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Jim Knighthorse #1
Dark Horse
When high school student Derrick Booker, the only black student at a posh Orange County high school, is accused of killing his white girlfriend, ex-college football hero and detective Jim Knighthorse is hired to dig a little deeper into the murder. It doesn't take long for Knighthorse to realize that not all is as it seems at tranquil Huntington High, from a band director who preys on the innocent to a vice-principal with a secret agenda of her own. Not to mention someone's hired a professional killer to keep Knighthorse permanently off the case.
As the investigation continues, Knighthorse's personal life is shattered by the discovery of new evidence relating to his mother's unsolved murder, a murder dating back twenty years. Reeling from the discovery, a determined Jim Knighthorse sets out to bring two killers to justice.
As the investigation continues, Knighthorse's personal life is shattered by the discovery of new evidence relating to his mother's unsolved murder, a murder dating back twenty years. Reeling from the discovery, a determined Jim Knighthorse sets out to bring two killers to justice.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 2, 2010
649 people are currently reading
1644 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Rain
656 books1,727 followersJ.R. Rain is the author of 110 novels and counting. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where he's hard at work on his next novel... and fighting off sparkly vampires.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
April 16, 2019
Well, that was a waste of a few hours. A book about a PI that does more posturing, drinking, women ogling and vigilanteism than any detecting, he actually spends more time talking to God in a McDonalds and then solves the case, just like that. There was a murder mystery in this novel, somewhere, but the main character's narcissism shoved it into the background. Don't bother.
May 7, 2018
Dark Horse
Jim Knighthorse, Book 1
By: J. R. Rain
Narrated by: Jason Starr
I love J.R. Rain's books! This is another winner! It has humor, snark, a different kind of private eye, and wonderful characters, (good, bad, and even God makes an appearance), and a fantastic plot. Not just one mystery, several things are going on...
The narrator is great! Perfect for this book!
Jim Knighthorse, Book 1
By: J. R. Rain
Narrated by: Jason Starr
I love J.R. Rain's books! This is another winner! It has humor, snark, a different kind of private eye, and wonderful characters, (good, bad, and even God makes an appearance), and a fantastic plot. Not just one mystery, several things are going on...
The narrator is great! Perfect for this book!
October 10, 2018
2 'I won't continue the series' stars
I had been looking forward to this series - readers were introduced to Jim Knighthorse in the Vampire For Hire series. There is something about being too snarky and too cocky that is not funny - just annoying. I almost DNF'd early on - but wanted to make sure I gave this a fair chance. Why do I torture myself?
I had been looking forward to this series - readers were introduced to Jim Knighthorse in the Vampire For Hire series. There is something about being too snarky and too cocky that is not funny - just annoying. I almost DNF'd early on - but wanted to make sure I gave this a fair chance. Why do I torture myself?
July 17, 2012
J. R. Rain is a kindle bestselling author. I have going through my kindle and trying to read some books I've had for awhile, and this was one of them. I also, made a personal challenge in one of my groups to read more independent authors and authors writing for smaller publishing companies.I like the book pretty well, and if there are more in the series I will give the next one a chance.
This is a short story in my opinion. The estimated length is 158 pages. So, I had no problem reading it in one day.
Jim Knighthorse is a former football superstar . His dreams of making it in the NFL were crushed by a major leg injury. In bitterness, he follows his father into the PI business. But, Jim never gives up on giving football another shot , even though he is now in his thirties. In the meanwhile, he has been hired by an attorney to investigate the death of a popular high school student.
The girl's boyfriend has been accused of killing her and there is some pretty damning evidence against him.
As Jim investigates, he also deals with his relationship with Cindy, his long time girlfriend, his drinking problems, his father and the unsolved murder of his mother.
The Jim Kighthorse character is arrogant and self absorbed, but human and likeable too. In the end, I admired Jim for taking major steps toward growing up and becoming a better man. Many people have commented that they enjoyed the dialogue between Jim and the bum/God, but I didn't really get into those chapters too much, preferring the to stay with the mystery part.
There is some strong language on occasion, and some racial epithets that sort of jump off the page at you. These words were uttered by a very mean, bad guy so it wasn't surprising that character would say such things, but you may want to be aware of that going in. The was some SC and innuendo, some rough dialogue concerning abuse, and violence, nothing overly graphic.
I would like to give this one 3.5 rating. I would also like to see how the characters develop in the next installments of the series.
This is a short story in my opinion. The estimated length is 158 pages. So, I had no problem reading it in one day.
Jim Knighthorse is a former football superstar . His dreams of making it in the NFL were crushed by a major leg injury. In bitterness, he follows his father into the PI business. But, Jim never gives up on giving football another shot , even though he is now in his thirties. In the meanwhile, he has been hired by an attorney to investigate the death of a popular high school student.
The girl's boyfriend has been accused of killing her and there is some pretty damning evidence against him.
As Jim investigates, he also deals with his relationship with Cindy, his long time girlfriend, his drinking problems, his father and the unsolved murder of his mother.
The Jim Kighthorse character is arrogant and self absorbed, but human and likeable too. In the end, I admired Jim for taking major steps toward growing up and becoming a better man. Many people have commented that they enjoyed the dialogue between Jim and the bum/God, but I didn't really get into those chapters too much, preferring the to stay with the mystery part.
There is some strong language on occasion, and some racial epithets that sort of jump off the page at you. These words were uttered by a very mean, bad guy so it wasn't surprising that character would say such things, but you may want to be aware of that going in. The was some SC and innuendo, some rough dialogue concerning abuse, and violence, nothing overly graphic.
I would like to give this one 3.5 rating. I would also like to see how the characters develop in the next installments of the series.
September 1, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - much more than I thought I would have when I started it. The protag, Jim Nighthorse is incredibly egotistical and I'm not usually a fan of arrogant characters, but as the story progressed I warmed to him. By the end of the book, I liked him very much. I enjoyed his sarcastic humour, his meetings with God in Mcdonalds, his banter with Sanchez and his relationship with Cindy. Jim is a complex character with many issues. He found his mother's body after she'd been murdered when he was eleven years old and the case is still unsolved. He doesn't have a good relationship with his father who cheated on his mother and was never around when Jim was growing up. Jim has a drinking problem and is in constant pain from a leg injury which cost him his career in the NFL. All in all, this was a fascinating read and I can't wait to move on to book two in the series.
January 2, 2014
J R Rain's first book in a present day, California noir detective series featuring Jim Knighthorse, an ex-football star/detective. Unfortunately, Jim's wise-cracking banter doesn't quite ring true exactly and distracts from his case at hand, proving a young black HS student not guilty of killing his girlfriend. He solves the case of course while dealing with his mysterious detective father, his mothers murder and subsequent drinking problem, his love life, his mission in life to sign with the San Diego Charges and finally, long convoluted dialogues with Jesus in the earthly guise of a homeless man at his local MacDonald's. This might be entertaining stuff to other readers but did not grab me in a way my imagination needs to be grabbed!
June 12, 2011
A fun read. Not too-too deep, but deep enough. The characters were more interesting than the plot. Gotta like a guy who talks to god at McDonald's over coffee. I'd call it a light read, but it was definitely a good read. Funny in places too, always a plus.
October 17, 2011
Former college football star and present private investigator, Jim Knighthorse, is hired to find evidence that will prove the innocence of Derrick Booker, a black student at a well-off Orange County high school who has been arrested for killing his white girlfriend. Convinced, along with several others, that Derrick has been framed, Knighthorse soon has a roster of suspects to investigate, from the girl’s abusive father to a band director with a penchant for seducing his female students, all while dealing with his own complicated life situations – a wish to return to football as a pro player, a cold, absent father whose approval he may or may not need, new evidence pertaining to the long-ago murder of his mother, a hitman trying to “persuade” him to drop the case, and an unusual friendship with a homeless man (or is he?) at the local McDonald’s.
To say this novel was a delightful surprise would be an understatement. I honestly loved this book and it is definitely at the top of my new favorite reads. I picked it up because I like crime fiction and mystery/suspense, figuring it would be, well, just that – a murder mystery. Instead, here’s this incredibly unique story with laugh-out-loud funny lines, an unbelievably likeable narrator and a subtle touch of philosophical spirituality.
Jim Knighthorse’s almost over-the top self-confidence in his looks and talent could have, seemingly, made for a vain and annoying character, yet instead he manages to bring this across as an almost self-parodying charm. Except that it isn’t parody because, though he really does appear to think quite highly of himself, he does so with such panache and with such a compassionate and insightful evaluation of those around him, it’s impossible not to like him – not just despite his over-confidence, but somehow even in it. The lines he comes up with, both about himself and others, are often so hilarious because they’re delivered with sincerity and leave the reader feeling that they’re simply true, no argument. This would have been enough to have had me enjoy the novel, but there were so many other things I loved about it just as much. The dialogue and story are smooth and realistic with great plotting, the character development of all the main players is perfect and, though he doesn’t veer from the main crime story at hand, author J.R. Rain does a fantastic job of introducing another mystery in Knighthorse’s life, the unsolved murder of his mother. Last, but definitely not least, the addition of the narrator’s sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating circular conversations with a homeless man who may well be God make for an even more fascinating read. This aspect of the novel gives the story even more depth as Jim deals with his own personal demons – his conflict over his purpose in life, his pain over the loss of his mother, the drinking that eases his pain, physical and emotional, and his struggle to do the right thing, something at which he sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn’t, just like every other human being.
A great narrative voice, a fast-paced and fun mystery/suspense with real-life characters and some serious reflection that subtly adds to its overall effect, I highly recommended this novel and eagerly look forward to reading the next book in this series, as well as Mr. Rain’s other novels.
To say this novel was a delightful surprise would be an understatement. I honestly loved this book and it is definitely at the top of my new favorite reads. I picked it up because I like crime fiction and mystery/suspense, figuring it would be, well, just that – a murder mystery. Instead, here’s this incredibly unique story with laugh-out-loud funny lines, an unbelievably likeable narrator and a subtle touch of philosophical spirituality.
Jim Knighthorse’s almost over-the top self-confidence in his looks and talent could have, seemingly, made for a vain and annoying character, yet instead he manages to bring this across as an almost self-parodying charm. Except that it isn’t parody because, though he really does appear to think quite highly of himself, he does so with such panache and with such a compassionate and insightful evaluation of those around him, it’s impossible not to like him – not just despite his over-confidence, but somehow even in it. The lines he comes up with, both about himself and others, are often so hilarious because they’re delivered with sincerity and leave the reader feeling that they’re simply true, no argument. This would have been enough to have had me enjoy the novel, but there were so many other things I loved about it just as much. The dialogue and story are smooth and realistic with great plotting, the character development of all the main players is perfect and, though he doesn’t veer from the main crime story at hand, author J.R. Rain does a fantastic job of introducing another mystery in Knighthorse’s life, the unsolved murder of his mother. Last, but definitely not least, the addition of the narrator’s sometimes funny, sometimes frustrating circular conversations with a homeless man who may well be God make for an even more fascinating read. This aspect of the novel gives the story even more depth as Jim deals with his own personal demons – his conflict over his purpose in life, his pain over the loss of his mother, the drinking that eases his pain, physical and emotional, and his struggle to do the right thing, something at which he sometimes succeeds and sometimes doesn’t, just like every other human being.
A great narrative voice, a fast-paced and fun mystery/suspense with real-life characters and some serious reflection that subtly adds to its overall effect, I highly recommended this novel and eagerly look forward to reading the next book in this series, as well as Mr. Rain’s other novels.
June 26, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. It's got the same tone as the John Locke "Donovan Creed" series, but this protag is much more likable. Not nearly so amoral. When he does a bad thing, you know he's doing it for what seems to be a very good reason to him. You can actually empathize.
Plus, he's very funny, IMO. A lot of dry commentary and self-aggrandizing asides that come off as self-parody more than anything else.
This is a popcorn series and it's a lot of fun. There's also quite a bit of poignancy as well to give the story some depth and the main character some complexity.
I was not a big fan of this author's Vampire for Hire #1 book, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. I downloaded the second one right after finishing this one and I've already completed it. They aren't novellas, but they are quick reads.
Might not be to everyone's tastes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Plus, he's very funny, IMO. A lot of dry commentary and self-aggrandizing asides that come off as self-parody more than anything else.
This is a popcorn series and it's a lot of fun. There's also quite a bit of poignancy as well to give the story some depth and the main character some complexity.
I was not a big fan of this author's Vampire for Hire #1 book, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this one. I downloaded the second one right after finishing this one and I've already completed it. They aren't novellas, but they are quick reads.
Might not be to everyone's tastes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
May 11, 2018
Twisty mystery!
This is one twisty mystery! I'm very good at figuring out mysteries before the end, but I have to see this one stumped me until the author made it Obvious! Kudos! The protagonist is interesting, there's alot of sly, dry, and sometimes morbid humor, which I enjoy. I plan to read more of this series.
There is one hook that seems to be something that might be there to get you to continue. The unsolved murder of Knighthorse's mother seems to be something that will bind the books together, but not as the main story line. Not exactly a cliffhanger but there nonetheless. Looking forward to reading more of this series
This is one twisty mystery! I'm very good at figuring out mysteries before the end, but I have to see this one stumped me until the author made it Obvious! Kudos! The protagonist is interesting, there's alot of sly, dry, and sometimes morbid humor, which I enjoy. I plan to read more of this series.
There is one hook that seems to be something that might be there to get you to continue. The unsolved murder of Knighthorse's mother seems to be something that will bind the books together, but not as the main story line. Not exactly a cliffhanger but there nonetheless. Looking forward to reading more of this series
November 16, 2012
After pilfering all Mr. Rain had written(to date) of Samantha Moon I figured I'd give some of his other characters a try. Knowing Jim Knighthorse from the Vampire For Hire series I figured he'd be my next stop.
Jim Knighthorse is 'just' a PI much like Samantha Moon is 'just' a PI. He's not a vampire but he's an ex high school and college football star who could have gone pro if it weren't for a catastrophic leg injury 8 years ago in his senior year. He's also the estranged son of a father who was never there for him as a kid because, like Jim, Cooper Knighthorse is also a PI, only his company is much bigger. Jim's mother was the victim of a seemingly random murder when he was ten years old. He's got a lot of baggage but he's also very good at his job and he knows it. Much like he knows he's built like a brick outhouse and is quite the handsome devil..something he doesn't mind mentioning time and again, usually in reference to his charming smile. He's not an ego maniac though. He's got a good moral compass and he loves his long time girlfriend Cindy dearly.
Jim Knighthorse is also flawed, which makes for an interesting character. He deals with his baggage by drinking..alone and in secret and he's also got a scary temper. Oh, he also talks to Jack...a homeless man he meets at McDonald's....who claims to be God...not A god....THE God...
As far as the story goes, it's a pretty interesting whodunnit with a good rogue's gallery. A high school girl is found murdered in front of her home and the police find the knife in the boyfriend's back seat. He being the only black student in the whole school doesn't help much, but the police aren't looking any further than him. Enter Jim Knighthorse. His job is to prove the young man's innocence. In his investigation, Jim will run into a high school band teacher that likes to maintain VERY close relationships with his students, a vice principal who's seemingly tough as nails but is holding something back, an abusive spouse and a hit man that wants Knighthorse off the case..or else.
All in all a fun and fast read as one would expect coming from the keyboard of JR Rain. I found a couple of inconsistencies that left me scratching my head a little bit and Jim wanting to possibly rekindle his dream of being an NFL fullback after an 8 year hiatus of not having played on any level a little on the implausible side, those are minor quibbles and don't take away from what is otherwise a fast paced murder mystery with witty dialogue and a very cool supporting cast. Now, off to read book #2!
Jim Knighthorse is 'just' a PI much like Samantha Moon is 'just' a PI. He's not a vampire but he's an ex high school and college football star who could have gone pro if it weren't for a catastrophic leg injury 8 years ago in his senior year. He's also the estranged son of a father who was never there for him as a kid because, like Jim, Cooper Knighthorse is also a PI, only his company is much bigger. Jim's mother was the victim of a seemingly random murder when he was ten years old. He's got a lot of baggage but he's also very good at his job and he knows it. Much like he knows he's built like a brick outhouse and is quite the handsome devil..something he doesn't mind mentioning time and again, usually in reference to his charming smile. He's not an ego maniac though. He's got a good moral compass and he loves his long time girlfriend Cindy dearly.
Jim Knighthorse is also flawed, which makes for an interesting character. He deals with his baggage by drinking..alone and in secret and he's also got a scary temper. Oh, he also talks to Jack...a homeless man he meets at McDonald's....who claims to be God...not A god....THE God...
As far as the story goes, it's a pretty interesting whodunnit with a good rogue's gallery. A high school girl is found murdered in front of her home and the police find the knife in the boyfriend's back seat. He being the only black student in the whole school doesn't help much, but the police aren't looking any further than him. Enter Jim Knighthorse. His job is to prove the young man's innocence. In his investigation, Jim will run into a high school band teacher that likes to maintain VERY close relationships with his students, a vice principal who's seemingly tough as nails but is holding something back, an abusive spouse and a hit man that wants Knighthorse off the case..or else.
All in all a fun and fast read as one would expect coming from the keyboard of JR Rain. I found a couple of inconsistencies that left me scratching my head a little bit and Jim wanting to possibly rekindle his dream of being an NFL fullback after an 8 year hiatus of not having played on any level a little on the implausible side, those are minor quibbles and don't take away from what is otherwise a fast paced murder mystery with witty dialogue and a very cool supporting cast. Now, off to read book #2!
February 11, 2012
I so glad that I discovered J.R. Rain. First, the Vampire for Hire series, now the Jim Knighthorse series is fantastic. Jim Knighthorse is a private dectective who also maded to the NFL until an accident ended his career. So, he decided to become a P.I. training under his father who he does not get along with.
Jim has been hired by an attorney to investigate the murder of a high school girl. Her boyfriend, the only African American student at a well to do Orange Co. school has been arrested for her murder. After interviewing Derrick at the jail, Jim is convinced that he did not do it.
Jim is a complicated man and at times he seems broken. His discovered his father cheating on his mother too many times to recall, he found his mother's mudered body when he was ten, and he is trying to re-enter pro football. The love of his life is an Anthropology Professor, Cindy and she knows him better than he knows himself. Bur, she cannot ignore, his increasing drinking.
As Jim works on the investigation, he will encounter many twists and turns. He will have to make some very hard decisions that might leave a few people battered along the way. This case will be a test of his moral compass.
One of the greatest things about this story is the inclusion of a homeless character who believes and almost has Jim believing he is God. Yeah, I said, "God." This character adds a great insight, depth and meaning to Jim's character. Jim is a very matter of fact character and he calls it like he sees it! To many, it may appear that he is overly confident and arrogant. I found his character in many ways refreshing because he never says anything he does not mean.
I could really relate to Derrick, the character accused of murder. I attended a high school in Los Angeles, where I was one of thirteen African Americans and remember all too well, the challenges this situation can bring. As for the killer, although in the end it totally made sense, I did not figure it out until the last minute. That is how a good mystery should be written.
Pick up anything you can get your hands on written by J.R. Rain. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim has been hired by an attorney to investigate the murder of a high school girl. Her boyfriend, the only African American student at a well to do Orange Co. school has been arrested for her murder. After interviewing Derrick at the jail, Jim is convinced that he did not do it.
Jim is a complicated man and at times he seems broken. His discovered his father cheating on his mother too many times to recall, he found his mother's mudered body when he was ten, and he is trying to re-enter pro football. The love of his life is an Anthropology Professor, Cindy and she knows him better than he knows himself. Bur, she cannot ignore, his increasing drinking.
