I received this book for free from . This review is voluntary. My opinion is not influenced in any way.
Death Never Sleeps on September 1, 2013 Pages: 377
Format: Paperback
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Do the Dead have Smartphones?
The problem with Alex Nicholas is that he won't stay dead.
Alex Nicholas was the consummate Queens bookie: fast cars and even faster women, and friends in all the wrong places. As an illegal sports betting and loan shark king in New York City, Alex was fearless-until the night his luck ran out and someone leveled the silver barrel of an automatic on him and pulled the trigger.
Michael Nicholas was everything his brother Alex was not: a powerful, married straight-arrow corporate CEO living the American Dream. Their two worlds collide when Michael discovers his brother's secret laptop.
As Michael crosses the globe to find his brother's murder, can he avoid his brother's fate? And can the information contained in the laptop help Alex reach out to help Michael-from beyond the grave.
Guest Post
On Writing by E.J. Simon
I try to write every day. I have no die-hard rituals. I probably should.
To the degree that I do have a routine or ritual, I try to have music playing in the background. If I’m writing a murder scene, I may put on the soundtrack from the Godfather. If it’s a light scene, maybe rock. If it’s a contemplative scene, perhaps the opera Faust. If the Nazi’s are involved, maybe Wagner.
My wife and I travel a lot so it’s hard to establish routines or set times to write. Ideally, however, my best times to write new material are in the very early morning, from six to nine. I’ll have already had two cups of coffee to get me going. Then, at the end of the day, I try and write again, say, from three or four to six, before dinner. I enjoy a glass of wine sometime around five for the late afternoon writing.
If I’m traveling, I do try and incorporate the location into my writing. There’s nothing better than writing a scene that takes place in Paris or London – while you’re right there, taking it all in.
My Thoughts
Death Never Sleeps by E.J. Simon is the first book in a suspenseful techno-thriller. Alex Nicholas, a bookie and loan shark, is gunned down while on the phone with his straight-laced, CEO-type brother, Michael. Michael sets out trying to tie up his brother’s loose ends, but ends up being sucked into a world that is far removed from his life. He discovers that his brother was trying to be immortal through artificial intelligence programs on a specially made computer.
The story kept me on edge toward the end. I enjoyed the characters of Michael and Alex. I did feel that the book was a bit slow-moving and repetitive at some parts, describing all the vacations Michael is on and the restaurants he is eating at (and what he is eating and drinking) every day. It seemed a bit tedious and I felt the story would have moved along much more smoothly without those things slowing down the action. Overall, there was action and suspense that carried most of the book. I did like the story line and found it quite interesting and looked forward to reading the second book.
Be sure to stop back tomorrow, 12/11/14, for my review of book 2, Death Logs In, and a giveaway!
