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The Cassie Tam Files #5
Half Light
With Angel Tanner, the android that runs California’s criminal underworld, pulling the strings, PI Cassie Tam finds herself thrust into a conflict with New Hopeland’s biggest and baddest. But working with the murderous AI may be the only way that Cassie can get to the bottom of her home’s greatest mystery: What is New Hopeland City?
As she struggles to balance her dealings with allies and enemies alike, Cassie is left with a difficult choice. She has always straddled the line between light and dark. Now, the time to decide which side she’s on is drawing close…if she can figure out which is which.
Series: The Cassie Tam Files
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Category: Literary/Genre Fiction
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Word Count: 48300
Book Length: Novella
Sex Content: N/A
Orientation: Lesbian
Identity: Cisgender
Warning: violence, guns, and mentions of past executions of women and children
As she struggles to balance her dealings with allies and enemies alike, Cassie is left with a difficult choice. She has always straddled the line between light and dark. Now, the time to decide which side she’s on is drawing close…if she can figure out which is which.
Series: The Cassie Tam Files
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Category: Literary/Genre Fiction
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Word Count: 48300
Book Length: Novella
Sex Content: N/A
Orientation: Lesbian
Identity: Cisgender
Warning: violence, guns, and mentions of past executions of women and children
- GenresLesbianFuturistic
122 pages, ebook
First published March 2, 2020
1 person is currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Matt Doyle
30 books128 followersMatt Doyle is a pansexual/nonbinary author, voice actor, and pop culture blogger from the UK. Matt specializes in horror and sci-fi fiction, sometimes in an unusual or experimental form.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 7, 2020
3.50 Stars. This is the fifth book in the Cassie Tam Files. I like this series and have read all of the books. I think the series as a whole is a solid 3.50 stars. The best way to describe these books is futuristic mysteries. Cassie is a PI, sixty years in the future, so there is a light sci-fi feel to these books with the added tech.
While most books have a main mystery for Cassie to solve, all of the books really are connected. This series is a must for reading in order. This book five really was the culminating book tying together a bunch of loose ends and info from previous books. If you picked this book up out of the blue you would be confused as to what is going on. These books are too connected that you have to read in order to get the whole picture.
While I’m giving this fifth book a solid 3.5 rating, I did have some mixed feelings. Because this is a big sort of climax of the series type of book, there was a lot going on. My memory was working hard to keep everything straight and remember everything from previous books. I felt at times things were a little convoluted but part of the issue, I think, was my memory. If I had reread all the books I think this book would have flowed better. One cool thing is that Doyle wrote a time-line in the back of this book that puts all the pieces together to understand what really happened in the whole series. If you are like me and tend to forgot a few things, all the answers are there at the end. That was a really good idea by the author.
I did enjoy that there was a good amount of excitement in this book. It was one of the more exciting ones. There was a war brewing between two factions that both want Cassie on their side. As a reader you don’t know which side Cassie is going to pick and the not knowing was actually fun and kept me really engaged.
I also was happy with where the romance between Lori and Cassie is going. The romance is very PG, nothing explicit, but I really have grown to love these two as a couple. This book felt like the most growth ever in their relationship and the ending made me very happy. Lori is a fantastic character in her own right so I’m always happy for more Lori.
It’s interesting but I can’t tell if this is the final book of the series or not. All the big loose ends are wrapped up and the ending was a good and satisfying ending (if it is the end of the series), I’m just not sure. Doyle left it opened that if the series continues there is plenty more for Cassie to do and it could be really fun to read about. Or this could be the end and if it is I’ll miss this series. While this series never blew me away, it always held my interest and I fell for the main characters. I’ll keep my fingers crossed it’s not the end of Cassie and Lori, but if it is, it was a good way to end.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
While most books have a main mystery for Cassie to solve, all of the books really are connected. This series is a must for reading in order. This book five really was the culminating book tying together a bunch of loose ends and info from previous books. If you picked this book up out of the blue you would be confused as to what is going on. These books are too connected that you have to read in order to get the whole picture.
While I’m giving this fifth book a solid 3.5 rating, I did have some mixed feelings. Because this is a big sort of climax of the series type of book, there was a lot going on. My memory was working hard to keep everything straight and remember everything from previous books. I felt at times things were a little convoluted but part of the issue, I think, was my memory. If I had reread all the books I think this book would have flowed better. One cool thing is that Doyle wrote a time-line in the back of this book that puts all the pieces together to understand what really happened in the whole series. If you are like me and tend to forgot a few things, all the answers are there at the end. That was a really good idea by the author.
I did enjoy that there was a good amount of excitement in this book. It was one of the more exciting ones. There was a war brewing between two factions that both want Cassie on their side. As a reader you don’t know which side Cassie is going to pick and the not knowing was actually fun and kept me really engaged.
I also was happy with where the romance between Lori and Cassie is going. The romance is very PG, nothing explicit, but I really have grown to love these two as a couple. This book felt like the most growth ever in their relationship and the ending made me very happy. Lori is a fantastic character in her own right so I’m always happy for more Lori.
It’s interesting but I can’t tell if this is the final book of the series or not. All the big loose ends are wrapped up and the ending was a good and satisfying ending (if it is the end of the series), I’m just not sure. Doyle left it opened that if the series continues there is plenty more for Cassie to do and it could be really fun to read about. Or this could be the end and if it is I’ll miss this series. While this series never blew me away, it always held my interest and I fell for the main characters. I’ll keep my fingers crossed it’s not the end of Cassie and Lori, but if it is, it was a good way to end.
A copy was given to me for a honest review.
March 4, 2020
In a world filled with tech, from pets to artificial intelligence to spy equipment, the criminal underworld seems to hold all the power. Now there are new questions being thrust at Cassie Tam as she seems to join forces with an underworld android bent on taking down the New Hopeland City’s crime machine. The biggest question for her, who really are the bad guys? It’s a fine line between good and evil, reality and the perceived. Has Cassie hitched her horse to the wrong team or is this the only way to discover a dark secret shrouding New Hopeland City?
Once again, Matt Doyle takes his readers and Cassie through a maze of conflict, danger and high tech, even as he causes Cassie to open her eyes to her feelings and take a huge step with Jane. Has our PI gone soft or is she just now revealing her innermost self to those around her?
Hang on for the tech ride of your life in a dark world where few can be trusted and Cassie must sift through what she knows and trust in her gut to lead her to a truth that could rock her world.
Great writing, accompanied with powerful characters, Matt Doyle has brought Cassie to life again, complete with her emotions, inner thoughts and those she holds dear! A high octane read in a high tech world!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Matt Doyle! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Cassie Tam Files - Book 5
Publisher: NineStar Press (March 2, 2020)
Publication Date: March 2, 2020
Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction
Print Length: 167 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Once again, Matt Doyle takes his readers and Cassie through a maze of conflict, danger and high tech, even as he causes Cassie to open her eyes to her feelings and take a huge step with Jane. Has our PI gone soft or is she just now revealing her innermost self to those around her?
Hang on for the tech ride of your life in a dark world where few can be trusted and Cassie must sift through what she knows and trust in her gut to lead her to a truth that could rock her world.
Great writing, accompanied with powerful characters, Matt Doyle has brought Cassie to life again, complete with her emotions, inner thoughts and those she holds dear! A high octane read in a high tech world!
I received a complimentary ARC edition from Matt Doyle! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: The Cassie Tam Files - Book 5
Publisher: NineStar Press (March 2, 2020)
Publication Date: March 2, 2020
Genre: Dystopian Science Fiction
Print Length: 167 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
May 18, 2022
Great to be back with Cassie Tam!
Cassie is on a different type of mission, to discover the truth about New Hopeland City but to do so she needs to work with Angel Tanner, an android running the criminal underworld. Faced with many a challenge but also her most difficult one yet, Cassie has some choices to make about the side she is on, but to do so, she needs to figure out which is which.
I adore this series, and book five, Half Light has been a most perfect way to wrap up a lot of loose ends the rest of the series has eluded to. I definitely recommend reading the other books in this series, as even though you could read the stories standalone, to get the full experience you need to really know Cassie Tam. She is a fantastic Private Investigator, navigating a fantastic world full of wondrous creations that I am sure will one day be a reality (although less criminal mastermind based, I hope!)
Cassie is a strong character and I love that the focus in these books is about Cassie and her mission or adventure more than they are about her relationships. There is a great balance that Matt accomplishes in delivering an engaging mystery thriller, and yet also humanising some of the futuristic feel by allowing some intimate exposure into Cassie’s personal life. The fact that it underlies the story but does not detract from the plot makes it all the more special.
I was gripped by this latest adventure. All Cassie was learning was exciting and made me more and more inquisitive as to what it would all reveal. There was much uncertainty and the way Cassie approached the situation to make informed decisions, learn, and make her own choices is a credit to the amazing development of her character throughout the series.
This whole series has completely captured my imagination and I have found it fascinating so far. I really hope this isn’t the last we have seen of Cassie Tam, because she is fabulous.
Cassie is on a different type of mission, to discover the truth about New Hopeland City but to do so she needs to work with Angel Tanner, an android running the criminal underworld. Faced with many a challenge but also her most difficult one yet, Cassie has some choices to make about the side she is on, but to do so, she needs to figure out which is which.
I adore this series, and book five, Half Light has been a most perfect way to wrap up a lot of loose ends the rest of the series has eluded to. I definitely recommend reading the other books in this series, as even though you could read the stories standalone, to get the full experience you need to really know Cassie Tam. She is a fantastic Private Investigator, navigating a fantastic world full of wondrous creations that I am sure will one day be a reality (although less criminal mastermind based, I hope!)
Cassie is a strong character and I love that the focus in these books is about Cassie and her mission or adventure more than they are about her relationships. There is a great balance that Matt accomplishes in delivering an engaging mystery thriller, and yet also humanising some of the futuristic feel by allowing some intimate exposure into Cassie’s personal life. The fact that it underlies the story but does not detract from the plot makes it all the more special.
I was gripped by this latest adventure. All Cassie was learning was exciting and made me more and more inquisitive as to what it would all reveal. There was much uncertainty and the way Cassie approached the situation to make informed decisions, learn, and make her own choices is a credit to the amazing development of her character throughout the series.
This whole series has completely captured my imagination and I have found it fascinating so far. I really hope this isn’t the last we have seen of Cassie Tam, because she is fabulous.
February 26, 2020
An excellent end to the series.
Anybody who's followed me knows I adore the Cassie Tam Files. The tech-noir atmosphere Matt Doyle has created throughout this series is fantastic. While I felt there was a little less of that atmosphere in this book, it was only because we are so hyper-focused on Cassie's latest job.
When a murderbot asks you to work with them, you effing well help the murderbot and do whatever she asks. Cassie is caught between a rock and a hard place, questioning her own actions and for a while, we're really kind of adrift in the sea of morality right along with Cassie, wondering if our favorite PI is in over her head...again. The last third of the book is one breathless "oh, crap" series of events and revelations.
I am going to miss Cassie and my favorite bodyguard-gargoyle, Bert. CAW.
Anybody who's followed me knows I adore the Cassie Tam Files. The tech-noir atmosphere Matt Doyle has created throughout this series is fantastic. While I felt there was a little less of that atmosphere in this book, it was only because we are so hyper-focused on Cassie's latest job.
When a murderbot asks you to work with them, you effing well help the murderbot and do whatever she asks. Cassie is caught between a rock and a hard place, questioning her own actions and for a while, we're really kind of adrift in the sea of morality right along with Cassie, wondering if our favorite PI is in over her head...again. The last third of the book is one breathless "oh, crap" series of events and revelations.
I am going to miss Cassie and my favorite bodyguard-gargoyle, Bert. CAW.
June 11, 2020
Review to come
March 10, 2020
Half-Light is the fifth book in Matt Doyle's The Cassie Tam Files and the fourth one I'm reviewing (yes, yes, I'll have to add a review of Book 3 at some point too), and by now, I don't have that much to say that differs from my thoughts on the other books.
To sum up, I've enjoyed every book so far, albeit to a different degree. The characters develop more and more with each new story and the plot advances with each of the books; the further into the series you get, the more you realize how the books are connected. Yes, this is one series that you have to read in order and not skip a single book or you'd be at a loss to what's going on.
One thing that's been bugging me - and I realized today that I haven't told you about - is Cassie's habit of talking to herself. Why does that annoy me?
Because she tends to speak about important, secretive things in places where she could be overheard on occasions she knows people are keeping an eye on her. I know she's saying those things to keep us, the readers, in the loop, but she's the narrator of the story; she can just think about them and we'd still know them.
Cassie is an experienced PI who is supposed to be careful so I find this trait of hers really off-putting.
And speaking of the PI aspect: the cases she takes in each of the books so far link to the larger plot that develops throughout the series, but some books are more like small-time PI stories while others tend to lean more towards grander scale topics. The previous book - Shadows of the Past, was more casual while this one returns to the heavy stuff. This gives us a bit of a shift in tone, but I think it's handled pretty well.
Considering how connected all the books are, I can only recommend Half-Light to those who've read the previous books in the series.
To sum up, I've enjoyed every book so far, albeit to a different degree. The characters develop more and more with each new story and the plot advances with each of the books; the further into the series you get, the more you realize how the books are connected. Yes, this is one series that you have to read in order and not skip a single book or you'd be at a loss to what's going on.
One thing that's been bugging me - and I realized today that I haven't told you about - is Cassie's habit of talking to herself. Why does that annoy me?
Because she tends to speak about important, secretive things in places where she could be overheard on occasions she knows people are keeping an eye on her. I know she's saying those things to keep us, the readers, in the loop, but she's the narrator of the story; she can just think about them and we'd still know them.
Cassie is an experienced PI who is supposed to be careful so I find this trait of hers really off-putting.
And speaking of the PI aspect: the cases she takes in each of the books so far link to the larger plot that develops throughout the series, but some books are more like small-time PI stories while others tend to lean more towards grander scale topics. The previous book - Shadows of the Past, was more casual while this one returns to the heavy stuff. This gives us a bit of a shift in tone, but I think it's handled pretty well.
Considering how connected all the books are, I can only recommend Half-Light to those who've read the previous books in the series.
April 23, 2020
You know, I never really have anything bad to say about Matt Doyle’s books. They’re always a treat to experience, ripe with memorable characters, interesting storylines, and endings that stick with you. The finale to the Cassie Tam Files is one I enjoyed every minute of. You never really know for sure how things are going to turn out. And that’s one of the best things about Doyle’s books.
I’ve been following this series from book one, not just because I love the author (which I do), but because of the crazy real characters that are on display in the books. Cassie reminds me so much of Jessica Jones with her surly demeanor, and yet they both have hearts of gold and want to help people. Where Cassie differs from JJ, she doesn’t have powers. And yet, she still does some pretty badass things. The mystery for the final book was one I didn’t quite know how it would unravel, but man oh man did it deliver!
What is New Hopeland? Who created it, and for what purpose? These questions and more are answered in a finale that stays with you, even after you’ve turned the final page. Doyle does it again.
I’ve been following this series from book one, not just because I love the author (which I do), but because of the crazy real characters that are on display in the books. Cassie reminds me so much of Jessica Jones with her surly demeanor, and yet they both have hearts of gold and want to help people. Where Cassie differs from JJ, she doesn’t have powers. And yet, she still does some pretty badass things. The mystery for the final book was one I didn’t quite know how it would unravel, but man oh man did it deliver!
What is New Hopeland? Who created it, and for what purpose? These questions and more are answered in a finale that stays with you, even after you’ve turned the final page. Doyle does it again.
March 13, 2021
Angel Tanner - the dangerous android running the underworld in California - has invited Cassie to discover the city’s greatest mystery: What is New Hopeland City?
Read my full review here.
A fantastic book to conclude the mysteries that have been built up throughout this incredible series!
Read my full review here.
A fantastic book to conclude the mysteries that have been built up throughout this incredible series!
April 6, 2020
I loved how the book and handled the complexities of choices in a morally defunct society. Very enjoyable and eye opening.
I highly recommend it
I highly recommend it
April 13, 2020
Full review to come.
April 22, 2020
This was a satisfying ending to one of my favorite series. All the questions and subplots got answered and the characters’, main and side ones, paths ended in a good place on a good terms. I will miss Cassie and her adorable robo-gargule, but I am pleased to know that while their stories came to an end, their adventures are not. Relatively I liked the story itself a little less than the previous books. The plat was a little too slow and a tiny bit predictable, but I suppose it was because of the author’s need to bring everything to conclusion. One of the things I love about the series was Cassie and Lorie’s relationship. And in this one they were as sweet as always.
September 11, 2020
This is a pretty convoluted case that ties back to some of her previous cases in the earlier novels. Many of the characters in Cassie’s life, both good and bad, are back playing significant roles. During this harrowing adventure, Cassie learns the truth about New Hopeland. It feels like this is the end of the series, but maybe not. A lot of things are tied up and explained, but some things are left open. I hope there will be another book. And I have to admit the chronology after the end of the story was really helpful since it's been awhile since I read the previous novels. Although I enjoyed the ride, I was a little confused at the end of the novel.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews