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Violence
Noel Anderson, builder and businessman, has his life ripped apart when his family is brutally murdered. The three killers are eventually sentenced for their crime prompting Noel to set out on a religious crusade of forgiveness. Noel fast becomes a media darling and discovers love again in a damaged young woman who, like himself, is one of society’s walking wounded. It is the police, though, who begin to question Noel’s motives when one of his wife and daughter’s murderers meets with a suspicious end. VIOLENCE is ultimately a towering tale, filled with suspense, hope and humor, which explores one man’s attempt to transcend tragedy and find his place again amongst the living.
480 pages, Paperback
First published February 21, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 1, 2013
This was just a terrific story totally marred by too many mistakes. I was so disappointed. A pity to write an interesting book and then not get it properly edited. I packed it at 31%.
I really liked Noel and was looking forward to knowing what happened. Perhaps in time a revised edition will be released and I can find out. You had to feel for him and the justice system that seemed too keen on protecting criminals' rights.
There were a LOT of apostrophe mistakes-usually the author got it wrong with plurals such as client's instead of clients' rights when speaking of 3 defendants. Have was replaced by has, the odd comma disappeared, in was replaced by on, we lost a in one sentence and my last straw was "any of the Anderson's cars" which should have read Andersons'.
Great, great shame as this promised to be a 5 star story but for the sake of a proofreading.
I really liked Noel and was looking forward to knowing what happened. Perhaps in time a revised edition will be released and I can find out. You had to feel for him and the justice system that seemed too keen on protecting criminals' rights.
There were a LOT of apostrophe mistakes-usually the author got it wrong with plurals such as client's instead of clients' rights when speaking of 3 defendants. Have was replaced by has, the odd comma disappeared, in was replaced by on, we lost a in one sentence and my last straw was "any of the Anderson's cars" which should have read Andersons'.
Great, great shame as this promised to be a 5 star story but for the sake of a proofreading.
June 2, 2012
A great storyline, plot, I expected great things but for me it didn't quite deliver. I think the writing style didn't grab me and irritated me a bit, but that is just me. The book had a lot of potential and I think with some strong editing it could be a very good book.
November 12, 2020
Good read!!
June 6, 2012
"Violence" by Timothy McDougall is a great story with a strong ending but written in an odd style. The author claims to have done screenplay writing, and I think that may have affected his approach. Too many asides and infodumps peppered this story. I have no idea how many Points-of-View (POVs) showed up. It's irrelevant when done seamlessly; however, the head-hopping made me stop and have to re-read passages to correctly identify the character I was reading about. Some minor characters' POVs weren't even needed. Movies bounce POVs endlessly, but the visual helps the watcher stay focused. In this novel, bouncing and unnecessary POVs made staying deep in the story difficult at times. It may be difficult for many readers to fall in love with the overall reading experience with this novel because of these elements.
But, if you love police procedurals or courtroom details, you might forgive the above issues. I love details. I just wish they had been more artfully folded into the story. The omniscient courtroom POV broadcast too much, told you background detail, motivations, minutia, tidbits, and thought process that didn't help the flow of the story, and in many cases, seemed unnecessary. Let it flow, Tim. Set us up, and let it rip. If this is the quality of plotting that this author can generate, I see greatness in his future. There are passages of excellent writing, in particular, when the protag takes a neurotic OCD female church office worker to dinner. The writing, dialogue, and scene twists are five-star. I wanted more of this. However, this story needed more attention to the story-telling craft. I did enjoy the story, but the overall experience was just average. It is a strong "3".
MINOR SPOILER ALERT.
And yet, for all the details, all the facts, and all the importance placed on phone usage, a key element of testimony around which the defense rested its case was never mentioned, resolved, clarified, or brought up. And I waited for it! When did the wife call the three amigos and how did she know their number? D'oh!
But, if you love police procedurals or courtroom details, you might forgive the above issues. I love details. I just wish they had been more artfully folded into the story. The omniscient courtroom POV broadcast too much, told you background detail, motivations, minutia, tidbits, and thought process that didn't help the flow of the story, and in many cases, seemed unnecessary. Let it flow, Tim. Set us up, and let it rip. If this is the quality of plotting that this author can generate, I see greatness in his future. There are passages of excellent writing, in particular, when the protag takes a neurotic OCD female church office worker to dinner. The writing, dialogue, and scene twists are five-star. I wanted more of this. However, this story needed more attention to the story-telling craft. I did enjoy the story, but the overall experience was just average. It is a strong "3".
