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Detective Shakespeare Mysteries #1
Depraved Difference
Would you help, would you run, or would you just watch?
When a young woman is brutally assaulted by two men on the subway, her cries for help fall on the deaf ears of onlookers too terrified to get involved, her misery ended with the crushing stomp of a steel-toed boot. A cell phone video of her vicious murder, callously released on the Internet, its popularity a testament to today's depraved society, serves as a trigger, pulled a year later, for a killer.
Emailed a video documenting the final moments of a woman's life, entertainment reporter Aynslee Kai, rather than ask why the killer chose her to tell the story, decides to capitalize on the opportunity to further her career. Assigned to the case is Hayden Eldridge, a detective left to learn the ropes by a disgraced partner, and as videos continue to follow victims, he discovers they were all witnesses to the vicious subway murder a year earlier, proving sometimes just watching is fatal.
From the author of The Protocol comes Depraved Difference, a fast-paced murder suspense novel with enough laughs, heartbreak, terror and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, then knock you flat on the floor with an ending so shocking, you'll read it again just to pick up the clues.
When a young woman is brutally assaulted by two men on the subway, her cries for help fall on the deaf ears of onlookers too terrified to get involved, her misery ended with the crushing stomp of a steel-toed boot. A cell phone video of her vicious murder, callously released on the Internet, its popularity a testament to today's depraved society, serves as a trigger, pulled a year later, for a killer.
Emailed a video documenting the final moments of a woman's life, entertainment reporter Aynslee Kai, rather than ask why the killer chose her to tell the story, decides to capitalize on the opportunity to further her career. Assigned to the case is Hayden Eldridge, a detective left to learn the ropes by a disgraced partner, and as videos continue to follow victims, he discovers they were all witnesses to the vicious subway murder a year earlier, proving sometimes just watching is fatal.
From the author of The Protocol comes Depraved Difference, a fast-paced murder suspense novel with enough laughs, heartbreak, terror and twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, then knock you flat on the floor with an ending so shocking, you'll read it again just to pick up the clues.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2011
552 people are currently reading
655 people want to read
About the author
J. Robert Kennedy
100 books297 followersWith over one million books sold, award winning and USA Today bestselling author J. Robert Kennedy has been ranked by Amazon as the #1 Bestselling Action Adventure novelist based upon combined sales. He is the author of over fifty international bestsellers including the smash hit James Acton Thrillers. He lives with his wife and daughter and writes full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
December 2, 2019
I rarely bother to read a book by an author I'm not familiar with but in this case I've been very pleasantly surprised.
Rob Kennedy, you did a great job with keeping the twists and turns going. Even though I pride myself on being able to figure out a mystery novel pretty soon this one kept me in the dark until the very end. I don't usually say this but finishing this book made me think ''how on earth did I not see that coming?'' I won't give away spoilers (if you're a reader you'll have to read the book...my lips are sealed) but the climax was beyond brilliant.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this author
Rob Kennedy, you did a great job with keeping the twists and turns going. Even though I pride myself on being able to figure out a mystery novel pretty soon this one kept me in the dark until the very end. I don't usually say this but finishing this book made me think ''how on earth did I not see that coming?'' I won't give away spoilers (if you're a reader you'll have to read the book...my lips are sealed) but the climax was beyond brilliant.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this author
July 1, 2013
WOW.....I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! A fantastic read..I really couldn't put it down. Mystery writing at its best as it kept me guessing right to the end and then WHAT A TWIST in the tale! I was completely gobsmacked, I wont go into any detail about this story at all as I don't want to spoil it for anyone who plans to read it, but I recommend this to anyone..a smooth read that plays out like a film in your mind, with the most unlikely hero. I want to read more about Detective Shakespeare!
February 13, 2016
A gripping page turner of a thriller that will have you twisting & turning like a roller coaster before it plunges to it's shocking conclusion. OMG! Did not see the ending coming at all.
Can't wait to read the next in this Detective Shakespeare series.
Can't wait to read the next in this Detective Shakespeare series.
Read
October 21, 2012Wow! crazy good book. did not see the ending coming at all.
November 18, 2019
Strangers on a train become targets of a serial killer when they fail to assist a woman attacked and murdered in their subway car. a beautiful entertainment reporter can't believe her luck when she is sent videos of the murders. finally, she has her chance to move on and even better a hunky detective is investigating. Eldridge, the detective, is an excellent cop frustrated by his overweight, uninterested senior partner Shakespeare. A female detective overlooked by golden boy Eldridge suspects a different killer is at work in the city.shakespeare shakes off his malaise but it may be too late for all involved.
This is a fun novel, well written with a twist at the end I didn't anticipate. Shakespeare plays a small but important role in the novel. initially, he is very obnoxious--lazy, too willing to break not just bend the rules and more interested in doughnuts than crime. But beneath the corpulence and bad attitude is a primo investigator. I only had a few quibbles. first, there is no duty of care to strangers in New York. No one is obligated to help a stranger so ultimately it is irrelevant whether they were threatened or menaced themselves. secondly, someone close to the alleged accused would not be permitted to work on the crime scene. Period. but other than that it was a fast, fun read, with a great twist and satisfactory ending.
This is a fun novel, well written with a twist at the end I didn't anticipate. Shakespeare plays a small but important role in the novel. initially, he is very obnoxious--lazy, too willing to break not just bend the rules and more interested in doughnuts than crime. But beneath the corpulence and bad attitude is a primo investigator. I only had a few quibbles. first, there is no duty of care to strangers in New York. No one is obligated to help a stranger so ultimately it is irrelevant whether they were threatened or menaced themselves. secondly, someone close to the alleged accused would not be permitted to work on the crime scene. Period. but other than that it was a fast, fun read, with a great twist and satisfactory ending.
January 26, 2023
I saw this book on the 'free offers' list on the Kobo website. Checked it out on GoodReads - whoa, 4+ stars! Sure, I'll try that for free!
Well, it was worth every penny I paid for it.
All the 5 star reviews are raving about the surprise ending. I'll grant it's an unusual twist, although I don't know that it's all that surprising. But the writing quality ranges from mediocre to just occasionally ok at best. If prose likes this doesn't make you wince, or laugh, maybe you'll enjoy this book: "...he knew what he had to do. Murder was illegal. And he was a cop. End of discussion."
The dialogue is often laughable, and cardboard characters abound. You got your elderly woman, rocking in a chair and knitting (who's idea of swearing is 'sugarollie double-plum fairy'!), and your overweight basement dwelling 'hacker', surrounded by empty pizza boxes and Cheeto bags. I'm still not sure why I persevered; the sunk cost trap I guess.
And I have no idea what the title is referring to.
Well, it was worth every penny I paid for it.
All the 5 star reviews are raving about the surprise ending. I'll grant it's an unusual twist, although I don't know that it's all that surprising. But the writing quality ranges from mediocre to just occasionally ok at best. If prose likes this doesn't make you wince, or laugh, maybe you'll enjoy this book: "...he knew what he had to do. Murder was illegal. And he was a cop. End of discussion."
The dialogue is often laughable, and cardboard characters abound. You got your elderly woman, rocking in a chair and knitting (who's idea of swearing is 'sugarollie double-plum fairy'!), and your overweight basement dwelling 'hacker', surrounded by empty pizza boxes and Cheeto bags. I'm still not sure why I persevered; the sunk cost trap I guess.
And I have no idea what the title is referring to.
December 14, 2018
This is an amazing mystery thriller with a twist at the end that you don't see coming at all!
The story is very well written and completely different in style to the other action books (Jason Acton, Dylan Kane and the Delta Force series) that have been produced.
The events revolve around two detectives, Elridge and Truce, making you wonder through most of the book why it's called a Detective Shakespeare mystery. All are homicide cops, and the two cases are why a group of supposed strangers being filmed as they are murdered with their filmed death being sent to a reporter, and the abduction of a series of women that smacks of a serial killer that no one knows about.
The integration of the various elements, characters, motives and the way the clues are released is classically done yet feels natural as each piece of the puzzle slots into place.
A great read for anyone who loves a good detective story.
The story is very well written and completely different in style to the other action books (Jason Acton, Dylan Kane and the Delta Force series) that have been produced.
The events revolve around two detectives, Elridge and Truce, making you wonder through most of the book why it's called a Detective Shakespeare mystery. All are homicide cops, and the two cases are why a group of supposed strangers being filmed as they are murdered with their filmed death being sent to a reporter, and the abduction of a series of women that smacks of a serial killer that no one knows about.
The integration of the various elements, characters, motives and the way the clues are released is classically done yet feels natural as each piece of the puzzle slots into place.
A great read for anyone who loves a good detective story.
May 28, 2017
Detective Eldridge is on the trail of a serial killer targetting passengers of a subway carriage who did not help when a young woman was murdered in front of them. The passengers are being filmed as they are killed and the footage sent to Aynslee Kai, a young female TV presenter.
Eldridge's partner, Detective Shakespeare, is mostly absent, being a rather portly diabetic who was once a great detective but who is now thought of as being a little past it. But perhaps now is the time for Shakespeare to regain some of his former prowess.
Concurrently, another killer is stalking blonde women and keeping them hostage in a cellar, something which is only now coming to the notice of the police.
This isn't a bad piece of work at all. There's a varied selection of interesting characters and the pace is maintained throughout the novel. My only qualm may be that the subway killer's IT skills are rather too advanced and that there might have been at least one more occasion when he was thwarted, as his miraculous ability to evade the police and gain access to his prey has the downside of reducing reader suspense.
One final issue I had with this is the title. I'm still at a loss as to what it means or how it relates to the narrative.
Would I read another in this series? Yes, I'm thinking I will. This was rather good.
Eldridge's partner, Detective Shakespeare, is mostly absent, being a rather portly diabetic who was once a great detective but who is now thought of as being a little past it. But perhaps now is the time for Shakespeare to regain some of his former prowess.
Concurrently, another killer is stalking blonde women and keeping them hostage in a cellar, something which is only now coming to the notice of the police.
This isn't a bad piece of work at all. There's a varied selection of interesting characters and the pace is maintained throughout the novel. My only qualm may be that the subway killer's IT skills are rather too advanced and that there might have been at least one more occasion when he was thwarted, as his miraculous ability to evade the police and gain access to his prey has the downside of reducing reader suspense.
One final issue I had with this is the title. I'm still at a loss as to what it means or how it relates to the narrative.
Would I read another in this series? Yes, I'm thinking I will. This was rather good.
May 4, 2019
Brilliant!
A video of a young woman being beaten to death leads to a series of revenge attacks , the killer determined to make everyone who stood by and did nothing pay the ultimate price.
In all this a serial killer is abducting and killing girls trying to find a lost love. This was a superb read , like having two stories in one, keeping you wondering who on earth the culprit is for both yet still having both story lines complement each other. The book comes together in a fantastic climax with the final revealing of the abductor , the identity of which took me completely by surprise. I don't want to say too much because it would spoil it for anyone reading for the first time. Needless to say I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and would highly recommend it.
A video of a young woman being beaten to death leads to a series of revenge attacks , the killer determined to make everyone who stood by and did nothing pay the ultimate price.
In all this a serial killer is abducting and killing girls trying to find a lost love. This was a superb read , like having two stories in one, keeping you wondering who on earth the culprit is for both yet still having both story lines complement each other. The book comes together in a fantastic climax with the final revealing of the abductor , the identity of which took me completely by surprise. I don't want to say too much because it would spoil it for anyone reading for the first time. Needless to say I found this book thoroughly enjoyable and would highly recommend it.
May 17, 2020
This is the 1st book I have read that I was totally surprised by the author in the very last chapter of the book. The author shared a fantastic story that kept you held in his grasp from start to finish and did so all the while I was thinking the story was coming to the end. I was totally surprised by the ending yet very happy with it, and I highly recommend this author to anyone looking for a good story to occupy their spare time.
May 28, 2020
Detective Surprise
Started reading this, unsure of whether I would finish it as it seemed rather darker than I would normally read. It gripped my imagination by Chapter 3 and I was hooked. The end was a surprise, didn't see it coming. Good guy, bad guy, but which one is the worst? Good characterisations, good writing and good plot, despite the seeming darkness of the story. Will read more of this author.
Started reading this, unsure of whether I would finish it as it seemed rather darker than I would normally read. It gripped my imagination by Chapter 3 and I was hooked. The end was a surprise, didn't see it coming. Good guy, bad guy, but which one is the worst? Good characterisations, good writing and good plot, despite the seeming darkness of the story. Will read more of this author.
December 2, 2018
Didn't see that coming!
Good Book! I really liked this book and I will be reading the next one! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I don't want to spoil it for anyone else so just read it for yourself! I don't get surprised very often with an ending, but you got me good this time! Thanks again for writing a great book!
Good Book! I really liked this book and I will be reading the next one! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I don't want to spoil it for anyone else so just read it for yourself! I don't get surprised very often with an ending, but you got me good this time! Thanks again for writing a great book!
December 2, 2019
It was a great story of someone finding his lost sister and then loosing her in the subway getting killed by low life criminals. Later he goes after everyone from the two criminals up to the bystanders not helping his sister. He starts killing anyone until the last ......... very weird ending, that’s for sure!
April 4, 2020
Outstanding plot
Kennedy's Shakespeare Book #1 plot was so different, I couldn't put it down. The overwhelming twist at the finish was so surprising, I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Definitely a book to read in daylight hours. Truly enjoy his other series but it will definitely be awhile before I read another Shakespeare one.
Kennedy's Shakespeare Book #1 plot was so different, I couldn't put it down. The overwhelming twist at the finish was so surprising, I'll probably have nightmares tonight. Definitely a book to read in daylight hours. Truly enjoy his other series but it will definitely be awhile before I read another Shakespeare one.
July 30, 2020
WOW! THIS WAS EXCELLENT, WHAT A FREAKIN’ RUSH. AT FIRST I THOUGHT, THIS BOOK HAS TOO MANY PAGES, BOY WAS I WRONG. EVERYONE WAS NECESSARY. I DID HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON AND I WAS RIGHT. YAY ME. I REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK, I DIDN’T CARE MUCH FOR SHAKESPEARE, A MAN WHO SEEMS HELL BENT ON COMMITING SUICIDE BY FOOD. I HOPE HE GETS HIS SHIT TOGETHER. ;D
April 26, 2021
Did not expect that!!
When I started reading this book I was wondering where was Detective Shakespeare. I thought the name was wrong as the novel was concentrating on a different detective. But it all came together in the end.
An enjoyable read with a worthwhile twist in the tale
.Read it and find out!
When I started reading this book I was wondering where was Detective Shakespeare. I thought the name was wrong as the novel was concentrating on a different detective. But it all came together in the end.
An enjoyable read with a worthwhile twist in the tale
.Read it and find out!
January 5, 2022
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I really think that this book was brilliant, quite a unique story, something which I struggled fine with the amount of crime fiction I read. Also has a great plot twist which I actually did not foresee for once! I am looking forward to the next in the series and highly recommend you give it a go.
I really think that this book was brilliant, quite a unique story, something which I struggled fine with the amount of crime fiction I read. Also has a great plot twist which I actually did not foresee for once! I am looking forward to the next in the series and highly recommend you give it a go.
December 14, 2017
Wow!! Awesome ending!!
I actually stopped reading because I thought I had figured it out....ummmmm I was so wrong! What a great read. Loved the truth and pain but also the twists and turns!
I actually stopped reading because I thought I had figured it out....ummmmm I was so wrong! What a great read. Loved the truth and pain but also the twists and turns!
January 12, 2018
You won't believe it even after reading it!!!
I would read anything written by Mr Kennedy! This book is fast paced, intriguing, heart pounding, scary and you won't put it down until you're done!
Take a chance and read this book!
I would read anything written by Mr Kennedy! This book is fast paced, intriguing, heart pounding, scary and you won't put it down until you're done!
Take a chance and read this book!
June 13, 2018
Well, the other reviews were right! This storyline is really one to read, very well written, a great pace and one heck of a twist at the end that I would never have guessed! Brilliant! The next book has a lot to live up to, but judging by the reviews I should not be disappointed!
November 13, 2019
Fabulous grabber. Pulls you in immediately and holds your attention. Kennedy sets you up, leads you to the perfect conclusion only to knock you back but immediately starts you on another journey- even more intriguing. Awesome plots, logical real possibilities.
November 22, 2019
Shocking
One of the best books I’ve read in awhile. I can’t believe the ending. The ending is shocking, all I could say was wow. It really surprised me. I highly recommend this book, if you like mysteries.
One of the best books I’ve read in awhile. I can’t believe the ending. The ending is shocking, all I could say was wow. It really surprised me. I highly recommend this book, if you like mysteries.
October 31, 2020
Great read
I was drawn in pretty quickly as the characters developed. Once i started, it was hard to put down as every chapter piqued my curiosity! Didn’t see the plot twist until it happened! Excellent read.
I was drawn in pretty quickly as the characters developed. Once i started, it was hard to put down as every chapter piqued my curiosity! Didn’t see the plot twist until it happened! Excellent read.
May 6, 2021
Spell binding story that I couldn't put down.
I have read more than100 books in the last15 months and this is the most intriguing and spell binding of all of them. Mr. Kennedy is a master story teller and now I have got to read more of his work.
I have read more than100 books in the last15 months and this is the most intriguing and spell binding of all of them. Mr. Kennedy is a master story teller and now I have got to read more of his work.
December 28, 2022
Good read.
A well written book. It has.many twists and turns as you proceed following the characters. The main people in the book will surprise you at the exciting climatic, be ready to be shocked.
A well written book. It has.many twists and turns as you proceed following the characters. The main people in the book will surprise you at the exciting climatic, be ready to be shocked.
May 26, 2025
J. Robert Kennedy is a fantastic author! Depraved Difference is an unputdownable thrill ride. This novel had so many mind blowing twists and turns; it kept me on the edge of my seat! It was such an enjoyable read.
May 5, 2017
Ok, the end. Wow.
August 21, 2017
I would highly reccomend this book. A mystery that kept me guessing. Kennedy is a very good writer.
August 29, 2017
Brilliant
Yet another brilliant book by J Robert kennels. Highly recommend any of his books. Great storylines, intriguing characters and lots of twists and tunes!
Yet another brilliant book by J Robert kennels. Highly recommend any of his books. Great storylines, intriguing characters and lots of twists and tunes!
October 5, 2017
Expect the Unexpected. Really good book with a really exciting twist at the end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews