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Titus #1
Miami Burn
Titus came to Miami to kill a man. Plain and simple. Fresh off a prison stint for a crime he didn't commit and out for blood.
But when a wealthy socialite begs Titus to track down her missing daughter, he dives head first into a seedy Miami underworld of lowlife thugs, celebrity wannabes, and women as beautiful as they are deadly. Titus soon finds himself up against an organized crime boss, a crooked politician, and a hard-nosed Miami detective. Nobody, it seems, wants the girl found, but Titus doesn’t scare easy. Armed with two fists and razor-sharp wit, Titus unravels a mystery deeper, darker, and more twisted than a simple missing girl.
But when a wealthy socialite begs Titus to track down her missing daughter, he dives head first into a seedy Miami underworld of lowlife thugs, celebrity wannabes, and women as beautiful as they are deadly. Titus soon finds himself up against an organized crime boss, a crooked politician, and a hard-nosed Miami detective. Nobody, it seems, wants the girl found, but Titus doesn’t scare easy. Armed with two fists and razor-sharp wit, Titus unravels a mystery deeper, darker, and more twisted than a simple missing girl.
346 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 7, 2017
2077 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
John D. Patten
5 books22 followersJohn D. Patten occasionally skipped class because he was glued to a Spenser mystery by Robert B. Parker. He would be late for jobs because he got caught up in a Travis McGee adventure by John D. MacDonald. He memorized sarcastic Philip Marlowe lines from detective stories by Raymond Chandler. Now, after all these years, he’s finally figured out maybe he should be writing hard-boiled thrillers of his own.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
January 5, 2020
While this is the first book in the Titus series, there are so many references to things that took place in Titus' past it makes the reader think they are missing something. I know I felt that way.
Well written thriller about Titus, hired by Pam Hayes to find her daughter Allie. While on the search, Titus runs into several interesting characters. Also, just to keep the reader from getting too confident in the plot, there are several twists making the reader shake their head and say "I didn't see that coming
Highly recommended.
Well written thriller about Titus, hired by Pam Hayes to find her daughter Allie. While on the search, Titus runs into several interesting characters. Also, just to keep the reader from getting too confident in the plot, there are several twists making the reader shake their head and say "I didn't see that coming
Highly recommended.
December 21, 2020
"Derivative"
Good of its type. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfactory, but it was the first in the series, so you were supposed to want more. OK for a few hours of escapism but Titus won't match Jack Reacher for sustained devotion.
Good of its type. The ending was abrupt and unsatisfactory, but it was the first in the series, so you were supposed to want more. OK for a few hours of escapism but Titus won't match Jack Reacher for sustained devotion.
February 26, 2019
Very good read
Great prose, author has a real song for word's. Recommend for sure and look forward to the next one. You will like this one alot. Enjoy it, I did.
Great prose, author has a real song for word's. Recommend for sure and look forward to the next one. You will like this one alot. Enjoy it, I did.
September 3, 2022
***3.5***
Uncomplicated fun and a pretty nifty audio 🎧, what more can you ask for?
Uncomplicated fun and a pretty nifty audio 🎧, what more can you ask for?
December 29, 2019
Great mystery/murder story. Titus was fresh out of a ten-month stint in prison for something he didn’t do and headed to Miami to kill the man he was sure caused the death of his wife. BUT he got waylaid along the way by a woman who wanted him to find her daughter. One thing led to another and it led to one murder then another. It was a very good book and Titus was a very funny guy sometimes. I did like Sophia and I’m hoping in the next book they get together.
Sex that was insinuated and the F-bomb was used 158 times.
As to the narration: Adam Gold did a fantastic job on the voices and his awesome emotions. I would definitely listen to him again.
August 31, 2020
Titus meets South Beach
Titus is an ex-cop who has come down to Miami to murder the individual who killed his pregnant wife. He is working as a bartender at a less than desirable bar and lives in a studio apartment that sounds much like a flop house but none of this matters because he won’t be here long. A woman comes into the bar looking for him and attempts to hire him to search for her missing daughter. He agrees and as a result becomes involved with various members of the South Beach scene. Going into some of the places he sees and people he questions (and p.o.’s) would lead to spoilers but this is colorful and fast reading. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
Titus is an ex-cop who has come down to Miami to murder the individual who killed his pregnant wife. He is working as a bartender at a less than desirable bar and lives in a studio apartment that sounds much like a flop house but none of this matters because he won’t be here long. A woman comes into the bar looking for him and attempts to hire him to search for her missing daughter. He agrees and as a result becomes involved with various members of the South Beach scene. Going into some of the places he sees and people he questions (and p.o.’s) would lead to spoilers but this is colorful and fast reading. Thanks to the author and publisher for an e-galley for an honest review.
March 11, 2025
"We both drank orange juice, but I was alone with my two cups of coffee."
"Devil's juice," he said.
"Coffee is good for you," I said. "Studies show people who drink coffee are less likely to get Alzheimer's."
"Touch not the unclean thing. Second Corinthians, chapter six, verse seventeen."
"Hello darkness, my old friend. Simon and Garfunkel, 'The Sound of Silence.'"
John D. Patten has a good ear for repartee - even when things get serious Titus has a snappy comeback on the tip of his tongue.
Just released after a short stint in prison he's come to Miami for vengeance but gets side-tracked in the search for a missing teen. Things get sordid and sleazy quickly and he has increasing awareness of the corruption surrounding him.
There's plenty of violence, lots of sex (even Titus, mourning his fiancée, is amazed by the frequency as he battles with his conscience and plain, old-fashioned morality), no sex with the only woman he is actually interested in, and a smattering of backstories which will probably be explored in books to come.
In fact there is so much backstory at the start that I had to check that I wasn't reading book two in the series.
I liked it a lot - I'd have given it 4.25 Stars if it were possible.
P.S. I just read it again and enjoyed it just as much. I did think the plot was familiar but I've read so many books that it happens a lot.
Though Titus is tough he also has a softer side - the side story concerning Marisol is a good example.
"Devil's juice," he said.
"Coffee is good for you," I said. "Studies show people who drink coffee are less likely to get Alzheimer's."
"Touch not the unclean thing. Second Corinthians, chapter six, verse seventeen."
"Hello darkness, my old friend. Simon and Garfunkel, 'The Sound of Silence.'"
John D. Patten has a good ear for repartee - even when things get serious Titus has a snappy comeback on the tip of his tongue.
Just released after a short stint in prison he's come to Miami for vengeance but gets side-tracked in the search for a missing teen. Things get sordid and sleazy quickly and he has increasing awareness of the corruption surrounding him.
There's plenty of violence, lots of sex (even Titus, mourning his fiancée, is amazed by the frequency as he battles with his conscience and plain, old-fashioned morality), no sex with the only woman he is actually interested in, and a smattering of backstories which will probably be explored in books to come.
In fact there is so much backstory at the start that I had to check that I wasn't reading book two in the series.
I liked it a lot - I'd have given it 4.25 Stars if it were possible.
P.S. I just read it again and enjoyed it just as much. I did think the plot was familiar but I've read so many books that it happens a lot.
Though Titus is tough he also has a softer side - the side story concerning Marisol is a good example.
July 12, 2018
Stubborn like a bulldog
Ex-policeman gets involved in solving a crime after spending ten months as an inmate of a medium security jail.
His interest was piqued when a high-society woman asked him to find her daughter, while shielding her husband who was running for Senate. His ability to live humbly, even after being paid double the high fee he charged after first turning down the case, then reconsidering was interesting. At the same time he tells of his heroic efforts to trace the daughter, even after her slimy politicial father paid him a fortune to back off. Then he figures out a big deception and follows a hunch while being followed, shot at, despised, ordered to get out, beaten up. Nothing stops him. He solves the case within a week, returns the balance of the money to a deserving party, leaving himself broke, while moving on to kill the killer of the love of his life. He is larger than life but its a highly enjoyable story.
