I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This is a great mystery with alot of suspense. Really enjoyed it. I want more of Tom Lange.

I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the way the plot was drip fed. The way the story built up meant I was totally shocked by the ending. I did not see it coming. I would definitely read more books featuring Tom Lange.

It's always a pleasure to read a straightforward crime novel that doesn't have so many characters that it's impossible to remember who's who or chapters that flip back and forth in time so often that I give up trying to figure out what year it is. While I might take a bit of an issue with the description that calls it a "gripping thriller with an explosive ending" - especially since the ending didn't come as a big surprise to me - I really, really enjoyed this book. So much so, in fact, that I'm happy to know it's the first book in a new crime series that takes place in south Florida. For sure I'll be in line when the next one comes out.

Actually, I've never been to Florida, even though my husband and I have so many relatives and friends there that we could stay for free for at least a couple of months (all of whom, BTW, would break our kneecaps if we didn't cheer for the Florida State University Seminoles). So even if we haven't been there person, the ins and outs of Rookery Bay, a vast nature preserve dotted with brackish creeks seem somehow familiar and make the perfect setting for this book. And from the get-go I was intrigued by the main character, detective Tom Lange, who's joined the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. He's hoping to do the best job he can under difficult circumstances (everybody resents a rookie, after all). He's also still trying to cope with the trauma of his childhood years; the only family he has left is an older brother Nick, who lives in the area as well.

Tom's first case comes with the discovery of an unidentified woman's body in a mangrove; the only clue is her butterfly tattoo. His boss, Lauren Blythe, is a seasoned detective who likes to be in control and is willing to cut a newbie only so much slack - even when it's likely that he's on to something. Stir in a medical examiner who, shall we say, won't win any awards for his sparkling personality, and Tom realizes early on that his opinion probably won't count for much. As if that case weren't bothersome enough, he not only must contend with a neighbor's abusive boyfriend, hints of drug dealing and prostitution but also his brother, who has a few issues of his own.

The near nonstop action and easy-to-follow plot kept me engrossed from beginning to end - to the point of being oblivious to what was on TV (well, except for the Alabama-Clemson national title football game - go Tigers)! I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it. Well done!

I really enjoyed this book, it was well written and the story line was interesting and kept my attention all the way through to the end of the book. A solid 5 out of 5.

Dead Gone by T J Brearton

I have literally just finished reading this book which I did enjoy.

It is a story of two brothers, Nick and his younger brother Tom. We are introduced to Tom, who is the main protagonist, on his first day in the job at Florida Law Enforcement when he is called upon to attend the retrieval of a body discovered in a Florida mangrove. From the outset Tom is uncomfortable with his new boss Lauren Blythe who is piling on the pressure and he also is unsure of the pathologist.

From this point Tom becomes embroiled in the investigation to identify the woman’s body, leading him to dubious men’s clubs, drugs and unsavoury characters.

Brearton has provided us with a well written story, with a well-constructed plot line and some great characters, my favourite being his neighbour, a retired military man who renders Tom help on several levels. At the margins of this tale are the vivid descriptions of Florida with the heavy suffocating sense of a humid climate. This together with the thousands of acres of waterways, choked by mangrove, dark and threatening serves as a perfect background for the criminal elements, the dark underbelly of the vibrant nightlife of Tampa Bay. Not quite the beautiful Miami of the travel brochures.

Well worth a read and though the hints were there, I was never sure where it would end.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley on my Kindle in return for an honest review.

In order for me to enjoy a thriller or a mystery novel, the book has to have some excitement, some action, or at least psychological tension - all of these were missing from this novel. read more like the report written by the rookie agent Tom, who in his first case was let loose to discover the details about a young woman, that was found washed up in the Everglades.
I find it hard to believe, that a cop - no matter what department or agency - would be left alone to his devices, during a murder investigation, with only bare minimum supervision. At least that would be irresponsible. But this novel is full of holes like that one, which makes it hard to finish.
The dialogue has no flow to it, neither does the internal dialogue of the main character and even though I wanted to care about what was going on, I never got invested in the story.

I am comparing this book to other thrillers I have read lately, and even some romance novels which had more psychological tension than this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for a review copy of Dead Gone, a police procedural set in southwest Florida.

Tom Lange is a newly minted detective with FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement). His first case, on his first day, is a murder. A young woman's body is found floating in state (why he's involved) protected waters. He has to work with Lauren Blythe who is supervising him but she makes life difficult for him.

I enjoyed Dead Gone which has a good plot and an easy to read style. The plot has plenty of twists and turns as suspects are investigated and discarded and is very good on procedure, to which Tom has a bit of a hit and miss attitude depending on his needs and is why Lauren gets on at him. I think it is overly detailed on some things, like what Tom wears, and the technical stuff made my eyes glaze, but the plot is so good I ended up ignoring the detail to find out what was coming next. I found the resolution a bit of a let down as it didn't ring true to me but getting to that point was a great ride.

Tom Lange is a good protagonist. He is smart, resourceful, intuitive and overly keen so he keeps picking away at the information they have until he finds more to go on. He has a troubled background but it is hinted at rather than explained so maybe Mr Brearton will explain more in a sequel.

I enjoyed Dead Gone so I have no hesitation in recommending it as a good read.

It was an OK story and an interesting mystery. The plot moved along and the descriptions of people, places and things were good. The impression I got was that Tom, the protagonist, was young and a lot more inexperienced that his attitude would allow one to believe. He did his due diligence as a law enforcement type. and more, which is always nice to see.

What I did not like was the constant judgmental undercurrent I felt throughout the story. Why should someone have a problem with living near a stripper?
This attitude seemed pervasive during the book and it really bothered me. Tom seemed narrow minded to me, and it made him less attractive as the main character.

Hopefully his character will mature and evolve over time and it might be interesting to see what a more open minded and compassionate person he could be and then it would be much more fun to follow his work.

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Tom is a new agent who is assigned a case of a murdered woman. He has to deal with a brother who is an addict, an overbearing supervisor, his abused neighbour and juggle the lot. This was really slow paced but before you knew it, it's 2 in the morning and you can't put it down. I enjoyed the story and never saw the twist at the end.

I enjoyed the police procedural aspects of this book. It was fun to watch Tom use detective work to solve the crime. I would of given it 5 stars, but didn't really like the side story with the girl and her abusive boyfriend, but still a good read.