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Sam Acquillo Hamptons Mystery #1
The Last Refuge
Sam Acquillo is at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents ramshackle cottage in the Hamptons, Sam has abandoned his friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay.
But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself.
Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.
But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself.
Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.
279 pages, Paperback
Published June 30, 2005
14 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
April 18, 2013
This almost-four-star review has been revised and can now be found at Expendable Mudge Muses Aloud.
Better copyediting! Look at the blurb above! Yeesh.
Better copyediting! Look at the blurb above! Yeesh.
November 29, 2015
For the most part I really enjoyed this debut book. The plotting was fairly well done, the setting and sense of place were quite good, and the main character was intriguing enough. I did have a few problems with the pacing and while the main character's backstory was interesting I felt it could have been condensed down just a bit. All in all though a good read and I want to continue on with the series.
May 16, 2011
This is a good read about a corporate big shot turned lazy bum who lives in a decrepit house in the Hamptons, of eastern Long Island. One day his next door neighbor is found dead in her bath tub. Authorities rule it an accidental death. But her neighbor, the aforementioned bum, is suspicious. He tries to sniff out the truth of the matter and we meet a good size number of quirky characters in his quest. It's a quick and fun read.
July 20, 2011
Solid, straight-forward mystery, no tricks.
I can picture the scenery; in fact that photograph of the house on the cover MUST be Sam's.
His berserker behavior when settling his divorce was a riot. Warning: Disillusioned couples...nail everything down!!!
Sam is a perfect drop-out, BUT Eddie, Sam's dog, steals the show.
I can picture the scenery; in fact that photograph of the house on the cover MUST be Sam's.
His berserker behavior when settling his divorce was a riot. Warning: Disillusioned couples...nail everything down!!!
Sam is a perfect drop-out, BUT Eddie, Sam's dog, steals the show.
April 25, 2021
I was looking for something different and I found this by searching the narrator Rudnicki. I enjoyed this because the flow was good; the characters not over developed; and and excellent use of vocabulary. So why two stars? This is one of my only forums to complain about the "monkey see, monkey do" mimicry of how misuse supplants proper language. Specifically the word "forte". It is a French word that means "strength". It was introduced into Britannia with the French speaking Norman conquerors. Forte like many vulgar Latin French words has a silent e at the end. It is not pronounced "for-tay" as you find in on-line dictionaries that are controlled by "educated fools from un-educated schools" that think that the lowest common denominator has the right to co-opt the well established norm. Also, St. Louis is not Saint Lewis!
August 30, 2018
An good little mystery that could've been either shorter or more focused on the main plot. While the main character's back-story is interesting, the author went about presenting it in such a way as to interrupt the flow of the story. It seems to have been thrown in at random and at points at which the memories of the past had nothing to do with what was happening around the character. When the interruptions add nothing to the plot of the mystery or the interactions among the characters, there is no need to have that part of the back-story thrown in the middle of things.
May 26, 2016
I really like this writer's plots, pacing, characters and setting descriptions, but, oh, the copyediting in this, his first, novel! What a mess. Hayden for Haydn, then for than, Cotswold's for Cotswolds, Maxwell Parrish for Maxfield Parrish, it's for its ... And yet the the writing in general is so literary, I can't help thinking the author was not the culprit but either someone who thought they were helping or over-reliance on a crazed spellcheck program. The previous reader of my library copy was frustrated enough to start penciling in corrections but gave up after a few pages. The later mysteries are better in this regard.
In "The Last Refuge," we meet Sam Aquillo, former industrial designer at a high-powered corporation, who quits because his division is to be sold and his coworkers put on the street, who loses his wife and home, and whose beloved daughter objects to his suicidal drinking and walks out of his life. Sam takes up residence in a Hamptons cottage (which his roughneck father built before getting himself murdered), buys a dog and hides from the world. That is, until an elderly neighbor's death in the bathtub triggers his curiosity. He knew she never took baths but always took showers because of a bad back.
A bit of a roughneck himself, having put himself through college with professional boxing winnings, Sam unravels clues his own way, enlisting wary cooperation from a local cop and a gorgeous, offbeat lawyer.
Lots of local color and adventure. The ending is not as sure-footed as in later novels. Too much Hercule Poirot exposition. But I liked the book overall.
In "The Last Refuge," we meet Sam Aquillo, former industrial designer at a high-powered corporation, who quits because his division is to be sold and his coworkers put on the street, who loses his wife and home, and whose beloved daughter objects to his suicidal drinking and walks out of his life. Sam takes up residence in a Hamptons cottage (which his roughneck father built before getting himself murdered), buys a dog and hides from the world. That is, until an elderly neighbor's death in the bathtub triggers his curiosity. He knew she never took baths but always took showers because of a bad back.
A bit of a roughneck himself, having put himself through college with professional boxing winnings, Sam unravels clues his own way, enlisting wary cooperation from a local cop and a gorgeous, offbeat lawyer.
Lots of local color and adventure. The ending is not as sure-footed as in later novels. Too much Hercule Poirot exposition. But I liked the book overall.
June 20, 2022
Sam Acquilla is a cynical man in his early fifties who wants as little to do with the rest of the world as possible so he’s built up a quiet life that mainly consists of drinking alone.
I think I’ve got a lawsuit against this author for using me as a character.
Sam was once a fairly successful engineer and middle manager for a large corporation, but circumstances and his own nature led to divorce, estrangement from his daughter, and an early retirement. He’s retreated to a small house in the Hamptons he inherited from his parents where he spends a lot of time drinking vodka. When Sam finds his elderly neighbor dead, all signs point to an accident, but Sam finds himself managing her estate and trying to clear up questions he has. Reluctantly, Sam engages with other people and finds himself trying to solve a mystery.
This is a fairly low-key crime novel that succeeds because of an interesting lead character and a great setting. As someone who has a knack for irritating the shit out of people even as he finds ways to get more out of them than they want to give, Sam is a mystery in his own right which is gradually solved as he recalls more and more of the path that led him to his current state.
The setting is also intriguing as an area which once had plenty of blue-collar workers who built cheap houses on what has become some of the most valuable real estate in the world. Now the older generation has mostly been pushed out in favor of the new money except for a decreasing number of hold outs.
This is the first in a series that I’ll be checking out more of.
I think I’ve got a lawsuit against this author for using me as a character.
Sam was once a fairly successful engineer and middle manager for a large corporation, but circumstances and his own nature led to divorce, estrangement from his daughter, and an early retirement. He’s retreated to a small house in the Hamptons he inherited from his parents where he spends a lot of time drinking vodka. When Sam finds his elderly neighbor dead, all signs point to an accident, but Sam finds himself managing her estate and trying to clear up questions he has. Reluctantly, Sam engages with other people and finds himself trying to solve a mystery.
This is a fairly low-key crime novel that succeeds because of an interesting lead character and a great setting. As someone who has a knack for irritating the shit out of people even as he finds ways to get more out of them than they want to give, Sam is a mystery in his own right which is gradually solved as he recalls more and more of the path that led him to his current state.
The setting is also intriguing as an area which once had plenty of blue-collar workers who built cheap houses on what has become some of the most valuable real estate in the world. Now the older generation has mostly been pushed out in favor of the new money except for a decreasing number of hold outs.
This is the first in a series that I’ll be checking out more of.
November 21, 2019
3.5 stars.
Audiobook review. Narrator Stefan Rudnicki has the perfect voice for the atypical protagonist in this murder mystery novel. He’s a divorced, bright engineer who retired early, drinks a lot, and mostly hangs out with his dog Eddie (who has a better personality). He lives in the house in the Hamptons that belonged to his dad, where he grew up—not one of the rich “summah” folks, just one of townie folks.
It’s a unique approach to this genre. Some readers won’t care for the intermittent paragraphs of poetical waxing about nature, weather, housing, and many other topics. The narrator’s flashbacks to childhood and when he was married also cause confusion as they seem to be inserted randomly, although eventually they make sense.
There is extensive profanity in places, but unlike most authors I’ve read, Knopf actually chooses which characters use profanity and how much, unlike Stephen King, for example, who has pretty much everybody dropping f-bombs it seems.
If you’re looking for something different but still entertaining, this is worth the time.
Audiobook review. Narrator Stefan Rudnicki has the perfect voice for the atypical protagonist in this murder mystery novel. He’s a divorced, bright engineer who retired early, drinks a lot, and mostly hangs out with his dog Eddie (who has a better personality). He lives in the house in the Hamptons that belonged to his dad, where he grew up—not one of the rich “summah” folks, just one of townie folks.
It’s a unique approach to this genre. Some readers won’t care for the intermittent paragraphs of poetical waxing about nature, weather, housing, and many other topics. The narrator’s flashbacks to childhood and when he was married also cause confusion as they seem to be inserted randomly, although eventually they make sense.
There is extensive profanity in places, but unlike most authors I’ve read, Knopf actually chooses which characters use profanity and how much, unlike Stephen King, for example, who has pretty much everybody dropping f-bombs it seems.
If you’re looking for something different but still entertaining, this is worth the time.
February 24, 2023
Technically this should go on my so bad I couldn't finish shelf since I'm only a hundred or so pages into the book and it's doubtful I'll read any more unless I exhaust my supply of other books and the internet breaks and I finish rearranging my sock drawer or if hell freezes over. Then maybeI'll finish the book. I have one question for the author: what's there to like about any of these characters? I mean, so far, I'm not impressed. There's a dead old lady, an loner ex-boxer with no personality who drinks too much and a really timid and insipid bank teller who seems to have a thing for the ex-boxer. There's nothing compelling me to read any further ... nothing to hook me.
January 19, 2009
How could I resist a book set in the Hamptons, where I spent a lot of summers in my youth? Not the Hamptons you read about and see on TV, but the working class communities that were still there the last time I looked, which was several years ago. Knopf does a great job of writing a noir mystery set in an unlikely setting for such an endeavor. And his hero is an engineer--I may have to recommend this book to my father-in-law, a retired chemical engineer.
February 19, 2010
PROTAGONIST: Sam Acquillo
SETTING: Southampton, NY
SERIES: #1 of 4
RATING: 4.25
An excellent debut introduces 52-year-old ex-engineer Sam Acquillo. When he finds his neighbor dead, he takes it upon himself to settle her estate and address the questions that come up. Acquillo is an interesting character, a loner but loyal to his friends, and aided by a wonderful dog, Eddie. Setting is extremely well done. Looks like this series has some good bones.
SETTING: Southampton, NY
SERIES: #1 of 4
RATING: 4.25
An excellent debut introduces 52-year-old ex-engineer Sam Acquillo. When he finds his neighbor dead, he takes it upon himself to settle her estate and address the questions that come up. Acquillo is an interesting character, a loner but loyal to his friends, and aided by a wonderful dog, Eddie. Setting is extremely well done. Looks like this series has some good bones.
October 5, 2014
The Last Refuge- the first in Chris Knopf's Sam Acquillo - Hamptons mysteries was terrific. It had all the things I like-familiar Hamptons location,an antisocial, quirky flawed character (ala another fav-Randy Wayne White)/ ex-boxer/engineer /solver of mysteries . More quirky characters,an intelligent well thought out plot-and a little street justice for the bad guys (ala Lee Child}. Can't wait to read the second one-Two Time.Fun read and you have to love the descriptions of Little Peconic Bay.
June 10, 2018
Sam Acquillo quit his job a few years ago. His wife divorced him and Sam and his daughter have not spoken for years. He is trying to drink himself into oblivion. Then his elderly next door neighbor is found dead. Something about the circumstances of her death keep nagging at Sam. For the first time in years, Sam finds himself caring about something.
July 4, 2012
Did not really enjoy this book. The setting is in the Hamptons so I thought that would be cool, but the story didn't work for me. The book dragged in many places and did not engage me. I Did not connect with any of the characters.
June 22, 2019
Quirky characters, good storyline, fun mystery. Plan on reading more of these.
August 5, 2019
Sam used to hear the old woman moaning in her sleep. It made for some interesting night music for the broken burnout who chucked it all and ran to his late parents’ run-down cottage on Southampton’s North Sea to drink and drink some more. He had been a lot of things—boxer, an accomplished engineer, a guy who genuinely loved his daughter, but all of that is gone, and it’s just Sam and his dog, Eddie. The old woman’s nightly moaning is the perfect backdrop to his largely wasted life.
When she stops moaning, and doesn’t start again after a prolonged period, Sam investigates. She was kind of an acquaintance of his father’s, after all. He finds the old girl floating face down in a bath tub whose drain hole had been plugged by an industrial plug whose purpose is to keep water in an enclosure much longer than would a conventional drain plug. It’s that one thing that makes Sam wonder if the old woman’s death was really an accident.
He becomes the administrator of her estate, and he begins to investigate her death, suspecting that it was not accidental.
You’ll want to read this if you enjoy snappy dialogue that can be occasionally a bit snarky and edgy. Sam, encased as he is in his cynicism, can be laugh-out-loud funny at times. You’ll come to like him despite his dissipated lifestyle, and you’ll understand how things got the way they are.
Additionally, you’ll read this because Knopf writes female characters with such vivid memorable details that they will intrigue you. Amanda, the beautiful banker, is a multi-layered woman whose mom died not long before Sam began his investigation. Jackie, the pot-smoking attorney, was my least favorite of the women described here. It seems none of the women Sam encounters is real big on wearing bras, and there’s something about his brokenness that encourages these women to practice their sometimes-ardent kissing skills on him. This ended satisfactorily enough, and it left plenty of room for the second book in the series.
When she stops moaning, and doesn’t start again after a prolonged period, Sam investigates. She was kind of an acquaintance of his father’s, after all. He finds the old girl floating face down in a bath tub whose drain hole had been plugged by an industrial plug whose purpose is to keep water in an enclosure much longer than would a conventional drain plug. It’s that one thing that makes Sam wonder if the old woman’s death was really an accident.
He becomes the administrator of her estate, and he begins to investigate her death, suspecting that it was not accidental.
You’ll want to read this if you enjoy snappy dialogue that can be occasionally a bit snarky and edgy. Sam, encased as he is in his cynicism, can be laugh-out-loud funny at times. You’ll come to like him despite his dissipated lifestyle, and you’ll understand how things got the way they are.
Additionally, you’ll read this because Knopf writes female characters with such vivid memorable details that they will intrigue you. Amanda, the beautiful banker, is a multi-layered woman whose mom died not long before Sam began his investigation. Jackie, the pot-smoking attorney, was my least favorite of the women described here. It seems none of the women Sam encounters is real big on wearing bras, and there’s something about his brokenness that encourages these women to practice their sometimes-ardent kissing skills on him. This ended satisfactorily enough, and it left plenty of room for the second book in the series.
March 20, 2024
I have a lot of gripes with this book, though some are due to my own pet peeves. Having been raised by an engineer whose favorite pastime is boring everyone within earshot about car parts, mechanical processes, and his (super brilliant and important) role in designing bits of *fascinating* industrial equipment, the character induced many unpleasant flashbacks.
On top of that, the rough and tough, self destructive alcoholic trope got tiresome quickly. I couldn't decide if the author wanted us to like Sam or not. I fear Knopf may have been trying to portray him as a flawed cumudgeon that's really a great guy deep down, but I could only see the flaws. He flushes his career in petulant act of violent assault, which he seems to be deluding himself was a noble stand against corporate injustice. He treats his wife and daughter like complete trash. He tells us all the shitty things he's done without displaying any real self examination of his role in these events. The fact that he drinks it all away doesn't show us that the character learned anything or feels anything. Alcohol can't just be a stand in for a character's personality. I don't have to like a character to like a book, but if that's intentional, at least have them grow or develop or learn something.
As for my other criticisms, despite the fact that the MC is a narcissistic alcoholic with anger issues, at least two women want to get a piece of that. LOL! And he likes to use the term "lady cop." I know this was written in 2005 but come on.
I'll be skipping the rest of this series.
On top of that, the rough and tough, self destructive alcoholic trope got tiresome quickly. I couldn't decide if the author wanted us to like Sam or not. I fear Knopf may have been trying to portray him as a flawed cumudgeon that's really a great guy deep down, but I could only see the flaws. He flushes his career in petulant act of violent assault, which he seems to be deluding himself was a noble stand against corporate injustice. He treats his wife and daughter like complete trash. He tells us all the shitty things he's done without displaying any real self examination of his role in these events. The fact that he drinks it all away doesn't show us that the character learned anything or feels anything. Alcohol can't just be a stand in for a character's personality. I don't have to like a character to like a book, but if that's intentional, at least have them grow or develop or learn something.
As for my other criticisms, despite the fact that the MC is a narcissistic alcoholic with anger issues, at least two women want to get a piece of that. LOL! And he likes to use the term "lady cop." I know this was written in 2005 but come on.
I'll be skipping the rest of this series.
February 24, 2025
The book starts out stating that Sam is at the end of the line.
Well that may be the case but for me, this book will be what I hope is a long relationship for me as a reader. I was taken immediately by the story line about how he ended up sitting there at the end of his line. Plus his relationship with his neighbors and friends and just everyone in the world it seems, was snappy and sharp which meant I often had a loony grin on my face as I listened to this audiobook.
Sam is alone which is his preference but when the old lady next door is found dead floating in her tub he decides to track down the killer. Sam was certain that this old lady never used a tub but always used the shower due to health issues. And off he goes on his search. He becomes the executor of the woman’s estate which he feels empowers him to question others and do some strong arming when needed.
This was a lot of fun for me to listen to and I’m thinking about tracking down another by author asap. Maybe I’ll wait a bit to stretch out the fun a bit longer. I don’t know? I so know though I will be a devoted reader.
Well that may be the case but for me, this book will be what I hope is a long relationship for me as a reader. I was taken immediately by the story line about how he ended up sitting there at the end of his line. Plus his relationship with his neighbors and friends and just everyone in the world it seems, was snappy and sharp which meant I often had a loony grin on my face as I listened to this audiobook.
Sam is alone which is his preference but when the old lady next door is found dead floating in her tub he decides to track down the killer. Sam was certain that this old lady never used a tub but always used the shower due to health issues. And off he goes on his search. He becomes the executor of the woman’s estate which he feels empowers him to question others and do some strong arming when needed.
This was a lot of fun for me to listen to and I’m thinking about tracking down another by author asap. Maybe I’ll wait a bit to stretch out the fun a bit longer. I don’t know? I so know though I will be a devoted reader.
May 10, 2021
ABOUT MY COPY
As I work on my read every book we own project, I usually start off with a bit about my particular copy. This book came out after my wife and I were together. It definitely looks to have been bought new, and without any clearance stickers, so I'm assuming my wife bought it for herself. Or that she bought for me as a gift. Either way, it got lost on our shelves for a decade or so.
MY REVIEW
An amazing achievement for a first novel. This is a great noir-ish novel that unfolds wonderfully.
The protagonist reveals his backstory at the right pace. Just when you need it, a new interesting character is introduced. The tension between Long Island natives and richer than God and all his angels "summer people" makes a great backdrop.
A great read all the way through. I can't wait to read more by Chris Knopf.
As I work on my read every book we own project, I usually start off with a bit about my particular copy. This book came out after my wife and I were together. It definitely looks to have been bought new, and without any clearance stickers, so I'm assuming my wife bought it for herself. Or that she bought for me as a gift. Either way, it got lost on our shelves for a decade or so.
MY REVIEW
An amazing achievement for a first novel. This is a great noir-ish novel that unfolds wonderfully.
The protagonist reveals his backstory at the right pace. Just when you need it, a new interesting character is introduced. The tension between Long Island natives and richer than God and all his angels "summer people" makes a great backdrop.
A great read all the way through. I can't wait to read more by Chris Knopf.
June 5, 2023
Sam Acquillo is at the end of the line. A middle-aged corporate dropout living in his dead parents ramshackle cottage in the Hamptons, Sam has abandoned his friends, family and a big-time career to sit on his porch, drink vodka and stare at the Little Peconic Bay.
But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself.
Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.
But when the old lady next door ends up floating dead in her bathtub it seems like Sam is the only one who wonders why. Burned-out, busted up and cynical, the ex-engineer, ex-professional boxer, ex-loving father and husband finds himself uncovering secrets no one could have imagined, least of all Sam himself.
Meanwhile, a procession of quirky characters intrudes on Sam's misanthropic ways. A beautiful banker, pot-smoking lawyer, bug-eyed fisherman and gay billionaire join a full complement of cops, thugs and local luminaries in this tale of money and murder.
September 5, 2025
ABOUT MY COPY
As I work on my read every book we own project, I usually start off with a bit about my particular copy. This book came out after my wife and I were together. It definitely looks to have been bought new, and without any clearance stickers, so I'm assuming my wife bought it for herself. Or that she bought for me as a gift. Either way, it got lost on our shelves for a decade or so.
MY REVIEW
An amazing achievement for a first novel. This is a great noir-ish novel that unfolds wonderfully.
The protagonist reveals his backstory at the right pace. Just when you need it, a new interesting character is introduced. The tension between Long Island natives and richer than God and all his angels "summer people" makes a great backdrop.
A great read all the way through. I can't wait to read more by Chris Knopf.
As I work on my read every book we own project, I usually start off with a bit about my particular copy. This book came out after my wife and I were together. It definitely looks to have been bought new, and without any clearance stickers, so I'm assuming my wife bought it for herself. Or that she bought for me as a gift. Either way, it got lost on our shelves for a decade or so.
