Unbalanced

Jake Longly #7

by D.P. Lyle

Jake Longly is never saying yes to his father again

It was a simple task. Five minutes tops.

Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, are asked by Jake' s father, Ray, a private investigator, to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business. Jake would rather be lying on the beach outside of his Gulf Shores restaurant, but he begrudgingly agrees. It' ll only take a few minutes.

But somehow, things are never simple in Ray' s world. When Jake and Nicole reach the office, they find it empty— except for the dead body of the realtor lying on the floor, a single gunshot wound to his head. Who could' ve wanted him dead? The long suspect list and the numerous possible motives make untying the knot difficult.

Working with the police department, Jake, Nicole, Ray, and their friend Pancake dive into the deceivingly simple investigation, which grows more complex by the minute. With millions of dollars at stake, weeding through the realtor' s entanglements requires all hands on deck, and yet again, Jake is dragged into the PI business he can' t seem to escape.

Perfect for fans of Carl Hiaasen and Janet Evanovich

While all of the novels in the Jake Longly Thriller Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence

Deep Six
A-List
Sunshine State
Rigged
The OC
Cultured
Unbalanced

354 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

DP Lyle, MD is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Scribe, Silver Falchion, and USA Best Book Award nominated author of many non-fiction books as well as numerous works of fiction.

He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others

For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.

Reviews

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book from this series and I enjoyed it.

The story features Jake Longly, his girlfriend Nicole, father Ray and the oddly nicknamed friend Pancake. Ray is a P.I. and when he sends Jake and Nicole to collect some papers he does not expect them to come across a dead body instead. What follows is funny and fast paced with entertaining dialogue and fun characters.

I enjoyed it all enough to make a note to go back to the beginning of the series and read the first six books!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[R L HERSKOWITZ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very easy read.
Spelling mistakes in the book.
I figured out most of the ending within the first
50 pages.
I think this is a good book for a middle schooler as long as the spelling errors are corrected.
My opinion.

I was disappointed with the writing style
(amateurish).

Please see other reviews for more information & other opinions.

[Toni Osborne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake Longly volume #7

Although this book is part of a series ”Unbalanced” stands very well by its own but once you read one book you will be so captivated you will want more. This series is an immensely entertaining.

In “Unbalanced”, P.I. Jake and Nicole are asked to pick up some papers from a realtor’s business. When they reached the office they found the body of Carl Davis, the realtor, dead from a single gunshot to the head. Who did this? A long list of suspects with motives makes this case a tough one. Working along with Pancake, their associate, they dive into this complex mystery....and discover that Carl’s partner may have skimmed and stashed $300,000 in offshore accounts. The mystery deepens and we find ourselves in the middle of a hunt for the truth.

This is a poignant and funny tale with clever plot twists that will surprise most of us. It is said with a prose that is not only smart but also stylish and is intercepted by snappy dialogue to make us smile. I love the characters; Jake is a true original, smart and funny; Pancake still has his feeding frenzies every time he has a chance. Boy that character loves to eat, drink and smoke. Nicole pulls her own and is essential to the dynamic of the group. With millions at stake and a murder to solve they had to work with the police department and blossoming behind the scenes is an attraction between Pancake and a very attractive police officer...awe.

This was supposed to be a simple task. Five minutes tops....

I simply love this story D.P. Lyle is an author to watch..

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher Oceanview Publishing for my thoughts: this is the way I see it.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Oceanview Publishing and D.P. Lyle for granting me a digital copy of this book.

3,5 ⭐ - this is the 7th book in the Jake Longly series. We follow Jake and his girlfriend Nicole after the owner of a real estate agency suspects Jake's father, Ray for embezzlement.

When Jake goes to confront the owner, Jake and his girlfriend find the owner dead in his office. But who killed the owner? Was it his partner for many years? His daughter? His secret girlfriend his daughter never knew about ? Or was it someone else?

This fast-paced story can be read as a standalone, although I've read the previous book in the series, Cultured. It was a bit easier to follow Jake as a person.

[Brigitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another light mystery with subtle humor involving Jake and Nicole. The story surrounding the murder of a realtor, Carl whose long-time friend and partner had been embezzling from the company for the past 3 years. Jake's father and sidekick, Pancake have been hired to "help the police" locate the killer. Pancake still has his insatiable appetite and Jake's ex-wife still is a pest. Unbeknownst to Carl's daughter, Carl was having a relationship with someone whose ex-lover had been abusive and threatening from jealousy. Then in the contract with the 2 principals of the company, there is an ethics clause that stipulates complete ownership would pass on to Carl's beneficiary if any malfeasance was discovered. So there are a couple of suspects to muddle through.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Oceanview Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the seventh book in this series, and the first I have read by this author. No problem reading it as a stand-alone, it flows easily and the characters - and their banter - are engaging and humorous. The mystery however wasn't much of one, I knew about a third of the way through whodunnit. I did enjoy the dialogue and insight into a - to me - foreign world, but don't know that I would pursue reading more of the series, as I prefer my mysteries with a bit more suspense to them.

[Fran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbalanced DP LYLE
Jake Langley hates dealing with things like work, paperwork and anything that takes away from his beach time, sitting in his bar and restaurant mingling and having fun with his girlfriend Nicole. But, sometimes an incident or a favor is required and then once again he and Nicole are placed on a merry-go-round to get answers and help solve a crime. Nicole and Jake were asked by Ray to pick up documents from a real estate agency from Carl Davis. The office seemed empty and when they called out his name no one answered because he had been shot dead in the head. Calling the police proved not much better as they were both questioned by the police detective and had to convince the detective they were not the killers. Pancake and Ray had to vouch for them and the detective seemed taken with Pancake.
The story moves in many directions as the team of Jake, Nicole, Ray and Pancake along with the detective have to decide just who killed Carl Davis and the role his partner might have played along with his daughter and her boyfriend Dustin. Examining the layout of his office and realizing that the back door was not locked, cameras not back there they figured out how it was done but not who. Several suspects spoken to who had dealings with Carl and some gripes like Gary Waverly who was fired for bad attitude and customer relationships that went south plus someone named Everrett who sold his business to someone else who sold theirs for double the price he got and thinks got heated but he realized that Carl who brokered his deal did nothing wrong. Meeting with Mitch Littlefield his partner who dealt with the business and financial part of the business, Pancake uncovers money errors, shortages and more when going over the figures but will the police release the rest of the documents to solidify his thoughts that someone was stealing and embezzling money? The books that Pancake went over revealed that over 300 thousand dollars were missing and the way it was done obviously Carl did not take notice of. Dustin , Savana has boyfriend is now taking over one office and hopes to become a partner in their firm after marrying Savannah. But things don’t add up and Pancake, and the other wonder is she had something to do with her father’s murder as if Mitch is convicted she owns it all. When they go to Carl’s house and find his notebook with passwords, figures and more, what will Pancake uncover when he goes through them all. Did Gary have anything to do with the murder? What about Megan his girlfriend? What about Emmett Lowe another man who had a gripe with Carl about the money he got for his property and someone who got much more.
The interaction between Nicole and Jake plus Pancake and the detective adds humor, fun and some unusual times that give the reader reasons to smile and put the murder aside and enjoy the bar and restaurant scenes, and you wonder how Pancake consumes so much food and does not get sick to his stomach.
As the team recaps their findings and relates the information about the suspect it is apparent that someone is hiding in plain sight but who? Dealing and learning about the person Carl was seeing and protecting her from her abusive ex-boyfriend, the author created with Pancake and the detective is priceless and proves we all need a Pancake in our lives. The dynamics change as Pancake and the detective get closer and meet with her boss hoping they can exchange information about Littlefield, the money that is missing and more. Plus getting Savanah Danielle together to share about Carl.
The plot moves ahead at a quicker pace as Nicole and Jake along with Pancake are allowed to view the interviews with both Dustin and Littlefield. As the evidence piles up and Pancake manages to get the files needed to prove that one account is legal and two have the stolen money from the real estate company in them, how are they going to get Littlefield to confess, and did he kill Carl?
But Littlefield’s phone is clean and his movements match the data found but what about Dustin and Pancake comes to the rescue with a plan to gather the data right in front of him but he never sees it coming. It’s all about greed, money and controlling the company and you won’t believe how they unravel it all and the final takedown.
Finding the firearms that the killer threw in the water and prints on the bullets and more, they are able to discern who killed Carl but how were they going to prove it and protect someone close to the killer? A simple plan to get the prints on glasses and the menus during a lunch at the bar Jake owns helps to solve the who and then they realize the how. The killer had the perfect way to pull it off but if not for the data they uncovered the killer would have gotten away but when approached someone on their team was in danger. Carl ran the marketing and Mitch the financial part and accounting wo what will happen if he is guilty of murder and the clause that gives His daughter the company if Mitch is found guilty. A tense and well-crafted ending and the humor gone as Nicole, Jake, Pancake and Ray face off with a dangerous killer and one person’s life hanging the balance.
Mitch will now have more of the company if he gets away with embezzlement and Savanah would own more of it and if found guilty invoke the morals clause as author DP Lyle takes us deep inside the mind and voice of the killer who decided to take it all but in the end you won’t believe that it takes a whole village or team to win this UNBALANCED WAR!
Fran Lewis just reviews

[Tracy Condie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Jake Longly thriller but I did not feel lost and was able to keep the players straight. This is an enjoyable mystery and reminds me a bit of the Travis McGee books I read when I was younger. Different than those older novels are the multiple points of view which give more insight into what the characters are thinking. This might be is book seven of the series but it does a very good job as a stand-alone.
This story takes us to the Gulf Shores where former MLB pitcher Jake Longly, has parlayed his sizeable earnings into a seaside bar/restaurant called Captain Rocky’s where he holds court but not much else since he retired from the Texas Rangers. Jake, who knows nothing about running a restaurant, was smart enough to hire Carla, who has great restaurant skills, and followed up by making her a partner in the business. When Jake isn’t sunning on the beach or sampling the food and cocktails at Captain Rocky’s, he is spending time with screenwriter girlfriend Nicole. There isn’t much that he likes better than spending time with Nicole, except for when it involves going with her to run errands for Ray, his P.I. dad, because those errands never work out so well. This time is no different when Jake and Nicole are asked to pick up financial happen upon Ray’s client, dead. Normally Jake ends up getting pulled (kicking and screaming) into investigations, he is a rather reluctant sleuth, but this time he decides to be a team player.
Ray and Pancake were originally hired by the victim Carl Davis, to look into who is embezzling from Orange Coast Realty, the very lucrative and successful real estate company. They offer to stay on and work for Carl’s daughter Savannah to look into who killed her dad. Detective Brooke Peters isn’t 100% sold on the idea of collaboration but Pancake seems to have a knack of wearing down those defenses as the sparks fly and the flirting increases.
The light-hearted banter is entertaining and sass that seems to come from everyone except Ray (he served as a Marine and is all business) keeps you laughing. When you aren’t chuckling about how much food Pancake can consume, you are trying to figure out which suspect makes the most sense. Suspects include the business partner, Mitchell Littlefield, who may have embezzled a heck of a lot of money. There is a former employee who feels that he was railroaded because of his aggressive sales tactics and that everything is BS. Could Savannah, the seemingly broken-hearted daughter, be an award winning actress? The plot builds until the big reveal and the thrilling conclusion. At the end of the story, the only mystery I did not figure out was why Tommy Jeffers is nicknamed Pancake. I just might need to add the previous books to my TBR list to get to the bottom of that one. All in all I would say that this thriller is light hearted with plenty of tongue and cheek humor but nothing scandalous.

