Night River

by Hugh MacMullan

The world of NIGHT RIVER is one in which the moon shines on a big blue-collar river while men blow things up for money, good cops toil alongside the corrupt, newspapers refuse to retract lies, human resource departments rule firms with arcane bureaucracy, and twin sisters just might be true opposites. Behold Ryan O’ naively anticipating a rewarding post-Marine Corps career when civilian life pokes him in the eye and transforms him into a person of unpremeditated action.

399 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 23, 2015

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

NIGHT RIVER by Hugh MacMullan is a book I found while surfing for a good October read. Like I don't have enough of my own! Love KU! The title sounded Octoberish so I checked it out and nope, not a scary but...I consider all corrupt cops, corps, and governments scary so I fudged and read it anyway. It was a good read and glad I did. Lots of intrigue and kept me entertained. It was a good October read after all!

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can tell this is a new author but he did a pretty good job. Maybe more of a 2.5 rating, but a light mystery read.

[Steve Battisti · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The characters were varied and well-developed. The dialogue (both internal and external) was witty and clever. The plot was interesting and moved at a quick clip. The main character is likeable and sympathetic. There were a few things that stretched the boundaries of plausibility, but I didn't think they stretched it so far as to be a distraction. It helped that this is based in Philly, so there were plenty of Philly references that resonated with me.

It's not going down in the annals of "best books I've ever picked up," but overall just an enjoyable read for me, and I'd totally pick up more books by this author. (I'd give it 4.5 stars if that were an option.) This was a good time, and I was a little sad to see it end, especially after the last few books I had tackled prior to this one!

[Marcena Kane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good little book

I liked this book. It was an easy read, not too long with no gratuitous violence or sex. The main character, Ryan, was likeable and I can see this as a series with some of the other people, like his boss, girlfriend, and uncle appearing in future books.



e some of the others

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a difficult time getting into this story at the beginning, but once I continued, I found it enjoyable. There were a lot of good descriptions, but at times, there was also too much detail that slowed the story down. Good plot and good characterizations.

[Dennis Plante · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This is the second time I have read this wonderful novel. It is a great story, will make you laugh, ponder life, and maybe shed a few tears. I highly recommend this book, I loved it.

[Robert L. Chadwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excitation!

Great writing. Holds the reader to the "edge". Mystery, military FBI, terrorism, dogs, love, and all the other good things that make a great book.😤

[Wanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tedious reading

To many non-story related sections. Too much side crap. Finished it but just barely. I probably will not seek out this author again.

[Bob Reim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had a Tough Time Putting It Down

Amazon's rating system is right on. A free book with 4.6 stars is a must read - adventure, light romance, good guy wins - can't miss.

[Willy Eckerslike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meet Ryan O’Brien, ex Marine. Meet Larke, his boat (reprised from the author’s first novel). Meet the stately Delaware River and Smokey the dog. Ryan (not Jack the CIA analyst) is hoping for a quiet period of reflection after his final tour of Afghanistan but that would make for a dull, introspective novel. Not surprisingly, in true Reacher style, he unintentionally gets embroiled in murder and sundry nefarious goings-on; definitely not dull and introspective.

Not having read any of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee novels I cannot make comparisons with that oeuvre but there is certainly more than a passing resemblance to Lee Child’s splendid righter-of-wrongs and a distinctly Clancy’esque attention to detail. The narrative bowls along at a cracking pace with never a dull moment, the plot lines are well constructed, the conclusion satisfactorily tidy and the main & supporting dramatis personae are all well developed, consistent and distinctive characters – even (especially?) the boat and the river.

A very well crafted novel by an author with a firm grip upon the language and the thriller genre, Night River could well be the start of a career defining series. Excellent stuff and I look forward to the next installment.

In the interest of full disclosure, a free copy of the book was provided by the author in return for an honest and unbiased review.

[Phillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the author's second book. I believe the first was an autobiography. I didn't read it. I like the story line of this book, but you can tell this author needs a little more seasoning.The main character, Ryan O'Brien, has returned home from the military, did his tour in Afghanistan and is now ready to be a grown-up. But first a night sail on his boat, with his dog Smokey where he encounters some not so good people on an island where one man is killed and O'Brien get arrested for the murder. Besides the bad guys, Ryan gets to meet a multitude of interesting people. One of course is a girl, along with some FBI, people, local police, a Reverend, some children, and the girl's wacky sister. I'm sure if the author write a sequel and continues with this character the writing will get better.