Featured Official Review: Big Flies by Keith Hirshland

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LivreAmour217
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Featured Official Review: Big Flies by Keith Hirshland

Post by LivreAmour217 »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Big Flies" by Keith Hirshland.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Based upon actual events, Keith Hirshland's Big Flies is the cleverly crafted tale of a criminal mastermind and a young man's search for the truth. Leland David's father, world renowned travel guide author Chester David, has recently died. Shortly after his passing, Leland discovers that his father was a fraud who never visited the places about which he wrote, which begs the question: If Chester wasn't touring exotic locales for his books, then what was the purpose behind his numerous "business" trips? Determined to find out, Leland heads West to visit a family friend who may have answers, and discovers his father's connection to a string of unsolved, high-profile robberies.

Big Flies is one of the most unique books that I have read in some time. Although a work of fiction, this book was inspired by actual high-profile crimes that took place in the 1970s and 80s. After finishing this book, I did a little research on each heist, and I was singularly impressed with the author's ability to string the events together. Each crime was so unique that few people would connect them, but Mr. Hirshland manages to tie each one together in an original and strangely convincing way.

The book's chapters alternate between the points of view of modern-day Leland and a younger Chester. Leland's chapters begin with the heading "These Days," while Chester's are entitled "Those Days," which leaves little room for confusion. The transition between the time periods is smooth throughout the book, although some of Leland's chapters were extremely short (we're talking maybe two paragraphs), which made me wonder why they weren't consolidated within other chapters. However, this didn't happen frequently, so it wasn't much of a bother. The writing itself was quite good, with minimal, easily-fixed errors.

This story also contains a strong psychological component that drives the plot forward. I can't reveal details without including spoilers, but as a psychology major, I found this method to be highly enjoyable. On the surface, this aspect of the novel pushes the boundaries of reality (and perhaps even vaults the story into the supernatural), but the real-world element wasn't lost upon me, and I think that many avid readers would appreciate it as well. What I can say about this particular detail of the book is that it could spark some interesting discussions on perception and memory.

Big Flies is a fun and thought-provoking read, and I give it 4 out of 4 stars. I believe that those who like reading crime and mystery novels would enjoy this book, with the caveat that it isn't your typical offering from these genres. But I also believe that Big Flies has broader appeal, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good story.

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Big Flies
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Post by CrescentMoon »

This book sounds amazing. I love crime and mystery thrillers but the fact this is also a psychological thriller is a huge plus. Definitely going on my to read list. Thanks for the review!
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

CrescentMoon wrote:This book sounds amazing. I love crime and mystery thrillers but the fact this is also a psychological thriller is a huge plus. Definitely going on my to read list. Thanks for the review!
Thank you, CrescentMoon! I hope you enjoy this book!
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Post by bookowlie »

Great review! I almost selected this book recently and enjoyed reading the Amazon sample. I wound up picking another book - too many review books to pick from! Glad you loved the book.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

bookowlie wrote:Great review! I almost selected this book recently and enjoyed reading the Amazon sample. I wound up picking another book - too many review books to pick from! Glad you loved the book.
Thank you! Yes, there are so many selections! I was considering two other titles before choosing this one!
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Post by CDJ »

Alright so I have been eyeing this cover for some time, and each time I kept thinking, this is not a book I would be interested in reading. Well how times change, after reading your review a couple of things make this book sound intriguing to me: first, the fact that he had written all of these books on travel, but had not gone to any of these locales, second, Where was he doing his "travels"? He was a cat burglar?? Did he have another family? Is that the money the family lived on, how much was he pocketing on these robberies. Needless to say your review has me intrigued enough that I will now be adding this book to my must read list.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

CDJ wrote:Alright so I have been eyeing this cover for some time, and each time I kept thinking, this is not a book I would be interested in reading. Well how times change, after reading your review a couple of things make this book sound intriguing to me: first, the fact that he had written all of these books on travel, but had not gone to any of these locales, second, Where was he doing his "travels"? He was a cat burglar?? Did he have another family? Is that the money the family lived on, how much was he pocketing on these robberies. Needless to say your review has me intrigued enough that I will now be adding this book to my must read list.
Thanks for reading my review! I am so glad that it has enticed you to read the book! I hope you enjoy it :)
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like a really great read. The author seems to have done a great job with his research as well as in writing the book. I hope I get the chance to read this. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Keith Hirshland on such an obviously well written book.
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Post by TrishaAnn92 »

Insightful review! :) I don't really enjoy this type of book, but it does sound intriguing!

-- October 20th, 2016, 9:38 am --

Insightful review! :) I don't really enjoy this type of book, but it does sound intriguing!
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

TrishaAnn92 wrote:Insightful review! :) I don't really enjoy this type of book, but it does sound intriguing!

-- October 20th, 2016, 9:38 am --

Insightful review! :) I don't really enjoy this type of book, but it does sound intriguing!
Thank you!

-- 20 Oct 2016, 15:48 --
kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like a really great read. The author seems to have done a great job with his research as well as in writing the book. I hope I get the chance to read this. Great job on the review. Congratulations to Keith Hirshland on such an obviously well written book.
Thanks, Kimmy! I hope that you get to read the book, too!
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Post by LeenKansas »

Wow, great review! I really enjoy books that alternate between the points of view and I look forward to seeing how the author used this concept to add to the overall story. I will definitely being adding this book to my reading list.
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

LeenKansas wrote:Wow, great review! I really enjoy books that alternate between the points of view and I look forward to seeing how the author used this concept to add to the overall story. I will definitely being adding this book to my reading list.
Thank you! It's a worthwhile read and I hope you enjoy it!
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Post by godreaujea »

It is impressive and intriguing that the author bases the heists off of true events. Sounds like an interesting read!
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Post by Camogirl217 »

Very good review! I like your writing style :)
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Post by LivreAmour217 »

godreaujea wrote:It is impressive and intriguing that the author bases the heists off of true events. Sounds like an interesting read!
Oh yes, it is very interesting! :)

-- 24 Oct 2016, 19:31 --
Camogirl217 wrote:Very good review! I like your writing style :)
Thank you!!! :D
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