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The Patchwork People #1
Patchwork Man
Patchwork Man is the first in the Patchwork trilogy and has been awarded an Indie B.R.A.G. Medallion. Other books in the series are Patchwork People (book 2) and Patchwork Pieces (book 3).
Lawrence Juste is one. The QC with a conscience - privileged, reputable and emotionally frozen. The perfect barrister. But Lawrence hasn't always been who he is now. When he is glaringly in the public eye after his enigmatic wife is killed in an apparently random hit and run, he could do with his hidden past surfacing like a hole in the head. Unfortunately the past has a way of finding its way back to you, just like betrayal. His dead wife has helpfully left him a sinister resume of his, and events just keep adding to it...
'Gripping all the way through...'
'Compelling.'
Lawrence Juste is one. The QC with a conscience - privileged, reputable and emotionally frozen. The perfect barrister. But Lawrence hasn't always been who he is now. When he is glaringly in the public eye after his enigmatic wife is killed in an apparently random hit and run, he could do with his hidden past surfacing like a hole in the head. Unfortunately the past has a way of finding its way back to you, just like betrayal. His dead wife has helpfully left him a sinister resume of his, and events just keep adding to it...
'Gripping all the way through...'
'Compelling.'
252 pages, Paperback
First published July 23, 2014
83 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
D.B. Martin
13 books210 followersDebrah Martin writes adult fiction as Debrah Martin/ D.B. Martin and a Young Adult teen detective series under the pen name Lily Stuart. Debrah’s novels examine real people in real – but unexpected – situations, and the way their life transforms because of them. Her work has been described variously as intriguing, poignant, irreverent, quirky and page-turning.
D.B. Martin also writes as Debrah Martin.
You can find more about her work on http://www.debrahmartin.co.uk
You can also follow her on @StorytellerDeb or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DebrahMartin...
D.B. Martin also writes as Debrah Martin.
You can find more about her work on http://www.debrahmartin.co.uk
You can also follow her on @StorytellerDeb or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DebrahMartin...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
January 8, 2015
A successful barrister's carefully constructed life comes crashing down when the case he's working on unearths his secret past.
Lawrence Juste--"Kenny" to his birth family--isn't particularly likable. He's cool, secretive, arrogant and wound as tightly as a watch spring. This top legal eagle has taken great pains to hide his hard scrabble origins and achieve his current position, which has him poised to become a high court judge. Then his wife is run down and killed. Her death sets into motion a series of events that threaten to rain down public humiliation and professional ruin. Ironically, the only way Lawrence can save himself requires him to go out on a limb for someone else...a boy whose life parallels his own in more ways than Lawrence could ever have imagined.
Martin's plot is complex and full of twists. She gives readers a large cast of seriously flawed characters, each with his or her own agenda, and writes them in a way that makes us care for them despite their grievous shortcomings. As the story unfolds, there's a wonderful sense of past and present knitting together...almost creating a fait accompli. Almost. It's in that narrow space between THEN and NOW that Lawrence has the opportunity to leave behind the victimized child and become a man at least somewhat worthy of the faith and responsibility bestowed on him. But can he seize this chance when doing so threatens everything he's built for himself?
More literary fiction than mystery, this novel is long and complicated. It's easy to become lost in Lawrence's labyrinthine thought process. The author writes from a deeply psychological point-of-view and expects us to follow her protagonist's (often unstated) logical leaps. At times, especially toward the end, I felt as if I were running to keep up. Reading this book requires focus (to follow the tangled train of clues) and commitment (that eventually the complexities will iron themselves out).
Personally, I found all the hard work to be worth it. PATCHWORK MAN is an incredibly human book about the power of the past to find us wherever we hide.
Lawrence Juste--"Kenny" to his birth family--isn't particularly likable. He's cool, secretive, arrogant and wound as tightly as a watch spring. This top legal eagle has taken great pains to hide his hard scrabble origins and achieve his current position, which has him poised to become a high court judge. Then his wife is run down and killed. Her death sets into motion a series of events that threaten to rain down public humiliation and professional ruin. Ironically, the only way Lawrence can save himself requires him to go out on a limb for someone else...a boy whose life parallels his own in more ways than Lawrence could ever have imagined.
Martin's plot is complex and full of twists. She gives readers a large cast of seriously flawed characters, each with his or her own agenda, and writes them in a way that makes us care for them despite their grievous shortcomings. As the story unfolds, there's a wonderful sense of past and present knitting together...almost creating a fait accompli. Almost. It's in that narrow space between THEN and NOW that Lawrence has the opportunity to leave behind the victimized child and become a man at least somewhat worthy of the faith and responsibility bestowed on him. But can he seize this chance when doing so threatens everything he's built for himself?
More literary fiction than mystery, this novel is long and complicated. It's easy to become lost in Lawrence's labyrinthine thought process. The author writes from a deeply psychological point-of-view and expects us to follow her protagonist's (often unstated) logical leaps. At times, especially toward the end, I felt as if I were running to keep up. Reading this book requires focus (to follow the tangled train of clues) and commitment (that eventually the complexities will iron themselves out).
Personally, I found all the hard work to be worth it. PATCHWORK MAN is an incredibly human book about the power of the past to find us wherever we hide.
September 20, 2017
Patchwork man by D.B Martin read by Rob Groves
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version read by Rob Groves. My review will be mostly about the audio, so if you want a plot summary, look at one of the content reviews.
“Patchwork Man” was like looking for some lost relic stored in a dark attic – shafts of light filtering down through the roof let me see the vague outlines of some “objects,” but every few minutes the story dropped an upsetting spider web onto my face. As I frantically tried to brush it off, I would encounter a new, even more startling sticky, filmy web in my path.
Rob Groves did a great job with the audio. The narration was easy to follow, and his articulation and intonation were excellent. He was able to produce the different voices and expressions needed for the varied characters. He did a nice job with the voices of the female characters as well, which is often difficult for male narrators. I listened on a portable device with headphones, and the dynamic range of the production was appropriate. There were no distortions or other difficulties.
I really enjoyed the book. The other books in this series on audio, and I will certainly be listening and reviewing them as well. A big “Thank you” goes out to D.B. Martin for giving me the opportunity to listen to this great series.
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to the audio version read by Rob Groves. My review will be mostly about the audio, so if you want a plot summary, look at one of the content reviews.
“Patchwork Man” was like looking for some lost relic stored in a dark attic – shafts of light filtering down through the roof let me see the vague outlines of some “objects,” but every few minutes the story dropped an upsetting spider web onto my face. As I frantically tried to brush it off, I would encounter a new, even more startling sticky, filmy web in my path.
Rob Groves did a great job with the audio. The narration was easy to follow, and his articulation and intonation were excellent. He was able to produce the different voices and expressions needed for the varied characters. He did a nice job with the voices of the female characters as well, which is often difficult for male narrators. I listened on a portable device with headphones, and the dynamic range of the production was appropriate. There were no distortions or other difficulties.
I really enjoyed the book. The other books in this series on audio, and I will certainly be listening and reviewing them as well. A big “Thank you” goes out to D.B. Martin for giving me the opportunity to listen to this great series.
March 2, 2015
We are proud to announce that PATCHWORK MAN by D.B. Martin is a B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree. This tells a reader that this book is well worth their time and money!
August 29, 2017
Writing a review for this book is a little difficult because it leaves many questions unanswered. The book opens with a back-and-forth between past and present day. In the past we have Kenny Juss' family being split apart as his mother goes into labor with her 11th child and he is sent to a children's home where we hear stories of bullying, rape/molestation and abuse; these children have it very hard. Then we switch back to current day where he has changed his name to Lawrence Juste and is a barrister defending (a 10-year-old?) Danny who is charged with manslaughter after a woman dies after a mugging. For about the first 35% of the book, we hear about the death of Kenny/Lawrence's wife, and his sessions with Danny and Danny's social worker Kat Roumelia. These scenes tend to drag on with Kenny/Lawrence going off into his own head deep in thought, and then suddenly, we snap to a very important part, usually in just a sentence. I listened to the audiobook mostly, and I felt that I would tune out when he was in his head, and then I would miss these important bits. I went back and listened to the whole middle part of the book because I felt like at the end I had so many unanswered questions. The ending has this huge buildup, and then just fizzles; I'm not sure if this is meant to be a cliffhanger, but I was quite disappointed and I doubt I will continue reading the series. Like I said, I listened to audio mostly, so I can't speak to grammar/spelling issues, but I didn't notice continuity issues. All I can say is that issues were brought up that were never resolved (for example: Danny's mom is attacked, and Lawrence theorizes who did it, but we never actually find out who did it.) and that made for a lot of unanswered questions at the end. I did like the story line and felt that the book has a lot of potential. Just take out some of the "in-the-head" scenes and work on answering some of the questions that carry the important plot points. There are a lot of plot lines going in a lot of directions, and it might help to simplify just a little bit, or at least work to tie time together in the end.
Audio: the narrator did a great job and it was a high quality recording, although I did notice that the volume changed quite a bit. The narrator had a nice English accent that was easy to understand and he used different tones to differentiate the characters. I enjoyed his voice.
Audio: the narrator did a great job and it was a high quality recording, although I did notice that the volume changed quite a bit. The narrator had a nice English accent that was easy to understand and he used different tones to differentiate the characters. I enjoyed his voice.
September 8, 2014
For Lawrence Juste the ghosts of his past keep resurfacing with monotonous regularity and they threaten to derail his dream of obtaining a seat on the UK's High Court.
Juste's contentedly structured world of a wife, home and the law firm that has catapulted him to the brink of his longed for desire is about to come crashing down around his ears. His wife of four years, Margaret, has just been killed by a supposed hit-and-run driver, leaving Lawrence without the anchor who so carefully protected and nurtured his march to the court and who provided structure to his life.
For some reason, Margaret has not only built the lattice on which the strands of Lawrence's life have been lain, but she has also been busy manipulating him into taking a case that will throw his contentedly structured life into chaos and will also threaten his bid for the high court.
The case dredges up the past Lawrence has carefully boxed up and put away, a past that he does not want remembered.
And now, his carefully planned black-and-white world is filled with so many shades of grey and images of images that he understands but does not want invading his life.
It brings him back to a childhood, he wants to forget, a huge family that resents his success, a supposed brother who now wants something and Jaggers, that evil stain on his life, suddenly also reappears but in a whole new persona.
The plotting of this novel is masterful and DB Martin has woven a wonderfully layered multi-threaded tale that is full of subplots and surprises that will likely have you thinking "I never saw that coming."
It is the delicate way in which she leads you wherever she wants you to go that illustrates the talent behind this story. DB Martin plays with language in a way that makes her descriptions almost lyrical. She uses flashbacks to pull you further and further into the world of Lawrence Juste. And, you allow yourself to be pulled because you can hardly wait to see where she is taking you next.
The "Patchwork Man" is the first of three novels planned for this series. It also sets a high mark for the rest of the series to meet, but I suspect, the author will meet and pass it.
Juste's contentedly structured world of a wife, home and the law firm that has catapulted him to the brink of his longed for desire is about to come crashing down around his ears. His wife of four years, Margaret, has just been killed by a supposed hit-and-run driver, leaving Lawrence without the anchor who so carefully protected and nurtured his march to the court and who provided structure to his life.
For some reason, Margaret has not only built the lattice on which the strands of Lawrence's life have been lain, but she has also been busy manipulating him into taking a case that will throw his contentedly structured life into chaos and will also threaten his bid for the high court.
The case dredges up the past Lawrence has carefully boxed up and put away, a past that he does not want remembered.
And now, his carefully planned black-and-white world is filled with so many shades of grey and images of images that he understands but does not want invading his life.
It brings him back to a childhood, he wants to forget, a huge family that resents his success, a supposed brother who now wants something and Jaggers, that evil stain on his life, suddenly also reappears but in a whole new persona.
The plotting of this novel is masterful and DB Martin has woven a wonderfully layered multi-threaded tale that is full of subplots and surprises that will likely have you thinking "I never saw that coming."
It is the delicate way in which she leads you wherever she wants you to go that illustrates the talent behind this story. DB Martin plays with language in a way that makes her descriptions almost lyrical. She uses flashbacks to pull you further and further into the world of Lawrence Juste. And, you allow yourself to be pulled because you can hardly wait to see where she is taking you next.
The "Patchwork Man" is the first of three novels planned for this series. It also sets a high mark for the rest of the series to meet, but I suspect, the author will meet and pass it.
August 17, 2014
Kenneth Lawrence Juss has a poor start to life, being in a large family with parents that are at the bottom of the parenting scale. As a boy he is removed from his parents by Child Support and sent to a "home" with a number of other boys. There he is bullied, abused, and forced to assist with certain crimes. Nevertheless, he escapes by using what is effectively blackmail, but described as a gratuity, and with the proceeds he becomes a lawyer and changes his name to Lawrence Juste. The book runs two parallel strands: one as a boy, and one as a mature man who has just lost his wife in a road accident, the driver of which has never been found. The future looks rosy, he may be made a High Court Judge, but then his past starts to catch up with him when he is asked to defend a young boy Danny, who seems to have a problem very similar to that which he would have had as a child. The deeper he investigates this child's life, the deeper the hole he finds that he is digging for himself, aided seemingly by his dead wife.
The book is well written, the scenes very well described, most of the characters are very plausible with possibly one exception. Lawrence is supposed to be a really top lawyer, yet there are obvious things he should do to get out of this hole. Whether they would work is another matter, but instead of trying them, we get an excellent description of a man descending into a trough of depressing self-made misery. I would have expected such a senior and successful person to put up slightly more of a fight. The book is not exactly uplifting, and shows some depressing aspects to life in modern England for those on the poorer side of the economy. The plot is extremely well synthesized, although in my opinion the level of coincidence does require a little getting used to, nevertheless, that the coincidences are there is part of the plot. It is the first of a trilogy, and hence the sorry mess is not resolved, and the ending is perhaps a little abrupt, although in part the issue with Danny is resolved for the present.
The book is well written, the scenes very well described, most of the characters are very plausible with possibly one exception. Lawrence is supposed to be a really top lawyer, yet there are obvious things he should do to get out of this hole. Whether they would work is another matter, but instead of trying them, we get an excellent description of a man descending into a trough of depressing self-made misery. I would have expected such a senior and successful person to put up slightly more of a fight. The book is not exactly uplifting, and shows some depressing aspects to life in modern England for those on the poorer side of the economy. The plot is extremely well synthesized, although in my opinion the level of coincidence does require a little getting used to, nevertheless, that the coincidences are there is part of the plot. It is the first of a trilogy, and hence the sorry mess is not resolved, and the ending is perhaps a little abrupt, although in part the issue with Danny is resolved for the present.
September 20, 2014
Patchwork Man, by D.B. Martin, is an intriguingly twisted story of complicated families. The first in a planned trilogy, it introduces us to QC Lawrence Juste, an eminent barrister with a sordid but secret history. Following the death of his wife he finds his past catching up with him, threatening to unravel the life he has worked so hard to create. As he confronts the family that he believes abandoned him, he discovers that he has been manipulated for many years by shadowy figures linked to his childhood. The convoluted interrelationships uncovered threaten to ruin him and those he has come to care for.
The young Lawrence Juste, or Kenny Juss as he was then, suffered many kinds of abuse. The reader is spared no detail as these are described along with his coping mechanisms. That this type of treatment undoubtedly happens made me feel an impotent despair, especially when it seemed that his attempts to rise above his victimhood were to be dashed. Bullying is not confined to childhood.
I found the intricate and interwoven threads of the plot difficult to keep track of at times. A series of family trees would have been useful, but would have taken the edge off the various revelations that were intrinsic to the pace and structure of the story. The book has a large cast of significant characters, many of whom will, I hope, be further developed in the sequels.
I found the writing challenging. It is certainly not a comfortable read with its casual violence and underbelly of cruelty, callousness and lies. Although poverty played its part, the wealthy could be just as twisted and evil. The author explores how low a man will sink to survive, how much of the better self he wishes to believe in will be sacrificed when he feels sufficiently threatened.
Knowing that some people are capable of this kind of behaviour gives the tale resonance. I liked the analogy of life as a patchwork of experiences, but it is depressing to consider that if circumstances prevailed then a tale as black as this could be true.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
The young Lawrence Juste, or Kenny Juss as he was then, suffered many kinds of abuse. The reader is spared no detail as these are described along with his coping mechanisms. That this type of treatment undoubtedly happens made me feel an impotent despair, especially when it seemed that his attempts to rise above his victimhood were to be dashed. Bullying is not confined to childhood.
