Ed Duncan (1)

The Last Straw by Ed Duncan is absolutely ridiculous! In a good way, of course.

Fear not fellow reader, you don't need to read the first book in this series to understand what's going on in this novel. But if you want to, I totally understand why!

I started this book with low expectations (I started it around exam time and life had been already a ball of stress) and man, did I have no idea what I was in for. This book was far better than I could have expected and was worth every second. I'm almost annoyed with myself for not expecting it to be good, because it was far better than just "good".

This thriller novel is fast paced, easy to read and never has a dull moment. It's not too long, it has a good selection of quality characters to follow and it ends on a good note. The ending makes you feel satisfied if you don't want to continue the series, but it also lets you know another book could be on the way (and my goodness, there better be another book and it better get in my hands ASAP, you feel me?).

Rico, a sweet guy with a "Dexter" like complex, doesn't want to murder a teenager. When another man tries to make the hit and misses (hitting another person instead), the plot gets moving into many twists and turns. Paul and Rico's intertwining story keeps the reader engaged and anxiously waiting to see if the killer will get justice. Along the way, a few side plots keep it interesting too!

Rico and Jean were my favourite duo in the story, but Paul, Beverly, Evelyn and the rest of the crew also have really good material to work with. I really want to read more about the mischievous pair of Rico and Jean in whatever way Ed Duncan can give us, because they are just way more interesting than the regular thriller characters I read about.

If I had to give some negatives about this book, it would be that there is some R rated content. Murders, violence and potential rape are all apart of the pages of this book but they aren't graphic. This might limit the audience though, if the reader has triggers or isn't into the adult book scene.

This book gets two thumbs up from me. I honestly loved this book and I didn't want to put it down. The book helped me get out of a reading slump and actually had me annoyed that it was over so soon! Ed Duncan has a real talent and I hope he continues this series. If anything, I hope more readers find this book because it's excellent quality. I would absolutely read more books like this in the future if I could get my hands on it.

Five out of five stars!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (more)

I understand that many genres have tropes that are consistently overused (that’s kind of what makes a genre), but for some reason crime thriller cliches more than others are not my cup of tea. “Rico Stays” certainly has standard elements of the genre, but it also manages to move beyond the routine with certain scenes and characters

I really like Rico and feel like he stands above a typical line up of hitman type characters (more depth and nuance to his personality). The story went in several directions that I did not expect, which was a refreshing surprise. And I also really like how the story focused a lot on the “bad” guys. We really get to learn their stories and care about them, which adds in wonderful shades of gray to what could have been just a black and white story.

Special thanks to author Ed Duncan and Kelsey @bookpublicityservices for a copy in exchange for an honest review!… (more)

This is quite a compelling read. The story is well plotted and there's a good bit of action.

It lacks polish, however. It needs better editing; there are schoolboy errors like 'here, here!' (hear, hear). Really. Poor grammar and pluralisation using apostrophes…my bugbear. The dialogue is rather wooden, as are the characters. There's way too much 'telling' and no 'showing'. There is also a marked lack of scene breaks, resulting in a lot of headhopping.

The story features Rico, a hitman for hire. Never expecting to cross paths with a man he was supposed to kill (but didn't), Rico finds himself joining forces with him to protect a young girl, who witnessed a shooting in a carjacking gone wrong, from a hitman hired to kill her to prevent her testifying against the culprit.

Despite his hard-nosed vigilantism, I really wanted Rico to have some softness, a hint of a marshmallow centre, some likeability, but he has none. And I couldn't drum up any interest in any of the other characters, either.

Duncan has succeeded in one thing: getting the reader to turn the pages because despite the cardboard characters, there's a half decent plot.

A WIP, I think.… (more)

If you enjoy gritty noir filled with violence and some surprises then Pigeon-Blood Red by Ed Duncan is for you. And even better, it’s a series with three books in it!
As other reviewers have mentioned, this would make for a great movie. Besides the thrilling storyline, I could see fabulous costumes and outrageous scenery for some of the scenes down in Hawaii. I don’t want to say anything about the plot, so as not to spoil anything, but I thought for this genre the amount of violence and adult relations was a perfect mix.
And Duncan’s a master at character study. Although some of the characters may seem a bit stereotypical for this genre, Duncan still managed to keep each character unique and engaging. If it wasn’t for the fantastic character development, Pigeon-Blood Red could have been a pretty quick read.
A great debut for a crime and noir book.… (more)