[Monika Caparelli-Hippert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this series with the last volume, “Cultured,” and thought it was great. So funny, so fast, so cool. So of course I had to grab this one!
The crew is of course the same: Jake Longley, ex-baseball pro, now retired as owner of “Captain Rockies”, a restaurant and place-to-be right on the beach. Someone else is actually running the store, because Jake doesn't really like working, but he finances the whole thing because his money from his sports career is well invested. At Rockies, Jake, his girlfriend Nicole (screenwriter in Hollywood, cool guy par excellence) and Pancake, whom he knows from school, meet up. Pancake is the brains and hacker in Jake's father's detective agency, and as it always happens, Jake and Nicole also have to help out here. This time the two of them are actually just supposed to pick up a few papers from a real estate agent; a new client of Longley Investigations. Can't anything go wrong? Yes, well – always can. Because the real estate agent in question is dead when Nicole and Jake arrive, and so the two of them end up in a murder investigation... which is pretty much the last thing Jake wants to do. On the one hand, of course, the local police are at work, but on the other hand, the investigators receive an order from Savannah, the deceased's daughter. And at some point the police and PIs decide that they can investigate better together... Which is of course also due to the fact that Pancake and Brooke, the assigned detective, are getting closer...
So much for the content first. As expected, it was another fast-paced ride and I just love the storytelling style. Half of the novel is written from Jake's first-person perspective, and Jake is simply wonderfully laconic, pragmatic and genuinely funny. In between we always have chapters from the author's perspective, and they are a little less laconic, but just as darkly humorous. I love it. It's never ridiculous or anything, just written in a funny way. And always well dosed. It's just fun here. The case was good, gave interesting insights into the real estate industry, but in this novel I felt the focus was more on the characters and their relationships with each other. But that also just worked. For example, I remembered Pancake from the last volume as a smart, but otherwise simply greedy and always hungry guy, and I also thought, he's definitely a little dumpling. Nope, he's not. More of a football star type with a bunch of muscles à la Jack Reacher. OK. I revised my opinion and became a fan 😊. Brooke sees it right 😊.
My conclusion: Please read! I'm already waiting for the next volume and catching up on the others.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy!

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: Jake Longly is never saying yes to his father again

It was a simple task. Five minutes tops.

Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, are asked by Jake's father, Ray, a private investigator, to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business. Jake would rather be lying on the beach outside of his Gulf Shores restaurant, but he begrudgingly agrees. It'll only take a few minutes.

But somehow, things are never simple in Ray's world. When Jake and Nicole reach the office, they find it empty—except for the dead body of the realtor lying on the floor, a single gunshot wound to his head. Who could've wanted him dead? The long suspect list and the numerous possible motives make untying the knot difficult.

Working with the police department, Jake, Nicole, Ray, and their friend Pancake dive into the deceivingly simple investigation, which grows more complex by the minute. With millions of dollars at stake, weeding through the realtor's entanglements requires all hands on deck, and yet again, Jake is dragged into the PI business he can't seem to escape.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Anyone who's ever bought property knows the feeling of rage and frustration that accompanies this complex process. Multiply that many times over for large investment properties, and you can relate to someone putting a bullet into this guy's head.

Only he wasn't a bad guy, he was actually a helpful soul...and Jake's dad Ray (the ex-military black ops dude) trusted him enough to work with him...only to have the dude accuse him of embezzlement! So what gives?

Naturally Jake and the ever-perfect Nicole need to find out. Clues build up, there seems to be some kind of offshoring of sizable sums of cash. There also surfaces an entire separate life the guy was leading that he definitely could not afford to have his family know about.

Jake is his usual snarktastic self. It was nice to be back in more salubrious surroundings after the last story! It's not quite by-the-numbers yet, but it's treading familiar paths.

It agrees with me, so I'll keep going until it doesn't anymore.

