What do you think?
Rate this book
Lucky Dey #2
99 Percent Kill
When the real enemy is closer than you think...
Lucky Dey is at it again. This time, the on-again/off-again Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy is more willful and acerbic than he's ever been before. Awaiting his official reinstatement, Lucky accepts a one-time gig to track down the missing teenage daughter of a Midwestern millionaire.
Determined to find the girl, Lucky tangles with Tinseltown’s dark underbelly
to locate the millionaire's daughter. Winding his way through an L.A. landscape where the lights are bright, but reality can be murky and perilous, Lucky is trapped in a trafficking web, entangled with vile human predators. But bringing the girl home safely becomes more dangerous than he expects. For the first time ever, the payoff might not be worth the price.
Lucky Dey is at it again. This time, the on-again/off-again Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy is more willful and acerbic than he's ever been before. Awaiting his official reinstatement, Lucky accepts a one-time gig to track down the missing teenage daughter of a Midwestern millionaire.
Determined to find the girl, Lucky tangles with Tinseltown’s dark underbelly
to locate the millionaire's daughter. Winding his way through an L.A. landscape where the lights are bright, but reality can be murky and perilous, Lucky is trapped in a trafficking web, entangled with vile human predators. But bringing the girl home safely becomes more dangerous than he expects. For the first time ever, the payoff might not be worth the price.
Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2015
60 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
Doug Richardson
21 books49 followersDoug’s third grade teacher, Mrs. Dalrymple, wrote that “Doug has difficulty with authority and following instructions.”
Doug Richardson cut his teeth writing movies like DIE HARD 2, BAD BOYS, and HOSTAGE. But scratch the surface and discover he thinks there’s a killer inside all of us. His Lucky Dey books exist between the gutter and the glitter of a morally suspect landscape he calls Luckyland—aka Los Angeles—the city of Doug’s birth and where he lives with his wife, two children, four big mutts, and the dead body he’s still semi-convinced is buried in his San Fernando Valley back yard.
Want to know more?
Doug…
…once tail-hooked onto aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz with a Bond Girl.
…dove for sunken treasure off the coast of Cuba (before travelling to Cuba was cool).
…miraculously hit scratch at age 50 after a lifetime of playing golf.
…was born and raised in politics, which is why he understands it… and thoroughly loathes it.
…routinely embarrasses his children by crying at the movies.
…finds pleasure in scotch. Blended or single malt. Rocks. Even better with a cigar.
…talked his way into Ronald Reagan’s office to get a fistful of jellybeans at age ten.
…believes he needn’t turn in his “man card” because he loves musical theater.
Doug Richardson cut his teeth writing movies like DIE HARD 2, BAD BOYS, and HOSTAGE. But scratch the surface and discover he thinks there’s a killer inside all of us. His Lucky Dey books exist between the gutter and the glitter of a morally suspect landscape he calls Luckyland—aka Los Angeles—the city of Doug’s birth and where he lives with his wife, two children, four big mutts, and the dead body he’s still semi-convinced is buried in his San Fernando Valley back yard.
Want to know more?
Doug…
…once tail-hooked onto aircraft carrier U.S.S. Nimitz with a Bond Girl.
…dove for sunken treasure off the coast of Cuba (before travelling to Cuba was cool).
…miraculously hit scratch at age 50 after a lifetime of playing golf.
…was born and raised in politics, which is why he understands it… and thoroughly loathes it.
…routinely embarrasses his children by crying at the movies.
…finds pleasure in scotch. Blended or single malt. Rocks. Even better with a cigar.
…talked his way into Ronald Reagan’s office to get a fistful of jellybeans at age ten.
…believes he needn’t turn in his “man card” because he loves musical theater.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
August 10, 2015
I love reading novels written by screenwriters because character/location descriptions are concise and plot points turn quickly. Lucky Dey is a fun character, a guy that literally jumps off the page. I found the missing rich girl case intriguing as well and the action sequence at the end very satisfying. It's not easy to write action in a novel without a director to make your scenes come to life, but somehow Doug Richardson pulls it off. I look forward to reading the next installment soon.
November 28, 2015
I don’t know where to start. This book was a profound, violent, sexy, slap to the hard-boiled face that kept me guessing to the end. When I finished, I wanted to eat a whole cake, down two shots of whiskey, and take a scalding shower all at the same time. Doug Richardson knows how to operate a roller coaster of orchestrated chaos and keep you strapped in until the end. His main character, down and out Los Angeles detective, Lucas “Lucky” Dey is a guy who has grown on me exponentially since the end of Blood Money. I find myself cheering for Lucky- who screwballs between living up to his name and being cursed by it. He’s believable and oddly relatable even if he gets himself into the most harrowing array of dangerous situations.
