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Jake Brand, PI #1
Angel's Devil
Jake Brand is racing to the bottom. No longer in the army, recently divorced, and feeling older, he spends his time looking for happiness at the bottom of a bottle. As a result, his Portland, Oregon, private investigation business suffers, and his friends feel the need to shake him back to reality. Then Heather walks back into his life. Jake, Heather, and Tony were best friends growing up. But Heather and Tony became a thing, and Jake became a third wheel. Now Tony has been murdered, and Jake, the knight in rusted armor, wonders if Heather is a damsel in distress encouraging him to come closer, or a dame seeking a temporary safe haven. In Angel's Devil Jake and his assistant, Sarah, follow the clues, steps ahead of danger - the bad guys killing again, and Heather breaking Jake's heart a second time. Does Jake solve the case? Does Heather save Jake's heart? Does Sarah smack Jake for being a moron?
202 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2014
6 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
M. Louis
6 books33 followersM. Louis is a native Oregonian, and is currently a resident of Lake Oswego, a suburb of Portland, Oregon. He’s married, has three children and one grand-dog. For many years, M. has owned a successful public accounting firm.
His first book, Angel's Devil is available as a free download here: http://mlouisbooks.com/free
His adventures into writing began when a friend suggested he start tweeting for his clients. Convinced he could gain more followers by using fiction, he began to tweet the original concept for what would become his first crime-thriller series. Gripped and captivated by the plot within days, he decided to delve deeper and began developing in-depth character profiles, fleshed out a captivating plot, and came up with intriguing timelines. What had started out as a few ideas for tweets, turned into a full-fledged, action-packed crime-thriller series which takes place on the rain-soaked streets of Portland.
His first book in this series, Angel’s Devil, is currently available on Amazon, and he has plans to release two more in the coming months.
He can be contacted through his publicist, Hallie Clark at info@mlouisbooks.com.
His first book, Angel's Devil is available as a free download here: http://mlouisbooks.com/free
His adventures into writing began when a friend suggested he start tweeting for his clients. Convinced he could gain more followers by using fiction, he began to tweet the original concept for what would become his first crime-thriller series. Gripped and captivated by the plot within days, he decided to delve deeper and began developing in-depth character profiles, fleshed out a captivating plot, and came up with intriguing timelines. What had started out as a few ideas for tweets, turned into a full-fledged, action-packed crime-thriller series which takes place on the rain-soaked streets of Portland.
His first book in this series, Angel’s Devil, is currently available on Amazon, and he has plans to release two more in the coming months.
He can be contacted through his publicist, Hallie Clark at info@mlouisbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 15, 2015
I won this book via giveaway..thanks to goodreads for the opportunity.
This book Angel's Devil by M. Louis is the first book in what is to be known as A Jake Brand, PI, series. At 200 pages it is a quick and entertaining read. Nothing too complicated but suspenseful enough to find yourself in one sitting, enduring for as long as it takes to get through the read.
The Story starts with Jake Brand, an ex military, private investigator, in the process of divorcing his wife. From that we learn that Jake is a fairly decent guy but with many struggles...one being his desire to turn to hard liquor more times than not. He is a man with a dark cloud always hanging over him. Bitter with the past he has lived; his father a wife beating alcoholic, and losing the woman he loved to his best friend..which leads us to the main point of the story. Jake is confronted with the woman he has always loved, one of his two best childhood friends, Heather. The moment he sees her it takes him back and he feels just as much smitten for her now as he did then...the only problem is she is married to his other childhood best friend, Tony.....or at least was. Tony was killed dealing with some very shady people and Heather has come to Jake in hopes of helping her to find out who killed Tony and why there is a bag of diamonds and a thumb drive with a note from Tony asking him to help his wife from getting killed as well(Tony predicted his demise..obviously knowing the people he was dealing with were not out for his best interest). Through out the story we see Jake and his struggles while dealing with this case..we are introduced to bits and snippets from his past...we also come to realize that Jake has a devil on his one shoulder...and angel on the other...and their little commentary is quite humorous. All of this while he gets the help of Sarah, his beautiful assistant who is none too pleased to see how enamored Jake is to the very forthcoming Heather...and Sammy Bahn,a very powerful mob boss that has connections of every kind, from county office officials, police officers, to celebrities. Do we figure out what happened to Tony?? Does Jake manage to keep Heather safe??...You'd have to read it, and you should.
