The Bad Samaritan

by Lyon Bell

In March 1990, 13 works of art, then valued at over $300 million, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts, by thieves who gained entry posing as police officers. The robbery gained worldwide attention and speculation was rife as to who could have carried out this audacious heist. The robbers were never identified - although the FBI suspected an organised crime syndicate, based in New England. A reward of $10 million for information leading to recovery of the lost masterpieces remains unclaimed.

In September 2015, June Harper is kidnapped from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is personal assistant to Megan Anderson, the chief pharmacist. The investigation is led by FBI special agents Ruth Rowland and Lawrence Brooks. Their main problem in identifying the perpetrator is that there is no obvious motive for the abduction - the case becomes even more complicated when June’s husband, Ryan, is murdered a few days later.

Although separated by 25 years, these three crimes – robbery, kidnap, murder – are linked. But how?

Genres: Fiction, Ebooks, Thriller Suspense

299 pages, Paperback

First published December 11, 2018

About the author

Lyon Bell lives near Woodbridge in Suffolk, England. The Bad Samaritan is his first novel. He is a 'Goodreads' author and publishes book reviews on that website.

Reviews

[Nichola Welham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. I t was interesting to see how the three crimes came together. The twist at the ending was clever. I did not expect that. I was disappointing with the ending for June Harper, that was disappointing. I would have proffered an alternative for her. I will not say to much as I do not want to spoil the story for any readers.
I liked the authors style, even though it was about crime, the novel was written in a light hearted yet serious manor.
The novel was very easy to read. I could not put it down, It kept me guessing right up to the end. Looking forward to Lyon's second novel.

[Michele Rice Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

The Bad Samaritan is a great read. I enjoyed the story, the writing style, and how it all came together. If you enjoy Clive Cussler, you'll enjoy this book.

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Karen M · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you asked me about half ways through the book how I felt about it, well, I would have said it was okay but I wish something would happen. Be careful what you wish for because this book turned into a roller-coaster ride towards the end. I’m still trying to sort everything out in my mind.

We are told about a 300 million dollar robbery of a museum in Boston where artwork is stolen and remains missing years later. We are introduced to two FBI agents who are working on a recent kidnapping case which involves the strange disappearance of a woman who worked as a PA for the head of the Pharmacy Department at Massachusetts General Hospital, Megan Anderson. Be warned, not all is as it seems, just saying.

As I said at the beginning of my review the storyline seemed to move at an even pace but there was the oddity of two seemingly separate crimes having been committed and not appearing to have any connection. This changed towards the end of the book when everything moved very quickly and very cleverly. The end of the book has lots of twists and turns to keep you reading. This was a 3.5 star read for me but I don’t downgrade so I gave it a 4 stars.

I won this book in a First Reads giveaway. Thank you to the author Lyon Bell

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not sure I liked this book until about 20% in. I was a bit frustrated up to that point as I could not figure out how the author was going to bring the 2 stories together….and then he did! Overall, a very good debut novel with some unexpected twists.

[Tanya Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

So normal at the beginning.....and then the twists and turns began. Excellent at keeping me guessing. I'm still not sure that I have it figured out as the author left some loose threads.

[Nancy Mcclenathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The twists and rurns and the unexpected ending made this a good book to read.

I received a free ebook from goodreads.

[Hayley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*
I felt like the sorry had a lot of potential and I was definitely invested into the mystery the whole time but I felt like alot of the story could’ve been explored more. The wrap up definitely could’ve been more descriptive.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a well paced story with strong characters and I was not disappointed all the way through. It kept me guessing until the last page and I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Candie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I thought this book started out slow, I really enjoyed it by the end. I also found mistakes that distracted me from some of the story. It kept me guessing the entire time and I did not see the ending coming.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced and engaging thriller. Really enjoyed the premise of this one and found myself reading a few pages whenever I got a spare couple of minutes

[Connie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very much enjoyed this book. Very well written with great character development. Would love to read a follow-up

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review coming soon!

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good First Book

This is the authors first book. Living less than two hours from Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist is a familiar crime. I liked the story itself but believe he could have spent more time on character development and expanding the storyline.

As the author is from England, he used terminology from there even though the story is set in the Boston area. If the next book is also set in the US, it would be beneficial to use American terminology. Some examples would be: using flat instead of apartment, torch instead of flashlight, and we don't eat sardines on toast as a common meal or snack.

This book was a Goodreads win.

[Barbara Gillan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is an easy read. I was intrigued by the story of the Isabella Stewart Garnder Museum as I grew up in the Boston area and had visited the museum before the robbery took place.
The Bad Samaritan was decent story, though it felt a little forced at times. I found the entire premise to be a bit unbelievable and convoluted. I was interested enough to read to the end to see how the pieces fell into place. I did feel that the ending was a letdown. Just my opinion.

I received a copy of this book as a Goodreads giveaway.

[John Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing and creative

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway

This is very creative and masterfully connects multiple crimes and scenarios in an imaginative way.

My one complaint in this book is the way that most of it takes place in the US with a U.S. scenario, but throughout the dialogue and description has a British accent. I recommend greater detail in editing for future books for spelling and phraseology that matches the scenario. If it was taking place in the UK I would never give it a second thought.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to call this one. Tried really hard since it had so many good reviews but I couldn't make it far past the FBI agent asking an interviewee multiple times if she wanted a cookie and then asking if she was on a diet cause she said no (which is 44% of the way through, I think a more than fair try). This is just not my writing style, at all. Too many loose ends that clearly have nothing to do with the end result of the story.

[Janet McMillan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

I loved the premise of the book. The first chapters deal with an art heist. Then it goes to a gal in charge of a pharmacy division in a hospital. She sends her assistant out to her car. The assistant is kidnapped. The book introduces us to the spouses of the two women. The book slowly gives the reader tidbit by tidbit. Fully enjoyable book for me.
I received the book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a honest review.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ebook free from a Goodreads giveaway.

I enjoyed this book and would read as much as I could whenever I had a chance. The author did a wonderful job connecting the various crimes.

I was disappointed in the author's use of British terminology throughout the entire book, considering the story took place in the U.S. Other than that editing issue, I would definitely recommend this book

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book free via Goodreads giveaways.

The start of book felt rough and disjointed, but as I got into the story, it started to come together and enjoyed the movement of the story. As the conclusion came into focus it again felt strange and I felt like I had to reread parts figure out what had happened. The book had lots of promise, maybe better editing for future endeavors.

[Lewis Taylor]

Qur’an: Chapter 20, Verse 94, 95—
He (Moses) said: “What have you been trying to do, O Samaritan?”
He (Samaritan) said: “I noticed something they do not notice, so I snatched a handful from the messenger’s footprint and flung it away. Thus my soul has lured me on.”

[Mattison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for the Lyon Bell for the Giveaway
I tried to get into the book, but unfortunately it just wasnt the book for me. But I could definitely see this book being great for other readers.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was okay. It was kind of hard to tie together, but does come together pretty well in the end. It was a pretty slow read for me.

[Lyon Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good plot. Well written. Surprise ending. Enjoy!

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.