This time, Lucky is tasked with finding the teenage runaway of a Wisconsin millionaire. What ensues is a fascinating tale of interweaving lives and impressionable characters- whether they are good or bad. Andrew: the desperate, wimpy father, Herm: the sleazy casting agent, Gabe: the a**hole photographer, Cherry Pie: the stripper with a heart of gold… who has the audacity to hate the Warrant song, and a slew of others add to this suspenseful funhouse of vivid detailed gritty city noir. Even if I don’t know some of the areas Richardson puts me in, I see it clearly. Kudos to that.
Somewhere near the beginning, Lucky says, “Plenty of Ugly in LA.” He wasn’t kidding- and that sentence really hit me as I waded through the last few chapters. By the end, I felt so strongly for some of the characters that for first time in awhile I got mad at the author for bringing on the feels and leaving me not knowing which way was up. Usually, I’m pretty understanding when it comes to character decision making- even if it ticks me off, but I found myself getting more attached to these characters than in previous recent reads. I forgive him, but damn.
That being said, I loved this book. LOVED it. I had been in such a reading funk lately that I was so glad to have Lucky pull me right out, cast me some side-eye from the driver’s seat of his (borrowed) crappy Crown Vic, take a swig of his Diet Coke/Mountain Dew mix and tell me to read faster. I can’t wait for the next book.
This time, Lucky is tasked with finding the teenage runaway of a Wisconsin millionaire. What ensues is a fascinating tale of interweaving lives and impressionable characters- whether they are good or bad. Andrew: the desperate, wimpy father, Herm: the sleazy casting agent, Gabe: the a**hole photographer, Cherry Pie: the stripper with a heart of gold… who has the audacity to hate the Warrant song, and a slew of others add to this suspenseful funhouse of vivid detailed gritty city noir. Even if I don’t know some of the areas Richardson puts me in, I see it clearly. Kudos to that.
Somewhere near the beginning, Lucky says, “Plenty of Ugly in LA.” He wasn’t kidding- and that sentence really hit me as I waded through the last few chapters. By the end, I felt so strongly for some of the characters that for first time in awhile I got mad at the author for bringing on the feels and leaving me not knowing which way was up. Usually, I’m pretty understanding when it comes to character decision making- even if it ticks me off, but I found myself getting more attached to these characters than in previous recent reads. I forgive him, but damn.
That being said, I loved this book. LOVED it. I had been in such a reading funk lately that I was so glad to have Lucky pull me right out, cast me some side-eye from the driver’s seat of his (borrowed) crappy Crown Vic, take a swig of his Diet Coke/Mountain Dew mix and tell me to read faster. I can’t wait for the next book.
August 22, 2015
Review: 99 PERCENT KILL by Doug Richardson
If you've a taste for dark, gritty, hard-driving, cut-to-the-bone Hollywood--L. A. Noir, 99 PERCENT KILL delivers, to the max. Throughout the book, I kept imagining scenes playing out on the silver screen--and then discovered the author is an acclaimed screenwriter. Protagonist Lucky Dee [often not lucky at all] is a sometimes sheriff's deputy for L. A. County, who gets into private investigation at the bequest of a valued friend. On the surface, the quest is simple: locate the fifteen-year-old runaway daughter of a wealthy Milwaukee businessman. Not so simple--like kachina dolls, there are secrets inside secrets inside riddles. The climax and denouement are spectacular and unforgettable. Luckily for readers, Lucky Dey is expected to reappear.
If you've a taste for dark, gritty, hard-driving, cut-to-the-bone Hollywood--L. A. Noir, 99 PERCENT KILL delivers, to the max. Throughout the book, I kept imagining scenes playing out on the silver screen--and then discovered the author is an acclaimed screenwriter. Protagonist Lucky Dee [often not lucky at all] is a sometimes sheriff's deputy for L. A. County, who gets into private investigation at the bequest of a valued friend. On the surface, the quest is simple: locate the fifteen-year-old runaway daughter of a wealthy Milwaukee businessman. Not so simple--like kachina dolls, there are secrets inside secrets inside riddles. The climax and denouement are spectacular and unforgettable. Luckily for readers, Lucky Dey is expected to reappear.
