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Restorations
When Miles West discovers a mysterious treasure in an old car he acquires, he thinks his broken life is on the mend. But the 1928 Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster contains a secret that has remained hidden for almost ninety years, left there by the infamous bank robber "Lefty" Webber. Jewels, old gold pieces and a coded journal force Miles to dig into the past. With the assistance of the resourceful Bramley Ann Fairchild, West sets out on an adrenaline-fueled adventure. They must evade ruthless Mafia boss Carlo Bello, who seeks to acquire the car and the treasure for himself, no matter the cost. Will West unravel the decades old mystery, rescue his friend, and help a man restore his family name? Or will he simply become another victim of the Roadster's murky history?
232 pages, Paperback
First published March 20, 2019
3 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 14, 2019
This book took a few passes to finish. The plotting and the content kept me going. There were moments when the writing felt a little stiff, but overall, this was a compelling story about theft, greed, and longing. The story was very interesting. It had sort of penny arcade crossed with Ocean's Eleven vibe. There are many hallmarks of the genre (great cars, bad guys, plenty of money), but harkening back to the 20s. If you want a thriller/ mystery with a masculine feel and a 20's tip, this is your jam.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2019
Miles West has his heart set on a Stutz Black Hawk Boat Tail Roadster, a pretty rare 1928 vintage car that is up for auction, as restoring it will be the thing that he can throw all of his energy into and take his mind from his personal tragedies. As the bidding rises at the auction a telephone contender keeps on pushing the price higher but a bit of a blip and confusion on the line results in Miles getting the final bid. To say that the air was blue between the telephone bidder and his client would be like saying it gets a little chilly in the Arctic in winter.
Miles is delighted with the outcome but little does he know that the real prize isn’t the car but what it contains. When he is offered a substantial amount above what he paid for it, it only makes him more determined to keep it. When Vic, who is restoring the car with him discovers hidden compartments in the car to opens up a chain of events that will be life changing to lot of people.
Miles takes up with Bramley Ann Fairchild who is extremely knowledgeable in antiques and an incredible journey begins for them both. Little do they realise that they have stirred up quite a hornets nest among the gangster population that all want the secret of what this vintage car holds.
This story turns into quite a road trip that picks up more unsavoury characters that go after Miles and Bramley. This is an entertaining and all action story that has a little for everyone. The gangland violence isn’t too graphic making it more of a cosy gangster car chase than anything too sinister, not that people don’t die or get hurt because they do. There is the mystery to solve, a little love story going on and gangsters that wouldn’t even trust who looks them back in a mirror. Loved the end!
Many thanks to Smith Publicity for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
Miles is delighted with the outcome but little does he know that the real prize isn’t the car but what it contains. When he is offered a substantial amount above what he paid for it, it only makes him more determined to keep it. When Vic, who is restoring the car with him discovers hidden compartments in the car to opens up a chain of events that will be life changing to lot of people.
Miles takes up with Bramley Ann Fairchild who is extremely knowledgeable in antiques and an incredible journey begins for them both. Little do they realise that they have stirred up quite a hornets nest among the gangster population that all want the secret of what this vintage car holds.
This story turns into quite a road trip that picks up more unsavoury characters that go after Miles and Bramley. This is an entertaining and all action story that has a little for everyone. The gangland violence isn’t too graphic making it more of a cosy gangster car chase than anything too sinister, not that people don’t die or get hurt because they do. There is the mystery to solve, a little love story going on and gangsters that wouldn’t even trust who looks them back in a mirror. Loved the end!
Many thanks to Smith Publicity for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
April 19, 2019
Restorations is an adventure worth taking. It is an absolutely thrilling, action-packed read. Right off the bat you get a bank robbery and high-speed car chase with bullets flying. Talk about grabbing a readers attention! With solid writing, nostalgic vibes, and a clear appreciation for antique cars, Strickler artfully depicts the setting, creating vivid imagery and making readers feel as if they are truly there. The well-developed characters will win your hearts over. While we would have liked more from the ending, we highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an adrenaline-fueled experience with an homage to antique cars and the 1920's!
August 28, 2019
Adventure mystery from NORTH CAROLINA to NEW YORK
2.75*
1930: The novel opens as a bank robbery that doesn’t quite go according to plan in Decatur, Illinois. Max ‘Lefty’ Webber, bank robber extraordinaire, is foiled…
in 2018 in Wachau, North Carolina, Miles West is attending a house auction. The elderly Vogler sisters have passed away leaving a sizeable estate and he espies a Stutz Boattail Speedster, a rare car and bags it for $66,000. It had been hidden in a barn and thus it was quite a surprise for the auctioneers who had just found this quaint car the day before the auction, hidden under hay bales in a barn.
2018. In New York, however, mobster Carlo Bello is bidding for that very Stutz by telephone but through unfortunate circumstances he loses the bid. He has a fit of apoplexy and commands his henchmen to track down the car and its new owner. That car was to be his at any price. This would be the 6th Stutz he has purchased or stolen as he is on a quest to find THE car that belonged to Max ‘Lefty’ Webber, as he knows there is hidden treasure to be had. Not only hidden treasure but a log detailing a consignment to Russia which should list the whereabouts of a treasure chest of goodies, which is of great interest to him.
In the blink of an eye, Miles has worked out that this car must have belonged to a gangster and before Miles and his Nancy Drew sidekick - Bramley Fairchild - know it, they are off on their research travels, dodging the mobsters as they head towards New York and the East Coast.
The author clearly is a fan of vehicles and food and informative family detail. These elements underpin essentially an interesting but thinly plotted storyline which has the feel of a boy’s own adventure. There are explosions, guns, stun guns, jack-knifed vehicles, car chases, kidnaps and more, and the links that progress the story are fairly simplistically revealed. It is a romp in the style of Ocean’s Eleven, that is enthusiastic in its storytelling but could do with more work on “showing” rather than “telling”.
I feel that using a ‘3’ instead of an ‘e’ in both the title and author’s name is debatable – it’s a bit naff, to be honest (even though it derives from the background coded document).
2.75*
1930: The novel opens as a bank robbery that doesn’t quite go according to plan in Decatur, Illinois. Max ‘Lefty’ Webber, bank robber extraordinaire, is foiled…
in 2018 in Wachau, North Carolina, Miles West is attending a house auction. The elderly Vogler sisters have passed away leaving a sizeable estate and he espies a Stutz Boattail Speedster, a rare car and bags it for $66,000. It had been hidden in a barn and thus it was quite a surprise for the auctioneers who had just found this quaint car the day before the auction, hidden under hay bales in a barn.
2018. In New York, however, mobster Carlo Bello is bidding for that very Stutz by telephone but through unfortunate circumstances he loses the bid. He has a fit of apoplexy and commands his henchmen to track down the car and its new owner. That car was to be his at any price. This would be the 6th Stutz he has purchased or stolen as he is on a quest to find THE car that belonged to Max ‘Lefty’ Webber, as he knows there is hidden treasure to be had. Not only hidden treasure but a log detailing a consignment to Russia which should list the whereabouts of a treasure chest of goodies, which is of great interest to him.
In the blink of an eye, Miles has worked out that this car must have belonged to a gangster and before Miles and his Nancy Drew sidekick - Bramley Fairchild - know it, they are off on their research travels, dodging the mobsters as they head towards New York and the East Coast.
The author clearly is a fan of vehicles and food and informative family detail. These elements underpin essentially an interesting but thinly plotted storyline which has the feel of a boy’s own adventure. There are explosions, guns, stun guns, jack-knifed vehicles, car chases, kidnaps and more, and the links that progress the story are fairly simplistically revealed. It is a romp in the style of Ocean’s Eleven, that is enthusiastic in its storytelling but could do with more work on “showing” rather than “telling”.
I feel that using a ‘3’ instead of an ‘e’ in both the title and author’s name is debatable – it’s a bit naff, to be honest (even though it derives from the background coded document).
March 27, 2019
4 stars
Miles West bids on and wins a Stutz Black Hawk in an estate auction. Little does he know the trouble the car will cause him. When his mechanic and fellow restorer whiz kid named Wic finds secret compartments and gadgets in the car, Miles speculates that it belonged to a bank robber.
He teams up with Bramley Ann Fairchild, an auctioneer and antiquites researcher to look into the history of the car.
A smarmy lawyer from New York shows up and offers twice what Miles paid for the car. Miles' radar is on high alert. He has the lawer checked out and learns that he works or Carlo Bello, a major crime boss. Various thugs break into Miles' house and follow him and Bramley around the U.S.
Let the games begin!
To criticize the book: there are a number of typos and errors in the use of English, the thugs are laughably inept and Bramley's research makes some unbelivable leaps in logic. It is, however, a fun book to read; an adventure worth taking. It is written fairly well and the plotting is linear and easy to follow. There are just a few characters in the novel, so they are easy to keep straight. There is sufficient background information given about Miles, Bramley and most of the thugs to make them more engaging, but not so much that it interferes with the story. I liked Miles and Bramley. They make a good pair. The plot line was very interesting, as I love old cars myself and was fascinated to read about the customized Stutz. I am looking forward to reading another of Mr. Strickler's novels.
