Tunnel Vision

by Aric Davis

Some mysteries are better left unsolved. It’s been fifteen years since Mandy Reasoner was murdered―a crime for which her boyfriend, Duke, was convicted. But when best friends Betty and June discover that Mandy was June’s long-forgotten aunt, they decide to pursue the mystery. Galvanized by the growing community who doubts the evidence against Duke and is rallying to free him, the two girls start on a path into a world of drugs and violence that will bring them not only to Duke himself but smack into Nickel, a canny, tough-as-nails teenage P.I. attempting to keep his own life together. They make a good team, but Nickel is on his own mission of revenge, and the web of lies surrounding Mandy’s murder is growing ever thicker. The closer they get to the truth, the less clear the path becomes. Will they survive the fight to bring Mandy’s killer to justice? Award-winning author Aric Davis brings back his captivating anti-hero, Nickel, in Tunnel Vision , a work of edgy noir about unlikely friendship and long-overdue justice.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult, Amazon, Mystery Thriller, Ebooks

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Aric Davis is married with one daughter and lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he has worked for the past fourteen years as a body piercer. A punk rock aficionado, Davis does anything he can to increase awareness of a good band. He likes weather cold enough to need a sweatshirt but not a coat, and friends who wear their hearts on their sleeves. In addition to reading and writing, he also enjoys roller coasters and hockey.

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't do it.



I'm DNFing this one..and yes I'm giving it a rating. I read enough to know that I thought it was crap.
Too many changing viewpoints. Unrealistic bull with teenagers committing murder and selling drugs and so much more WITH no consequences.



I received an arc copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is so hard to do. I HATE giving below 3 star reviews, but once in a while [not often thank God] it happens, and this is going to be one of those times.

I know someone has written this, spent time on it, maybe hours/days away from family/friends putting down this writing and making it into a book.

BUT I have to be honest. Its what I do, and its what gives ME credibility as a reader/reviewer.


There were some things that I loved about the book. I did love the characters. A LOT.

But, the plausibility of the story was too taxing, too unbelievable. Yes YES yes I know, its a novel, its not real! As a lot of people will say, and rightly so, but its not a fairytale either. Its not a 'pie in the sky' oh look.....kinda read either is it?

When I got to the girls whose teacher encourages them to tackle a murder investigation as a school project my mouth dropped to the floor! WHAT??

Dangerous or what! hmmmm

It was moments like this in the book I was aghast at. Teenagers? an 18 year old running a drugs operations, growing it, all by himself, teenagers who solve a murder mystery.

Its a bit like the FAMOUS FIVE

It didn't work for me.

This is purely 100% how I felt


I would like to thank Amazon Publishing via Net galley for my copy

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has too many unbelievable plot lines. A teenaged private detective who gets away with murder, deal drugs and has the equipment to counterfeit state ID? LOTS of domestic violence and unhealthy relationships. The only positive and realistic portrayal was of the lesbian parents. I enjoyed how the author made this a minor plot line because in this day and age it's not the whole story, just a detail. I would not recommend this as YA.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just awful. The title had nothing to do with the story. I literally thought it was written by a college freshman for a writing class, but it seems it wasn't. It's a story about 3 high school-aged kids, they're going to solve a 15 year old crime. They of course do, completely unreasonably. We're supposed to buy that the teenaged boy is a successful marijuana dealer and private investigator (who can't drive a car). And then at the end, the couple forms like, a vigalante justice duo or something. Apparently there was an earlier book, maybe that would have helped to understand all this nonsense. But I won't be finding out.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sequel, so I was confused about the first few chapters about what was really going on, and I wasn't really drawn to the main character, Nickel, at first. But I liked the way Betty and June were characterized. They are passionate, funny, loyal friends who are also very human. Betty is a little self-absorbed and shallow, but it makes her real and not annoying. She was the reason I kept reading. Usually, when a girl character goes towards danger it's annoying because we all want to scream, "No! You know better! Stop it!" But when Betty ignores the signs of danger, it's for a good reason. She has to know what happened to her best friend's aunt- who really killed her and if they are capable of killing again.

It's gritty and talks about drugs and prostitution, so I found a lot of readers turned off by that. It's not for everyone, but fans of detective and thrillers who also like YA will enjoy this book. Just give it a chance beyond the first three chapters. If by the fourth, you're not invested, then it isn't for you. Personally, I'm glad I kept reading.

[Doug Hoffman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess this is what passes for noir these days. Too many voices, narrative points of view compared with classic noir. I could have done without the teenage girl angst and the family details, it really slowed down the first half of the book. Much better when the girls hookup with Nickel and the action flows more quickly. I really wanted to give this book a 3.5 but decided in the end to round up instead of down, even though the end was a bit flat. Still, I liked it enough to read to the end, something that most modern, nihilistic trash doesn't do.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was completely unbelievable. From the narrative to the plot, these teens managed to murder, assault, sell drugs, break and enter, use fake IDs, spend inordinate amounts of time in a library at school etc., basically without negative consequences. If the book is written for young adults, as it appears, the profanity used is unnecessary and prolific. This book would not be appropriate for a reader with basic cognitive skills. I finished reading the book because I kept hoping it would get better. The values expressed in this story are minimal. Save yourself and read something else.

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank goodness this was a free book from Amazon because it was not very good. Why keep reading? I am optimistic. For me the best part was the acknowledgements and the author information (not kidding). This is a sequel (which I figured out quickly due to off-putting references to previous criminal behavior by the narrator, Nickel. Kudos to Aric Davis for getting published, though!

[Danielle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I sort of want to know what happens, but not enough to actually finish the book, which says a lot. The writing is kind of terrible and the situations and dialogue is just not believable. This was the free Amazon Prime book for the month, so at least no money was lost in my attempt to read it.

[Petesea · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, why are the protagonists in high school? Is it to attract a young audience? I thought that the story was thin and had more holes than Swiss cheese. I could not believe that Nickel was so all knowing – and sooo cute. Why would he get hired from Twitter? Not my cup of tea.

[leanne morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!!

I just love the whole story line. It was a good read. I would recommend it to anyone. It was good and very readable

[Kathleen Rush · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable and easy to read.

I would not recommend this book unless you are up at 3:00 am and could not sleep. It passed the time.

[Wheeler · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have many problems with the book, on two separate levels: poorly plotted and ridiculous on the first level, badly designed and poorly printed on the second.

When it comes to the plot and the like, please believe the other reviewers with the one and two star ratings: the plot is so ridiculous as to be throw away. I’m all about the suspension of disbelief, but, this book pushes far beyond any galaxy I know of into the bounds of the stupid. An 18-year-old running a marijuana growing operation, who’s also a private eye, who has his own house and thinks like a 40-year-old man? Give me a break.
Teenagers who solve a murder mystery? Again, break please.
Original 18-year-old who is also an escaped guard killer? And no one is hunting for him? What is this, some kind of idiotic magical realism?
Here’s the other major problem with the book, more specifically, with the two mothers for one of the main characters. Ophelia (Greek) and Andrea (Raging bitch). Both of the women take actions that are patently ridiculous. Combined with the other female adult characters, it looks pretty terrible. The adult female characters are either heroin whores, greedy whores or raging, crazy bitches. Also, most of the female adults are misandrists. While this is certainly a viable viewpoint for one character, for all the adult females, it gets tiring.
We get it. Lesbians are all man haters, and they hate men together and they’re trying to brainwash all their daughters to hate men, too.
We got it. Now stop.
Now, as to the printing: shame on you, Amazon! Shame on you.
Shame on you, Mr. Davis. This is apparently the second book in a series about one of the characters, named Nickel. Reading the book, you would have no idea. Going through the front and back pages of the book, you’d have no idea either. Other books by the author are listed on a single page, but they are, in no way, linked to this book. As if all of his work is standalone.
The cover design is spot on. Kudos.
As to the printing, this is the second Amazon printed book I’ve reviewed that I noticed had major problems with the actual printing. On most every page, near the outer edge, the press was a quarter of a letter off. Makes it unpleasant to read and it really just unprofessional. Get it together, Amazon. Please.

This book was received, free of charge, from the Goodreads First Reads program.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new novel by Aric Davis is always a treat for me. No, his writing is not going to win prizes for literature, or impress the impresarios of the Gray Lady, but his roughhewn characters do entice me with their violent nature, good hearted motives and strange originality.

In “Tunnel Vision” we see the return of Nickel, Davis’ teenaged drug dealer cum vigilante who roams the mean streets of Grand Rapids, Michigan with a malevolent mind, a bag of vicious tricks and a heart of gold. Down on his luck and suffering from the takeover of his weed business by a treacherous henchman Nickel again puts himself out for hire as a private investigator and all-around “fixer.“ His job seeking leads to Claire who is spooked by a concert aimed at funding efforts to free a man who was convicted of murdering her sister Mandy. Claire is desperate to keep Mandy’s murder from her daughter, June, so she hires Nickel to keep June ignorant and safe from persons unknown who might want to harm her. June and her best friend Betty, contrary to their moms’ desires, are soon aware of Mandy’s fate and begin the process of writing a paper for their English class about the murder and the murderer. As Nickel, Betty and June are drawn together by their conflicting aims and by the questions surrounding Mandy’s murder, the pot begins to boil.

Aric Davis is a writer still under construction. That lack of mastery in “Tunnel Vision” is shown in the struggle he makes of the initial chapters wherein he bludgeons a lonely Nickel into shape for the story ahead. As a consequence Nickel stays unfinished and without much depth through out most the book. On the other hand, Betty and her moms are lively and rounded almost immediately. Nickel’s lonely vigil mixed with Betty’s high school tribulations yield an mystery that while not on par with the best of the genre will, with a bit of perseverance, keep you guessing almost until the end.

I enjoyed the book and look forward to Aric Davis’ next tale of mayhem with the expectation that it will be executed with more rapier and less cudgel.

I received an eARC of “Tunnel Vision” from Netgalley in return for this review.

[AJourneyWithoutMap · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author who mesmerized us with Nickel Plated, Rough Men, A Good and Useful Hurt, The Fort and several other compelling novels returns with Tunnel Vision, and in the process brings back his memorable character Nickel who is raging inside, determined to have his revenge. Award-winning author Aric Davis’ anti-hero is a tough teenager who believes that the end justifies the means, and he has no qualms about pursuing whatever method it takes to settle scrores.

Nickel lives life on the edge, and when the story begins he’s traveling on a bus with a trail of blood and dead bodies in his wake. He’s wounded and the rage inside is keeping him alive. He has been careful and planned things well. But he was always aware that someone he trusted could set him up. And when it did come, he was caught unaware. Gary was someone he trusted because Nickel turned him into what he is. He was sure Gary would never betray him but he was wrong.

Tunnel Vision by Aric Davis follows another thread involving a murder fifteen years earlier. The suspect was convicted and languishing in prison. But Betty and June have reasons to doubt Duke murdered June’s long-forgotten aunt, Mandy and started their own investigation leading them to Nickel. They teamed up to unravel the mystery as Nickel pursues his own vendetta. Intense, gritty, suspenseful and full of mystery, author Aric Davis has another winner that will leave the reader clamoring for more.

[Plo · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book gets two stars for two reasons. Number 1, I stuck with it and finished it hoping I would find something redeeming. Number 2, it inspired me to add "I will not feel obligated to finish bad books even if they are free from Amazon Prime" to my New Year's Resolutions. Early on we are introduced to a teenage private investigator who lives in a house by himself, grows and sells pot, doesn't drive, and can make perfect fake Michigan ID's.
Somehow he is hired through twitter by a middle aged single mother to watch and protect her 16 year old daughter. Obviously the best person to watch and protect your teenage daughter is a teenage boy you meet through twitter.
The story culminates when this boy wonder and a teenage girl resolve a murder case by finding the murdered girl's diary after looking for approximately 15 minutes in a house that the police tore apart searching for said diary 10+ years ago. Somehow the police overlooked the wall of the victim's room that had a large heart drawn on it. And they were specifically looking for a diary !
The real mystery is the audience for this book. The suspension of belief this book requires seems to target the younger end of the YA market but some of the content I would consider appropriate for an older market.

[Heather Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aric Davis is one of my favorite authors, and his newest book, Tunnel Vision, reinforces that with every page. I was so excited to see Nickel back in a new adventure! Our damaged hero returns to help discover who killed a young down and out girl 15 years ago. Betty and June are best friends that discover a huge secret - June's aunt was murdered when June was just a baby. Police arrested Duke, Mandy's boyfriend, for the heinous killing, but he has long claimed innocence. Even though Nickel is hired to keep them out of this, he knows that the best way to keep the girls safe is to find out for sure who the killer is and make them go away. I read through this story far too quickly, just like with Nickel Plated, and I am crossing my fingers for more adventures! I loved the hints at Nickel's other cases between Nickel Plated and Tunnel Vision!

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I downloaded this book free. I thought I was reading a book written by a high school student. It felt rushed. The characters were completely unbelievable. I laughed out loud that the main character's name was Nickel and that he was a teenage drug dealer, detective and killer. I am sure there is a back story, but it was so difficult to slog through this mess. That, and the mystery was so unriveting. No detective work. Just a way to finish the book. The girls in the book were writing a paper on the mystery surrounding a young woman's murder. I think this book was their paper.I will not be reading another one of these books.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 perhaps

On the plus side: I really liked the Nickel storyline and his POV chapters. I also liked the Mandy storyline (as much as one can like such a sad story) and Betty's family.

On the negative side: I didn't really care for the two female MC's. I could not particularly warm up to them or their friendship although Betty grew on me a bit. I still didn't like her enough to want to see more of her though.

I would however read more of Nickel.

[Heather Hatfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was much more juvenile than I had anticipated. The plot lines were a bit unbelievable, but would probably be a good read for a younger crowd. There is a lot of mention of violence and abuse as well as drugs and murder (the premise of the book.) I wasn't interested in it until near the end when more action started picking up, but found the ending to be subpar and predictable.

[Ian Parkinson-sykes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nickel is a little older in this story and we begin to learn more about him. I love the fact that the hero is not the usual stereotype but instead is a young teenage boy living alone. These books are very easy fun reads and although twisted very enjoyable.

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

It’s been fifteen years since Mandy Reasoner was murdered—a crime for which her boyfriend, Duke, was convicted. But when high school students and best friends Betty and June discover that Mandy was June’s long-forgotten aunt, they decide to pursue the mystery. Galvanized by the growing community who doubts the evidence against Duke and is rallying to free him, the two girls start on a path that will bring them not only to Duke himself but smack into Nickel, a canny, tough-as-nails teenage P.I. attempting to keep his own life together. They make a good team, but Nickel is on his own mission of revenge, and the web of lies surrounding Mandy’s murder is growing ever thicker.
The closer they get to the truth, the less clear the path becomes. Will they survive the fight to bring Mandy’s killer to justice?

Not too long ago, I read Aric Davis' novel "Weavers" and was left less than impressed. But, as I will usually do, I decided to give him another go and just see if that was a one-off that I just couldn't get into...

Sadly, this one had a lot of issues - issues that are pretty easy to spot and make reading just so painful.

The main thrust of the story - high school kids solving a 15 year old mystery, all the while dealing drugs, assault, break and enter, use fake ID's, - was just so far beyond the realms of believability (and, yes, this is a work of fiction but there should be a sense of realism to make the reader connect with the characters and the situations) that I found myself shaking my head in disbelief more times than I could count.

And that is a shame because the blurb sounded really good and the cover is beautiful.


Paul
ARH

[Russ Lenth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read about a third of this. There are some aspects that make me want to know more about how it turns out, but you know, there are a lot of other books out there that are worth reading, and this one is pretty lame. We have the two girls as amateur detectives who are getting in over their heads with the knowledge and cooperation of some of their parents, and their teacher. The teacher in fact gives them a pass on the due date so they can do this research -- yeah, right. The PI is a teenager who kills and pushes drugs, and looks like he's going to hit on one of the girls. I've seen enough. DNF

[Matt Kauffman · Rating 1 out of 5]

Right from the start, I found the plot ridiculously unbelievable, with the teenage criminal that lives on his own and does PI work on the side. Seriously? As I progressed the plot got weighed down by a storyline that seemingly went nowhere. Top it all with limited scene-setting and dialog heavy storytelling and my mind was wandering. I finally reached a point where I realized my wandering mind didn't care how the story ended. That's when it is time to move on for me.

[Ryan Palmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. I read better writing in my community college writing class twenty years ago! This novel is filled with cliches and tacky, unrefined writing. The story really makes no sense and just goes in circles. The ending reveal has no impact and still doesn’t make sense given what happened earlier. There is no payoff for going on this journey with Betty.

[LaShasta Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good read

Author does nice transition from three points of views... took a while to get to exciting parts but... overall happy with the ending... would love to know more about Nickel though.

[Kathy Johannes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding your calling

Good read. There is a notion that kids nowadays don't appreciate the past and what they can learn from it. And about themselves, when they put their own feeling ahead of others.

[Lute Mullenix]

It wasn't too bad. Parts were pretty believable like the teenagers making very questionable choices, but the teenage PI with the fighting skills of a Highlander. Overall I enjoyed the book but I'm not going to be scanning the internet to find another one by this author.

[Reading is Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll take a Nickel any day

Nickel is a superbly written character and the plots surrounding him are just as good. I love the addition of Betty and hope to see her again.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good book, thanks to author. Hope to see more with Nickel.