August 8, 2015
"99 Percent Kill" by Doug Richardson will be published on August 15, 2015. I agreed to review this book for Mr. Richardson because with the request to review he included some of his accomplishments as a writer. I was very intrigued to find out that he had written previous books that had been "developed as movies for Twentieth Century Fox and MGM" and that he had been a screenwriter on "Diehard 2" and "Hostages".
The book opens with us getting to know our main character Lucas Dey, also known as Lucky. Lucky is a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detective who is hoping to be reinstated soon. As he awaits his recall back to active duty Lucky takes on a lucrative case, finding the missing fifteen year old daughter of a Wisconsin software millionaire. Lucky assumes that with his skill, this girl won't be that hard to find. What he doesn't factor into this equation is that the girl's father wants to tag along with Lucky. Andrew Kaarlsen's thought process goes like this, "I'm this girl's father and I'm paying you fifty thousand dollars. I'm coming along whether you like it or not.". So starts this harrowing chase through the underbelly of LA.
What we learn throughout this book is there are predators always trolling for the perfect girl who can be easily manipulated, used and abused. I didn't find it unbelievable to come across a handful of men who wanted to exploit the beautiful young flesh around them. I did wish several times that the world wasn't like this though.
The first half of the book we spend our time learning about Lucky and Andrew as characters, as Lucky uses his considerable skills to track Andrew's daughter across LA. When the reader crosses the fifty percent mark of the book, the excitement increases. Now it becomes a game of wits, who will win, Lucky and the desperate father or the predators who want to exploit Andrew's beautiful young daughter.
I found my enjoyment of this book changing quite dramatically across time. At first I was interested in continuing to read even though the excitement wasn't there. In the second half of the book my enjoyment rose to a four out of five star as Lucky got closer to finding the missing girl. We also got to know each character even more intimately. In the end though, I was slightly disappointed when the writer seemed to forget he was not writing a screen play, but a book. In the last several pages an incident happens that would play very well on screen as it would be akin to the last "blow up" scene in a good shoot-em up movie. But because this is a book, I was left thinking, "what was that?".
I give this book a reserved four out of five star rating. I'd suggest ignoring the last several pages of "99 Percent Kill". The true ending that happens several pages before the last page is truly satisfying, if sad. It wraps up the details beautifully. The final scene was unnecessary and took this book from a five of five down a peg. I know this character, Lucky, will do well as a series regular and I look forward to the next installment.
The book opens with us getting to know our main character Lucas Dey, also known as Lucky. Lucky is a former Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detective who is hoping to be reinstated soon. As he awaits his recall back to active duty Lucky takes on a lucrative case, finding the missing fifteen year old daughter of a Wisconsin software millionaire. Lucky assumes that with his skill, this girl won't be that hard to find. What he doesn't factor into this equation is that the girl's father wants to tag along with Lucky. Andrew Kaarlsen's thought process goes like this, "I'm this girl's father and I'm paying you fifty thousand dollars. I'm coming along whether you like it or not.". So starts this harrowing chase through the underbelly of LA.
What we learn throughout this book is there are predators always trolling for the perfect girl who can be easily manipulated, used and abused. I didn't find it unbelievable to come across a handful of men who wanted to exploit the beautiful young flesh around them. I did wish several times that the world wasn't like this though.
The first half of the book we spend our time learning about Lucky and Andrew as characters, as Lucky uses his considerable skills to track Andrew's daughter across LA. When the reader crosses the fifty percent mark of the book, the excitement increases. Now it becomes a game of wits, who will win, Lucky and the desperate father or the predators who want to exploit Andrew's beautiful young daughter.
I found my enjoyment of this book changing quite dramatically across time. At first I was interested in continuing to read even though the excitement wasn't there. In the second half of the book my enjoyment rose to a four out of five star as Lucky got closer to finding the missing girl. We also got to know each character even more intimately. In the end though, I was slightly disappointed when the writer seemed to forget he was not writing a screen play, but a book. In the last several pages an incident happens that would play very well on screen as it would be akin to the last "blow up" scene in a good shoot-em up movie. But because this is a book, I was left thinking, "what was that?".
I give this book a reserved four out of five star rating. I'd suggest ignoring the last several pages of "99 Percent Kill". The true ending that happens several pages before the last page is truly satisfying, if sad. It wraps up the details beautifully. The final scene was unnecessary and took this book from a five of five down a peg. I know this character, Lucky, will do well as a series regular and I look forward to the next installment.
August 23, 2015
Well, I finished this book late last night and all I can say to start this review is WOW!!!! What an ending, what a book, what an exciting page turning thriller! This book is among my top 3 of this year. I loved it.
We follow Lucky as he tries to track down a runaway 15 year old girl. I tell you if any teenagers reading this book are thinking life would be rosy to runaway to LA, they will be thinking again after reading this book. We see the very darkest side of humans, but also naivety, friendship and strength of what a person can go through to survive and keep their head above water!
Doug Richardson is a very talented writer, who has woven this story so perfectly that we are carried along in the journey of the tracker and the tracked, with no idea where the plot will head. He left me on the edge of my seat in the last few chapters, hoping things work out ok, but not really knowing what will happen to which characters.
This storyline is too thrilling and fast paced for me to want to tell you much about what happens, all I can say is that if I could give it 6 stars out of 5, then I would, because it is that good!!
I haven’t read any of the Author’s other books, but he is certainly one I will be keeping an eye out for. Brilliant, simply brilliant!
We follow Lucky as he tries to track down a runaway 15 year old girl. I tell you if any teenagers reading this book are thinking life would be rosy to runaway to LA, they will be thinking again after reading this book. We see the very darkest side of humans, but also naivety, friendship and strength of what a person can go through to survive and keep their head above water!
Doug Richardson is a very talented writer, who has woven this story so perfectly that we are carried along in the journey of the tracker and the tracked, with no idea where the plot will head. He left me on the edge of my seat in the last few chapters, hoping things work out ok, but not really knowing what will happen to which characters.
This storyline is too thrilling and fast paced for me to want to tell you much about what happens, all I can say is that if I could give it 6 stars out of 5, then I would, because it is that good!!
I haven’t read any of the Author’s other books, but he is certainly one I will be keeping an eye out for. Brilliant, simply brilliant!
August 24, 2015
99 percent kill is set in L.A on the seamy side of town. Lucky Dey is an L.A County Sheriffs Assistant who is between jobs at the moment. He gets hired to find a millionaire's run away teenage Daughter. A task which takes him through the seedy and highly dangerous neighborhoods of L.A. The story is filled with suspense and a fast paced plot with plenty of twists and turns. I look forward to reading the sequel . I can't wait to see what happens next.
July 13, 2015
Set in LA, but definitely the seamy underside. Riveting. couldn't put it down. And an unlikable hero becomes likable by the end -- look forward to the sequel.
September 9, 2015
Really enjoyed this book! Fast paced, and lots of twists and turns! Full review will be up on bibliophilebookclub.wordpress.com ASAP!
July 11, 2019
Lucky Dey has to find the missing/runaway daughter of a Wisconsin millionaire; a tough enough job in LA, where a pretty young girl is a target for all kind of nasty stuff, made even tougher by the father who insists on riding along.
I liked Lucky a bit better this time around than I did in the first of the series, Blood Money. He’s still tough, but he’s not as mean. He’s still single-minded, but this time it comes off as a good thing, an asset. He’s also addicted to painkillers. He’s one of those characters who has a chip on his shoulder and a black cloud over his head. I think I’d like to see him working as an actual cop one of these days.
99 Percent Kill is action-packed, not surprising when the author started as a screenwriter, but it gives us moments to breathe, essential when most of what we’re reading is disturbing and violent. Lucky’s Los Angeles is an ugly place.
Gonzo, Lucky’s sidekick from before, makes a return, which made me happy. I like her and was glad to see that she was doing something she enjoyed. I’m also glad she and Lucky are not together at the moment.
The ending caught me off guard with a twist I didn’t see coming. It’s a gripping thriller and a reminder never to take anyone at face value, especially in LA.
I liked Lucky a bit better this time around than I did in the first of the series, Blood Money. He’s still tough, but he’s not as mean. He’s still single-minded, but this time it comes off as a good thing, an asset. He’s also addicted to painkillers. He’s one of those characters who has a chip on his shoulder and a black cloud over his head. I think I’d like to see him working as an actual cop one of these days.
99 Percent Kill is action-packed, not surprising when the author started as a screenwriter, but it gives us moments to breathe, essential when most of what we’re reading is disturbing and violent. Lucky’s Los Angeles is an ugly place.
Gonzo, Lucky’s sidekick from before, makes a return, which made me happy. I like her and was glad to see that she was doing something she enjoyed. I’m also glad she and Lucky are not together at the moment.
The ending caught me off guard with a twist I didn’t see coming. It’s a gripping thriller and a reminder never to take anyone at face value, especially in LA.
July 7, 2020
At first I would have given all five stars. The timing of the novel was pretty much spot on. Then I downgraded it a bit to four stars. Maybe too much attention was given to Lucky's back pain. He is supposed to be trying to get reinstated in the Sheriff's department, with that back I don't see it. People were dying who didn't need to, through out the book. This novel ended too soon, some answers were in order, but neglected. Where does the girl go from there, who pays for All of the money owed, and finally where was the response to the Police no show????
September 27, 2018
Exciting read, but I found the characters a bit hard to believe. The insanity of their actions was hard to understand and it seemed to me like there were lots of loose ends to the story where the reader is left hanging wondering what happened to the characters.
January 26, 2022
Review
Great book! Really enjoyed reading this from start to finish. Just when I thought that nothing different could happen the author took me on another ride into an unbelievable situation. Recommend reading this book highly!
Great book! Really enjoyed reading this from start to finish. Just when I thought that nothing different could happen the author took me on another ride into an unbelievable situation. Recommend reading this book highly!
October 4, 2019
This book is an exciting roller coaster of a ride. It had so many unexpected plot turns. It’s fast and it’s gritty and I couldn’t put it down!
September 11, 2015
4.5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
99 PERCENT KILL is the first book in the Lucky Dey series by Doug Richardson. It starts out with unconnected events from the point of views of several characters. At first, I was confused at how everything fit together, but it becomes clearer as the story progresses. The characters’ stories merge.
I also wasn’t sure what the goal of the story was, since no single character was in the forefront with something that he or she needed to accomplish. Around 11% into the book, we learn that Lucky is set with the task of finding Karrie, a runaway teen. Once a goal for Lucky was in place, I felt much more comfortable with the way the story was unfolding.
Sometimes the book is written in third person limited point-of-view. Other times, it is written in omniscient third person. I didn’t really like that, especially since the narrator tended to know things that the reader and characters did not. For example, we are told that someone will be shot before the character is actually shot. I think these kinds of statements were meant to be foreshadowing to increase the suspense, but they, in my opinion, detracted from the story. I don’t want to know things before they happen, unless the main character is a psychic. It’s one thing to hint at something bad to come, another to state it outright like this author did.
Despite a somewhat slow start and some point-of-view issues, I really enjoyed reading 99 Percent Kill. All the threads came together in a way that made sense. The characters were likable and believable. The latter half of the book was exciting and fast-paced. There are some great action scenes. Also, I loved the shocking twist at the end.
If you don’t mind waiting a little while to see how everything fits together, you should give 99 Percent Kill a try. I recommend it for readers who like thrillers about prostitution, human trafficking, and flawed, yet sympathetic, detectives. Lucky isn’t perfect, but he gives his all to find Karrie. I think he’s a character who will appeal to many readers of mystery and thrillers.
I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
99 PERCENT KILL is the first book in the Lucky Dey series by Doug Richardson. It starts out with unconnected events from the point of views of several characters. At first, I was confused at how everything fit together, but it becomes clearer as the story progresses. The characters’ stories merge.
I also wasn’t sure what the goal of the story was, since no single character was in the forefront with something that he or she needed to accomplish. Around 11% into the book, we learn that Lucky is set with the task of finding Karrie, a runaway teen. Once a goal for Lucky was in place, I felt much more comfortable with the way the story was unfolding.
Sometimes the book is written in third person limited point-of-view. Other times, it is written in omniscient third person. I didn’t really like that, especially since the narrator tended to know things that the reader and characters did not. For example, we are told that someone will be shot before the character is actually shot. I think these kinds of statements were meant to be foreshadowing to increase the suspense, but they, in my opinion, detracted from the story. I don’t want to know things before they happen, unless the main character is a psychic. It’s one thing to hint at something bad to come, another to state it outright like this author did.
Despite a somewhat slow start and some point-of-view issues, I really enjoyed reading 99 Percent Kill. All the threads came together in a way that made sense. The characters were likable and believable. The latter half of the book was exciting and fast-paced. There are some great action scenes. Also, I loved the shocking twist at the end.
If you don’t mind waiting a little while to see how everything fits together, you should give 99 Percent Kill a try. I recommend it for readers who like thrillers about prostitution, human trafficking, and flawed, yet sympathetic, detectives. Lucky isn’t perfect, but he gives his all to find Karrie. I think he’s a character who will appeal to many readers of mystery and thrillers.
November 8, 2015
A teenage girl runs away from home. Having the body of a model, she tries to achieve the American Dream. Instead, she ends up as a dancer and possibly prostitute. But her father is after her, he'll do whatever it takes to bring his little girl back home.
But dad doesn't know where to start his search from. So he hires Lucky Dey, ex-cop, private investigator. Lucky is everything but an ordinary PI. He does the things on his own way.
Karrie is fifteen years old. She thinks she has everything she needs to become a model or actress, to become famous. Running away from a broken home is not that hard. But the road to the fame is hard. She dances on parties for money, and there she meets another dancer, Cherry. She introduces her in the world of photography and acting. But along with the ticket to the world of rich and famous, comes the side path of human trafficking and prostitution. Young provincial girls are target of pimps and drug dealers. And serial killers!
But when Lucky gets the things in his own hands, everyone is a suspect, everyone is on the target. He might be rough and hard to deal with, but when he starts something, he finishes it, no matter what. A teenage girl is missing, he'll walk across dead bodies if he has to, but that girl is going to be save!
When ever I think of Lucky Dey, the image of Liam Neeson pops up in my mind. Big bad guy, with a heart of gold underneath all that rough surface. If this books turns into a movie one day, the only person that I can imagine acting Lucky is no one else but Liam Neeson.
This is my second book by Doug Richardson and I must say that action is not lacking in his books. The story is full of adrenaline-rushed nail-biting moments and ending that literally made my jaw dropped. If you want a calm read, this isn't a book for you. But if you want a real page-turner and a fast-paced story that won't let you sleep until you finish it, then, this is a perfect book for you! And knowing that Doug Richarson is also a screen writer, I would expect to see this book turning into a movie very soon. Because this book really deserves that! Totally recommended!
But dad doesn't know where to start his search from. So he hires Lucky Dey, ex-cop, private investigator. Lucky is everything but an ordinary PI. He does the things on his own way.
Karrie is fifteen years old. She thinks she has everything she needs to become a model or actress, to become famous. Running away from a broken home is not that hard. But the road to the fame is hard. She dances on parties for money, and there she meets another dancer, Cherry. She introduces her in the world of photography and acting. But along with the ticket to the world of rich and famous, comes the side path of human trafficking and prostitution. Young provincial girls are target of pimps and drug dealers. And serial killers!
But when Lucky gets the things in his own hands, everyone is a suspect, everyone is on the target. He might be rough and hard to deal with, but when he starts something, he finishes it, no matter what. A teenage girl is missing, he'll walk across dead bodies if he has to, but that girl is going to be save!
When ever I think of Lucky Dey, the image of Liam Neeson pops up in my mind. Big bad guy, with a heart of gold underneath all that rough surface. If this books turns into a movie one day, the only person that I can imagine acting Lucky is no one else but Liam Neeson.
This is my second book by Doug Richardson and I must say that action is not lacking in his books. The story is full of adrenaline-rushed nail-biting moments and ending that literally made my jaw dropped. If you want a calm read, this isn't a book for you. But if you want a real page-turner and a fast-paced story that won't let you sleep until you finish it, then, this is a perfect book for you! And knowing that Doug Richarson is also a screen writer, I would expect to see this book turning into a movie very soon. Because this book really deserves that! Totally recommended!
October 20, 2015
A great new character from an original voice and a professional old hand.
Lucky Dey, a law enforcement officer between jobs since falling foul of the system, takes on a private case for an intrusive client searching for his lost daughter. Premise-wise, so far, so ordinary you might say. But it should come as no real surprise, given the writing pedigree of Doug Richardson, that what pans out is a page-flipping thriller that hits all the right marks. Where to begin?
Richardson writes in an original voice with a beautifully sparse brevity. He has his lone hero walk down those mean streets of Hollywood where no stars were ever embedded but which are endlessly inhabited by newcomers with soon to be tarnished dreams who will less leave their mark than end up a stain. His prose evokes such a sense of atmosphere that by the time the book is through you feel like you should take a bath.
He demonstrates his craft with his slick weaving of plotlines, playing out their all too feasible scenarios, and effortlessly allows all the suitably foreshadowed pieces to fall into place for the denouement. The minor characters have impressively rounded edges as you would expect from a seasoned storyteller, but the genre depends on its lead and Lucky Dey does not disappoint. His likeable, laconic style and his troubled disposition both inside and out make the journey worthwhile, and with the excitement ratcheted up to the final page you won’t want to wait to make Lucky’s acquaintance again.