MY REVIEW
An amazing achievement for a first novel. This is a great noir-ish novel that unfolds wonderfully.
The protagonist reveals his backstory at the right pace. Just when you need it, a new interesting character is introduced. The tension between Long Island natives and richer than God and all his angels "summer people" makes a great backdrop.
A great read all the way through. I can't wait to read more by Chris Knopf.
June 28, 2018
Sam Acquillo is a fifty something engineer who is living, more or less, as a recluse in the cottage that belonged to his parents. He has his dog Eddie with him and the two of them seem to be having their lives without the aid of any human contact. That is with the exception of the elderly lady who lives next door. He does odd jobs for her from time to time because his father took care of her also.
This was his life for about four years until one day as he was out walking he noticed a terrible smell coming from her house.
I am not going to say anything else, but this is a very interesting story. It goes to places that you really don't expect at all.
A good read.
This was his life for about four years until one day as he was out walking he noticed a terrible smell coming from her house.
I am not going to say anything else, but this is a very interesting story. It goes to places that you really don't expect at all.
A good read.
September 27, 2021
I almost have this a 4 Star rating. Consider it a 3.5 Rating.
Sam Acquillo is a middle aged corporate drop out. A former engineer.
He's living in the run down shack his parents owned. Both patents are now deceased.
When his neighbor passes away, he finds himself in charge of putting her affairs in order.
He soon realizes something is off about her property....
The mystery was entertaining, but a little tough for me to understand at times, until the ' Big Reveal'.
The flash back parts of the story were not a favorite of mine, either.
But overall I enjoyed the characters enough to want to read the next book in the series.
Sam Acquillo is a middle aged corporate drop out. A former engineer.
He's living in the run down shack his parents owned. Both patents are now deceased.
When his neighbor passes away, he finds himself in charge of putting her affairs in order.
He soon realizes something is off about her property....
The mystery was entertaining, but a little tough for me to understand at times, until the ' Big Reveal'.
The flash back parts of the story were not a favorite of mine, either.
But overall I enjoyed the characters enough to want to read the next book in the series.
May 8, 2020
Pretty good for the most part. Writing style was, punchy and to the point. Not the prettiest prose but Knopf is good at painting a picture.
As far as protagonists go Sam isn't bad. It's nice that he doesn't seduce every woman he comes across, kind of a common thing in mystery and thriller novels. He's not the most likeable or interesting guy, but he didn't get in the way of a unique mystery story.
As far as protagonists go Sam isn't bad. It's nice that he doesn't seduce every woman he comes across, kind of a common thing in mystery and thriller novels. He's not the most likeable or interesting guy, but he didn't get in the way of a unique mystery story.
July 22, 2017
I thought this was a better than average mystery. It was well written (but full of proofreading errors), with interesting characters and an involved, if somewhat unlikely, plot. The main character's situation was very much in flux as the mystery was resolved, leading me to hope there will be a sequel.
August 10, 2018
I found this to be a tedious read, although I finished the book because I was reading it for a mystery book group at my public library. I found it difficult to connect with the characters or the setting and I really didn't care about the "mystery" or whether it was solved. The best thing I can say is that it was well written.
July 5, 2021
Well this had all the makings for a great story and it hit the mark a couple of time but the constant backstory to Sam was LONG and drawn out to the point I kept asking what is the purpose of all this information?
Nothing really just so you know.
If that was removed, this would have moved at a great pace and kept my interest more. Will give the next one a shot.
Nothing really just so you know.
If that was removed, this would have moved at a great pace and kept my interest more. Will give the next one a shot.
July 19, 2021
a mystery but with great dialog, interesting and complex characters, a back-and-forth timeline
Definitely want to read more.
"he wore a light blue guayaberas shirt and wrinkle-free beige pants made of some long-chain polymer." "Let's find another venue...all i gotta do is see a couch and start bearing my soul", "i could think better when other things overwhelmed my senses."
Definitely want to read more.
"he wore a light blue guayaberas shirt and wrinkle-free beige pants made of some long-chain polymer." "Let's find another venue...all i gotta do is see a couch and start bearing my soul", "i could think better when other things overwhelmed my senses."
November 14, 2018
A not bad at all read. The plot is a corporate crime vs. good neighbor story, with a dash of mob-like intrigue thrown in for good measure, set in Southampton, it is a battle between along time cottage neighborhood and the forces of greed.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews