BOOK REVIEW : PERIL by RUBY BARNES

Peril has been described as urban noir, a quirky crime thriller, a journey into the darker side of human nature. Since the launch in March 2011 over 15,000 people have downloaded this novel from Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Apple  (now also available in paperback).

Gerard Mayes is in a bind. He's committed most of the seven deadly sins and is trying to avoid paying the price.

I balance on the precipice of life. 

Friends and family have turned their backs on me and walked into the shadowland. 

Police and thieves are shouting Jump, Ger. Do it.

Ladies, don't let your man read this book. You don't want him getting ideas on how to misbehave.

Fellas, keep your copy well hidden.

 --- from author's website

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About the author

         

I've pedalled the pushbike of life through the Shires' rolling hills, along the folded rocks of Scotland's lochs and out west to the fractured reaches of North Wales. Love found me in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks of Ireland. The Swiss Alps cured me of obsessive compulsion and yielded progeny.

Misfits, rogues and psychopaths take form in PERIL, THE BAPTIST and other works. Their voices, they speak to me. I plead with them, but the demons are real. I've carried them on my back across Scandinavia, through the Mid-West, Eastern Seaboard and Deep South of the USA and to the borders of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. We teetered together on the brink of the Iguassu Falls and came back.

My writing is dedicated to the memory of my late grandfather Robert 'Ruby' Barnes.

---author's bio from Goodreads

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READER REVIEW

Gerard Mayes is a terrible person in a terrible mess.  He's on the verge of being fired and really doesn't care; he's really just counting the days until Aunt Mary dies and leaves his wife a sizeable inheritance; and he's playing a balancing act with his wife, mistress, and possible future mistress.  And now, he's being blackmailed by a gang of drug dealers.  And the fun is just beginning...

In Ruby Barnes' novel "Peril", he has created a character who most readers will love to hate.  Gerard is every woman's nightmare.  An unfaithful husband and an all-around goof-off, he has a talent for landing himself in a mess.  When he is attacked by a beggar wielding a crutch, he defends himself.  Not a crime in itself, but Gerard panics, dumps the body, and runs.  Unfortunately, he has been seen.  From this point on, whenever there is a decision to make, Gerard always makes the wrong decision.  While not a lovable character, he is certainly unforgettable.  

This is the first of Barnes' novels for me, and I wasn't sure what to expect.  What a happy surprise!  For all of Gerard's faults, I found myself rooting for him.  The good news is that "Peril" has now been released in paperback.  It's way too good to be an e-reader secret.

5 stars

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author, Ruby Barnes < http://rubybarnes.blogspot.com/  > . I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”   

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