Love and Fear is the fourth in a series of books by Reed Farrel Coleman.
I had heard very good things about this author but I found this book to
be somewhat mediocre. Being the fourth in a series about a detective it was a little disorientating to follow the story at first, even though this is a very short novel, because the detective has very unique features. he is described as being extremely short and strange looking. The strange looking aspect of her appearance made no sense to me even though many other characters commented on it.
This book is part of a series put out by a Canadian publisher and the series is called Rapid Reads. The intent of the series is to produce short, mostly detective fiction with large print for people who are not normally big readers and perhaps want something light to read on a plane trip or a short voyage. This series is ideal for middle high school students because the language tends to be simple as are the plots. Of all of the
Rapid Reads I've read, this was by far the most interesting. I wouldn't call the book a total failure, it just didn't have a lot of suspense or intrigue in it . I'm not sure why Reed Farrell Coleman in now considered one of the best of the new crime writers just based on my reading of this book. I don't feel overly tempted to pick up something else by him right now,
but maybe it is just this series and his other work is more intriguing and mature. Again this is a good book for a light reader or perhaps a higher
level high school student. Good but not great. ( )

I received this book as a giveaway through librarything and ideally enjoyed it. It is a Rapid Read book and the third in the Gulliver Does series. After reading book number three, I would like to go back and read the first two. ( )

Love and Fear is the fourth in the Gulliver Dowd mystery series (after Dirty Work, Valentino Pier and The Boardwalk) of ‘high interest-low reading level’ books by Reed Farrel Coleman. I give Coleman a lot of credit for (a) catering to a neglected segment of the reading population and (b) writing something interesting for them to read. Mystery readers, in general, will enjoy the book, regardless of reading level.

LoveAndFear


TheBoardwalk

Gullier Dowd is no ordinary man. He is short (under five feet). His body is mismatched, almost grotesque, and totally opposite of his handsome face. He refers to himself as God’s Little Joke. A private investigator, he is in between jobs when there is a knock on the door…from someone he’d rather not see-crime boss Joey Vespucci’s number one enforcer, Tony. Dowd and Tony do not get along, at all.

ValentinoPier


DirtyWork

Tony using his own initiative tells Dowd that Vespucci, unbeknownst to himself, needs Dowd’s help in finding his missing daughter, Bella. Dowd is the best person-finder money can hire and all the other investigators Vespucci hired have failed. Dowd, using a bit of psychology on Vespucci, gets his buy-in and off he goes with Ahmed, his right hand man, and Tony as Vespucci’s eyes and ears.

In a mere 150 pages, Coleman put together an interesting mystery with twists and turns and logical thinking. It certainly helps with the backstory to have read the previous books as Love and Fear does refer to the death of Dowd’s sister, Keisha, and to his current amore. Either way, Love and Fear is an enjoyable read.

As an aside, if you haven’t read Coleman’s new Gus Murphy series, book one Where It Hurts is waiting for you. ( )

I enjoyed reading this book. It was an easy read--only 154 pages. I received this free book from Orca Book Publishers through LibraryThing in return for an honest review. Gulliver Dowd is an unusual private eye. He is only 4 feet tall. His short size can be an advantage, because people are not threatened by him. He can, however, take on men much bigger than himself without a problem.
He is hired by a mob enforcer to find the daughter of the enforcer's boss. Gulliver knows and respects both men, but does not like either of them. They know something about Gulliver's sister's murder.
Gulliver is very good at what he does. How he solves this case leads to a satisfying ending. This book is a solid 4 out 5 stars. ( )

“Love and Fear” is an entertaining, quick, classic “detective noir” read from author Reed Farrel Coleman. This is a Rapid Reads selection from Raven Books, and I enjoyed the format. “Love and Fear” is the fourth entry in the “Gulliver Dowd Mystery Series”, and while it can be read on its own, reading the preceding three books in the series would add to the appreciation of the story line for the reader. Gulliver Dowd is a sharp detective with a decidedly distinct persona—he describes himself as a pale dwarf, a “little person” with a deformed body and a quite handsome face. For years, his motivation to keep moving has been the search for the killer of his sister Keisha and the reason why she was killed. Now, the very person who has taunted Dowd by not revealing those answers needs Dowd’s help. Mafia Don Joey Vespucci’s youngest daughter, Bella, is missing, and Vespucci’s henchman, Tony, asks Dowd to find the girl. The investigation will bring secrets out from the shadows of lies, and not everyone will survive. As Dowd seeks to find answers for others, will he ever find his own resolution? Reed Farrel Coleman is an accomplished author who also writes as Tony Spinosa. Reed is also the author of other novels, including Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone series, the acclaimed Moe Prager series, short stories, and poetry. Reed is a three-time Edgar Award nominee in three different categories—Best Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best Short Story—and a three-time recipient of the Shamus Award for Best PI Novel of the Year. He has also won the Audie, Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards.

Review Copy Gratis Library Thing ( )