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The Grand
Chicago cop Dean Wister takes a forced vacation when he is on the brink of a breakdown after the death of his wife. During his summer solstice in Jackson Hole, where he met her years before, he is called in by local police to consult when a notorious Chicago mobster is found dead in the Snake River. What has drawn the hit man west to murder a popular local citizen and pollute the pristine mountain enclave of the rich and famous—is it love, sex, money, or power? Or is it somehow related to the Presidential campaign of Wyoming's favourite son? Dean's investigation threatens to uncover the secrets of a group of memorable suspects, ranging from rich tycoons to modern day cowboys, with political consequences reaching far beyond the small resort town. As Dean follows the leads in the case from Jackson Hole to Chicago to Washington D.C., he also struggles to cope with the personal loss that threatens his mental stability, as the nocturnal visits from his deceased wife suppress his will to let her go and make him question his purpose in life. The climactic scenes contain reveals the reader will never see coming. A funny, romantic, sexy, roller coaster thriller!
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2016
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 18, 2017
This is an interesting mystery/thriller filled with intriguing characters. The primary character has been forced to take an extended absence from his work as a police detective in Chicago to mourn his wife’s death. Almost immediately upon his arrival in Jackson Hole, he is called upon to assist in the investigation of a death, a murder, a mysterious disappearance, and to determine the possibility of mob involvement in the crimes.
The author has created a compelling mystery, filled with danger, and exciting twists and turns. It’s not only exciting, but also amusing. The book isn’t afraid to show the depths politicians and their lackeys will go to ascend the throne of power while simultaneously protecting their many secrets.
At the same time, the author writes about the pain of grief, and how it can cut deeply and affect our will. The beauty of the relationship between the main character and his wife is moving. Her otherworldly visits provide him much-needed hope, as well as companionship and wisdom.
This is a book that isn’t easy to define, but is well-written, and quickly envelops the reader in its murky depths. It’s a great adventure for those who love mysteries; definitely a solid 4-star read.
The author has created a compelling mystery, filled with danger, and exciting twists and turns. It’s not only exciting, but also amusing. The book isn’t afraid to show the depths politicians and their lackeys will go to ascend the throne of power while simultaneously protecting their many secrets.
At the same time, the author writes about the pain of grief, and how it can cut deeply and affect our will. The beauty of the relationship between the main character and his wife is moving. Her otherworldly visits provide him much-needed hope, as well as companionship and wisdom.
This is a book that isn’t easy to define, but is well-written, and quickly envelops the reader in its murky depths. It’s a great adventure for those who love mysteries; definitely a solid 4-star read.
October 3, 2017
This is a good novel of corrupt politics, sexual scandal, money laundering, human trafficking, gangster murders, and more. Unfortunately, reading this novel was almost like reading the daily newspaper. It really made me wonder about what all goes on behind the political scene.
The plot was complex but well crafted. I did have a little trouble with Wilson's writing style. He is lengthy in scene description and construction. I have to admit, I skimmed over some of it. He also introduces a large number of characters and gives lots of background on each one of them. I think some of the secondary characters could have had much less written about them. I also thought the idea of a ghost was odd. This type of fiction, political and gangster intrigue, should be believable. The idea of a ghost made it less so.
The aspect of the novel I liked the least was the sex scenes and the sexual connotations. The opening scene seemed to be one to shock the readers. It did this reader. I know sexual scandal was a big part of the plot but I would have liked the novel more if some of the sex scenes had been toned down, especially those at the beginning and the end. Perhaps male readers would like the sexual emphasis much more than this female reader did.
This novel would be appreciated by readers who like long scene descriptions, aren't bothered by descriptive sex scenes and body parts, and don't mind a ghost hanging around.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
The plot was complex but well crafted. I did have a little trouble with Wilson's writing style. He is lengthy in scene description and construction. I have to admit, I skimmed over some of it. He also introduces a large number of characters and gives lots of background on each one of them. I think some of the secondary characters could have had much less written about them. I also thought the idea of a ghost was odd. This type of fiction, political and gangster intrigue, should be believable. The idea of a ghost made it less so.
The aspect of the novel I liked the least was the sex scenes and the sexual connotations. The opening scene seemed to be one to shock the readers. It did this reader. I know sexual scandal was a big part of the plot but I would have liked the novel more if some of the sex scenes had been toned down, especially those at the beginning and the end. Perhaps male readers would like the sexual emphasis much more than this female reader did.
This novel would be appreciated by readers who like long scene descriptions, aren't bothered by descriptive sex scenes and body parts, and don't mind a ghost hanging around.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
October 12, 2017
I like the concept for this book. I could appreciate Mr. Wilson's writing style. It had the feel of a true police protocol aspect. What held me back from fully enjoying this book were the lack of intensity/action and character drama. Even, the main character Dean was not that interesting and his voice was a bit monotone.
There were moments where I was able to sit back and enjoy what I was reading and other times where it was a struggle due to the slow pacing of the story. Which it seemed that it took me a lot longer to get to the half way point of the story. There is hope as the story does pick up a bit in the second half. However, what I wanted to point out is that there was not a bunch of foul language. Some times for these types of books the author feels the need that there needs to be a lot of foul language thrown around. This does not make the story better. While, I may not have been a fan of this book, I would read another book from this author.
There were moments where I was able to sit back and enjoy what I was reading and other times where it was a struggle due to the slow pacing of the story. Which it seemed that it took me a lot longer to get to the half way point of the story. There is hope as the story does pick up a bit in the second half. However, what I wanted to point out is that there was not a bunch of foul language. Some times for these types of books the author feels the need that there needs to be a lot of foul language thrown around. This does not make the story better. While, I may not have been a fan of this book, I would read another book from this author.
May 21, 2019
Wilson used his rich background in finance to weave together a tale of sex, money, murder, & politics! His style echoes Dean Koontz with a hint of J.D. Robb & his character development of the main character is a bit like one of Elmore Leonard's. The book has plenty of action with rugged fight scenes, but it's balanced with depth. The main character struggles with deep loss that almost breaks him, while the female leads must wrestle with the blurred lines of their profession and circumstances. Without giving away too much, the book addresses the complexities of challenges immigrants face in the finance world as they try to build lives here in the U.S. There are humorous surprises too and it is all set in the beautifully described Jackson Hole. An action packed & smart thriller!
February 2, 2017
I don't get to say this often enough but this is definitely one of the best books I've read in a long time. You have murder, money laundering, political intrigue and human trafficking all in the beautiful setting of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.
Chicago cop Dean Wister loses his wife to cancer and when he seems to just be going through the motions at work , his boss sends him on a mandatory 3 month leave. He goes back to the place where he first met his wife Sara when he was a river guide in Wyoming.
Wyoming Senator Tom Mcgraw has decided to run for president but he's hiding a big secret.
Property manager Hayden Smith is dating Eliza who's separated from her husband Matt Nelson.
Boris Birkov is running a human trafficking ring from Russia to Chicago to Wyoming.
Mario Rosati is a Chicago mobster laundering money, blackmailing the Senator and in cahoots with Boris.The Chicago feds have been after him for ages Dean included.
All these links start to come to light when a hit man from Chicago is found dead via a car accident in Wyoming and Hayden's cousin Jordy is found murdered.
This book hooked me from page one and I could stop reading I had to know what would happen next. From the stripper who's trying to help her boyfriend start up his business to the sheriff who doesn't want any of this dumped in his lap the story keeps flowing. When Dean rescues an abused dog he got high marks from me and the conversations he has with his wife's ghost are absolutely adorable. Even in death she's his sounding board for all that's going on. The characters are all well fleshed out and are three dimensional and his descriptions of the beauty of Wyoming made me feel as if I was right there watching it all unfold.
There's more twists and turns than the roads in the Grand Tetons in this awesome story that had me reading into the wee hours.And the ending, all I can say is WOW definitely not what I expected and I loved it. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends and reading more by this amazing author. My only complaint was there wasn't more of this great story.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock. 5 hearts.
Chicago cop Dean Wister loses his wife to cancer and when he seems to just be going through the motions at work , his boss sends him on a mandatory 3 month leave. He goes back to the place where he first met his wife Sara when he was a river guide in Wyoming.
Wyoming Senator Tom Mcgraw has decided to run for president but he's hiding a big secret.
Property manager Hayden Smith is dating Eliza who's separated from her husband Matt Nelson.
Boris Birkov is running a human trafficking ring from Russia to Chicago to Wyoming.
Mario Rosati is a Chicago mobster laundering money, blackmailing the Senator and in cahoots with Boris.The Chicago feds have been after him for ages Dean included.
All these links start to come to light when a hit man from Chicago is found dead via a car accident in Wyoming and Hayden's cousin Jordy is found murdered.
This book hooked me from page one and I could stop reading I had to know what would happen next. From the stripper who's trying to help her boyfriend start up his business to the sheriff who doesn't want any of this dumped in his lap the story keeps flowing. When Dean rescues an abused dog he got high marks from me and the conversations he has with his wife's ghost are absolutely adorable. Even in death she's his sounding board for all that's going on. The characters are all well fleshed out and are three dimensional and his descriptions of the beauty of Wyoming made me feel as if I was right there watching it all unfold.
There's more twists and turns than the roads in the Grand Tetons in this awesome story that had me reading into the wee hours.And the ending, all I can say is WOW definitely not what I expected and I loved it. I will definitely be recommending this book to all my friends and reading more by this amazing author. My only complaint was there wasn't more of this great story.
Independent reviewer for Romance Authors That Rock. 5 hearts.
February 7, 2017
GREAT NEW AUTHOR!
I just love this book. This is the first offering from Dennis Wilson, and I definitely hope there is more to come. I am a huge fan of the crime thriller genre, and I found myself trying to compare Wilson to other well-known authors in the field. His tortured cop protagonist and beautiful prose is reminiscent of James Lee Burke, and the story has the fast pace of a James Patterson thriller. It’s hard to imagine a better combination. Twists, turns, surprises, colorful characters, the Teton Mountain range, the gritty streets of Chicago, and even a love story are all mixed together in to create a terrific first novel. More, please.
I just love this book. This is the first offering from Dennis Wilson, and I definitely hope there is more to come. I am a huge fan of the crime thriller genre, and I found myself trying to compare Wilson to other well-known authors in the field. His tortured cop protagonist and beautiful prose is reminiscent of James Lee Burke, and the story has the fast pace of a James Patterson thriller. It’s hard to imagine a better combination. Twists, turns, surprises, colorful characters, the Teton Mountain range, the gritty streets of Chicago, and even a love story are all mixed together in to create a terrific first novel. More, please.
February 7, 2017
Crime Thriller For Everyone!
I'm not a big crime thriller reader, but I was drawn into this book by the characters and their relationships with each other. The mystery kept me intrigued and guessing until the surprise ending. Dean Wister is a Chicago cop with a hole in his heart, the Wyoming Senator and everyone else in the book are harboring secrets that you will never guess, and I'm planning my vacation right now to visit the beautiful setting in the Teton National Park. I hope there is a sequel in the works because I just couldn't get enough.
I'm not a big crime thriller reader, but I was drawn into this book by the characters and their relationships with each other. The mystery kept me intrigued and guessing until the surprise ending. Dean Wister is a Chicago cop with a hole in his heart, the Wyoming Senator and everyone else in the book are harboring secrets that you will never guess, and I'm planning my vacation right now to visit the beautiful setting in the Teton National Park. I hope there is a sequel in the works because I just couldn't get enough.
February 22, 2017
MOBSTERS, MAYHEM, MOUNTAINS AND A LITTLE POLITICS!
New novelist Dennis Wilson’s multi-level plot follows a Chicago cop in mourning as he tries to decipher a murder of a Chicago mobster that will involve the Chicago mafia, a cowboy Sheriff, a Wyoming candidate for President, money laundering and sex trafficking, while all along dealing with the spirit of his deceased wife who just won’t leave him alone. This is a wonderful tale full of fun, surprises, and it’s even touchingly romantic at times. A police story that suggests the books of best-selling crime author Michael Connelly. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
New novelist Dennis Wilson’s multi-level plot follows a Chicago cop in mourning as he tries to decipher a murder of a Chicago mobster that will involve the Chicago mafia, a cowboy Sheriff, a Wyoming candidate for President, money laundering and sex trafficking, while all along dealing with the spirit of his deceased wife who just won’t leave him alone. This is a wonderful tale full of fun, surprises, and it’s even touchingly romantic at times. A police story that suggests the books of best-selling crime author Michael Connelly. I can't wait for the next book in this series.
December 30, 2023
I thought that this was a good read. Interesting sub-plots and lots of secrets. The pace wasn't bad and I found the story engaging.
March 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this crime thriller full of twists, turns, surprises and characters as colorful as the scenery depicted in the mountain vistas of Teton National Park, where a Chicago mobster is found mysteriously drowned in the Snake River prompting the locals to bring in vacationing Chicago cop Dean Wister to assist the investigation. This book has the suspense of a James Patterson thriller and the quirky situational humor of an Elmore Leonard book. Highly recommended.
February 8, 2017
I'm not sure if The Grand is a crime thriller posing as a love story or a love story posing as a crime thriller, but the combination really works. Heartbroken Chicago cop Dean Wister runs away from his troubles to Wyoming, but they follow him there, and the twists and turns in this fast paced plot take you from Chicago to Wyoming to Washington D.C. and will leave you hoping there's another Wister mystery coming soon. This book reminds of a grittier David Baldacci. Great story, colorful characters, and beautiful scenery!
January 23, 2017
When I first picked up this novel, I did not know what to expect. Usually, anything that deals with politics, I shy away from. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this one. Though there are some political scenes, they did not overpower the story in the slightest. In fact, the story that develops here was one of my favorites.
Told in multiple perspectives, the reader also dives deep into each character’s life and backstory. I will admit when learning about Dean’s late wife, I was saddened, but also a little uncomfortable of her ghost reappearing to talk, cuddle, and pleasure him. The reason being is that I did not find this very realistic, while the rest of the story was. However, as time went on, I began to better understand his circumstance. Losing his wife hit Dean extremely hard and remembering her was his salvation.
To read my full review, click here: https://bookloverblogs.com/2017/01/23...
Told in multiple perspectives, the reader also dives deep into each character’s life and backstory. I will admit when learning about Dean’s late wife, I was saddened, but also a little uncomfortable of her ghost reappearing to talk, cuddle, and pleasure him. The reason being is that I did not find this very realistic, while the rest of the story was. However, as time went on, I began to better understand his circumstance. Losing his wife hit Dean extremely hard and remembering her was his salvation.
To read my full review, click here: https://bookloverblogs.com/2017/01/23...
February 4, 2017
Dennis D. Wilson came up with a captivating crime thriller novel with shades of romance, where the mystery, the unpredictability, and the thriller, made the book hard to put down once started!
I found this book exciting! What I most enjoyed, was the author’s manner of creating an elaborate and imaginative set of characters and plot (starting from the protagonist, Dean Wister - the (classic) cop who lost his wife, to an interesting and well-detailed action scene, framed by the iconic mountains and rivers of Wyoming).
I would recommend “The Grand” not just to the core readers of this genre, but especially to the ones who are craving for a quality story that, after so many books read, to still surprise and impress them down to the last page!
I found this book exciting! What I most enjoyed, was the author’s manner of creating an elaborate and imaginative set of characters and plot (starting from the protagonist, Dean Wister - the (classic) cop who lost his wife, to an interesting and well-detailed action scene, framed by the iconic mountains and rivers of Wyoming).
I would recommend “The Grand” not just to the core readers of this genre, but especially to the ones who are craving for a quality story that, after so many books read, to still surprise and impress them down to the last page!
February 7, 2017
I love thrillers, I am on my second time through this book. I relate to the characters alot, and the writing is superb.
October 9, 2017
Several twists I did not see coming. Excellent read.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews