Amazing 5 star read! This Crime thriller set in Philly is an unputdownable fast read. Unreliable characters galore and a great setting. We want more!!

Revenge, murder, and mayhem is what you’ll find in Discipline by Marc Avery. Avery did a good job of crafting a well-rounded murder mystery that will delight readers. What’s interesting about this story is that each character has their personal demons that they are fighting. Discipline is full of action and plot twists that makes this a thrilling read. Hopefully, this is the start of an exciting new series by Marc Avery.

Discipline is a meticulous ice-hearted murderer who made Philadelphia into his personal killing ground. Death rises each moment and citizens fear Discipline, nobody is safe in this city. Detective Aaden Bravo and Detective Christian Bennett work together to find Discipline and try hard not to get killed.

This book starts with a fast thriller story pace and then focuses on action. I can imagine this book being made into movies. Actually, the level of violence in this story is brutal, so I really advise you to pay attention to trigger warnings.

Honestly, I’m siding with the villain this time and Discipline’s past is so sad and painful. I don’t think he is truly the villain at all, he is just a victim to me, because anyone in this story could be the villain or the worst evil mastermind. Discipline only wants revenge but, in his heart, he only wants justice.

On the contrary, the one that I don’t really like is the jumping between the present and the past in the middle of an event, causing the events that happen between the past and present to crash with each other. This book is okay, but don’t forget to read and pay attention to the trigger warnings everyone!

Discipline by Marc Avery is a gritty, heart-pounding thrill ride from the prologue until the end. Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain turns Philadelphia into a personal playground of revenge, leaving bodies in the city’s most iconic landmarks. And it’s not just the body count rising—it’s the pressure, the politics, and the stakes.

Detectives Aaden Bravo and Christian Bennett are an explosive duo—total opposites forced to work together. Aaden is all business, while Christian is all charm and chaos, but together they make for a dynamic team you can’t look away from. Their clashing personalities add layers to the nonstop action, and the tension between them is just as sharp as the tension in every crime scene.

Avery doesn’t pull any punches with the violence—every scene is vividly described and memorable. But what sells this novel is the depth: the backstories, the motives, the city that feels like a living, breathing character. And just when you think you’ve caught your breath, something-or—or someone pulls you right back into the fire.

There are hints of sex throughout, but they never overshadow the main event: the chase, the partnership, and the desperate hope that justice will be served. And that ending? Let’s just say, I need to know what happens next.

A five-star read for fans of action-packed police procedurals, complex characters, and twisted, relentless killers. Bring on book two!

Thank you, Black Odyssey Media, for this ARC. I also listened to the audio while following the ebook. Opinions and thoughts are my own.

This is probably one of my favorite murder mysteries that I have read. I am very drawn to a book when it has multiple perspectives and I think this one carried it well. I loved seeing everyone's side of the story and then it all coming together in the end. The whole time I was secretly rooting for Discipline and hoping he got his revenge, and I am so glad he did. I loved the pacing, and I never felt like it was dragging or the same story was being told over and overall. Overall an enjoyable thriller and I would recommend it to anyone.

DNF at 46%. Although the writing is adequate, the story failed to fully propel me enough to want to finish. For me, I think part of the problem is by 46% in we already knew who was the killer and why he was killing. It didn't feel very mysterious or thrilling to me. The stakes in learning anything else in the story didn't feel high enough for me to continue. If questions revolving around the killings and who was committing them hadn't already been answered, I most likely would have finished it.

I am always excited to see a book set In Pennsylvania (even if it’s Philadelphia 😉 I am from Pittsburgh so I have to tease Philly a little bit!!)

I started reading this book and could not put it down!! I was guessing what was going to happen (and I was wrong lol) and this story really kept me on the edge of my seat. If you love thrillers/crime fiction I would definitely give this a read.

The plot was interesting and the characters surprised me (in the best ways.) No spoilers…but let’s just say one of my favorite colors is morally gray!

✨What To Expect:
⁉️Suspense/Thriller
🔍Crime Thriller
🌪️Twists & Turns
😒Reluctant Partners
🐈‍⬛Cat and Mouse
🔪Revenge
🥀Criminal Mastermind
🦅Set in Philadelphia

This is a crime thriller that’ll have you locked in, I found the story to be very fast paced and a real page turner moving from Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain to the detectives at Philadelphia PD trying to solve his crimes. Discipline has had one hell of a rough ride in life and it leads him set down a path determined for vengeance one person at a time. If anything the ending could have even been a little longer as the last quarter felt like a lot needed to be packed in. You won’t often see me calling for more pages as 350 is my preference, but I could have gone for some more here!

It’d be interesting to see what Avery has up his sleeve next and if this’ll turn into a series, but I’ll certainly be keeping my eyes peeled as this was my first of his books and it certainly won’t be the last.

Looks like I've found a new author as well as another addictive read. I enjoyed this book. I even found myself rooting for a certain character that I normally wouldn't root for. This story was captivating and addictive. It kept me on my toes and guessing from beginning to end. I could not put this book down. I felt like I was watching a movie instead of reading a book. If you like crime thrillers written by Black authors featuring Black characters, then I think you would like this book. I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

Action. Grit. Revenge. Welcome to Philly, baby.
If you're into heart-racing, jaw-clenching crime thrillers that read like a damn movie, then let me hand you Discipline by Marc Avery and tell you to cancel your weekend plans. 📚🔥

Giuseppe “Discipline” Cain isn’t just a villain, he’s a calculated storm of vengeance, rewriting Philly’s history with blood and bullets.
🏙️ One landmark at a time.
💀 One body at a time.

“One down. Many more to go.”

He’s not here to play games. He’s here to make you pay.

Meanwhile, we’ve got two homicide detectives thrown into a forced partnership and the tension is thiccc.

Detective Aaden Bravo? The straight-laced legend.
Detective Christian Bennett? Cocky, chaotic, womanizing wildcard.
And yet... somehow, they’re the only thing standing between this city and total chaos. 😵‍💫👮‍♂️👮‍♂️

“Please tell me my new partner is a woman.”
“Nope.”

Enemies-to-partners energy? CHECK.
Corrupt cops, courtroom drama, and high-octane shootouts? CHECK.
A villain with layers so deep, you’re not even sure who to root for? DOUBLE CHECK. 😮‍💨

What I loved:

✨ The dual POVs that let you live inside everyone’s head
✨ The cinematic pacing that seriously NEEDS to be a series

✨ The moral gray zones—justice? revenge? survival? Who's really the villain?

And let’s talk Discipline for a sec… because this man? He’s got trauma, pain, and precision. He’s a ghost of the system’s failure. He’s not just killing. He’s making a statement.

“They stole five years of my life from me. I’ll die in the streets first before I ever come back here.”

This book hits hard and doesn’t let up. From gritty shootouts to moments that make you pause and feel the weight of everything these characters have survived. Marc Avery delivers a knockout debut that’s all gas, no brakes.🖤💥

🎬 Top-tier thriller.

💣 Explosive twists.

😈 A villain you might secretly root for.

🔥 And a partnership that might just break before it bends.

Highly recommend if you like:
🖤 The Wire meets Training Day

🖤 morally messy characters

🖤 urban grit with psychological depth

🖤 fast pacing + high stakes

Now excuse me while I go manifest book 2. ‘Cause Discipline’s not done yet. 😈

Marc Avery has written an action packed crime thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat! Guiseppe “Discipline “ Cain has been released from prison and he is out for revenge for those who he thinks were responsible for his troubles! Two detectives are on his trail in downtown Philly and unfortunately in this story, there are no good guys. It sounds like there could be a follow up to this story!

I loved this crime thriller! The main character, "Discipline," is complex and fascinating you'll find yourself questioning who you should even root for. The two detectives are also great; they're so different, but their partnership is what makes the story work. The suspense is incredible, and the action scenes are intense. Highly recommend! Thanks to Black Odyssey Media and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity to read and review honesty.

Worth a Try - This may not be for everyone, as it’s intended to be a detective-y story (not quite at the level of thriller). Fairly predictable plot but quite readable.

Blurb is at the end of the review, for those who aren’t into that sort of thing.

Detective/police story. No substantive romantic subplot.

Told from three different POVs, this crime fiction story was a fast and easy read. Set in Philadelphia, it follows both the criminal in question, but also the detectives who’re trying to track him down.

I really wanted to like this book. I follow Avery on Threads, and I like him quite a lot as a person.

Unfortunately, I found the character development, and exploration of character backgrounds, to be curiously flat. This was further hindered by the lack of distinction between the different characters’ voices. Everyone was corrupt, everyone had vice, everyone supported and backed each other until they didn’t.

At points, it felt like Avery had written personalities to suit the plot, and to further it, rather than for any substantive reason.

Nevertheless, it was an interesting enough read. Certainly enough to read through, even if the outcome seemed a foregone conclusion.

As a sidenote, the formatting on the ebook was also distracting - there were page numbers in the middle of the page, some of the chapter headings also seemed inconsistently.

Synopsis:
Giuseppe ‘Discipline’ Cain has had a hard life. Now that he has been released from prison, he is seeking to hold accountable those he believes responsible for his troubles. Meanwhile, two detectives are on his trail, seeking to put a stop to Discipline’s spree before additional damage can be done.

In summary, this was a very decent and easy read. It was certainly something I could readily slip in and out of, and with a fulfilling ending. I’d love to see how Avery continues to grow as a writer in his future works.

I was half way through because I was genuinely curious of the suspense of what was gonna happen but I lost interest and I was forcing my self to finish. But I couldn’t really get into it.

Marc Avery has written a fantastic book! Discipline, is a thrilling crime story and isn't just something you read; it felt like a real movie happening in my head. It grabbed my attention from start to finish.

The story is about a man named Giuseppe "Discipline" Cain. He's been hurt and now he wants to get even. He starts killing people in famous spots around Philadelphia, leaving clues that show he's doing it on purpose and out of anger. Everyone in the city is scared, and the police are desperate to stop him.

Two detectives, Aaden Bravo and Christian Bennett, are given the job to catch him. Bravo is a top cop who solves a lot of cases. Bennett is wild, takes risks, and likes women a lot. They don't like each other at first, but they have to work together. Even though they don't get along, their different skills help them catch this smart killer. Their teamwork becomes a fight to do their job and stay alive.

Avery did an amazing job writing a suspenseful story that never slows down. The action scenes are so real, they pull you right into the chaos. Discipline also makes you think about what's right and wrong and trust me you will be torn. As you learn more about Giuseppe Cain, you'll wonder who you should feel sorry for. Who do you want to win when everyone is messed up in some way? This look into complicated feelings makes the book more than just a simple chase story and I can't wait for book 2!

Sorry, I could not get into this at all and gave up about a third of the way through. The premise seemed sound but the characters were one dimensional, the dialogue was stilted and the attempt at Philadelphia vernacular seemed forced. Told over multiple timelines, the storyline got confusing and i just wasn't interested in any of the characters. Not recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Black Odyssey Media for an advanced reader copy.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Discipline.
This a a tough novel with lots of action and suspense.
This novel centers on a young man who finds himself trapped in his own world. He has suffered from depression from an early age. He found his parents dead from an overdose, been abused by foster parents, and the one person who meant anything to him, a foster mother, was killed in front of him. He hooks up with a crooked cop who sets him up and he is sent to prison. But Discipline is not a man who can let go of the past and he is determined to set the record straight.
The book also includes the story of two Philadelphia police officers who are not necessarily the most ethical. They are involved at first on the periphery of Disciplines life but will soon get to know him more and more as Discipline set about making his vengeance upon those who have wronged him.
This is gritty and very true to real life.
I see a part 2 in the future.
4 stars.

Discipline by Marc Avery is a high-octane crime thriller that plunges you into the gritty streets of Philadelphia and will keep you hooked from the first page. Told through the shifting perspectives of two determined officers (who have an inherited beef) and the enigmatic fugitive they're chasing, the story builds relentless momentum, suspense, and anticipation as it unfolds. As the manhunt intensifies, you're pulled into the layered psyche of Giuseppe "Discipline" Cain, a man shaped by trauma, betrayal, and a hunger for justice on his own terms. Beyond its rapid pace and intense action, the novel delves into moral complexities, leaving you questioning who truly deserves your sympathy. Who do you root for when everyone's broken?

Det Bravo and his new partner Christian Bennett are tasked with looking into and taking down
a notorious killer in Phil. Bennett is a new transfer into the dept and takes the place of his
former partner who is under suspicion for possible criminal activities. He also happens to be a personal close
associate and coworker of Bennet's.
Tensions get higher and whether they can work together in peace and cooperation, remains to be seen.
Suspense is good and the story line is okay, but I really could not get into the partner by play at all.

What I loved about the book
This book moves fast and stays interesting. The plot had me hooked and the ending definitely didn’t disappoint.

What I didn’t love as much:
There were a few side storylines that felt like they could’ve been developed a little more. I felt in some parts it was a little abrupt.

Overall:
It’s a solid read, and I’m definitely interested in checking out more from this new-to-me author.