Customer Reviews

St. Jude's Secret

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am very impressed with this first novel by author Daniel H. Jones. Quite a swashbuckling story; had me on the edge of my seat throughout. Opens with a mysterious death on the high seas that pulls readers in quickly.

St. Jude's Secret stars attorney Bobby Grace, who is placed on the case of the death of Cilton Roy, an able-bodied and healthy seaman employed by Leviathan Lines. Once the investigation starts, Bobby finds ties to a New Orleans mob family and genetically altered coffee. And to top it all off, the Cashio mob are no strangers -- Bobby's got something personal against them and the perfect opportunity for justice.

Surrounding this action-packed story is Bobby's girlfriend, Magda (for the romantic in you), and a lively New Orleans backdrop that will have you scrambling for your travel agent. Daniel Jones has set these pages on fire with it's vivid detail and fast-paced dialogue. Prepare to become totally enraptured.

This was a good first book, one worth checking out! Normally I dont read a lot of mysteries so this was a refreshing change of pace.

Bobby is the main character and takes on a case where a seaman dies of mysterious causes and the local mobster may be involved. As the book goes on, you find out more about the possible cause of death, a unlikely cause: drinking coffee that is coming from Costa Rica. I dont drink coffee but thought after reading this book, I would be leary to! Many other characters were memorable: Magda, Bobby's girlfriend and the mobster son and father and the daughter as well!

If you want a fun and fast paced story, this would definitely be a great pick!!

Full of energy and passion. Keep up the good work!

Compared to the stripped down impact and stunning imagery of a James Lee Burke novel, this book falls short. Four stars is somewhat lenient, but...I still enjoyed it.

After receiving a promotional e-mail, I bought the book to support a fellow writer (although he's a stranger to me), and was struck first by the numerous editorial flaws. This left me with a sour taste regarding ... Also, a good editor could've tightened the narrative and turned it into a riveting tale. Instead, I was distracted by overwrought adjective usage and occasional sidetracks.

Now, let me tell you why I still give this four stars. "St. Jude's Secret" has heart and soul. This book, while not as seamless as a Grisham tale, has feeling. Jones shows true care and concern for his characters--something Grisham's "The Brethren" absolutely lacked. And, despite the sometimes ponderous description, Jones cooks up some true gems amid the coal. Some of his sentences and scenes positively gleam with magical appeal.

I'd love to see Jones hook up with the right editor who could polish his abilities and create a book that sparkles throughout. This book does not do so, but it entertains and occasionally enthralls--and it never fails to have heart and soul. If you can look past all the typos, you'll be glad you took the chance on this. I certainly was.

After reading my comments about another book (The Sharpshooter Blues by Lewis Nordan--highly recommended!), the author, Daniel H. Jones, kindly offered me a review copy of St. Jude's Secret if I would consider reviewing it here, and I am pleased to do so. It is a fine first effort, with believeable characters and a plot right out of today's headlines. The protagonist, lawyer Bobby Grace, is a refreshingly average everyman--neither the musclebound bulletproof superheroes of David Morrell's Rambo clones, nor a Sherlock Holmesian super-genius. In fact, Grace barely solves the mystery at all--clues are given to him (too much so, occasionally) without which he wouldn't figure things out, and he certainly can't fight his way out of a paper bag! Grace is somewhat reminiscent of James Garner's Jim Rockford, from the TV series The Rockford Files. Villain Carmine "The Vat" Cashio and his dysfunctional family are evilly quirky enough to step from a James Hall novel. The characters and the plot, a tale of coffee genetically modified to chemically resemble cocaine which is smuggled into New Orleans, make the book well worth a read. In fact, if Jones could put this book in the hands of the right producer I wouldn't be surprised to see a movie result.

There are, however, a few flaws--to be expected in a first novel, to be sure. Smaller presses can't offer the editorial services that the big companies give to the likes of Steven King and David Morrell, and there are quite a few slips in this regard. The most unfortunate of these is proof that Jones uses a word-processor. The sentence "Bobby stared at Jewel, noting her slight widow's peak, her thin nose and her green eyes that seemed to suck in what little light there was in the dark limo," on page 136 returns word-for-word less than 10 pages later, except that now it is a dark restaurant rather than a limo. Alas, those dark-sucking eyes weren't such a fascinating detail that they should be forced to work overtime. But these are minor slips, and if ignored they don't detract from the story--and I admit my copy is stamped "DRAFT" in rather large red capitals. My biggest puzzlement, though, and a real plot concern, was why the Mafia kept selling the GM coffee in its original state, when the whole point was to refine it as cocaine, and for which the profit would be thousands of times greater. This failure to maximize profits is a necessary plot device to jeopardize Bobby Grace's lover, but it seems most un-Mafia-like behaviour to me.

Regardless, though, St. Jude's Secret is an enjoyable book, and I look forward to future works by Jones as he matures as a writer. I wouldn't be surprised, in fact, to see Bobby Grace return as a series hero--it would be a pleasure to have such a realistic character.

It is noted that a couple of the customer reviews refer to several typos found in the subject novel. Those readers/reviewers received promotional Uncorrected Proof copies of the novel or purchased Uncorrected Proof copies that inadvertently got into the system. I have confirmed with the author and through orders placed and fulfilled that the Final Corrected version is in stock and is the only version available through retail channels.

This book doesn't fit into the thriller category- thankfully. I found it to be more in line with the southern tradition of Faulkner, Percy and more recently Norden and Woodrell. It's a weird and entertaining book, perhaps more character driven than plot driven. That's , of course, frowned upon in this genre, but the novel rises above and I think crosses over into literary fiction. I also found this novel to be like peeling back layers of an onion, (there's underlying themes of faith, spirituality,honor, along with treachery and horror see excerpt: "Bobby stared at the old photo depicting The Vat's testimony ... He was a stocky,pugnacious fellow who seemed to be seething with rage behind his Fifth Amendment shield of silence. Across the table sat his interrogators,the Kennedy boys, seemingly invincible in their honorable crusade to preserve truth, justice and the American way. Yet,The Vat outlasted them.")
which is kind of the way it is with the milieu of the New Orleans setting- you may think you know it from Burke or Smith but this book presents it with a unique and refreshing perspective.

A real thriller with some meat to it. I am a maritime lawyer who enjoys a good legal thriller and this book hits all the high points--a great plot with some unexpected twists involving a lawyer with a conscience, a big, evil steamer line, the mob, accurate intricacies of maritime law--all set against the steamy New Orleans waterfront backdrop. I felt like I was there.

Good character development. Lawyer Bobby Grace must come to terms with his past through a hair raising experience that brings him full circle...and finally some peace.

Excellent first novel. I can't wait for the next one.

I enjoyed this novel. Unlike the vast majority of New Orleans thrillers (New Orleans noir?), this novel is special beacuse it doesn't set out to see how many New Orleans landmark eateries it can cram into a run-of-the-mill,plot-driven, piece of pulp fiction. This book takes some quirky risks with its characters (a maritime attorney who has a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird always at hand, listens constantly to the Stones' Exile on Main Street while cruising in a Checker - cool!). Often the payoff is great. Everybody's a bit off-center in this one. Not just the villains. There's an energy and spirit in St. Jude's Secret that is the genuine article.

This is a fast-paced mystery novel with very very few cuss words in it! It is a cleanly written novel with strong characters. And it is a quick read as well. If you are looking for a mystery novel written in New Orleans, then you must give this book a read. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down, so be sure that you have a couple of hours slotted away just to read this book. Both men and women would like this book ~~ the female characters are strong-willed women and yet still retain their feminity as well. It's a great stocking stuffer for the mystery-lover in you.