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 5 out of 5]

In UNBALANCED, Jake Longly enters the seventh inning of his namesake series, following 2023’s CULTURED. Jake was a Major League Baseball pitcher, while his BFF, Tommy “Pancake” Jeffers, was drawn to football given his enormous size. In their youth, they caroused the many bars along the Redneck Riviera, which alludes to the strong Southern culture and host of taverns and restaurants near the Gulf coast area of Flora-Bama at the eastern Alabama border.

Pancake now works at the PI firm that Jake’s dad, Ray, founded. Jake owns Captain Rocky’s bar-restaurant and is content to enjoy a laid-back lifestyle sipping margaritas and tequila. He and gal pal Nicole unwittingly get pulled into an “easy” assignment: pick up accounting documents at a realty office. “Everything with Ray and Pancake is easy until it implodes.”

Jake and Nicole find realtor Carl Davis on the floor with a bullet hole in his head. Initially, they’re suspects when Detective Brooke Peters and other investigators survey the scene but soon dismiss their involvement. Fortunately, Carl’s daughter, Savannah, has access to her dad’s backup files and gives the documents to Jake. Pancake discovers the accounting ledger also indicates that Carl’s partner, Mitch Littlefield, had skimmed and stashed $300,000 in offshore accounts.

Mitch is the prime suspect, but the list grows as Ray and Pancake cooperate with Brooke. Savannah’s fiancé, Dustin Hobson, also works at Carl’s office and confirms that he and Mitch left the office at the same time, about 20 minutes before the murder. Mitch appears to have an alibi, given that Dustin is Carl’s future son-in-law. Jake gets further involved with the investigation, while Pancake gets involved with Brooke --- on a personal basis. Now the suspect list has grown to several, and Jake conjures ways to bypass police restrictions of gathering evidence.

Saucy humor tones down the criminal investigation with many “of Pancake’s feeding frenzies.” D.P. Lyle, the author of the award-winning FORENSICS FOR DUMMIES, weaves intricate forensics details into this enticing thriller. He hits a home run in his seventh inning.

Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy

[John Falbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a change of pace from noir thrillers to more lighthearted fare, I like to read D.P. Lyle's Jake Longly series. They're short on politics and long on great characterizations, snappy dialogue, and plot twists. Jake Longly is a former Big League baseball pitcher with a Gulf front bar and restaurant (Captain Rocky's) in Gulf Shores, Alabama, and the hottest girlfriend in the solar system. Oh, and a totally insane ex-wife that aggravates him no end. Jake's idea of the good life is hanging out at Captain Rocky's with a bottomless pitcher of margaritas during the day and shredding the sheets at night with Nicole, his beautiful girlfriend. Nicole is more than just gorgeous. She's an actress and script writer at the top of her game. And loves a good mystery.
But poor Jake's idyllic life is interrupted frequently by his father Ray, a hardcore former federal agent turned P.I. Ray's cohort is Jake's best friend from childhood, an enormous, tech savvy man nicknamed Pancake for his football talent in leveling opponents. Just when things seem to be settling into Jake's desired lifestyle, Ray and Pancake intrude. It always seems to start with some relatively minor task they ask Jake to do for them. He invariably refuses, but Nicole loves action and accepts for the two of them. Very shortly murder and mayhem arrive on the scene.
There are no dull moments in Doug's books. The dialogue is clever, fast-paced, and usually funny. It fits the characters perfectly. I suggest starting with the first book in the series, Deep Six. Besides the Jake Longly series, Doug Lyle has written close to 20 thrillers, plus short stories and novellas. In addition, with his background as a cardiologist, he's written a number of non-fiction books on forensics. I know Doug through ITW—the International Thriller Writers. He's outgoing and approachable, as well as kind and generous with his time. Always willing to help other writers. And he writes terrific mysteries and thrillers.

[Lori L (She Treads Softly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbalanced by D. P. Lyle is a highly recommended murder mystery and the seventh novel in the Jake Longly series.

"Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, are asked by Jake’s father, Ray, a private investigator, to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business." It's an easy errand that should have taken a few minutes but when Jake and Nicole arrive at the office they find the realtor dead by a single gunshot to the head. This thrusts Jake and Nicole into the investigation, along with Pancake, Jake's friend and Ray's associate.

As expected, the writing is great, the pace quick, and the investigation is detailed and interesting. The banter between the characters can be funny, lighthearted, and quick witted, which is entertaining, but it can also turn serious when required. The suggestive banter between Jake and Nicole is present in every book, but isn't too distracting and over-the-top in Unbalanced. The final denouement is a bit predictable but the investigation is an intricate, fun, and fast-paced journey.

Jake and Nicole are fully realized characters (from the previous novels I've read) and this time Pancake receives further character development. The books in the series can be read as stand alone mysteries I've read several books in the series but this was my favorite to date. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2024/0...

[William Bentrim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unbalanced by D. P. Lyle

Jake Longly and super-hot Nicole are back with a new mystery. While I like the Sam Cody character in Lyle’s other series, this series has its moments. Jake’s enormous sidekick, Pancake, continues to stretch the bottom line of Jake’s restaurant with his apparent insatiability for food. Clara, his restaurant manager, keeps Jake afloat. A retired major league pitcher, Jake doesn’t present a picture of respectability. He does as little work as possible and I’m guessing that is why I struggle to like his character. In this book, he finally demonstrates some empathy and ambition regarding the plot.

A successful realtor is shot while Pancake and Ray are investigating a possible embezzlement for said client..

Although Jake does not work for his dad, Nicole, and Pancake do and where they go he goes. This leads to some action and a lot of investigation. Jake and Nicole continue to indulge in frequent amorous indulgences while Pancake discovers a new love.
At the risk of redundancy, I enjoyed the book but not as much as the previous books. I think Lyle’s Sam Cody books are considerably better.
Nicole is a fast driver and Pancake is an insatiable eater, which has been established in previous books. Those two facts seemed to be overdone in this book. Over and over again it was mentioned how much Pancake eats and how fast Nicole drives. Perhaps a first-time reader would miss the redundancy but as a consistent reader. I just got tired of it.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laid-Back Gulf Coast Mystery-Comedy. This latest entry in the Jake Longly series almost seemed more comedic than mysterious, though certainly the comedy was regarding the mystery - or, more precisely, how Jake continuously gets pulled into the mysteries his dad and best friend - the *actual* Private Investigators - are working. Long time fans will be pleased with this latest entry, as everything we know and love about this series is still 100% there. For those new to the series or Lyle who don't mind spoilers about relationships and perhaps a case or two of prior tales, this is actually a great mostly standalone ish tale that will show you what the entire series is like - and I can tell you from personal experience that one of these is more than enough to get you hooked. For the clean/ sweet crowd... eh, nothing is necessarily shown "on camera", but there are certainly clear enough descriptions of what either is about to happen "off screen" or just has that at least some in that crowd may want to pass here. Overall another fun outing with the crew, great for those *hot* and *wet* and *hard* to handle Dawg Days of the Gulf Coast summer. Very much recommended.

This review is also available on BookAnon.com.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book! Lighthearted humor mixed with some unsavory dealings make a great balance for a perfect beach read. I did find the dialogue in the first few chapters a bit choppy, so found myself re-reading passages to determine who was speaking. It was fast paced banter written from a first person narrator, which may have contributed to the confusion. This seemed to improve as the book progressed. The author made an effort to have detailed descriptions of people and their surroundings which contributed to great imagery in the reader's mind. The plot pace was well timed, and kept me guessing, or at least second guessing, who the actual criminal was, and kept me wanting to read more.

I was given this advance-read copy courtesy of NetGalley, and I understand that it is not in final draft. I would recommend a serious proof-reading before publication, as I found no fewer that a dozen words which were misspelled or misused. Most of these were either an incorrect homonym use or a spelling error that would not be picked up on spellcheck, but there was also one actual spelling error. Oh, and a scientist might think storing dry ice in a walk-in cooler was a bad idea, so share that with the folks in the ice cream shop!!!

[Ganesh Subramanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coleen and Jake run an errand for Ray, Nicole’s father to collect documents from Carl, a Real Estate Agency firm and see Carl dead in his office late in the evening shot in the centre of his head. Thus they stumble on to a murder mystery and set out to find the killer/s. Carl has only a daughter who will inherit all his estate and she is engaged and set to get married. The story includes a partner of Crl who has been embezzling funds from the firm and stashing it away. SO jack has enough on his plate to investigate and identify the killer,\. Even though it is a murder mystery thriller the story is quite entertaining, especially the conversations amongst the team are quite lively but the best conversation is between Jake and his ex-Ttammy is outstanding and you would have faced a similar situation if you had been married long. On the whole an enjoyable thriller to read especially over the weekend.

Thank you Oceanview Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via Edelweiss Plus. All opinions are my own.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Oceanview Publishing for an advance copy of Unbalanced, the seventh novel to feature former baseball pitcher Jake Longly set in Alabama.

I thoroughly enjoyed Unbalanced which is a fun read with a murder investigation attached. I won’t say a mystery as the perpetrator is easy to spot and the motive becomes apparent as the novel unfolds. I would doubt that the whodunnit is the point, more the hook to hang the wisecracking on. It made me laugh and passed in a flash as it is an easy read.

The novel (and the series) revolves around Jake Longly and his slacker persona. He dreads getting involved in his father’s cases as danger and mayhem tend to put in an appearance but his girlfriend, Nicole, loves it. Cue much humourous commentary as he gets involved and takes the verbal lumps that ensue over his attitude and efficacy. It is all relatable and as such the humour resonates.

Unbalanced is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

[LittleRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake and Nicole stop by realtors office to pick up some papers for his father. But they find far more than papers, waiting for them when they find one of the owners dead in his office. But started out as a simple favor for his father brings Jake and Nicolle smack into the middle of a murder investigation.

Well, Jake is set for a relaxing life, he can’t help but find himself getting involved in solving this case. Gang figure out what happened to a man who was generally beloved by everyone, or is the killer seeking to foreclose on their investigation.

I actually really enjoyed the siding of this book. After all, who doesn’t enjoy, putting the top down and driving around town and beautiful weather? Well, Jake might want to see him like he’s laid-back, he really does have a knack for investigating with his girlfriend. And enjoy enjoyable series with a great mystery.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very entertaining, quick and easy read. Although it’s number seven in the series it worked well as a stand alone and I got a good feel for the different personalities involved.

It all starts with the murder of a real estate businessman after hours in his workplace at an Alabama coastal town. His partner is a suspect as well as a few other characters who had disagreements with him in the past. Just prior to his death he had hired Ray Longly’s PI firm to look into some financial abnormalities in the firm and they end up working with the police to investigate the case. The investigators include Ray’s son Jake and his unusually named friend Pancake (a man who really likes his food) and a detective, Brooke Peters. Fast paced with a light touch of humour, this would make a perfect holiday or beach read.

With thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for a copy to read

[Korie Yzaguirre · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a witty, funny, fast paced, slightly predictable yet thrilling mystery which I thoroughly enjoyed! While I figured it out very early on, I still couldn’t wait see how it unraveled to see if I was right!

Jake Longly, an ex-major league baseball player, and his girlfriend, Nicole, who can’t seem to say no to Jake’s Private Investigator father, and his partner, Pancake, get roped into job when a quick errand is anything but. Jake and Nicole discover a dead body and begin working with the police department to solve the case. Millions of dollars are on the line, several suspects in the suspect pool and lots of leads to chase down. Jake, Nicole, Pancake, Ray, and Detective Peters are going to find out who the killer is if it’s the last thing they do!

[Alex Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read any other books in this series, however, once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down!Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, are asked by Jake' s father, Ray, a private investigator, to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business. Sounds like it would be a normal and easy errand, right?
WRONG!!!
When they get to the office, they see a dead body with a single gunshot wound to the head. Half of the novel is told from Jake’s POV, with a lot of light-hearted humor thrown in as well. The case was good & truly kept me guessing the entire time, to the point where I had no idea who did it! I loved the characters in this & the plot was well paced & kept me engaged the entire time.
Thank you to NetGalley & the author for this ARC!

[Alex Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not read any other books in this series, however, once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down! Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, are asked by Jake' s father, Ray, a private investigator, to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business. Sounds like it would be a normal and easy errand, right?
WRONG!!!
When they get to the office, they see a dead body with a single gunshot wound to the head. Half of the novel is told from Jake's POV, with a lot of light-hearted humor thrown in as well. The case was good & truly kept me guessing the entire time, to the point where I had no idea who did it! I loved the characters in this & the plot was well paced & kept me engaged the entire time.
Thank you to NetGalley & the author for this ARC!

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly. Jake's father Ray has once again gotten him involved in a mess of a case without meaning to-Ray didn't know that Jake and Nicole would discover a dead body at the office where Jake was meant to drop off papers. Fans of the series know that this will be lively, funny romp that's more about the characters than it is about the mystery (although that's pretty good too). Among other things, Ray's associate (and Jake's old pal) Pancake finds a bit of potential romance with Brooke, the detective assigned to the case. The banter is zippy (know that sometimes a bit too zippy) and the plot moves briskly. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. A good read fans will welcome and those new to the series will enjoy as well.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake Longly, his girlfriend Nicole, his father P.I. Ray Longly and very hungry friend Pancake are turning in circles trying to find out who murdered Real Estate Agent Carl Davis. They are going to be twisting and turning for awhile as there are several possibilities, nothing is concrete and each possibility points at another suspect. While not a true police procedural it is a detailed account of a private investigator’s search for answers to unravel this crime and the case for which they were hired.

Interesting story, well written if a bit long, this can be read as a standalone. Having the characters so clearly detailed I am not sure that I would look backwards in the series but I would definitely be interested in the next installment. Thanks to Oceanview Publishing for a copy.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the narration of Marcus Barton, who brings out the humour, action, pace and characters.

When Ex-pro baseball player Jake Longly and his girlfriend, Nicole, do a job for his father simple. Oh no Jake’s father, Ray, is a private investigator, and the job is to pick up some papers from a realtor for his business. When Jake and Nicole arrive at the office they find the realtor dead by a single gunshot to the head. Jake and Nicole find themselves part of the investigation, along with Pancake, Jake's friend and Ray's associate.
A book full of humour, great characters and at a great pace.

[Jeff Benham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ray and his investigators are hired by the co-owner of a realty firm to find out why the books doubt balance. Before they can even get started, he is murdered and his daughter then hires the team to find out who did it. Lots of cooperation between them and local law enforcement and, as usual, plenty of suspects to choose from. Could it be the co-owner? Enjoy the action and fun while they find out.

[Lata · Rating 2 out of 5]

This felt amateurish. There was not much of a mystery, and everyone kept rehashing the same points about the same 4 suspects, Detective Brooke was useless. Jake and Nicole interview a witness, then the Detective asks the same questions and again this information is repeated to Pancake and Ray. The narration in first person even when the person is not present at the scene annoys me. The characters are also not interesting. There are more books in the series and I wont be reading those.

[Lotte Van Der Paelt]

Unbalanced is funny, thrilling and fast paced. I personally thought it was a bit predictable, but I do see why people like Lyle's stories. I don't really know how to feel about it and I don't want to discourage people from reading it, so that's why I chose not to rate this one. Have fun if you decide to read it! :)

Thanks to NetGalley and D.P. Lyle for providing me with an ARC!

[Beth Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was quite good. I found it difficult to get into, I was not particularly invested in the story until about halfway through, when it started to get good.
I predicted the ending, right from the start.
I found no attachment to the characters to be honest.
This book is one of a series, and I may read the others, but would not be fussed if I didn’t.

It was certainly readable.