Remi Bone by William L. Myers, Jr.

Reminiscent of Breaking Bad, a television series I found rather addictive.

What I liked:
* Remi Bohne: an ex-con, ex-military, widow, loving stepfather to Kayla, excellent shot, brilliant mechanic, nerves of steel, protective, quiet, conflicted
* Kayla: high school senior, athlete, accepted to Penn State University, keeps an eye on Remi, has dreams for her future
* Virgil: an uber driver, works for some rough characters, a bit of a mystery, has taken Kayla under his wing, clean cut appearance
* Detective Rizzo: divorced, an alcoholic in the past, took good care of his mother, partnered with detective Flynn
* The romance between Rizzo and Captain Sharon Walker
* Father Kane: discreet, ex-military, mercenary, had a moment that changes his trajectory, a good man
* The plot, pacing, setting and writing
* That the bad guys were easy to dislike
* That all of the threads of the story were wrapped up in the end

What I didn’t like:
* Who and what I was meant not to like
* Thinking about the life of the opioid users and the way they lived
* Not a dislike but would love to know more about Virgil’s backstory and what he is really up to

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars

I was issued this book by NetGalley for my unbiased review.

I always enjoy Mr. Myers books and look forward to them. This one was a good story but just had a different feel to it. Just didn't seem as deep, or something.

I will continue to look forward to Myers offerings.

Well, the book summary pretty much lays out the primary storyline for this short story (269pgs). What the book summary doesn’t say is that Remi’s killing phrase is kind of an ode to Samuel Jackson’s character, Jules Winfield, in Pulp Fiction. While the phrase is a Samuel Jackson phrase, it just wasn’t a Jules Winfield/Pulp Fiction phrase. It doesn’t matter though, Remi is fascinated with Samuel Jackson/Jules Winfield quotes and he believes the phrase he is using is a Jules Winfield quote and the one he ends up using before he kills someone.

There are secondary stories like the one of the two cops, Flynn and Rizzo, who are investigating cases where the victim was shot by the same gun. Remi got the gun from his boss so he has no idea where the gun has been or how many people have been killed by it. There is another secondary story of Remi’s daughter, Kayla, who suspects that something is going on with Remi (she doesn’t know he’s dying) and she starts checking up on him and his whereabouts.

Most of the story revolves around Remi trying to stockpile as much money as he can, for Kayla’s college fund, before he dies of heart failure. His health gets worse throughout the story and he knows he doesn’t have much time to secure her future. It’s well into the second half that Rizzo and Flynn begin to zero in on the killings. The end comes pretty fast after that in a hot mess of activity and info dumping. Good grief!!!

Most of the story was leading up to a solid 4star read, but that ending was just way too messy for me, hence, the 3star rating. I want to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #OceanviewPublishing #RemiBone

A Good Guy Gone Bad For A Good Cause

The novel opens with Remi Bone walking into the office of Dr. Roseman. After saying, “Tick tock says the clock. Time’s up,…,” He shoots him in the heart. From this heartless killing, the novel starts.

The main storyline has two major threads. The first is centered on Remi Bone as he spirals down to becoming a hired assassin and serial killer. The second thread is the investigation of the capture of the serial killer. Several characters support one or both major threads. The start is slow as Remi Bone is trying to solve his financial issue, which must be solved quickly. Once he has the solution, he is not sure and even calls upon an old friend who is a priest for guidance. Then, the first killing is described in detail. A subsequent killing changes everything. At this point, my attention was finally captured. Until this point, the tension was maintained by whether Remi Bone would solve his financial issue. This tension just wasn’t enough to capture my interest. That changed, but it was just too late into the novel.

The Remi Bone character starts sympathetic. In high school, he bullied many fellow students, but then he served in the military with tours in the Middle East. After the service, he inadvertently killed a man in a bar fight. After serving his time, he found his true love and married her. The woman’s daughter was part of the package deal, and he came to love her, too. Then, his wife dies. He promises her that he will take care of her daughter. The daughter is an excellent student and was just accepted by the University of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, he works as an auto mechanic for a small garage. He does not have the money to pay for her tuition. When he took up the mantle of a paid killer, he lost all my sympathy. That was another strike against this novel for me.

