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Brought to you by OBS reviewer Lindsay
I’m afraid I should start this review with a disclaimer: I have not read the first book in The Oncoming Storm series. So, just keep that in mind as you read on. Dan Landis is a private investigator. During the course of a ‘normal’ workday, he stumbles across a young woman who is about to be mugged, or worse, by two men in a back alley. Handcuffed, he takes on the two men to rescue the girl, only to discover she has a connection to a current missing college professor case. As the pair try to locate the missing person, they discover 2 more professors have also gone missing. As they begin to dig deeper, the truth unravels and the pair are pulled into a web of drugs and a cult.
As a P.I., Landis has seen his share of adventures. However, it seems as if he gets in over his head when he rescues Abbey, as she likes to be called, from 2 men in an alley. It seems as if the two have an instant connection, however, I suppose the danger in their first meeting could have something to do with that. I really liked how the author gave us a glimpse into Landis’ head. Throughout the book we hear from the voice inside his head. This voice provides the brutal honesty regarding his thoughts and feelings that we otherwise wouldn’t see from just the dialog alone. I really felt this additional piece helped to pull together his character. ’The voice’ also had me chuckling at times which is always an added bonus. It’s through this ‘voice’ that we can see how deeply involved Landis becomes in the missing professors case. As his friendship with Abbey progresses, we can see this case take on a personal aspect for him. Personal involvement is not usually something that this P.I. allows in his work. I feel this adds a lot of depth to the book that would otherwise be an empty mystery. I really like Landis’ character. I think he is a fresh new face that keeps you entertained throughout the entire book.
Overall, I did like this book. I decided to give the book 4 stars because I felt the story was good and I liked Dan Landis’ character. However, I just didn’t get that wow factor that I look for to earn a 5 star review. But, that doesn’t mean you should pass over this book either. It’s a good fast-paced book that will keep you turning the page. If you are a mystery fan, you will enjoy reading this book. I will be looking to read more about Dan Landis in the future, including the first book in The Oncoming Storm series.
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RuthiKight
Posted September 11, 2012
While this is not my normal choice of genre for reading, I found this book to be highly enjoyable. I think it might have been the title that threw me for a loop, but once I got a little ways into the book, all was revealed.
The Cult of Koo Kway starts by introducing the reader to Dan Landis, a private investigator, who lives by a certain code: No one needs to know what kind of vehicle he has or where he lives. These two rules keep him safe in his line of work. His sister is one of the best attorneys in the area and is married to one of the best detectives in the same area, but their connection to each other cannot be revealed due to the criminals who employ her. The story begins with a somewhat confusing meeting between these three people, in which they find the room is bugged and they must speak in code. This scene was actually one of my favorites because of the ease that the characters were able to understand what the other was intending.
After this point in the book, the story becomes a quick, action-packed ride of Dan’s sarcastic wit and his propensity for getting stuck in awkward situations. We meet Abbey at an early point in the story, and she is his backup for a meeting with a target. Once we meet Abbey, the story seems to take on a different role because it’s almost as if the reader is thrust back in time to when they first met. This is the part of the book that rocks your world, from a failed kidnapping, an attempt to drive a car over both of them, and a deadly drug that is killing people; these two characters can’t seem to catch a break throughout the entire book. The hits keep coming and somehow they manage to keep going.
Like I said, this book was a tad bit hard to follow at times because the time frame of events seemed to jump around a little bit. The transition at the beginning between present and past was not as smooth as I would have liked, and I was able to follow along pretty well, so please don’t get discouraged by my lack of ability to follow the timeline. I enjoyed the idea behind the story and the thrill ride that it took me on. As I said, this is not my normal genre of reading, so I was not fully prepared for what I was about to read. I think the book is wonderful and I would definitely love to read the next one because there are so many questions that I have after finishing this book. I want to know more because the story is just that good.
Overview
Dan's sister Jules, high profile criminal defense attorney, has asked for his help with a very dangerous client. Just as soon as Dan takes the case, Doc shows up poisoned on Dan's doorstep and the only clue is a reference to an old movie, The Cult of Koo Kway.