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. ( )

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. ( )

Book Review & Giveaway: Fatal Decree is the latest book in the Matt Royal mystery series by H. Terrell Griffin. This series is set around a Gulf island and has been compared to the old Travis McGee series by John D. McDonald. It has that same laid back buddy mystery feel to it but these buddies all have some serious credentials and the women are not just eye candy, thankfully. You don’t have to read this series in order because each book is fairly self-explanatory, so no worries if you haven’t read the previous ones. If you like interesting mysteries with a small-town feeling to them but with lots of action and suspense then read the rest of my review & enter to win a copy at http://popcornreads.com/?p=5339. ( )

When a murder occurs on Longboat Key Island, Florida, it looks to be the work of a serial killer who terrorized the city of Miami twelve years ago. But why here and why now? Retired lawyer Matt Royal, his friend Jock Algren who is an assassin for a secret government organization, and the island's only police detective JD Duncan work together to investigate. What they find throws all their preconceived notions out the window - the killer is a great deal more dangerous than they thought. Catching him may not be the problem; getting out alive is.

Fatal Decree is a taut, fast tale with lots of action and plenty of twists and turns to keep you turning pages. It is also an interesting departure from the usual black-and-white thriller. As the trio of investigators move toward the solution, it becomes clear that each of the three has a different idea of how the story should end. This made the story seem, at once, more thoughtful and more suspenseful.

If you are looking for a thriller with a slightly more nuanced view of outcomes than usual, try this one. it is smart, savvy, and a real wild ride. ( )

Fatal Decree: A Matt Royal Mystery by H. Terrell Griffin
4 STARS

This is my first Matt Royal Mystery but not my last. I found that I had two others on my kindle that I will read next. Fatal Decree I believe is the 6th Matt Royal Mystery.
Thier are a lot of characters that fans of the series has already met in detail.
Fatal Decree can stand alone but I want to go back and read the books before in the series.
I like Matt and his friends. They have some very powerful friends in high places. Thier was no way I would have guessed who the killer was and why. It is full of drama,action,police detective,secret goverment agencies,drug dealers,murders. Did not want to put the book down until I had finshed reading it.

Description

When a serial killer shows up on Longboat Key, Florida after a twelve year absence, Matt Royal is stymied. The first woman killed on Longboat Key has ties to a secretive government agency for which Matt's best friend Jock Algren works. Was this a coincidence or was she a targeted kill? Matt's friend, Longboat Key detective Jennifer Diane (J.D.) Duncan investigates the murders but also seems to be a target of the killer. Why? And where has the killer been for the past twelve years? And why has he come to Longboat Key when his earlier kills were all in Miami? The mystery deepens when Guatemalan gang-bangers try to kill Matt and J.D. and suspicions grow that Mexican drug cartels are somehow involved. The director of Jock's agency orders him to do whatever is necessary to find the killer because of the death of the woman with connections to the agency. Will Jock simply take out the murderer or allow J.D. and the law to arrest, try and convict the bad guys? Matt's life is further complicated by J.D.'s growing dissatisfaction with island living and her thoughts of returning to Miami. (Taken off Netgalley site about Fatal Decree)

Matt Royal is retired lawyer and loyal friend. He is divorced and a beach bum is his discription.
Jock Algren works for secret goverment agency and when he is between assignments lives on the island in Matt's house.
Diane (J.D.) Duncan Matt's friend who he wants to be closer too but does not want to ruin friendship. She is the Island's detective. Someone wants her dead. Her boss is Matt's friend too.

The one thing that I did not like is that clue about what was going to go wrong with thier plan. Matt hinted a lot of different times about what was going to happen. Just a little complaint.

I would love to live on Longboat Key, Florida too especially after the foot of snow in my yard this week.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when I was done by Netgalley.
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing (January 15, 2013) 340 pages ISBN: 1608090701 ( )