MINOR SPOILER ALERT.
And yet, for all the details, all the facts, and all the importance placed on phone usage, a key element of testimony around which the defense rested its case was never mentioned, resolved, clarified, or brought up. And I waited for it! When did the wife call the three amigos and how did she know their number? D'oh!
July 30, 2012
This was a very intriguing story. There was a lot of information - you could tell the author did a lot of research and had all of his characters clear in his mind. The first half of the book details the life and death of Noel's wife and daughter and the subsequent trial for the suspects. The trial is very detailed (perhaps a little laboriously) and the book overall is pretty cynical about the effectiveness of the law. This book certainly doesn't make one a fan of lawyers! Noel's character motivations is kept murky after the trial, as the men who were responsible for the death of his family eventually meet mysterious deaths. The second half of the book is much more interesting, because Noel becomes such a puzzle, and I wondered where the story was going. Although there were certain things I was pretty sure would happen. Certain people would die for instance!
I felt the resolution of the main conflict was a little ambiguous though - that is, I wasn't sure who actually did what and why. And the author sometimes gives out specific information about different characters at odd moments, and it made the story seem somewhat disjointed, but it has a strong overall plot, and well-fleshed out characters. The ending is not at all predictable and very suspenseful. A very good read for fans of crime thrillers!
I felt the resolution of the main conflict was a little ambiguous though - that is, I wasn't sure who actually did what and why. And the author sometimes gives out specific information about different characters at odd moments, and it made the story seem somewhat disjointed, but it has a strong overall plot, and well-fleshed out characters. The ending is not at all predictable and very suspenseful. A very good read for fans of crime thrillers!
July 27, 2012
Timothy McDougall's first novel takes us through a maelstrom of emotion, adventure, chaos, and retaliation. Noel Anderson is a successful average Joe with a vaguely troubled past whose life is ripped apart when violence destroys his family and everything he has worked towards. A weak justice system, impossible odds, and the short end of the stick seem to greet him at every turn. As his life is forced to continue whether or not his heart is ready, Noel, finds himself alone, lost, and confused. Or is he? Detectives following several cases related to the loss of his family seem to think a series of bloody crimes committed years later may be the work of Noel's vigilante justice. An action packed, breath-stealing ending leaves readers wanting this broken man to find love, happiness, and harmony again. Find out if he succeeds in Violence.
A fresh book with excellent character development, riveting action scenes that leave very little to the reader's imagination, and attention to detail surrounding every new topic. This book will be enjoyed by many, but especially the under twenty-five set who look forward to a video-game-style background story come to life. A non-linear timeline would have really made this book outstanding, but overall, and excellent first novel. Looking forward to more. Three out of five stars!
A fresh book with excellent character development, riveting action scenes that leave very little to the reader's imagination, and attention to detail surrounding every new topic. This book will be enjoyed by many, but especially the under twenty-five set who look forward to a video-game-style background story come to life. A non-linear timeline would have really made this book outstanding, but overall, and excellent first novel. Looking forward to more. Three out of five stars!
May 6, 2012
It's one of those can't put it down thrillers that I love to devour. A good alternate title would be "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"-ales you think how you would react to a hideous crime against your loved ones Also has a decent twist at the end- not sure it ties up all the loose ends, but it's still a fast-paced thriller. Finally, I actually thought the book was written by an attorney, because the legal stuff is pretty accurate (which is rare). I recommend this book:)
May 13, 2012
Absolutely amazing book. I could not put it down - I liken this to James Patterson, and those of you that know me know he is one of my favorites! Amazing, adventurous and full of suspense. I had a hard time putting this down for any length of time and honestly the ending was not expected! I will look for more books from this author!
January 30, 2016
Excellent
It's a good book and superb writing. So many times guns are the bad guys while the bad guys go free. In the old West, rapists were executed. Today they get out on good behavior only to do it again. Yes there are mistakes but when it's proven then justice must do what it's supposed to not political rhetoric.
It's a good book and superb writing. So many times guns are the bad guys while the bad guys go free. In the old West, rapists were executed. Today they get out on good behavior only to do it again. Yes there are mistakes but when it's proven then justice must do what it's supposed to not political rhetoric.
April 30, 2012
Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
April 15, 2012
It was fabulous! I was hooked from page one! Great book.
September 10, 2014
Absolutely loved it
Great roller coaster ride from beginning to end. loved the main character and his determination to make things right. Great book.
Great roller coaster ride from beginning to end. loved the main character and his determination to make things right. Great book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews