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Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Richard Hawke's SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.
Bonnie from Reno, NV
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Catherine Coulter, Greg Iles, Linda Fairstein, Jayne Ann Krentz, J.A. Jance, Iris Johansen, J.D. Robb, Kay Hooper, Dan Brown and many more
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I liked it very much. The plot was unique and the characters were "human."
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Yes, I look forward to reading future books by Mr. Hawke.
Chris from Carrollton, TX
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Some of my favorite suspense/thriller authors are Max Allan Collins, Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Val McDermid, Jilliane Hoffman, Jeff Lindsay, Stuart Woods, John Sandford and both Kellermans.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I thoroughly enjoyed SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. The characters were engaging and I look forward to reading more about them in the future. I've already recommended the book to some of my friends. With some recent scandals at high levels of city governments, the setting and story were really intriguing.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
I am definitely looking forward to more from Hawke.
Karen from Albuquerque, NM
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read Nelson DeMille, Brian Haig, Greg Iles, Lisa Scottoline, Michael Connelly and Scott Turow.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I thoroughly enjoyed SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. It had a great plot, with many twists. It was especially enjoyable to [read about] the detail of the different places within NYC. I also enjoyed the comic sideline.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Most definitely --- I would read more books by this author.
Linda from Machesney Park, IL
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Some of the other authors I read include John Grisham, Mary Higgins Clark, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell and Joanne Harris.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was captured right from the start. Mr. Hawke did a great job. I was kept guessing right up until the end as to who was behind all of the things going on.
Noreen from Glen Mills, PA
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to revisit a thriller. I have not read a good one in quite some time. I was both surprised and delighted with this one. SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is full of intrigue. It moves along like a well-oiled machine and has the right amount of grit to make it believable. The characters that are woven into the story are interesting, although I would have liked a little more descriptive detail. Malone is a knowledgeable PI with that certain blend of down-to-earthiness. It makes me wonder what kind of background the author has. I am eagerly awaiting his next novel. Thanks once again.
Robin from Vacaville, CA
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Any and ALL! Some favorites are Dean Koontz, Sandra Brown, Jonathan Kellerman, Patricia Cornwell and Tess Gerritsen. I could go on and on.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
WOW, when I was reading it, I kept forgetting that this is a first novel for this author. It was REALLY well-written! I found myself reaching for it throughout each day these past few days off! So, instead of doing the dishes, I'd sit down at the kitchen table and read! It had a good ending --- it closed very well --- tying everything together.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
YES. YES. YES.
Mary from Pinson, AL
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I love to read anything written by James Patterson. I recently read THE HISTORIAN by Elizabeth Kostova and hope to see more from her.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL is an excellent thriller --- fast-paced with plenty of plot twists and interesting characters. Fritz Malone is likable and believable, an ordinary guy who gets himself into some extraordinary situations. I thought his relationship with his girlfriend, Margo, was very entertaining. Hawke provides plenty of action, thrills and thought-provoking stimulation. He keeps you guessing to the very end. This is one PI adventure that is hard to put down. Highly recommended.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
I am looking forward to his next book.
Sherry from Denver, CO
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read many different authors --- Iles, Patterson, Martini, Sandra Brown, Parker. I read the flap and if it looks like I would like it, I buy it. I try not to read any book that has a lot of gruesome stuff done to children. I don't like anything bad happening to a child.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I liked SPEAK OF THE DEVIL. It was a little outrageous at first that a regular person would get so involved with having been given someone else's old phone number. I don't usually like books that are written in first person but this one I really liked. It moved along quickly.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Yes, I would read another book by Richard Hawke.
Ronda from Baraboo, WI
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
John Grisham, Sheldon Siegel, Patricia Cornwell and Steve Martini.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I thought it extremely captivating. Once I started it was very difficult to set down. It took me barely three days to read it.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
I would most definitely read future books by Richard Hawke. He has a very unique and casual style that speaks to the comfort of the reader! The leading character, Fritz Malone, has a similar personality. I hope there will be more "Fritz Malone" to come.
Suzanne from Hornell, NY
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Michael Connelly, Harlan Coben, Iris Johansen and Greg Iles.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I really enjoyed it. I can tell how much I like a book by how fast I read it, and this one was hard to put down. His main character, Fritz Malone, is engaging right from the start, and there was plenty of action, which I prefer to books that are all about description of places and events. Mr. Hawke puts you right in the middle of the action.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Definitely.
Ray from East Northport, NY
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Several, favorites being King, Grisham, Connelly, Deaver, Lehane, Patterson, Straub, Laymon and Cornwell.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
Reminded me of L.A. CONFIDENTIAL set in NYC --- crime and corruption throughout many levels of law enforcement and political spectrum. The Fritz Malone character was well-developed but some of the other characters were thin and at times the plotlines were difficult to connect.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
I found out (after reading the preview copy) that Richard Hawke is actually author Tim Cockey (who I have not read previously). I would like to see more Hawke novels with the Malone character.
Mike from Charlotte, NC
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, David Baldacci and John Grisham.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
I enjoyed the book. The pace and the storyline were excellent and the ending had a twist or two that I had not expected. However, I felt that the characters were a little one-dimensional and the dialogue contained a few too many clichés.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Yes. Fritz Malone may never become one of my favorite detectives, but I would enjoy reading more.
Ricki from St. Peters, MO
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
T. Jefferson Parker and Peter Robinson.
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
It had some very good parts (I especially liked the action after he goes to The Flea) in it and a great twist at the end. However, I thought that his secondary case of finding out if his stepbrother was having an affair.... did not need to be in the book. Editor's Note: this comment was edited to prevent a spoiler from being revealed.
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
Possibly.
Marsha from Newburgh, New York
What suspense/thriller authors do you read?
I read many different suspense/thriller authors. Some are David Baldacci, William Bernhardt, Dan Brown, Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Patricia Cornwell, Michael Crichton, Jeffery Deaver, Janet Evanovich, Vince Flynn, Elizabeth George, Tess Gerritsen, Iris Johansen, Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Alex Kava, Dean Koontz, Robert Ludlum, James Patterson, John Sandford, Lisa Scottoline, John Saul, Daniel Silva and Stuart Woods. I am a very eclectic reader. I read all kinds of books --- whatever hits my fancy!
What did you think of SPEAK OF THE DEVIL?
It took a little while for me to get into the book. But I did enjoy reading it. In the beginning, I thought the author was just trying to emulate some of the more successful writers that I mentioned above. However, by the end of the book, I was really into it and found it enjoyable. His dry sense of humor, similar to Stuart Woods, is also similar to mine, so I enjoyed that.
There are a number of typos and grammatical errors in the book. If you have not already corrected them, I would be happy to let you know where they are. As an educator, I hate to pick up a book to read and find errors in it. (Note from Bookreporter.com: The reader was reading an advance reading copy. These copies have not been final copy-checked and edited.)
Would you ever read a future book by Richard Hawke?
If I had answered this question [having only read the beginning of the book], I would have answered no. Now I think I would. I usually like to give an author a second chance if I am not totally sold on the first book.
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