Customer Reviews

The 24th Letter

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Sean O'Brien, in two outings, is fast becoming the new go-to hero for action mysteries. Fans of the 'Twilight' series (see review by Molly Bean) will not like this book. But if you like to read about good guys licking butt on the evil doer this is your kind of entertainment. Mr. Lowe, let's get on with the next one.

this is a great book! i found myself just totally getting involved with the book and the characters...I could not WAIT to get to the end.. TERRIFIC storytelling, and a page turner that you will remember for a while! i am so excited about this author, i didn't know this was book number 2, so i must read the one before, and soon...Another new terrific author to add to my list of favorites..i will be watching TOM LOWE.DAVID LOOK for my interview with TOM LOWE on [...]..please do listen

At the U.S. District Court in Orlando, the assassin fires one shot at the chest of convict Sam Spelling who is set to testify against a cocaine trafficker. Father John Callahan visits the dying Sam to receive his last confession and give last rites. Sam tells him that death row inmate Charlie Williams never killed his girlfriend; he names enigmatically someone else and states where the weapon can be found that killed Alexandria Cole. In less than four days, the State of Florida will execute Charlie.

Father John's friend former cop Sean O'Brien led the Miami police investigation into the South beach homicide. The case never felt quite right though the evidence obviously hung Williams. Now Father John tells him of Spelling's puzzling death bed confession. The clock is ticking away as an apparent innocent man is about to receive the lethal injection while the real killer of the model is murdering other people to insure no link to the Cole homicide is found. O'Brien with some assistance must figure out what or who is the only clue to identify the culprit, The 24th Letter.

The second O'Brien mystery (see A False Dawn) is an action-packed thriller in which the countdown to the execution hangs over the heads of those who now believe the death row inmate is innocent; especially excruciatingly difficult on the former Miami homicide detective who led the official inquiry. However, the inclusion of implausible incidents to heighten the suspense ironically detracts from an otherwise fascinating tale. O'Brien fears he will be too late to prevent the execution by Sunshine State officials who ignore his plea for a stay so he can complete his second (this time civilian) investigation into the Cole murder.

Harriet Klausner

I'm generally pretty tolerant of bad writing but I hated this book. The dialog is so stilted that it is actually laughable in places. The plot is meant to be clever but ultimately struck me as ludicrous. And our stalwart protaganist ruminates endlessly on his predicament without bringing much in the way of unexpected insight to anything. The only thing I liked was the little dog, Max, and she didn't appear often enough to make up for everything else. If you are looking for a thoughful, well-executed mystery don't waste your time on this one. The only reason I finished it is because I was stuck on a plane with nothing else to read.

I read Tom Lowe's first book, "The False Dawn", and was excited to learn he had written, "The 24th Letter". Having enjoyed the first, I was impressed, once again. Tom Lowe is, truly, a gifted writer and keeps my attention from beginning to end. I was happy to learn, via Amazon, he has a third book coming out this month. Can hardly wait. I plan on building a Tom Lowe collection to my home library. Enjoyable read, page by page.

I liked the characters, as in A False Dawn, because the dialog is really very true on form. I liked the puzzle O'Brien was trying to solve, especially because of how O'Brien's own perspective was not moving faster than I was. I would think of the puzzle's meanings and maybe an end, and the play itself reveals these things in clips and pieces that O'Brien understood little better than I did. I love Lowe's style, also. I get the impression at times the dialog seems clipped, but looking back, the characters that develop history together communicate in much the same way that friends in real life do. I am going to read this again (later this summer), and I can't wait for the next one.

An excellant read! Very fast pace, and had me quessing all the way through. A retired police dective, a host of good friends all try to help solve the muder's of a convict, a priest, a prison guard and his wife.Humor and supence. Tender and caring yet cunning.I could not stop reading until I was done. I wish there was more to read by this author. I would buy anything he wrote. VERY GOOD!

If you enjoyed Lowe's first book, A False Dawn, you're in for a real treat with The 24th Letter. This book really kept me guessing as I rushed through the pages in the pursuit of answers. Once again Lowe demonstrates throughout this novel his uncanny creativity and masterful storytelling ability. I'd wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good mystery, as it simple doesn't get any better than this.