Cover Image: City of Fear

City of Fear

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Was this review helpful?

A definite page-turner. This is the first book I have read from this author and he did a great job. The story is believable and the characters are well-crafted.

Was this review helpful?

Thankyou to NetGalley Crooked Lane Books and the author, Larry Enmon, for the opportunity to read City of Fear in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
Unfortunately, this book didn't hit the mark for me. I found it very hard to get into the storyline and just couldn't maintain interest.
Not a book for me.

Was this review helpful?

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping from the start. It's a page turner. I could play every scene in my head like a movie.
Gang members were murdered and detectives should solve this case. It's chaos. Fast paced, full-packed action and thriller.
I enjoyed it very much.

Was this review helpful?

Slow yet paced mystery thriller novel!

First, the title is appropriate since the crime takes place in crime city full of gangs

Second, the author keeps the readers engaged by revealing one hint at a time and building suspense gradually.

Third, the suspects were obvious: however, I loved how the author shared how the culprits were caught!

I would recommend this book to my friends! Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review and share my thoughts on the book.

Was this review helpful?

A thrilling read which kept me turning the pages, characters you care for and just brilliantly written. Great novel!!

Was this review helpful?

#NetGalley #City of Fear #Crooked Lane Books

City of Fear is the first novel I've read by Larry Enmon, I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more by this author.

Well written with some likeable and some very unlikeable characters. Action packed and suspenseful, enough twists and turns that kept me guessing what was going to happen next. I do hope that this is a series, I would love to read more stories with these characters.

Was this review helpful?

Here we have a very well written police procedural with excellent characters. There's also a little mystery, a little romance, and some action. The descriptions are just right in format, and the story is moving along at a very good pace.

Was this review helpful?

When a gang war breaks out in Dallas detectives Frank Pierce and Rob Solis are on the case, but right from the start, things don’t add up. The first victim appears to have been scared to death, a voodoo doll left at the scene the only clue, and a military-trained sniper is taking down gang leaders left and right in a very atypical modus operandi for gang-related killings.

There’s some great stuff here, particularly in the extremely realistic feel all the police scenes have, from a black female lieutenant worrying about having her chops busted by the higher-ups to the stresses and strains the families of police officers have to live with every day. The author is a former law enforcement officer, and it really shines through in his writing.

However, there’s also some weirdly disjointed things which bothered me, and the story could definitely do with some professional editing and proofreading, with grammatical errors cropping up on just about every page. Point of view switched constantly from Frank to Rob, sometimes without clear delineation, and then we started getting Jesse’s PoV mixed in as well. Since Jesse became a protagonist, and was painted as a sympathetic one at that, I was particularly displeased by the outcome of her story.

The climax didn’t make a lot of sense in the context of the story. Frank’s judgement was so compromised he didn’t even ask the killer how they perpetrated the crime and escaped the scene without being spotted. If I was his partner, there would have been a lot more pointed questions being asked than Rob’s essential shrugging off of the problem.

All the good parts of this story can’t erase the fact that the ending was deeply dissatisfying. Two stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for review through NetGalley.

Was this review helpful?

Nifty thriller/procedural/buddy cop novel set in Dallas. A shooter took out a narcotrafficker and that has led to a real mess- the sort of shooting war no one wins. Even worse, civilians are hit. Rob Soliz and Frank Pierce are the cops assigned to solve it. They actually were on site when the first killing happened and they saw a mysterious woman and now they've got to find her, among other things. This pulls a lot into a fairly slim volume but it's a good fast read. I'm also a fan of these two police officers, who have great interactions. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Would make a good movie.

Was this review helpful?

My first reaction to reviewing this book is, nothing to see here, move along. There is a killer in Dallas. The killer is the kind you think maybe you should just leave alone. The shooter, who appears to be a trained sniper, is going about Dallas killing drug kingpins.

The rest of the story is keeping count of the killings and listening to the cops complaining that they have nothing on the killer, who seems to be able to disappear into the air after each murder. So blah blah blah blah, we catch the killer, yeah us, lets have a beer. Uh

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to love it but the references to voodoo were too much for me.. It might work for others but wasn’t my thing. Thank you Netgalley for ARC for my review.

Was this review helpful?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. This was a book that once I started it I read it to the finish, I did not stop. Two Dallas Detectives are on a stack out of a known drug dealer’s house. Rob and Frank hear and see flashes of gun shots inside of the home. Frank thinks he saw a red-headed woman, but when they go in there is no sign of her. Also, the drug dealer is dead but not shot though he fired his weapon across the room hitting nothing but the wall. Yet Ricardo Salazar is dead, he is standing up with no apparent wounds of any kind, but there is a voodoo doll at his feet with a pin stuck through the eye. Still, no sign of the red headed women and for Frank and Rob, this is only the beginning of the mysteries and also the killings. The killings begin to increase after a while when New York decides to send a hit man or women to town to take out more dealers. Now, this is beginning to affect supply from Chicago and in the department, Frank is being looked on by the Lt. to find some answers. A book that will keep you going from the police, to the drug people, to the mafia in New York and to Frank searching for the red headed women. You also get the side if the contract killer that New York sent and with all of this you have the makings for an excellent book. All of the characters are good along with the story that moves along at a good pace. A very good book and worth the read.

Was this review helpful?

Well worth the read. With great, believable dialogue and enough back story for the main characters to give them depth,
With a likeable flawed protagonist. I happened upon this book by chance and figured I'd give it a try. I was not disappointed.

Was this review helpful?

Someone has the streets of Dallas feeling like a murder scene. The residents are being killed but the police are stumped and not too worried about finding the killer at first. Why? The victims are drug dealers and their bosses. But when the killers start taking including innocents in their tally, the cops get tough. Dallas is the scene for a lot of books. It's big enough to swallow a whole lot of evil and still keep running. Larry Enmon captures Dallas and the backstory of his characters so well that you forget the Texas factor while he police try to pin down their clues and come up with very little. As the story continues, you'll feel as if you were right there with them. The good guys win in the end, but they have to work hard to get there.

Was this review helpful?

Great story about some smack-down 'voodoo' in big "D". This was an exciting read that kept me wondering. The background of the real world experiences of the author makes this a great "could happen" thriller. Write on!!

Was this review helpful?

City of Fear is the first novel I've read by Larry Enmon. Two detectives in Dallas are investigating the deaths of drug dealers and gang members. The story unfolds with many twists and turns from beginning to end. Of course, a war between gangs is in play, as well as the mafia. The story is a bit dark with a little voodoo involved, but it's nothing bad. It adds to the suspense of the story. The main characters are clever, likeable and entertaining. I found them very engaging. There are some shady characters involved as well. The story is well written and moves along at a steady pace. You will want to know what happens next. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed reading this book. It had a good story to it. I liked the variety of characters in it. It is my first book read by this author. I hope to read more books by this author.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book, probably the most enjoyable book I’ve read in a while. The two main detectives in the book Rob and Frank are really interesting characters and the author does a great job of describing their past which gives you some great insight into their current personality traits. There are lots of unexpected twists and turns in this book with a great plot, which kept my on the edge of my seat. I hope the author writes another Frank and Rob crime novel, and includes Alma in his next book as she was a fascinating character and she added to the storyline.

Was this review helpful?

One of the first books in a long, long time that I couldn't put down! It (happily) caused me a night of lost sleep trying to finish it. A story of "someone" who is assassinating gang members/drug dealers in Dallas, and the two detectives assigned to solve the cases. Throw in a little voodoo, the mafia, a gang war, and some mysterious characters and you have the makings of a great book! Seriously, the author (a retired U.S. Secret Service agent), really knows his stuff.
I liked the character development of all of the main people. Enough to make you feel like you know them, but not so much that it overwhelms the story. The pace is fast moving and flows very well.
I loved it so much that I cannot wait to read his other book.
Enmon could be the next great crime author!

Was this review helpful?