As Jim works on the investigation, he will encounter many twists and turns. He will have to make some very hard decisions that might leave a few people battered along the way. This case will be a test of his moral compass.
One of the greatest things about this story is the inclusion of a homeless character who believes and almost has Jim believing he is God. Yeah, I said, "God." This character adds a great insight, depth and meaning to Jim's character. Jim is a very matter of fact character and he calls it like he sees it! To many, it may appear that he is overly confident and arrogant. I found his character in many ways refreshing because he never says anything he does not mean.
I could really relate to Derrick, the character accused of murder. I attended a high school in Los Angeles, where I was one of thirteen African Americans and remember all too well, the challenges this situation can bring. As for the killer, although in the end it totally made sense, I did not figure it out until the last minute. That is how a good mystery should be written.
Pick up anything you can get your hands on written by J.R. Rain. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!!!!!!!
February 4, 2013
Jim Knighthorse is a former football great both high school and college but his hopes of a NFL spot were crushed along with his leg, the result of a cheap shot. Now he walks with a slight limp and constant ache always reminding him of what might have been.Now he was a P.I. and was being asked to take on a case, a case the local police called shut after all they had a suspect that had the murder weapon in the back seat of his car.
Derrick Booker, a young Afro-American student , star football player and a high grade earner.Amanda Peterson attractive popular, Derrick's girlfriend and White,killed in a fit of rage?Jealousy? The police, the papers , all say he killed her. Her friends don't believe that and after talking to him neither does Jim Knighthorse. Jim asked "God" even he says Derrick didn't do it. 'God" is the bum that talks to Jim at McDonald's and goes by the name of Jack, he even writes the name down on a piece of paper which Jim puts into his wallet without looking at it.
Jim is face with many issues as he searches for the truth. Along with the case he is also considering a try at returning to the pro's, issues with his girlfriend Cindy,questions of his own mothers unsolved murder and his relationship with his father. Jim searches for answers to life's problems as he searches for the real killer and just how does "God" Jack know so much?
This was a fun and interesting read. Jim Knighthorse is arrogant and full of himself or is he?Perhaps his arrogance is just to cover things he would rather keep buried and not deal with. Like many of us Jim is searching for the real importance of life and his role in it.Not overly complicated I think many will find Dark Horse a good read.
Derrick Booker, a young Afro-American student , star football player and a high grade earner.Amanda Peterson attractive popular, Derrick's girlfriend and White,killed in a fit of rage?Jealousy? The police, the papers , all say he killed her. Her friends don't believe that and after talking to him neither does Jim Knighthorse. Jim asked "God" even he says Derrick didn't do it. 'God" is the bum that talks to Jim at McDonald's and goes by the name of Jack, he even writes the name down on a piece of paper which Jim puts into his wallet without looking at it.
Jim is face with many issues as he searches for the truth. Along with the case he is also considering a try at returning to the pro's, issues with his girlfriend Cindy,questions of his own mothers unsolved murder and his relationship with his father. Jim searches for answers to life's problems as he searches for the real killer and just how does "God" Jack know so much?
This was a fun and interesting read. Jim Knighthorse is arrogant and full of himself or is he?Perhaps his arrogance is just to cover things he would rather keep buried and not deal with. Like many of us Jim is searching for the real importance of life and his role in it.Not overly complicated I think many will find Dark Horse a good read.
April 8, 2013
J.R. Rain is quickly becoming a favorite author for me. I recently read the first 3 Samantha Moon books and determined that I love Samantha Moon as much as I've loved and followed Sookie for the past several years.
I just now finished reading Dark Horse, the first in J.R. Rain's Jim Knighthorse series - and wouldn't ya know...I LOVED it! Jim Knighthorse is AWESOME! Though throughout the book, I kept thinking how similar Jim Knighthorse is to Myron Bolitar in Harlan Corbin's series of the madcap sports agent who also solves mysteries...Jim Knighthorse and his sidekick are Myron and his buddy exaggerated times 100! Totally smug, obnoxious and full of himself, how can Jim Knighthorse be so likeable? I dunno, but he IS. THEN - that his character is sooooo insanely good and special that he should have a personal relationship with 'God' - this is kinda pushing it a little in my opinion. But somehow it WORKS! I was dying to find out if "God" did in fact know who the killer was. When "God" was introduced into the story, Jim asked him to write the killer's name down and he wouldn't look at it until the mystery was solved. Can't tell ya the outcome on that one, but - to me, adding the presence of a seemingly homeless man who claims to be God could have been slightly weird. Conversations were fun and full of imaginative banter, I truly enjoyed "God", or "Jack" as he prefers to be called. Upon first meeting him, I was a little worried tho.
I am 'hooked' on J.R. Rain and totally read to read more of his work. He takes risks and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like that but you know...I DO! Moving on right away to the next in the series, I'm not ready to quit Jim Knighthorse quite yet!
I just now finished reading Dark Horse, the first in J.R. Rain's Jim Knighthorse series - and wouldn't ya know...I LOVED it! Jim Knighthorse is AWESOME! Though throughout the book, I kept thinking how similar Jim Knighthorse is to Myron Bolitar in Harlan Corbin's series of the madcap sports agent who also solves mysteries...Jim Knighthorse and his sidekick are Myron and his buddy exaggerated times 100! Totally smug, obnoxious and full of himself, how can Jim Knighthorse be so likeable? I dunno, but he IS. THEN - that his character is sooooo insanely good and special that he should have a personal relationship with 'God' - this is kinda pushing it a little in my opinion. But somehow it WORKS! I was dying to find out if "God" did in fact know who the killer was. When "God" was introduced into the story, Jim asked him to write the killer's name down and he wouldn't look at it until the mystery was solved. Can't tell ya the outcome on that one, but - to me, adding the presence of a seemingly homeless man who claims to be God could have been slightly weird. Conversations were fun and full of imaginative banter, I truly enjoyed "God", or "Jack" as he prefers to be called. Upon first meeting him, I was a little worried tho.
I am 'hooked' on J.R. Rain and totally read to read more of his work. He takes risks and at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like that but you know...I DO! Moving on right away to the next in the series, I'm not ready to quit Jim Knighthorse quite yet!
August 18, 2013
Hired to look into the murder of a student after her boyfriend is apparently framed, Jim Knighthorse finds all is not as it seems with the girl’s family or the teaching staff, and his suspicions are confirmed when a professional killer goes to great lengths to warn him off the case. But Jim is not one to back down easily. This murder mystery moves along at a fair pace and is written in an old detective novel style first person narrative. I was unsure about Jim’s character at first – he is quite laid back and egotistical – but I warmed to him as the book went on. I did appreciate his sarcastic humour and a more caring side emerged with the background about his parents. His dealings with Peterson, the abusive father, were particularly tense and engaging. Sanchez, the policeman and Jim’s pseudo-partner, is a fun addition to the story and some of the duo’s conversations offer some of the book’s laugh-out-loud moments. Jack, the bum who claims to be God, was definitely a quirky character but I found his whole thread to be over-the-top crazy. Overall this book was more about Jim than a detailed mystery but it was quite a fun, light-hearted and quick read.
September 6, 2013
A kindle freebie. This is an all-American, macho detective story about a failed football player now working as a private investigator.
The pacing is solid and the plot is usual fare (kid has been framed for murdering his girlfriend), but the protagonist is unlikeable. Jim Knighthorse is chauvinistic, egotistical, and has questionable morals. He checks out every woman he meets, and never fails to remind us just how handsome, witty and muscular he is. That the novel is in first person only makes his personality more in-your-face.
Example: "...coffee lukewarm and black. Just like I like my women. Kidding." Also: "We were both wearing jeans. Hers fit more tightly than mine, as they should."
The writing itself is dialogue-heavy but acceptable. There were a number of typos and instances of lazy description ("neutral coloured eyes" and "looked like Audrey Hepburn but prettier" being prime examples).
The parts I did find interesting were Jim's interactions with Jack, even though the scenes were hardly crucial to the plot.
All in all, the plot itself is fairly solid for a detective novel, but the protagonist sucked out most of the pleasure in reading the story.
The pacing is solid and the plot is usual fare (kid has been framed for murdering his girlfriend), but the protagonist is unlikeable. Jim Knighthorse is chauvinistic, egotistical, and has questionable morals. He checks out every woman he meets, and never fails to remind us just how handsome, witty and muscular he is. That the novel is in first person only makes his personality more in-your-face.
Example: "...coffee lukewarm and black. Just like I like my women. Kidding." Also: "We were both wearing jeans. Hers fit more tightly than mine, as they should."
The writing itself is dialogue-heavy but acceptable. There were a number of typos and instances of lazy description ("neutral coloured eyes" and "looked like Audrey Hepburn but prettier" being prime examples).
The parts I did find interesting were Jim's interactions with Jack, even though the scenes were hardly crucial to the plot.
All in all, the plot itself is fairly solid for a detective novel, but the protagonist sucked out most of the pleasure in reading the story.
May 8, 2013
I LOVED this book, by far the best kindle book I have read this year. The writing is fresh, funny and keeps you guessing. I just wish I had a reason to hire a private detective and have him just like Knighhorse. I have the same sense of humour as him and found myself finishing the sentences before Id read them.
Really excellent.
Really excellent.
January 22, 2024
This is a 4.5 🌟 read rounded ⬆️ to 5 🌟.
December 23, 2019
It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That being the case, this particular novel by J.R. Rain casts a rather extreme form of flattery upon Harlan Coben and the protagonist of several of his novels, Myron Bolitar. In fact, the similarity between J.R. Rain's character Jim Knighthorse and Myron Bolitar damn near verges on plagiarism in my opinion. How similar are they? Let me enumerate.
Jim Knighthorse is a former athlete, a very talented want-to-be professional football player whose career was sidelined by a terrible football injury. While he would dearly love another chance to play, he is forced to rely on his other talent for crime investigation. He has an on-again, off-again love relationship that suffers because of his failed professional career and his occasional forays into danger by investigating crimes. He is extremely fond of wise-cracking and is constantly having a witty repartee with his friends and insulting toward all evildoers.
By comparison, Harlan Coben's character, Myron Bolitar is a former athlete, a very talented want-to-be professional football player whose career was sidelined by a terrible football injury. While he would dearly love another chance to play, he is forced to rely on his other talent for crime investigation. He has an on-again, off-again love relationship that suffers because of his failed professional career and his occasional forays into danger by investigating crimes. He is extremely fond of wise-cracking and is constantly having a witty repartee with his friends and insulting toward all evildoers.
The biggest difference between the two protagonists is that Knighthorse is a private investigator by trade, while Bolitar is a sports agent with a side business of being a private investigator.
So, having said all this, why give it three stars? Because it entertained me. Harlan Coben is a rather masterful mystery writer. J.R. Rain is often unable to string together a decent plot. If I had remembered the total disaster series of books of the Vampire Moon series written by J.R. Rain, I would never have picked up Dark Horse.
But, Dark Horse was entertaining enough to inspire me to read the second book in the series. Hopefully, it will not fall into the idiotic category of the Vampire Moon books. So far, so good.
Jim Knighthorse is a former athlete, a very talented want-to-be professional football player whose career was sidelined by a terrible football injury. While he would dearly love another chance to play, he is forced to rely on his other talent for crime investigation. He has an on-again, off-again love relationship that suffers because of his failed professional career and his occasional forays into danger by investigating crimes. He is extremely fond of wise-cracking and is constantly having a witty repartee with his friends and insulting toward all evildoers.
By comparison, Harlan Coben's character, Myron Bolitar is a former athlete, a very talented want-to-be professional football player whose career was sidelined by a terrible football injury. While he would dearly love another chance to play, he is forced to rely on his other talent for crime investigation. He has an on-again, off-again love relationship that suffers because of his failed professional career and his occasional forays into danger by investigating crimes. He is extremely fond of wise-cracking and is constantly having a witty repartee with his friends and insulting toward all evildoers.
The biggest difference between the two protagonists is that Knighthorse is a private investigator by trade, while Bolitar is a sports agent with a side business of being a private investigator.
So, having said all this, why give it three stars? Because it entertained me. Harlan Coben is a rather masterful mystery writer. J.R. Rain is often unable to string together a decent plot. If I had remembered the total disaster series of books of the Vampire Moon series written by J.R. Rain, I would never have picked up Dark Horse.
But, Dark Horse was entertaining enough to inspire me to read the second book in the series. Hopefully, it will not fall into the idiotic category of the Vampire Moon books. So far, so good.
February 8, 2022
I don't know how I feel about this one. It was just plain weird. He talks to God. Who's a hobo named Jack. That he meets at McDonalds. I was under the impression this was just a straight mystery thriller but I would apparently be wrong. And unfortunately I didn't really enjoy it. There were some funny lines but a lot of the plot just fell flat. The mystery kind of got lost the further I read. The main character was obsessed with football and his dad and his mother's murder and his girlfriend and it just seemed it was an awful long time before he went back to focusing on the main plot. There were just too many side trips.
It wasn't helped by the fact I didn't like Jim. Or Cindy. Or the other cop guy. Plus the cop and Jim - aren't they supposed to be best friends - how the hell did he not know Jim's mother was murdered? Doesn't really seem like they know each other well. There wasn't really any depth to any of the characters and without the mystery taking centre stage I was just bored. Plus the whole plot was just ridiculous. It made no sense and was just overkill. And the cat?!
2 stars.
It wasn't helped by the fact I didn't like Jim. Or Cindy. Or the other cop guy. Plus the cop and Jim - aren't they supposed to be best friends - how the hell did he not know Jim's mother was murdered? Doesn't really seem like they know each other well. There wasn't really any depth to any of the characters and without the mystery taking centre stage I was just bored. Plus the whole plot was just ridiculous. It made no sense and was just overkill. And the cat?!
2 stars.
March 14, 2017
I picked up the 3 book bundle on Amazon last year or so; Rainy Nights by J.R. Rain. An author I had never heard of and so therefore had only so-so expectations for the e-books, but hey they were free, so nothing risked or wasted but a little of my time. It took me probably a year or so before I finally started to read them, and I was pleasantly surprised. Each of the 3 books are entertaining and enjoyable. All 3 books have their main protagonists working as a P.I. (private investigator) in an urban fantasy setting, but that is where the similarities end. Each is its own story and it does not feel like a repeat of the other. There are some common themes running through the stories but each novel is well written that it is did not echo the others.
If you are looking for some light reading with action, mystery, urban fantasy then these are a good choice.
If you are looking for some light reading with action, mystery, urban fantasy then these are a good choice.
November 18, 2017
The book sounded interesting from the description I read, but I found it just ok. The main character was pathetic, but some might feel that makes him relatable; I found him sad as he struggled with his choices in areas such as relationships, justice, violence, killing. The story itself was fairly interesting as it goes through the twists and turns typical of thriller/detective stories. It was a bit slow at times.
I was disappointed by the excessive profanity in the book. Perhaps it makes the characters more authentic, but it didn't seem to improve the story, and it reduces the audience that would (be happy to) read it.
This first book in the series was free. Even at free, I probably wouldn't read it, knowing what I know now. I won't be buying (or even reading for free) the other books in the series.
I was disappointed by the excessive profanity in the book. Perhaps it makes the characters more authentic, but it didn't seem to improve the story, and it reduces the audience that would (be happy to) read it.
This first book in the series was free. Even at free, I probably wouldn't read it, knowing what I know now. I won't be buying (or even reading for free) the other books in the series.
June 11, 2020
The cover on Goodreads makes this book look goofy as hell! However, this is the most fun I've had reading a P.I. book since Robert Parker's "Spenser" books. Jim Knighthorse, the main character, is a cocky, sarcastic delight with just enough demons to make him interesting. The dialogue is terrific - I end up reading it out loud to whoever is in the room with me because it's so pithy. Rain has certainly nailed Huntington Beach to a "t". It's a short book that's lighter on plot than character, but I'm ok with that. Not everything has to be George R. R. Martin length to be good.
If you were a Spenser fan, these books are for you.
If you were a Spenser fan, these books are for you.
September 17, 2021
Had this 3 volume set for a while and read the first one then put the series up never finished it, now once again I got the series out just finished Dark Horse book#1 in the series of Jim Knighthorse and was even more enthralled with the Character Jim Knighthorse. You litterly put your self in his shoes as he struggles with a leg injury that kept him from him dream of becoming a National NFL Player and him wanting to know who killed his mother. But the really sad part is his father and the way he treated his first wife and even Jim as a small boy to now as an adult.I hope in the next couple of books in this series will bring Jim and his dad closer together.
August 29, 2019
A JRR. Murder Mystery Action Adventure (DH) (JKB. - 1)
JRR. has penned a murder mystery action adventure that takes place in a private high school camous. A young black athlete and a white girl talk in love until the night the girl is murdered. The young man is charged with the murder and out in jail . Our favorite new detective is hired and Jim Knighthorsevgets to work. The surrounding action makes this and easy read. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JRR. has penned a murder mystery action adventure that takes place in a private high school camous. A young black athlete and a white girl talk in love until the night the girl is murdered. The young man is charged with the murder and out in jail . Our favorite new detective is hired and Jim Knighthorsevgets to work. The surrounding action makes this and easy read. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
June 8, 2021
What if Spenser (of Robert B. Parker fame) met God and hung out with him at a McDonald's? That's a bit what this is like. Nuff said! Rain has done a fantastic job channeling the witty tough guy vibe of Parker. Jim Knighthorse, the detective, has a few more personal problems and serious issues than Spenser, but he grows over the course of this story. He makes some important and life changing decisions for the good. I am looking forward to trying another one of these.
December 22, 2021
Great fast read!
Former NFL player, after an injury, becomes a private detective. Just like his Dad. He goes after the real killer of a teen girl. The black guy charged, loved her and didn't do it.
As the detective got closer to the truth, a hitman threatened him. Even shot his earlobe.
Great supporting characters too.
First time author, for me, but not last. Plan to look for more of his books.
Former NFL player, after an injury, becomes a private detective. Just like his Dad. He goes after the real killer of a teen girl. The black guy charged, loved her and didn't do it.
As the detective got closer to the truth, a hitman threatened him. Even shot his earlobe.
Great supporting characters too.
First time author, for me, but not last. Plan to look for more of his books.
March 16, 2023
I have had this on my to read list forever. I don't even remember why I have it. I liked the short chapters and I enjoyed the mystery, but Jim Knighthorse, the main character was a bit obnoxious to me. He is hired to find out who clear a young man accused of murdering his girlfriend. Jim is also trying to return to pro-football after injuring his leg. It was a very quick read, but I don't think I will read another book in the series
July 11, 2025
Great Read!
Fast paced and thrilling. Enjoyed immensely because JR Rain is a great author. I recommend it highly and to start at the beginning. I only picked it up because I thought I'd already read it. But now I get to go through them all. Knighthorse is a good detective, a bit unconventional but good. I never would have guessed who done it. So in my book, he's really good. Can't wait to get to the next book.
Fast paced and thrilling. Enjoyed immensely because JR Rain is a great author. I recommend it highly and to start at the beginning. I only picked it up because I thought I'd already read it. But now I get to go through them all. Knighthorse is a good detective, a bit unconventional but good. I never would have guessed who done it. So in my book, he's really good. Can't wait to get to the next book.
January 27, 2018
1st in series. Jim Knighthorse we met in a Samantha Moon book. He helped her find lost girl.
He is a PI looking for the killer of a high school girl. Her boyfriend, an Africa-American, has been arrested mostly because he is black. Knighthorse is trying to find real killer and it becomes a nightmare.
He is a PI looking for the killer of a high school girl. Her boyfriend, an Africa-American, has been arrested mostly because he is black. Knighthorse is trying to find real killer and it becomes a nightmare.
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