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Jake Longly #2
A-List
Nothing is easy in The Big Easy
PI Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison head to New Orleans at the behest of Nicole's uncle, movie producer Charles Balfour, when his megastar, A-list actor Kirk Ford, awakens in his hotel bed with the body of Kristi Guidry, a local college coed. Ford, in the Big Easy for a location shoot, remembers little of the evening and nothing of the murder. And, to make matters worse, Kristi is the niece of a local mafioso-type who will do whatever is necessary to avenge her death. Balfour is losing money every day the filming is stalled—he needs his actor cleared, and quickly.
Surrounded by glitzy Hollywood stars and intimidated by seedy underworld characters, Jake and Nicole encounter nothing but obstacles. Something isn't right. The facts don't fit. Who would want Kristi dead? Why frame Kirk for the murder? Everyone has an opinion, including Kristi's friends and ex-boyfriend, the local homicide detectives, and a fortune-teller. The clock is ticking as Jake and Nicole struggle to decipher who's lying, who's telling the truth, and exactly who schemed to murder Kristi Guidry. Nothing is easy in The Big Easy.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2017
182 people are currently reading
628 people want to read
About the author
D.P. Lyle
35books153followersDP Lyle, MD is the Macavity and Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winning and Edgar, Agatha, Anthony, Scribe, Silver Falchion, and USA Best Book Award nominated author of many non-fiction books as well as numerous works of fiction.
He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others
For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.
He has worked with many novelists and with the writers of popular television shows such as Law & Order, CSI: Miami, Diagnosis Murder, Monk, House, Medium, and Pretty Little Liars and others
For the past 35 years, he has practiced Cardiology in Orange County, California. He is the co-host, along with Jan Burke, of Crime and Science Radio, a twice-monthly program on Suspense Radio.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
December 22, 2017
Author D.P. Lyle took me on an excursion through the colorful streets of the Bayou. Home of the Mardi Gras - New Orleans. The momentum from the action-packed scenes cascaded with suspense from beginning to end. I was all-in. This well-written narrative carried a fervor that held me in its grasp throughout. Just the place I long to be. I was blindsided by the ending. Never saw it coming.
Retired baseball legend, Jake Longly was livin' the dream in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The beach, the beer, the women - though not necessarily in that order. His father, not far away, ran his own PI firm. Business was healthy. Whenever the need arose, he threw some work Jake's way. Kept his boy off the streets. The need arose.
Sci-Fi movie star Kirk Longly was on set trudging through the swamps in New Orleans. The price of fame. Known as a Playboy, he was often seen with different women on every shooting location. This time things were different. Looked like he might have found a keeper. Might get to discover what a meaningful relationship was all about.
It was not meant to be. One fateful day in his hotel room, after an evening of heavy partying, he and Kristi went to bed. Fell unconscious was more like it. When he awoke, she was dead. Strangled. A bra tightly wrapped around her neck. He freaked out. Had no recollection of the night. Could have been too much booze and marijuana. But never had a complete blackout before.
Kristi was the niece of feared New Orleans gangster Tony Guidry. Not the kind of person you want to get on the wrong side of. Unless of course you had a death wish. The French Quarter was his domain. He ruled with an iron fist. Nobody, I mean nobody messed with him. He doted on Kristi. Anyone doing her harm would ultimately wish for a quick death. Though that wasn't Tony's style. It would be savored.
Kirk had no reason to murder this girl. She was the first one he'd ever cared for. Now, the number one suspect, he was promptly arrested and arraigned in court. Fortunately, he made bail. Only three million dollars. Peanuts. Ordered not to leave the city, he continued his role on set. The Show Must Go On.
It looked like Kirk was in a hopeless situation. All evidence pointed to him as the most likely killer. And worse yet, if he wasn't convicted in court then Tony would inflict his own form of justice. Kirk knew it. Everyone knew it. Suddenly, the clouds parted, the sun had made its grand entrance. A critical finding had turned it up with the ME. DNA evidence was found under one of Christie's fingernails. Evidently, she had scratched her attacker. And it was shown to be that of a female. A game-changer. Who would want Kristi dead? Or was this a setup to frame Kirk?
My thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Retired baseball legend, Jake Longly was livin' the dream in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The beach, the beer, the women - though not necessarily in that order. His father, not far away, ran his own PI firm. Business was healthy. Whenever the need arose, he threw some work Jake's way. Kept his boy off the streets. The need arose.
Sci-Fi movie star Kirk Longly was on set trudging through the swamps in New Orleans. The price of fame. Known as a Playboy, he was often seen with different women on every shooting location. This time things were different. Looked like he might have found a keeper. Might get to discover what a meaningful relationship was all about.
It was not meant to be. One fateful day in his hotel room, after an evening of heavy partying, he and Kristi went to bed. Fell unconscious was more like it. When he awoke, she was dead. Strangled. A bra tightly wrapped around her neck. He freaked out. Had no recollection of the night. Could have been too much booze and marijuana. But never had a complete blackout before.
Kristi was the niece of feared New Orleans gangster Tony Guidry. Not the kind of person you want to get on the wrong side of. Unless of course you had a death wish. The French Quarter was his domain. He ruled with an iron fist. Nobody, I mean nobody messed with him. He doted on Kristi. Anyone doing her harm would ultimately wish for a quick death. Though that wasn't Tony's style. It would be savored.
Kirk had no reason to murder this girl. She was the first one he'd ever cared for. Now, the number one suspect, he was promptly arrested and arraigned in court. Fortunately, he made bail. Only three million dollars. Peanuts. Ordered not to leave the city, he continued his role on set. The Show Must Go On.
It looked like Kirk was in a hopeless situation. All evidence pointed to him as the most likely killer. And worse yet, if he wasn't convicted in court then Tony would inflict his own form of justice. Kirk knew it. Everyone knew it. Suddenly, the clouds parted, the sun had made its grand entrance. A critical finding had turned it up with the ME. DNA evidence was found under one of Christie's fingernails. Evidently, she had scratched her attacker. And it was shown to be that of a female. A game-changer. Who would want Kristi dead? Or was this a setup to frame Kirk?
My thanks to NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
December 13, 2024
Втората книга от серията за Джейк Лонгли не ми допадна толкова колкото първата.
Криминалната интрига е слабовата, а героите не търпят някакво особено развитие, та този роман е едва на ниво плажно четиво.
Очаквах нещо повече от изреждане на имената на няколко световно известни ресторанта в Ню Орлийнс�
Криминалната интрига е слабовата, а героите не търпят някакво особено развитие, та този роман е едва на ниво плажно четиво.
Очаквах нещо повече от изреждане на имената на няколко световно известни ресторанта в Ню Орлийнс�
Shelved as 'dnf'
June 3, 2017DNF at 35% = no rating.
I am totally lost and couldn't careless about the fate of any of the characters, so there's nothing to keep me invested in the story. This is on me and not the author, perhaps the fact it's the second in a series, something I didn't realize upon requesting a copy, contributed to my disconnect. I can't say I'd recommend this as a standalone story.
Copy received via NetGalley
I am totally lost and couldn't careless about the fate of any of the characters, so there's nothing to keep me invested in the story. This is on me and not the author, perhaps the fact it's the second in a series, something I didn't realize upon requesting a copy, contributed to my disconnect. I can't say I'd recommend this as a standalone story.
Copy received via NetGalley
Read
June 29, 2017Set in raffish yet enchanting New Orleans, this mystery gets tough, beautiful, kick-boxing and fast driving Nicole and her more laid back ex-ballplayer partner Jake moving when Nicole’s Hollywood producer uncle begs for help. It seems his big star in a successful science fiction franchise woke up with the king of hangovers, with a strangled girl next to him. Of course he is under arrest, and the production is shut down, bleeding money.
Nicole, Jake, and Jake’s tough P.I. dad Ray (along with his gigantic computer wizard Pancake) travel to New Orleans, where they get mixed up in the gangster world, as they work alongside New Orleans police to solve the mystery.
Lyle paints the city in vivid colors—our characters down more alcohol than I’ve had in the last thirty years—as they romp in the bedroom by night and by day comb for clues among the Hollywood people and the gangland people. Sometimes it’s not clear which ones live in the weirder alternate universe.
This seems to be the second of a series, but it’s easy to pick up the gist of what’s gone on before. And after having read mainly female-written mysteries for the last several years, it was interesting to read one written by a man. His descriptions of alpha Nicole reminds me of the lingering descriptions of ultra-fit and handsome guys in romantic pairings written by females. This is not a creeb. Nicole is written as smart, capable, and very much the dominant partner of the team. That’s probably why I enjoyed Jake’s rueful self-awareness of his own capabilities while appreciating her stellar attributes.
I figured out the mystery fairly early on, but it was fun to see how it played out, and what happened to the various characters.
A thoroughly engrossing beach read. I’ll be on the watch for more of this series—I really like crime-fighting pairs, and Jake and Nicole were fun to follow.
Copy provided by NetGalley
Nicole, Jake, and Jake’s tough P.I. dad Ray (along with his gigantic computer wizard Pancake) travel to New Orleans, where they get mixed up in the gangster world, as they work alongside New Orleans police to solve the mystery.
Lyle paints the city in vivid colors—our characters down more alcohol than I’ve had in the last thirty years—as they romp in the bedroom by night and by day comb for clues among the Hollywood people and the gangland people. Sometimes it’s not clear which ones live in the weirder alternate universe.
This seems to be the second of a series, but it’s easy to pick up the gist of what’s gone on before. And after having read mainly female-written mysteries for the last several years, it was interesting to read one written by a man. His descriptions of alpha Nicole reminds me of the lingering descriptions of ultra-fit and handsome guys in romantic pairings written by females. This is not a creeb. Nicole is written as smart, capable, and very much the dominant partner of the team. That’s probably why I enjoyed Jake’s rueful self-awareness of his own capabilities while appreciating her stellar attributes.
I figured out the mystery fairly early on, but it was fun to see how it played out, and what happened to the various characters.
A thoroughly engrossing beach read. I’ll be on the watch for more of this series—I really like crime-fighting pairs, and Jake and Nicole were fun to follow.
Copy provided by NetGalley
May 23, 2018
In this second book in the series, former Major Leaguer Jake and his crew go to New Orleans to help out a movie production. It seems the star of the film has woken up next to the dead body of an extra, but he's sure he didn't do it.
The extra just happens to be the favorite niece of a mobster.
The crew investigates, and mostly just roams around New Orleans. Nobody ever seems in any real danger until the last little bit of the book. There's not a lot of tension. That's the big flaw in the work.
The extra just happens to be the favorite niece of a mobster.
The crew investigates, and mostly just roams around New Orleans. Nobody ever seems in any real danger until the last little bit of the book. There's not a lot of tension. That's the big flaw in the work.
December 14, 2017
Happenings in New Orleans always draw me into reading a book. Love the city and Lyle hits on the hot spots in the narrative. This is part of the Jake Longly detective series but this work easily stands alone. Easy prose and comic dialogue shows off Lyle's skill as an amazing author. Jake was a major league pitcher for the Texas Rangers who due to an injury was forced to move his career into other areas. Nicole Jemison is his girlfriend with a kick-ass gorgeous personality who brings a welcome character to the story. These two embark on an investigation of an A-List star who has been convicted of murder. Heading the quest is Jake's father Ray and his Investigation Agency. Lending the muscle to the mix is Pancake who is a show stopping addition to this book. Take a trip through the streets of New Orleans and enjoy this adventure. "A copy of this book was provided by Oceanview Publishers via NetGalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
February 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and reading it during Mardi Gras week was perfect timing! Other reviews have summarized the plot so I won't be redundant. For me, the book had just the right mix of mystery, thriller, a bit of romance and a dash of humor. The characters were very compelling; I even felt a small amount of sympathy for Tony Guidry, the uncle of the victim, even though Tony is well-known for his connections to drug dealers and the reputed Dixie Mafia. And what would a book about New Orleans be without the local cuisine and booze, a gritty waitress friend of the late Kristi Guidry who worked at the Café Du Mond, some voodoo, bayous, swamps and of course, alligators?
The mystery kept me guessing for most of the book and I read it in two sittings. Thanks to NetGalley, OceanView Publishing and D.P. Lyle for a complimentary copy of the book. My review is voluntary.
The mystery kept me guessing for most of the book and I read it in two sittings. Thanks to NetGalley, OceanView Publishing and D.P. Lyle for a complimentary copy of the book. My review is voluntary.
February 22, 2018
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This was a real surprise.
A easy read thriller with plenty of action.
The characters were entertaining and it left me with a smile.
This was a real surprise.
A easy read thriller with plenty of action.
The characters were entertaining and it left me with a smile.
December 19, 2017
I haven't read any of this author before but truly enjoyed this zany romp through New Orleans with Jake and Nicole--amateur PI's who work for Jake's Uncle Ray. When an A-lister star winds up in bed with his strangled date and feigns innocence, Jake and Nicole are on the case! Drug dealers, lots of good food and alcohol, and witty banter are all a part of this murder/comedy/thriller. Told mainly from the point of view of Jake, we get lots of humor as he constantly praises his girlfriend, Nicole; but if you can ignore the sexism and just get caught up in the fun, you will not be disappointed!
June 30, 2017
“A-List� by D.P. Lyle features an odd assortment of characters who call the Gulf Coast home. Jake Longly is an ex-baseball player who runs Captain Rocky’s Surf and Turf, while his father Ray runs a P. I. firm, Longly Investigations. Jake and his friends travel to New Orleans at the request of a relative when an A-list actor, star of the “Space Quest� movies gets arrested for the murder of a local girl found strangled in his bed. This "celebrity status" means damage control and cover up right from the start. Lies, lies, and more lies are entangled so much that the truth is hard to find.
The book is primarily written as Jake’s first person narrative so the action is mostly dialogue driven. He also paints a laid-back, colorful picture of New Orleans “Soon we were out over Lake Pontchartrain, where the wind whipped the water into foam and some of the waves looked as if they might wash over the road.� Comic relief abounds as they try to move the investigation along. “What are you doing? Negotiating the Louisiana Purchase? And when all else fails, call upon the master of mystery “All I’m saying is that this might be an Agatha Christie locked room case. There might be someone else involved.�
“A-List� was not a nail-biting thriller, but was a quick, fun book to read, considering there was a murder after all. The characters are light-hearted and funny, and no one takes things too seriously. I received a copy of “A-List� from Oceanview Publishing, D. P. Lyle, and NetGalley to review. It was an entertaining book, and I enjoyed reading it.
The book is primarily written as Jake’s first person narrative so the action is mostly dialogue driven. He also paints a laid-back, colorful picture of New Orleans “Soon we were out over Lake Pontchartrain, where the wind whipped the water into foam and some of the waves looked as if they might wash over the road.� Comic relief abounds as they try to move the investigation along. “What are you doing? Negotiating the Louisiana Purchase? And when all else fails, call upon the master of mystery “All I’m saying is that this might be an Agatha Christie locked room case. There might be someone else involved.�
“A-List� was not a nail-biting thriller, but was a quick, fun book to read, considering there was a murder after all. The characters are light-hearted and funny, and no one takes things too seriously. I received a copy of “A-List� from Oceanview Publishing, D. P. Lyle, and NetGalley to review. It was an entertaining book, and I enjoyed reading it.
January 5, 2018
In book one of this series, PI Jack Longly and Nicole Jamison become a detective team. This time, they are sent down to New Orleans by Nicole’s uncle—a movie producer—to find out why his A-List mega-star actor, Kirk Ford, woke up to find a dead girl in his bed. Glitzy Hollywood moves this story both in setting, character and plot. Lyle is known for giving his readers a thrill-ride and in this Hollywood-studded read, he doesn’t disappoint.
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste
--Le Coeur de l'Artiste
April 19, 2018
Jake Longly is an ex-professional baseball pitcher. Now he owns a bar and restaurant on the beach in Gulf Shores and is a Private Investigator. His PI father, Ray, and his girlfriend, Nicole Jamison have accepted a case from her uncle, movie producer, Charles Balfour. His megastar, Kirk Ford, has woken up in his hotel suite in New Orleans only to find his date murdered in their bed! Kirk's movie shoot is in danger of being shut down if the investigation takes too long or Kirk is found guilty. Charles needs answers, now! Kirk is in New Orleans to film his latest "Space Quest" movie in the swamps. Jake, Nicole, Ray and Kirk's costars, "The Twins," Tara and Tegan James go to work to prove Kirk is innocent. Kirk's date was Kristi Guidry, the niece of a New Orleans Mafioso who is looking for revenge! He has Kirk in his sights and the DA and Judge in his back pocket. Can Jake and Nicole find out the truth among the lies and coverups to save Kirk, or will they be too late? The action takes you from the French Quarter to the swamps with lots of misdirects, partial truths, outright lies and corruption!
This was a fast moving read that pulled you immediately into the action. The writing is smooth and flows quickly. I found the characters to be very realistic and engaging. New Orleans was the perfect setting for this mystery, with its long history of partying and corruption. The scenes were well described and brought the city to life. I highly recommend this mystery thriller to anyone who enjoys an investigation into the seamy side of life in the Big Easy and movie making world.
This was a fast moving read that pulled you immediately into the action. The writing is smooth and flows quickly. I found the characters to be very realistic and engaging. New Orleans was the perfect setting for this mystery, with its long history of partying and corruption. The scenes were well described and brought the city to life. I highly recommend this mystery thriller to anyone who enjoys an investigation into the seamy side of life in the Big Easy and movie making world.
June 28, 2017
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
Jake Longly and Nicole Jemison are private investigators and we follow their story as they get a new case.
Set in New Orleans, a fun and food-filled, liquor-flowing tale gets underway when the Nicole receives a phone call from her uncle Charles Balfour, a Hollywood movie producer/director, asking for both Jake’s and her help in the investigation of a murdered young woman inside of a Big Easy five-star hotel room.
The young woman, Kristy Guidry, and Ford have had intimate relations in Ford’s room and when the Hollywood royal awakes the next day to find Guidry laying next to him, then all hell suddenly breaks loose, after the girl’s uncle, Tony Guidry wants his niece's murder avenged.
In my personal opinion writing was captivating but it could have been executed a little bit better,the narrative is better suited for the action/adventure/crime/mystery genres than it is for the thriller genre. But it is also important to state this was a fun read.
Jake Longly and Nicole Jemison are private investigators and we follow their story as they get a new case.
Set in New Orleans, a fun and food-filled, liquor-flowing tale gets underway when the Nicole receives a phone call from her uncle Charles Balfour, a Hollywood movie producer/director, asking for both Jake’s and her help in the investigation of a murdered young woman inside of a Big Easy five-star hotel room.
The young woman, Kristy Guidry, and Ford have had intimate relations in Ford’s room and when the Hollywood royal awakes the next day to find Guidry laying next to him, then all hell suddenly breaks loose, after the girl’s uncle, Tony Guidry wants his niece's murder avenged.
In my personal opinion writing was captivating but it could have been executed a little bit better,the narrative is better suited for the action/adventure/crime/mystery genres than it is for the thriller genre. But it is also important to state this was a fun read.
December 2, 2017
Fun storyline even though it’s a mystery. There’s a little bit of many things going on in this book. The Hollywood movie stars in New Orleans to film a movie, but 2 were found in bed together & the man can’t recall what happened the night before. It’s up to the detectives to figure out if the Hollywood man is the suspect.....or did something else happen in the Big Easy the detectives will find? Fast paced, enjoyable, fun read
I’d highly recommend this book esp. for those who enjoy the “Hollywood scene & film making�, perhaps readers that grew up or lived in this area & for any reader that enjoys a fast fun paced mystery, seeing if you can figure out the suspect prior to the detectives
I received a digital copy of this book from #NetGally & #OceanviewPublishing. Thank you for allowing me to read this book & in return I wrote an honest review
I’d highly recommend this book esp. for those who enjoy the “Hollywood scene & film making�, perhaps readers that grew up or lived in this area & for any reader that enjoys a fast fun paced mystery, seeing if you can figure out the suspect prior to the detectives
I received a digital copy of this book from #NetGally & #OceanviewPublishing. Thank you for allowing me to read this book & in return I wrote an honest review
February 23, 2018
The A-List is an entertaining murder mystery set in the Big Easy and the greater NOLA area. The characters seemed realistic and the author had his thumb on all our favorite New Orleans hangouts. My mouth was watering for an oyster po' boy from the Acme Oyster House on Iberville. I've even been to the firehouse on Decatur to buy authentic tee shirts. All in all it was a very fast read because of the Louisiana setting.
This book was lent to me by a fellow goodreads reader
This book was lent to me by a fellow goodreads reader
December 14, 2017
A-List by D.P. Lyle (Oceanview Publishing, 2017, Oceanview Publishing, $) is a lively, detective procedural set in New Orleans, which always provides lots of local colorful characters to story lines. Kirk Ford, a movie star with a “pretty� face has woken up in his hotel room with the dead body of his current girl friend lying beside him. That’s the entry to the plot of the second outing of the Jake Longley Novel by D.P. Lyle, a veteran writer of crime fiction and real crime books. Jake Longley, something of a slacker son ex-baseball player son of P.I. Ray Longley, proprietor of Longley Investigations, is eyeing the beautiful, lithe, Nicole Jemison as she exercises and he fantasizes, when the phone rings, providing an entry into the fast-paced, intriguing world of this second book in a new series set in New Orleans, where the death occurred. In strong, hard-boiled detective writing, A-List starts off with plenty of snappy dialogue, strong place-setting description, and driving plot to capture the reader and propel the story forward with these two likable problem solvers whose looks and tastes for life and each other make them both attractive and the nutrient for the pleasant diversion to come.
While Jake seems to be a reluctant detective and Nicole a willing and talented apprentice, the chemistry between the two jumps off the page. They often appear, almost, as willing, attractive sex kittens eager to roll around in the hay or luxuriate in the shower before getting on with the business of solving the crime. However, considering the present climate, this might not be an auspicious theme for a contemporary who-done-it’s interpersonal plot line. Nevertheless the setting and situation are made for a good story. The murdered girl is the niece of Tony Guidry, identified as a local mobster well connected with the political and law enforcement authorities. The initial bail hearing with its gawking crowd in the background sets the hierarchy of power in notoriously corrupt New Orleans. It’s up to Jake and Nicole to find the keys to this very promising romp.
Lyle uses well-wrought, fast-paced dialogue to reveal character and plot. He is a real pro at this, combining punchy, brief description with dialogue to make the book a consistent page turner. This combination often differentiates the newcomer to genre fiction from more experienced writers. Early in this reading, the first with this writer for me, I couldn’t tell whether the dramatic tension resulting from these strong story telling traits would continue. His continued precise, vignette descriptions of characters and settings throughout the book display his ability to sustain the tone. Such sparse immediacy is often the work of very careful paring down to essentials found in good popular writers of contemporary fiction, where readers insist on getting on with it.
As the story proceeds, it develops that both Kirk and the dead Kristi had Ketamine in their systems, suggesting the possibility that a third party has somehow entered the locked room to strangle Kristi. The book is flawed, with a guilty suspect emerging too soon, as the trick in a who-done-it is to introduce the character, yet keep guilt hidden as long as possible, allowing the guilty person to emerge as a surprise. This separates it from a procedural, where we may know the guilty party but find intrigue in the process of discovering who it is. Let me know if you find the same issue.
A-List contains an interesting emerging father/son relationship between the seemingly shiftless Jake, a former major league pitcher whose career was shortened by injury, and his father Ray, the head of Longley Investigations and a smart, hard-working guy who always puts work first. It adds some depth to Jake who turns out to be less of a slacker than he tries to appear.
Lyle is at his best when revealing plot and character through dialogue. Setting becomes the backdrop for the revealing dialogues he creates between his people. He has a clear idea of what motivates each one as characters emerge in their discussions with others, each one letting the reader in on important details. He is an experienced writer who has written several other series as well as several books about how to write detective fiction. After many years practicing medicine as a cardiologist, he now writes non-fiction about forensic medicine with an eye toward supporting other crime writers. He also maintains The Crime Writer’s Forensics Blog.
A-List by D.P. Lyle (Oceanview Publishing, 2017, Oceanview Publishing, $) resonates with skill, insight, and the plain hard work of good writing. But, about ¾ of the way through the book, I think I solved the crime. This is a disappointment in a book with fairly intriguing characters, lots of excellent dialogue, and the always intriguing setting in New Orleans, to discover a plotting flaw that may give away the doer through a plotting error. Nevertheless I enjoyed this book while discovering a new, to me, writer who has the added attractiveness of having written several other series as well as books designed to help aspiring and practicing mystery writers cope with technical details about writing. I read A-List as a pre-publication electronic book provided by the publisher through Edelweiss on my Kindle app.
While Jake seems to be a reluctant detective and Nicole a willing and talented apprentice, the chemistry between the two jumps off the page. They often appear, almost, as willing, attractive sex kittens eager to roll around in the hay or luxuriate in the shower before getting on with the business of solving the crime. However, considering the present climate, this might not be an auspicious theme for a contemporary who-done-it’s interpersonal plot line. Nevertheless the setting and situation are made for a good story. The murdered girl is the niece of Tony Guidry, identified as a local mobster well connected with the political and law enforcement authorities. The initial bail hearing with its gawking crowd in the background sets the hierarchy of power in notoriously corrupt New Orleans. It’s up to Jake and Nicole to find the keys to this very promising romp.
Lyle uses well-wrought, fast-paced dialogue to reveal character and plot. He is a real pro at this, combining punchy, brief description with dialogue to make the book a consistent page turner. This combination often differentiates the newcomer to genre fiction from more experienced writers. Early in this reading, the first with this writer for me, I couldn’t tell whether the dramatic tension resulting from these strong story telling traits would continue. His continued precise, vignette descriptions of characters and settings throughout the book display his ability to sustain the tone. Such sparse immediacy is often the work of very careful paring down to essentials found in good popular writers of contemporary fiction, where readers insist on getting on with it.
As the story proceeds, it develops that both Kirk and the dead Kristi had Ketamine in their systems, suggesting the possibility that a third party has somehow entered the locked room to strangle Kristi. The book is flawed, with a guilty suspect emerging too soon, as the trick in a who-done-it is to introduce the character, yet keep guilt hidden as long as possible, allowing the guilty person to emerge as a surprise. This separates it from a procedural, where we may know the guilty party but find intrigue in the process of discovering who it is. Let me know if you find the same issue.
A-List contains an interesting emerging father/son relationship between the seemingly shiftless Jake, a former major league pitcher whose career was shortened by injury, and his father Ray, the head of Longley Investigations and a smart, hard-working guy who always puts work first. It adds some depth to Jake who turns out to be less of a slacker than he tries to appear.
Lyle is at his best when revealing plot and character through dialogue. Setting becomes the backdrop for the revealing dialogues he creates between his people. He has a clear idea of what motivates each one as characters emerge in their discussions with others, each one letting the reader in on important details. He is an experienced writer who has written several other series as well as several books about how to write detective fiction. After many years practicing medicine as a cardiologist, he now writes non-fiction about forensic medicine with an eye toward supporting other crime writers. He also maintains The Crime Writer’s Forensics Blog.
A-List by D.P. Lyle (Oceanview Publishing, 2017, Oceanview Publishing, $) resonates with skill, insight, and the plain hard work of good writing. But, about ¾ of the way through the book, I think I solved the crime. This is a disappointment in a book with fairly intriguing characters, lots of excellent dialogue, and the always intriguing setting in New Orleans, to discover a plotting flaw that may give away the doer through a plotting error. Nevertheless I enjoyed this book while discovering a new, to me, writer who has the added attractiveness of having written several other series as well as books designed to help aspiring and practicing mystery writers cope with technical details about writing. I read A-List as a pre-publication electronic book provided by the publisher through Edelweiss on my Kindle app.
May 25, 2017
PI Jake Longly & Nicole Jamison are asked by Nicole's uncle to go to New Orleans to see about the trouble his A-List start Kirk Ford has gotten himself into there while on location for a movie. Kirk woke up to find Kristi Guidry dead beside him in a locked room at his hotel. Kirk can't remember anything smoking a joint and having sex with her. Kristi is the niece of the local mafioso. Everyone just wants the truth and it looks very much like Kirk did not do this when the forensics show the joint laced with a date rape drug. They need to discover what happened and who did it. Mystery, good food and a look at the good and bad of New Orleans. Great read.
December 25, 2017
4 stars
Jake Longly and girlfriend Nicole head to the Big Easy to investigate a murder along with Jake’s father Ray and his techno-wizard Pancake. It seems movie star Kirk Ford woke up in bed next to a dead woman.
The problem is that the dead woman named Kirsti was the niece of a crime kingpin who will do anything to get the guy who killed her. Can Jake, Nicole, Ray and Pancake work with this guy? They need to make a pact before things get out of hand.
Surrounded by famous actors, actresses, police and wise guys, the team tries to make the best of it and to solve the case.
This book is well written and plotted. I understand it is a series, so I went to Amazon to look for others of D.P. Lyle’s novels. It is littered with mild humor which moves the story along nicely. I liked the main characters, and the easy � for the most part � manner in which the characters got along. The suspense in the story starts out almost immediately, but it is a gentle kind of suspense. I believe the added humor offset the tension a bit. It is a good read. I truly enjoyed it.
I want to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.
Jake Longly and girlfriend Nicole head to the Big Easy to investigate a murder along with Jake’s father Ray and his techno-wizard Pancake. It seems movie star Kirk Ford woke up in bed next to a dead woman.
The problem is that the dead woman named Kirsti was the niece of a crime kingpin who will do anything to get the guy who killed her. Can Jake, Nicole, Ray and Pancake work with this guy? They need to make a pact before things get out of hand.
Surrounded by famous actors, actresses, police and wise guys, the team tries to make the best of it and to solve the case.
This book is well written and plotted. I understand it is a series, so I went to Amazon to look for others of D.P. Lyle’s novels. It is littered with mild humor which moves the story along nicely. I liked the main characters, and the easy � for the most part � manner in which the characters got along. The suspense in the story starts out almost immediately, but it is a gentle kind of suspense. I believe the added humor offset the tension a bit. It is a good read. I truly enjoyed it.
I want to thank NetGalley and Oceanview Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.
March 2, 2018
Somewhat loosely aping the noir style of detective story, homage is also paid to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who in this fast and furious--at least where the heroine's driving is concerned--novel. The opening chapter recalls a previous incident, hinting at a prior tale, but enough details are filled in as you go that this story stands alone quite nicely, thank you very much.
Set in New Orleans, the scents of chickory coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde contrasting with the stale beer and garbage odors wafting from Bourbon Street at sunrise are carefully evoked; dialogue, at times, brought to mind Robert Parker's Spenser. All good things!
So we have a movie star, gangsters, private detectives and a murder--let's put on a show! And author D.P. Lyle does just that, shifting viewpoints from our hapless, ex-baseball player hero to various third persons as we meet the glamor and the riffraff that make up New Orleans in this engaging novel. "Two thumbs up!" (Disclaimer: I snagged this book from NetGalley, so was reviewing a pre-final-edit copy and did run into a few homonyms or other grammar/spelling glitches; nonetheless the book is well-written and comfortably Big Easy.)
Set in New Orleans, the scents of chickory coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde contrasting with the stale beer and garbage odors wafting from Bourbon Street at sunrise are carefully evoked; dialogue, at times, brought to mind Robert Parker's Spenser. All good things!
So we have a movie star, gangsters, private detectives and a murder--let's put on a show! And author D.P. Lyle does just that, shifting viewpoints from our hapless, ex-baseball player hero to various third persons as we meet the glamor and the riffraff that make up New Orleans in this engaging novel. "Two thumbs up!" (Disclaimer: I snagged this book from NetGalley, so was reviewing a pre-final-edit copy and did run into a few homonyms or other grammar/spelling glitches; nonetheless the book is well-written and comfortably Big Easy.)
October 9, 2018
I liked this entry the Jake Longly series as much as I liked the first one. With a few caveats.
As I said the review of that first book, Jake comes across a bit like a Frat boy on spring break in regards to women. At least Lyle has Jake’s sweetheart Nicole knocking him down a peg from time to time but his drooling wears a bit thin after a while.
Many of Lyle’s characters can see the wheels turning in another character’s head. They also spend a lot of time twisting their necks to relieve kinks in them. Both got a little tiring after the 5th repetition.
I figured out the guilty party about halfway through the book and how it was done not long after. This diluted some of the tension that might have been there otherwise as I now was reading to see when the characters would pick up on the clues.
The multiple POVs here weren’t as distracting as they were in that first book since Lyle stuck mainly with three or four.
I’ll read more of this series.
As I said the review of that first book, Jake comes across a bit like a Frat boy on spring break in regards to women. At least Lyle has Jake’s sweetheart Nicole knocking him down a peg from time to time but his drooling wears a bit thin after a while.
Many of Lyle’s characters can see the wheels turning in another character’s head. They also spend a lot of time twisting their necks to relieve kinks in them. Both got a little tiring after the 5th repetition.
I figured out the guilty party about halfway through the book and how it was done not long after. This diluted some of the tension that might have been there otherwise as I now was reading to see when the characters would pick up on the clues.
The multiple POVs here weren’t as distracting as they were in that first book since Lyle stuck mainly with three or four.
I’ll read more of this series.
January 15, 2022
Another good by by D.P. Lyle. Thanks to Net Galley for my complimentary copy, I was fortunate to be able to read (and laugh out loud, literally) and review this book.
Wannabe PIs, Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison, venture to New Orleans with Jake's dad, Ray and his sidekick Pancake, to solve the mystery of a mob boss' daughter. I love that this book is full of humour and playfulness as well as written in a way that I was entertained and could not put it down. Well done...when is the next book going to be published? :)
Wannabe PIs, Jake Longly and Nicole Jamison, venture to New Orleans with Jake's dad, Ray and his sidekick Pancake, to solve the mystery of a mob boss' daughter. I love that this book is full of humour and playfulness as well as written in a way that I was entertained and could not put it down. Well done...when is the next book going to be published? :)
November 8, 2017
3.5/5.0
Set in spectacular New Orleans, the second book in the Jake Longly series explores the city and all its trappings in exquisite detail.
Read full review in the
Set in spectacular New Orleans, the second book in the Jake Longly series explores the city and all its trappings in exquisite detail.
Read full review in the
December 28, 2017
Nicole is a P I and her partner-and lover- is a laid back ex major league baseball pitcher Jake. Nicole got a call from her Uncle Charles who was a famous director who was in Europe working on a film. An A-List actor Kirk had been with a local girl Kristy he actually cared about. He remembers smoking a joint and having sex with Kristy and that was it he woke up in the morning with a serious hangover and found Kristy stabbed to death with a bra next to him in bed and can’t remember anything else from the night before. Jake’s father -Ray has a P I business but Jake and Ray don’t get along and Jake doesn’t want to work with or for his father but he does for Nicole. Nicole,Jake, Ray. and Pancake- who is a huge built computer wizard- all go to New orleans where Kirk is at out on bail working on hids next sci fi movie. Kristy is the niece of the local gangster Tony Gidrey ruled the French Quarter and ran it with iron control and he wanted revenge on Kristy’s death. Tony had loved his niece. Kristy had DNA under her nails as she had scratched her attacker and it wasn’t Kirks. Also the joint had been laced with the date rape drug so Kirk was cleared.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the pace and plot of this book. This book had a lot to it : mystery, murder, humor. New Orleans, gangsters, danger, laced joint, intrigue, movie star. Making a movie, and a lot more. I liked how the author portrayed New Orleans. This kept all my attention all through this book. I loved Pancake and felt he added to this book. I was surprised by the ending. This was a fun, good read. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.
I enjoyed this book. I liked the pace and plot of this book. This book had a lot to it : mystery, murder, humor. New Orleans, gangsters, danger, laced joint, intrigue, movie star. Making a movie, and a lot more. I liked how the author portrayed New Orleans. This kept all my attention all through this book. I loved Pancake and felt he added to this book. I was surprised by the ending. This was a fun, good read. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.
February 4, 2025
Great Laid Back Gulf Coast Mystery In The Big Easy. This particular mystery manages to capture the aura and allure of both Hollywood and New Orleans (and my AI voices I use for the Audio book reviews I post to YouTube aren't going to be able to pick up the Southern, much less local, pronunciation of that town's name). You've got the glitzy high priced hotels and the down in the weed drug dealers. You've got Cafe Du Monde and a bayou full of gators. You've got the real world pressures of being on set on a movie and trying to stay within budget... and a lead actor who likes to sleep around with the locals.
And then you've got Jake Longly, his girlfriend Nicole, his dad Ray, and his best friend Pancake. Yet again doing what they do, and yet again using each of their talents to help solve the mystery - and resolve the resultant fight scene. Jake being the former MLB pitcher who knows his way around a bat, Nicole learning her way in a fight, Ray being the former SpecOps-adjacent soldier, and Pancake being a beefy guy that could likely hold his own with Jack None Reacher, should the crew ever come across him.
This particular entry in the series is absolutely more New Orleans focused than general Gulf Coast / Floribama vibe that the other books in this series generally have, and yet it absolutely works for the story told here.
Very much recommended.
And then you've got Jake Longly, his girlfriend Nicole, his dad Ray, and his best friend Pancake. Yet again doing what they do, and yet again using each of their talents to help solve the mystery - and resolve the resultant fight scene. Jake being the former MLB pitcher who knows his way around a bat, Nicole learning her way in a fight, Ray being the former SpecOps-adjacent soldier, and Pancake being a beefy guy that could likely hold his own with Jack None Reacher, should the crew ever come across him.
This particular entry in the series is absolutely more New Orleans focused than general Gulf Coast / Floribama vibe that the other books in this series generally have, and yet it absolutely works for the story told here.
Very much recommended.
August 13, 2017
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very entertaining entry (#2 in the series) into the private eye genre. Jake Longly, our hero, is a ex-MLB player who just wants to run his bar and enjoy life. But his father Ray, a retired special-ops soldier, owns a private detective agency, and circumstances conspire to draw Jake in. Other regular characters include Jake's girlfriend Nicole, and Ray's right-hand man Pancake. Pancake serves as muscle but also is a talented computer hacker.
This one is set in New Orleans and involves a famous movie heartthrob who wakes up with a dead girl in his bed and no memory of how it happened. To make things even more interesting, the girl is the beloved niece of the local organized crime boss. The story is well-paced and features the requisite street goons and hard-boiled but honest police detective. It's a light-hearted take on what could be a very dark story and I enjoyed it.
This is a very entertaining entry (#2 in the series) into the private eye genre. Jake Longly, our hero, is a ex-MLB player who just wants to run his bar and enjoy life. But his father Ray, a retired special-ops soldier, owns a private detective agency, and circumstances conspire to draw Jake in. Other regular characters include Jake's girlfriend Nicole, and Ray's right-hand man Pancake. Pancake serves as muscle but also is a talented computer hacker.
This one is set in New Orleans and involves a famous movie heartthrob who wakes up with a dead girl in his bed and no memory of how it happened. To make things even more interesting, the girl is the beloved niece of the local organized crime boss. The story is well-paced and features the requisite street goons and hard-boiled but honest police detective. It's a light-hearted take on what could be a very dark story and I enjoyed it.
February 19, 2018
Jake Langley—ex-big league ballplayer, beach bar owner, and reluctant PI- and his sidekick Nicole Jamison head off to New Orleans to investigate a murder at the request of Nicole's uncle who is shooting a movie in The Big Easy. His star, Kirk Ford, has been sidelined after he woke up in bed next to the dead body of Kristi, a local co-ed with whom he had spent the evening. Kirk is a known womanizer, love 'em and leave 'em kind of guy. He has no clear motive to kill Kristi. Is he being framed? When ketamine is found in the blood of both Kirk and Kristi, Jake and Nicole set out to figure out who else might have killed Kristi.
The list of possible suspects is long but there are no clear leads. Meanwhile we are diverted by a wealth of witty repartee and clever dialogue. In the end a cleverly faked DNA test leads to the apprehension of the culprit. An enjoyable romp through the type of characters that frequent the movie world.
The list of possible suspects is long but there are no clear leads. Meanwhile we are diverted by a wealth of witty repartee and clever dialogue. In the end a cleverly faked DNA test leads to the apprehension of the culprit. An enjoyable romp through the type of characters that frequent the movie world.
January 15, 2018
A-List is the second entry in award-winning author D.P. Lyles� Jake Longly series. Longly is a former baseball player turned P.I. that investigates cases along with girlfriend Nicole Jamison. The pair head for “The Big Easy� when Nicole’s movie producer uncle asked them to help the star of his blockbuster franchise, Kirk Ford, who has been accused of murder. Although the circumstances seem to point to Ford, Longly believes he is innocent and sets out to find the truth. I found this mystery to be very entertaining, although not particularly hard to solve. Lyle has done a good job with character and plot development and leaves the reader anxious to hear from Longly and Jamison again. This book gets 3/5 stars from me.
*A copy of this book from Net Galley was the only consideration given in exchange for this review.*
*A copy of this book from Net Galley was the only consideration given in exchange for this review.*
April 4, 2018
Eh... I wanted to like this book but I also just wanted it to be over. I just couldn't get into the characters.
Kirk Ford is an A-list actor who awakens one morning to find the girl he is "seeing', Kristi, dead next to him and he cannot remember anything from the night before. The movie producer for the movie Kirk is currently working on calls Nicole and her boyfriend who happens to be PI, Jake Longly in to help prove Kirk's innocence. I've read some great reviews on this book and the storyline catches my interest for sure, but it just wasn't the read I hoped it would be. I found myself not caring who carried out the murder, which is unlike me.
** Special thanks to OceanView Publishing, D.P. Lyle, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.** Sorry I didn't enjoy this book more :(
Kirk Ford is an A-list actor who awakens one morning to find the girl he is "seeing', Kristi, dead next to him and he cannot remember anything from the night before. The movie producer for the movie Kirk is currently working on calls Nicole and her boyfriend who happens to be PI, Jake Longly in to help prove Kirk's innocence. I've read some great reviews on this book and the storyline catches my interest for sure, but it just wasn't the read I hoped it would be. I found myself not caring who carried out the murder, which is unlike me.
** Special thanks to OceanView Publishing, D.P. Lyle, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.** Sorry I didn't enjoy this book more :(
April 21, 2018
This is the second book in this series and the first book I have read by this author. Thank you BookBub! Jake is a bar owner on the Alabama gulf shores who is reluctantly pulled in to his father's PI business. He is also an ex pro baseball player. Numerous mentions of activities in the first book have made it a must read for me. Jake's character is immediately likable. His girlfriend, Nicole, might be the brains of the outfit. In this book, Kirk, an A-List actor has been arrested for the murder of a mob boss's niece. Pretty cut and dried, it seems, since she was murdered in his hotel room while he was in it. Jake and Nicole are sent to investigate. Things don't all line up, but the question of why and how seems unanswerable. With the help of a friendly cop that just wants to get to the truth, they set out to arrange the puzzle pieces. Love the humor and action in this one!
March 31, 2024
Nicole's uncle, the famous producer Charles Balfour, is in need of a PI so he calls Jake's dad. Nicole is still an employee (at least according to the ID she held on to from the last case) so she drags Jake down to New Orleans to find out what happened to Kristi Guidry, a young woman who was strangled, puportedly by A-list star Kirk Ford. They were alone in the hotel room so it seems like he is the obvious (and only) suspect. Mucking up the works are Kristi's brothers and her uncle who are searching for revenge. Can Jake and Nicole solve the mystery before Kristi's family kills Kirk?
Also included are a pair of fantastically gorgeous identical twins, Pancake (who may have found a girlfriend in the movie's makeup artist) and a fortune teller.
About the same level of insanity as the first book though this one wasn't as well put together.
Also included are a pair of fantastically gorgeous identical twins, Pancake (who may have found a girlfriend in the movie's makeup artist) and a fortune teller.
About the same level of insanity as the first book though this one wasn't as well put together.
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