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Mike Romeo #1
Romeo's Rules
If you want to stay alive, you better know the rules . . .
Natalia Mayne said, “What's the first rule?”
“Fear nothing,” I said.
“You have any more?”
“Do unto them before they do unto you.”
“Really?”
”And you don’t owe the truth to people who lie."
“I’ve never met anybody like you.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
Mike Romeo is an ex-cage fighter living off the grid in Los Angeles. Running from a dark guilt that dogs him, he's finally found a place where he can rest and even heal.
Then a church blows up. And with it all of Romeo's hopes to be left alone. When he stops to help an injured woman whose kids are missing, someone decides to put a target on his back.
But whoever wants him dead picked the wrong guy. Because Romeo has rules––and he's going to make them stick.
Natalia Mayne said, “What's the first rule?”
“Fear nothing,” I said.
“You have any more?”
“Do unto them before they do unto you.”
“Really?”
”And you don’t owe the truth to people who lie."
“I’ve never met anybody like you.”
“I’ve heard that before.”
Mike Romeo is an ex-cage fighter living off the grid in Los Angeles. Running from a dark guilt that dogs him, he's finally found a place where he can rest and even heal.
Then a church blows up. And with it all of Romeo's hopes to be left alone. When he stops to help an injured woman whose kids are missing, someone decides to put a target on his back.
But whoever wants him dead picked the wrong guy. Because Romeo has rules––and he's going to make them stick.
260 pages, ebook
First published September 21, 2015
1759 people are currently reading
912 people want to read
About the author
James Scott Bell
132 books1,032 followersJim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 272 reviews
September 20, 2020
Excellent book.
Romeo, the hero, is a philosopher and a vigilante (sort of). His character's background is revealed slowly in the book so I won't spoil it.
He is keeping on the down-low in LA with a friend but gets involved in trying to help a woman find her kids. That is where everything gets more complicated.
The hero giving Latin quotes all the time and sharing his philosophical thoughts by quotes of philosophers of the past was at first interesting. A man with violent skills that thinks about his world. Then it got annoying...everyone and I mean everyone says, "you talk funny." Then I accepted that he is just that one person you know that shares the fact they think they more than you do-all the time. So I now accept his acting smart as part of his character.
Romeo is interesting, the story is interesting and full of action. I suggest you read it. This was book one in a series I will read the rest of the series.
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU. As of this writing 93% 5 and 4-star reviews on Amazon with 320+ reviews)
Romeo, the hero, is a philosopher and a vigilante (sort of). His character's background is revealed slowly in the book so I won't spoil it.
He is keeping on the down-low in LA with a friend but gets involved in trying to help a woman find her kids. That is where everything gets more complicated.
The hero giving Latin quotes all the time and sharing his philosophical thoughts by quotes of philosophers of the past was at first interesting. A man with violent skills that thinks about his world. Then it got annoying...everyone and I mean everyone says, "you talk funny." Then I accepted that he is just that one person you know that shares the fact they think they more than you do-all the time. So I now accept his acting smart as part of his character.
Romeo is interesting, the story is interesting and full of action. I suggest you read it. This was book one in a series I will read the rest of the series.
Review by Mike Slavin author of award-winning Kill Crime (action-packed thriller on Amazon to buy or KU. As of this writing 93% 5 and 4-star reviews on Amazon with 320+ reviews)
May 22, 2020
Excellent novel. Clear, crisp writing reminiscent of classic detective novels. A lovable, witty, wonderful main character. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next.
October 19, 2020
Protagonist Mike Romeo steals the show here with his pedantic wise guy sense of humor and martial arts "courage under fire" personality. He endeavors to help a woman rescue her kidnapped children from her billionaire ex husband and he's kidnapped, beaten and tortured by an assortment of bad guys for his efforts but always prevails with a smile on his battered face. It's a good read because it presents us with an original character in Romeo whose wise guy retorts, literary quotations and cage fighting expertise are worth the price of the book. I will continue reading the series because as Romeo would say; "Once more into the breach" with a smile on his face, and mine.
January 8, 2019
This was the first fiction I've read by James Scott Bell and it sure won't be the last! I was sucked in from the time I read the "look inside" on Amazon. I really liked the characters, especially Mike Romeo. I liked his smart-ass attitude and the bits of his history that we learned were fascinating. I did not see the ending coming! I've already ordered the other books in this series.:)
October 17, 2020
Five years ago, Mike Romeo became the latest heroic figure in male fantasy fiction. He checks many of the Jack Reacher boxes — and then some. Tall and muscular. Fearless and defiant in the face of mortal danger. A natural chick magnet. Skilled in MMA. Impertinent and quick to quip.
A “then some” is how Romeo likes to pepper his speech with Classical Literature quotes, which as Descartes said about the study of Philosophy, is designed to make him admired by the less learned. Indeed, the author spends a copious amount of print and a tiresome amount of time trying too hard to impress his readers that both he and Romeo are educated.
Another “then some” is his improbable sidekick, a former Mossad agent who’s also an Orthodox rabbi, so Romeo has at his disposal a world-class spy master and two millennia of Talmudic wisdom — though there’s scant evidence of either of these skills being utilized by the rabbi in this book.
Also unlike Reacher, Romeo speaks conversational Chinese, had been admitted to Yale University at age 14, plays chess like a champion, has a working knowledge of film noir, is a walking dictionary of obscure Latin phrases and is a veritable encyclopedia of trivia. You know, just your average everyday guy.
The author even copies Lee Child by dissecting each fight blow-by-blow to help readers who avoid physical confrontations in real life, experience the adrenaline rush: “I did a half-body turn to the left at the same time I grabbed his wrist and pushed down. With my right I gave him a hammer to the nose.”
But watching the Romeo character wisecrack and battle his way through so many death-defying situations soon becomes monotonous, and his philosophic references intended as sublime were instead sophomoric.
For example, David Hume, the British empiricist who Kant famously credits with waking him from his “dogmatic slumbers,” is essential to every college course in Modern Philosophy, but the writings of Thomas Reid are studied by virtually no one today except, apparently, Mike Romeo.
One final note. Every Superman needs a worthy adversary, and in this book we are led to believe that Romeo’s nemesis is a rich and powerful benefactor of the Democratic Party (no joke: see page 25). Of course, creating such a villain in today’s climate of cancel culture would suggest that the author has courage to rival Mike Romeo’s. But without me spoiling the ending, you may be disappointed to learn that he doesn’t.
A “then some” is how Romeo likes to pepper his speech with Classical Literature quotes, which as Descartes said about the study of Philosophy, is designed to make him admired by the less learned. Indeed, the author spends a copious amount of print and a tiresome amount of time trying too hard to impress his readers that both he and Romeo are educated.
Another “then some” is his improbable sidekick, a former Mossad agent who’s also an Orthodox rabbi, so Romeo has at his disposal a world-class spy master and two millennia of Talmudic wisdom — though there’s scant evidence of either of these skills being utilized by the rabbi in this book.
Also unlike Reacher, Romeo speaks conversational Chinese, had been admitted to Yale University at age 14, plays chess like a champion, has a working knowledge of film noir, is a walking dictionary of obscure Latin phrases and is a veritable encyclopedia of trivia. You know, just your average everyday guy.
The author even copies Lee Child by dissecting each fight blow-by-blow to help readers who avoid physical confrontations in real life, experience the adrenaline rush: “I did a half-body turn to the left at the same time I grabbed his wrist and pushed down. With my right I gave him a hammer to the nose.”
But watching the Romeo character wisecrack and battle his way through so many death-defying situations soon becomes monotonous, and his philosophic references intended as sublime were instead sophomoric.
For example, David Hume, the British empiricist who Kant famously credits with waking him from his “dogmatic slumbers,” is essential to every college course in Modern Philosophy, but the writings of Thomas Reid are studied by virtually no one today except, apparently, Mike Romeo.
One final note. Every Superman needs a worthy adversary, and in this book we are led to believe that Romeo’s nemesis is a rich and powerful benefactor of the Democratic Party (no joke: see page 25). Of course, creating such a villain in today’s climate of cancel culture would suggest that the author has courage to rival Mike Romeo’s. But without me spoiling the ending, you may be disappointed to learn that he doesn’t.
March 16, 2023
4.25🌟
Audiobook (narrated by James L. Rubart)
James Scott Bell’s books never disappoint me. Mike Romeo is a fascinating character. Intelligent, educated, and widely-read (as the author must be as well), he was also a professional fighter for a time. He’s running from personal pain, and I look forward to learning more of his story in future books.
Audiobook (narrated by James L. Rubart)
James Scott Bell’s books never disappoint me. Mike Romeo is a fascinating character. Intelligent, educated, and widely-read (as the author must be as well), he was also a professional fighter for a time. He’s running from personal pain, and I look forward to learning more of his story in future books.
May 4, 2021
Loved the action
A real winner of a book. Lots of action, good plot, likeable if not quirky main character. The ending seemed thrown together quickly in order to tie up the loose ends. It felt rushed and although satisfying, the outcome was told to the hero. He didn't figure it out himself. Satisfying but yet awkward. I'll read the next one in the series.
A real winner of a book. Lots of action, good plot, likeable if not quirky main character. The ending seemed thrown together quickly in order to tie up the loose ends. It felt rushed and although satisfying, the outcome was told to the hero. He didn't figure it out himself. Satisfying but yet awkward. I'll read the next one in the series.
May 31, 2022
When it comes to these ubiquitous series featuring detectives (licensed, police, amateur, etc.) solving crimes, there’s usually a formula. The formula that here, in this first-in-series of Mike Romeo’s adventures is worked pretty well to the author’s credit.
The protagonist traditionally has to be both quirky and damaged. Romeo’s both. But more of the former. A child prodigy son of Ivy League professors, he’s smart. Unapologetically randomly booksmart and not shy about it, confusing most people around him. Kinda funny about it too.
Otherwise, you have a pretty standard Jack Reacher-esque character – a giant musclebound, peripatetic dude with zero possessions, great fighting skills, and a strong sense of justice.
Romeo just kind of wants to mind his own business, but he gets involved with helping a pretty lady sort out the shambles of her marriage and ends up stepping on all sorts of toes. The toes belong to feet that try to kick him, but Romeo is the kind of guy who can take a kicking.
Soon everyone’s kicking everyone, those cats are fast as lightning. Scheming, manipulative, lying cats.
So yeah, it’s that kind of a book. But it reads quickly. And it entertains. The plot didn’t really do much for me, so the book rode solely on the strength and charm of Romeo as a character. And actually did ok, as such. Like most first books in series, this one was a kindle freebie. I might not be opposed to reading the next one…if it came along as a freebie too. But objectively, for people, who love these sorts of books, this one was nicely done and did a good job of attracting attention to the further adventures of Mike Romeo.
The protagonist traditionally has to be both quirky and damaged. Romeo’s both. But more of the former. A child prodigy son of Ivy League professors, he’s smart. Unapologetically randomly booksmart and not shy about it, confusing most people around him. Kinda funny about it too.
Otherwise, you have a pretty standard Jack Reacher-esque character – a giant musclebound, peripatetic dude with zero possessions, great fighting skills, and a strong sense of justice.
Romeo just kind of wants to mind his own business, but he gets involved with helping a pretty lady sort out the shambles of her marriage and ends up stepping on all sorts of toes. The toes belong to feet that try to kick him, but Romeo is the kind of guy who can take a kicking.
Soon everyone’s kicking everyone, those cats are fast as lightning. Scheming, manipulative, lying cats.
So yeah, it’s that kind of a book. But it reads quickly. And it entertains. The plot didn’t really do much for me, so the book rode solely on the strength and charm of Romeo as a character. And actually did ok, as such. Like most first books in series, this one was a kindle freebie. I might not be opposed to reading the next one…if it came along as a freebie too. But objectively, for people, who love these sorts of books, this one was nicely done and did a good job of attracting attention to the further adventures of Mike Romeo.
January 24, 2021
If you are searching for a book full of testosterone and Fight Club antics performed by a pretentious wannabe-intellectual, this is DEFINITELY the right read for you! On the other hand, should you prefer things like a believable plot and well-developed characters, with a minimum of unwarranted machismo, avoid this at all costs. If Mike Hammer, Hulk Hogan and Noam Chomsky had a weird threesome and simultaneously impregnated Jerry Springer, the result would be Mike Romeo, title character and a man able to engage in myriad pissing matches and win each and every one. He must have a seriously huge....amount of inner fortitude. Any further commentary on my part would probably consist of snippy little barbs, so before I go there....oh, wait...
September 9, 2018
A bibliophile's thriller
Mike Romeo (not his real name) should be a knockoff Jack Reacher, a vagabond wandering the American highways and byways kicking ass and serving justice... He turns out to be more than that.
Mike Romeo (not his real name) should be a knockoff Jack Reacher, a vagabond wandering the American highways and byways kicking ass and serving justice... He turns out to be more than that.
November 23, 2018
Romeo Wiseacre
This is a short book with a decent twist at the end. But the most enjoyable part is the wise cracking Romeo and his philosophy. Recommended.
This is a short book with a decent twist at the end. But the most enjoyable part is the wise cracking Romeo and his philosophy. Recommended.
December 14, 2018
Short take: enjoyed the narrative. Story was not great.
January 12, 2022
I found this book to be enjoyable, but I didn't like myself for enjoying it: the level of violence is considerably higher than I was comfortable with.
August 26, 2020
Fun! I was in the mood for some fast moving summertime reading, and this book delivered exactly that. I’ve read some of James Scott Bell’s books on the craft of fiction, and when I saw this title in my reading list I knew I wanted to try some of his actual fiction. I’m glad I did. I found Mike Romeo to be an interesting character. Of course there’s the tough guy thing, but a tendency to quote latin at the bad guys works for me. This was the first in a series, and I’m fairly certain I’ll read the others as well. I’m not a fan of grade inflation when handing out stars to books, but this one really did amuse me so five-stars it is. I’m a fan.
October 20, 2022
Romeo A Man of Reckoning
This was a good read. Romeo is a different kind of hero, who does what he has to to survive. Story line was good. Big D
This was a good read. Romeo is a different kind of hero, who does what he has to to survive. Story line was good. Big D
March 28, 2019
Mike Romeo is an former cage fighter trying to stay off the radar in Los Angeles—until he comes to the rescue of an attractive woman whose children are missing after a church bombing. Helping Natalia gains him some powerful—and violent—enemies, but Mike is not one to back down.
This is a noir-feel thriller, fairly clean but so violent in a couple of places that I skipped some pages. That said, it’s written with a pleasing dry humour. And Mike and his wheelchair-bound Rabbi friend Ira (a former Mossad agent) are seriously impressive in their skill sets.
Although this is a mainstream novel, the author’s Christian worldview comes through in a few places, never in a preachy way. The hero, Mike, is prone to highly intellectual philosophizing—often right before he has to lay somebody out. And violent as he can be toward criminals, he’s outspoken against domestic abuse.
Romeo’s Rules is the first in the Mike Romeo Thriller series. At the half-way mark (the bit I skipped) I thought it’d be the only one I could read, but after that scene it was manageable and I hope to read book 2, Romeo’s Way.
James Scott Bell also writes legal thrillers (including a few with zombie lawyers) and he’s a respected author of books on the craft of fiction writing. For more about the author and his work, visit jamesscottbell.com.
[Review copy from my personal library.]
This is a noir-feel thriller, fairly clean but so violent in a couple of places that I skipped some pages. That said, it’s written with a pleasing dry humour. And Mike and his wheelchair-bound Rabbi friend Ira (a former Mossad agent) are seriously impressive in their skill sets.
Although this is a mainstream novel, the author’s Christian worldview comes through in a few places, never in a preachy way. The hero, Mike, is prone to highly intellectual philosophizing—often right before he has to lay somebody out. And violent as he can be toward criminals, he’s outspoken against domestic abuse.
Romeo’s Rules is the first in the Mike Romeo Thriller series. At the half-way mark (the bit I skipped) I thought it’d be the only one I could read, but after that scene it was manageable and I hope to read book 2, Romeo’s Way.
James Scott Bell also writes legal thrillers (including a few with zombie lawyers) and he’s a respected author of books on the craft of fiction writing. For more about the author and his work, visit jamesscottbell.com.
[Review copy from my personal library.]
September 30, 2015
Mike Romeo is an ex cage fighter on the run from his past. All he wants is to escape and maybe, finally, make peace with life. But then the church explodes, and he discovers someone's covering up a murder.
"To survive means to fight. There is never any rest. You've either got enemies outside, inside, or both."
Rule #1: Fear Nothing.
Mike has nothing to lose, which is his downfall and his strength, and he digs deep to find the men responsible not only for the murder but the vicious attempts on his life.
Rule #2: Do unto them before they do unto you.
He's learned the hard way that you can't always be the nice guy and come out on top. Or alive. Mike's not a guy who goes looking for trouble simply for the fun of it, but this is different. This is personal. You don't mess with Mike without bleeding.
Rule #3: You don’t owe the truth to people who lie.
And the lies run deep in this thriller. Who can Mike trust? With only one true friend and enemies lining up with each twist and turn, Mike just might be down for the count... but anyone who believes that doesn't know Mike Romeo.
Romeo's Rules is a fantastic culmination of James Scott Bell's best works to date. Taking the noir genre into the 21st century, this series mixes the grit of Ty Buchanan, the fight of Jimmy Gallagher, and the introspection and wit of Sister Justicia Marie into a suspenseful blend all its own. Some of Mike's hilarious quips would be perfect for the big screen and had me cracking up. Bell also proves with Romeo's Rules that you can write a gritty thriller without resorting to foul language. Highly recommended for those who like a little edge in their books but don't want to feel like they rolled around in the gutter. I'd love to see this book made into a movie!
"To survive means to fight. There is never any rest. You've either got enemies outside, inside, or both."
Rule #1: Fear Nothing.
Mike has nothing to lose, which is his downfall and his strength, and he digs deep to find the men responsible not only for the murder but the vicious attempts on his life.
Rule #2: Do unto them before they do unto you.
He's learned the hard way that you can't always be the nice guy and come out on top. Or alive. Mike's not a guy who goes looking for trouble simply for the fun of it, but this is different. This is personal. You don't mess with Mike without bleeding.
Rule #3: You don’t owe the truth to people who lie.
And the lies run deep in this thriller. Who can Mike trust? With only one true friend and enemies lining up with each twist and turn, Mike just might be down for the count... but anyone who believes that doesn't know Mike Romeo.
Romeo's Rules is a fantastic culmination of James Scott Bell's best works to date. Taking the noir genre into the 21st century, this series mixes the grit of Ty Buchanan, the fight of Jimmy Gallagher, and the introspection and wit of Sister Justicia Marie into a suspenseful blend all its own. Some of Mike's hilarious quips would be perfect for the big screen and had me cracking up. Bell also proves with Romeo's Rules that you can write a gritty thriller without resorting to foul language. Highly recommended for those who like a little edge in their books but don't want to feel like they rolled around in the gutter. I'd love to see this book made into a movie!
January 16, 2017
Los Angeles, CA. Our Lady of Church.
Natalia jog by this church all the time. BOOM!
Officer Huck (LAPD) arrived on the scene on long the LAFD.
Natalia Mayne (wealthy business woman) informed him there was a body in the church & it wasn’t from the arson.
Detective John Davis (40+, LAPD) was on the scene also.
Natalia 2 kids: Brianna (girl), & Sam (boy) are nowhere to be found.
Mike Romeo (PI, ex-cage fighter, Yale) offers to help find them.
Stephen (Nurse) was looking at Phil’s vitals,
Officer Valenzuela came to ask him a few questions.
Phil Rizzoli (aka Mike) was going to see Mark David Mayne (Billionaire, ex-husband/father, software designer).
FBI SA Dominic Posting, & Agent Holly Samara (DEA) caught up with him 1st.
Will Mike find Natalie’s kids?
Will he wrap his other cases he is working on?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Author; Compendium Press; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Natalia jog by this church all the time. BOOM!
Officer Huck (LAPD) arrived on the scene on long the LAFD.
Natalia Mayne (wealthy business woman) informed him there was a body in the church & it wasn’t from the arson.
Detective John Davis (40+, LAPD) was on the scene also.
Natalia 2 kids: Brianna (girl), & Sam (boy) are nowhere to be found.
Mike Romeo (PI, ex-cage fighter, Yale) offers to help find them.
Stephen (Nurse) was looking at Phil’s vitals,
Officer Valenzuela came to ask him a few questions.
Phil Rizzoli (aka Mike) was going to see Mark David Mayne (Billionaire, ex-husband/father, software designer).
FBI SA Dominic Posting, & Agent Holly Samara (DEA) caught up with him 1st.
Will Mike find Natalie’s kids?
Will he wrap his other cases he is working on?
I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.
A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free Goodreads; Author; Compendium Press; Amazon Digital Services LLC; book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
November 12, 2016
James Scott Bell's signature writing voice and storytelling mastery hit a new high watermark for me with this first book in his new Mike Romeo thriller series. A masterful blend of action, suspense, wry humor in just the right moments, and...I will say nothing about the ending, because I don't want to give any hints to spoil it in the least. I'm starting book two, Romeo's Way, tonight, and can't wait for more stories featuring Bell's compelling character Romeo. If there were six stars, that'd be my rating. Outstanding entertainment!
July 6, 2022
DNF. There is no plot or story just the 'hero' pontificating about how much philosophy and literature he has read, how he's a world chess genius, top world cage fighter, takes multiple beatings that would cripple or kill any other living being but can walk away by thinking about greek philosophy so it takes him to another place mentally. He also gets away with being an international man of mystery and while beaten to a pulp still has random old lady strangers to give him money and help. Yet, he didn't go to school.
January 7, 2017
I loved Romeo's Rules and the hero, Mike Romeo and I love the nod to John D. MacDonald and Travis McGee. Bell has created a flawed hero who is fighting his own demons at the same time he gets pulled into others' messes. I look forward to more stories about Mike Romeo!
July 31, 2017
Good book, fast read
Very enjoyable start to the series. The writing is fast-paced and clipped, very much like an old school detective novel. Recommended.
Very enjoyable start to the series. The writing is fast-paced and clipped, very much like an old school detective novel. Recommended.
June 1, 2022
This is the first time I’m reading a novel by James Scott Bell. I have two of his bestselling books about writing that are sitting on my bookshelf (Write Great Fiction - Plot & Structure and Write Great Fiction - Revision & Self- Editing) so I knew I was in for a treat.
Let’s meet Mike Romeo, a man on the run from some trouble in Texas only to find more trouble and his past catching up with him in L.A. He is staying with Ira Rosen, his gregarious friend, former Mossad, current rabbi, and lawyer. Things take a turn when Mike’s on a morning run and while stopping to talk to a woman about flowers, a church explodes. He rushes in to help only to find a guy murdered inside it and a beautiful and distraught woman, Natalia Mayne has lost her kids.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns with Mike being kidnapped, tortured, wrangling his way out with a few dead bodies along the way. His intellect baffles the bad guys who have no clue what he is talking about when he spews off Latin words and quotes from various books. He possesses that great combination of brains and brawn, and good looks too.
Overall, I loved the storyline. James Scott Bell did a great job: descriptive scenes, character development, motivation, smart dialogue, and realistic fight scenes. I enjoyed some similes evoking a nice visual: “Feeling like a romance cover, I pulled what was left of my T-shirt over my middle and walked Natalia inside.” I also enjoyed the banter between Mike and Ira as they both tried to figure out who was after Mike and why. According to Natalia, it was her ex-husband but was that really the truth? The journey to the truth was quite a surprise!
This is a must read. Two thumbs up!
Some of my favorite lines:
I sat on the bench next to her. “How about we let Ira do what he does and you tell me about your husband, what was it, Mark?”
“Ex-husband.” She said it with a mix of anger and fear. An emotional cocktail. There’s a theory from the Gnostics about reading the soul, that it is done through the eyes and is seen most clearly when the two observers are similar in nature.
If that was true, I was seeing something of myself in Natalia Mayne. Someone who wanted to get along if she could, but if she was pushed was going to push back, and hard.
“You’ve heard of Mark David Mayne,” she said.
“Haven’t heard of him.”
“Do you know how mad he’d be if he heard you say that?”
“And that should concern me why?”
“Because he’s a man who does not like to lose at anything.”
“I can relate to that,” I said.
Let’s meet Mike Romeo, a man on the run from some trouble in Texas only to find more trouble and his past catching up with him in L.A. He is staying with Ira Rosen, his gregarious friend, former Mossad, current rabbi, and lawyer. Things take a turn when Mike’s on a morning run and while stopping to talk to a woman about flowers, a church explodes. He rushes in to help only to find a guy murdered inside it and a beautiful and distraught woman, Natalia Mayne has lost her kids.
The story takes a lot of twists and turns with Mike being kidnapped, tortured, wrangling his way out with a few dead bodies along the way. His intellect baffles the bad guys who have no clue what he is talking about when he spews off Latin words and quotes from various books. He possesses that great combination of brains and brawn, and good looks too.
Overall, I loved the storyline. James Scott Bell did a great job: descriptive scenes, character development, motivation, smart dialogue, and realistic fight scenes. I enjoyed some similes evoking a nice visual: “Feeling like a romance cover, I pulled what was left of my T-shirt over my middle and walked Natalia inside.” I also enjoyed the banter between Mike and Ira as they both tried to figure out who was after Mike and why. According to Natalia, it was her ex-husband but was that really the truth? The journey to the truth was quite a surprise!
This is a must read. Two thumbs up!
Some of my favorite lines:
I sat on the bench next to her. “How about we let Ira do what he does and you tell me about your husband, what was it, Mark?”
“Ex-husband.” She said it with a mix of anger and fear. An emotional cocktail. There’s a theory from the Gnostics about reading the soul, that it is done through the eyes and is seen most clearly when the two observers are similar in nature.
If that was true, I was seeing something of myself in Natalia Mayne. Someone who wanted to get along if she could, but if she was pushed was going to push back, and hard.
“You’ve heard of Mark David Mayne,” she said.
“Haven’t heard of him.”
“Do you know how mad he’d be if he heard you say that?”
“And that should concern me why?”
“Because he’s a man who does not like to lose at anything.”
“I can relate to that,” I said.
July 20, 2019
I had previously read Bell’s book Write Your Novel From the Middle, but I’d never read any of his fiction before.
Mike Romeo is a former cage fighter out for a jog when he hears an explosion and ascertains that its location is a nearby church with a day care center. He runs over to see if he can be of help and finds Natalia, an injured mother who doesn’t know where her two children are. He runs inside the church to look for them, but instead finds the body of an adult male.
When police arrive, Mike will not give them his name. He tells them about the body inside the church and tells them he wasn’t killed by the explosion. He figures out that Natalia is in a custody battle for her kids and theorizes that they were kidnapped. And he commits himself to finding them.
Natalia’s ex-husband, billionaire Mark David Mayne, is powerful and with unlimited resources and used to getting his own way. Mike suspects Mayne is behind the explosion, the murder, and the missing children. He enlists the help of his friend, Ira, a wheelchair-bound rabbi (and former Mossad agent) with whom he is staying temporarily.
Not to give away too much, let’s just say that during the course of his investigation, Mike suffers a great deal of pain. He also gives as good as he gets. If you can’t stomach violence, this is not the story for you, because Mike kills a lot of people, mostly because they were trying to kill him first.
However, there is also much good stuff in this book. For example, while trying to get from Phoenix to Los Angeles, Mike is helped out by a man who drives him part way and then buys him a bus ticket. He tells Mike a great story about a time he was flat broke and luck intervened.
The novel has many twists and turns, and I did not anticipate the ending. Romeo’s Rules is the first of a series, and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
Mike Romeo is a former cage fighter out for a jog when he hears an explosion and ascertains that its location is a nearby church with a day care center. He runs over to see if he can be of help and finds Natalia, an injured mother who doesn’t know where her two children are. He runs inside the church to look for them, but instead finds the body of an adult male.
When police arrive, Mike will not give them his name. He tells them about the body inside the church and tells them he wasn’t killed by the explosion. He figures out that Natalia is in a custody battle for her kids and theorizes that they were kidnapped. And he commits himself to finding them.
Natalia’s ex-husband, billionaire Mark David Mayne, is powerful and with unlimited resources and used to getting his own way. Mike suspects Mayne is behind the explosion, the murder, and the missing children. He enlists the help of his friend, Ira, a wheelchair-bound rabbi (and former Mossad agent) with whom he is staying temporarily.
Not to give away too much, let’s just say that during the course of his investigation, Mike suffers a great deal of pain. He also gives as good as he gets. If you can’t stomach violence, this is not the story for you, because Mike kills a lot of people, mostly because they were trying to kill him first.
However, there is also much good stuff in this book. For example, while trying to get from Phoenix to Los Angeles, Mike is helped out by a man who drives him part way and then buys him a bus ticket. He tells Mike a great story about a time he was flat broke and luck intervened.
The novel has many twists and turns, and I did not anticipate the ending. Romeo’s Rules is the first of a series, and I am looking forward to reading the next installment.
June 15, 2025
This story is an action-packed mystery. It relies mostly on the physical action to keep the reader interested as opposed to cleverly uncovering clues. The main character is Mike Romeo who was a philosophy major when he attended Yale University and a former cage-fighter. He did not graduate from any college. But he talks a lot about philosophy as he goes about his day. His philosophy knowledge is how he has developed his rules to live by. He has retired from cage-fighting and apparently, he now occupies his time by stepping in and assisting “little or powerless” people who need justice. In this story, he meets a woman who tells Mike her two young children are missing and her former husband probably abducted them. The former husband is a well- connected, wealthy real estate developer. Mike is not a licensed private investigator nor is he connected to any law enforcement agency. Mike is an undefined man of mystery and a free-lance corrector of injustices who feels honor bound to balance the scales of justice. Mike takes on the investigation concerning the missing children. Mike’s investigation technique is a bit rough. There is no subtlety to Mike’s style. He butts into places he doesn’t belong and asks very pointed and accusatory questions. This makes powerful people mad and, in this story, they use physical intimidation to scare Mike off. As such, Mike receives some severe beatings during this investigation. The character development could use more detail. The dialogue encompasses too much philosophical theory and refences. That got boring after a while. But there are plenty of well-written action scenes and in the end, you’ll be rooting for Mike to succeed.
March 21, 2022
An unexpected treasure
I have a good number of books by James Scott Bell - all of them about writing fiction (I'm a novelist myself) but for some reason, the thought that a writer of those books must also be a damn fine novelist as well never occurred to me. Sometimes the things standing right before you are the hardest to see ...
When I decided to buy this book, I didn't expect to read it all immediately, in one sitting. I had things to do today. I said to myself, "I'll just read one chapter, just to get the feel of it," not knowing this book has no chapters. So, in a sense, I did - I read it, start to finish, in one big bite.
Mike Romeo is a welcome mix of Spencer and Jack Reacher, but with his own distinctive twist. He is very well-educated, very well-read, and not at all pretentious. He is his own man, leaving others baffled as they try to figure him out. Yet he doesn't leave the reader baffled - just intrigued, which is a whole 'nother thing. Another good thing - the city of Los Angeles is virtually another character, which is a very good thing.
The story is a present-day Noir-sryle detective mystery, compelling and unexpected, with more twists and turns than a sidewinder rattlesnake. The voice is compelling first person, and the character has quite the arresting voice. I really like his unpretentious style and many sarcastic, cynical acerbic self-commentaries.
I am glad to note that this story is the first of six Mike Romeo mysteries, as I plan to read them all.
I have a good number of books by James Scott Bell - all of them about writing fiction (I'm a novelist myself) but for some reason, the thought that a writer of those books must also be a damn fine novelist as well never occurred to me. Sometimes the things standing right before you are the hardest to see ...
When I decided to buy this book, I didn't expect to read it all immediately, in one sitting. I had things to do today. I said to myself, "I'll just read one chapter, just to get the feel of it," not knowing this book has no chapters. So, in a sense, I did - I read it, start to finish, in one big bite.
Mike Romeo is a welcome mix of Spencer and Jack Reacher, but with his own distinctive twist. He is very well-educated, very well-read, and not at all pretentious. He is his own man, leaving others baffled as they try to figure him out. Yet he doesn't leave the reader baffled - just intrigued, which is a whole 'nother thing. Another good thing - the city of Los Angeles is virtually another character, which is a very good thing.
The story is a present-day Noir-sryle detective mystery, compelling and unexpected, with more twists and turns than a sidewinder rattlesnake. The voice is compelling first person, and the character has quite the arresting voice. I really like his unpretentious style and many sarcastic, cynical acerbic self-commentaries.
I am glad to note that this story is the first of six Mike Romeo mysteries, as I plan to read them all.
June 19, 2018
If you want to stay alive, you better know the rules . . .
What a beginning. Church blows up. Romeo stops to help a mother whose children are missing. Someone puts a target on Romeo's back.
Romeo has rules that he's going to make stick. A cage fighter who fights for the underdog. If I had to guess, Mike was a type "A" personality. Maybe the oldest in his family felt responsible to take care of people, the less fortunate.
Killing a man does something to your soul. Romeo never wanted to be a killer. What he wanted to be, when he was twelve, was chess champion of the world. He also wanted to go back in time to prevent what happened to him on a dark Tuesday when he was eighteen. But, trouble seemed to follow him.
Written in first person, present tense.
Description of one man: A smallish man with a white walrus mustache. "I thought he'd look good guarding the doors of Oz."
Quarter in hand, Mike says, "I flip you for it." Then he flips the guy. "Heads, I win." -funny stuff.
I like this character, Mike Romeo. He messes with people and has a smart mouth, brain also. I look forward to the next book in this series.
What a beginning. Church blows up. Romeo stops to help a mother whose children are missing. Someone puts a target on Romeo's back.
Romeo has rules that he's going to make stick. A cage fighter who fights for the underdog. If I had to guess, Mike was a type "A" personality. Maybe the oldest in his family felt responsible to take care of people, the less fortunate.
Killing a man does something to your soul. Romeo never wanted to be a killer. What he wanted to be, when he was twelve, was chess champion of the world. He also wanted to go back in time to prevent what happened to him on a dark Tuesday when he was eighteen. But, trouble seemed to follow him.
Written in first person, present tense.
Description of one man: A smallish man with a white walrus mustache. "I thought he'd look good guarding the doors of Oz."
Quarter in hand, Mike says, "I flip you for it." Then he flips the guy. "Heads, I win." -funny stuff.
I like this character, Mike Romeo. He messes with people and has a smart mouth, brain also. I look forward to the next book in this series.
January 29, 2021
Mike Romeo is a former cage fighter with a Yale education and a past he is running from. As book one in the series begins, Mike is living in Los Angeles with his friend, Ira - a retired Mossad agent turned rabbi - to heal after an attack in San Antonio (this is never explained). Out for a jog one day, Mike hears an explosion and races around the corner to help where he meets an injured woman looking for her kids. They go into a church, which is where the bomb that exploded was, and find a man dead from a gunshot wound.
What follows is a dizzying tale of deceit, greed, and violence. Mike likes Latin phrases and quotes from classic literature, along with big words and unique ways of speaking. The dialogue is witty and the action is good. However, there is quite a bit of philosophy and navel-gazing thrown in which gets tiresome after a while. Parts of Mike's past are explained, and others are left unanswered. The resolution of the story is convoluted.
Overall, this is a decent beginning to the series. There is no profanity or sex scenes. The violence is at a level expected for this genre. Fans of Jack Reacher and other equalizer stories will enjoy this.
What follows is a dizzying tale of deceit, greed, and violence. Mike likes Latin phrases and quotes from classic literature, along with big words and unique ways of speaking. The dialogue is witty and the action is good. However, there is quite a bit of philosophy and navel-gazing thrown in which gets tiresome after a while. Parts of Mike's past are explained, and others are left unanswered. The resolution of the story is convoluted.
Overall, this is a decent beginning to the series. There is no profanity or sex scenes. The violence is at a level expected for this genre. Fans of Jack Reacher and other equalizer stories will enjoy this.
December 8, 2022
This is a very fun novel packed with action from the first moment to the last. The hero, Romeo, is a former mixed martial arts fighter with devastating physical skills who gets involved in trying to find the kidnapper of two children. He knows he shouldn’t get involved and he makes a half-hearted effort to stop being involved, but the bad guys are worried about him and won’t let him stay out of their trouble. So, they hurt him really bad and he starts hurting them back. There really isn’t anything more to this book. It’s a lot of fighting. There was one thing, however, that bothered me a lot. Romeo believes he has a constitutional right to not tell the police anything about himself even when he is reporting a crime or being questioned about one. Anyone who watches any of the live cop shows knows that once the police begin investigating a crime or potential crime, that right goes straight out the window. Not cooperating is obstruction. But every cop Romeo runs into lets him walk away without even leaving his name. And that was a serious flaw in the story because it threatened my suspension of disbelief. But I still had a lot of fun reading it.
May 20, 2020
An intelligent, well-read main character
There are four in the Romeo series and this is the first. I hadn’t read anything by Jim Bell previously but the plot sounded interesting and I am a sucker for a good thriller.
Mike Romeo is a shadowy figure, an ex-cage fighter, who tries whenever possible to live under the radar. He is passing a church and school when an explosion shatters the peace and spoils everyone’s day. He assists one individual, who begs him to find her children who appear to be missing and that’s when the fun starts.
It’s very unusual to find a central character who is tough, kind-hearted and principled as well as intelligent and well-read. Romeo is a man of honour who lives by his own set of admirable rules. The plot was complex and fast-moving but varied which gives the reader time to breathe and reflect. Any change in pace maintains the interest of the reader and James Scott Bell is clearly a master of storytelling. I look forward to reading more of his work.
mr zorg
Elite Reviewing Group purchased a copy of the book to review
There are four in the Romeo series and this is the first. I hadn’t read anything by Jim Bell previously but the plot sounded interesting and I am a sucker for a good thriller.
Mike Romeo is a shadowy figure, an ex-cage fighter, who tries whenever possible to live under the radar. He is passing a church and school when an explosion shatters the peace and spoils everyone’s day. He assists one individual, who begs him to find her children who appear to be missing and that’s when the fun starts.
It’s very unusual to find a central character who is tough, kind-hearted and principled as well as intelligent and well-read. Romeo is a man of honour who lives by his own set of admirable rules. The plot was complex and fast-moving but varied which gives the reader time to breathe and reflect. Any change in pace maintains the interest of the reader and James Scott Bell is clearly a master of storytelling. I look forward to reading more of his work.
mr zorg
Elite Reviewing Group purchased a copy of the book to review
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