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Justice/Mort Grant #1
The Fixer
T. E. Woods delivers a fast-paced thriller—the first in an electrifying new series—peopled with sharp, intriguing characters and more twists and turns than a corkscrew.
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
In the office of a clinical psychologist in Olympia, Washington, a beautiful young woman is in terrible emotional pain. She puts up walls, tells lies, and seems to speak in riddles, but the doctor is determined to help her heal, despite the fact that she claims to have hurt many people. As their sessions escalate, the psychologist feels compelled to reach out to the police . . . but it might be too late.
In Seattle, a detective gets a call from his son. A dedicated journalist, he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. Together they follow the trail of leads toward a stone-cold hired killer—only to find that death has been closer than either could have imagined.
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
In the office of a clinical psychologist in Olympia, Washington, a beautiful young woman is in terrible emotional pain. She puts up walls, tells lies, and seems to speak in riddles, but the doctor is determined to help her heal, despite the fact that she claims to have hurt many people. As their sessions escalate, the psychologist feels compelled to reach out to the police . . . but it might be too late.
In Seattle, a detective gets a call from his son. A dedicated journalist, he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. Together they follow the trail of leads toward a stone-cold hired killer—only to find that death has been closer than either could have imagined.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 17, 2012
353 people are currently reading
1557 people want to read
About the author
T.E. Woods
13 books182 followersT.E. Woods is a clinical psychologist and author living in Bayfield, WI. She is author of two series: The Justice Series (starring Lydia Corriger and Mort Grant) and The Hush Money Series (Starring Sydney Richardson). Her stand alone novel, The Wrong Sister, will be released on February 27, 2018.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 245 reviews
February 10, 2017
I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks for the opportunity.
It didn't take long for The Fixer to hook me in fully as I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning with eyes half closing, determined to get to the end. I loved every word of this book.
The Fixer is a crime thriller with a difference, an interesting and tightly woven plot and characters that will stay with you forever. Who is The Fixer exactly?
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . .
The Fixer is clever, precise and careful. She chooses her assignments, she's picky, not everyone gets to hire her unique set of skills and services that she offers. But who is she?
In a Psychologists office in Olympia Washington, a poised, beautiful women is sharing herself as much as she is able, reaching out for help for the broken pieces she feels she is made of, looking for answers then running from them at the same time. Who is she?
The book runs these two story lines cleverly side by side, moving between places and events, you think you know what's going on in this book, don't be so sure like I was. There are some very clever twists in this book guaranteed to thrill.
Then we have Mort Grant, a dedicated Detective who is called in to investigate a suspicious death that his son, who is a Journalist has asked for his help on. It turns out there is more than one murder on the cards and Mort Grant is determined to get to the truth. He's a great character, you see all aspects of this man, light and dark, and all the shades in between. I am keen to read more books in this series featuring Mort Grant, I think he's a character that will grow over time.
The entire book is riveting, the twists and turns keep you focuses and alert, because things are not as clear as they may seem, it's a refreshing change to everyday plots in the crime thriller genre and T.E. Woods writes extremely well, knowing how to suck the reader in then spin the reader around in circles a few times.
This is excellent plotting, a book that will be memorable for some time, one of the best I have read in this genre. It will take you on a really exciting ride.
So who is the woman seeking help for being so broken? Who is The Fixer? Good questions, you will have to read it to find out. Highly recommended to anyone that simply loves a darn good read. I will be watching out for more from this author in this series, I think it will do really well.
It didn't take long for The Fixer to hook me in fully as I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning with eyes half closing, determined to get to the end. I loved every word of this book.
The Fixer is a crime thriller with a difference, an interesting and tightly woven plot and characters that will stay with you forever. Who is The Fixer exactly?
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . .
The Fixer is clever, precise and careful. She chooses her assignments, she's picky, not everyone gets to hire her unique set of skills and services that she offers. But who is she?
In a Psychologists office in Olympia Washington, a poised, beautiful women is sharing herself as much as she is able, reaching out for help for the broken pieces she feels she is made of, looking for answers then running from them at the same time. Who is she?
The book runs these two story lines cleverly side by side, moving between places and events, you think you know what's going on in this book, don't be so sure like I was. There are some very clever twists in this book guaranteed to thrill.
Then we have Mort Grant, a dedicated Detective who is called in to investigate a suspicious death that his son, who is a Journalist has asked for his help on. It turns out there is more than one murder on the cards and Mort Grant is determined to get to the truth. He's a great character, you see all aspects of this man, light and dark, and all the shades in between. I am keen to read more books in this series featuring Mort Grant, I think he's a character that will grow over time.
The entire book is riveting, the twists and turns keep you focuses and alert, because things are not as clear as they may seem, it's a refreshing change to everyday plots in the crime thriller genre and T.E. Woods writes extremely well, knowing how to suck the reader in then spin the reader around in circles a few times.
This is excellent plotting, a book that will be memorable for some time, one of the best I have read in this genre. It will take you on a really exciting ride.
So who is the woman seeking help for being so broken? Who is The Fixer? Good questions, you will have to read it to find out. Highly recommended to anyone that simply loves a darn good read. I will be watching out for more from this author in this series, I think it will do really well.
January 7, 2014
I received a free download of "The Fixer (A Mort Grant Novel)" by T.E. Woods, via alibi@randomhouse.com, ARC copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. All I can say is Wow!
Most of us have witnessed wrong doings in our life, injustices, and wished things could be made right. But this novel takes this concept to a whole new level. In this novel the author develops this concept with the introduction of "The Fixer", a vigilante, a righter of wrongs...but always invisible. Her assignments were specific, and she had been working at this job for six years. The Fixer had standards...but was an assassin for hire. In order to request the services of The Fixer, the requestor would put a specific ad in three papers and leave contact information. Within four days the requestor would receive a call back. The call back was disguised, digitized. A meeting place was arranged.
Mort Grant, Chief of Detectives stationed out of Seattle Washington, is involved in a high profile case of a prominent university faculty member, whose death was first ruled a heart attack, but when all the evidence came in, it was soon ruled as murder. His search for the killer put him on the trail of The Fixer.
Mort recruits the services of Lydia Corriger, a talented psychologist, with a esoteric new patient who played mind games and tests her clinical skills. Together Mort and Lydia combine forces to solve this puzzle...but in doing so placed their own lives at risk.
But Who was the voice behind the synthesizer who threatened her existence?
This novel had it all, gripping plot, believable characters, cover ups, lies, deceit, and political liaisons. This was an amazing thriller and I will definitely following this author in the future.
Most of us have witnessed wrong doings in our life, injustices, and wished things could be made right. But this novel takes this concept to a whole new level. In this novel the author develops this concept with the introduction of "The Fixer", a vigilante, a righter of wrongs...but always invisible. Her assignments were specific, and she had been working at this job for six years. The Fixer had standards...but was an assassin for hire. In order to request the services of The Fixer, the requestor would put a specific ad in three papers and leave contact information. Within four days the requestor would receive a call back. The call back was disguised, digitized. A meeting place was arranged.
Mort Grant, Chief of Detectives stationed out of Seattle Washington, is involved in a high profile case of a prominent university faculty member, whose death was first ruled a heart attack, but when all the evidence came in, it was soon ruled as murder. His search for the killer put him on the trail of The Fixer.
Mort recruits the services of Lydia Corriger, a talented psychologist, with a esoteric new patient who played mind games and tests her clinical skills. Together Mort and Lydia combine forces to solve this puzzle...but in doing so placed their own lives at risk.
But Who was the voice behind the synthesizer who threatened her existence?
This novel had it all, gripping plot, believable characters, cover ups, lies, deceit, and political liaisons. This was an amazing thriller and I will definitely following this author in the future.
December 21, 2019
I just finished the 5th book in this series. I read them all this week.
When I picked this up I figured I'd found another action, "I'm a bada** avenging killer" book. Well, actually as the book opens that's who Lydia is. She's a killer for hire, maybe the best. She is very careful about the "fixes" she accepts. Only wrongs that need righting, never 2 close together in space or time. Maybe only a fix or 2 in a year, but always well planned and always she lives by:
" Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice."
But things begin to turn in this book. I won't go into the plot etc. as (while I saw it coming) there is a "slight" twist.
What I'd like to say about the book is that it turned out to be more than I expected. The book's characters are (as they say) painted in full color and 3 dimensions. The plot is spread before us as we read the book. There are no info dumps and it all flows holding the attention and while not being the kind of book I would usually have read it was almost impossible to put down. The first night I was up until 2:00 AM.
While this is not great literature it is very well written and I decided I had no other choice than to go the entire 5 stars. I recommend you try this one. I can see where some may not care for it, but over all I think this (and these) will have very wide appeal and I recommend that you try them yourself.
When I picked this up I figured I'd found another action, "I'm a bada** avenging killer" book. Well, actually as the book opens that's who Lydia is. She's a killer for hire, maybe the best. She is very careful about the "fixes" she accepts. Only wrongs that need righting, never 2 close together in space or time. Maybe only a fix or 2 in a year, but always well planned and always she lives by:
" Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice."
But things begin to turn in this book. I won't go into the plot etc. as (while I saw it coming) there is a "slight" twist.
What I'd like to say about the book is that it turned out to be more than I expected. The book's characters are (as they say) painted in full color and 3 dimensions. The plot is spread before us as we read the book. There are no info dumps and it all flows holding the attention and while not being the kind of book I would usually have read it was almost impossible to put down. The first night I was up until 2:00 AM.
While this is not great literature it is very well written and I decided I had no other choice than to go the entire 5 stars. I recommend you try this one. I can see where some may not care for it, but over all I think this (and these) will have very wide appeal and I recommend that you try them yourself.
April 11, 2015
3.5 out of 5 stars -- An assassin with a conscience. You can hire this hit woman and she will only accept your case if she decides that it will be delivering JUSTICE, not revenge.
Though the premise of this suspense thriller was not exactly new (remember the DEXTER series), the story was one with several unexpected twists, so it was an enjoyable and quick read for me. It is the first in the "Justice" series featuring detective Morton (Mort) Grant of the Seattle Police. Mort, a widower, teams up with his journalist son who is in pursuit of a story about an unusual death -- and the search leads them to uncover related murders that might be the work of a hired killer. A killer who might be a beautiful woman.
From another perspective in the alternating narrative, Lydia Corriger, a psychologist with her own emotional baggage, is visited by a client with even more severe issues -- Savannah Samuels -- who brings a convoluted tale of how she has hurt others. Lydia meets Mort to find out if there are any clues that might link Savannah to recent suspicious deaths and offers her services.
The victims in recent cases seem to be connected to the university and the politics and petty squabbling of the leadership, the department heads and the researchers come to a head when a horrible case of animal cruelty comes to light. In addition, there's a money angle. Mort has his hands full as he tries to see how and why Lydia and her patient are possibly connected. Can Mort find out who hired the hits and see that the person or persons are held responsible?
I won't say more to avoid giving spoilers, but since the series continues and is named "Justice" and has the same two main characters, I think readers can imagine how this one ends. I found that to be a bit of a stretch, but I think many of us like to imagine that horrible people who can't be touched or punished appropriately by the courts and the law get what is coming to them in a sort of vigilante way.
There are now 4 books in the series and #2 and #3 are only in kindle format (not at my library), but I intend to check out #4 shortly to see what's come of the duo. I would imagine that the hit woman has not gone into retirement!
Thank you to NetGalley and Alibi for the e-book ARC to review.
Though the premise of this suspense thriller was not exactly new (remember the DEXTER series), the story was one with several unexpected twists, so it was an enjoyable and quick read for me. It is the first in the "Justice" series featuring detective Morton (Mort) Grant of the Seattle Police. Mort, a widower, teams up with his journalist son who is in pursuit of a story about an unusual death -- and the search leads them to uncover related murders that might be the work of a hired killer. A killer who might be a beautiful woman.
From another perspective in the alternating narrative, Lydia Corriger, a psychologist with her own emotional baggage, is visited by a client with even more severe issues -- Savannah Samuels -- who brings a convoluted tale of how she has hurt others. Lydia meets Mort to find out if there are any clues that might link Savannah to recent suspicious deaths and offers her services.
The victims in recent cases seem to be connected to the university and the politics and petty squabbling of the leadership, the department heads and the researchers come to a head when a horrible case of animal cruelty comes to light. In addition, there's a money angle. Mort has his hands full as he tries to see how and why Lydia and her patient are possibly connected. Can Mort find out who hired the hits and see that the person or persons are held responsible?
I won't say more to avoid giving spoilers, but since the series continues and is named "Justice" and has the same two main characters, I think readers can imagine how this one ends. I found that to be a bit of a stretch, but I think many of us like to imagine that horrible people who can't be touched or punished appropriately by the courts and the law get what is coming to them in a sort of vigilante way.
There are now 4 books in the series and #2 and #3 are only in kindle format (not at my library), but I intend to check out #4 shortly to see what's come of the duo. I would imagine that the hit woman has not gone into retirement!
Thank you to NetGalley and Alibi for the e-book ARC to review.
November 3, 2017
This is not my usual genre (police procedural), but the description was interesting enough to convince me to nab this on one of Audible's sales. And goodness! I'm glad I did!
The story here was solid and kept me guessing a LOT longer than most mystery books. Hooray for narrator Christina Delaine -- she gave this book exactly the right tone. There were a couple of voices she did that left me a bit cold, but overall her work was excellent, with none of the issues a lot of female narrators (or maybe their sound editors?) have with inconsistent volume. (It sounds minor, but having to constantly adjust volume and skip back a bit can really detract from the story.)
I've already purchased the next 2 books in the series and am looking forward to diving back into this world.
The story here was solid and kept me guessing a LOT longer than most mystery books. Hooray for narrator Christina Delaine -- she gave this book exactly the right tone. There were a couple of voices she did that left me a bit cold, but overall her work was excellent, with none of the issues a lot of female narrators (or maybe their sound editors?) have with inconsistent volume. (It sounds minor, but having to constantly adjust volume and skip back a bit can really detract from the story.)
I've already purchased the next 2 books in the series and am looking forward to diving back into this world.
July 25, 2017
Let me start by saying I did not skim one page of this book. That’s how good it was. That’s how closely you had to pay attention so you won’t get lost.
I did absolutely love the Fixer. And every man she killed deserved it. And I love Mort and Jimmy and Bruiser (the dog.) And I liked the secondary characters, too: Deidre, Bastian, Buchner, Snelling, Wells and Jerry Childress. I really liked Savannah and Lydia’s backstory. It was quite horrific. You’ll have to read the book if you want to know who was bad.
I did like the smooth and sexy ways the Fixer did her job. For a hired killer she was awesome. She wasn’t a murderer, she just killed people who deserved to die, i.e. pedophiles, Ponzi schemers where people committed suicide because they used their kids’ college money trying to make more money to assure a good college., and like that. Then when the bad guys found out who she really was they blackmailed her into killing a chef because she…... Oh, not telling you that.
As good as this book was I will not be listening to the others in this series. I simply refuse to pay $7.49 for a book and I won’t use a credit.
There was not even a hint of sex in this story and the F-bomb was used 24 times.
As to the narration: My first time listening to Christina Delaine and she did a wonderful job, on voices and emotions. I would definitely listen to her again.
April 19, 2018
2.5 our of 5 stars.
I like the idea of "The Fixer" an assassin for hire for those that have really been wronged. A vigilante of sorts.
The story as a whole was a little dry though. Not bad, but nothing too gripping. I notice that this says this is the first in a series, but I don't know where you could go with this character from here.
I like the idea of "The Fixer" an assassin for hire for those that have really been wronged. A vigilante of sorts.
The story as a whole was a little dry though. Not bad, but nothing too gripping. I notice that this says this is the first in a series, but I don't know where you could go with this character from here.
February 18, 2023
This is the book 1 in the
" Justice Series"
series. Award-winning clinical psychologist based in Olympia, Washington State. Her patients swear by her but she keeps e everyone at arms length. Lydia was raised in the foster care system and she has reinvented her identity and vows never to let anyone have control over her again for six years she has dispensed justice getting revenge for those who can't get help from the police. The fixer is the last resort for many desperate victims. Seattle’s Chief of homicide Morton Grant his son is a journalist he wants his father’s expertise as he looks into a suspicious death. This was a good read that I also listened to on audio. I liked his team Micki, Jimmy and Bruiser the k9 I also liked the other secondary characters in this book. As there paths cross Mort looks into Luciana past and finds a lot of inconsistencies. This was my first time reading this author this book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
August 25, 2014
The Fixer: A Justice Novel, by T. E. Woods is the first book in the Justice Novel Mort Grant series. I first discovered the Fixer in Book #2 and followed that by reading Book#3. I was so impressed by these novels that I had to go back and read this, the first in the series featuring the Fixer and Detective Mort Grant. I'm glad I did because it establishes the background and the context that brought the Fixer and Mort Grant together.
The Fixer punishes those who deserve punishment as justice for their crimes when the legal system, for one reason or another, has been unable to do the job. She takes contracts to do “hits” but she has very high standards. She won’t bump off your spouse for you simply because you don’t want to pay their fair share in a divorce. However, if she finds a wrong has been done to a defenseless victim and it goes unpunished because the evildoer has lots of money, she may take your contract.
The Fixer undertakes a contract to kill a prominent faculty member who has been torturing and killing animals, e.g. a gorilla. But then the person who hired her is also killed by person or persons unknown. The dead individual who hired her had her vital contact information and had discovered her identity. These details fall into the hands of someone who wishes to use her as their personal assassin.
This puts Lydia Corriger, a talented psychologist and The Fixer, in a quandary. She needs to identify and take out this manipulator or be ruined. To this end she ends up working with Detective Mort Grant, who is investigating these murders, by assisting as a psychologist. One of her patients has apparently committed suicide but has likely been murdered as well.
There are many twists and turns and red herrings as the plot unfolds. Mort and Lydia eventually trap the killer but only after several wrong turns. During this period Mort figures out that Lydia is The Fixer but considers her a worthy companion in his task.
This is a first rate thriller by a superb author whose writing, plotting and character development skills are top of the line. Her two succeeding novels in this series are equally enthralling.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy via NetGalley for review
The Fixer punishes those who deserve punishment as justice for their crimes when the legal system, for one reason or another, has been unable to do the job. She takes contracts to do “hits” but she has very high standards. She won’t bump off your spouse for you simply because you don’t want to pay their fair share in a divorce. However, if she finds a wrong has been done to a defenseless victim and it goes unpunished because the evildoer has lots of money, she may take your contract.
The Fixer undertakes a contract to kill a prominent faculty member who has been torturing and killing animals, e.g. a gorilla. But then the person who hired her is also killed by person or persons unknown. The dead individual who hired her had her vital contact information and had discovered her identity. These details fall into the hands of someone who wishes to use her as their personal assassin.
This puts Lydia Corriger, a talented psychologist and The Fixer, in a quandary. She needs to identify and take out this manipulator or be ruined. To this end she ends up working with Detective Mort Grant, who is investigating these murders, by assisting as a psychologist. One of her patients has apparently committed suicide but has likely been murdered as well.
There are many twists and turns and red herrings as the plot unfolds. Mort and Lydia eventually trap the killer but only after several wrong turns. During this period Mort figures out that Lydia is The Fixer but considers her a worthy companion in his task.
This is a first rate thriller by a superb author whose writing, plotting and character development skills are top of the line. Her two succeeding novels in this series are equally enthralling.
Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy via NetGalley for review
January 31, 2014
If you love the convoluted journey through the tangled webs of intrigue and mystery with vigilante justice, The Fixer by T. E. Woods has it all, in spades! When justice has been denied, there are those who call on the Fixer, a mysterious assassin who uses their “talent” to pronounce the final judgment of guilty on the evil and provide “justice” for those who have been wronged. But who is the Fixer? What motivates them to take the law into their own hands? Is something from their past the catalyst that fuels their crusade? When one detective gets too close to the truth, how will the Fixer respond? Will this be the end of the line?
T. E. Woods will keep you guessing! Just when you think you have everything figured out, BAM!, here comes the twist! Great characters, sometimes gruesome imagery, in spite of the obviously wrong method of “justice,” I was definitely rooting for the Fixer to prevail. With a fast pace and the dark veiling of the Fixer’s action, I was intrigued and draw to each page from start to finish!
I received an ARC edition from Random House Publishing Group - Alibi in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Mort Grant, Book One
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Alibi
ISBN: 9780345549266
Genre: Adult Mystery/Fiction
Number of Pages: 312
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
T. E. Woods will keep you guessing! Just when you think you have everything figured out, BAM!, here comes the twist! Great characters, sometimes gruesome imagery, in spite of the obviously wrong method of “justice,” I was definitely rooting for the Fixer to prevail. With a fast pace and the dark veiling of the Fixer’s action, I was intrigued and draw to each page from start to finish!
I received an ARC edition from Random House Publishing Group - Alibi in exchange for my honest review.
Series: Mort Grant, Book One
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Alibi
ISBN: 9780345549266
Genre: Adult Mystery/Fiction
Number of Pages: 312
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
April 22, 2014
Have you ever wanted to see the bad guy “get it?” Have you ever watched a guilty person evade justice while the victim suffers? Then this book is for you. I really liked “The Fixer”. She (yes, I said she) punishes those who deserve punishment as justice for their crimes since the legal system, for one reason or another, has been unable to do the job. She takes contracts to do “hits” but she has very high standards. She won’t bump off your spouse for you simply because you don’t want to pay their fair share in a divorce. However, if she finds a wrong has been done to a defenseless victim and it goes unpunished because the evildoer has lots of money, she may take your contract. Things go along well for many years. But when a detective’s son, who is a journalist, finds a small loose end in one case and begins to unravel it, the story really takes off.
“The Fixer” is a psychological thriller/crime novel/mystery with many puzzles on many levels. The characters in this story are well developed and you feel you know them very well. The story is well written and one you won’t want to put down. Several times, while doing other things, my mind would return to this book and I would try to solve the unanswered questions. When you find a book that you think about while trying to do something else, you know you have a really good book.
“The Fixer” brings to mind an old question; “Is it ever right, to do wrong, to do right.” In other words, is it ever right to do something wrong for a good purpose or to bring about a good/just end? I don’t believe it is. But once in a while it is interesting to examine the question and T. E Woods does it with a very engrossing story. I highly recommend this book!
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from Random House Publishing Group – Alibi and Net Gallery. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
“The Fixer” is a psychological thriller/crime novel/mystery with many puzzles on many levels. The characters in this story are well developed and you feel you know them very well. The story is well written and one you won’t want to put down. Several times, while doing other things, my mind would return to this book and I would try to solve the unanswered questions. When you find a book that you think about while trying to do something else, you know you have a really good book.
“The Fixer” brings to mind an old question; “Is it ever right, to do wrong, to do right.” In other words, is it ever right to do something wrong for a good purpose or to bring about a good/just end? I don’t believe it is. But once in a while it is interesting to examine the question and T. E Woods does it with a very engrossing story. I highly recommend this book!
I was provided a free copy of this book for review from Random House Publishing Group – Alibi and Net Gallery. I was under no obligation to provide a favorable review.
January 27, 2014
Thank you for the review copy via netgalley
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
This is the first in a series from T.E. Woods and it got off to a great start. The Fixer is an assassin for hire yes, but one with a strict moral code and a sense of justice. When a detective and a psychologist get on the trail we are set for a terrific book adventure.
Fast paced yet cleverly written, this twisty tale will keep you on your toes throughout and is a great fun read if you love a good thriller. There is a great mystery element to be had as well and characters are well fleshed out and great to follow along with. There is a lovely flowing narrative that pulls you along through all the intrigue, never letting the standard drop. I will certainly look forward to more of this.
I would recommend it to those who love mystery thrillers that can keep you in the moment and need a reasonably quick fast paced read.
Happy Reading Folks!
Never a doubt. Never a mistake. Always for justice. Never for revenge. She’s the person you hire when you need something fixed—permanently. With a strict set of criteria, she evaluates every request and chooses only a few. No more than one job per country, per year. She will only step in if it’s clear that justice will not be served any other way. Her jobs are completed with skill and precision, and never result in inquiry or police investigation. The Fixer is invisible—and quite deadly. . . .
This is the first in a series from T.E. Woods and it got off to a great start. The Fixer is an assassin for hire yes, but one with a strict moral code and a sense of justice. When a detective and a psychologist get on the trail we are set for a terrific book adventure.
Fast paced yet cleverly written, this twisty tale will keep you on your toes throughout and is a great fun read if you love a good thriller. There is a great mystery element to be had as well and characters are well fleshed out and great to follow along with. There is a lovely flowing narrative that pulls you along through all the intrigue, never letting the standard drop. I will certainly look forward to more of this.
I would recommend it to those who love mystery thrillers that can keep you in the moment and need a reasonably quick fast paced read.
Happy Reading Folks!
August 19, 2017
I might have gone 4.5 stars but....there is no way to do that so, I will go 'a most excellent 5 star read" review to come...:)
This was a wild and twisty ride that started with a huge shift halfway through when the character we started out with, seemed to morph into a whole new main character. I had no clue who was what or when for awhile there and I love when that happens! I enjoyed the relationship between Liddy & Mort and that is why this book gets a 5 star nod from me ... well, that and the child abuse angle which always gets to me as I have worked with and been around abused kids for a good part of my life.
The story starts with a hired killer known as the fixer. Her kills are always for justice, never for revenge, vigilante justice . She evaluates each request and only does one a year. There are some high profile murders happening in town and the Police detective needs some help figuring things out so he turns to a local clinical philologist for some help and it seems she has some problems of her own to figure out with a young woman who knows her from her past. Can these two people come together and find the assassin who seems to be shadowing them both? throw in the mix some extremely wealthy powerful people and you have some wild twists and turns in this book. Great story line, great characters. I am looking forward to the next book out in this series "The Red Hot Fix" coming out in June 2014
This was a wild and twisty ride that started with a huge shift halfway through when the character we started out with, seemed to morph into a whole new main character. I had no clue who was what or when for awhile there and I love when that happens! I enjoyed the relationship between Liddy & Mort and that is why this book gets a 5 star nod from me ... well, that and the child abuse angle which always gets to me as I have worked with and been around abused kids for a good part of my life.
The story starts with a hired killer known as the fixer. Her kills are always for justice, never for revenge, vigilante justice . She evaluates each request and only does one a year. There are some high profile murders happening in town and the Police detective needs some help figuring things out so he turns to a local clinical philologist for some help and it seems she has some problems of her own to figure out with a young woman who knows her from her past. Can these two people come together and find the assassin who seems to be shadowing them both? throw in the mix some extremely wealthy powerful people and you have some wild twists and turns in this book. Great story line, great characters. I am looking forward to the next book out in this series "The Red Hot Fix" coming out in June 2014
March 3, 2014
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was definitely a page-turner and I had difficulty putting it down. It was a relatively easy read, was well paced and the plot was imaginative and well executed. The book seemed to effortlessly flow from one scene to another, from one character to another.
To begin it was difficult to know who the main character was as the action involved ‘The Fixer’, but we did not yet know who ‘The Fixer’ was, although there was significant allusion to point us in a specific direction.
I enjoyed the way the plot developed and how there were always surprises. It was not easy to divine who was responsible for what, before it was revealed and I like this in a book.
The building of back-story that revealed motivation behind certain plot elements provided much about that made events in the current time make more sense.
The relationship that developed between Lydia and Mort was interesting, each providing something that the other needed to move on from past negative events that had shaped their lives.
I would most definitely recommend this book to thriller fans, especially those that like to see the psychological motivations behind the actions of others.
This review was based on a review copy.
To begin it was difficult to know who the main character was as the action involved ‘The Fixer’, but we did not yet know who ‘The Fixer’ was, although there was significant allusion to point us in a specific direction.
I enjoyed the way the plot developed and how there were always surprises. It was not easy to divine who was responsible for what, before it was revealed and I like this in a book.
The building of back-story that revealed motivation behind certain plot elements provided much about that made events in the current time make more sense.
The relationship that developed between Lydia and Mort was interesting, each providing something that the other needed to move on from past negative events that had shaped their lives.
I would most definitely recommend this book to thriller fans, especially those that like to see the psychological motivations behind the actions of others.
This review was based on a review copy.
February 1, 2014
I received an ARC copy of "The Fixer" by T.E. Woods from the publisher alibi@randomhouse.com through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Not familiar with this author, I did not know what to expect when I started to read this story. I was not disappointed as this story is well written with a great plot that includes many twists.
This is not your typical murder mystery. "The fixer" is a story about a female vigilante/hired killer who only accepts certain types of jobs. I must admit that I was surprised by the identity of the vigilante/hired killer. I did, however, figure out quickly who was behind the contract for "The Fixer" to kill the college professor.
This author provided a story that was interesting and engaging as well as a cast of characters that are all well developed and fun to get to know. I also enjoyed the fact that this author did not feel it was necessary to write pages of descriptive detail that I find myself skimming through.
I look forward to T.E Woods next book in this series.
Not familiar with this author, I did not know what to expect when I started to read this story. I was not disappointed as this story is well written with a great plot that includes many twists.
This is not your typical murder mystery. "The fixer" is a story about a female vigilante/hired killer who only accepts certain types of jobs. I must admit that I was surprised by the identity of the vigilante/hired killer. I did, however, figure out quickly who was behind the contract for "The Fixer" to kill the college professor.
This author provided a story that was interesting and engaging as well as a cast of characters that are all well developed and fun to get to know. I also enjoyed the fact that this author did not feel it was necessary to write pages of descriptive detail that I find myself skimming through.
I look forward to T.E Woods next book in this series.
July 6, 2017
This was a very good story. It was entertaining, mysterious and you just couldn't help but root for the Fixer. Very good narration too. (audible review)
The story line and plot was very good. I think it it flowed very well and had several twists and turns. I really liked Lydia a lot. I think her character was well done. Ole Mort was hard not to like too. I would have liked to know more about Savannah's character. That was missing for me. I like a female assassin story.
This was a long story and took me a while to get through it but it was definitely worth the time.
As for the narration, it was very good. This was my first listen to Christina Delaine and I think she did a great job on the male voices and the distinction between all the characters. She has a nice reading voice too.
The story line and plot was very good. I think it it flowed very well and had several twists and turns. I really liked Lydia a lot. I think her character was well done. Ole Mort was hard not to like too. I would have liked to know more about Savannah's character. That was missing for me. I like a female assassin story.
This was a long story and took me a while to get through it but it was definitely worth the time.
As for the narration, it was very good. This was my first listen to Christina Delaine and I think she did a great job on the male voices and the distinction between all the characters. She has a nice reading voice too.
December 16, 2015
This was a real "wow" of a book !! I loved it. Easily the best 49p I've spent the past year !! I'll definitely be getting the rest of this series. I just adore Mort. He's the sweetest guy. A few times found me decidedly sniffy at things he mostly said or did. You'd want him on your side, that's for sure.
The other characters in the story are terrific as well....though parts left me a bit squeamish and I was upset by them and needed to remind myself "it's only make-believe"....thankfully.
I'd assumed all the way through the author was a man and read at the end that she isn't !! Made me smile.
AND the best thing was I only spotted a couple of dropped speechmarks and no other mistakes. So what's not to like ? Just superbly done altogether.
The other characters in the story are terrific as well....though parts left me a bit squeamish and I was upset by them and needed to remind myself "it's only make-believe"....thankfully.
I'd assumed all the way through the author was a man and read at the end that she isn't !! Made me smile.
AND the best thing was I only spotted a couple of dropped speechmarks and no other mistakes. So what's not to like ? Just superbly done altogether.
May 31, 2017
Rambling, huge confusing cast of characters, ham-handed morals. Just, blunt. The premise was amazing, but instead of carving a great story with a scalpel it felt like it was hewed with a rusty axe. There was no subtlety, at all. Really disappointing, because the whole premise sounded great.
Finally gave up about a third of the way in, right after the main protagonist detailed their sexual abuse in the foster system and the therapist went home and started cutting herself with razor blades. Nothing in the dialog seemed remotely real in this exchange. Everything just seemed so formulaic and predictable.
Finally gave up about a third of the way in, right after the main protagonist detailed their sexual abuse in the foster system and the therapist went home and started cutting herself with razor blades. Nothing in the dialog seemed remotely real in this exchange. Everything just seemed so formulaic and predictable.
February 2, 2018
This book was hard to get into at first. I almost stop reading a few times. But once i got to know the fixer and the characters around her the story got interesting.
June 22, 2017
T. E. Woods created a wonderful series starter here, even though I was having trouble following the chapter-by-chapter scene changes that started the book. They all crystallize eventually into a tense mystery-thriller.
Call up The Fixer at Amazon and you'll find four books near the top, with no less than Bernard Malamud on the list, so deduct some points there. And this is the kind of story that's a little hard to write much about without spoiling many of the twists and turns. So let's focus instead on the central theme and the main characters.
Main theme: A female who travels the world knocking off evil people for a fee suddenly finds herself in the power of someone even more mysterious than she is, and with an agenda 180 degrees from her pursuit of justice.
Main characters:
A psychologist in Olympia, Washington, who begins treating a client who keeps herself difficult to reach and who worries about her life of hurting others.
A police detective who lost his daughter to drugs finds himself on a hunt for a mysterious vigilante.
A horribly cruel and manipulative professor who is about to be targeted for death.
To set up the complexities of the story Woods rightfully has to put in place some building blocks in the book that take quite a few chapters to come together. Once they do it turns into a tense story with more than a fair share of tragedy, action, and blood. There are times when some of the twists are really too coincidental so that it seems like the whole world somehow has revolved around 20 or so characters, but the dramatic action is sharp enough to let you suspend common sense for a fun thriller ride. And honestly, no one reads books like this to prep for a logic class, so jump on the roller coaster and scream with everyone else.
The series has developed some devoted fans and there are now six books in the series, all with titles built around Fix or Fixed, so we and Malamud can forgive the title of this book and keep an eye out to see if the action continues or gets tired in future books.
Call up The Fixer at Amazon and you'll find four books near the top, with no less than Bernard Malamud on the list, so deduct some points there. And this is the kind of story that's a little hard to write much about without spoiling many of the twists and turns. So let's focus instead on the central theme and the main characters.
Main theme: A female who travels the world knocking off evil people for a fee suddenly finds herself in the power of someone even more mysterious than she is, and with an agenda 180 degrees from her pursuit of justice.
Main characters:
A psychologist in Olympia, Washington, who begins treating a client who keeps herself difficult to reach and who worries about her life of hurting others.
A police detective who lost his daughter to drugs finds himself on a hunt for a mysterious vigilante.
A horribly cruel and manipulative professor who is about to be targeted for death.
To set up the complexities of the story Woods rightfully has to put in place some building blocks in the book that take quite a few chapters to come together. Once they do it turns into a tense story with more than a fair share of tragedy, action, and blood. There are times when some of the twists are really too coincidental so that it seems like the whole world somehow has revolved around 20 or so characters, but the dramatic action is sharp enough to let you suspend common sense for a fun thriller ride. And honestly, no one reads books like this to prep for a logic class, so jump on the roller coaster and scream with everyone else.
The series has developed some devoted fans and there are now six books in the series, all with titles built around Fix or Fixed, so we and Malamud can forgive the title of this book and keep an eye out to see if the action continues or gets tired in future books.
February 1, 2019
2.5 stars - halfway between "it was okay" and "I liked it." I liked the main character and supporting characters. The first part of the book was interesting and the writing moved the action along. But the second half seemed to violate the writing rule of "show me, don't tell me." In fact, there was a lot of telling, with various characters speaking long monologues about their behind the scenes actions and motivations. While the talking revealed twists, it would have been far better to see the characters commit those actions instead of just having them talk about them. No spoiler, but the ending was straight out of a Scooby Doo cartoon, with the bad guy/gal revealing everything to put a nice bow on the story. The bottom line for me is that it wasn't bad, but there was not enough in this book to make me continue reading the series.
January 18, 2014
The Fixer: A Justice Novel by T. E. Woods is a very highly recommended debut novel in a new series of thrillers featuring Detective Mort Grant and psychologist Lydia Corriger. Look for the second book, Red Hot Fix, due to be released on June 10, 2014.
The Fixer is the person people hire when they need something fixed - but we aren't talking about siding or plumbing problems. The Fixer tackles the big jobs, the personal jobs. The Fixer is contacted when an injustice needs to be made right or can only be handled by having someone eliminated to pay for their misdeeds. However, even though The Fixer is a vigilante/assassin, she does follow a strict moral code. She needs to hear the details and then she will decide if she is going to "fix" the problem. And, yes, The Fixer is a woman.
"The Fixer never strayed from the rules she set for herself six years ago. No more than one job per country per year. Never less than two months between assignments. Only when it was clear that justice couldn’t or wouldn’t be served would she consider a case. Her jobs rarely raised a coroner’s inquest, and never a police investigation. The Fixer was invisible."
