H. Terrell GriffinRezensionen

Vindication (A Matt Royal Mystery) by H. Terrell Griffin Published January 2nd 2018 by Oceanview Publishing was a very interesting read.
Former attorney Matt Royal is enjoying his “retirement” on Longboat Key when he receives a telephone call from his girlfriend Jennifer Diane Duncan who is a detective and takes a few weeks off to help Matt resolve Aunt Esther’s situation. Nothing takes you out of retirement quicker then the person you love or there family needing help. Her aunt Esther Higgins has been arrested for the murder of writer Olivia Lathom. That is the first book by this author that I have read and it was a nice quick read. The prologue confused me because I was like what does a Miss Georgia pageant have to do with Aunt Esther’s book? This book is well written and brilliantly paced, it is a murder mystery until the last page. All the characters are likeable and the descriptions make me want to visit Florida more often. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future. I give it 4 Royal Stars. Thank you Negalley, Oceanview and H Terrell Griffin for my arc of this book I enjoyed it.

Tedious. Couldn't finish, stopped half way.

Turgid and uninteresting.

Is this a really bad cozy mystery, an pretend thriller, or a truly lame courtroom drama? It's all three so decide which of these descriptions dismays you most and then triple the effect.

The cozy part comes from the aimless and nearly endless description of the hopelessly banal life in the paradise which is west Florida around Sarasota. Matt Royal retired there at an early-ish age and loves it and loves it and it's so perfect he loves it. Endless beer and sunshine and the caresses of his sweetie who is so perfect except she loves him for some unfathomable reason. Endless descriptive text of sunrises and sunsets and jogs on the beach and beer with his buddies.

The thriller bit is drawn from Matt's irrelevant prior military service (green beret, medal winner) and his buddy the super spy (who has a direct line to the US President for gosh sake). Three, count them three, unrelated characters who work for military intelligence. Gloried worship of ex-military personnel, and two of the the most pathetic shakedown attempts in print.

The courtroom drama is a simple recitation of the steps of a murder trial of a woman who should never have been arrested. In it we find out that a huge amount of work had been going on off screen without our knowledge. Piles of depositions taken "weeks before" at some never explained spare moment. The defendant's laptop is found and processed without our knowledge. (I had already done a text search to be sure that Royal had not collected it, when suddenly it popped up in the courtroom.)

And finally, the solution to the mystery is so improbable that you will want to cry out in anguish at the lost hours of your life.

I received a review copy of "Vindication" by H. Terrell Griffin (Oceanview) through NetGalley.com.

Griffin is an author that leaves bread crumbs along a path for the reader to follow. Excellent crime drama with likable characters that travel through the pages in a smooth and entertaining format. This being the eleventh book in the Matt Royal series it has no problem being a stand alone. Matt is a retired lawyer who has found the spice of life as a beach bum. His girl friend J.D's aunt Esther has been arrested for murder and Matt is putting his shorts away to come to her rescue. Loved the way that Griffin left clues but kept the mystery moving till the very last page. All the evidence was gathered and justice was served in this case. "A copy of the book was provided by Oceanview Publishing via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. All comments here are my honest opinion." Would not hesitate reading any of the others in this series.

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Matt, a former lawyer, is persuaded out of retirement to defend his girlfriend's aunt Esther on a murder charge. I gather that this is part of a series where Matt's services are regularly required. In this case Esther is accused of shooting a woman who she claims stole the manuscript of her novel, but whom she also claims never to have even met.

After a rather slow opening few chapters set in the past and focussing on a Miss Georgia pageant, things picked up once the focus switched to Matt and his girlfriend JD. There was a large chunk in the first person in Matt's voice, and then a sudden switch to the third person from JD's perspective, which was jarring. After that the narrative switched regularly between Matt, JD and Josh, with his useful government contacts. I liked Matt and his humorous, easy relationships with his friends. The novel was well-plotted, with the pageant story eventually being drawn into the main narrative, although only eventually - it kept me guessing. The last few chapters described the trial, which I always enjoy reading - these reminded me of a Perry Mason novel, although we did have more of an idea of what was going to happen. There were a few very heartfelt and moving sections about veterans and serving armed forces personnel, which somehow fitted with the otherwise light tone.

My only complaints would be a certain amount of repetition - we heard about the time of the year after the snowbirds had gone home at least three times - and an inability on the part of the editor to distinguish between principal and principle.

Recommended.

I tried, really I did. The premise of the story immediately caught my attention. I wanted to read it, to be absorbed by it, to love it. But, no, that didn't happen at all.

On a positive note, I did like the author's phrasing and pacing. His style has an easy flow, inviting us in and letting us see events unfold.

But...

Almost immediately, there is a lot going on and a lot of characters to keep track of. I have not read any of the prior Matt Royal novels, and perhaps I wouldn't have felt so off balance if I'd been familiar with the characters at the start. There is little character development here, and consequently the characters fell flat. Because of this, I'd recommend starting at the beginning of the series if you have interest.

I could have dealt with the scattered directions and multitude of characters, if I'd been able to buy into the story. I couldn't. Nothing about the plot felt believable to me. Examples are difficult to give without spoilers, and I don't want to ruin the story for anyone. In this case, though, examples aren't all that necessary because I didn't believe any of it, not the various storylines and not the characters. This is the kind of book I could have put down midway and never thought about again.

Being the voice of doom is uncomfortable. We always want to love the books we choose to read. This one didn't work for me, but it might be perfect for you.

*I received an advance ebook copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*

This isn't the first Matt Royal book I've read, and I enjoyed all the others I read, but this one was disappointing; it didn't measure up to the previous books in the series. The action read like an cheesy 80s movie; the dialogue was very cliche and stilted. It almost sounded like it was written by an over-eager high school freshman in a creative writing class. Every chapter ended with a "But little did we know..." or "But we never made it to..." to build suspense for the coming chapter, I guess. Unfortunately it didn't come. The plot itself was so convoluted as to be unbelievable and predictable. I don't know if this concept just petered out or what, but maybe it's time Matt and friends retired for good.

A fast-paced, action mystery that one can get lost in for a few hours.
I enjoyed it!

What at first glance is a simple murder mystery turns into something with many more sinister overtones. What was one body becomes multiple bodies; anyone can be a potential target. The story is cranked up from a single simple layer to multiple layers with the plot evolving at break neck speed so much so that the tension is ratcheted up and resembles an elastic band about to break.

A well-paced, twister of a policed procedural thriller. A very much a fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants story. This novel is real easy to read and the short chapters further enhance the speed with which this novel travels. The interest is kept right to the end and I defy you to guess who the killer is before then.

The two main characters were intriguing and well written but did we have to have the sexual tension and the ending was a big let-down for me but the rest was just WOW. What I particularly like about Matt was that he was an avid reader and with what downtime he did have he was always reading a book (can we please have more characters like this).

Mostly written in the first person there are some chapters that are written in the third person so not only does the reader get Matt’s point of view but we also get the murder’s point of view too (though without knowing who the murder is until the end).

This is a thinking reader’s thriller with the psychological implications of each murder intact. The hero is not flashy, but real and believable. I whole heartedly recommend this book.

This can be read as a standalone novel but I will be going back to read the previous books in the series, possibly rereading this one in order and I will be on the lookout for future novels by this author; and this series in particular.

Full Disclosure: ARC received from Netgalley for an honest review.

At the start of Griffin's complicated eighth mystery featuring retired lawyer Matt Royal (after Fatal Decree), Royal's sweetie, Longboat Key, Fla., detective J.D. Duncan, receives a text message with a photo of her friend Katie Fredrickson, who disappeared after Katie's husband, Jim, was murdered in Sarasota a year earlier. Forensic evidence at the scene suggested Katie was probably dead, but now there's hope she's alive. Duncan also investigates the fatal shooting of elderly Ken Goodlow, a WWII vet who was on his way to see Royal at the time of his murder. Duncan follows up the cold case involving Katie, while Royal tries to discover why Goodlow wanted his legal services. When the going gets tough, Royal turns to his best friend, Jock Algren, whose ruthlessly applied justice provides counterpoint to Royal's relaxed Florida lifestyle and good-natured banter with Duncan. Despite the unwieldy plot, Griffin's fans should be pleased.

This was a Library Thing giveaway for a review! Thank you Library Thing~ "Found" is a Matt Royal Mystery - apparently #8 in the series, but my 1st! Although I have not read any of the previous books, I definitely did not feel lost or had even a inkling in reading this book, that it was part of a series, so I would say if you like the legal thriller mystery genre - than you can start with this one and not feel lost or that they are discusing something that happened in previous books(even if they happen to be). I have to say, it was a good book, It definitely had the feel of a Micky Spillane or better yet, a Travis Mcgee. An interesting twist at the end that got me.. and I thought I had it all figured out, only to find a twist at the end that caught me by surprised. This is a quick easy going read with plenty of action, romance, mystery and well... a lot of drinking too. Worth your while if you like the "legal thriller' genre

An old man is shot and killed in a seemingly random attack. A cop gets a text from her friend . . .one whom everyone thought was murdered a year ago. Another man who knew them both disappears. A German U-boat lurks in the Gulf of Mexico 60 years ago. A mysterious mobster that no one can identify is involved with all of these things somehow.

These are the things that Matt and JD, partners in life and in solving crimes, try to unravel. They have to deduce all of the connections that exist between them before more people end up dead.

I enjoyed this book generally, but I did find it to be a bit difficult to follow. There are a LOT of characters and a lot of plot points that a great deal of attention needs to be paid to all of them to really follow this story. I liked the depth of the characters and the fact that they are multi-dimensional. The conclusion of the story is satisfying and there is a neat plot twist towards the end. The pace is steady and the action is exciting if a bit predictable. The Florida setting feels authentic. The writing is precise with crisp descriptions of both the actions and the setting. Really the only thing I didn't like was that the plot at times seemed to be overly complicated and there were so many characters that at times it became a bit confusing. Still, I did like the story and the main characters are compelling. If you like police procedural type mysteries you should check out this series.½

I would give this 6 stars if I could. JD is a cop, Matt is a retired lawyer living on an island off Sarasota, FL. The story starts with a murder, a high speed chase that results with the perp driving off a bridge.

Griffin has two story lines going throughout the book, one with a 1940's timeline, the other one in the present.

Who is killing the senior citizens from Cortez? Why? Where is JD's friend Kate and is she still alive?

The story moves fast and holds your attention. Griffin ties everything up neatly and plausibly. I am going to hunt down the other Matt Royal novels. Great series

I have to hand it to the publishers of Found, the book did not arrive as first promised, but arrived several weeks later. I was surprised that they sent it at all!
I was also pleasantly surprised while reading, to find that it was a very enjoyable read. I would recommend this book as a good beach read!! I liked it so much that I am going out to find other books written by Mr. Griffin to add to my collection. Great read!!!!!!

This is my first Matt Royal mystery. I found it to be a relatively quick read, however, one has to pay attention as there are several threads running thru the book. The characters are well done and believable, altho, I do wonder if in the real world a police detective would rely as much on friends outside of the police force. I gave it three and 1/2 stars mostly due to the fact that the author tends to use names over and over when building up a characterization. For example, the use of "Bess" in every short paragraph about her. A characterization can be accomplished without resorting to continuous name usage.½

This is my first Matt Royal mystery and I did enjoy it. I find Matt and his many friends who help him and J.D. solve crime quite likable. I especially liked Jock. I did find though that all the different storylines to be at times confusing even though they all tied in at the end. I will read a couple more of Matt Royal Mysteries since some reviewers have said that this was not one of Mr. Griffins best. All in all I found it to be a very enjoyable read. I received this from LibraryThing early Reviews for an honest review.

I was so happy when I received the notice I was getting a copy of this book in Nov. but really disappointed when by Jan the book still had not come. When it did finally come, I felt like a kid on Christman Day when Santa Claus came and left me every thing I wanted. This may have been my first H.Terrell Griffin book but it will not be the last.It hooks you from the first page and does not let go until the last. If you have never read one of his book,put it on your to-do list. Thank you very much Library Thing for introducing me to a new author for my ever going favorite list.

Matt Royal, former lawyer and current PI becomes involved in two seemingly unrelated cases. His girlfriend, JD, a police detective, receives a texted picture of her friend...who was supposedly murdered the year before. In the second case, an old man is show to death in broad daylight. Add in the best friend, Jock, who is an agent in an unnamed secret agency and you have the ingredients for a complicated mystery with many unexpected twists and turns, but with a leisurely feel from the setting in the Florida keys. A nice mixture for a spring vacation read!½

I asked for this book primarily because it takes place on Longboat Key in Florida, a place with which I was very familiar. I had not read any of the others in the series and so the format was a bit disconcerting at first with the jumps between first person and third person narration. Having just read the Blaize Clement "Cat sitter" books I was struck by numerous similarities, particularly the "odd friend" whose job is secret. Anyway, this book combines several mysteries, including one involving a WWII sunken U boat, and weaves them all together into a cohesive whole. Beginning with the seeming resurrection of a dead woman, and an execution style murder of an elderly man, retired lawyer Matt and his main squeeze officer JD have their hands and minds full. The plot twists and turns are a bit hard to follow but it all worked out in the end with a few surprises. People who like John D. McDonald will enjoy this.

This is the first Matt Royal mystery I have read. I found the plot interesting, the characters mostly believable (I'd like to be friends with Jock), and the whole story entertaining. I will definitely be going back to read Mr. Griffin's earlier books, and look forward to more.

Found: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin

Found is the eighth in a series of Matt Royal books. Matt is a retired lawyer who previously had been an Army Special Forces officer and now lives on the island of Longboat Key, off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. His sweetheart is Jennifer Diane Duncan (J. D.), Longboat Key Police Department's only detective. Matt's BFF, Jock Algren, is an intelligence operative for "the most secretive agency of the federal government, one so secret it didn't even have a name." He reports directly to the president of the United States and, unlike J. D., Jock works outside the parameters of the law. With these three on the scene, bad guys don't stand a chance!

Found sets off with two mysteries to solve: A picture of Katie Fredrickson, J. D.'s sorority little sister, for the past year thought to be dead but in the picture holding today's newspaper, is sent to J. D.'s cell phone with no accompanying explanation. The same afternoon that the picture arrives, an old man who lives mid-key is murdered and the perpetrator, racing from the scene in a Jaguar and pursued by the cops, is killed when he loses control of his car. Mysterious papers in German and Arabic are found in the car. A short while after the investigations begin, Jock shows up to decompress with Matt after completing a mission in Europe.

As any reader of mysteries knows, deep down, the two cases must be entangled. Around a dozen people are involved and a large part of the mystery is trying to determine who is an innocent bystander and who is a bad guy. The other major part is trying to determine the motives - interpreting the clues correctly and determining why the different events are happening. The plot is quite convoluted and taking notes as a police officer might is highly recommended to the reader. You can't tell the players without a scorecard!

For a story billed as a "thriller", there are surprisingly few action sequences. Except for those few events that happen directly to a main character, all of the murder and mayhem occur 'off stage', as it were. In almost every other short chapter (they're all only about 3-4 pages long), one or another of the main characters crosses a bridge (several islands and mainland Florida are all interconnected) and meets with witnesses, friends, family, strangers, police officers and possible perpetrators in a living room, restaurant or bar where they explain to each other (and the reader) what has happened and what they learned. This large amount of explanatory narrative throughout the story gets to be a bit tedious, but with a large cast of characters and a convoluted plot, the author has few other options to get all of the material across without doubling the length of the book and losing many readers along the way.

While all of the characters and the intricate plot can be confusing (which may the point, after all), the story is entertaining and the mysteries are intriguing. It is enjoyable to learn about each and every one of the clues and different people's interpretation of them at the same time as do the main characters. It becomes a contest to see if one can untangle the mysteries before the main characters accomplish that. And that's the whole attraction of a mystery, right?

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.½

A disappointing effort! Matt and his buddy, Jock, are just a little too perfect. Jock makes a phone call and magically data and resources are at his beck and call. Matt has connections which make his investigation of a friend's son's murder very expeditious. Overall, Matt Royal and his friend, Jock, are not anything readers haven't seen before.

Billed as you'll like this if you like John. D. MacDonald. The usual mystery in the Keys of Florida, not as good as other series set there. Don't know that I'd read another. Found myself skimming the last couple of chapters. Terrible dialogue. Two stars.

4 stars

I have read all 8 Matt Royal books and this one follows along with the others. Someone is trying to kill Matt or at least break some bones. He has no idea why anyone would come after him again. For a retired lawyer he sure racks up people who hate him.

There is a lot of violence in a Matt Royal Mystery. Usually Matt and Jock are the ones taking out the bad guys. They are not the most law abiding two citizens. They sometimes merit out justice that is not legal.

J.D. gets a text from a friend showing todays headlines. Katie was thought to have died a year ago with her husband. Killed in her own home. Her body was never found. The picture had writing on it that was a personal between them at collage.

J.D. is the only detective in Longboat. She is busy so asks her honey Matt to help her look into Katie's murder. Matt is a retired lawyer. He retired young with a enough money to last if he is careful. He calls himself a beach bum.

J.D. is working on a murder of a retired fisherman who was in WWII. Her and Matt saw the murderer go off the bridge into the bay being chased by a cop who was down the road from the murder. They have no idea who he is.

A car is following J.D. and when Matt asks why someone is sent to break some bones for sticking his nose where it belongs. Matt has different plans.

Jock who is close to Matt is a agent who belongs to a agency that has no name. He reports to his boss and the President of the United States. Jock can find out a lot with just a phone call. He is sent into a lot of situations to take care of top secret jobs. He is in town to do a golf tournament with a another friend Logan. Jock does not like that someone is after Matt.

J.D. likes Jock but has a hard time with his ethics. Like taking out four bad guys. Breaking into places instead of getting a warrant ect.

The plot twists and turns I did not expect most of it. There is plenty of action, bad guys and a lot of death before it is over with. If you like the other Matt Royal books you will want to read Found. I look forward to reading the next book.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.
11/19/2013 PUB Oceanview Publishing 325 pages ISBN:9781608090990