An armoured car carrying a huge payday will be rolling through the city every Friday for four weeks. Out of money,Wilsontakes up with Ruby, an old partner, for a job that promises a huge score. The only problem: Ruby’s kid, Rick, wants in on the deal. Rick is everythingWilsonisn’t but without him there is no job.Wilsonsigns on with the condition that he runs the job; he plans it, supplies it, and staffs it. The job is a success, but so is the double cross.Wilsonloses the money and almost his life. He sets out after his partners and learns that nothing was ever as it seemed — nothing but the blood on the ground. Honour among thieves is bullshit, but Ruby and her son should have known better than to try and play another man’s game.
Upon occasion as a reviewer, you review books that you might not normally buy. Jena asked me to review this book by Mike Knowles back in February. As you can see, I’ve put it off because, I just wasn’t sure what to expect. The synopsis sounded all right and not out of my comfort zone but a bunch of other releases really had my attention. I should have read this a lot sooner!
Where to start? First, I did not know Never Play Another Man’s Game was part of a series until I was a bit into the book. I was afraid it might make the book harder to read and understand. I was wrong, AGAIN. It would help if you’ve read the previous three titles in the Wilson Mystery Series but not a must. (I’ve already ordered the previous books in the series) Mr. Knowles starts the book off with a bang, literally and the action and blood don’t stop until the last page.
This book might appeal more to men than women as there’s some violence and blood, but I’m an equal opportunity reader. I sometimes just need an action mystery to keep me entertained. It more than kept me entertained, I didn’t want to stop. It’s listed at 180 pages and I usually could blow through it very quickly but I savored it instead.
I’m not sure if I would call this a novella as it’s such a complete story. It’s published by an Independent publisher out of Canada and I’m not sure how they determine a novel from a novella. The characters and storyline are well developed and balanced. I came to like characters I didn’t think I would and dislike the characters to whom I was initially sympathetic. In other words, the author kept me on my toes and I didn’t know what to expect. There are so many twists and turns you could get lost on a one-way street. Every time I thought, okay, it’s basically over, it wasn’t and another twist occurred.
I’m having a hard time explaining this without giving too much away and THAT, I don’t want to do as it would ruin the readers enjoyment in this little gem. It’s a mystery/adventure that’s worth the read!!
Now, for something you as a reader have to think about. I went to order the previous three books and was shocked at the prices. Never Play Another Man’s Game is listed on Amazon as a hardcover release and priced at $16,47. That is a lot of bucks for 180 pages. There is one caveat, the publisher offers the e-book free if you provide an email to them with certain information. But, you have to buy the printed version to get the e-book. The previous three books on Amazon are listed as follows: 1. Darwin’s Nightmare, hardcover – $24.95, Kindle edition – $7.69; 2. Grinder, hardcover – $18.96, Kindle edition – $9.99; and 3. In Plain Sight, hardcover – $9.98, Kindle edition – $9.99. That is bunches of money in today’s economy. I did find the previous three books listed under Wilson Mysteries Omnibus in paperback for $11.01. That is what I bought even though I would prefer to have it on my Kindle, I couldn’t justify the cost for books under 300 pages.
My rating: 4 Stars
REGARDING THE RELEASE DATE OF THIS BOOK:
We have bumped into a little bit of confusion regarding the release date of this book. The advanced copy that we obtained states a release date of April 1st. However, Amazon.com says May 1st. Until we can get a clear date, we are going to hold off on posting links to buy. Once we have a solid date, Pure Textuality will publish a news post to let everyone know.