The Fixer is hired to eliminate Dr. Fred Bastian, chair of the university neuroscience department, because of the extreme cruelty he has shown in his research involving animals. Bastian is believed to have died from a heart attack until a graduate researcher from another department is brutally murdered. Soon it becomes clear that the two cases may be related but the question is how. Mort Grant is on the investigation.
At the same time there is a second mystery. Psychologist Lydia Corriger is seeing a beautiful patient who calls herself Savannah. She won't tell the truth about her life, sharing what she chooses to in cryptic sentences instead, but she claims she is a bad person, broken, and she needs to be fixed. Lydia never knows when Savannah will show up and she is not sure what it is that Savannah has done that is so awful.
The writing was excellent. The story moved swiftly along. Woods provided just the information she wanted us to have for that part of the story until the two mysteries begin to merge. There is a major reveal half way through the novel that had me pause and go back to reread the last chapter to make sure I hadn't inadvertently missed something. The pace is quick and the suspense keeps the tension mounting right up to the end.
All the characters were well developed. Maybe it is because author Woods is a clinical psychologist herself, but there is a keen insight into the characters, what they are thinking about and struggling with, along with how they approach life. They all come across as real people, flawed and wounded, but real.
I really enjoyed The Fixer and am anxiously looking forward to the second book, Red Hot Fix.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Random House for review purposes.
The Fixer is the person people hire when they need something fixed - but we aren't talking about siding or plumbing problems. The Fixer tackles the big jobs, the personal jobs. The Fixer is contacted when an injustice needs to be made right or can only be handled by having someone eliminated to pay for their misdeeds. However, even though The Fixer is a vigilante/assassin, she does follow a strict moral code. She needs to hear the details and then she will decide if she is going to "fix" the problem. And, yes, The Fixer is a woman.
"The Fixer never strayed from the rules she set for herself six years ago. No more than one job per country per year. Never less than two months between assignments. Only when it was clear that justice couldn’t or wouldn’t be served would she consider a case. Her jobs rarely raised a coroner’s inquest, and never a police investigation. The Fixer was invisible."
The Fixer is hired to eliminate Dr. Fred Bastian, chair of the university neuroscience department, because of the extreme cruelty he has shown in his research involving animals. Bastian is believed to have died from a heart attack until a graduate researcher from another department is brutally murdered. Soon it becomes clear that the two cases may be related but the question is how. Mort Grant is on the investigation.
At the same time there is a second mystery. Psychologist Lydia Corriger is seeing a beautiful patient who calls herself Savannah. She won't tell the truth about her life, sharing what she chooses to in cryptic sentences instead, but she claims she is a bad person, broken, and she needs to be fixed. Lydia never knows when Savannah will show up and she is not sure what it is that Savannah has done that is so awful.
The writing was excellent. The story moved swiftly along. Woods provided just the information she wanted us to have for that part of the story until the two mysteries begin to merge. There is a major reveal half way through the novel that had me pause and go back to reread the last chapter to make sure I hadn't inadvertently missed something. The pace is quick and the suspense keeps the tension mounting right up to the end.
All the characters were well developed. Maybe it is because author Woods is a clinical psychologist herself, but there is a keen insight into the characters, what they are thinking about and struggling with, along with how they approach life. They all come across as real people, flawed and wounded, but real.
I really enjoyed The Fixer and am anxiously looking forward to the second book, Red Hot Fix.
Disclosure: I received an advanced reading copy of this book from Random House for review purposes.
February 6, 2014
Vigilante? Or cold blooded killer? The line between the two is definitely blurred when it comes to T.E. Woods' debut mystery, The Fixer. Part murder mystery, part psychological thriller, there are plenty of shades of gray in this compelling whodunnit. An abundance of twists and turns make guessing the killer's identity next to impossible and I have to confess, I was rooting for the murderer throughout the entire novel.
The fixer is who you call when justice has failed and with her clear cut rules, she is certain her victims deserve the punishment she is about to deliver. Carefully planning each killing, silently stalking her victims, her murders have gone undetected for years. Until now. A tenacious reporter reaches out to his cop father and together they uncover a pattern that will lead them to straight to the unsuspecting killer.
Savannah Samuels, a beautiful but emotionally fragile young woman, seeks therapy from Dr. Lydia Corriger, a well established psychologist with a thriving practice. Savannah is quite mysterious and very reluctant to reveal any of her secrets but she is quite clear that she has done horrible things. Lydia is troubled by Savannah's inability to open up, but her perseverance eventually pays off, and she is stunned by Savannah's revelations.
Lydia's concern for Savannah draws her into the murder investigation of a local grad student. In an effort to discover the possible link between his death and her patient, Lydia contacts the cop on the case, Mort Grant. Mort's investigation is at a standstill and he is quite eager to talk to Lydia. Despite his feeling that she is hiding something, Mort is drawn to Lydia and when their paths later cross, they begin forming a tentative friendship.
It takes a while for the various storylines to comes together, but once they do, The Fixer becomes impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating and the mystery is incredibly intriguing but I was consumed with trying to guess the fixer's identity. Just when I thought I had the story all figured out, T.E. Woods throws in a MAJOR plot twist that I never saw coming. All in all, it is a very clever mystery with a unique storyline and I am very eager to read the next book in the series.
The fixer is who you call when justice has failed and with her clear cut rules, she is certain her victims deserve the punishment she is about to deliver. Carefully planning each killing, silently stalking her victims, her murders have gone undetected for years. Until now. A tenacious reporter reaches out to his cop father and together they uncover a pattern that will lead them to straight to the unsuspecting killer.
Savannah Samuels, a beautiful but emotionally fragile young woman, seeks therapy from Dr. Lydia Corriger, a well established psychologist with a thriving practice. Savannah is quite mysterious and very reluctant to reveal any of her secrets but she is quite clear that she has done horrible things. Lydia is troubled by Savannah's inability to open up, but her perseverance eventually pays off, and she is stunned by Savannah's revelations.
Lydia's concern for Savannah draws her into the murder investigation of a local grad student. In an effort to discover the possible link between his death and her patient, Lydia contacts the cop on the case, Mort Grant. Mort's investigation is at a standstill and he is quite eager to talk to Lydia. Despite his feeling that she is hiding something, Mort is drawn to Lydia and when their paths later cross, they begin forming a tentative friendship.
It takes a while for the various storylines to comes together, but once they do, The Fixer becomes impossible to put down. The characters are fascinating and the mystery is incredibly intriguing but I was consumed with trying to guess the fixer's identity. Just when I thought I had the story all figured out, T.E. Woods throws in a MAJOR plot twist that I never saw coming. All in all, it is a very clever mystery with a unique storyline and I am very eager to read the next book in the series.
February 4, 2014
I had two, "What a twist" moments, and I always thought I was good at guessing at a whodunit. It's a great mystery a great cast of characters, you got to love Mort Grant. From the beginning it has you guessing and second guessing through the entire book.
The Fixer, is a paid assassin, but unlike others she has ethics and rules. One job per country per year, and it must be just. They must be deserving of their punishment. Being astonishingly beautiful helps her when it comes to luring them to their doom but it might be her downfall also. Her past cases include a rapist getting off the hook, a stock broker who has screwed his clients and his wife, a white slavery dealer, and a CEO who purposely caused the death of hundreds of thousands. Now she is contacted to kill a research scientist a doctor who has been miss using animals for his neurological research, including cutting the head off of a silverback gorilla. The Fixer takes the job and successfully pulls it off only to be pulled back by a mysterious backer determined to use her for their revenge.
Mort Grant is a seasoned detective but this case of a dead collage student, Walter Buchner, has him baffled; until the forensics specialist finds the special voice modulator found in the students room recorded everything spoken into it recorded the hiring of a hit man to kill Dr. Fred Bastian a neurologist working his experiments on primates. The "good" doctor was found dead of a heart attack the previous month. Mort's son Robbie has also been doing some digging about a hit man, vigilante, who is a woman. Together they tie the pieces together and find out everything they can about The Fixer.
Meanwhile Psychologist Lydia Corriger finds herself with a new patient a young woman who swears only Lydia can fix her. She speaks almost in riddles never really revealing herself to Lydia, only enough to raise more questions. The beautiful Savannah tells Lydia she is a hired specialist that does things that often hurt people. She comes in one day convinced that she was the cause of Dr. Bastian's death and also let the name Buchner slip. Curious and wanting to help this patient she seeks out Mort to help.
More people die and the twist keep you guessing until the end. A very enjoyable fast passed read.
The Fixer, is a paid assassin, but unlike others she has ethics and rules. One job per country per year, and it must be just. They must be deserving of their punishment. Being astonishingly beautiful helps her when it comes to luring them to their doom but it might be her downfall also. Her past cases include a rapist getting off the hook, a stock broker who has screwed his clients and his wife, a white slavery dealer, and a CEO who purposely caused the death of hundreds of thousands. Now she is contacted to kill a research scientist a doctor who has been miss using animals for his neurological research, including cutting the head off of a silverback gorilla. The Fixer takes the job and successfully pulls it off only to be pulled back by a mysterious backer determined to use her for their revenge.
Mort Grant is a seasoned detective but this case of a dead collage student, Walter Buchner, has him baffled; until the forensics specialist finds the special voice modulator found in the students room recorded everything spoken into it recorded the hiring of a hit man to kill Dr. Fred Bastian a neurologist working his experiments on primates. The "good" doctor was found dead of a heart attack the previous month. Mort's son Robbie has also been doing some digging about a hit man, vigilante, who is a woman. Together they tie the pieces together and find out everything they can about The Fixer.
Meanwhile Psychologist Lydia Corriger finds herself with a new patient a young woman who swears only Lydia can fix her. She speaks almost in riddles never really revealing herself to Lydia, only enough to raise more questions. The beautiful Savannah tells Lydia she is a hired specialist that does things that often hurt people. She comes in one day convinced that she was the cause of Dr. Bastian's death and also let the name Buchner slip. Curious and wanting to help this patient she seeks out Mort to help.
More people die and the twist keep you guessing until the end. A very enjoyable fast passed read.
October 5, 2015
The Fixer is a totally great book the follows the investigations of Mort Grant, a detective in Washington who is made aware of "the fixer" when his son, a reporter, starts investigating multiple stories about a woman who fixes problems for people when the situation is right. He has Mort look into parts of the story to try and validate some of what he has found in his research and Mort finds that he may just have run into a similar scenario that might involve the fixer. At the same time, a psychologist has a new client walk into her office for a session and demands that she fix her. The problem is that the new patient never gives her enough information to help her determine what is tormenting the patient. She cryptically admits that she is responsible for many deaths and demands help without giving the psychologist the full picture. Simultaneously, the story follows the fixer as she takes on new clients and the reader learns what the rules are for hiring her to "fix" a problem. There are several moving parts in this story and the reader does not know whether to like or hate the fixer because at the core of the story she is an assassin for hire.
The Fixer has some great characters in it. Mort is mourning the loss of his wife and we learn throughout the story that he is also dealing with another family problem. We also meet the forensic investigator that works with Mort and you cannot help but love him as he takes his very large dog everywhere with him. There are several "bad guys" that the reader can choose from to dislike. But, the real question becomes who is really the bad guy or bad girl in this story when there are several to choose from. What is really masterful about this story is how the moving parts all converge into what amounts to a pretty explosive ending that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and can even have the reader mourning the loss of what looks like one of the bad guys really is suffering. I cannot believe it took me so long to start this series. Review can also be seen at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
The Fixer has some great characters in it. Mort is mourning the loss of his wife and we learn throughout the story that he is also dealing with another family problem. We also meet the forensic investigator that works with Mort and you cannot help but love him as he takes his very large dog everywhere with him. There are several "bad guys" that the reader can choose from to dislike. But, the real question becomes who is really the bad guy or bad girl in this story when there are several to choose from. What is really masterful about this story is how the moving parts all converge into what amounts to a pretty explosive ending that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat and can even have the reader mourning the loss of what looks like one of the bad guys really is suffering. I cannot believe it took me so long to start this series. Review can also be seen at Lady Techie's Book Musings http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspo....
August 16, 2012
The one thing I really liked about this book is that although its called a Mort Grant Novel ... its really a story involving Mort Grant. So many books, when they say a "blah blah blah novel", come across like one of those vanity movies written for the main character, by the main character, based on the main characters life, directed by the main character, produced by the main character and put out by the main characters studio. This book is nothing like that. In fact, when I looked at the name of the book again, I was actually surprised that it touted itself as a "Mort Grant Novel."
I really enjoyed first 75% of the book (thank you Kindle for your percentage markers). At the end, without telling what happened, I thought it could have been wrapped up a little more quickly. By then, I knew what was going on, what was probably going to happen etc. Wrap it up, the suspense you were trying to build is now lost on me. I did resist the urge to turn to the end of the book to see if I was correct because by then, I really cared about the main characters. I wanted to see most (though not all!) of their struggle.
I read a lot and I read a lot of novels of this genre. So, it was very pleasant to be surprised by the turn the story took about midpoint. I also tend to shy away from novels set in the Northwest because inevitably the authors go on and on and ON about how wonderful the area is ... making it sound almost mythical or dropping the names of landmarks in an attempt to make you "understand" how important the area is. Woods avoided that by using it as a subtle metaphor for the peace sought by the troubled characters in the book and I REALLY appreciate that!
Based on this book, I'm going to add T.E. Woods to my list of authors I enjoy and Mort Grant as a character I want to learn more about!
I really enjoyed first 75% of the book (thank you Kindle for your percentage markers). At the end, without telling what happened, I thought it could have been wrapped up a little more quickly. By then, I knew what was going on, what was probably going to happen etc. Wrap it up, the suspense you were trying to build is now lost on me. I did resist the urge to turn to the end of the book to see if I was correct because by then, I really cared about the main characters. I wanted to see most (though not all!) of their struggle.
I read a lot and I read a lot of novels of this genre. So, it was very pleasant to be surprised by the turn the story took about midpoint. I also tend to shy away from novels set in the Northwest because inevitably the authors go on and on and ON about how wonderful the area is ... making it sound almost mythical or dropping the names of landmarks in an attempt to make you "understand" how important the area is. Woods avoided that by using it as a subtle metaphor for the peace sought by the troubled characters in the book and I REALLY appreciate that!
Based on this book, I'm going to add T.E. Woods to my list of authors I enjoy and Mort Grant as a character I want to learn more about!
February 21, 2014
The Fixer is the first novel in the Mort Grant series by T.E Woods and it was a very good debut novel.
This fixer is a female assassin who only takes jobs that she feels deserves justice. She is more like a vigilante for hire than assassin. Those who want to find her put an ad in three different papers and wait for her to call. Then she listens to your case and decides if it is a job she will take, but she has rule. Only one hit a year in each country, but she broke her own rule. That is when things start going in a different way for the fixer.
Mort Grant is a detective and his son is a newspaper man. His son calls him about a hunch about a man killed in what is called 'a sex game gone bad', but he thinks it was murder. Mort looks into some things for him and one things leads to another and they are on the trail of the fixer. Meanwhile, Lydia who is a psychologist, thinks that one of her patients Savannah might have something to do with one of the victims and tries to get herself involved in Mort's investigation to find out.
The Fixer was a fast paced murder mystery with a few twist and turns. I really enjoyed reading it and some of the things that happened took me a little by surprise. It's hard to review it without giving any details away, but if you really like crime novels then I think you will enjoy this one. The only thing that I wasn't so keen on is that it jumped around to a lot of different characters so you sort of feel like you bounce around a bit. Especially at the beginning because the author is trying to set everything up and it really goes character hopping and slows the pace down a bit but after that it picks up and goes really fast.
I would recommend this one and can't wait to read the next Mort Grant novel.
This fixer is a female assassin who only takes jobs that she feels deserves justice. She is more like a vigilante for hire than assassin. Those who want to find her put an ad in three different papers and wait for her to call. Then she listens to your case and decides if it is a job she will take, but she has rule. Only one hit a year in each country, but she broke her own rule. That is when things start going in a different way for the fixer.
Mort Grant is a detective and his son is a newspaper man. His son calls him about a hunch about a man killed in what is called 'a sex game gone bad', but he thinks it was murder. Mort looks into some things for him and one things leads to another and they are on the trail of the fixer. Meanwhile, Lydia who is a psychologist, thinks that one of her patients Savannah might have something to do with one of the victims and tries to get herself involved in Mort's investigation to find out.
The Fixer was a fast paced murder mystery with a few twist and turns. I really enjoyed reading it and some of the things that happened took me a little by surprise. It's hard to review it without giving any details away, but if you really like crime novels then I think you will enjoy this one. The only thing that I wasn't so keen on is that it jumped around to a lot of different characters so you sort of feel like you bounce around a bit. Especially at the beginning because the author is trying to set everything up and it really goes character hopping and slows the pace down a bit but after that it picks up and goes really fast.
I would recommend this one and can't wait to read the next Mort Grant novel.
January 5, 2014
The Fixer accepts jobs that right wrongs. She is hired to kill Fred Bastian, a chair of neuroscience at the local university, because he inhumanely killed a gorilla in his lab. It turns out she was watched and set up so she would have to do further killings for the person who had hired her for Bastian's murder.
Lydia Corriger is a psychologist. Savannah Samuels becomes her patient and is cagey in offering information about why she is there and what she does for a living. This frustrates Lydia who does what she can to gain Savannah's trust so she can help her.
Mort Grant is a cop who is investigating some deaths which he eventually suspects the Fixer is behind. Working with Jim DeVilla, the chief of forensics, and Bruiser, Jim's dog, they get closer to finding out who the Fixer is and solving the murders.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the writing style. I thought it was well-paced and flowed well. There is a lot going on in the beginning with lots of characters but it eventually all comes together and makes sense. As a head's up, the language is for mature readers.
I liked the characters. All have had tragedy in their past that still affects them today. I liked the interaction between Mort and his friends ... how he teases Jim about his crush on their much younger colleague and in the bar with his crossword puzzle solving buddy. Mort also has a loving relationship with his son, Robbie, and Robbie's family.
This is apparently book one in the Mort Grant series and I look forward to reading others in the future.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/01...
Lydia Corriger is a psychologist. Savannah Samuels becomes her patient and is cagey in offering information about why she is there and what she does for a living. This frustrates Lydia who does what she can to gain Savannah's trust so she can help her.
Mort Grant is a cop who is investigating some deaths which he eventually suspects the Fixer is behind. Working with Jim DeVilla, the chief of forensics, and Bruiser, Jim's dog, they get closer to finding out who the Fixer is and solving the murders.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the writing style. I thought it was well-paced and flowed well. There is a lot going on in the beginning with lots of characters but it eventually all comes together and makes sense. As a head's up, the language is for mature readers.
I liked the characters. All have had tragedy in their past that still affects them today. I liked the interaction between Mort and his friends ... how he teases Jim about his crush on their much younger colleague and in the bar with his crossword puzzle solving buddy. Mort also has a loving relationship with his son, Robbie, and Robbie's family.
This is apparently book one in the Mort Grant series and I look forward to reading others in the future.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2014/01...
August 10, 2016
I was interested in reading a book from the Random House Alibi eBook imprint, and after turning the last page on The Fixer, I have to say that I'm very pleased. Author T.E. Woods proves quite skilled at turning the usual thriller formula on its head to create something with nuanced characters, expert plotting, and enough twists and turns to satisfy most adrenaline junkies.
In doing a bit of research, I've seen this book listed as both the first of the "Justice" novels and as the first in the Mort Grant (the Seattle cop) series, which brings up one of the points I wanted to make about the book. The first part of The Fixer deals with the psychologist and the patient, and while the reader is busy trying to figure out the identity of the assassin, Mort Grant quietly slips into the action. Part of me wants to protest the fact that the women couldn't bail themselves out of the situation they'd gotten themselves into, but without going deeper into the story and possibly spoiling the plot for future readers, I can understand why Woods decided to do what she did. Besides, Mort Grant is such an interesting character that I definitely want to see more of him.
I also thought that several of the clues the author set out for readers to find were too easy to spot even through the misdirection, but then I got hooked on it. How sure was I that I was on the right track? If you're an indecisive sort of reader, you just might get a bit dizzy in the midst of The Fixer.
Throughout the story, I had the feeling that I had just opened the door to something very special. I really look forward to more books by T.E. Woods.
In doing a bit of research, I've seen this book listed as both the first of the "Justice" novels and as the first in the Mort Grant (the Seattle cop) series, which brings up one of the points I wanted to make about the book. The first part of The Fixer deals with the psychologist and the patient, and while the reader is busy trying to figure out the identity of the assassin, Mort Grant quietly slips into the action. Part of me wants to protest the fact that the women couldn't bail themselves out of the situation they'd gotten themselves into, but without going deeper into the story and possibly spoiling the plot for future readers, I can understand why Woods decided to do what she did. Besides, Mort Grant is such an interesting character that I definitely want to see more of him.
I also thought that several of the clues the author set out for readers to find were too easy to spot even through the misdirection, but then I got hooked on it. How sure was I that I was on the right track? If you're an indecisive sort of reader, you just might get a bit dizzy in the midst of The Fixer.
Throughout the story, I had the feeling that I had just opened the door to something very special. I really look forward to more books by T.E. Woods.
March 12, 2014
There's a rumor of a person who deals out justice when the law and courts cannot. If a criminal avoids prosecution or gets off by intimidating witnesses, there is a remedy. The Fixer is reported to be a beautiful woman, who comes into town like a wraith, kills the target so that murder is never suspected, and then vanishes.
Mort Grant is the homicide detective that starts to put the rumors together and investigate. His son, a journalist, is instrumental in getting him involved, and his involvement deepens when The Fixer targets victims in his own city. As he delves deeper, he is helped by a psychologist, Dr. Lydia Corriger, whose name comes up as a peripheral witness. He finds that Lydia is troubled by a new patient, Savannah. Although she cannot talk about her patient, it is clear that Savannah has real psychological problems and guilt that she can no longer repress. As Mort investigates Savannah, the murders keep occurring. Soon some of the most influential people in his city such as business leaders and college administrators are involved. Can Mort solve this crime before more death is dealt out?
T.E. Woods uses her own background to provide the impetus for the novel. She is a clinical psychologist with a private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. This allows her to accurately portray the dilemma of a medical person caught between the confidentiality they owe their patients and the demands of the legal system. When one has doubts, which demand takes precedence? The novel has lots of twists and turns that will keep the reader guessing and turning page. This book is recommended for mystery lovers.
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