Official Review: The Dagger With Two Blades

Please use this sub-forum to discuss any crime, thriller, mystery or horror books or series.
Forum rules
Authors and publishers are not able to post replies in the review topics.
Post Reply
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Official Review: The Dagger With Two Blades

Post by joshfee77 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Dagger With Two Blades" by N. Scoto Bowen.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review


The Dagger With Two Blades is a crime thriller by N. Scoto Bowen. Daniel Hooper, an American artist who paints in watercolours, visits Venice to show his art in a gallery run by Amedeo Paradiso. Arriving at the train station, he falls immediately for Mara Van Hoeven, a beautiful woman who appears equally smitten with him. Soon, she invites him to stay at the house of her uncle, Novak Nemkovich (or Nemno, as he calls himself). Mara has an identical twin sister, Nadja, who - she claims - likes to steal men from her for sport. Dan also meets the charismatic Artemi, a business associate of Nemno. Artemi enlists Dan's help in the clandestine surveillance of a nearby house under the guise of painting a picture of it. Dan quickly realises there is more to the situation than he could have imagined. Then somebody murders Artemi...

Bowen's writing is engaging right from the start. The story moves forward with plenty of momentum to hold the reader's interest. It is easily one of the more engrossing books I have read for Online Book Club, and I finished it in just two days. With a highly addictive plot, there are plenty of twists for lovers of mystery.

The prose is simple to read and the sentence construction is neat. Bowen uses commas perfectly, including the "Oxford comma" when listing multiple items. The descriptive passages are simple, without too many adjectives, giving an ease of reading which combines beautifully with the sense of intrigue in the plot. Dan Hooper tells the story in the first person, so we only learn details as he does, which adds to the mystery.

As for characters, the instant attraction and fast-developing relationship between Dan and Mara adds interest right from the start. Given the genre, I found myself suspicious of Mara's motives, simply because she and Dan seem to fall for each other so quickly. The characters are all developed nicely; one example is that Dan finds it increasingly difficult to produce quality paintings as the tension rises and the web of illegal intrigue grows more elaborate.

The only problem with this book is its typographical errors. I must note that these are very minor, such as the odd missing space, hyphen, or quotation mark. Further, there were only around fifteen errors in the entire book. With these fixed, this is a definite 4-star book, a highly entertaining mystery with a great plot, strong characters and an addictive story. Unfortunately, in its current state, I must rate The Dagger With Two Blades 3 out of 4 stars. It would suit any reader of crime fiction, especially those who love a good mystery. It does contain sex and violence, but neither is gratuitous.

******
The Dagger With Two Blades
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Like joshfee77's review? Post a comment saying so!
Anthony__
Book of the Month Participant
Posts: 1166
Joined: 24 Dec 2018, 07:51
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 459
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-anthony.html
Latest Review: Its Saddest Sound by Pirjo Marjut Vega-Brandt

Post by Anthony__ »

What an intriguing love story and I love it. From your review, I can see the book will be full of suspense! Great review
User avatar
Jessacardinal
Posts: 339
Joined: 21 Dec 2018, 17:49
Currently Reading: The Lost Identity Casualties
Bookshelf Size: 83
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-jessacardinal.html
Latest Review: The Girl Who Knew Da Vinci by Belle Ami

Post by Jessacardinal »

A thrilling page-turner! This one makes my list of future reads. Thanks for a great review!
"Let's be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading." - Lena Dunham
kdstrack
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 6473
Joined: 10 May 2017, 19:49
Currently Reading: The Savior
Bookshelf Size: 530
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kdstrack.html
Latest Review: How To Be Successful by M. Curtis McCoy

Post by kdstrack »

Another quick read! I love hard-to-put-down books. The perfect punctuation would also be nice. Thanks for a great review.
User avatar
kandscreeley
Special Discussion Leader
Posts: 11683
Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
Currently Reading: Believarexic
Bookshelf Size: 486
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David

Post by kandscreeley »

I could care less whether the author uses the Oxford comma or not. The story does sound interesting, though. However, I'm always a bit skeptical of those that fall in love immediately. Also, the sex and violence would probably keep me away from this. Thanks.
A book is a dream you hold in your hands.
—Neil Gaiman
User avatar
Faithmwangi
Posts: 486
Joined: 03 Aug 2017, 13:40
Currently Reading: Empowered
Bookshelf Size: 92
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-faithmwangi.html
Latest Review: The Prodigy Slave, Book One: Journey to Winter Garden by Londyn Skye

Post by Faithmwangi »

This is such an insightful review. You caught my attention at crime thriller. The sex and violence are, however, difficult to overlook.
"Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary.” – Jim Rohn
Willy 1
Posts: 127
Joined: 24 Dec 2018, 07:06
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 20
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-willy-1.html
Latest Review: All the Targets by Noah Bond

Post by Willy 1 »

Apart from the errors it seems like a beautifully written crime thriller. Falling in love quickly can be a real issue because you won't get to know the person well enough. Good review.
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

Anthony__ wrote: 18 Jan 2019, 04:25 What an intriguing love story and I love it. From your review, I can see the book will be full of suspense! Great review
Yeah, a really well-written page-turner, this one. Thanks!
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

Jessacardinal wrote: 18 Jan 2019, 13:38 A thrilling page-turner! This one makes my list of future reads. Thanks for a great review!
Thanks! I really found this one more readable than a lot of other books I've reviewed.
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

kdstrack wrote: 18 Jan 2019, 16:24 Another quick read! I love hard-to-put-down books. The perfect punctuation would also be nice. Thanks for a great review.
This book was certainly easy to read quickly, plenty of action and intrigue. Thanks!
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

kandscreeley wrote: 21 Jan 2019, 13:21 I could care less whether the author uses the Oxford comma or not. The story does sound interesting, though. However, I'm always a bit skeptical of those that fall in love immediately. Also, the sex and violence would probably keep me away from this. Thanks.
You're blunt but you have a point! :lol2: Not sure what I was thinking re my Oxford comma comment (certainly superfluous to any casual reader) - I think it's just because I've read a lot of amateurish writing lately where authors can't use commas properly, or confuse a comma and a semicolon. There's no excuse for poor punctuation for those aspiring to be professional writers. Thanks.
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

Faithmwangi wrote: 23 Jan 2019, 06:57 This is such an insightful review. You caught my attention at crime thriller. The sex and violence are, however, difficult to overlook.
Unfortunately a lot of modern crime thrillers include some level of sex and violence. At least they weren't too graphic in this one. A great read. Thanks.
User avatar
joshfee77
Posts: 1019
Joined: 03 Apr 2018, 02:11
Currently Reading:
Bookshelf Size: 251
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-joshfee77.html
Latest Review: In Time Forever by Stefan Raicu

Post by joshfee77 »

Willy 1 wrote: 24 Jan 2019, 06:20 Apart from the errors it seems like a beautifully written crime thriller. Falling in love quickly can be a real issue because you won't get to know the person well enough. Good review.
Knowing it was a crime thriller, I was definitely suspicious of Mara's motivations from the start. But were my suspicions justified? You'll have to read the book to find out. Thanks!
User avatar
BelleReadsNietzsche
Posts: 472
Joined: 28 Jan 2019, 19:07
Currently Reading: The Handmaid's Tale
Bookshelf Size: 300
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bellereadsnietzsche.html
Latest Review: I Can See Peace by Julie Penshorn
Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

Post by BelleReadsNietzsche »

Sounds like an interesting and fast-paced plot. I’m very curious about how it resolves. Who killed Atemi? What was he really up to? Is Mara what she seems to be? I guess I know how to find out...

Thanks for the review!
"The bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so." -Ratatouille (2007)
User avatar
Paulo34
Posts: 4
Joined: 27 Feb 2019, 06:12
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Paulo34 »

Wow ! This review proves that this book is gon be a ''never stop until you are done with me'' book. I love this and cannot wait to read it up ! Cheers !!!
Post Reply

Return to “Crime, Thrillers, Mystery and Horror Books”