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Hell Is Naked
This award winning mystery/thriller took finalist honors in the Readers Favorite International Book Awards.
One of WARREN ROBERTS’ SWAT cronies once told him a woman would run naked into the street to save her baby, but a man would stop to put on his pants first. It was an interesting thought, an enigma to ride the back of his mind and wait for a time of future analysis. But time plays tricks and sometimes there is no time for analysis, only for action.
Action soon takes on a whole new meaning as he embarks on the most embarrassing job he's ever attempted—working undercover as a movie extra. Just one day of bungling tells him he would weep for joy over some high-risk, tactical, search and rescue operation involving weapons of mass destruction, that is, provided it is anywhere but Hollywood.
For a man with his diverse skill sets, it takes only three days to locate background actress, RAINY WRAY. It takes him slightly longer to discover why he is really locating this blithe hippy. Only after he bungles them both into a quagmire of disaster does he take his acting seriously.
When Warren Roberts, romps through the Hollywood movie scene, he proves that off-beat investigative styles can achieve results and that action, adventure, humor, and romance can credibly inhabit the same story.
One of WARREN ROBERTS’ SWAT cronies once told him a woman would run naked into the street to save her baby, but a man would stop to put on his pants first. It was an interesting thought, an enigma to ride the back of his mind and wait for a time of future analysis. But time plays tricks and sometimes there is no time for analysis, only for action.
Action soon takes on a whole new meaning as he embarks on the most embarrassing job he's ever attempted—working undercover as a movie extra. Just one day of bungling tells him he would weep for joy over some high-risk, tactical, search and rescue operation involving weapons of mass destruction, that is, provided it is anywhere but Hollywood.
For a man with his diverse skill sets, it takes only three days to locate background actress, RAINY WRAY. It takes him slightly longer to discover why he is really locating this blithe hippy. Only after he bungles them both into a quagmire of disaster does he take his acting seriously.
When Warren Roberts, romps through the Hollywood movie scene, he proves that off-beat investigative styles can achieve results and that action, adventure, humor, and romance can credibly inhabit the same story.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 12, 2017
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Jean James
26 books8 followersBefore becoming a full-time writer Jean spent a good portion of her time working in wilderness areas. She collected live mammals and reptiles for US and foreign distribution, collected live venomous snakes for antivenom production, and labored on many wilderness construction projects. She’s also worked as a press agent, a song writer, and captained a small, leaky cabin cruiser.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 24, 2018
I was very curious about this one from the get-go - it has great reviews, everyone raves about how action-packed it is, and the idea of a cop posing as a movie extra for a case sounded original and intriguing (with great potential for hilarity). The opening was very strong - I was immediately engaged by the characters (poor Warren, I would most likely find myself in his shoes if I suddenly tried to be a movie extra!) who were relatable, believable and fun, as well as the plot (odd circumstances surrounding Warren's case and a bizarre accident on a movie set).
Things were clicking along - until, suddenly, they weren't and The Slog began. When it happens, The Slog usually kicks in about half to two-thirds through a mystery for me - it's the point at which you've gotten past the initial excitement and "what's going on??" of the beginning but have not yet entered the "A-HA!" moments that surround the Big Reveal. Its the point at which there's still some necessary plot exposition that needs to happen before the ending bits can kick in and make sense - the slow point between the start and the finish. In this one, it felt like I hit that point at about 25%, and I found myself wondering how on Earth the story could possibly need another three-quarters of the book to be told. Sometimes, the Big Slog hits early because there's another, unforeseen, plot point/line coming - that can be a pleasant surprise, as long as the BS doesn't drag on to the point that you lose momentum and either don't care about the new bits or don't get to them because you've given up...
The Big Slog isn't necessarily a death knell for a book - sometimes it really is necessary and just has to be gotten through, even if it means slowing things W A Y down for a bit. Unfortunately, sometimes it is an indicator that the tone or tenor of the book has changed - and that's how I felt with this one. Things never picked back up to the exciting and engaging pace of the opening, and as a result this was only three stars for me. Warren remained interesting throughout, although Rainy gradually grated on my nerves a bit (still not entirely sure why). Still, the opening was so strong that I would definitely consider this pair of authors again - and perhaps at another time or in another context, the pacing issue wouldn't be an issue at all...
My review copy was provided by NetGalley.
Things were clicking along - until, suddenly, they weren't and The Slog began. When it happens, The Slog usually kicks in about half to two-thirds through a mystery for me - it's the point at which you've gotten past the initial excitement and "what's going on??" of the beginning but have not yet entered the "A-HA!" moments that surround the Big Reveal. Its the point at which there's still some necessary plot exposition that needs to happen before the ending bits can kick in and make sense - the slow point between the start and the finish. In this one, it felt like I hit that point at about 25%, and I found myself wondering how on Earth the story could possibly need another three-quarters of the book to be told. Sometimes, the Big Slog hits early because there's another, unforeseen, plot point/line coming - that can be a pleasant surprise, as long as the BS doesn't drag on to the point that you lose momentum and either don't care about the new bits or don't get to them because you've given up...
The Big Slog isn't necessarily a death knell for a book - sometimes it really is necessary and just has to be gotten through, even if it means slowing things W A Y down for a bit. Unfortunately, sometimes it is an indicator that the tone or tenor of the book has changed - and that's how I felt with this one. Things never picked back up to the exciting and engaging pace of the opening, and as a result this was only three stars for me. Warren remained interesting throughout, although Rainy gradually grated on my nerves a bit (still not entirely sure why). Still, the opening was so strong that I would definitely consider this pair of authors again - and perhaps at another time or in another context, the pacing issue wouldn't be an issue at all...
My review copy was provided by NetGalley.
December 14, 2017
“Hell is Naked” is a fast-paced crime novel set in the world of the Los Angeles film industry — as seen from the vantage of extras, rather than stars. It seems authentic in its portrayal (both authors have worked as extras) of that setting.
Also authentic is the portrayal of the central protagonist, retired cop Warren Roberts, now working as a private investigator. His SWAT background is drawn from life (another family member). Roberts is in LA looking for a missing girl — ostensibly for her father. We can all guess that things are not going to be that simple!
And we can guess that all hell breaks out pretty quickly (whether it is naked, I couldn’t say). Plenty of action, in the city, in the desert hills and the Pacific waters around it, follows, with a sprinkling of comic relief. Much of that is provided by our protagonist himself. The plot holds together well, events pushing it forward, as our characters attempt to solve the underlying mystery as they run.
Well-written, readable, good characterizations, decent dialog, and a compelling plot. Recommended.
February 9, 2018
Wow! What an adventure this book turned out to be! I really enjoyed reading this one. A retired detective named Warren goes to LA to investigate a missing daughter. When he finds her and her friends in the midst of working as extras on the set of a movie, he has to go undercover as an actor to get close to them. This story has some funny parts when this big, bulky former swat is trying to be not-so-noticeable on the camera as an extra. He's just too awkward and clumsy. The daughter in question, Rainy, quickly befriends the big guy, and therefore the adventure begins. Some shocking things happen in the next few days, as Warren finds out there is more going on here than he expected. It makes for a suspenseful, catch-your-breath, set of events that I had to read every word of until I finished it and found out what happened. Hell Is Naked is very good reading, and I highly recommend it. Looking forward to more.
February 17, 2018
Action Packed…. I received a copy of this book from Net Gallery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. Warren fumbling as an extra has Rainy reaching out to help him. What Rainy doesn't realize is that Warren is really a detective hired to find Rainy and her friends. Soon Warren realizes that Rainy and her friends are in danger. As a former SWATS officer, Warren wants to keep them safe, especially Rainy. This is a good action packed mystery.
July 6, 2018
I'm so glad I got this book! It's clean, it's strong and it's a great read! I want more, please! This read had everything I wanted, a touch of romance, crime, drama, mystery and all without making me upset with things that I feel aren't needed for most novels. The humor is fun and the story held up in every way, including the ending and a good mystery.
Many thanks to Net Galley for this copy of this book. My review is my own and left of my own free will.
Many thanks to Net Galley for this copy of this book. My review is my own and left of my own free will.
February 1, 2018
I love this book! It was jammed with action and suspense from the beginning all the way to the end. This is a fast paced crime thriller set in LA. A retired cop Warren Roberts now working as a private investigator. Warren is in. LA looking for a missing girl for her father. Did you think it would be easy to find her? Nope ... I love this action packed book. I would definately recommend this book!
January 28, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book. If Jack Reacher had a bad knee and a sense of humor, that would be Warren. It's well written and held my attention.
The latter half of the book could benefit from some editing, but it didn't stop me from finishing it. Good story.
The latter half of the book could benefit from some editing, but it didn't stop me from finishing it. Good story.
February 15, 2018
I must admit that I received a free copy of this book to review, but even if I hadn’t I would have gladly paid the nominal amount to purchase it. Great storyline. Kept me reading until the last page. Do yourself a favor, if you enjoy this genre get yourself a copy today. You won’t be disappointed.
February 9, 2018
What a wonderful book. This one reeled me in with the blurb and kept me hooked until the final word. I loved this suspenseful story with its action, mystery, comedy and romance, it really is the complete package. I feel like this is like an action movie with some romance thrown in to keep everyone interested. This is the kind of book I think couples could read and discuss. There were a couple of minor editing errors, but the story was so amazing I overlooked them. The author did a superb job with character development and storyline. Highly recommended read!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews