Queen City Ruby: An Orlando Black Story

by Alex Cage

The events in Queen City Ruby take place shortly after Carolina Dance

An elite ex-special forces operative. A teenage target. Ruthless jewel thieves. And nonstop action that’ll leave you breathless.
Orlando Black doesn’t go looking for trouble—it always finds him. When he crosses paths with a terrified teenager fleeing a crew of cold-blooded jewel thieves, instinct kicks in. Black gets the kid out alive—but that’s just the beginning.

The stakes skyrocket when one of Black’s friends is caught in the chaos of a high-stakes heist. With bullets flying and secrets unraveling, Black has no choice but to go on the offensive. He’s faced war zones before—but nothing like this.

To save lives, he'll have to take on a group of heavily armed criminals in a heart-pounding showdown where the odds are stacked—and survival isn’t guaranteed.

Fast-paced, memorable characters, and impossible to put down—this is Orlando Black at his most dangerous. And most unstoppable.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction

48 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 1, 2019

About the author

Alex Cage is a thriller author and passionate wordsmith who loves to blend his fascination with martial arts and travel with high-octane action and explosive adventures. He enjoys nothing more than entertaining his readers with death-defying missions, larger-than-life characters, and clean, suspenseful stories that always find a way to keep you on your toes.

As the author of nearly a dozen titles, including the Orlando Black series and the Leroy Silver series, Alex combines his obsession for thrillers with a sprinkling of fantasy and sci-fi, so that readers will always find something to capture their imagination. He currently resides in North Carolina. When not writing his next novel, you can find him reading and practicing martial arts. Find out more about Alex Cage (and get a free read) at www.AlexCage.com

Alex Cage’s heart-stopping Orlando Black books are best enjoyed in this order:

- Carolina Dance (Book 1)

- Queen City Ruby

- Survival Intuition (A Rose Lee Flash Fiction Story)

- Sunshine Scandal

- Once You Go Black

- Bayside Book (Book 2)

- Family Famous

- Bet on Black (Book 3)

Reviews

[Texas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Queen City Ruby #1 - This is my first read by this author and I was not impressed. The short story read like a beginner wrote it. I found it heavy with Hollywood dialog and action, some silly, and the flow choppy. Mr. Cage's style reminded me of the movie Hudson Hawk. I think as he has more practice and learns his craft, with time he'll be a better writer. Edited. I found this book on Bookfunnel, I think. 3*

Sunshine Scandal #2 - This is better than Queen but still with Hollywood dialog and action. There are parts of the dialog that come across as just plain silly. The story flowed better than Queen with an OK storyline. Edited. I found this book on Booksprout. 3*

Carolina Dance - This book is better than his two short stories, Queen and Sunshine. Unfortunately, he still is heavy with the Hollywood style and unrealistic dialog. I am probably expecting too much from many of the Indie authors in this genre since I've read the Big Boys for decades and I am spoilt by great and very good writers. Most of the younger readers will probably enjoy Mr. Cage's work. Edited. I found this book on Booksprout. 3*

[Naika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think there is promise here, but I would be lying if I said I enjoyed or completely understood Queen City Ruby. What is most impacting my experience is the fact that I felt as though I was walking into the middle of a book. I at one point had to double check that I indeed chose the first book of the series. Everything moved quickly and rightfully so, as this was less than 40 pages long - including a sneak peak of another book by the author. However, that made for a somewhat disorienting connection to the characters (harder for me to keep them all straight) and the setting. There really wasn’t enough time or space for me to feel grounded in the story. I did think that it read like a script, in the sense that it may translate better on screen.

Perhaps closer to 2.5 stars

[Vivienne Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Short Thriller with Plenty of Action

If you have read any of the author’s works, this character-driven short story is another page-turning crime narrative with complicated characters, great dialogue, and vivid surroundings. Protagonist Orlando Black is back and better than ever, finding himself in a precarious situation when he runs into Little Owl, a teen who needs protection from some treacherous jewel thieves. When Agent Rose Lee steps in, the story adds more drama, building up to an ending that will have you wanting more.

[Choyang · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Queen City Ruby: An Orlando Black Story'
(Episode 1) written by Alex Cage, (Audible) narrated by Ron Garner

Another "kick-ass & take names" kind of action-aventure storyline featuring Orlando Black, ex-military special forces guy.

This is a novella/short story and I think it would be fun as part of an ongoing TV series...you know, as in, "Hey guys, it's Taco Tuesday, wanna Netflix & chill?" (sorry, couldn't help myself...um... oK, not sorry, lol)

(yep, said similar things before about another Black Book) (big grin)

Anyway, if you're a fan of action-adventure mixed martial arts films, TV shows, books, etc, you'll prolly have a lot of fun reading this...(I did) actually, I like listening to them as it comes across as more like hearing the dialogue and sound effects from a Hollywood action film! Great fun!

I know I've mentioned it elsewhere, but the narration is a bit choppy & stilted, like "The Arnold" reading a movie script when he was still learning English. But...I actually find it funny.

I wish the book was longer, as it seems like it's taking place in the midst of another ongoing storyline and I want to know what else is going down!

[Serena Buffaloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short story , but no less exciting !!!

This was a short , quick , read of another situation that Orlando Black somehow seems to find himself in .
This time its a jewelry heist. We see some old friends in this story, and its just as exciting as the last !!!
Love this guy !!!