Review of A Journey In Terror

[Brenda Creech]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Journey In Terror" by Kerry Brian Charlton.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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From the moment Denise Luciano ran into Lee Harrison's law office in a panic because her husband was going to kill her, Lee wanted to help her. He was determined to save her at all costs. The following day Denise was kidnapped, and Lee was determined to find her. He knew her husband, Sam Luciano, was a notorious crime boss, and Lee was frantic to know if Denise was still alive. When Lee saw Sam in a restaurant parking lot and asked him where Denise was, Sam wouldn't tell him. Lee was enraged, shot and killed Sam on the spot, and then turned himself in to the police. But that is just the beginning of the story.

Denise, guarded by Sam's number one hit man, Vince, had convinced him to help her escape. Vince and Denise, along with Denise's sister, Laura, were headed for Canada to one of Laura's architectural projects, which would be a great hiding place. Or so they thought. Before they got to the lodge, they found themselves in an all-out war with nine of the new crime boss's men. They managed to come out of the battle victors and headed back to the states on their way to Texas. Knowing they had limited time before Vincino, the new boss, found them, the trio set about trying to secure the house and property where they were staying in Texas as soon as they arrived. Out of jail on bond, Lee had called Denise, and he was on his way to Texas to meet her. His defense attorney, Albert (Al) Wittington, was with him. Vincino and one hundred of his men arrived before Lee and Al. Would Vincinio kill Denise before Lee could get to her? How could a small group of people stand against seasoned mob murderers and survive?

A Journey in Terror by Kerry Brian Charlton is a fast-paced crime novel filled with murder and mayhem. Charlton's writing reveals a creative imagination. The characters in this book are unique. For instance, Denise and her sister, Laura, know what is about to happen before it does, and both ladies can fight and shoot guns as well as anyone. Vince didn't know that until Vincino's men ambushed them in Canada. Charlton was also good at transitioning back and forth between what was happening to the trio on the run and what transpired back in Florida to Lee after he killed Sam. I enjoyed the story's pace because there was never a dull moment.

On the other hand, several critical issues in this book need attention. I found multiple errors that included spelling, grammar, and punctuation. There are also a few formatting issues scattered throughout the pages. The review copy I had was the PDF version. Perhaps that contributed to the formatting issues. As the story progressed, the errors became more frequent, and several times a scene would begin with Denise speaking, and the following dialog would indicate it was Laura. My biggest complaint was the romance between Lee and Denise. I felt it happened too quickly to be believable.

The story's theme is intriguing; however, it was challenging to keep everything and everyone straight the further I progressed through the book. The closer the story got to the end, the more rushed it seemed. The ending was good, but I had lost my zeal for the book. Due to the multiple errors, the confusion over the characters at times, and the formatting issues of the PDF version, I am rating this book 2 out of 4 stars. It is with sadness that I had to take away two stars because the storyline is one a fan of crime novels would enjoy. However, I cannot recommend this book in PDF form. This book would be a satisfying read with some extensive editing.

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A Journey In Terror
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[Bef Ozo]

Lee's anger is fuming and I can't wait to see how his encounter with the police would look like. Your review was lovely to read. It was well edited and well analysed. Keep it up!

[camara Edwards 1]

too much violence works well for other though because everyone have there own opinion.

[Vivian Writes]

While crime thrillers can be exhilarating, it’s the romance I live for. So it’s a bummer that the romance between Lee and Denise seemed unbelievable and too rushed. The author should revisit this book, though, to sort out the formatting and content issues.

[Shadreck Rogers]

I love the storyline and Denise seems to be a very fascinating character.

[Tisha Mosley]

You could summarize the story in under 400 pretty good words. I just don't want to know the surprises or setbacks that the main character faced. It is just too much fun to feel unexpected or unthinkable while reading throughout the book. Since the book is in PDF format I could read but I would not be as enthusiastic as I do with the paperback or hardcover copy.

[NetMassimo]

I can see the potential in this novel, so it's a shame that such potential is hindered by the problems you mentioned. I hope the author does more editing to fix those problems. Thank you for your honest review!