Cover Image: Just One Bite

Just One Bite

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Member Reviews

If Dexter and Hannibal Lector had a love child it would be Timothy Blake.

We first met Blake in Hangman. He was working with the FBI and really liked Thistle, his handler. Attracted to her but afraid he may end up eating her, Blake left the job and ended up working for a crime boss disposing of bodies. The perfect job for him, right?

This one begins with Blake waiting impatiently in the middle of nowhere for a body drop off. Only things go wrong quickly and Blake ends up being called in again by Thistle and the FBI to track down a missing man. Blake is more than ready to help. Especially as the man is currently awaiting dethawing in his freezer.

But then another man goes missing. And on and on and on.

It seems there is a serial killer on the loose! As he and Thistle work together to find the killer, his actual boss is getting a bit uncomfortable with him working with the FBI and Blake may be the next body found. And as Thistle begins to thaw a bit toward him, she also has the best shot at discovering what he does and who he is.

This is some gruesome reading! And I will be reading the next one just as fast!

NetGalley/ Harlequin Hanover June 04,2019

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Blake's life has gotten a lot more complicated (if that was possible), and in this second installment he finds himself involved in an even tenser juggling act between his dual lives - the two sets of them that he lives, that is... First, he has to balance his day job as a consultant to the FBI with his night job as body disposal expert for a local crime lord. And second - and more difficult, if you can imagine, is dancing the line between his public persona as a mild-mannered regular Joe with his *real* nature (which I can't tell you about if you don't already know because it's a major spoiler in the first book!)... The back-and-forth tension between the various aspects of his public and private faces is one of the more entertaining aspects of this series and allows for a delightfully morbid sense of humor to peek out from behind its fingers throughout the story. Couple that with unusual murders and mysterious back stories for everyone from major to minor characters, and you have the makings of a uniquely entertaining series!

This one started out much slower than I expected, and I almost put it down as a result. Blake felt a LOT more hapless in the beginning than I remembered him being, and I was afraid I would not connect with the read. I hung in there because I thoroughly enjoyed the dark humor and tongue-in-cheek nature of the first book, and I'm glad I did as things eventually fell into the the rhythm I expected and the read was great from there on out.

(This review will appear on my blog on May 31, 2019, as part of the official blog tour.)

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Just One Bite is book 2 in the Timothy Blake series by Jack Heath. This series features Timothy Blake who has worked as an FBI consultant and is in body disposal for a local crime boss. The crazy part about it is that Timothy Blake is such a likeable guy with a dry, dark sense of humor despite the fact he is a cannibal. Just remember this is only a work of fiction - don’t take that part too seriously. I love the dynamic between Blake and Agent Thistle when they are working as a team to solve a missing persons case. Blake is actually quite clever figuring these things out. Since I am from Texas I love that this series is set in Houston. I am extremely curious how the author chose this setting since it is my understanding he is from Australia! This author starts each chapter out with a riddlle - i can never figure them out but I think its a fun addition to his writing. His writing style is easy to read and I enjoy it very much. I would definitely recommend reading book 1 of this series Hangman to get a little bit better background of the characters. The storyline can be a bit dark so it's not for the squeemish. I give this book 4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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I almost gave up on Just One Bite shortly after starting it. My thoughts almost led me to vomit when I realized what the story was about. But because I was given an early copy for a review I decided to hang in there for a little while and I'm glad I did. It really isn't as bad as the reader first suspects. Jack Heath has given us an interesting story with a lot of riddles thrown in. Was able to solve some of the riddles but wish the answers to them had been listed at the back of the book.

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I don’t know who Jack Heath is; it’s a pen name for a very unorthodox writer. His crime novel, “Just One Bite,” is unusual and it touches on one of my recent discoveries: contemporary writers are struggling with finding new personas for their heroes. In this novel the lead character is a cannibal. I consider that out of the ordinary and a little disturbing.

Novelists can write about anything they want. If readers don’t like the subject matter they can always find another book. Heath can write about a cannibal if that’s his thing, but count on me to pan it if he fails to pull it off. In my opinion, he missed the boat with this one because the circumstances don’t add up. Too much discrepant information is delivered to the reader, mainly that eating a human is an easy task. In “Bite,” the hero has at least two human bodies secreted in his home freezer. And they are whole; one is perhaps wearing the clothes in which he was found. An entire body wouldn’t fit in any freezer I’m aware of, even if the freezer was empty. He never had time to carve the bodies into eatable portions, making the preparation of a meal highly unlikely. Imagine thawing out a rump roast for dinner that is still attached to a frozen hind end.

So, in spite of some innovative writing skills, good dialogue, and an interesting theme (minus the scarfing of human meat), the novel comes off somewhat unpleasant to me. That’s just me, so read it yourself and see what you think.

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OMG this book was so good, a little better than the first one even, and the ending was killer! Literally left us hanging waiting for book three!! GAHH! I can't wait! I love Tim Blake! HE is freaking hilarious! So funny and a great FBI agent too! OR FBI helper. He is trying to hard to be a normal guy towards the end and not be a cannibal anymore. The story in this one is great--looking for a guy who disappeared, a guy who he happened to find in the woods and is now in his own freezer. Then he gets called him by Thistle to help find the dead guy in his freezer. The twists in this book are awesome. I love Jack Heath's writing--it is sharp and funny. I can not wait until the next Tim Blake novel comes out. I am literally seething at the mouth for the next one. Thanks so much to NG for the ARC!!!

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Jack Heath does it again! Even better than Hangman, Just One Bite amps up the cannibal action and the romance between anti-hero Timothy Blake and Agent Reese Thistle. It’s a weird mix that probably shouldn’t, but works remarkably well.

Employed as the body disposal man for a female crime lord, Blake is working two sides of what appears to be the same case: one where the body in his freezer is at the center of a missing person’s case. The deceased’s last known location is a local trash dump where his phone went offline, like others before it, hinting at a probable serial killer (that might well look like is Timothy Blake). A calendar on the wall of a shipping container is dotted with the victim’s blood, but what’s the message? Blake is back to his puzzle solving antics with Reese at his side.

Just One Bite is every bit as much of a page-turner as its predecessor, with complicated relationships and uber-realistic, flawed and complex characters. What the author started in book one continues seamlessly, with a teaser ending for yet another in the Timothy Blake series. I love how this one came together and am eager to see what’s in store next for what is quickly becoming one of my favorite “serial” characters.

Special thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for the ARC.

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Is it even possible to love a cannibal? Yes! Yes, it is possible. Of course I still don't want to spend any time around Timothy. How I die is one thing. How my body is disposed of is another. Cremation sounds about right. Being sliced, diced, or microwaved "as ole' Tim does" is not ideal! At least add some spices...Maybe some veggies. If I'm going to be eaten, I will need to be seasoned properly!😤😢 Not do I want to be a smear on toilet paper. You know, it's just a thing! Timothy has moved on from working for the F.B.I., and is now working for a gangster. Disposing of bodies. Unfortunately, gangsters seem to kill alot. Also, he's found a dead body just laying around and decides to take "a bite
out of crime" as it were! Oh boy! His freezer is full to brimming with lunch meat. And dinner, breakfast, snack time..eh you get the picture! If you can deal with his munchies, and love dark humor, then, like me you'll probably love this. Things end on a rough note for Timothy. He's free, but I'm thinking he may be putting Houston in the rearview mirror. Don't come to Montana, Timothy. 😯😯
I love this series and I can't wait for more.
My thanks to Harlequin, Netgalley and Jack Heath.

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Thank you NetGalley, Jack Heath and Harlequin for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Timothy Blake is a former consultant with the FBI is now working for a criminal to dispose of bodies of those who they murdered. One night he stumbles over a body he wasn’t supposed to find and then the FBI calls him in to solve the disappearance of that same man who is currently in Blake’s freezer. Then suddenly there is a slew of missing men, all who are on a dating app. There’s a serial killer in Houston and Blake is the only one who knows for sure. Blake’s FBI handler, Thistle starts to warm to Blake, but she also gets closer and closer to finding out his big secret.

I adore Timothy Blake and how completely different he is from everyone who usually works with the FBI. I love that he has such a big secret and that it always gets him into trouble; this novel it changes his life. I love the huge change in Blake’s relationship with Thistle and how he tries to change his life for the better for a woman that he believes he needs to be with. I loved the crimes and how you weren’t sure exactly what was going on until you got to one of the many twists that throw you completely off. It was definitely a fast paced and easy to read novel that left me wanting more of Blake’s life!

Out June 4th!

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There is something to be said for a novel that leaves you speechless. The combination of dark humor and gore were unexpected, especially in not having read the previous book in the series. It is recommended to become acclimated with the premise of the story line prior to jumping into book two, at least for reference purposes. The characters in this novel were definitely unique and well-crafted and Jack Heath did an exquisite job utilizing them to support his peculiar story line. As genre goes, this book pushes the upper limits of thriller, leaning a bit over the line into horror. Many readers will appreciate the conglomeration of shock factors associated with the plot and the characters, especially that of the main character, Timothy Blake. Heath did amazing work in creating someone who readers will connect with but hate themselves for doing so. 4 stars.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Harlequin for this ARC of #JustOneBite

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The plot of this is just ridiculous but somehow still enjoyable! Suspend your disbelief about the people eating stuff and it’s a good read.

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Next one please! This series (Just One Bite is book 2 and you definitely need to read them order) is not for the faint of heart. Very strange , creepy, somewhat repulsive, quirky character that you just have to love. Can't wait for the next book in this series. There will be a next one, right?

Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for the eARC.

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How do you go from FBI consultant to body dumper for the local mob? Sociopath Timothy Blake disappears bodies in exchange for extra cash. Keeping his two lives separate is fairly easy until Blake uncovers a body he wasn’t supposed to. Like any smart guy, he stores the body in his freezer. Imagine his surprise when the FBI calls him back up to investigate the disappearance of a man, who is, you guessed it, in Blake’s freezer. AS more men disappear, it becomes obvious to Blake that a serial killer is operating in Houston. Working with his FBI contact, Reese Thistle, Blake tries to keep his secrets under wraps, but that becomes more difficult when his crime boss employer starts thinking Blake might spill the beans and would be better dead than alive, and likely to expose his empire. Blake is the ultimate anti-hero and this black comedy will have you laughing even as you wince

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