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Lamb and Lavagnino #2
The Binding: A Riveting Modern Noir Mystery – Fugitive PI Battles Colorado Cult in Dark Thriller
Fans of Marisha Pessl and Christopher Moore will be captivated by the twists and turns of E.Z. Rinsky's second chilling noir mystery
When a U.S. Senator offers to have private investigator Frank Lamb’s criminal record wiped clean in return for retrieving a set of old books, he jumps at the opportunity. In the five years since his last paying job he’s been an international fugitive, separated from his daughter Sadie. He’s willing to do anything to return to normal life.
But once Frank and his old partner, Courtney Lavagnino, get to work, it becomes clear that the job is far more treacherous than they’d assumed. The books were written in prison by Oliver Vicks, a self-proclaimed prophet with a trail of grisly murders behind him. Frank and Courtney are soon piecing together a horrifying puzzle, devised by a prisoner who seems more god than man.
In this riveting follow-up to the award-nominated Palindrome, Frank and Courtney find themselves mired in a tangle of desperation, cult-like fervor, and deception that will lead them to uncover an evil of biblical proportions.
When a U.S. Senator offers to have private investigator Frank Lamb’s criminal record wiped clean in return for retrieving a set of old books, he jumps at the opportunity. In the five years since his last paying job he’s been an international fugitive, separated from his daughter Sadie. He’s willing to do anything to return to normal life.
But once Frank and his old partner, Courtney Lavagnino, get to work, it becomes clear that the job is far more treacherous than they’d assumed. The books were written in prison by Oliver Vicks, a self-proclaimed prophet with a trail of grisly murders behind him. Frank and Courtney are soon piecing together a horrifying puzzle, devised by a prisoner who seems more god than man.
In this riveting follow-up to the award-nominated Palindrome, Frank and Courtney find themselves mired in a tangle of desperation, cult-like fervor, and deception that will lead them to uncover an evil of biblical proportions.
480 pages, Paperback
First published July 4, 2017
51 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 30, 2024
Although The Binding is the second Lamb and Lavagnino story, I haven’t actually read the first. I feel as though reading Palindrome, the first book, would have allowed me to understand certain elements of this story better, but even without having read the prior book I found this to be a truly wonderful read. In fact, I plan to go on and read the first book as I’m desperate to read more of this amazing story.
In all honesty, there were quite a few moments in this one where I contemplated giving a five star rating. I came extremely close, but in the end I did my usual thing and allowed the little things to prevent me from doing such a thing. Many will have no qualms about handing off a five star rating, yet I’m just going to let you know this is an extremely high four-point-five rating. Without a doubt E.Z. Rinsky is an author I’ll be watching – it’s hard to believe this is only the second book by the author, it feels as though the author has been in the business for years and has near perfected the craft over decades.
The Binding is a wonderfully complex story, made up of so many beautifully interwoven elements. Everything in this story serves a purpose, every detail leaving me wanting more. I was addicted – there is no other way to put it. Once I started this story, I could not put it down. I need to know how each detail came together, I needed to see how each detail was relevant, and I needed more of the characters.
Taking place over a rather short time period, this story is made up of so many different aspects. We have the necessary mystery, the needed thriller, the important suspense, and the desired action. Everything you want from a hard-hitting story is supplied in this one. It gives it all, pulling you in and refusing to let go. These elements are of vital importance, yes, but they would be nothing without characters you enjoy.
I’ll be honest and say I was a little tentative at first, not quite sure if I would connect with the characters, but once the story got going I came to really enjoy them both. I think, in part, this slight delay in enjoyment was caused by my lack of knowledge regarding what had happened in the prior book. I was caught up in the whys of the matter, instead of simply enjoying the current situation. Hence, my belief that you’ll enjoy this one even more if you read the prior book. Alone, this one is enjoyable; in combination with the prior book, I can only imagine how wonderful it is.
What I particularly loved about this one was the complexity of the story. As I’ve already stated, so many elements are interwoven. This happens quite often in these kinds of novels, yet it is rare to see such a large quantity of aspects come together so seamlessly. It really was wonderfully done, one of the best I’ve seen in quite some time. New elements were regularly added, the story flowing so well. Most things came as a surprise to be, which is also wonderful. I’ll admit to working out the ending in advance (part of the reason why this is a strong four-point-five rating rather than a five), but for the most part things caught me off guard. It’s exactly what you hope for in this kind of story.
Honestly, I could rant and rave for a long time about how wonderful this one is, but it comes down to one thing: if you’re looking for a wonderful noir mystery, you will find it with The Binding.
E.Z. Rinsky, I shall be reading more of your work!
In all honesty, there were quite a few moments in this one where I contemplated giving a five star rating. I came extremely close, but in the end I did my usual thing and allowed the little things to prevent me from doing such a thing. Many will have no qualms about handing off a five star rating, yet I’m just going to let you know this is an extremely high four-point-five rating. Without a doubt E.Z. Rinsky is an author I’ll be watching – it’s hard to believe this is only the second book by the author, it feels as though the author has been in the business for years and has near perfected the craft over decades.
The Binding is a wonderfully complex story, made up of so many beautifully interwoven elements. Everything in this story serves a purpose, every detail leaving me wanting more. I was addicted – there is no other way to put it. Once I started this story, I could not put it down. I need to know how each detail came together, I needed to see how each detail was relevant, and I needed more of the characters.
Taking place over a rather short time period, this story is made up of so many different aspects. We have the necessary mystery, the needed thriller, the important suspense, and the desired action. Everything you want from a hard-hitting story is supplied in this one. It gives it all, pulling you in and refusing to let go. These elements are of vital importance, yes, but they would be nothing without characters you enjoy.
I’ll be honest and say I was a little tentative at first, not quite sure if I would connect with the characters, but once the story got going I came to really enjoy them both. I think, in part, this slight delay in enjoyment was caused by my lack of knowledge regarding what had happened in the prior book. I was caught up in the whys of the matter, instead of simply enjoying the current situation. Hence, my belief that you’ll enjoy this one even more if you read the prior book. Alone, this one is enjoyable; in combination with the prior book, I can only imagine how wonderful it is.
What I particularly loved about this one was the complexity of the story. As I’ve already stated, so many elements are interwoven. This happens quite often in these kinds of novels, yet it is rare to see such a large quantity of aspects come together so seamlessly. It really was wonderfully done, one of the best I’ve seen in quite some time. New elements were regularly added, the story flowing so well. Most things came as a surprise to be, which is also wonderful. I’ll admit to working out the ending in advance (part of the reason why this is a strong four-point-five rating rather than a five), but for the most part things caught me off guard. It’s exactly what you hope for in this kind of story.
Honestly, I could rant and rave for a long time about how wonderful this one is, but it comes down to one thing: if you’re looking for a wonderful noir mystery, you will find it with The Binding.
E.Z. Rinsky, I shall be reading more of your work!
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December 8, 2017This book is action packed but leaves too many things un-explained.
November 7, 2022
Ephy has done it again! I am beyond pleasantly surprised at how great of a writer my friend is. The book was exciting, grim, and even funny at times. I read the book in basically two sittings because it was so compelling. At this point I would read any novel Ephy puts out.
July 20, 2017
A serial killer is after you, what do you do? This man is creepy, but yet he has never personally done anything to warrant your suspicions? He is socially awkward and keeps to himself. He has a fascination with his writing tools and doodles pictures in a leather bound book in a café for as long as you’ve been working there…when do the red flags start going off in your head? For Becky, it was once it had been too late. This serial killer, Oliver Vicks, has killed all of her family and has his life all planned out. He tells Becky that she is his queen and that he will be reunited with her after he escapes from prison. What would any sane person make of that comment? How would you ever get the trauma out of your head?
Twenty years later, two private investigators are called in to make a huge exchange on behalf of Senator Sampson’s request. Courtney is kind of washed up, doing meaningless jobs, without his partner Frank. Frank is somewhere in Europe, running from Interpol after their last job went south. Once Courtney receives the request, he knows that he can’t do this job by himself even though it seems very easy. There just has to be some kind of catch. After he finds Frank, they fly back to the states, Colorado to be exact, for debriefing before they need to make the exchange. So many things don’t add up about this request; exchanging billions of dollars for twenty-four books? Senator Sampson appears to be brainwashed by a serial killer he met in prison and things just keep getting stranger. Both Courtney and Frank start to wonder if they didn’t just make a big mistake accepting the job. Being on the Senator’s list of screw-ups is bad enough, but now they have to be ever vigilant in watching their backs, because the serial killer that was perceived to be in prison is out running around and killing people to complete his life’s work and they could be next.
Rinsky has a superb story-line and complex characters that are mysterious and deranged. The content is truly amazing by the sheer originality and descriptiveness, while the pace is fast and easy to read. The religious aspect, paired up with the mystery makes the story come to life with creativity. This is the second installment within the Lamb and Laviagnino series; however, it can be read as a standalone. It is strongly advised that due to content, it is not recommended for children or teens.
A copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by Aurora Publicity, but this is no way affects our honest opinion of the book or the review that has been written. We provide a five-star rating for The Binding by E.Z. Rinsky.
Twenty years later, two private investigators are called in to make a huge exchange on behalf of Senator Sampson’s request. Courtney is kind of washed up, doing meaningless jobs, without his partner Frank. Frank is somewhere in Europe, running from Interpol after their last job went south. Once Courtney receives the request, he knows that he can’t do this job by himself even though it seems very easy. There just has to be some kind of catch. After he finds Frank, they fly back to the states, Colorado to be exact, for debriefing before they need to make the exchange. So many things don’t add up about this request; exchanging billions of dollars for twenty-four books? Senator Sampson appears to be brainwashed by a serial killer he met in prison and things just keep getting stranger. Both Courtney and Frank start to wonder if they didn’t just make a big mistake accepting the job. Being on the Senator’s list of screw-ups is bad enough, but now they have to be ever vigilant in watching their backs, because the serial killer that was perceived to be in prison is out running around and killing people to complete his life’s work and they could be next.
Rinsky has a superb story-line and complex characters that are mysterious and deranged. The content is truly amazing by the sheer originality and descriptiveness, while the pace is fast and easy to read. The religious aspect, paired up with the mystery makes the story come to life with creativity. This is the second installment within the Lamb and Laviagnino series; however, it can be read as a standalone. It is strongly advised that due to content, it is not recommended for children or teens.
A copy of this book was provided to Turning Another Page by Aurora Publicity, but this is no way affects our honest opinion of the book or the review that has been written. We provide a five-star rating for The Binding by E.Z. Rinsky.
March 14, 2018
The way I describe reading E.Z Rinksy's books is that it doesn't feel like reading, but rather watching. He tells stories with such detail that it's hard to believe my mind is formulating the images instead of seeing them.
Rinsky is undeniably a gifted storyteller with incredibly gripping characters and story lines. The Binding is a thrill a minute -- the sort of story that makes you glad you're reading fiction.
From start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed The Binding and highly recommend it to others.
Rinsky is undeniably a gifted storyteller with incredibly gripping characters and story lines. The Binding is a thrill a minute -- the sort of story that makes you glad you're reading fiction.
From start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed The Binding and highly recommend it to others.
March 28, 2018
Also by B's friend's brother from Colorado Springs. He is good!
November 11, 2018
Violent and weird--I loved it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews