Thin Air (Jessica Shaw Book 1)

Great characters and tense plot...Can notsay enough good things about this story !Thoughtful and very much needed in today'sworld 🌎 .

This month’s Amazon First choices was about the same as any other month. I decided to give the private eye novel a shot, finding that it was written by an up and coming writer, a journalist from Scotland. Read on to learn what I found intriguing and disturbing.As I read the prologue, I recollected my college English Lit professor extolling the virtues of writers in different societies. American writers portrayed crime fiction in a violent fashion, while British authors tended to do so in intelligent twisting stories that tended towards cunning villains who minimized the harsh violence. Well, the author of “Thin Air” certainly did not ascribe to the typical UK, (aka Sherlock Holmes) style evident through the seventies.BLUSH FACTOR: Lisa Gray is sure to make a name for herself in the coming years. “Thin Air” comes across as a work of a seasoned author. What this means, the book is replete with adult language (eff-words and so forth) and adult situations. Violence is as graphic as the language, but not in an over-the-top manner. The romance-oriented sexual situations are stimulating, also without going too far for most people. Suffice it to state that, although greatly intriguing, this is NOT the story for your young child. It also may be just a little too raw for a few elderly folks.Having warned of the mature content, there is no way I would caution against reading this for most adults I know. Just trying to prepare you by setting the scenes without giving any spoilers.THE WRITING & EDITING: As I mentioned, it is difficult for me to believe this is a debut novel. I suppose her journalism experience, and her editing experience is a factor in her skill, but I have not come across many new writers with the skill and talent displayed by Ms Gray. Editing, incidentally, is professional.I’m not sure where to add this point, so I’ll do it here. Although I’ve not been to Simi Valley in decades, I did enjoy re-visiting the area by reading this novel. I was easily able to recollect my memories of numerous visits to the valley just beyond Chatsworth. Then again, back in those days, before Ronald Reagan, it was a quiet, peaceful, sleepy berg just emerging from its days as the backdrop for western movies and television series productions. Her description of the valley made me homesick. Well, a little homesick…POV: Alternation point of view. The prologue is first person and, in my opinion, just a bit more revealing than I was accustomed to. Certainly, those among you who choose to sample the first 10 percent will be able to decide if this is the right story for you. If it is, I am confident you will leap to purchase and will find this to be a great page-turner. Of course, for those who find the prologue to be a turn-off, theyWill be none the worse off, because they weren’t forced purchase it before glimpsing the quality and tenor of the writing.EXCERPT:No excerpt needed with this crime story. The prologue well sets the tone and gives a fair assessment to the curious souls.BOTTOM LINE:My one slight caveat is the prologue. Well-written, to be sure, but, combined with the rest of the tale, it leads to a confusion and, in a good way, a ton of surprises throughout. I almost want to shout from the rooftops about the quality and pace of the writing. It is ALMOST that good.Four, maybe almost five stars. Perhaps if it had gone a little deeper into character development, I would have rated it five. I was shocked and pleased at how well a writer from the UK could describe, without going overboard, the areas of Southern California that I called home the first 25 years of my life.

The story plot is good but the book is not well-researched and there are multiple loop holes.To start, when college students need money they don't go become a prostitute. That is so 1990s. Did the author not take the time to interview actual broke college girls? It feels like the background story is something that an author from the 90's would come up with and it would have been believable then.Nowadays they become cam girls and they go home, turn on their cameras and make 10,000 USD a week. Making money without leaving the comfort of your apartment. Alternatively if the dead girl is as attractive as she was described and does not want to strip for strangers online she could have also worked one of the bars in Hollywood as a bartender for a "paltry" 1,000 USD a night in tips. Not as much money as a cam girl but at least not stripping online for hours either. Who would work $200 to have sex for money that's so cheap compared to what college girls make nowadays if they are that attractive. Also prostitutes in LA do not make 200 bucks. More like 20 bucks. Would have been realistic if the victim were an aspiring Hollywood actress sleeping with influential big wigs to catch a break.Second, why would you get batshit drunk while meeting a potentially hostile entity?Third, $25/night motel really and not using the chain and deadbolting the locks? (Both her and her love interest).Fourth, there's a sense that it's pandering to the strong woman feminist group. Turning down a guy that she desperately likes to move on to the next adventure to give that i-don't-need-a-man feel. If the guy is as smart as the book showed and she's a PI he would make a great business detective partner and they can book assignments together to solve cases faster and make more $$$.I still give it a 3* because even though the writing is sloppy and not well-researched and it irks the heck out of me as I am from Los Angeles, the plot is good. The concept is good. The writing needs work and lots (and I mean LOTS of research).

From start to finish, very much enjoyed this fast paced crime thriller. It’s an easy read, with like-able characters and plot. I would read this author again hoping for similar entertainment.

Thin Air by Lisa Gray is a gripping thriller that follows private investigator Jessica Shaw as she tries to solve a cold case that involves her own past. The book is fast-paced and full of twists and turns that keep you hooked until the end. The author does a great job of creating realistic and complex characters that you care about. The setting of Los Angeles is also vividly described and adds to the atmosphere of the story.However, the book also has some flaws that might bother some readers. For example, some of the dialogue is clichéd and unnatural, especially when Jessica interacts with other investigators. Some of the plot points are also predictable and rely on convenient coincidences. The ending is satisfying but also leaves some loose ends that might frustrate some readers who want more closure.Overall, Thin Air is an enjoyable and engaging read that will appeal to fans of mystery and suspense. It is not perfect, but it is certainly worth a try if you are looking for a new book to read.4 stars

A chance read from first reads, and very glad I did. A great read with plenty of twists and turns in it… looking for another Lisa Gray story

Couldve ended with some clarity and exposure to jessica of what kind of character was the antagonist, Expect that every thing was so attentive.Thank tou.

I enjoyed reading this book and it's worth the 5 star rating. Sex, lies and greed is the root for all blackmails and murder. In my opinion it is best not to know where you come from. I recommend this book. Great story !

A great read: I found it difficult to put it down. Fast paced, great story with twists leading to a great ending

Well written. Storyline interesting. Kept me guessing until the last page.