I want to thank NetGalley and Koehler Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
Miles West bids on and wins a Stutz Black Hawk in an estate auction. Little does he know the trouble the car will cause him. When his mechanic and fellow restorer whiz kid named Wic finds secret compartments and gadgets in the car, Miles speculates that it belonged to a bank robber.
He teams up with Bramley Ann Fairchild, an auctioneer and antiquites researcher to look into the history of the car.
A smarmy lawyer from New York shows up and offers twice what Miles paid for the car. Miles' radar is on high alert. He has the lawer checked out and learns that he works or Carlo Bello, a major crime boss. Various thugs break into Miles' house and follow him and Bramley around the U.S.
Let the games begin!
To criticize the book: there are a number of typos and errors in the use of English, the thugs are laughably inept and Bramley's research makes some unbelivable leaps in logic. It is, however, a fun book to read; an adventure worth taking. It is written fairly well and the plotting is linear and easy to follow. There are just a few characters in the novel, so they are easy to keep straight. There is sufficient background information given about Miles, Bramley and most of the thugs to make them more engaging, but not so much that it interferes with the story. I liked Miles and Bramley. They make a good pair. The plot line was very interesting, as I love old cars myself and was fascinated to read about the customized Stutz. I am looking forward to reading another of Mr. Strickler's novels.
I want to thank NetGalley and Koehler Books for forwarding to me a copy of this great book for me to read, enjoy and review.
May 2, 2019
Restorations was one of the most fun and action-packed books I have read in a long time. I don’t always gravitate toward high-action novels, but this one was a winner!
The plot moves fast, and I was pretty much hooked from page one. I always love a novel where there is some detective work to be done, and Restorations checked all those boxes for me. An old car, an old house, bank robbers, mobsters and a ninety year-old mystery are all a part of this suspenseful tale.
Strickler does a nice job developing the characters and the imagery he describes is vivid and realistic. Miles West and Bramley Fairchild are real and relatable characters that are easy to root for.
The plot line was engaging and fast-paced throughout. There was literally no lag time in this book whatsoever. I found myself turning page after page because, I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would unfold.
I found myself fully invested in both the characters and the story from the start. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read for me. Definitely a good one for fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child!
Thank you so much to Smith Publicity for this free review copy!
The plot moves fast, and I was pretty much hooked from page one. I always love a novel where there is some detective work to be done, and Restorations checked all those boxes for me. An old car, an old house, bank robbers, mobsters and a ninety year-old mystery are all a part of this suspenseful tale.
Strickler does a nice job developing the characters and the imagery he describes is vivid and realistic. Miles West and Bramley Fairchild are real and relatable characters that are easy to root for.
The plot line was engaging and fast-paced throughout. There was literally no lag time in this book whatsoever. I found myself turning page after page because, I couldn’t wait to find out how the story would unfold.
I found myself fully invested in both the characters and the story from the start. Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read for me. Definitely a good one for fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child!
Thank you so much to Smith Publicity for this free review copy!
April 28, 2019
Restorations by Charles Strickler is an excellent story and a well written mystery all centered on an old 1928 Stutz Blackhawk Boat tail roadster. But this is no ordinary classic. This Stutz is a modified mob car with secret compartments housing a decades old treasure and coded journal linked to the mafia. I loved the simple yet resilient Miles West and his assistant Bramley. I found myself transported into their lives in the peaceful countryside. Well, sort of peaceful.
April 21, 2019
I really enjoyed all the twist and turns in this book. I loved Miles West and Bromley Ann. These two characters work very well together. This had a lot of suspense with a bit of fun throughout. I hope to read many more books by Charles Strickler. I received a copy of this book from Smith Publicity for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
March 23, 2019
Dont judge the book by it's cover. Great read. Love the main characters
April 22, 2019
Thanks to Charles Strickler and Smith Publicity for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. 3.5 stars
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March 14, 2019Netgalley
pub date April 20, 2019
Koehler Books
pub date April 20, 2019
Koehler Books
April 5, 2019
The book Restorations tells the story of Miles West who gets wrapped up in the pursuit of a treasure by a mob boss after Miles purchases an old car to restore. Miles works with an auctioneer named Bramley to decode a journal that he finds in the car, and a romance also develops between them. I found the story interesting, especially as they are trying to both run from the mob and find out why the mob boss wants to find them in the first place. However, I often found the dialogue stilted and awkward. The book often explicitly describes the thoughts and feelings of the characters rather than allowing the reader to infer it.
May 9, 2019
I commend Charles Strickler for this roller coaster of a read! I so appreciated that the twists and turns (and there were many) were not telegraphed. What fun to just let a story unfold and be surprised. The characters are engaging and complex - I'm actually hoping they will appear in another story, as I found my time with them so enjoyable. The premise of treasure found, and the ensuing unraveling of the mystery made for a really compelling read.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews