Customer Reviews

Rejection: A Lou Drake Mystery

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Rejection tells the story of Lou Drake, a washed up NYC cop and former detective who was disgraced because of a failed case that he thought he had nailed -- until everyone involved started singing a different tune. Now Drake is putting in time, waiting for retirement. He is also writing novels in his spare time, something he has always wanted to do. Drake's life is turned upside down when a serial killer strikes again and again in the borough served by his precinct, and the detectives of the day have no leads. All of the victims are ineffective literary agents, so Drake gets pulled in because of his knowledge of the publishing industry. What follows is a roller coaster ride of unexpected turns as Matthews takes us on a tour of the challenges facing today's would-be authors ... a tour taken from a startling point of view. The result is a unique look at some of the moral ambiguities underpinning the the publishing game, with an enjoyable twist at the end. I truly enjoyed reading this book. And given that it discusses books and publishing, it seems a natural for book clubs.

This quote from Christopher Reich seems to say it all: "REJECTION is a gem. Smart, snappy, hard-edged and fast-paced, it had me guessing to the end. A truly enjoyable ride!" - Christopher Reich, New York Time best selling author of Rules Of Vengeance.

As a sidenote, you might also look into ANCIENT ANGER, also by Thomas K. Matthews, and also with a surprise twist at the end that made me grin and nod with satisfaction.

I downloaded Rejection for my e-book reader on the basis of a Facebook friendship, several ecstatic reviews that now seem highly suspect, a bias toward new writers, and a love of the detective/mystery genre.

This is the first time I've been upset by a carelessly edited, poorly written, badly researched, clichéd novel. My disappointment wouldn't have been so deep if I hadn't just finished Pete Hamill's Tabloid City and Dennis Lehane's The Given Day. In contrast, both are richly textured, almost literary works whose focal point is crime. Rejection is a potboiler.

The saddest sticking point is that Matthews has given us "Malcolm," an invented borough of New York City. Please! NYC has five distinctive boroughs, and none of them are 19th century hamlets. New York has a Delancey St., but none spelled without the final "e". (Check your city guide, Mr. Matthews.) And for a police writer to refer to "Dunkin' Doughnuts" is unforgiveable (as much a calumny as having overweight African-American women cops reaching orgasm over doughnuts). The lack of editing goes right on through a major character named Smythe being referred to as Smyth.

It's dangerous to try describing a place you don't know. For example, "Avenue of the Americas [New Yorkers call it Sixth Avenue] stretches out like the movie set of a quintessential New York landscape. Here [sic] business and commerce embrace the swirling lifestyle of the printed word. The place is lousy with magazines, book publishers and high rent offices, all connected by text messages, phone lines and power emails that jump from one side of the concrete canyon to the others." Aside from the geographic invention, I defy anyone to make sense of this paragraph.

Similarly, the dialogue is as wooden as a nickel found on a Bowery bum.

I think Matthews has never met a punctuation rule he didn't ignore. It's common to find commas missing after an interjection, periods missing in sentences, and often entire words missing in a simple declarative sentence. My proofreader would have characterized this work as a "dog's breakfast." Jerry Shapiro, the publisher, says it on p. 330, "I've looked at some of these [POD] books and the covers look good, but inside is a nightmare of bad writing, misspelled words and poor editing. It makes the heart weep."

Somehow, the entire strength of this mystery lies in the fact that literary agents are being murdered in gratuitous venal ways. (No spoiler alert, but the case is resolved 50 pages from the ending.) Is this a case of Matthews transferring his own professional problems onto his stock characters? If this is the situation, there should be a "Predators and Editors" Web site warning agents against amateur writers who self-publish.

The rejection of this book lies not only in the title. As Shapiro the publisher says, "It makes my heart weep."

I really enjoyed this book. I think the author could have left out some of the foul language, but other than that it made for a nice read. I like seeing right come out on top and people vindicated. I love the twist at the end and look forward to reading more by this author

Thomas Matthews has penned a chilling thriller that will strike a chord with anyone familiar with today's literary and publishing business. Down-on-his-luck cop and aspiring author Lou Drake helps solve a series of murders when he is pulled into the investigation due to his knowledge of the book world. The plot seems simple at first, but winds ever so subtly until you're guessing with each turned page. Matthews does an outstanding job of keeping the pace at break-neck speed while giving us a view into the deepest, darkest corners of the psyche of Drake. Hard-nosed and soft-hearted, foul-mouthed and morally centered, Drake is the kind of multi-layered and confounding character a reader can identify with and root for.

If you're looking for a thrill ride, buckle up and settle in for REJECTION!

This was not a bad book--parts of it were quite well written, and the story is interesting. However, it could have done with a good proofread (ironic, giving the long diatribes about modern publishing). There were a lot of words left out, a few misspellings and redundancies.

OK- this book was free with my Michael Gallagher Kindle subscription so I thought I'd try the author. Just read the book in 3 hours because I couldn't put it down. Love! Lou is a has been who gets a second chance at his life. Read it! It's that good!!

This book gradually sucked me in and had me totally enthralled. I didn' want it to end! I really hope Mr. Matthews gives us more soon.

I loved the subjects, a mystery and publishing. I was pleasantly surprised with this book. I was entertained and engrossed in the story. It had an interesting twist. The lead character is endearing. I like that he was flawed and imperfect. It's a good read. I got it for free, but would say it's worth paying for.

If a picture paints a thousand words, Thomas K. Matthews paints with words. Envisioning his story and it's characters are effortless as a result of his ability to subtly paint the picture, without being overly descriptive or gaudy with his strokes. Rejection does not bog down like many crime thrillers which work too hard to prove their knowledge of law enforcement procedure. With just the right amount of procedural activity necessary, the story flows and the characters are as alive as a welcome holiday guest,...except for the victims who had a lesson to learn about rejection.

The main character, Lou Drake is not just another down on his luck cop. He is every man. You will find yourself recognizing a little bit of yourself in him. You will also recognize the array of characters that seem to drive his life against his own will and desires. They surround us everyday. If you have ever been rejected, you know what I mean.

Don't let this one get by you.

REJECTION... Book Review
Discovery of this novel and Thomas K. Matthews, the writer, was the result of a recommendation. This is my recommendation to you. If you like murder mysteries and enjoy incredible wordsmithing, read this book!
Would you kill to get ahead? Have you ever written anything for publication? Even just thought of writing something? Anything? A short story, a novel? Did you have the courage to try and sell the work? Were you successful? I'll answer that question for you with uncanny certitude - No, you've never been successful. Don't feel inadequate or a failure. The smallest percentage of writers imaginable ever get published. You're not alone.
If your a devotee of the murder mystery genre you'll be treated to novel that will not only entertain you, it will involve you. The whole industry of contractual creative work (literary & publishing) is indicted in this T.K. Matthews murderous novel. How are the new writers "discovered?" The frustrated, failed and disgraced Detective Lou Drake will have you examining all the facts, all the clues and have you weighing the same issues... personally. What is your price for success? Oh, you're not for sale, you say? Would you commit a crime if it led to your success? Just how serious of a crime would you consider? Lying, cheating, stealing... well, they're a given. How about murder? Maybe murder and conspiracy? T.K. Matthews explores that issue exquisitely in Rejection. Hard hitting and fast-paced, Matthews will have you turning pages in anticipation only to realize that things aren't exactly as they seem. Fasten your seatbelt and adjust your head restraints. This guy will have you reeling. Aspiration, frustration, disappointment and revenge, paranoia & distrust, corruption, anger, incompetence, greed and fear meet head-on. The reader is treated to a thrilling mystery with a perspective not unlike watching yourself trapped in Faustian transaction except victims are piling up while the drama plays out. The surprise ending will certainly cause you to look forward to Matthews next novel. A real treat.