Some aspects that can cause some readers to stop reading are present in this novel. There are no intimate scenes, but references to it occurring and activity before and after would give this novel a strong mature rating. There is a noticeable amount of vulgar and rude language. Violence is described as it occurs, so it is more edgy. These aspects were not over the top for me, but for some readers, they might be. Let the reader be forewarned.

I have several issues with this novel. This is a work of fiction, so some shortcuts are taken to keep the flow going. The most significant flaw was the “everyone lives happily ever after” style ending. For me, that ending couldn't survive a simple ballistic testing. I did like the latter half of the novel, as it captured my attention until the disappointing ending. This is the fourth novel by this author that I have read. One of which I purchased along with two other novels. He is in my Must-Read category, but this novel is not what I would expect from a Must-Read author. I am looking forward to his next novel, hoping that this novel is just a one-off. I am ambivalent in recommending reading this novel. I have mixed feelings about this novel, so I rate it with three stars.

I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Oceanview Publishing. My review is based solely on my own reading experience of this book. Thank you, Oceanview Publishing, for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

This a new to me, author. I like the cover. The story was interesting. and it the future I may read another book by this author.

Just not my cup of tea. Remi is in a difficult position - he's been diagnosed with late stage congestive heart failure and needs to provide college tuition for his dead wife's daughter. The only way to earn money quickly is to perform a hit on a drug dealer who has agreed to testify against his cohorts.
After the successful hit, he is offered other jobs. His change in behavior becomes concerns his daughter who begins to follow him. Will he manage to make enough to cover her four years of college before he dies and without her discovering how the money was earned?

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

Remington Bohne (pronounced Boh-nay" has been known as Remi Bone since he was a kid. Now grown, a widower with the sole responsibility for his adopted daughter, Kayla, since his wife's death, he would do ANYTHING to take care of her and her future. So when an old friend, a doctor he has known since high school, tells him he has late-stage congestive heart failure and only a little time to live, he panics. Kayla has just been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania and Remi has been putting away every penny he can so she can graduate college without crippling debt. What is going to happen to that plan now?

But just then his boss comes up with a scheme for Remi to make money quick. All he has to do is kill a drug dealer who is preying on children around schools. To Remi, this sounds like someone who needs to be stopped, so he agrees to take the job. And he does it so well, that he is hired to do another one, and then another one. He vows to quit after his third job, not because his conscience is bothering him, but because it isn't.

The people who have hired him have some ideas of their own, and want Remi removed and when the third job goes wrong, it is time for Remi to quit - for good.

A good, fairly quick read, with a lot of questions about good and evil, and is it OK to do bad things for a good reason?

As a fan of William Myers' legal series, this tale strikes out in a different direction.
I gave it the following SCORE:
Setting: Current day, Philadelphia
Characters: Remi Bone, daughter Kayla, and a full cast of criminals, detectives, and intriguing characters
Overview: Remi has a difficult problem – with not much time to live, he wants to ensure his adopted daughter has enough money to get a good college education, being accepted at Penn. He falls into the opportunity to make thousands by simply being a hit man – murdering people who his bosses want taken care of. The book is well-plotted, non-traditional, and keeps your attention throughout.
Recommendation: I rate this book 4 stars
Extras: The moral enigma of this book is fascinating. How can you possibly be cheering for a character who is an assassin? Remi’s goal is honorable but his methods are despicable. I hope Kayla had a successful and rewarding career.
Thanx to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for the opportunity to provide this candid review.

First....the cover of this book says....READ ME. Next, this was a fsat, entertaining read about a man with a goal and the will to get it done, no matter the cost. But, it's so much more than that. This man has lived his whole life following society's rules but now he must use the skills he has to insure his daughter's future after.........But before he dies, he will become a hero to some and a boogeyman to others while managing to remain a good guy.

This is a quirky little book, quick and enjoyable to read. Despite Remi becoming a hit man he's a nice guy with Kayla's wellbeing at heart. Those on the receiving end of his hits are not nice people, not that that makes murder okay but I was rooting for him anyway. There are many interesting characters besides Remi and Kayla and an ending that I wasn't expecting. 3.5 Stars rounded up.

I'm quite impressed by the cover of this book, reminds me of the old Dick Tracy comic books ... or am I dating myself?!