I found the intricate and interwoven threads of the plot difficult to keep track of at times. A series of family trees would have been useful, but would have taken the edge off the various revelations that were intrinsic to the pace and structure of the story. The book has a large cast of significant characters, many of whom will, I hope, be further developed in the sequels.
I found the writing challenging. It is certainly not a comfortable read with its casual violence and underbelly of cruelty, callousness and lies. Although poverty played its part, the wealthy could be just as twisted and evil. The author explores how low a man will sink to survive, how much of the better self he wishes to believe in will be sacrificed when he feels sufficiently threatened.
Knowing that some people are capable of this kind of behaviour gives the tale resonance. I liked the analogy of life as a patchwork of experiences, but it is depressing to consider that if circumstances prevailed then a tale as black as this could be true.
My copy of this book was provided gratis by the author.
December 26, 2016
I just loved this original and interesting book.
I can't say enough good things about this book. I have certainly never read anything like it before and every day I couldn't wait to get back into it. It is a story about a man, who's well planned and successful life is about to implode. The death of his manipulative wife, the victim of an apparent hit and run, is a catalyst for the main character to do some serious introspection about his life, his morals and his choices, both past, present and future.
His past has turned up to threaten his very existence; and JUST as he is about to realize his life long goal, of being appointed a judge. He is forced to face questionable and unethical choices he's made as a lawyer and other acts that were forced on him as a youth. All of it, or any of it, if exposed, could ruin him professionally and financially. The strange thing about his past is that the wife who bolstered his career path seems to have been setting him up for failure all along. And even though she's dead, the plans she had for him are well underway; he has no choice, but to confront his painful and humiliating past, to discover the secrets harbored by his wife of four years. He is truly a patchwork main, made of parts of his past and present. He will have to stitch them into something that integrates his compartmentalized life, if he is to even live, to see the future. Unfortunately, this book is not the entire story. What happens next...I don't want to miss. This book was so good, I didn't ding it on stars for not being complete, like I normally do. There is something about the way it is so cleverly and expertly crafted that leaves you feeling like you've been treated to a rare and wonderful experience by a talented master, rather than duped by someone who has to resort to cheap gimmicks to sell his books. This is a really special book...maybe even the type that becomes a classic...it's that good!
I can't say enough good things about this book. I have certainly never read anything like it before and every day I couldn't wait to get back into it. It is a story about a man, who's well planned and successful life is about to implode. The death of his manipulative wife, the victim of an apparent hit and run, is a catalyst for the main character to do some serious introspection about his life, his morals and his choices, both past, present and future.
His past has turned up to threaten his very existence; and JUST as he is about to realize his life long goal, of being appointed a judge. He is forced to face questionable and unethical choices he's made as a lawyer and other acts that were forced on him as a youth. All of it, or any of it, if exposed, could ruin him professionally and financially. The strange thing about his past is that the wife who bolstered his career path seems to have been setting him up for failure all along. And even though she's dead, the plans she had for him are well underway; he has no choice, but to confront his painful and humiliating past, to discover the secrets harbored by his wife of four years. He is truly a patchwork main, made of parts of his past and present. He will have to stitch them into something that integrates his compartmentalized life, if he is to even live, to see the future. Unfortunately, this book is not the entire story. What happens next...I don't want to miss. This book was so good, I didn't ding it on stars for not being complete, like I normally do. There is something about the way it is so cleverly and expertly crafted that leaves you feeling like you've been treated to a rare and wonderful experience by a talented master, rather than duped by someone who has to resort to cheap gimmicks to sell his books. This is a really special book...maybe even the type that becomes a classic...it's that good!
October 13, 2014
Patchwork Man is a great book that has a very intriguing writing style. The book follows one character in two parallel strands, one as a boy with a tough start to life being taken into care and sent to a home away from his parents then abused and forced into crime through bullying; the other as a successful man who has managed to become a solicitor and changed his name.
The contrast that is made between the two different streams of Lawrence’s life is brilliantly done and helps the plot immensely when he is asked to defend a young boy that is living the life that he has survived.
The psychological elements of this book are fascinating, with the character of Lawrence descending into depression and self-pity that is caused by all his unresolved issues from his disturbing childhood. The gritty feel of this book captures the feel of the darker side of life with such accuracy that it speaks of experience coping with some of the nastier aspects and events that can knock even the strongest person off their feet.
This book is a great read for anyone who is looking for a different take on the British crime genre that delves into the character and the hidden depths that so many books overlook.
The other characters in this book are really well formed and very believable, there isn’t one that I could point to as merely existing in the book as a two-dimensional plot device. D.M. Martin has a great understanding not only of the darker side of life but also the legal system that allows the narrative to flow and engage the reader in a world that is to be on going.
The end will leave you wanting to move straight onto the next book without delay and may even change your opinion on how the law of large numbers effects the regularity of coincidence.
The contrast that is made between the two different streams of Lawrence’s life is brilliantly done and helps the plot immensely when he is asked to defend a young boy that is living the life that he has survived.
The psychological elements of this book are fascinating, with the character of Lawrence descending into depression and self-pity that is caused by all his unresolved issues from his disturbing childhood. The gritty feel of this book captures the feel of the darker side of life with such accuracy that it speaks of experience coping with some of the nastier aspects and events that can knock even the strongest person off their feet.
This book is a great read for anyone who is looking for a different take on the British crime genre that delves into the character and the hidden depths that so many books overlook.
The other characters in this book are really well formed and very believable, there isn’t one that I could point to as merely existing in the book as a two-dimensional plot device. D.M. Martin has a great understanding not only of the darker side of life but also the legal system that allows the narrative to flow and engage the reader in a world that is to be on going.
The end will leave you wanting to move straight onto the next book without delay and may even change your opinion on how the law of large numbers effects the regularity of coincidence.
September 12, 2014
This is one of those books that starts out slow and builds up momentum until you can no longer stop reading it. The twists and turns are unbelievable--thankfully there are at least 2 more books in this series because the ending--well lets just say if I don't find them rather quickly I will be unhappy!!
This book is filled with secrets, both past and present. I will leave it up to you to decide which should have been revealed, to discover which were and to wonder if maybe some of them should be hidden forever. When the Patch Work of life which has been cleverly woven but suddenly starts to unravel--what should you do?
"Prologue
Secrets.
They overwhelm you when you least want them to – like memories. You tuck them safely away and think they’re lost. They’re not. They’re merely lying dormant, awaiting the miscreant – inquisitive, prodding and delving. I opened the envelope clumsily, exhausted from the effort of maintaining a dignified propriety since Margaret’s death yesterday. It was a list of names and dates and places, written in her hand. My hidden history, meticulously researched – including the parts I’d thought even I had forgotten. 1999 rolled back forty years to the first time the threads of my life unravelled, when I was nine, and a tidal wave of memories crashed over me in a suffocating arc of white water and humiliation. Then my body shook and the cold finger of fear slid down my neck and into my gut as the patchwork man felt his carefully seamed life pull apart."
Patchwork Man
This book is filled with secrets, both past and present. I will leave it up to you to decide which should have been revealed, to discover which were and to wonder if maybe some of them should be hidden forever. When the Patch Work of life which has been cleverly woven but suddenly starts to unravel--what should you do?
"Prologue
Secrets.
They overwhelm you when you least want them to – like memories. You tuck them safely away and think they’re lost. They’re not. They’re merely lying dormant, awaiting the miscreant – inquisitive, prodding and delving. I opened the envelope clumsily, exhausted from the effort of maintaining a dignified propriety since Margaret’s death yesterday. It was a list of names and dates and places, written in her hand. My hidden history, meticulously researched – including the parts I’d thought even I had forgotten. 1999 rolled back forty years to the first time the threads of my life unravelled, when I was nine, and a tidal wave of memories crashed over me in a suffocating arc of white water and humiliation. Then my body shook and the cold finger of fear slid down my neck and into my gut as the patchwork man felt his carefully seamed life pull apart."
Patchwork Man
September 15, 2014
My best read of the year!
Debrah Martin is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and this was actually the first book written by her that I read and I enjoyed it hugely. The title accurately describes the main character Lawrence Juste - he begins the story as a tightly stitched man - everything under control , on the cusp of reaching the top of his profession, his past neatly tucked away, when, the day after the death of his wife he opens an envelope with a list of names and places, which brings his past firmly into his present, suffocating him like a tidal wave and the steady unraveling begins.
The intricacy of the unwinding of the tale had me absolutely gripped and could not put this book down – I remember toward the end as it dawned on me that things were not going to be resolved before the end of the book and I’d have to wait for the next installment – agony! The book has passion, anguish, fear, cunning - a storm of emotions to batter you around as they do Lawrence Juste – and at some points you feel just as wrung out as he does. It was a book I really had to concentrate on so as not to lose a grip on the many threads that hold it all together and I loved it. Quite simply I cannot recommend it enough – my best book of the year!
Debrah Martin is fast becoming one of my favourite authors and this was actually the first book written by her that I read and I enjoyed it hugely. The title accurately describes the main character Lawrence Juste - he begins the story as a tightly stitched man - everything under control , on the cusp of reaching the top of his profession, his past neatly tucked away, when, the day after the death of his wife he opens an envelope with a list of names and places, which brings his past firmly into his present, suffocating him like a tidal wave and the steady unraveling begins.
The intricacy of the unwinding of the tale had me absolutely gripped and could not put this book down – I remember toward the end as it dawned on me that things were not going to be resolved before the end of the book and I’d have to wait for the next installment – agony! The book has passion, anguish, fear, cunning - a storm of emotions to batter you around as they do Lawrence Juste – and at some points you feel just as wrung out as he does. It was a book I really had to concentrate on so as not to lose a grip on the many threads that hold it all together and I loved it. Quite simply I cannot recommend it enough – my best book of the year!
December 6, 2019
This story is about Kenny Lawrence Juss. Barely holding his life together after his wife is killed in a hit and run accident. He is a man with much to hide and a lot to loose if his former life is exposed.
The story transitions to his childhood and at age 9 we are taken on a wild ride as he is torn from the only home he has known and taken to the Children's home for orphans and disadvantaged children. He is left unprotected from bullies and used as a pawn for power by his elder brother. Through his will to survive and succeed he manages to attend school and become a barrister. All that he has attained threatens to come undone following his wife's death. Can The Patchwork man hold it all together?
The author DB Martin is a talented writer. The book was engaging and vivid in detail.
Rob Groves was superb as the narrator. His voice of characters were clearly distinct and extremely well done. I would be interested in listening to more books narrated by Mr. Groves.
This was the first book in The Patchwork man trilogy. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to those who like mysteries and or thrillers.
I received this book from the author for free for an honest review.
The story transitions to his childhood and at age 9 we are taken on a wild ride as he is torn from the only home he has known and taken to the Children's home for orphans and disadvantaged children. He is left unprotected from bullies and used as a pawn for power by his elder brother. Through his will to survive and succeed he manages to attend school and become a barrister. All that he has attained threatens to come undone following his wife's death. Can The Patchwork man hold it all together?
The author DB Martin is a talented writer. The book was engaging and vivid in detail.
Rob Groves was superb as the narrator. His voice of characters were clearly distinct and extremely well done. I would be interested in listening to more books narrated by Mr. Groves.
This was the first book in The Patchwork man trilogy. Thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook and would recommend it to those who like mysteries and or thrillers.
I received this book from the author for free for an honest review.
August 4, 2014
What a twisty-twisty mystery!
The story starts out with the main character, Lawrence Juste, as a reputable QC whose life looks like it’s on the fast track to even greater success … except that his wife has been killed by a hit and run driver.
That incident starts fraying the knot holding Lawrence’s carefully constructed persona and lifestyle, and things get more and more complicated as he investigates a list left for him by his deceased wife.
One clue leads to another mystery and uncovers more and more of Lawrence’s buried, less than savory past. Through his investigation involving a child whose life mirrors his at the same age, he reconnects with people from his past that he never intended to see again.
As the hints are dropped and subsequently reveal bits and pieces of a person totally unlike Lawrence’s public image, his façade crumbles and we see more and more of the real man beneath.
The climax of the story answers a few questions, but leaves many more to be answered in the next books.
If you like a mystery within a mystery and enjoy multi-layered characters, you’ll enjoy this compelling story.
The story starts out with the main character, Lawrence Juste, as a reputable QC whose life looks like it’s on the fast track to even greater success … except that his wife has been killed by a hit and run driver.
That incident starts fraying the knot holding Lawrence’s carefully constructed persona and lifestyle, and things get more and more complicated as he investigates a list left for him by his deceased wife.
One clue leads to another mystery and uncovers more and more of Lawrence’s buried, less than savory past. Through his investigation involving a child whose life mirrors his at the same age, he reconnects with people from his past that he never intended to see again.
As the hints are dropped and subsequently reveal bits and pieces of a person totally unlike Lawrence’s public image, his façade crumbles and we see more and more of the real man beneath.
The climax of the story answers a few questions, but leaves many more to be answered in the next books.
If you like a mystery within a mystery and enjoy multi-layered characters, you’ll enjoy this compelling story.
September 1, 2014
REVIEW
This was a well written mystery.Since there were a lot of foreign phrases, they were spelled correctly. I even looked some of them up. Author was right on target.I didn't realize this was book one of a series of three. The only place I could find about it being a series was on the Amazon Page.
The story was suspenseful with so many relationships that were all over the place.I would definitely read the other two books first, it might make more sense that way.The author wrote a captivating mystery that has many parts to it.Ms. Martin created a mystery so full of suspense with woven webs of twists and turns. The author takes us through many flashbacks of the character's lives. Just as we learn more of the characters, the mystery deepens and the story becomes more suspenseful. The author seems to have the uncanny ability to keep you in suspense until she is ready to let you know what is really going on. She has characters that the reader can relate to.I was just sorry when it ended. I'm ready for more.
I was given a complimentary copy of Patchwork Man from the author Debrah B. Martin for my view of the book. No other compensation took place.
This was a well written mystery.Since there were a lot of foreign phrases, they were spelled correctly. I even looked some of them up. Author was right on target.I didn't realize this was book one of a series of three. The only place I could find about it being a series was on the Amazon Page.
The story was suspenseful with so many relationships that were all over the place.I would definitely read the other two books first, it might make more sense that way.The author wrote a captivating mystery that has many parts to it.Ms. Martin created a mystery so full of suspense with woven webs of twists and turns. The author takes us through many flashbacks of the character's lives. Just as we learn more of the characters, the mystery deepens and the story becomes more suspenseful. The author seems to have the uncanny ability to keep you in suspense until she is ready to let you know what is really going on. She has characters that the reader can relate to.I was just sorry when it ended. I'm ready for more.
I was given a complimentary copy of Patchwork Man from the author Debrah B. Martin for my view of the book. No other compensation took place.
August 1, 2014
D B Martin is truly multi-tasker as she writes three different genres. She used to be a businesswoman for many years before she start to write. Patchwork Man is D B Martin's new compelling thriller that has just been released and is available on kindle. I am glad to have a free copy of this book when it came out. Patchwork Man is such an engaging book i couldn't stop reading.
D B Martin in this book tells the story of a fallen hero - Lawrence Juste QC who is a reputable man but he suddenly lost his wife to a hit and run accident. Lawrence was very sad about his wife's death. As the story develops, his past seem to catch up with him plus his dead wife also blackmails him from her grave. This is a saga that Lawrence is finding so difficult to deal with since everything came crashing on him . This book will suck you in, especially with all the mystery surrounding the main character. Well written book that is full of mystery and thrills of adventure. I recommend!
D B Martin in this book tells the story of a fallen hero - Lawrence Juste QC who is a reputable man but he suddenly lost his wife to a hit and run accident. Lawrence was very sad about his wife's death. As the story develops, his past seem to catch up with him plus his dead wife also blackmails him from her grave. This is a saga that Lawrence is finding so difficult to deal with since everything came crashing on him . This book will suck you in, especially with all the mystery surrounding the main character. Well written book that is full of mystery and thrills of adventure. I recommend!
August 8, 2014
This is my first time reading anything written by this author and decided to jump in and check out what all the RAVE reviews were talking about. Mystery has always been my reading material and was pleasantly surprised to find this book peeked my interest and kept me guessing. This author has managed to not only keep her readers guessing, she has also taken the time to develop her characters and her story line. I have never seen another mystery writer do what she has managed to do in this book and look forward to the next book in her series. I know she will once again keep us guessing and we will continue to be totally in love with her characters. I recommend this book to anyone that loves mystery, but also likes to read about people, their past/present and their emotions. You can feel and identify with the emotions the main character is feeling - but no one can prepare you for where these emotions takes him. Well done D. B. Martin!
September 21, 2014
Patchwork Man by D.B. Martin is a 253 page psychological thriller. It has twenty-six chapters, a prologue, a short bio and is written in first person. It is the first in the trilogy. Patchwork People is the second and Patchwork Pieces will be the final book in the series. This busy UK author has three different series published under three different pen names. If you like literary fiction or YA detective stories I would suggest looking up her other books as well.
Lawrence Juste is a complex character. I loved the flashbacks of his young life. It really showed how certain events shaped him as an adult, and how he comes to a few revelations. It also deepened the mystery as the storyline is layered. Nothing is as cut and dry, and easily solved as it appears. Martin’s ability to hold you in suspense is uncanny. I finished the book in two sittings. The plot kept me clicking the kindle and guessing. I cannot wait to see where book 2 takes me. Highly recommended author and series.
Lawrence Juste is a complex character. I loved the flashbacks of his young life. It really showed how certain events shaped him as an adult, and how he comes to a few revelations. It also deepened the mystery as the storyline is layered. Nothing is as cut and dry, and easily solved as it appears. Martin’s ability to hold you in suspense is uncanny. I finished the book in two sittings. The plot kept me clicking the kindle and guessing. I cannot wait to see where book 2 takes me. Highly recommended author and series.
August 31, 2014
I received this book for a fair review.
Overview: Lawrence Juste, widowed and QC (I think it’s the same thing as our defense attorney), is now defending a child whose crime takes him back to a past that he’d just as soon as forget. Margaret, his late wife, seems to have had other ideas.
Likes: This was a well written story. Lawrence was conflicted and it showed. Sarah and Mary were the best members of the family he had around.
Dislikes: At certain points, this story was quite dark and gritty. Two things that can make my enjoyment rather low.
It’s an excellent read. Hope you enjoy it as well.
Overview: Lawrence Juste, widowed and QC (I think it’s the same thing as our defense attorney), is now defending a child whose crime takes him back to a past that he’d just as soon as forget. Margaret, his late wife, seems to have had other ideas.
Likes: This was a well written story. Lawrence was conflicted and it showed. Sarah and Mary were the best members of the family he had around.
Dislikes: At certain points, this story was quite dark and gritty. Two things that can make my enjoyment rather low.
It’s an excellent read. Hope you enjoy it as well.
August 4, 2014
What seems to be a normal hit-and-run accident turns out to be otherwise? This starts off as a typical plot twist, however the author does a really good job with the rest of the story. It turns out that his dead wife did some investigating on him. Why? That is the mystery.
Very well written book. The story was well paced. The little bits and pieces of clues laid out here and there kept me glued to the book. Definitely look forward to Martin’s future works.
Very well written book. The story was well paced. The little bits and pieces of clues laid out here and there kept me glued to the book. Definitely look forward to Martin’s future works.
August 3, 2016
Quite an unusual premise for a 'psychological thriller'; a lawyer with a hidden past that catches up with him, etc.
I found this novel too pedestrian and repetitive for my taste, especially in the closing chapters. It did pick up pace in the middle, and the prose is carefully written, with a sensitive use of metaphor.
All in all, though, I won't be reading the next novel in the series.
I found this novel too pedestrian and repetitive for my taste, especially in the closing chapters. It did pick up pace in the middle, and the prose is carefully written, with a sensitive use of metaphor.
All in all, though, I won't be reading the next novel in the series.
August 12, 2016
Do not read this if you have any knowledge of the legal system. There are some interesting bits, but by the time the defence barrister is making a closing speech after the close of the prosecution case during a murder trial being heard in a magistrates court, it's just gone too far to ignore the fact that the legal side of it is just utter bollocks.
October 31, 2014
Excellent book combining a detective story with the main character's personal story. It also successfully takes us into the worlds of the justice system and children in care. I can't wait to read the sequel when it comes out.
November 8, 2016
( Format : Audiobook )
""..slowly adding to the pattern, piece by piece.""
On the brink of achieving his life's ambition - the appointment as High Court Judge - and only two weeks after his very supportive wife, Margaret, is killed in a hit and run accident, successful barrister Lawrence Juste finds his carefully constructed life unraveling around him as the distant past thrusts itself unwanted into his present.
This very well written and crafted novel moves between current happenings and memories of Lawrence's childhood when, as one of a large family of ten plus a new baby, growing up in an atmosphere of neglect, he with most of his siblings are removed from parental care and sent away to a children's home. The experiences are traumatic and form his future life.
This is an intriguing, exciting psychological thriller. The characters, and in particular the main protagonists, are well developed and we are sucked into Lawrence's emotional turmoil as ever more revelations come to light despite the fact that he is not, himself, a particularly likable man. The narrator reads beautifully and, though there are some slightly suspect accents in the dialogue, these are few and far between and really do not distract from the excellence of the text.
On a brief note of historic accuracy from the opening stages of the book, I would like to say that, as someone who grew up in the suburbs close to Croydon and visited often in my mid teens, in the same 1959 of the start, the numerous bomb sites which had been so evident in earlier years had, by then, almost entirely disappeared. Also, that a pensioner couple able to collect £30 per week in 1962 must have been exceptionally rich as the weekly working wage for a teacher, both then until several years later, was only nine pounds. I also have considerable doubts that anyone with a police record, even a juvenile one, would have ever been considered for the position of judge: it would certainly prevent their becoming the much more lowly magistrate. But these are minor niggles which in no way prevent the complete overall enjoyment of this labyrinthine mystery.
A great story which keeps the reader constantly guessing, well written, with good, believable, living characters, and all read by a skillful narrator, this book is highly recommended to anyone who likes real substance in their books. My thanks to the rights holder for the gift to me of Patchwork Man, via Audiobook Boom. I enjoyed it very much and will look out for the coming sequel
""..slowly adding to the pattern, piece by piece.""
On the brink of achieving his life's ambition - the appointment as High Court Judge - and only two weeks after his very supportive wife, Margaret, is killed in a hit and run accident, successful barrister Lawrence Juste finds his carefully constructed life unraveling around him as the distant past thrusts itself unwanted into his present.
This very well written and crafted novel moves between current happenings and memories of Lawrence's childhood when, as one of a large family of ten plus a new baby, growing up in an atmosphere of neglect, he with most of his siblings are removed from parental care and sent away to a children's home. The experiences are traumatic and form his future life.
This is an intriguing, exciting psychological thriller. The characters, and in particular the main protagonists, are well developed and we are sucked into Lawrence's emotional turmoil as ever more revelations come to light despite the fact that he is not, himself, a particularly likable man. The narrator reads beautifully and, though there are some slightly suspect accents in the dialogue, these are few and far between and really do not distract from the excellence of the text.
On a brief note of historic accuracy from the opening stages of the book, I would like to say that, as someone who grew up in the suburbs close to Croydon and visited often in my mid teens, in the same 1959 of the start, the numerous bomb sites which had been so evident in earlier years had, by then, almost entirely disappeared. Also, that a pensioner couple able to collect £30 per week in 1962 must have been exceptionally rich as the weekly working wage for a teacher, both then until several years later, was only nine pounds. I also have considerable doubts that anyone with a police record, even a juvenile one, would have ever been considered for the position of judge: it would certainly prevent their becoming the much more lowly magistrate. But these are minor niggles which in no way prevent the complete overall enjoyment of this labyrinthine mystery.
A great story which keeps the reader constantly guessing, well written, with good, believable, living characters, and all read by a skillful narrator, this book is highly recommended to anyone who likes real substance in their books. My thanks to the rights holder for the gift to me of Patchwork Man, via Audiobook Boom. I enjoyed it very much and will look out for the coming sequel
June 8, 2021
Patchwork Man is the first in a trilogy (Patchwork People).
The plot is complex and deals with a barrister who has escaped when in his teens from a large and partly dysfunctional family.
As he rises in the legal world, his past begins to catch up with him and he wages a battle between despair and determination as he tries to keep both his life and career on track.
Every page seems to have a new revelation or a twist. The characters, and there are many of them, are superbly described and leap out of the text at the reader.
Gloomy but tense, the narrative races to the first climax at the end of book one. Patchwork Man is a very fine novel and very gripping.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
The plot is complex and deals with a barrister who has escaped when in his teens from a large and partly dysfunctional family.
As he rises in the legal world, his past begins to catch up with him and he wages a battle between despair and determination as he tries to keep both his life and career on track.
Every page seems to have a new revelation or a twist. The characters, and there are many of them, are superbly described and leap out of the text at the reader.
Gloomy but tense, the narrative races to the first climax at the end of book one. Patchwork Man is a very fine novel and very gripping.
David Lowther. Author of The Blue Pencil, Liberating Belsen, Two Families at War and The Summer of ‘39, all published by Sacristy Press.
December 13, 2018
Patchwork Man by D. B. Martin weaves a tale about a man who was sent to an orphanage as a young boy and endured hardship and abuse and still became a successful legal defender. Lawrence Kenny Juste has many skeletons in his closet. He is tasked to defend a young boy accused of robbery and murder. He is also dealing with the suspicious death of his wife. There are lots of twists and turns that will have you turning pages to find out what will happen. It brings to mind the phrase: O what tangled webs we weave when first we practice to deceive.
This book does not wrap up everything and leaves lots of questions unanswered. I did not realize that this was part of a trilogy. The plot and characters are well developed.
This book does not wrap up everything and leaves lots of questions unanswered. I did not realize that this was part of a trilogy. The plot and characters are well developed.
May 30, 2017
I look for good writing and insights into the protagonist's mind. Somehow, this story had too much of both. The very bright author writes with a literary style. The beginning description of the children's home seemed more suited for the time of Charles Dickens than in 1959. Still, the story and quality of the writing deserves 4 stars.
June 12, 2017
Family Dynamics
The secrets held within our family, how many can withstand public scrutiny? This is a nice and interesting story of hiding your past, to build a future. The main characters are very colorful, and the paths they choose are telling as the reasons they choose to hide them. Great Read with a great flow.
The secrets held within our family, how many can withstand public scrutiny? This is a nice and interesting story of hiding your past, to build a future. The main characters are very colorful, and the paths they choose are telling as the reasons they choose to hide them. Great Read with a great flow.
May 13, 2017
Wow! Beyond convoluted! And so many twists and turns still to be unraveled. I believe there is some patchwork in every one of us ...
November 3, 2018
This was my first book by Author D. B. Martin and I loved it!
March 26, 2019
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I literally could not put my reader down. This book is a page turner full of surprises. Cannot wait for the next book.
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