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“Those guys might have been brutal, but they built this place from the ground up by implementing a code. Rules for the rest of us to follow.”
Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Detective Solomon Hill hasn’t heard the name in years. A man he hasn’t thought about since sending him away more than two decades prior for attempted murder. One of the biggest arrests of his entire career, a person the the world is better off without.
Or so it was for the last twenty-one years in the time prior to his sudden inclusion on a list of governor’s pardons. A free pass undoing all that occurred, releasing a man with a short fuse and a long list of people he holds responsible for what happened.
People that Hill still feels responsible for, even if his current physical condition will no longer allow him to make good on it.
Low on time and options, Hill does the only think he can think of, calling in an old marker—a favor owed from his early days on the force, extended from one of the last vestiges of the original Las Vegas. Someone accustomed to handling issues in a way Hill isn’t accustomed to.
Three hundred miles to the south, Ham muddles her way through the final months of a slow winter. Endless hours spent training for an unknown opponent, each day without the phone ringing heightening her desire for action. The need to be moving again, unable to feel fully alive without the adrenaline of the job after years spent relegated to the sidelines.
A craving that sends her hurtling up out of the desert the instant she hears what happened in Las Vegas...
Right into a head-on collision with a deadly opponent.
Retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Detective Solomon Hill hasn’t heard the name in years. A man he hasn’t thought about since sending him away more than two decades prior for attempted murder. One of the biggest arrests of his entire career, a person the the world is better off without.
Or so it was for the last twenty-one years in the time prior to his sudden inclusion on a list of governor’s pardons. A free pass undoing all that occurred, releasing a man with a short fuse and a long list of people he holds responsible for what happened.
People that Hill still feels responsible for, even if his current physical condition will no longer allow him to make good on it.
Low on time and options, Hill does the only think he can think of, calling in an old marker—a favor owed from his early days on the force, extended from one of the last vestiges of the original Las Vegas. Someone accustomed to handling issues in a way Hill isn’t accustomed to.
Three hundred miles to the south, Ham muddles her way through the final months of a slow winter. Endless hours spent training for an unknown opponent, each day without the phone ringing heightening her desire for action. The need to be moving again, unable to feel fully alive without the adrenaline of the job after years spent relegated to the sidelines.
A craving that sends her hurtling up out of the desert the instant she hears what happened in Las Vegas...
Right into a head-on collision with a deadly opponent.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2021
1138 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Dustin Stevens
84 books313 followersI originally hail from the midwest, growing up in the heart of farm country, and still consider it, along with West Tennessee, my co-home. Between the two, I have a firm belief that football is the greatest of all past-times, sweet tea is really the only acceptable beverage for any occasion, there is not an event on earth that either gym shorts or boots can't be worn to, and that Dairy Queen is the best restaurant on the planet. Further, southern accents are a highly likeable feature on most everybody, English bulldogs sit atop the critter hierarchy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a Saturday night spent catfishing at the lake.
Since leaving the midwest I've been to college in New England, grad school in the Rockies, and lived in over a dozen different cities ranging from DC to Honolulu along the way. Each and every one of these experiences has shaped who I am at this point, a fact I hope is expressed in my writing. I have developed enormous affinity for locales and people of every size and shape, and even if I never figure out a way to properly convey them on paper, I am very much grateful for their presence in my life.
To sum it up, I asked a very good friend recently how they would describe me for something like this. Their response: "Plagued by realism and trained by experiences/education to be a pessimist, you somehow remain above all else an active dreamer." While I can't say those are the exact words I would choose, I can't say they're wrong. I travel, live in different places, try new foods, meet all kinds of different people, and above all else stay curious to a fault.
Here's hoping it continues to provide us all with some pretty good stories...
Since leaving the midwest I've been to college in New England, grad school in the Rockies, and lived in over a dozen different cities ranging from DC to Honolulu along the way. Each and every one of these experiences has shaped who I am at this point, a fact I hope is expressed in my writing. I have developed enormous affinity for locales and people of every size and shape, and even if I never figure out a way to properly convey them on paper, I am very much grateful for their presence in my life.
To sum it up, I asked a very good friend recently how they would describe me for something like this. Their response: "Plagued by realism and trained by experiences/education to be a pessimist, you somehow remain above all else an active dreamer." While I can't say those are the exact words I would choose, I can't say they're wrong. I travel, live in different places, try new foods, meet all kinds of different people, and above all else stay curious to a fault.
Here's hoping it continues to provide us all with some pretty good stories...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
August 16, 2022
This was my first encounter with this author who, apparently, has loosely modeled his central character after Reacher. The main twist being that “Ham” is a female. But she is more than a match for anyone she encounters, whether in a bare knuckle boxing ring or confronting heavily armed criminals.
The central idea is that Ham accepts jobs from a fellow that acts as a sort of call screener. Jobs such as protection or, even, eliminating the “threat.” Forget about the cops or law, this is a bad assed killing machine whose favorite weapon is a combat tomahawk (you can find them from manufacturers such as Cold Steel). Eschewing the more conventional firearms whenever possible, Ham prefers to deal her destruction up close and personal.
This is a straightforward plot that moves along with decent pace, though Stevens pads some sections with what seems more filler than substance. The bad guys are all pretty stereotypical and Ham is aided by the mandatory “tech guy” who’s always just a call away and can perform all sorts miracles such as erasing any trace of Ham from security cameras or gathering intel on her target.
The plot is nothing one hasn’t previously encountered many times, but it’s all sort of irrelevant— the entertainment here is Ham and her penchant for violence directed towards despicable foes. So, as long as you give rational thought and disbelief the day off, you can just enjoy the ride. This won’t displace Reacher novels from your “to read” list, but it was fine for a free book and passing some time on airplanes.
3.5 stars.
The central idea is that Ham accepts jobs from a fellow that acts as a sort of call screener. Jobs such as protection or, even, eliminating the “threat.” Forget about the cops or law, this is a bad assed killing machine whose favorite weapon is a combat tomahawk (you can find them from manufacturers such as Cold Steel). Eschewing the more conventional firearms whenever possible, Ham prefers to deal her destruction up close and personal.
This is a straightforward plot that moves along with decent pace, though Stevens pads some sections with what seems more filler than substance. The bad guys are all pretty stereotypical and Ham is aided by the mandatory “tech guy” who’s always just a call away and can perform all sorts miracles such as erasing any trace of Ham from security cameras or gathering intel on her target.
The plot is nothing one hasn’t previously encountered many times, but it’s all sort of irrelevant— the entertainment here is Ham and her penchant for violence directed towards despicable foes. So, as long as you give rational thought and disbelief the day off, you can just enjoy the ride. This won’t displace Reacher novels from your “to read” list, but it was fine for a free book and passing some time on airplanes.
3.5 stars.
July 10, 2023
I had recently returned from a stay in Las Vegas and downloaded this book for free because of its Vegas locale. I thought it might be fun to read a story taking place where I had just been.
It actually might have been fun if the book was any good.
To be fair, Rules is good in one respect: It is a good example of a badly written book. The sentence structure over 400 pages and 70 chapters is consistently clunky; there are paragraphs — sometimes pages — separating short bursts of dialogue, challenging the reader to remember what it was the speaker was speaking about; and the author constantly refers to people as “that” instead of “who” (as in “a man that is swollen” or “a woman that is half his size”).
The story features the improbably named Ham, a mixed martial artist whose odd weapon of choice is a tomahawk. Some reviewers have called Ham a female Jack Reacher, even though Reacher is a vigilante whereas Ham is a mercenary. Both have little regard for the Bill of Rights, but Reacher dispenses his own brand of Justice free of charge. Ham on the other hand is a deadly sociopath for hire.
Like many of Reacher’s adventures, Ham is trapped in a book far too long for the story it’s trying to tell, and in between chapters full of cardboard characters and dull dialogue, she basically just beats up bad guys or kills them, though not nearly enough of them to justify 400 pages.
In Rules, Ham has been hired to protect the victim of an attempted murder from the criminal who (or that?) served two decades in prison because of her testimony. A bewildering subplot about municipal corruption complicates what should have stayed a simple storyline; the Las Vegas location adds astonishingly little to the book’s atmosphere; and despite the author springing a lackluster surprise in the final chapters, there is no surprise or doubt how the book will end.
Indeed the book is so slow going, I did doubt that I would ever reach the end. And when I finally did reach the end, the one real mystery remained unsolved: I never did learn the origin of Ham’s strange name.
Unless her last name happens to be Andaygs. Then, mystery’s solved.
It actually might have been fun if the book was any good.
To be fair, Rules is good in one respect: It is a good example of a badly written book. The sentence structure over 400 pages and 70 chapters is consistently clunky; there are paragraphs — sometimes pages — separating short bursts of dialogue, challenging the reader to remember what it was the speaker was speaking about; and the author constantly refers to people as “that” instead of “who” (as in “a man that is swollen” or “a woman that is half his size”).
The story features the improbably named Ham, a mixed martial artist whose odd weapon of choice is a tomahawk. Some reviewers have called Ham a female Jack Reacher, even though Reacher is a vigilante whereas Ham is a mercenary. Both have little regard for the Bill of Rights, but Reacher dispenses his own brand of Justice free of charge. Ham on the other hand is a deadly sociopath for hire.
Like many of Reacher’s adventures, Ham is trapped in a book far too long for the story it’s trying to tell, and in between chapters full of cardboard characters and dull dialogue, she basically just beats up bad guys or kills them, though not nearly enough of them to justify 400 pages.
In Rules, Ham has been hired to protect the victim of an attempted murder from the criminal who (or that?) served two decades in prison because of her testimony. A bewildering subplot about municipal corruption complicates what should have stayed a simple storyline; the Las Vegas location adds astonishingly little to the book’s atmosphere; and despite the author springing a lackluster surprise in the final chapters, there is no surprise or doubt how the book will end.
Indeed the book is so slow going, I did doubt that I would ever reach the end. And when I finally did reach the end, the one real mystery remained unsolved: I never did learn the origin of Ham’s strange name.
Unless her last name happens to be Andaygs. Then, mystery’s solved.
March 2, 2021
Ham is back and there is plenty of action, Murder and more. It’s impossible to put the book down until you get to the end to find out what happens. A criminal from the past reappears and there is plenty of danger. Loved it.
March 8, 2021
Rules, Dustin Stevens’ third Ham novel, can be riveting as a standalone novel but the reader would lack some depth and richness of Ham’s back story. Either way, Rules is absorbing.
Stevens is known for strong and unique characters woven into complex plots. Rules is that. Ham is a guy’s guy - except Ham is not a guy. Ham is a female MMA force and a mercenary for hire. Your pre-wired anticipating and reacting to a character won’t work here - new rules, so to speak. Readers often expect female action characters to seduce and males to fight while risking being distracted. Ham does not seduce and does not get distracted. Ham is a force of Nature - an up close force of Nature. Ham’s weapon of choice is a combat tomahawk. Readers will come to respect the deadly silence of this very personal weapon.
Rules launches with Ham in an MMA event at Shakey Jake’s Fight Club where Ham’s female opponent is a no show. A male opponent takes the slot to the delight of the fans and holds his own in the first round. The guy slips in an illegal hit after the bell sounds. Ham is more angered than hurt and the consequences for the violation are rapid, relentless, and severe. There are rules.
Ham’s handler, Mikey, calls with a contract in Las Vegas and the wild ride begins. Rules plot circles, unwinds, tightens, and hits the reader with a diabolical plot twist that had me rereading a few chapters digging for hints that I missed.
A retired, on disability, police officer, Solomon Hill, notes that a particularly vicious serial rapist and murderer is getting pardoned out of prison. The rapist should have stayed for life - something is very wrong. Hill rescued the last victim and vowed to keep her safe before, during, and after the trial. He knows that she now faces retribution and he physically cannot hold up his commitment. Having saved another young woman he holds a marker from an aging Mafia don, Lou Manson. He calls it in - 20 years after it was given. Manson honors his pledge, as that is how things are done. It is the Mafia don who contracts Ham to do the heavy lifting. Even with their past alliances Manson tosses Ham a surprise job interview - that alerts readers to the focus she brings to the job - and her personal code.
The rapist has been pardoned by the Governor as a quid pro quo for a major bribe by a new style thug bribing his way into casinos - bribing or eliminating politicians to short circuit the old Las Vegas Mafia rules. Cole Meredith is the new generation of operator with money but no respect for the old order, tradition, or the gentlemen’s rules.
Meredith picks up the rapist at the prison and lays out the price of freedom - the elimination of the people in Meredith’s way. Manson, the Mafia don, is the transitional generation between the original founders and the new generation taking over. He doesn’t want it to be messy - the rules are there for a reason. The rules should be respected - not broken.
Ham leads the charge to put the pieces together with some key back-ups from Hill and Mickey. When the first bad guys arrive the weapons are incidental to Ham’s dealing with them. Her main interest is the information that can be extracted. Ham is wickedly persuasive in drawing the information out - and out it comes.
Resolving the conflicts of revenge, treachery, betrayal, ambition, and greed make for an adventure. A very high energy adventure. However, the reader will find more than an adventure. Rules is a kaleidoscope look at life in all its untidy configurations. Who are the good guys? The bad guys? The in between guys? The honorable guys? The necessary guys? And then there is Ham.
Stevens is known for strong and unique characters woven into complex plots. Rules is that. Ham is a guy’s guy - except Ham is not a guy. Ham is a female MMA force and a mercenary for hire. Your pre-wired anticipating and reacting to a character won’t work here - new rules, so to speak. Readers often expect female action characters to seduce and males to fight while risking being distracted. Ham does not seduce and does not get distracted. Ham is a force of Nature - an up close force of Nature. Ham’s weapon of choice is a combat tomahawk. Readers will come to respect the deadly silence of this very personal weapon.
Rules launches with Ham in an MMA event at Shakey Jake’s Fight Club where Ham’s female opponent is a no show. A male opponent takes the slot to the delight of the fans and holds his own in the first round. The guy slips in an illegal hit after the bell sounds. Ham is more angered than hurt and the consequences for the violation are rapid, relentless, and severe. There are rules.
Ham’s handler, Mikey, calls with a contract in Las Vegas and the wild ride begins. Rules plot circles, unwinds, tightens, and hits the reader with a diabolical plot twist that had me rereading a few chapters digging for hints that I missed.
A retired, on disability, police officer, Solomon Hill, notes that a particularly vicious serial rapist and murderer is getting pardoned out of prison. The rapist should have stayed for life - something is very wrong. Hill rescued the last victim and vowed to keep her safe before, during, and after the trial. He knows that she now faces retribution and he physically cannot hold up his commitment. Having saved another young woman he holds a marker from an aging Mafia don, Lou Manson. He calls it in - 20 years after it was given. Manson honors his pledge, as that is how things are done. It is the Mafia don who contracts Ham to do the heavy lifting. Even with their past alliances Manson tosses Ham a surprise job interview - that alerts readers to the focus she brings to the job - and her personal code.
The rapist has been pardoned by the Governor as a quid pro quo for a major bribe by a new style thug bribing his way into casinos - bribing or eliminating politicians to short circuit the old Las Vegas Mafia rules. Cole Meredith is the new generation of operator with money but no respect for the old order, tradition, or the gentlemen’s rules.
Meredith picks up the rapist at the prison and lays out the price of freedom - the elimination of the people in Meredith’s way. Manson, the Mafia don, is the transitional generation between the original founders and the new generation taking over. He doesn’t want it to be messy - the rules are there for a reason. The rules should be respected - not broken.
Ham leads the charge to put the pieces together with some key back-ups from Hill and Mickey. When the first bad guys arrive the weapons are incidental to Ham’s dealing with them. Her main interest is the information that can be extracted. Ham is wickedly persuasive in drawing the information out - and out it comes.
Resolving the conflicts of revenge, treachery, betrayal, ambition, and greed make for an adventure. A very high energy adventure. However, the reader will find more than an adventure. Rules is a kaleidoscope look at life in all its untidy configurations. Who are the good guys? The bad guys? The in between guys? The honorable guys? The necessary guys? And then there is Ham.
March 9, 2021
It's been too long since I read Dustin Steven's last book about Ham - but it was really worth the wait.
The title, "Rules" made me think, what rules? Rules to live by? Rules of law passed by lawmakers? What are they? And, regardless, who made them?
Then we find this story is about Ham, the former detective who hired her, and a victim he wants Ham to protect. Then we have the perpetrator, Bret Alves, who was just released early from a Nevada prison by the state's Governor.
Fasten your seatbelts as you watch Ham and her adventures and misadventures in this book, then discover what "Rules" is about.
The title, "Rules" made me think, what rules? Rules to live by? Rules of law passed by lawmakers? What are they? And, regardless, who made them?
Then we find this story is about Ham, the former detective who hired her, and a victim he wants Ham to protect. Then we have the perpetrator, Bret Alves, who was just released early from a Nevada prison by the state's Governor.
Fasten your seatbelts as you watch Ham and her adventures and misadventures in this book, then discover what "Rules" is about.
March 19, 2021
Ok but not great
I love Dustin Steven’s. At least I thought I did. It’s been awhile since I’ve read his stories. Maybe it’s just this one. I do/did love the Ham series. This one comes off as a bit two dimensional for me though. Maybe it’s because I am reading some really good books by other authors. Maybe it’s this book. The plot is fine, but the magic I felt when I first met Ham seems to have dissipated. Maybe the infatuation has run its course? Maybe I’ve changed? It’s not you, it’s me. But then maybe it is you? I will try a next novel if he writes one. But I admit, at this point, our relationship is tenuous at best.
I love Dustin Steven’s. At least I thought I did. It’s been awhile since I’ve read his stories. Maybe it’s just this one. I do/did love the Ham series. This one comes off as a bit two dimensional for me though. Maybe it’s because I am reading some really good books by other authors. Maybe it’s this book. The plot is fine, but the magic I felt when I first met Ham seems to have dissipated. Maybe the infatuation has run its course? Maybe I’ve changed? It’s not you, it’s me. But then maybe it is you? I will try a next novel if he writes one. But I admit, at this point, our relationship is tenuous at best.
March 8, 2021
If Jack Reacher had a sister, it might be HAM. Hired to “neutralize “ a recently released rapist/murderer, HAM has to know the “why”. HAM’s weapon of choice for this adventure is the combat tomahawk, which she wields with sometimes deadly efficacy. Without giving much away, this story ends with most of the good guys safe and better off and most of the bad guys either dead, crippled or in jail. And HAM, she back at her desert home. Never predictable, always entertaining, Dustin Stevens doesn’t disappoint.
March 8, 2021
This third foray into the life of Ham, a fierce female with even fiercer warrior skills, takes Ham to Las Vegas.
Called by a retired cop worried for a past victim of violent crime, Ham is seeking a vicious criminal known to carry grudges, that has been recently paroled from prison despite many years left on his sentence. Ham is once again trying to figure out all the players and pieces of a criminal game before an innocent gets hurt. Following Ham as she picks up leads and puts her own pieces on the game board to secure another win against bad guys is satisfying.
Called by a retired cop worried for a past victim of violent crime, Ham is seeking a vicious criminal known to carry grudges, that has been recently paroled from prison despite many years left on his sentence. Ham is once again trying to figure out all the players and pieces of a criminal game before an innocent gets hurt. Following Ham as she picks up leads and puts her own pieces on the game board to secure another win against bad guys is satisfying.
October 7, 2024
I have really come to treasure Ham and Mikey, along with their total package. I think this author is good at creating memorable stories, with a plot that keeps things rolling along. This novel was slightly different in that Ham had a three-prong assignment. I enjoyed the involvement of Detective Hill and how his past helps guide Ham in the present. Overall, a good book.
On a down note, while the author’s ideas are good, his grammar is not. He doesn’t seem capable of using an adverb correctly. Plus I found several typos. Made me wonder where were the editor and copy editor?
On a down note, while the author’s ideas are good, his grammar is not. He doesn’t seem capable of using an adverb correctly. Plus I found several typos. Made me wonder where were the editor and copy editor?
April 29, 2025
One thing I really respect and appreciate Mr. Stevens for is that when he names the title of his book it's a reference to what is happening in the book. So cool!!
Another intense read! The character has so much anger and rage. I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to these books, just like Emily Kimelman's Sydney's books, is because of the things that have happened to me in life that make me angry and wish I could do something about it. Also all the wrong that goes on in the world too numerous to state. Ham and Sydney do something.
Another intense read! The character has so much anger and rage. I think one of the reasons I'm drawn to these books, just like Emily Kimelman's Sydney's books, is because of the things that have happened to me in life that make me angry and wish I could do something about it. Also all the wrong that goes on in the world too numerous to state. Ham and Sydney do something.
Read
March 8, 2021Love this series. Ham began as an enigmatic character and as the series continues she is being revealed more and more, like a curtain slowly being drawn back. Lots more backstory and revelations of her life. I really enjoyed the flow and the pace of this book, maybe even more than the previous one. I will not give away any of the plotline, suffice it to say fast paced, very entertaining, I would strongly recommend you buy it and read it, you will not be disappointed.
March 9, 2021
The intricacies of the plot in Rules is one I’ve come to love from Dustin. So much going on and it all has my complete attention.
Ham gets a new contract and of course we find ourselves in sin city. As Ham embarks in her journey with a tomahawk this time of all things we are lead down many mine fields of treachery, criminals and adventures. I was ensnared from word one and am confident you will be too. Although I’ve enjoyed the Ham’s series Rules is my favorite thus far.
Ham gets a new contract and of course we find ourselves in sin city. As Ham embarks in her journey with a tomahawk this time of all things we are lead down many mine fields of treachery, criminals and adventures. I was ensnared from word one and am confident you will be too. Although I’ve enjoyed the Ham’s series Rules is my favorite thus far.
August 8, 2022
Unbelievable suspense
An unbelievable drama suspense that draws the reader in slowly but surely until there is no way to aescape. You are trapped inside the ongoing drama as one event leads to another, even more complicated and bizarre. Why or how did a murderer serving a 50 year prison sentence managed to get a free pardon,by the Governor, after just 25 years. Who is manipulating the system and why and how?
An unbelievable drama suspense that draws the reader in slowly but surely until there is no way to aescape. You are trapped inside the ongoing drama as one event leads to another, even more complicated and bizarre. Why or how did a murderer serving a 50 year prison sentence managed to get a free pardon,by the Governor, after just 25 years. Who is manipulating the system and why and how?
August 8, 2022
Rules
This was an OK book. The story was decent but jumping between individual's first party narrative was irritating. If you were given the name of the person speaking/thinking at the beginning of a chapter, it would have helped. In the end you just kind of assume who's talking. I also disliked the authors use of 'that' vs 'who' when referring to an individual. Could have been better.
This was an OK book. The story was decent but jumping between individual's first party narrative was irritating. If you were given the name of the person speaking/thinking at the beginning of a chapter, it would have helped. In the end you just kind of assume who's talking. I also disliked the authors use of 'that' vs 'who' when referring to an individual. Could have been better.
September 2, 2022
Compulsive reading following the course of a case from the past which Hill wished he had ended with a bullet. Ham is recruited to sort the mess that results from Alves being paroled and pardoned to exact revenge on the witness and prosecutor who put him away for life. Ham takes it on herself to follow the case and find who is responsible for the release and the reason behind it, politics and money. A good story but some of the word order seems as if it was written by Yoda.
September 3, 2022
Fairly good action thriller featuring 'Ham', who is the female equivalent of Reacher (can't be beaten, highly skilled at all forms of combat, emotions seemingly absent.) Author has annoying habit of starting each chapter in the mind or voice of a different character, so the reader has to guess who is saying/thinking/seeing these things. I liked reading about Ham and her adventures, but it is all fairly superficial and lightweight. Nonetheless, I'll probably read more in the series.
September 30, 2022
5 stars - great series
I haven’t written a review for this series except for giving each book 5 stars. I had to stop after this one to relay just how much I’ve enjoyed the roller coaster that is the main character’s life. I’ve thoroughly steeped myself in the violence and mystery surrounding her and very much enjoyed her character and the characters at work around her. I can’t wait to grab book 4 in her story!
I haven’t written a review for this series except for giving each book 5 stars. I had to stop after this one to relay just how much I’ve enjoyed the roller coaster that is the main character’s life. I’ve thoroughly steeped myself in the violence and mystery surrounding her and very much enjoyed her character and the characters at work around her. I can’t wait to grab book 4 in her story!
February 14, 2021
Bret Alves was supposed to be in prison for another 21 years. Lou Manson made a big contribution to the governor and got Bret out of prison by a pardon. The person who survived an attack and left for dead by Alves, is now in danger. Ham is called to get rid of Alves, but the case is deeper than anyone thought. This is a page turning thriller in the Ham series.
March 8, 2021
Another good book from Dustin Stevens, as Ham travels to Las Vegas to fulfill a special contract. The target is a convicted murderer who has just be pardoned by the governor. Along the way we meet a number of sub-plots add interest and keep the reader guessing. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author and have voluntarily written an honest review.
March 8, 2021
Ham is a modern day "super woman" whose vigilantly style is entertaining, but with a purpose of providing protection for and righting the wrongs of everyday people.
Rules is the 3rd book in the series, and each book keeps the reader engaged throughout.
Steven's leave you hoping there won't be too much time before there is the next Ham adventure to read.
Rules is the 3rd book in the series, and each book keeps the reader engaged throughout.
Steven's leave you hoping there won't be too much time before there is the next Ham adventure to read.
March 8, 2021
Ham is back and ready for action and her special kind of justice and vengeance.
There is so much happening in this story it’s amazing to follow, gripping and thrilling from beginning to the very end.
I love Ham as a character she is a brilliant if somewhat scary force of nature...lol her stories are absolutely amazing I can;t get enough of them.
There is so much happening in this story it’s amazing to follow, gripping and thrilling from beginning to the very end.
I love Ham as a character she is a brilliant if somewhat scary force of nature...lol her stories are absolutely amazing I can;t get enough of them.
March 9, 2021
Ham is called to help out a fellow retired Las Vegas Detective Solomon Hill. Hill is asking for help with a person who should still be in prison, but was pardoned and is free. When Ham arrives things are already not good. Things get pretty dicey for all those involved, but can they get the job done? Who follows the Rules when others don't? I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
March 11, 2021
A tribute to Dustin Stevens
Kudos to one of my favorite authors. Once again, a masterpiece of thrills and action created flawlessly. Without skipping a beat another adventure continues to fill the void enhancing the enjoyment of continuing the series, one of many you so artistically and skillfully have written and continue to do so well.
Kudos to one of my favorite authors. Once again, a masterpiece of thrills and action created flawlessly. Without skipping a beat another adventure continues to fill the void enhancing the enjoyment of continuing the series, one of many you so artistically and skillfully have written and continue to do so well.
September 14, 2021
Good read.
As always Dustin Stevens can be counted on to deliver an intriguing storyline. Full of twists and turns. With any one of his stories you need to be looking in the rear view mirror to see what's going to happen. Plus I admire the fact that he brings the life a mercenary in the form of a tough no nonsense female. We aren't prima donnas.
As always Dustin Stevens can be counted on to deliver an intriguing storyline. Full of twists and turns. With any one of his stories you need to be looking in the rear view mirror to see what's going to happen. Plus I admire the fact that he brings the life a mercenary in the form of a tough no nonsense female. We aren't prima donnas.
August 10, 2022
Terrible!
If I could give minus stars, I would. Endless descriptions of mundane activities that I skimmed past. A thin, dull plot populated by caricatures. The author repeatedly misuses words. The characters don't speak, they grunt. I lost count of how many times the characters feel angst. This is the most poorly
written book I have ever read.
If I could give minus stars, I would. Endless descriptions of mundane activities that I skimmed past. A thin, dull plot populated by caricatures. The author repeatedly misuses words. The characters don't speak, they grunt. I lost count of how many times the characters feel angst. This is the most poorly
written book I have ever read.
September 13, 2022
Different
When I began reading Rules I wasn't sure I would finish it. I seldom start a book that I don't complete but I was having trouble getting into this one. The more I read the more interesting it became. If I had stopped reading after ten or twenty pages I would have missed an interesting experience so if you find the first few pages dull, don't stop reading.
When I began reading Rules I wasn't sure I would finish it. I seldom start a book that I don't complete but I was having trouble getting into this one. The more I read the more interesting it became. If I had stopped reading after ten or twenty pages I would have missed an interesting experience so if you find the first few pages dull, don't stop reading.
April 8, 2021
Call it what you will. Time well spent.
An excellent job of taxing your skills of perception and observation . Many distractions to pursue and discard while waiting for the story to develop.
An excellent job of taxing your skills of perception and observation . Many distractions to pursue and discard while waiting for the story to develop.
April 25, 2021
Rules:a Ham novel.
I've given 5 stars as I always enjoy a Dustin Stevens book, and reading the Ham books, never fail to surprise me with their storylines, speed & delivery. Another great read, thank you.
I've given 5 stars as I always enjoy a Dustin Stevens book, and reading the Ham books, never fail to surprise me with their storylines, speed & delivery. Another great read, thank you.
April 25, 2021
Exciting !!
The books with HAM are always exciting to read, and this one was no less. From the first page to the last all you can wonder is what is going to happen next. This was another of those fantastic books.
The books with HAM are always exciting to read, and this one was no less. From the first page to the last all you can wonder is what is going to happen next. This was another of those fantastic books.
August 6, 2021
One Good Encounter
I've enjoyed this HAM novel. Las Vegas is not my mind of town. I think Dustin Stevens captures it well. Sorry that there are yet more HAM adventures to continue to explore.
I've enjoyed this HAM novel. Las Vegas is not my mind of town. I think Dustin Stevens captures it well. Sorry that there are yet more HAM adventures to continue to explore.
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