My thanks to Oceanview Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: September 19, 2023

When you become a parent, you quickly discover that there’s nothing you wouldn’t do to protect your child. And in Remi Bone by author William L. Myers, a desperate dad finds himself going to desperate measures to provide for his daughter before his time is up.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

Another standalone thriller by William L. Myers, Remi Bone is the tale of an unusual assassin. Remi Bone is a single father, mechanic and genuine all-round good guy. He is most pleased when his daughter Kayla gets accepted into an Ivy League university and is determined to pay for her education. Facing his own mortality and the need to make more money, Remi agrees to kill a drug dealer for the cash. Circumstances then spiral outside his control as Kayla becomes concerned at his strange behaviour and the police are on the hunt for a serial killer. Whilst an entertaining narrative with empathy for its characters, there is somewhat of a lack of tension making for a two and a half stars read rating. With thanks to Oceanview Publishing and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Fast paced and a bit gritty, this tale of a terminally ill father accidentally becoming a hitman to fund his daughter's Ivy League education is well plotted and interweaves the lives of interesting characters into a fun read. For fans of Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen.

Remi Bone is a mechanic and also raising his wife's daughter. The two of them buried her and now that Kayla the daughter has gotten into Harvad he wants to provide for her. The problem he has gotten some bad news about his heart. So to leave her with money he begins to take jobs taking out drug dealers. He also leaves a calling tik, talk. Once you get into the story you begin to realize that Kayla figures out something is wrong and becomes worried about him for she made a promise to her mother before she died to look after Remi. A good story with good characters and twists along the way, the ending I did not see either.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, William L. Myers Jr., and Oceanview Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

Always pleased to have a new William L. Myers Jr. novel to read, I gladly accepted this standalone thriller. Bringing more of Philadelphia to his stories, Myers offers up a thriller that pits a man who has nothing to lose against a city with so much to gain, all with a primary focus, his daughter. Myers presents a story full of action, adventure, and even a little humour, perfect for the reader who needs grittiness without all the drawn-out descriptions.

Remington ‘Remi Bone’ Bohne has seen a great deal in his life, A hard-working mechanic, Bone laid his wife to rest too soon and is a single father to a highly intelligent daughter. When he learns that Kayla has been accepted to Penn, he is both overjoyed and panicked, as he does not have the money to send her. However, this soon pales in comparison, as he discovered that he has congenital heart disease with only a short time left to live.

Unsure what he will do, Bone sifts through the money he’s stashed away for Kayla, realising that it will not be enough. In walks his boss at the shop with a proposal. With all the drugs on the streets of Philadelphia, many are beginning to think that there needs to be some honest to goodness clean up. This will not happen with city programs or law enforcement budgets, but with some vigilante work, killing those who are at the root of the problem, the drug dealers. Bone is offered the chance to make some decent money serving as a killer to rid Philly streets of the lowest scum. The money is nothing to turn away from and if Bone is going to be gone anyway, he might as well go out with a bang.

When one killing turns two two and then more, Remi Bone becomes the most sought after hitman of them all, both by the police and the drug dealers themselves. Uttering a catchphrase he always thought worked well for him, Bone is sent on multiple missions to rid the streets of killers and keep the money coming in for Kayla, all while keeping her strictly in the dark. All the while, some in positions of authority begin to piece it all together and lay a trap, in hopes of bringing this hitman to justice before too long. Myers does well to craft this piece and keep the reader flipping pages well into the night.

There is a certain eagerness when i read anything by William L. Myers, Jr. I discovered his legal thrillers and could not get enough of them, but also watched as he morphed into more writing projects more, all of which had his signature sharpness and great development. Myers builds a strong foundation with this book, premised on something is simple as cleaning up the streets, while providing the reader with something intriguing to read with an impetus unlike anything I have read before. Strong characters keep the story moving and leave the reader eager to discover more, particularly with Remi Bone and his sordid past. The plot simmers for a time before bubbling over and keeping the reader int he middle of the mix. There is a lot to discover with this piece and i hope Myers will keep writing, be it legal thrillers or something of a more psychological nature. I am exciting in to see what’s next and will have to wait patiently for whenever that might be.

Kudos, Mr. Myers, for providing energy and effort to a much needed topic.

Poor Remi. The Doc tells him the results are not good. He has inherited a teenage daughter who has just been accepted into an Ivy League school that has an astronomical cost. Remi wants to do something to make this happen for her before he makes his exit. An outstanding opportunity to make gobs of cash falls into his lap. Become a hitman! Could happen to anyone, right? Stepping right over the moral dilemma, Remi takes out one little, two little, three...wait, now he has a taste for killing. Oh dear! In steps his Priest. Out steps his Priest. How will this end? My thanks to the author and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this entertaining book.

Tick Tock says the clock!

Offbeat, decidedly different tale about a middle aged man with a rough history. Remington Bohne (Remi Bone) loves his adopted daughter. His wife Beatrice, Kyla’s mother was his life. When Beatrice died Remi of course went on supporting Kyla, caring for her. Kyla’s father is not in the picture and maybe that’s a blessing. At least Remi thinks it is. Now Kyla’s been accepted into the University of Pennsylvania.
Unfortunately Remi’s just been told he has a heart condition that could see the end of him at anytime. A ticking time bomb!
Remi wants to raise tuition and accommodation expenses for Kyla’s education before he dies. The way he chooses to fund Kyla’s future is as a hit man. That decision presents Remi with many dilemmas, including moral. Things spiral and Remi becomes known as the ‘Tick Tick’ man.
A host of brilliant characters including Catholic priest Father Kane, makes this read a cut above your normal crime fiction noir.
I really enjoyed the various aspects of this rather unexpected novel.

An Oceanview ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

Good book with a great cast of characters, Remington Bohne, aka, Remi Bone on his quest to
make some money for his daughter before he dies.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this entertaining book.

I think this book was a decent first draft of a novel, but it did not feel complete or well developed to me. The basic premise was interesting. A dying man decides to become a hit man to earn money for his daughter to use after he dies. That could've been a really compelling plot. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough here to make the story enjoyable. There was almost no character development, particularly for the main character. We're told several times early on that the MC is conflicted about what he should do. But that nuance is lost almost immediately. The character went here, he did this thing, he felt guilty, he did the thing again, he lied to his daughter. There wasn't any depth, or emotion from the MC. He read as very one dimensional and undeveloped. When my favorite character is the Uber driver that drives him to his hits, you know the hired gun isn't interesting enough.

And honestly, his plot line got really boring really fast. The side plots with the police officers and the mayor's assistant were much more interesting. And eventually they almost take over the story. For multiple chapters we only see the side characters and their relationships progressing and we hear nothing from the MC. This was sadly the best part of the book for me. And don't even get me started on the illegal actions taken by the police. So many things were incorrect and would never have held up. It read as sloppy research and lazy writing.

Random side note: The MC's two line catch phrase made me inordinately annoyed. It didn't rhyme. It was obviously meant to rhyme, but apparently no one editing the book realized that 'up' and 'fuck' don't actually rhyme.

Overall, this book was a big miss for me. 1.5 stars generously rounded up to 2.

William L. Myers, Jr. is a Philadelphia lawyer with 30 years of trial experience in state and federal courts. He still actively practices law while writing the Philadelphia Legal series. He branches out into noir territory with his latest book Remi Bone, to be released by Oceanview in September.

Remington Bohne became Remi Bone in elementary school and the name followed him into his adulthood. After tours in the Gulf War and a brush with the law, Bone settled into life with the love of his life, working as a highly skilled mechanic on foreign-made automobiles. When Bea died he was devastated but he vowed he would finish raising Bea’s daughter Kayla. He has been saving for Kayla’s college expenses in the four years since, doing without, working overtime, while Kayla focused on making good grades and acing the college entrance exams.

A visit with a cardiologist throws a huge wrench into Bone’s plans. His heart is failing and he is unlikely to survive to see Kayla through college. He is reeling from that news, then Kayla is admitted to the university of her dreams. He needs to expedite his savings program so when his shady boss offers him $25,000 to rub out a gang member pushing heroin to high school students, he agrees to do it. He isn’t happy but he does it. Once the job is done, other contract killings follow, each with a higher price tag than the one before. Bone’s determination to provide for Kayla balanced against his consciousness of wrongdoing keeps him on edge while gritting his teeth and carrying out the murders.

A fast-moving, tightly woven story about how sometimes none of the choices we have are good, and the only way forward is to choose the one with the least awful consequences. Bone is a deeply principled man and far more intelligent than the sleazoids who picked him to be their hired shooter understand. His scenes with Kayla, from whom he has hidden his illness, are among the best parts of the book. The ending is as powerful as it is unexpected. Recommended.