Again, it's a quick entertaining read. Something you can get through in one sitting or by the end of the day...suspense and light humor. And the ending had me gasping!!
This book Angel's Devil by M. Louis is the first book in what is to be known as A Jake Brand, PI, series. At 200 pages it is a quick and entertaining read. Nothing too complicated but suspenseful enough to find yourself in one sitting, enduring for as long as it takes to get through the read.
The Story starts with Jake Brand, an ex military, private investigator, in the process of divorcing his wife. From that we learn that Jake is a fairly decent guy but with many struggles...one being his desire to turn to hard liquor more times than not. He is a man with a dark cloud always hanging over him. Bitter with the past he has lived; his father a wife beating alcoholic, and losing the woman he loved to his best friend..which leads us to the main point of the story. Jake is confronted with the woman he has always loved, one of his two best childhood friends, Heather. The moment he sees her it takes him back and he feels just as much smitten for her now as he did then...the only problem is she is married to his other childhood best friend, Tony.....or at least was. Tony was killed dealing with some very shady people and Heather has come to Jake in hopes of helping her to find out who killed Tony and why there is a bag of diamonds and a thumb drive with a note from Tony asking him to help his wife from getting killed as well(Tony predicted his demise..obviously knowing the people he was dealing with were not out for his best interest). Through out the story we see Jake and his struggles while dealing with this case..we are introduced to bits and snippets from his past...we also come to realize that Jake has a devil on his one shoulder...and angel on the other...and their little commentary is quite humorous. All of this while he gets the help of Sarah, his beautiful assistant who is none too pleased to see how enamored Jake is to the very forthcoming Heather...and Sammy Bahn,a very powerful mob boss that has connections of every kind, from county office officials, police officers, to celebrities. Do we figure out what happened to Tony?? Does Jake manage to keep Heather safe??...You'd have to read it, and you should.
Again, it's a quick entertaining read. Something you can get through in one sitting or by the end of the day...suspense and light humor. And the ending had me gasping!!
July 20, 2016
My original Angel's Devil audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
Jake Brand is a private investigator with problems – the ink’s not even dry on the divorce papers before he finds his ex-wife has moved on, his friends step in with an intervention to keep him alive and his business going and then there’s the sudden reappearance of Heather.
Heather, Tony and Jake were like the three musketeers until the friends hit puberty. Jake has to find the killer of Tony and protect Heather while also saving himself from self-destruction. The plot thickens with the mafia from both the coasts, corrupt city officials and a double cross that no one sees coming. Along with Jake, his assistant Sarah stays one step ahead of the bad guys as they try to solve the killings.
M. Louis does an excellent job of making Jake likable by adding in Jake’s devil and angel side-kicks. The inner dialog between these three is fun and engaging. The dialog is realistic and connects the listeners to the characters more solidly – especially the devil & angle dialog.
The story flows well, keeping the listeners on their toes. Fast paced but not rushed, Louis reveals just enough keeping the action riveting. Masterful story-teller, Louis keeps the listener on the edge of his seat.
Colin Iago McCarthy is a wonderful narrator, keeping the action and emotions steady and peaking when it is . McCarthy’s narration is talented and helps project the action and other emotions that are present until the very end when Jake drives off. McCarthy’s voice projects the just the right emotion.
There were no issues with the production quality of this audiobook. It was clear and pleasant to hear.
I recommend this book, albeit short, to anyone who loves private investigators, mysteries and action! Between the writing skills of M. Louis and the narration skills of Colin McCarthy, I wish the book had been longer - the inner dialog between devil, angel and Jake was excellent. I look forward to hearing more from M. Louis and Colin McCarthy.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
Jake Brand is a private investigator with problems – the ink’s not even dry on the divorce papers before he finds his ex-wife has moved on, his friends step in with an intervention to keep him alive and his business going and then there’s the sudden reappearance of Heather.
Heather, Tony and Jake were like the three musketeers until the friends hit puberty. Jake has to find the killer of Tony and protect Heather while also saving himself from self-destruction. The plot thickens with the mafia from both the coasts, corrupt city officials and a double cross that no one sees coming. Along with Jake, his assistant Sarah stays one step ahead of the bad guys as they try to solve the killings.
M. Louis does an excellent job of making Jake likable by adding in Jake’s devil and angel side-kicks. The inner dialog between these three is fun and engaging. The dialog is realistic and connects the listeners to the characters more solidly – especially the devil & angle dialog.
The story flows well, keeping the listeners on their toes. Fast paced but not rushed, Louis reveals just enough keeping the action riveting. Masterful story-teller, Louis keeps the listener on the edge of his seat.
Colin Iago McCarthy is a wonderful narrator, keeping the action and emotions steady and peaking when it is . McCarthy’s narration is talented and helps project the action and other emotions that are present until the very end when Jake drives off. McCarthy’s voice projects the just the right emotion.
There were no issues with the production quality of this audiobook. It was clear and pleasant to hear.
I recommend this book, albeit short, to anyone who loves private investigators, mysteries and action! Between the writing skills of M. Louis and the narration skills of Colin McCarthy, I wish the book had been longer - the inner dialog between devil, angel and Jake was excellent. I look forward to hearing more from M. Louis and Colin McCarthy.
Audiobook was provided for review by the publisher.
August 11, 2015
I took a chance on a new author here and was happy I did. This is one of those books that has enough familiar elements of crime / detective to feel comfortable reading plus hooks and believable characters to go along for a very enjoyable read.
Jake the protagonist reminded me of a mashup of Elvis Cole (Robert Crais) with a bit of Jesse Stone (Robert B. Parker). He's instantly likeable but also a bit of a hot mess. What sets him apart from a lot of hard-boiled, smart-alec noir characters is that he knows he's a mess and has the emotional capacity to value his friends when they give him the necessary smack upside the head.
The author uses modern day Portland as a backdrop and throws in some absurd situations that reminded me of Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Portlandia. The central crime in the novel is a guy run down by a Nissan Leaf - a silent but deadly killer.
If you want a fun read with familiar tropes and great new twists this is a book for you. Will be interested to see what Jake gets up to next.
Jake the protagonist reminded me of a mashup of Elvis Cole (Robert Crais) with a bit of Jesse Stone (Robert B. Parker). He's instantly likeable but also a bit of a hot mess. What sets him apart from a lot of hard-boiled, smart-alec noir characters is that he knows he's a mess and has the emotional capacity to value his friends when they give him the necessary smack upside the head.
The author uses modern day Portland as a backdrop and throws in some absurd situations that reminded me of Carl Hiaasen with a dash of Portlandia. The central crime in the novel is a guy run down by a Nissan Leaf - a silent but deadly killer.
If you want a fun read with familiar tropes and great new twists this is a book for you. Will be interested to see what Jake gets up to next.
August 17, 2016
I listened to the audiobook on a long drive. I'm not usually a fan of crime thrillers, but this had enough of a mix between Jake, the main character's, inner world and the outer world to hold my interest.
I suspect I would not have finished this book if I'd been reading. It has a pretty big cast of flat characters, and a lot of wallowing. The inner dialog between the angel and devil are well intentioned as comic relief, and they work sometimes, but not often enough.
The Angel is not very angelic. Both characters berate Jake, so there's a lot of self-harm and self-loathing on display here; not my bag. The best bits are the actual trying-to-figure-out-what's-going-on, and I enjoyed the little surprise ending very, very much.
I didn't care about what happened to the characters, but the narrator's amazing voice and skill in distinguishing between characters, made the book come alive.
I suspect I would not have finished this book if I'd been reading. It has a pretty big cast of flat characters, and a lot of wallowing. The inner dialog between the angel and devil are well intentioned as comic relief, and they work sometimes, but not often enough.
The Angel is not very angelic. Both characters berate Jake, so there's a lot of self-harm and self-loathing on display here; not my bag. The best bits are the actual trying-to-figure-out-what's-going-on, and I enjoyed the little surprise ending very, very much.
I didn't care about what happened to the characters, but the narrator's amazing voice and skill in distinguishing between characters, made the book come alive.
November 11, 2016
At least a full third of this short book is devoted to developing the main characters. Unfortunately, none of them are particularly interesting and Jake Brand isn't even especially likable. The mystery is engaging, but rather unoriginal. I have mixed feelings about the use of Jake's angel and devil as a literary tool. I think it could easily become overused and tiresome. That said, it does contribute to the cynical humor of Jake's character, something I like very much. In fact, the humor is probably what I like best about this story.
Colin Iago McCarthy delivers a satisfactory performance. I like his voice and he does make an effort to give distinctive voices to the characters.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
Colin Iago McCarthy delivers a satisfactory performance. I like his voice and he does make an effort to give distinctive voices to the characters.
NOTE: I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for this unbiased review.
October 12, 2015
I liked it! M. Louis seemed to be examining the inner voices that guide our actions. He tells Jake's story of bad guys and mayhem with the focus on what makes Jake tick. Enjoyed the Portland setting, rain and all.
I won this book on goodreads. Passing it on to others who may want to face their own inner voices and demons.
I won this book on goodreads. Passing it on to others who may want to face their own inner voices and demons.
October 11, 2015
I received this book for free as a win in the Goodreads Firstread contest.Interesting story and characters fill out this title.The length of this book,and its content give it a pulp feel,which I am a fan of.
October 21, 2015
I am pleasently surprised. Very well written. A needy type of PI like Spencer et al. I like the character and his irreverent attitude. Look forward to another book.
June 3, 2016
This was a great book and a fast read. I really liked the characters (Jake,Sarah,Sammy - hated Heather though). Definitely not the last book I'll read from M. Louis! :)
October 25, 2015
I received this from GoodReads and enjoyed it immensely! Jake Brand, PI , leads us along twista and turns in a marvelous detective story. Initially, in some ways, it reminded me of the detective stories of long ago. In fact, another reader said the length and style were reminiscent of "pulp" which I assume are those detective novels of the 40's and 50's. It's a style that both he and I enjoy. Jake investigates the death of his best friend at the behest of his best friend's wife...who was Jake's first and "only" love. Mr. Louis , with his words, draws a vivid image of Jake's struggles in personal relationships and alcohol, with doing the right thing in a world where gangsters help you solve the crime and you just don't know who to trust. Truly a fun and suspenseful read! Looking forward to more of Jake's investigations and works by M. Louis.
January 28, 2016
I loved this book, I loved the guys wit through out the book. I was really afraid of the path that he was taking with this girl who already broke his heart once, how could he possibly take another chance on getting his heart broke. The best ending ever, glad to know that there was no happily ever after, I can't believe I am saying that because I usually hate endings like this, but don't think there could have been any better ending for jack brand. I hope that there will be many more books for kale brand with his snarky wit and his Devils angel. Thank you for choosing me to review your book, best of luck to you and I hope to hear more from you and jake brand.
June 2, 2021
I liked this book. I wanted to know what happened to the PI’s friend. I thought I knew who was behind the crime, but I was wrong. I don’t know if this was M. Louis’ first book, but I want to read another book of his before recommending his work though.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews