider of work.” Jake’s PI papa, Ray, agrees wholeheartedly with the latter part of his son’s micro-autobiography.
Jake’s best buddy and Ray’s hardworking investigator, Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers, heads to southern Alabama’s Mullins Bakery to reunite with sixth-grade sweetheart Emily Patterson. “The fluttering in his stomach wasn’t simply hunger.” But Emily, uncharacteristically, is not there. Is she avoiding an old flame, or is something more sinister going on here?
Pancake block is football terminology, from which former lineman Jeffers earned the moniker “Pancake.” He isn’t in the Mobile Bay area solely to meet a former sweetie. Emily intends to divorce Sean Patterson, who works an offshore oil rig more time than he is home, and has a second job. The couple accepts the kaput conjugation. She’s now a client of Ray’s PI firm, and Pancake is there to ferret financial records. It seems that his former flame inherited a house and other assets from her parents.
Emily has been seeing Jason Collins during the pending divorce. Pancake hopes to find Emily at her house, but sees only an open door, along with Jason’s truck and her car. “Love triangles can make even the most passive person do stupid stuff.”
A farmer reports to Police Chief Billie Warren two bodies a mile from Emily’s house. “Jason Collins’ exit wound had taken out his left eye,” a plastic bag of drugs found in his pocket. “Didn’t take a lot of investigative skills or years of experience to know what had happened. This had been an execution. Pure and simple.”
Assorted drug dealers and other nefarious sundries cloud the investigation “like a putrid fog.” The plot takes serpentine twists: “What before had been simply confusing was now a writhing snake pit. And the list of people who knew the truth was dwindling by the minute.”
This solid thriller by master forensics expert (FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES) D.P. Lyle culminates the Jake Longly series. Jake’s witty investigative skills --- and banter with teeth-clenching ex-wife Tammy --- make for a thoroughly satisfying summer read.
RIGGED concludes with a bang, a shoot-’em-up not portrayed since the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid finale or high noon at Tombstone’s O.K. Corral, the Old Kindersley livery stable.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
Jake’s best buddy and Ray’s hardworking investigator, Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers, heads to southern Alabama’s Mullins Bakery to reunite with sixth-grade sweetheart Emily Patterson. “The fluttering in his stomach wasn’t simply hunger.” But Emily, uncharacteristically, is not there. Is she avoiding an old flame, or is something more sinister going on here?
Pancake block is football terminology, from which former lineman Jeffers earned the moniker “Pancake.” He isn’t in the Mobile Bay area solely to meet a former sweetie. Emily intends to divorce Sean Patterson, who works an offshore oil rig more time than he is home, and has a second job. The couple accepts the kaput conjugation. She’s now a client of Ray’s PI firm, and Pancake is there to ferret financial records. It seems that his former flame inherited a house and other assets from her parents.
Emily has been seeing Jason Collins during the pending divorce. Pancake hopes to find Emily at her house, but sees only an open door, along with Jason’s truck and her car. “Love triangles can make even the most passive person do stupid stuff.”
A farmer reports to Police Chief Billie Warren two bodies a mile from Emily’s house. “Jason Collins’ exit wound had taken out his left eye,” a plastic bag of drugs found in his pocket. “Didn’t take a lot of investigative skills or years of experience to know what had happened. This had been an execution. Pure and simple.”
Assorted drug dealers and other nefarious sundries cloud the investigation “like a putrid fog.” The plot takes serpentine twists: “What before had been simply confusing was now a writhing snake pit. And the list of people who knew the truth was dwindling by the minute.”
This solid thriller by master forensics expert (FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES) D.P. Lyle culminates the Jake Longly series. Jake’s witty investigative skills --- and banter with teeth-clenching ex-wife Tammy --- make for a thoroughly satisfying summer read.
RIGGED concludes with a bang, a shoot-’em-up not portrayed since the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid finale or high noon at Tombstone’s O.K. Corral, the Old Kindersley livery stable.
Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy
July 25, 2020
Retired baseball pitcher Jake and his best friend Pancake went to grade school with Emily until her family moved out of town. Now her lawyer has hired Jake's father Ray's detective agency to look into a few things about her forthcoming divorce, and Pancake can't wait to see her again. When Emily misses the appointment and her shift at the bakery where she works, the guys fear trouble--but the trouble is much worse than they imagined. Emily and her new beau are found murdered. Usually her husband would have been the main suspect, but he has a perfect alibi. The two, joined by Ray and Jake's beautiful, sexy girlfriend Nicole, persuade the local police chief to help in the investigation. If you're looking for a fast-moving, not to say choppy, narrative, this should do you.
April 22, 2020
This is a fun book, albeit with murders. The fourth book of a series, it makes me want to find the earlier books and read them, too. The main narrator, Jake Longly, is extremely amusing, and the other characters are so well described the reader can almost see them. The author of “Rigged,” D P Lyle, is a medical doctor who has written another series about a forensic scientist, other fiction books, and nonfiction.
Jake Longly is a former major league pitcher, now retired and living in Florida. His father runs a private detective agency for which his best friend and girlfriend work. Jake owns a bar and doesn’t work for his father, with whom he has some problems, but goes along for the ride. The descriptions of the relationships Jake has with others, especially his ex-wife, are funny and enjoyable if not side-splitting.
I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to say much about the plot. You can read the blurb the publisher provided. The murders are a little gory, but not bad, so they should not upset anyone used to mysteries. You can safely let a teen read this book.
I really liked “Rigged.” I didn’t see the ending coming, and enjoyed the ride to get there. I am definitely going to find the first three books in the series. I am curious about Jake’s problems with his father, and I would like to know more about the other characters. Why not join me?
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
Jake Longly is a former major league pitcher, now retired and living in Florida. His father runs a private detective agency for which his best friend and girlfriend work. Jake owns a bar and doesn’t work for his father, with whom he has some problems, but goes along for the ride. The descriptions of the relationships Jake has with others, especially his ex-wife, are funny and enjoyable if not side-splitting.
I don’t like spoilers, so I am not going to say much about the plot. You can read the blurb the publisher provided. The murders are a little gory, but not bad, so they should not upset anyone used to mysteries. You can safely let a teen read this book.
I really liked “Rigged.” I didn’t see the ending coming, and enjoyed the ride to get there. I am definitely going to find the first three books in the series. I am curious about Jake’s problems with his father, and I would like to know more about the other characters. Why not join me?
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions are my own.
May 29, 2020
Your first love… do you ever forget that? Those crazy rushes of hormone-enhanced feelings, hours spent daydreaming, and riding that constant high, while the first flush of infatuation (or “love”, as we all call it at the time) lasts?
No, those memories stay with you, most of us would agree, and it’s that notion which is at the heart, if you will, of author D.P. Lyle’s latest thriller, Rigged.
But let me start by getting the big problem I have with this out of the way. The “first love”, in Rigged, took place between a pair of 12-year-olds… and ended right after the 6th grade, when the girl’s parents moved. (Okay, you’re thinking, so it was puppy love. What’s the problem?)
I wouldn’t have a problem, if the author didn’t make such a monumentally-big deal of it, with one of his main characters—the humorously-nicknamed “Pancake”—going on (and on) about how “in love” they were, and how much he’s thought about her in the intervening twenty-plus years… despite never once bothering to pick up the phone and call, or making any effort to drive thirty miles (which is all the further her parents moved) to see her?!? (Maybe, if the character was extremely shy, and still lived in his mother’s basement, and… but no, Pancake is otherwise portrayed as well-adjusted and charming, so… it’s a problem.)
Aside from that nit-picky issue, though, what do we have here? A regular line-up, in an ongoing series (although this is a new author and series to me), comprised of studly ex-baseball-player-cum-bar/restaurant owner, Jake Longly; his girlfriend, the luscious Nicole, who works for a private investigator—Ray Longly, Jake’s dad; along with the aforementioned Pancake, an ex-footballer-cum-p.i. Oh, and the Gulf Coast—around the Alabama-Florida line—which, if you know much about how different things can be in different areas of the U.S., definitely warrants a mention.
Anyway, Ray and Pancake agree to do some background work for a lawyer involving—oh, hey, Pancake’s long-lost “first love”, one Emily Patterson, who has filed for divorce from her husband, Sean.
After Emily fails to show up at the meeting Pancake has set with her in tiny Fairhope (where she’s been living, lo, these many years—since right after the sixth grade, you’ll recall), he heads out to her farmhouse, only to find the front door open and her car still there. He knows something isn’t right… and finds out how very not-right, the following day, when her body—along with that of a man she’d been seeing since separating from Sean—is found in a neighbor’s field, shot point-blank, execution style.
With the divorce now moot, there’s nothing for the team to do, though… until Emily’s younger brother, a Marine serving in the Middle East, hires them to investigate why this horrible thing happened to his sister. So, back to Fairhope they go.
What they find, though, doesn’t add up to much; Emily and Sean’s pending divorce was seemingly amicable (with each having since moved on to new relationships), and neither was into anything illegal or dangerous—certainly nothing the team can dig up, to call for a mob-style execution.
But, as anyone who’s ever lived in a small town knows, things are rarely as they appear on the surface… and nearly everyone has some skeletons buried somewhere.
_______________
It’s clear the author has a good feel for his characters… and assumes the reader does, too. (I actually like that approach—there’s not a ton of backstory or repetition, which is how an every-book-rehash feels if you’re a previous reader.) And, I found them more-or-less likable enough: Jake is cocky—the stereotypical smart-ass with a chip on his shoulder, who gets by on his charm and a keen instinct; Nicole is smart, sexy, and basically perfect (though every mention of how this gorgeous woman who turns heads wherever she goes doesn’t wear ANY makeup because “she doesn’t need to” elicited eye rolls from me, as only a male author is apt to buy into that); Ray, a retired Special Services kind of figure, who’s canny, connected, a little distant, and more than a little mysterious; and Pancake, who—for me, at least—was the star, with his combination of humor, smarts, likability, and strength.
And, the mystery itself—the murder of Emily and her boyfriend, and everything that comes after—is well-plotted, with ample surprises along the way to keep me turning the pages.
If you enjoy small-town tales of suspense set along the Gulf Coast, you could do worse than Rigged.
~GlamKitty
No, those memories stay with you, most of us would agree, and it’s that notion which is at the heart, if you will, of author D.P. Lyle’s latest thriller, Rigged.
But let me start by getting the big problem I have with this out of the way. The “first love”, in Rigged, took place between a pair of 12-year-olds… and ended right after the 6th grade, when the girl’s parents moved. (Okay, you’re thinking, so it was puppy love. What’s the problem?)
I wouldn’t have a problem, if the author didn’t make such a monumentally-big deal of it, with one of his main characters—the humorously-nicknamed “Pancake”—going on (and on) about how “in love” they were, and how much he’s thought about her in the intervening twenty-plus years… despite never once bothering to pick up the phone and call, or making any effort to drive thirty miles (which is all the further her parents moved) to see her?!? (Maybe, if the character was extremely shy, and still lived in his mother’s basement, and… but no, Pancake is otherwise portrayed as well-adjusted and charming, so… it’s a problem.)
Aside from that nit-picky issue, though, what do we have here? A regular line-up, in an ongoing series (although this is a new author and series to me), comprised of studly ex-baseball-player-cum-bar/restaurant owner, Jake Longly; his girlfriend, the luscious Nicole, who works for a private investigator—Ray Longly, Jake’s dad; along with the aforementioned Pancake, an ex-footballer-cum-p.i. Oh, and the Gulf Coast—around the Alabama-Florida line—which, if you know much about how different things can be in different areas of the U.S., definitely warrants a mention.
Anyway, Ray and Pancake agree to do some background work for a lawyer involving—oh, hey, Pancake’s long-lost “first love”, one Emily Patterson, who has filed for divorce from her husband, Sean.
After Emily fails to show up at the meeting Pancake has set with her in tiny Fairhope (where she’s been living, lo, these many years—since right after the sixth grade, you’ll recall), he heads out to her farmhouse, only to find the front door open and her car still there. He knows something isn’t right… and finds out how very not-right, the following day, when her body—along with that of a man she’d been seeing since separating from Sean—is found in a neighbor’s field, shot point-blank, execution style.
With the divorce now moot, there’s nothing for the team to do, though… until Emily’s younger brother, a Marine serving in the Middle East, hires them to investigate why this horrible thing happened to his sister. So, back to Fairhope they go.
What they find, though, doesn’t add up to much; Emily and Sean’s pending divorce was seemingly amicable (with each having since moved on to new relationships), and neither was into anything illegal or dangerous—certainly nothing the team can dig up, to call for a mob-style execution.
But, as anyone who’s ever lived in a small town knows, things are rarely as they appear on the surface… and nearly everyone has some skeletons buried somewhere.
_______________
It’s clear the author has a good feel for his characters… and assumes the reader does, too. (I actually like that approach—there’s not a ton of backstory or repetition, which is how an every-book-rehash feels if you’re a previous reader.) And, I found them more-or-less likable enough: Jake is cocky—the stereotypical smart-ass with a chip on his shoulder, who gets by on his charm and a keen instinct; Nicole is smart, sexy, and basically perfect (though every mention of how this gorgeous woman who turns heads wherever she goes doesn’t wear ANY makeup because “she doesn’t need to” elicited eye rolls from me, as only a male author is apt to buy into that); Ray, a retired Special Services kind of figure, who’s canny, connected, a little distant, and more than a little mysterious; and Pancake, who—for me, at least—was the star, with his combination of humor, smarts, likability, and strength.
And, the mystery itself—the murder of Emily and her boyfriend, and everything that comes after—is well-plotted, with ample surprises along the way to keep me turning the pages.
If you enjoy small-town tales of suspense set along the Gulf Coast, you could do worse than Rigged.
~GlamKitty
September 3, 2020
Rigged is part of the Jake Longly series, and my first introduction to both the series and to DP Lyle.
The book opens with Jake in a courtroom, and Pancake (Tommy) in a bakery. The former wins his case, and the latter misses Emily, a woman he's known since 6th grade and who he crushes on just as he did when they were young.
Emily is in the midst of a divorce, and her lawyer, Walter Horton, is the very same man who defended Jake at the opening of the book. Longly Investigations is hired to look into Emily's husband's finances.
Emily fails to show for a meeting and also does not show up for her job, which is unusual. Pancake heads out to look for Emily, only to find her and her boyfriend Jason dead, shot execution style.
We then get moving with the book, as Longly is pulled in to investigate (alongside the police investigation) who killed Emily. Her soon to be ex Sean has an iron tight alibi: he was on an offshore rig, working. Did he find a way to be in two places at one time? Or were the couple murdered by an unknown third party? The team consists of Pancake, Ray (owner of the Longly Investigations business) Jake (Ray's son, Pancake's friend), and Nicole, a stunning to all, perfect woman who doesn't wear makeup because she doesn't "need to" (and Mr Lyle, please run these things by a woman first).
The plot is decent, and the book is perfectly readable as a standalone, so the question of whether you have to have read the previous books is a no. The books switches back and forth between first an third person, and I found that to be irritating. Also equally irritating is Pancake's supposed "love" for this woman since they were in sixth grade - this is mentioned over and over again, and I do not understand why writers do this. You told us once. Twice is fine. But past that? Enough. I was also left wondering way Pancake, so in love with this woman, made no attempt to contact her at all in the decades after sixth grade. There are some sex scenes between characters, and when they're not having sex, but investigating Emily's murder, we get sex-related dialogue. We get it. We do.
On the plus side, there is a lot of dialogue, much of it pretty snappy, and the book moves along at a quick but steady pace. It seems to me that the dialogue propels the book forward more than the main plot/investigation. The characters are well-drawn, and I imagine if I read the previous books they would be even more well developed for me. There's enough humor in the book to keep it from being completely macabre. It was entertaining and light enough to be read at the beach or on a plane.
Three point five stars out of five for the teenage-like sex talk banter, four stars for everything else. I went back and forth, deciding between three stars and four.
Ultimately: four stars out of five.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.
The book opens with Jake in a courtroom, and Pancake (Tommy) in a bakery. The former wins his case, and the latter misses Emily, a woman he's known since 6th grade and who he crushes on just as he did when they were young.
Emily is in the midst of a divorce, and her lawyer, Walter Horton, is the very same man who defended Jake at the opening of the book. Longly Investigations is hired to look into Emily's husband's finances.
Emily fails to show for a meeting and also does not show up for her job, which is unusual. Pancake heads out to look for Emily, only to find her and her boyfriend Jason dead, shot execution style.
We then get moving with the book, as Longly is pulled in to investigate (alongside the police investigation) who killed Emily. Her soon to be ex Sean has an iron tight alibi: he was on an offshore rig, working. Did he find a way to be in two places at one time? Or were the couple murdered by an unknown third party? The team consists of Pancake, Ray (owner of the Longly Investigations business) Jake (Ray's son, Pancake's friend), and Nicole, a stunning to all, perfect woman who doesn't wear makeup because she doesn't "need to" (and Mr Lyle, please run these things by a woman first).
The plot is decent, and the book is perfectly readable as a standalone, so the question of whether you have to have read the previous books is a no. The books switches back and forth between first an third person, and I found that to be irritating. Also equally irritating is Pancake's supposed "love" for this woman since they were in sixth grade - this is mentioned over and over again, and I do not understand why writers do this. You told us once. Twice is fine. But past that? Enough. I was also left wondering way Pancake, so in love with this woman, made no attempt to contact her at all in the decades after sixth grade. There are some sex scenes between characters, and when they're not having sex, but investigating Emily's murder, we get sex-related dialogue. We get it. We do.
On the plus side, there is a lot of dialogue, much of it pretty snappy, and the book moves along at a quick but steady pace. It seems to me that the dialogue propels the book forward more than the main plot/investigation. The characters are well-drawn, and I imagine if I read the previous books they would be even more well developed for me. There's enough humor in the book to keep it from being completely macabre. It was entertaining and light enough to be read at the beach or on a plane.
Three point five stars out of five for the teenage-like sex talk banter, four stars for everything else. I went back and forth, deciding between three stars and four.
Ultimately: four stars out of five.
Thanks to Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.
July 26, 2020
Longly Investigations has been hired to review the finances related to a simple divorce case in Fairhope, Alabama. All seems to be on track until one of the principles is found murdered, along with one of the two men she had been dating. Normally, that would be the end of the firm’s involvement. But, this time, the murdered woman is friend of members of Longly Investigations and when her brother asks them to help law enforcement find her killer, they readily agree.
Rigged is the fourth book in the Jake Longly Thriller series and it is filled with a variety of characters. The plot is well-conceived and there is some light, not over-the-top humor that you would associate with colleagues who have been friends for a long time. The writing is snappy, often using short sentences or even lists. This makes for a fast, but enjoyable, read. The only thing that was somewhat distracting was the use of both third- and first-person narrative and it took a little time to get into the cadence of the writing. But, all in all, Rigged is a great book for a lazy afternoon of reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
Rigged is the fourth book in the Jake Longly Thriller series and it is filled with a variety of characters. The plot is well-conceived and there is some light, not over-the-top humor that you would associate with colleagues who have been friends for a long time. The writing is snappy, often using short sentences or even lists. This makes for a fast, but enjoyable, read. The only thing that was somewhat distracting was the use of both third- and first-person narrative and it took a little time to get into the cadence of the writing. But, all in all, Rigged is a great book for a lazy afternoon of reading.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book for review.
June 20, 2020
MYSYERY/SUSPENSE
“You still don’t think there’s any chance this could have a random thing? A stranger shows up, maybe to rob them, things go bad, Emily and Jason get shot?’ Ray shook his head. ‘Don’t see it. Nothing was taken and the two were killed where they were found.”
The Jake Longly Series, Book 4, offers the same great story as the first 3 in the series. If you are a reader of this series, D. P. Lyle knows how important it is not to just offer his readers a puzzling mystery but to offer something to continue to bring readers back. For me, I return for his interesting plotting and his wonderful characters as sharply entertaining as you would find streaming Netflix. The reader doesn’t want the book to end because they don’t want to stop playing with the cast. While at times the point-of-view gave me concerns, the novel delivered— D. P. Lyle is known to give his readers every penny spent. Definitely a good/fun read added to an already addictive series.
Review published in Le Coeur de l'Artiste: https://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de...
“You still don’t think there’s any chance this could have a random thing? A stranger shows up, maybe to rob them, things go bad, Emily and Jason get shot?’ Ray shook his head. ‘Don’t see it. Nothing was taken and the two were killed where they were found.”
The Jake Longly Series, Book 4, offers the same great story as the first 3 in the series. If you are a reader of this series, D. P. Lyle knows how important it is not to just offer his readers a puzzling mystery but to offer something to continue to bring readers back. For me, I return for his interesting plotting and his wonderful characters as sharply entertaining as you would find streaming Netflix. The reader doesn’t want the book to end because they don’t want to stop playing with the cast. While at times the point-of-view gave me concerns, the novel delivered— D. P. Lyle is known to give his readers every penny spent. Definitely a good/fun read added to an already addictive series.
Review published in Le Coeur de l'Artiste: https://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de...
June 12, 2020
Rigged by D. P. Lyle
Jake Longly, a retired baseball star, Nicole his ravishing and humorous girlfriend, Pancake his enormous best pal and Ray his condescending father are the main characters in this series. This time the private eye agency is drawn into a double and then quadruple murder just up the road in Alabama.
Lyle does a good job with Tammy, Jake’s demented ex-wife. Her character adds some light humor. Jake’s self-depicted inadequacies are a bit tiresome. You’d think that someone who pitched in the bigs would be more confident. He and Nicole’s relationship reminds me of Parker’s characters of Spencer and Hawk except the sex part.
The story was entertaining, light fare and good to get the mind off of the horrific aspects of the current year.
I enjoyed it and recommend the series.
Jake Longly, a retired baseball star, Nicole his ravishing and humorous girlfriend, Pancake his enormous best pal and Ray his condescending father are the main characters in this series. This time the private eye agency is drawn into a double and then quadruple murder just up the road in Alabama.
Lyle does a good job with Tammy, Jake’s demented ex-wife. Her character adds some light humor. Jake’s self-depicted inadequacies are a bit tiresome. You’d think that someone who pitched in the bigs would be more confident. He and Nicole’s relationship reminds me of Parker’s characters of Spencer and Hawk except the sex part.
The story was entertaining, light fare and good to get the mind off of the horrific aspects of the current year.
I enjoyed it and recommend the series.
May 6, 2020
Jake is a former pitcher who now owns a bar in Fairhope, Alabama where his dad Ray owns a PI agency. He tries not to get involved with his dad's business but here, as he apparently has in the past, he finds himself wrapped into the hunt for a killer. When Pancake's long lost love Emily is found killed execution style, alongside Jason, a man she was dating, Pancake knows that Ray and Jake are better suited to exploring the corruption and bad stuff than the police will be. And they are. This is sort of a cozy with male protagonists so read it that way but know that it's more graphic than most in that genre. It would have benefited from another edit to tighten things but the story has good twists that will keep you reading. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.
May 6, 2020
I’m so glad that D.P. Lyle has given us another adventure in his Jake Langley Series. He’s one of my favorite authors. RIGGED is an intriguing story of the adventures of this mismatched entourage who work together to solve this murder case. The storyline is a creative one, and the plot takes many twists and turns but moves along quickly. New characters keep popping up in the investigation, and Mr. Lyle seamlessly works them into the story. The touches of humor throughout and banter between the characters is very refreshing. This series just keeps getting better and better. Although this is a series, RIGGED can be read as a stand-alone. But you should really read the first three books and enjoy those adventures too!
July 2, 2021
If you have loved the Jake Longly series, you will love this one too. If this is your first time reading Jake Longly, you will want to read the rest. One of the great things about this series is that he has a really good cast around him, and he is actually good at investigating. Pancake's ex-girlfriend from the 6th grade goes missing and Longly Investigations (Jake's Dad) is hired. to find here. When she and her boyfriend are found shot execution style, it becomes a police matter. Her brother hires then to continue investigating. A dollar goes a long way when it's personal. The problem is, every single suspect is a soft suspect. Every one seems totally unlikely, even the ones with drug connections.
Read
October 5, 2021Rigged is the legitimate heir to the Jake Longly series by DP Lyle. I've read all four of the books in the series and have purchased number 5 which just came out. Rigged reunites us with some of our favorite thriller characters— Jake, Nicole, Ray, and everyone's favorite: Pancake. In fact, Pancake has a much bigger role in this novel than in the past. Better watch out, Jake. The author, Doug Lyle, has a special talent for character development, dialogue, plot development, escalating tension, humor, and a host of other characteristics possessed by A-list authors. I'll begin reading the latest Jake Longly thriller, The O.C., tonight. And looking forward to it! Hey, Doug, thanks for the reading pleasure and keep up the great work.
July 12, 2020
4th entry in the Jake Longly series. Jake, a reluctant private investigator, and his crew look into the murder of a childhood friend. While the story is solid, it’s the relationships between the main characters and dialogue that make this series special. Mr Lyle has a knack for making the friends sound like a group of people with a long history and tons of shared experiences. His books are like a trip to the beach with your friends, filled with adventure, some booze and a lots of laughs.
Do your self a favor, slap on some sunscreen, grab a cool beverage and head out to the pool with Rigged. It’s a fun, summer escape to the beach.
Do your self a favor, slap on some sunscreen, grab a cool beverage and head out to the pool with Rigged. It’s a fun, summer escape to the beach.
August 17, 2021
This is book 4 in the Jake Longly series and can be read as a stand alone but the characters are so great you'll want to see how they all connected in the previous books. I fell in love with retired baseball pro, Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole. Pancake runs a close second to my favorite. This story revolves around Pancake and his old classmate Emily. It's a great murder mystery that revolves around a small town and drugs. The series is awesome. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
May 23, 2020
Needs an editor - used "judgement" instead of "judgment" throughout. Wrote about how one character's wound was "heeling," like a dog I suppose? And the sex, good gracious. If I had as much sex as Jake and Nicole, I'd be dead. I also wouldn't talk about it twice as much.
This is a decent series, could be much better if the sex wasn't a topic so much of the time. We get it, man, we get it. They do it a lot.
This is a decent series, could be much better if the sex wasn't a topic so much of the time. We get it, man, we get it. They do it a lot.
August 26, 2020
Enjoyed the banter between Jake and Nicole, but his ditzy ex-wife Tammy's disrupting phone calls take the cake. Good story and descriptive Southern setting but never really understood the motive (unless it was just greed) for the killing of Emily, the soon-to-be ex- of one of the suspects, and the sixth grade heart throb of Pancake, a great recurring character with a nonstop appetite! Easy, amusing read. #4 in the Jake Longley series.
November 26, 2020
Okay
Easy to listen to. Narrated by the author whose voice was very refined which was in deep contrast to the content of the book and the words he was saying. He sounded like he should be sitting in a parlor or drawing room.
I thought it started out strongly and I had higher expectations for the book than were actually met for me.
Not familiar with the previous books in this series. Really liked the character named Pancake or maybe I just thought the nickname was cute.
Easy to listen to. Narrated by the author whose voice was very refined which was in deep contrast to the content of the book and the words he was saying. He sounded like he should be sitting in a parlor or drawing room.
I thought it started out strongly and I had higher expectations for the book than were actually met for me.
Not familiar with the previous books in this series. Really liked the character named Pancake or maybe I just thought the nickname was cute.
May 31, 2021
There are 5 books in this series, this is the fourth one and the fifth one comes out later this year.
This story was the weakest of the 4 and I hope this trend doesn’t continue with the next book.
It is a really fun series with quirky characters and takes place primarily in Alabama East of Mobile, but does branch out to New Orleans and Florida.
In some of the books you know who is the the bad guy and what they are responsible for in others you have to follow along with the characters.
This story was the weakest of the 4 and I hope this trend doesn’t continue with the next book.
It is a really fun series with quirky characters and takes place primarily in Alabama East of Mobile, but does branch out to New Orleans and Florida.
In some of the books you know who is the the bad guy and what they are responsible for in others you have to follow along with the characters.
April 27, 2020
An entertaining enough book with very good characters and great language. However, the plot isn't great, and even though investigators go over things repeatedly, there's no need for readers to get the same things over and over again. The book also has both first and third person POV, which I really don't see the point of.
May 5, 2020
It's an engrossing and entertaining story that kept me hooked.
I loved the well thought cast of characters, the setting, and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Even if it's part of a series I had no issues with the plot or the characters and want to read the other instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the well thought cast of characters, the setting, and the solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Even if it's part of a series I had no issues with the plot or the characters and want to read the other instalment.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
May 23, 2020
I'm not a fan of the 'good old boy' style of writing so that,along with the odd points of view = first person and third person mixed - was distracting to me. The characters are ok - when I can keep them straight - and the story was lively. I know some people will love this book. I thought it was 'ok'.
September 2, 2020
D P Lyle is the master of mixology. Crime and humor. Along the lines of Carl Hiaasen.
This time Jake Longly and his lovely Nicole Jamison take on a case that's personal to their team - an execution-style murder in a cutesy Alabama town and a frightening love triangle.
A highly recommended zany thriller!
This time Jake Longly and his lovely Nicole Jamison take on a case that's personal to their team - an execution-style murder in a cutesy Alabama town and a frightening love triangle.
A highly recommended zany thriller!
June 9, 2023
Lonely Investigations is looking into the apparent execution style deaths of Emily, a woman Tommy”Pancake” Jeffers hasn’t seen since grade school. Tommy’s company was looking into the finances when Emily failed to appear in court two bodies are found and Tommy is on the trail. A path that uncovers a plot twist readers will love.
May 11, 2020
Wow! This is such a great book! I had a great time delving into the mystery and trying to solve the case. Lyle is a fantastic writer. This is the only book I've read from this series, but I am so excited to go back and read the others. If you like mysteries, you'll definitely like this one!
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