Ex-policeman gets involved in solving a crime after spending ten months as an inmate of a medium security jail.
His interest was piqued when a high-society woman asked him to find her daughter, while shielding her husband who was running for Senate. His ability to live humbly, even after being paid double the high fee he charged after first turning down the case, then reconsidering was interesting. At the same time he tells of his heroic efforts to trace the daughter, even after her slimy politicial father paid him a fortune to back off. Then he figures out a big deception and follows a hunch while being followed, shot at, despised, ordered to get out, beaten up. Nothing stops him. He solves the case within a week, returns the balance of the money to a deserving party, leaving himself broke, while moving on to kill the killer of the love of his life. He is larger than life but its a highly enjoyable story.
July 30, 2019
This started as a 1 or 2 star read. I even quit reading For a while and created an abandoned bookshelf to move it to. When I went to do that, I gave it another chance. Suddenly the story took off. It was still a gritty Miami John D Parker style of writing, but the story kept twisting and turning in ways I had not expected and I am a sucker for an interesting plot. It turned out to be good bedtime reading and rather than putting me to sleep quickly I would hang on for just another page or 2 before turning out the light.
Want to read
December 31, 2019TheFussyLibrarian
February 19, 2021
February 12, 2021
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book: “Miami Burn” by John D. Patten
For me, this book was of an escape genre; a fast paced reading between other books that do not required a willingness to allow a suspension of reality and allow the entertainment factor to be cut loose. This was a read that was a refreshing change of pace in my usual readings of history or historical fiction
This was an action packed story of public corruption, family lies and dysfunction that will leave the reader breathless and a wanting to turn the pages as fast as they can read.
It is the story of a happenstance private investigator recommended to a wealthy mother, by an active FBI Agent who worked a part of the case of interest but to no resolve. Full disclosure, I am a retired FBI Agent who loves FBI stories, especially if they portray a story of sufficient complexity and has a plausible ending.
This faux private investigator is a former cop who was fired from his police department and then sent to a Federal Prison for a crime he did not commit and now finds himself in a purposeless world and seeking fulfillment of a not too honorable goal, an intended murder he wants to commit.
He is known only as Titus, no last name. When a wealthy and attractive woman contacts him at his place of employment, a local neighborhood bar and restaurant and tries to hire him to investigate and locate her daughter who, she says has entered into an unacceptable life style with near do well boy friend.
When Titus finally decides on taking on this case, he encounters, for the second time, a very attractive Hispanic police department detective who had previously got his attention when she was in uniform and stopped him for a minor traffic violation. During Titus' trying to understand certain aspects of this seemingly complex situation he contacts her and she steers him to a neighborhood “street” preacher who is intent to finding the good in people on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Both the preacher and Titus find commonality in their existence and become friends and allies.
The case takes on intriguing proportions and there is a lot of physical and armed conflict that will keep the reader on edge. The solution to the investigation takes on an old black and white detective movie theme where the detective unwraps the final story of the missing daughter and the wealthy woman and her husband.
This was a fun and entertaining read and consequently since it involved the FBI, I gave it five stars and recommend its reading by anyone who loved the old Sam Spade and other seemingly impossible type mysteries.
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of the book: “Miami Burn” by John D. Patten
For me, this book was of an escape genre; a fast paced reading between other books that do not required a willingness to allow a suspension of reality and allow the entertainment factor to be cut loose. This was a read that was a refreshing change of pace in my usual readings of history or historical fiction
This was an action packed story of public corruption, family lies and dysfunction that will leave the reader breathless and a wanting to turn the pages as fast as they can read.
It is the story of a happenstance private investigator recommended to a wealthy mother, by an active FBI Agent who worked a part of the case of interest but to no resolve. Full disclosure, I am a retired FBI Agent who loves FBI stories, especially if they portray a story of sufficient complexity and has a plausible ending.
