One Last Improvisation

by Dan Maguire

Madison police officer Ryan O’Reilly just stumbled onto a local heroin distribution ring. Despised by his ‎superiors and mired in a mid-life rut, he decides to investigate the case himself, off the record. As he ‎begins to unravel the source of the network, Ryan must confront the crimes from his past. But when getting ‎closer to the truth in the present means unearthing the secrets from his past, can he get himself out his self-‎imposed prison? Bouncing back and forth between the thirteen, seventeen, and thirty-nine-year-old ‎versions of O’Reilly, readers see that he wasn’t always on the right side of the law…and the wrong side of ‎despair.‎

One Last Improvisation is an engaging new crime thriller that will leave readers breathlessly clamoring for more. ‎Exploring the complex themes of mistakes, regret, and second chances, the novel presents a realistic crime ‎drama with a surprising depth. Gripping suspense and satisfying drama combine to create a remarkable ‎crime thriller that is sure to leave a mark with readers everywhere.‎

With its taut suspense and engaging storyline, One Last Improvisation by Dan Maguire is a fantastic ‎experience for readers of all backgrounds. Whether readers are just out of college or just into retirement, ‎the novel’s realistic and engrossing story has the amazing ability to span a wide range of demographics ‎while crossing a multitude of genre-specific borders. ‎

Following the arc of Ryan O’Reilly from youthful hope to despair and finally to something resembling ‎wisdom, One Last Improvisation stands out from other novels by cultivating a complete protagonist from ‎beginning to end. From the initial optimism of youth to the weathered knowledge that comes from hard-‎fought experience, the novel does a fantastic job of encapsulating the transformations that life has in store ‎for us all. Wonderfully thorough, grippingly suspenseful, and completely enthralling, this excellent novel is ‎a one-of-a-kind experience that will mesmerize readers even after the final page is turned.‎

Genres: Amazon

382 pages, Paperback

First published May 16, 2013

About the author

I spent my formative years in Western New York. As a young adult I resigned myself to the fact I’d need to acquire a skill others found useful. Pursuant to this end I moved to Wisconsin and have lived here since. I’ve spent the intervening years improvising my way through a mathematical career while never letting go of my literary aspirations. When I’m not rooting for my beleaguered Bills, I enjoy sitting and pondering the ways I can map an improvisation from start to finish, making me the only possible author contradictory enough to have written my debut novel, One Last Improvisation.

Reviews

[Mike French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining and enjoyable book! One of best free books on Amazon that I have read!! I am looking forward to reading more of this authors books in the future.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was great! I love how the author flows from past to present and really provides depth to the characters and story lines. I had a hard time putting this fast paced book down and often found myself thinking about what had happened and wondering what was going to happen next. I highly recommend it!

**In accordance with FTC regulations, I am supposed to disclose that I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads. However, getting the book for free in no way influenced my review.**

[Robert Keck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely paced, tight crime story with great characters and generous assistance by the author. By that, I mean he reminds us who the characters are (e.g. Mike the Manager). i feel like I know Ray, Denise and the team. My only criticism would be that he's glossed over some of the uglier nightmares of opioid addiction - but maybe that's for the best.

If you want a well written and well paced crime story, go for One Last Improvisation.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended!
Couldn't put this book down an absorbing story.
Book review to follow.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a well written book, and it was cool to read a book set in Madison WI, it just isn't really my genre (hence only giving it 3 stars).

[Adrienne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Admittedly, crime books are not my genre so take this review for what it's worth, but this one read like a B crime movie... also not my thing.

For starters, it had an odd amount of detail around the layout of Madison streets, like early in Chapter 7 when we learn that Cottage Grove Road turns into divided County BB, or in Chapter 29 with its entire paragraph on the differences between Highway 39 and I-90. I'm sure the author had good reason for grounding the story so completely with these geographical tidbits. They just made me wish for a little less noise.

I also found some of the repetitive language to be jarring. The "sun shone" and "her eyes shone" and the "moon shone" fairly often, which while grammatically correct is just odd enough to be noticeable. Maybe it was intended for the underlying jazz theme, but the word "shone" made me wince every time I read it.

The story itself does move faster once we get out of the wreck and masturbation of the main character's teen years, but the final scenes feel so much like a movie where there are too many odd characters involved (The kid's MOM is going to be part of the gun battle?? What in her character development led us to that??) and too much gunplay to make sense of it all.

[Kathy B · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have several friends who read this book and liked it, and I have to say, I quickly became hooked on the story and found myself thinking about it even when I wasn't reading it. I liked how the story cut back and forth through time, and found myself impatiently wanting to find out what happened next to the characters. I am going to leave out spoilers :-)
I live near to the story setting, and now find myself visualizing them in the various places. It became apparent that the author found himself invested in the story and characters, as his writing strength increased as the story went on. Highly recommended.

[I read womens fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Last Improvisation chronicles the life of Ryan O'Reilly from his teenage years well into adulthood. The author does an excellent job of jumping from the future to the past and tying each transition together. Ryan faces many challenges in his youth, especially with an absentee father and an alcoholic mother. With parents like this, it is no wonder he displays bouts of anger and pour judgement.

The story is filled with twists and turns. I recommend if for readers who enjoy good character driven novels.

[Joseph Reto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good first writing by Dan Maguire! Maguire takes you inside the worlds of the dysfunctional family life and the dangers of heroin dealing. Simultaneoudly, Maguire shows the downsides of a bureaucracy and the power plays involved when it wnat sone of its own gone! This is a good read! I am looking forward to more work coming from Dan Maguire in in near future!

[Cindy B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping plot, compelling cast. Came away thinking writers don't think this kind of story, they live them. Will read author again. Some language, graphics (body parts), no gore. TTS-enabled eBook. ©2013

Also thought that if teenage boys actually think like that I'm very glad I didn't know it at that same age. (´⊙ \/ ⊙`)