Review: Fatal Gamble by J.P. O'Donnell

Fatal Gamble: A Novel by JP O'Donnell




My rating:  5.0/5.0



My Review:

I received this book, Fatal Gamble along with the second Gallagher book, Deadly Codes from the author J.P. O'Donnell. The author himself is very pleasant to deal with so I was looking forward to reading his book. This is my second suspense novel in the week and while I use to read suspense/mystery all the time, my time is now divided because of various review books.

Fatal Gamble will not disappoint those who like PI novels or just general suspense. The suspense is tightly woven and peeling away the layers while reading is very enjoyable. Daniel Gallagher is a very likeable PI. He strives to do the best at his job and in his life. He's divorced and does not like that but realizes it was for the best. He left a prominent police force job to be a PI because of his personality and not doing well taking orders (hey I can understand that). But despite all of that he is not a seriously flawed PI. As I stated last week in my review of The Cutting - I really enjoy the slightly flawed police/PI characters instead of the seriously flawed ones and Daniel Gallagher fits this bill.

In Fatal Gamble, the first book in the Daniel Gallagher series, someone is murdering doctors who were involved in a real estate deal 20 years earlier. Gallagher is hired by one of the deceased doctor's wives to get to the bottom of the financial side of the partnership so she won't be blindsided if there were shady dealings. Gallagher takes the case and is quickly sucked into it, following leads across the country. There is also a nice romance subplot involving Gallagher and his current serious girlfriend Kate, who I also really liked.

Lots of suspense, intrigue, detective work and some romance make up this well-rounded book. I was hanging on until the end wanting to know the who, what and why of this sinister plot. I am also looking forward to picking up the second book in the series, Deadly Codes and hope more follow that one.

Thank you J.P. O'Donnell for sending me your books. You have a new loyal reader.

About the Book:

Twenty years ago, a group of doctors formed a partnership to build a medical office plaza in Massachusetts. While it wasn't the most above-board deal ever made, the doctors have found continued profit and success—until now.

Someone wants the doctors dead, and he or she has already succeeded in murdering two of them. The identity of the killer remains unknown. Is it a madman with a vendetta against the medical profession, a small-time bookie seeking revenge for a shady real estate deal, or a disgruntled former construction manager who was unjustly fired?

The widow of one of the slain doctors has a clue—but she's too afraid to tell the police. She hires Boston private investigator Daniel Gallagher to help track down the murderer. But as Gallagher begins to unravel the mystery, he finds himself entangled in a web of danger and political intrigue.

With the stakes growing higher, Gallagher faces a growing threat to keep him quiet before he reveals the damaging truth. But when push comes to shove, has Gallagher made a Fatal Gamble?

Challenges:

100+ Book Challenge
Fall Into Reading Challenge 2009
Countdown Challenge 2010 






My Disclaimer:
Though this book was sent to me by the author - that does not guarantee a positive review - my reviews are my feelings on the book and I will be honest about how I like the book. I am not paid for the reviews besides receiving the book.