This faux private investigator is a former cop who was fired from his police department and then sent to a Federal Prison for a crime he did not commit and now finds himself in a purposeless world and seeking fulfillment of a not too honorable goal, an intended murder he wants to commit.
He is known only as Titus, no last name. When a wealthy and attractive woman contacts him at his place of employment, a local neighborhood bar and restaurant and tries to hire him to investigate and locate her daughter who, she says has entered into an unacceptable life style with near do well boy friend.
When Titus finally decides on taking on this case, he encounters, for the second time, a very attractive Hispanic police department detective who had previously got his attention when she was in uniform and stopped him for a minor traffic violation. During Titus' trying to understand certain aspects of this seemingly complex situation he contacts her and she steers him to a neighborhood “street” preacher who is intent to finding the good in people on the lower end of the socioeconomic ladder. Both the preacher and Titus find commonality in their existence and become friends and allies.
The case takes on intriguing proportions and there is a lot of physical and armed conflict that will keep the reader on edge. The solution to the investigation takes on an old black and white detective movie theme where the detective unwraps the final story of the missing daughter and the wealthy woman and her husband.
This was a fun and entertaining read and consequently since it involved the FBI, I gave it five stars and recommend its reading by anyone who loved the old Sam Spade and other seemingly impossible type mysteries.
March 2, 2019
Titus, a former police office recently released from prison, is in Miami for one reason, one shot, one kill. And then he's done.
In the meantime, he gets a job as a bartender at a low-scale (especially for Miami) bar, to get by until he completes his mission. And then he gets invited to find the daughter of some super-rich society type. He's not a private detective. But he can generally handle himself. And others, as necessary. His pursuit takes him to the seedy underbelly and the seedy rich belly. As questions pile up, and attacks increase, what has Titus gotten himself into, and how well can handle all of it.
It appears this is the first book by the author. If so, well done on his part. The plot is reasonably complex. The characters are reasonably complex. All in all, a puzzle for the brain, and, like most magic tricks, obvious once you know the secret. But I'm not so sure things so obvious here. Twists and turns, complications, etc., all make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Titus is an interesting character, full of both self-doubt and self-assuredness. He fancies he is beyond the reach of any redemption, yet he helps people who have nothing to offer him. I look forward to reading his next adventure (bought #2 this morning when I finished this book).
Highly recommended.
In the meantime, he gets a job as a bartender at a low-scale (especially for Miami) bar, to get by until he completes his mission. And then he gets invited to find the daughter of some super-rich society type. He's not a private detective. But he can generally handle himself. And others, as necessary. His pursuit takes him to the seedy underbelly and the seedy rich belly. As questions pile up, and attacks increase, what has Titus gotten himself into, and how well can handle all of it.
It appears this is the first book by the author. If so, well done on his part. The plot is reasonably complex. The characters are reasonably complex. All in all, a puzzle for the brain, and, like most magic tricks, obvious once you know the secret. But I'm not so sure things so obvious here. Twists and turns, complications, etc., all make for a thoroughly enjoyable read.
Titus is an interesting character, full of both self-doubt and self-assuredness. He fancies he is beyond the reach of any redemption, yet he helps people who have nothing to offer him. I look forward to reading his next adventure (bought #2 this morning when I finished this book).
Highly recommended.
September 2, 2018
Ex-cop seeks missing girl against his better judgment
Titus (main character) takes a case to find a missing girl for a rich woman against his better judgment and considering he is neither a cop anymore or a P.I. He is asked to drop it from various sides but once he starts he can't or won't let go no matter the cost. I like that he won't let go no matter be it violence, payoffs or threat of jail. The twist is crazy and you find out that rich people aren't always good and have secrets that they'll do anything to keep. I like the main character and a few others who are a big part of the story. My one dislike of Titus is... his wisecracks, I could do without much of them but that's part of his character.
Titus (main character) takes a case to find a missing girl for a rich woman against his better judgment and considering he is neither a cop anymore or a P.I. He is asked to drop it from various sides but once he starts he can't or won't let go no matter the cost. I like that he won't let go no matter be it violence, payoffs or threat of jail. The twist is crazy and you find out that rich people aren't always good and have secrets that they'll do anything to keep. I like the main character and a few others who are a big part of the story. My one dislike of Titus is... his wisecracks, I could do without much of them but that's part of his character.
April 8, 2019
Let the Lord do his job...
Titus wanted vengeance at all cost, he didn't care the consequences. A broken girl with a cop uniform saved him the first time. A converted ex con turned a reverend showed him that maybe there was still hope for him if he left the devil behind. Titus is a good Samaritan at heart who loves solving mysteries and helping others. So, Titus find himself looking for a missing girl and one event led to another and the deeper he looks, the more complicated the situation becomes. It's a non stop action. The detailed description of places, people, feelings, actions created the perfect ambiance suited to the events going on. What a thriller. I can't wait for the next story...
Titus wanted vengeance at all cost, he didn't care the consequences. A broken girl with a cop uniform saved him the first time. A converted ex con turned a reverend showed him that maybe there was still hope for him if he left the devil behind. Titus is a good Samaritan at heart who loves solving mysteries and helping others. So, Titus find himself looking for a missing girl and one event led to another and the deeper he looks, the more complicated the situation becomes. It's a non stop action. The detailed description of places, people, feelings, actions created the perfect ambiance suited to the events going on. What a thriller. I can't wait for the next story...
July 26, 2018
Miami Burn (Titus Book 1)was a slam dunk beginning to this new series. Well, at least it was new for this reader. Like with every great mystery/thriller, the characters were very lifelike and easy to love or hate. The dialogue was snappy and very realistic, The plotting tight and fast paced, the story kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end, the ending being one that I never expected. I felt like I was right there with the characters, a part of the story. The author, John D. Patten is a natural story teller and I look forward to reading more of the Titus Books as well as his other novels.
February 15, 2019
(3). What a pleasant surprise. This Amazon prime freebie was big fun. Our one name protagonist, Titus, is an absolute keeper. Fun, smart, tough, stupid, human and vulnerable, you can't help but get really attached to him. The story is a little off the rails, but I am a sucker for these Florida based deals. One really good supporting character helps as well. A little sex, a fair amount of sexuality, but not hardly as much as there is violence. Everything is well balanced. Lots of layers before a nice reveal and an excellent twist at the very end. Hard to put down. A nice read. Good stuff.
March 27, 2019
Titus is the type of character that is all of us, a little flawed, lost the love of his life. Then turns around to help others. In seemingly a straight forward case, lots of turns, twists and something of a surprise at the end. Yet in the end, Titus saves and endears himself and redeems us with filling in the gaps of this case!
The first 100 pages flew, then the rest came faster due to the intrigue!
Mr. Patten, you have convinced me I need to read the next two in this Trilogy for now, not knowing today if this will become a long running series, I do hope that in the future you may want to send Titus back to Boston for some additional escapades...
Thank you,
Chuck
The first 100 pages flew, then the rest came faster due to the intrigue!
Mr. Patten, you have convinced me I need to read the next two in this Trilogy for now, not knowing today if this will become a long running series, I do hope that in the future you may want to send Titus back to Boston for some additional escapades...
Thank you,
Chuck
August 19, 2021
Bit of a slow…ish start but…
The main character, Titus, is complex - very complex. The way the author has written this complex character into such a complex plot is really really well done.
When I started reading I didn’t particularly like Titus he was too flippant, too disrespectful but as the story goes on I found a new found respect for the character, the storyline and the basis of the story - which keeps you going until the last page.
Good read, good story and enough twists to keep you thinking about what will happen next.
If you like a detective without a detective - have a read but be patient Titus isn’t an easy person to know.
The main character, Titus, is complex - very complex. The way the author has written this complex character into such a complex plot is really really well done.
When I started reading I didn’t particularly like Titus he was too flippant, too disrespectful but as the story goes on I found a new found respect for the character, the storyline and the basis of the story - which keeps you going until the last page.
Good read, good story and enough twists to keep you thinking about what will happen next.
If you like a detective without a detective - have a read but be patient Titus isn’t an easy person to know.
July 28, 2024
Interesting enough premise and the main character has potential. But the secondary characters are written like cartoon characters and the interactions & conversations Titus has with everyone (bar Luther who was fine) were all over the place & didn’t feel real.
Also, a James Bond-esque character who seemingly gets all the beautiful girls fawning over him & can outsmart & physical defeat anyone doesn’t come particularly across well in first person.
Last annoyance- it felt like we were given a physical description of every single person Titus came into contact with which was completely unnecessary.
Also, a James Bond-esque character who seemingly gets all the beautiful girls fawning over him & can outsmart & physical defeat anyone doesn’t come particularly across well in first person.
Last annoyance- it felt like we were given a physical description of every single person Titus came into contact with which was completely unnecessary.
July 30, 2018
GOOD READ - PLENTY OF ACTION
I enjoyed the book as a whole my only caveat is the smart ass remarks Titus gives the kingpin of the bad guys after he is
kidnapped from the street and placed before the man, he
Insults the man in front of his gang and heaps derogatory
remarks regarding his entire operation.
There is not anyway he can extricate himself and therefore would be certifiably insane to act in this manner, other then this unbelievable Incident that happens twice, the plot is pretty believable.
I enjoyed the book as a whole my only caveat is the smart ass remarks Titus gives the kingpin of the bad guys after he is
kidnapped from the street and placed before the man, he
Insults the man in front of his gang and heaps derogatory
remarks regarding his entire operation.
There is not anyway he can extricate himself and therefore would be certifiably insane to act in this manner, other then this unbelievable Incident that happens twice, the plot is pretty believable.
October 29, 2020
This review is for the first three Titus Florida Crime Series thrillers (I haven't read the fourth one yet, but it's on my list). Ex-cop Titus is another great neo-noir hardboiled detective, and you just can't have too many! This is hardcore hardboiled, and Titus finds constantly finds himself in the muck, fearing equally for his life and the soul of who he is and wants to be. As the series opens, he comes to town intending to murder a man, and he can never quite escape the slippery slope he finds himself on. Top-level entry into the genre!
August 25, 2021
Miami Burn has the classic elements of a detective story:
-disaffected former police detective
-mysterious death of a loved one which forces said detective into a drunken decline
-hints of corruption among police, FBI, and political entities
-gorgeous younger women who are sexually attracted to said detective
-former detective working a dead-end job who just has to help the downtrodden even when violently warned against pursuing a case
-former detective with the ability to size up and take on multiple combatants
This book was an okay beach read.
-disaffected former police detective
-mysterious death of a loved one which forces said detective into a drunken decline
-hints of corruption among police, FBI, and political entities
-gorgeous younger women who are sexually attracted to said detective
-former detective working a dead-end job who just has to help the downtrodden even when violently warned against pursuing a case
-former detective with the ability to size up and take on multiple combatants
This book was an okay beach read.
January 1, 2022
Gut busting drama
When a man arrives in town, looking for revenge, he has no idea how or what life will bring. Through a police officer,ļ who he quickly develops a crush on, an extraordinary series of events, seemingly to find a runaway daughter, and the discovery of a weird and incestuous family cover up, he becomes involved I matters he cannot control. To his rescue comes his police 'girlfriend' and a peculiar religious man who assist him unwittingly to sort his life and actions towards the best solutions. A truly devious mystery/thriller.
When a man arrives in town, looking for revenge, he has no idea how or what life will bring. Through a police officer,ļ who he quickly develops a crush on, an extraordinary series of events, seemingly to find a runaway daughter, and the discovery of a weird and incestuous family cover up, he becomes involved I matters he cannot control. To his rescue comes his police 'girlfriend' and a peculiar religious man who assist him unwittingly to sort his life and actions towards the best solutions. A truly devious mystery/thriller.
July 9, 2023
Lots going on in this book, some of it should be better explained at the beginning like what had led to Titus' wife's death and how he landed in prison but was released early but the actual story and characters are good enough to carry it off and keep the interest until the girl he was looking for is saved and the reason for her corruption are revealed in a surprising interview with a shock result. Then he goes to complete his original goal but is saved by the Reverend's influence. Inspired characters and plot really held the attention.
February 18, 2018
Different kind of story but good
Titus has all kinds of personal problems. His wife was killed and he wants to kill the person who did it. But he gets involved in a off the book case that has all kinds of twists and turns. He has to find a missing girl. This takes him to all kind people and places. And in the end where does he end up. Read on to find out a very good mystery book. Keeps you guessing. Just read
Titus has all kinds of personal problems. His wife was killed and he wants to kill the person who did it. But he gets involved in a off the book case that has all kinds of twists and turns. He has to find a missing girl. This takes him to all kind people and places. And in the end where does he end up. Read on to find out a very good mystery book. Keeps you guessing. Just read
August 29, 2021
Warped ex-police, what can I say?
Without knowing anything about this book, I picked it up to see where it took me. I found a really warped character: mad, impulsive, drunk and really in need of help which he would never take. What I also found was a man with morals, knowledge and a sense of longing. Titus needs to help, to solve problems and to put things "right." Very enjoyable reading.
Without knowing anything about this book, I picked it up to see where it took me. I found a really warped character: mad, impulsive, drunk and really in need of help which he would never take. What I also found was a man with morals, knowledge and a sense of longing. Titus needs to help, to solve problems and to put things "right." Very enjoyable reading.
June 12, 2023
A wild ride with a rough ex-cop you can't resist.
I quickly fell in love with the main character, Titus. He's rough, a little harsh at times, but he's sarcastic and witty and has a good heart. He's loveable despite his rough exterior.
The story is fast-paced, whipping the reader along for a wild ride. At times, the jumps were a little hard to follow, but overall, I was surprised and delighted by the twists and turns.
Great character development. Razor sharp action scenes. Thrilling surprises. Good ending, leaving the reader wanting more.
Can't wait to read the next one!
I quickly fell in love with the main character, Titus. He's rough, a little harsh at times, but he's sarcastic and witty and has a good heart. He's loveable despite his rough exterior.
The story is fast-paced, whipping the reader along for a wild ride. At times, the jumps were a little hard to follow, but overall, I was surprised and delighted by the twists and turns.
Great character development. Razor sharp action scenes. Thrilling surprises. Good ending, leaving the reader wanting more.
Can't wait to read the next one!
January 13, 2026
John D. Patten is a good story teller, the action fast moving. I found his descriptions colorful and compelling, to wit: “It night, it becomes a noxious and yet aromatic medley of midnight jasmine, blooming gardenias, and toxic mildew—like getting smacked in the face by a hot punch of flowery gasoline, even at two in the morning.” & his similes thought provoking: “I carefully climbed out, trying not to move like an old man recovering from triple-bypass surgery.”
December 31, 2017
A good, fast-paced, engaging first novel. The protagonist is interesting and memorable, and we get a couple of good secondary characters right away. As someone who was heavily influenced by the late Robert B. Parker, I see those influences (and some others) in this book. It's a good read, and I will look for more in this series.
February 7, 2018
I would give this 3.5 stars if I could
I enjoyed reading this new author. I liked his style. However this was a dark book for me, dealing with some difficult subject matters, and lifestyles that are not something I can understand let alone appreciate. I still would give this author another try.
I enjoyed reading this new author. I liked his style. However this was a dark book for me, dealing with some difficult subject matters, and lifestyles that are not something I can understand let alone appreciate. I still would give this author another try.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews