Rogue Wave

Crime By Design #1

by Jane Thornley

What happens when your family skeletons are armed and dangerous?

Phoebe will do anything to locate her missing brother and might even forgive him for abandoning their ailing dad. Little does she know that tracking down Toby also means unleashing all the secrets her family have hidden for years, even centuries, and setting them loose on her.

On the urging of her godfather, Max, Phoebe enters the estate of a Bermudan author in order to untangle the knots of her brother's hidden life, but nothing and no one are who they seem, including Phoebe. She knows that Max is hiding something as is his attractive assistant, Noel, who insists his motives are pure yet can't keep the wicked glint out of his eye. Everybody's up to something and Phoebe's determine to find out what, even if it kills her. And it tries to.

Surrounded by thieves and killers, Phoebe pitches herself against the treacherous beauty of an island, as well as all the perilous greed of the human heart. Sunken treasure and betrayal plunge her closer to her missing brother, but what she discovers in the end not only shocks her world, but changes her view of everyone in it, including herself.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Ebooks, Suspense

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 10, 2014

Reviews

[Petula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has more twists and turns than a cable knit sweater. When you read the story you will understand the knitting reference. Our heroine Phoebe is obsessed with knitting and colourful fabrics of all sorts.
Phoebe's brother has gone missing. He was involved in a treasure hunting scheme ,but which side is or was he on? In her search for her brother Phoebe gets drawn into things that are well beyond her comfort zone. She doesn't know who she can trust.
We have many men in this story, but no hero. There is mystery, adventure and danger, and for me lots of confusion. Like our heroine I didn't know what was going to happen from one page to the next. Really good fun.

[N.W. Moors · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the books in this series out of order, but I'm finally caught up, saving the first book for last (and now I'm ready for the next one). This is the introduction to Phoebe McCabe, her godfather, Max, and his son, Noel. Phoebe is enmeshed in their schemes for treasure hunting though she is only looking for her brother, Toby. Add in a reclusive author and some murder and the reader will find that this series starts with a bang and only gets better as it goes along.

[Shannon Mcfarland · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book with Jane Thornley. I didn't know what I was getting into other than reading the blurb. I was looking forward to start this book and I was not disappointed. The characters were wonderful, descriptive and dynamic. The story flowed smoothly and kept me enthralled to the very end. The whole book was great. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved my knitting retreat with Jane Thornley and reading the book was a continuation of the experience. Interesting that she wove the story into a knitting experience of knitting a shawl of her own design.

[Sue Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

Read this through in one sitting! Can't wait to start Book 2!! I have admired Jane Thornley's knit designs before I learned she's also a writer. Wow! What a talented woman.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in a 3-book set I purchased. Fun knitting references and interesting characters. It's a well-written mystery - not the most complex I've read but lots of twists that keep you guessing.

[Billie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm new to Jane Thornley books. This was a wild ride for sure. I had so much fun going on this adventure and have started Book 2. This was a free book, but is well worth buying at a normal price. So glad I found her.

[Ann Aldrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read

A bit of a slow beginning, worth while to stick with it. Lots of unexpected twists and turns as in Phoebes Shaw.

[L Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, interesting, exciting, and a great mystery. Who can Phoebe really trust? Really enjoyed this book; can hardly wait to find book 2!

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rogue Wave is a great start to the Crime by Design series. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. As a crocheter, I really enjoyed the tidbits of yarn and textiles included in the story. It provided a small bit to which I could really relate. I will say that I figured out the "bad guy" about halfway through the book, but wasn't really 100% sure. Nobody here is whom they claim to be and I don't think any of them would know the truth if it knocked them in the head. I loved the character of Alistair Wyndridge with his archaic speech and attire. He is so far out there he becomes delightful. This story has treasure, betrayal, loss, love, and bad guys galore. Granted, it isn't some great literary work, but it most definitely kept me engaged and I loved it. The only negative thing I can say about it is that like a lot of indie authors, Ms. Thornley doesn't seem to have friends or family willing to read her work in order to catch typos and missing words. I really don't expect perfection but it sure would be nice to read two consecutive pages without having to go back to try and figure out what she meant instead of what was on the page. I will say, the errors are not as bad as some I have read, so there's that. I have already started the next book in the series and will definitely be reading all of the others.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author at my request and this is my honest opinion. Thank you, Ms. Thornley for several hours of enjoyment and more to come.

[Mbgale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Redheaded Pheobe McCabe, a textile historian, has a number of problems. She's lost her job, her father is ailing, and her brother is missing. When she gets a call from her godfather, Max, to meet him in Bermuda, she thinks she's going to find her brother, but instead, finds herself looking for a looted treasure. This book is full of action: chases, scuba diving, escaping underwater caves, and sexual attraction to complicate things. There are bad guys and good guys and in-betweens and we're not sure which is which. Well-drawn characters and plot twists kept me reading to the end. There are a few confusing twists and many loose ends that I can only assume will be tied up at the end of the trilogy. Also, a few highly-unlikely scenarios but this is, after all, fiction. A fun read.

[Jean Offutt-Lindt · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. I bought her 4th book (vol. 4-6 came in 1 large book) then purchased book 1, Rogue Wave in response to reviews stating background information was needed and not to start in the middle of the series (which also came in 1 large Vo1. 1-3). Now I have 5 books I will never read!
This was a sloppily written and more poorly edited book not worth the time to read. The main character nearly graduated from law school so it was inferred was fairly smart. But from her actions could not get out of a paper bag without help. I can't even begin to note the multitude of missed editing errors- spelling, unclosed quotations etc. - which made it more infuriating to read.

[Karen Dickerson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the story and the fact that the main character is a knitter. My big issue was in editing. In the first few chapters the antagonist was called Adrian. Then his name was changed to Alistair. It bounced back and forth between both these names throughout the book. The first time I saw Alistair used I assumed it was another character until i realized they were talking about the antagonist of the story again. Also many misspelled words. Again I really enjoyed the book and the entire story but the editing fell short. I am uncertain if I want to read the others in the series.

[Annette Mordec · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beginning

I'm glad I learned that this book is really the beginning of the series. What a crazy circle of family and friends, almost like mine, except we're not treasure hunters.
Different take on Oak Island story, pretty good twist. Even today's hunters are mentioned.
Not crazy about books written in 1st person, but storyline makes up for it.
Easy, relaxing read.

[Suzanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this story very difficult to follow. I was about three fourths of the way into the book before I finally figured out what this intense quest was for.
Lots of tangled webs amongst the characters.

[John S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proofread

I enjoyed the story a lot. I have been following the Oak Island story since the Readers Digest. I'm not an intellectual, just a reader with a historical/anthropological leaning, but, boy, does this book need some proofreading!

[Sherilyn Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tone it down

Things like the tide going out forcefully and half an hour later, the opposite, irked me. The repetitive yammering of Phoebe's emotions, love, obsessive loss, betrayal... is way over-done. The story keeps me reading, but is too far-fetched for my taste.

[Una · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read but needs some corrections. Eg, a sextant was used by sailors, not a sexton....

[GeraniumCat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amusing story but the editing/formatting is so appallingly sloppy that it really interferes with reading.

[Cassandra]

Found sponsored post on Facebook. Willing to give it a try since it's about a knitter.

[Margaret Haigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This started well with a sibling who had disappeared and a heroine who knits, but stretched credulity just a bit too far as I progressed through the book. Shan’t rush to get the next one.

[Cherie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved that this book had knitting in it!

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not kindle unlimited
Crime by Design
Rogue Wave 1, Warp in the Weave 2 Beautiful Survivor 3 The Greater of Two Evils 4

received 1 and 2 from freebies, thought would be good read since was talking about knitting or weaving or whatever in cozy setting. Didn't really, wasn't really, and kept zoning out while trying to read. Many issues with the writing in many ways.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick, light mystery that I found alternately fun to read and exasperating. A centuries-old lost treasure? Sign me up. An old house in Bermuda with all sorts of secret passages? I'll be right there. And-- there's something about a hero who picks up her knitting to calm down and think that appeals to me. But that same hero was the reason I often found the book exasperating. Emotionally, Phoebe McCabe is all over the place. One minute she's wisecracking and making me laugh, the next she has tears streaming down her face. One second, she's highly intelligent, the next she's too stupid to live.

Other reasons why Rogue Wave was rather hit-or-miss with me? It was way too easy to figure out whodunit, and... the editing was atrocious. Superfluous words, missing words, awkward wording-- too many instances that made my eyes do a little hiccup and go back to make their own edits. The series has promise, and reading Rogue Wave was an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, but I doubt that Phoebe and I will be meeting again.

[Sally Stackhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the book progressed I found the convoluted plot became a bit more difficult to follow as it twisted and turned. Phoebe agrees to a subterfuge to try and find out what happened to her brother by entering the home of a mysterious, reclusive, eccentric author who has supposedly hidden treasure.

Some of the characters’ natures change and chop almost willy-nilly from good to bad and back to good with some characters thrown in giving you the idea they will have more of a role to play but then they don’t appear again. I believe there are sequels or follow on books with these characters, so although not quite a cliff-hanger at the end there are some threads that could be followed up.

I received a free copy of this book when I signed up for the author’s newsletter.

[Marcie Wegner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was well written and not your standard mystery. The mystery is not "solved" in this book so the reader will have to wait until the next book to see what happens next. Some of the characters needed a bit more development, but I am guessing we will find out more about them in the next book.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hidden treasures, missing person, sexy dogsbody, crazy relatives, weird employers and a kick-ass heroine - this book is a page-turner! Can't wait for the next book!!!

Adventure - mystery lovers will surely enjoy this!!!

I was gifted a copy for an honest review.

[Gisselle]

i haven't read it yet I was almost finish the books but is was good...oky
I almost in the last page of the book.......bye
2 day later I have finish the book it was fantastic .....love it....:)

[Steph Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! While this is not my normal genre, I enjoyed the mystery and storytelling immensely. I cannot wait to begin book 2!
*I received this book free for an honest review.

[Lynne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sucked into a yarn about knitting (hardly) and found the editing so bad it was a distraction.