Lucky Dey, a law enforcement officer between jobs since falling foul of the system, takes on a private case for an intrusive client searching for his lost daughter. Premise-wise, so far, so ordinary you might say. But it should come as no real surprise, given the writing pedigree of Doug Richardson, that what pans out is a page-flipping thriller that hits all the right marks. Where to begin?
Richardson writes in an original voice with a beautifully sparse brevity. He has his lone hero walk down those mean streets of Hollywood where no stars were ever embedded but which are endlessly inhabited by newcomers with soon to be tarnished dreams who will less leave their mark than end up a stain. His prose evokes such a sense of atmosphere that by the time the book is through you feel like you should take a bath.
He demonstrates his craft with his slick weaving of plotlines, playing out their all too feasible scenarios, and effortlessly allows all the suitably foreshadowed pieces to fall into place for the denouement. The minor characters have impressively rounded edges as you would expect from a seasoned storyteller, but the genre depends on its lead and Lucky Dey does not disappoint. His likeable, laconic style and his troubled disposition both inside and out make the journey worthwhile, and with the excitement ratcheted up to the final page you won’t want to wait to make Lucky’s acquaintance again.
December 18, 2015
Missing persons cases show up on the news all the time - chances are they are a child - an Amber Alert is issued and the world stops everything to try and find the missing child - a senior citizen goes missing and a Silver Alert is issued and all eyes on social media trying to find the missing person - what happens though when a teenager runs away from home? Not a lot - sometimes an Amber Alert is issued - sometimes not - this can be due to lack of parental knowledge the child has run away (in this case it was because the parents were divorced and not communicative) - sometimes it's because the parents want to keep things on the hush-hush so they don't issue the Amber alert in hopes of finding their child on their own...
Lucky Dey is a down on his luck former cop hoping to get back in to LA County Sheriff's office and while waiting he's recommended to a mid-western software millionaire to try and find his "missing" daughter - it doesn't take Lucky long to figure out she ran away from home - but her reasons are left on the back burner until the very end of the book. The author takes the reader through many twists and turns while revealing the much darker side of LA. All glitz and glitter to the outside tourist those who work the "streets" know that LA isn't everything is appears to be on the surface - 99 Percent Kill brings every dirty little secret of LA to the surface in a wicked thrill ride of a book.
4 out of 5 Stars for 99 Percent Kill!
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
Lucky Dey is a down on his luck former cop hoping to get back in to LA County Sheriff's office and while waiting he's recommended to a mid-western software millionaire to try and find his "missing" daughter - it doesn't take Lucky long to figure out she ran away from home - but her reasons are left on the back burner until the very end of the book. The author takes the reader through many twists and turns while revealing the much darker side of LA. All glitz and glitter to the outside tourist those who work the "streets" know that LA isn't everything is appears to be on the surface - 99 Percent Kill brings every dirty little secret of LA to the surface in a wicked thrill ride of a book.
4 out of 5 Stars for 99 Percent Kill!
**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
September 9, 2015
(I received this book free in exchange for an honest review. It received a 3.5 on my blog.)
"99 Percent Kill" is a very…solid suspense book.
It wasn’t quite a book that grabbed me and poured so much enthusiasm into me that I couldn’t put it down, but it never lost me to the point where I stopped reading. I have a very, very high Do-Not-Finish rate so that’s actually saying a lot.
The writing was very competent and the plot was, on the whole, interesting. It took me a while to get into Lucky as a character, but I did and ended up liking him. I thought that Cherry was also a good character. (I would liked to have seen more of Gonzo.) It was going for “gritty” and it definitely achieved that.
All that being said… This book had a little too much “chatter” for my taste: PoV characters and scenes that didn’t really seem necessary to strengthen the story but just padded it out, and events that didn’t feel necessary either, except to add tension that I never ended up feeling. And the “twist” at the end, for the most part, I kinda figured out ahead of time. The ending was also a little too abrupt and compacted for my tastes, wanting a little more to it after all that.
Still, on the whole, it was a decent book. But clearly from looking at other reviews for this book, I’m once again the salmon… 3.5 Fireballs.
"99 Percent Kill" is a very…solid suspense book.
It wasn’t quite a book that grabbed me and poured so much enthusiasm into me that I couldn’t put it down, but it never lost me to the point where I stopped reading. I have a very, very high Do-Not-Finish rate so that’s actually saying a lot.
The writing was very competent and the plot was, on the whole, interesting. It took me a while to get into Lucky as a character, but I did and ended up liking him. I thought that Cherry was also a good character. (I would liked to have seen more of Gonzo.) It was going for “gritty” and it definitely achieved that.
All that being said… This book had a little too much “chatter” for my taste: PoV characters and scenes that didn’t really seem necessary to strengthen the story but just padded it out, and events that didn’t feel necessary either, except to add tension that I never ended up feeling. And the “twist” at the end, for the most part, I kinda figured out ahead of time. The ending was also a little too abrupt and compacted for my tastes, wanting a little more to it after all that.
Still, on the whole, it was a decent book. But clearly from looking at other reviews for this book, I’m once again the salmon… 3.5 Fireballs.
June 29, 2019
Sheesh! What a wild journey through the parts of L.A. folks never speak about (but we all know exist, and not just in L.A.).
Pretty intense story, very disturbing topic, just enough reality to make me uncomfortable reading it because it seems so real.
*sigh* good book, miserable premise, a not easily forgotten peek into a place I hope I never have to see up close and personal.
Kudos to this author for creating this really good mystery!
Pretty intense story, very disturbing topic, just enough reality to make me uncomfortable reading it because it seems so real.
*sigh* good book, miserable premise, a not easily forgotten peek into a place I hope I never have to see up close and personal.
Kudos to this author for creating this really good mystery!
August 16, 2015
Lucky Dey is an LA County Sheriff’s Assistant who is presently in between jobs. While waiting to be reinstated back to his former job, he is pushed into a situation where he is hired to find a millionaire’s runaway fifteen year old daughter, a task that takes Lucky and the reader through the seedier and highly dangerous neighborhoods of Los Angeles. Filled with suspense, this is a lightning-paced read that was difficult to put down.
I'm giving it 5 stars as it had all of the ingredients that I love in a story – a great characters but with faults that make them human, a wonderfully fast-paced plot, lots of twists and turns, engaging and realistic dialogue, and a storyline where I didn't – couldn't – see the ending coming.
Perfect summer reading!
I'm giving it 5 stars as it had all of the ingredients that I love in a story – a great characters but with faults that make them human, a wonderfully fast-paced plot, lots of twists and turns, engaging and realistic dialogue, and a storyline where I didn't – couldn't – see the ending coming.
Perfect summer reading!
January 12, 2016
I received this book through Goodreads Giveaways and had fairly high expectations. Unfortunately they were not met in this case. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it but to me it was slow to start and then just as it got to the exciting 'I can't put this down part' it ended.
I also found that the characters were too over the top and not believable. I can see how the author would make a good writer for TV or movies but it just didn't seem to work in this book.
A good read but nothing spectacular.
I also found that the characters were too over the top and not believable. I can see how the author would make a good writer for TV or movies but it just didn't seem to work in this book.
A good read but nothing spectacular.
March 30, 2016
Liked the intriguing web-like storyline, how all the characters turned out to be connected in one way or another. Everyone had their purpose in the story. The book gradually gains momentum. It creates ample ground for every character to develop and the plot to execute itself. ‘99 percent kill’ is packed with the inside look at the seamy side of LA. It’s an echo of the true police work which is nothing but the routine, indifferent enquiries and the relentless acquisition of the web of parts until the parts become a whole.
December 21, 2015
An excellent thriller,which I would recommend as a must read.I believe the author's attempt in interconnecting each and every character is unbelievable.Pointing out even the tiniest bit of information, it's quite easy to make up the mental image of the scene in your head.For me, I think 99 Percent kill is a great success.
I got the chance to read this book thanks to Goodreads free giveaways and would love to read more and more books by Dough Richardson.
I got the chance to read this book thanks to Goodreads free giveaways and would love to read more and more books by Dough Richardson.
January 11, 2016
This was a fun and interesting book to read. The hero was an ordinary person with his own pain and problems. I thought I saw what was going to happen at every plot twist and yet I never saw what was coming next. A fantastic read that wants me to continue following Lucky Dey and his exploits. Thanks for the book.My first Goodreads win.
July 29, 2016
100 percent entertaining.
I highly recommend the Lucky Dey series if you're a fan of crime fiction. Everything you want from this genre and more. I read this book and got hooked. I'll be quickly working my way through the rest of the series.
I highly recommend the Lucky Dey series if you're a fan of crime fiction. Everything you want from this genre and more. I read this book and got hooked. I'll be quickly working my way through the rest of the series.
November 9, 2015
Oh man... Lucky Dey may just be my new favorite character... writing a more eloquent review soon, but hot damn this book... read it!
July 4, 2016
Review to come later
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews