MY REVIEW:
Mike Nappa was an unknown author to me when I chose to review “Annabel Lee”. That particular novel was a bit more violent than what I usually read but the story was so clever and compelling plus I loved Trudi and Samuel that I couldn’t help but agree to review “The Raven” also. I really wanted to catch up with the Coffey and Hill team. I was not disappointed.
In the latest installment with a nod to Edgar Allen Poe, a young street magician known as the Raven finds himself in over his head with the Ukrainian Mafia. Samuel is sent to find out if there is any truth to something big might be going down soon – something rumored to have the code name of “Nevermore”. Then there is Mama Bliss who has connections because of her business and seems to know everything going on in her neighborhood. Everyone knows she still grieves her grandson but Mama Bliss has some secrets that would surprise most people. Somehow all these people interconnect in one way or another to the point that it is sometimes difficult to tell exactly what is really going on. But by the end, everything comes together and makes a bit more sense.
“The Raven” is not nearly as violent as “Annabel Lee” but it does have its moments. I really felt for poor Raven even though he probably asked for some of what he got. Despite his sticky fingers, he was actually a likeable fellow. And even with their past history, I can’t help but hope Trudi and Samuel will end up back together.
Mike Nappa, you have captured my imagination with your Poe themed books and I will have to read each and every one of them in this series. Superb writing and unique stories come together to make several hours of intense reading. If you enjoy good suspense novels, take a chance on both “The Raven” and “Annabel Lee”.
A free copy of this book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
As part of his street performance, a deception specialist who goes by the name The Raven picks his audience’s pockets while they watch. It’s harmless fun–until he decides to keep the wallet of a prominent politician, hoping for a few extra bucks. When he finds compromising photos of the councilman and his “personal assistants,” The Raven hatches a plan to blackmail the man. However, he quickly finds himself in over his head with the Ukrainian Mafia and mired in a life-threatening plot code-named “Nevermore.”
Private investigators Trudi Coffey and Samuel Hill must scramble to sort out the clues to rescue The Raven from a wild card bent on revenge.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Mike Nappa is an entertainment journalist at FamilyFans.com, as well as a bestselling and award-winning author with more than one million books sold worldwide. When he was a kid, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe scared him silly. Today he owns everything Poe ever wrote. A former fiction acquisitions editor, Mike earned his MA in English literature and now writes full time.
