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Rejection
Lou Drake was once the pride of the NYPD detectives until the high profile Hennings murder case went terribly wrong, nearly ending his career. Ten years later, fifty pounds heavier and three months from retirement, Drake works patrol in the backwater borough of Malcolm New York. He spends his idle time reading crime novels and writing one of his own.
When Drake breaks protocol on another brutal murder scene, endangering his rookie partner, his captain demotes him to the booking cage. But when another body is discovered and both victims are identified as struggling literary agents, the NYPD Chief of Detectives decides Lou's writing experience could benefit the case and pairs him with his old partner one last time.
As they look for clues in the struggling publishing industry, Drake finds himself thrust into the middle of a serial murder case where a methodical perpetrator is systematically killing those who rejected him. Drake must revive his old detective prowess and trust his writer's intuition to try and solve the case, while possibly exposing the truth about the old Hennings investigation - a secret that would expose a web of corruption that could shake the NYPD to its core.
When Drake breaks protocol on another brutal murder scene, endangering his rookie partner, his captain demotes him to the booking cage. But when another body is discovered and both victims are identified as struggling literary agents, the NYPD Chief of Detectives decides Lou's writing experience could benefit the case and pairs him with his old partner one last time.
As they look for clues in the struggling publishing industry, Drake finds himself thrust into the middle of a serial murder case where a methodical perpetrator is systematically killing those who rejected him. Drake must revive his old detective prowess and trust his writer's intuition to try and solve the case, while possibly exposing the truth about the old Hennings investigation - a secret that would expose a web of corruption that could shake the NYPD to its core.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2010
22 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 14, 2012
Have you ever felt that events have unjustly fenced in your life? Hobbled the thoroughbred in you, turning you into a plow horse? If you have, you'll relate to Lou Drake, a more than capable cop torn down by corrupt influences in the police department. Copping is all Lou knows and, despite the cynical growth sprouting on his attitude, copping is all he still wants to do. Well, except for writing the next great mystery story. His life stalls on both fronts. Yeah. We can all relate to Lou Drake on some level. Eventually, he gets up off the floor, dusts off his attitude and gets back in the game, or maybe events gradually drag him back in. Lou has enemies who pick at him like a scab that won't heal. Well, I don't want to give away anything that will spoil your read so let me just say, do read this one. You won't be sorry. The mystery genre has a new leading man, Lou Drake, and a new creator, Thomas K. Matthews.
June 22, 2011
**Giveaway**
TBR Reviewer: R.B
Rejection, Rejection, Rejection… I am definitely not rejecting this book!
Thomas Matthews seriously knows his stuff. I have never been a big fan of crime drama; however, after reading Rejection, I am reconsidering this decision. Mr. Matthews had me from the very beginning of this story as told by the main character Lou Drake. This story had murder, mystery, corruption and suspense. I am usually so good at decoding who the “bad guy” is in a story; however Mr. Matthews had me guessing at every turn.
REJECTION moved at a good pace, the characters were great and the plot was remarkable. I can’t say that I had one character that I liked the most, they were all great! I was a bit surprised at the ending though; I really thought there would have been more justice served.
I love that Mr. Matthews showed what it is really like for all writers out there, their struggles and their gift. He made a point in showcasing that not everyone can become a published author, just because you have a type writer, word processor, computer or even old fashion pen and paper. There is A LOT more to becoming an author than simply having the tools.
Kudos to Mr. Matthew for highlighting his gift with this novel.
Enter the contest here: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
TBR Reviewer: R.B
Rejection, Rejection, Rejection… I am definitely not rejecting this book!
Thomas Matthews seriously knows his stuff. I have never been a big fan of crime drama; however, after reading Rejection, I am reconsidering this decision. Mr. Matthews had me from the very beginning of this story as told by the main character Lou Drake. This story had murder, mystery, corruption and suspense. I am usually so good at decoding who the “bad guy” is in a story; however Mr. Matthews had me guessing at every turn.
REJECTION moved at a good pace, the characters were great and the plot was remarkable. I can’t say that I had one character that I liked the most, they were all great! I was a bit surprised at the ending though; I really thought there would have been more justice served.
I love that Mr. Matthews showed what it is really like for all writers out there, their struggles and their gift. He made a point in showcasing that not everyone can become a published author, just because you have a type writer, word processor, computer or even old fashion pen and paper. There is A LOT more to becoming an author than simply having the tools.
Kudos to Mr. Matthew for highlighting his gift with this novel.
Enter the contest here: http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/1/post/2...
April 14, 2016
I could not put this book down! I read it in two sittings. What a roller coaster ride – a ride of murder, mystery and lots of suspense. I fell in love with Lou Drake (the main character). He is just trying to retire as a cop. He takes life in stride and just keeps pursuing his dreams of being an author – even though there are stalls along the way. I give this book a 5 star rating as it had a great plot, great characters, awesome details and a fantastic ending. I loved that the back stories of all the characters were filled in and you had no questions remaining when you finished the book. Awesome thriller!!
July 5, 2012
I liked this book more than I thought I would. It started off slowly and seemed to drag. The 2nd half of the book however was a rollercoaster ride that didn't stop until the end. The prologue of the story seemed to drag it down at first, but when you read the end of the story, you understand the purpose of the prologue. The premise of the story was excellent and the description of the murders were grisly. The final reveal was unexpected, but not so much you couldn't have figured it out if you were paying careful attention.
June 22, 2013
Told almost entirely in flashback, the story begins with tongue firmly planted in cheek, "It was a dark and stormy night..." I read this book in two sittings and was impressed at how easily and fluidly the author told the story. Lou Drake, once hero cop, is now a best selling author of the genre he knows best--crime fiction. While the body count is higher than most, the author steers clear of using gore for shock value and instead crafts a well-spun tale of murder, betrayal, and rejection.
Read
August 10, 2013As a lover of mysteries & detective fiction, and as a would-be writer, I was quite intrigued with this book. I finished it in just a few days while on vacation (thank you, Kindle!). Very well written and well thought out, the story line flowed, the dialog was believable, the characters engrossing. Added bonus was gaining some insight into the publishing world & the life of a writer. Found it motivating, as well - feeling compelled to get off my butt & start writing. #nevertoolate
September 18, 2012
REJECTION will strike a cord with all writers, agents and editors. For some, it will be their worst nightmare. The mystery-suspense story was riveting. But make sure you buy the most updated version. The version published by Otherworld Pub. is poorly edited.
September 20, 2012
Whoa this is quite the mystery book and the crimes are sit on the edge of your chair scary. Could not put it down and didn't figure it out til the time the author told me who this killer was. Don't get too many this chilling these days, a breath holding ride til the end.
September 20, 2018
Rejection (Lou Drake Mysteries)
by Thomas K. Matthews
This is a really compelling mystery. It has a well developed plot and wonderful characters. I really love when I am wrong about the ending. It reached so far into the web that I didn't even see the spider. I would happily read a hundred Lou Drake Mysteries.
*I read this book in the hardback edition and am disappointed to have to drop a star for editing. At one point even the names were mixed.
by Thomas K. Matthews
This is a really compelling mystery. It has a well developed plot and wonderful characters. I really love when I am wrong about the ending. It reached so far into the web that I didn't even see the spider. I would happily read a hundred Lou Drake Mysteries.
*I read this book in the hardback edition and am disappointed to have to drop a star for editing. At one point even the names were mixed.
September 7, 2013
I downloaded Rejection for my e-book reader on the basis of a Facebook friendship, several ecstatic reviews that now seem highly suspect, a bias toward new writers, and a love of the detective/mystery genre.
This is the first time I’ve been upset by a carelessly edited, poorly written, badly researched, clichéd novel. My disappointment wouldn’t have been so deep if I hadn’t just finished Pete Hamill’s Tabloid City and Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day. In contrast, both are richly textured, almost literary works whose focal point is crime. Rejection is a potboiler.
The saddest sticking point is that Matthews has given us “Malcolm,” an invented borough of New York City. Please! NYC has five distinctive boroughs, and none of them are 19th century hamlets. New York has a Delancey St., but none spelled without the final “e”. (Check your city guide, Mr. Matthews.) And for a police writer to refer to “Dunkin’ Doughnuts” is unforgiveable (as much a calumny as having overweight African-American women cops reaching orgasm over doughnuts). The lack of editing goes right on through a major character named Smythe being referred to as Smyth.
It’s dangerous to try describing a place you don’t know. For example, “Avenue of the Americas [New Yorkers call it Sixth Avenue] stretches out like the movie set of a quintessential New York landscape. Here [sic] business and commerce embrace the swirling lifestyle of the printed word. The place is lousy with magazines, book publishers and high rent offices, all connected by text messages, phone lines and power emails that jump from one side of the concrete canyon to the others.” Aside from the geographic invention, I defy anyone to make sense of this paragraph.
Similarly, the dialogue is also as wooden as a nickel found on a Bowery bum.
I think Matthews has never met a punctuation rule he didn’t ignore. It’s common to find commas missing after an interjection, periods missing in sentences, and often entire words missing in a simple declarative sentence. My proofreader would have characterized this work as a “dog’s breakfast.” Jerry Shapiro, the publisher, says it on p. 330, “I’ve looked at some of these [POD] books and the covers look good, but inside is a nightmare of bad writing, misspelled words and poor editing. It makes the heart weep.”
Somehow, the entire strength of this mystery lies in the fact that literary agents are being murdered in gratuitous venal ways. (No spoiler alert, but the case is resolved 50 pages from the ending.) Is this a case of Matthews transferring his own professional problems onto his stock characters? If this is the situation, there should be a “Predators and Editors” Web site warning agents against amateur writers who self-publish.
The rejection of this book lies not only in the title. As Shapiro the publisher says, “It makes my heart weep.”
I wouldn’t have added this review to Goodreads except that since I posted this on Amazon in January 2013 I’ve been attacked for not “liking” the "best" of the mystery writers. Most of those diatribes show a similar lack of grammar, punctuation and syntax as the author. At least one has the same last name as the author. Who knew a negative review could result in a literary “fatwa” against the reviewer?
This is the first time I’ve been upset by a carelessly edited, poorly written, badly researched, clichéd novel. My disappointment wouldn’t have been so deep if I hadn’t just finished Pete Hamill’s Tabloid City and Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day. In contrast, both are richly textured, almost literary works whose focal point is crime. Rejection is a potboiler.
The saddest sticking point is that Matthews has given us “Malcolm,” an invented borough of New York City. Please! NYC has five distinctive boroughs, and none of them are 19th century hamlets. New York has a Delancey St., but none spelled without the final “e”. (Check your city guide, Mr. Matthews.) And for a police writer to refer to “Dunkin’ Doughnuts” is unforgiveable (as much a calumny as having overweight African-American women cops reaching orgasm over doughnuts). The lack of editing goes right on through a major character named Smythe being referred to as Smyth.
It’s dangerous to try describing a place you don’t know. For example, “Avenue of the Americas [New Yorkers call it Sixth Avenue] stretches out like the movie set of a quintessential New York landscape. Here [sic] business and commerce embrace the swirling lifestyle of the printed word. The place is lousy with magazines, book publishers and high rent offices, all connected by text messages, phone lines and power emails that jump from one side of the concrete canyon to the others.” Aside from the geographic invention, I defy anyone to make sense of this paragraph.
Similarly, the dialogue is also as wooden as a nickel found on a Bowery bum.
I think Matthews has never met a punctuation rule he didn’t ignore. It’s common to find commas missing after an interjection, periods missing in sentences, and often entire words missing in a simple declarative sentence. My proofreader would have characterized this work as a “dog’s breakfast.” Jerry Shapiro, the publisher, says it on p. 330, “I’ve looked at some of these [POD] books and the covers look good, but inside is a nightmare of bad writing, misspelled words and poor editing. It makes the heart weep.”
Somehow, the entire strength of this mystery lies in the fact that literary agents are being murdered in gratuitous venal ways. (No spoiler alert, but the case is resolved 50 pages from the ending.) Is this a case of Matthews transferring his own professional problems onto his stock characters? If this is the situation, there should be a “Predators and Editors” Web site warning agents against amateur writers who self-publish.
The rejection of this book lies not only in the title. As Shapiro the publisher says, “It makes my heart weep.”
I wouldn’t have added this review to Goodreads except that since I posted this on Amazon in January 2013 I’ve been attacked for not “liking” the "best" of the mystery writers. Most of those diatribes show a similar lack of grammar, punctuation and syntax as the author. At least one has the same last name as the author. Who knew a negative review could result in a literary “fatwa” against the reviewer?
January 4, 2015
This is not the great American novel, but it was a fun book to read, especially when the football games you are watching are not going your way. I doubt a killer would agree with what happens in this book in order to get his book published, but in this book, it was an interesting turn of events. I don't doubt that sometimes, bad people make wrong decisions that lead to crimes. If we didn't have crimes, we would not have any crime books to read.
I enjoyed the book.
I enjoyed the book.
September 17, 2013
I quite liked liked this book, got me stuck with it on the final 100 pages till 2am...
However, I don't know if it was the author's idea but I didn't believe it was his friend of the reading group, it was quite obvious it was the other man because he suddenly appears in what I thought was a strange way ...anyhow, it was still interesting to learn what &how things were tied. Nice story !
However, I don't know if it was the author's idea but I didn't believe it was his friend of the reading group, it was quite obvious it was the other man because he suddenly appears in what I thought was a strange way ...anyhow, it was still interesting to learn what &how things were tied. Nice story !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2013
Lee Childs said "Rejection is the ultimate writer's revenge novel. A must read for anyone who has ever tried to publish a novel."
September 27, 2013
Pretty gory - very good though
November 27, 2016
Interesting
The plot was interesting but I thought there was too much unnecessary 'filler' and some of that needed another proof reading. The characters, too, fell flat.
The plot was interesting but I thought there was too much unnecessary 'filler' and some of that needed another proof reading. The characters, too, fell flat.
September 12, 2013
Not bad. Not great. Seemed like a slow read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews