The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Crude Currency: A John Lock Novel
Because Crude Currency was Book of the Day, some of our most trusted members have carefully looked over the cover, the description, and other aspects of this book as a part of purchase-intent focus group. We then asked each participant in the focus group if they planned to buy and read the book, and why they planned to buy and read the book or not. Their answer to that question and reasons are displayed below. We call this awesome feature The First Ten Focus Group.
Keep in mind, the responses from the members are not reviews. This is purchase-intent focus group which means the participants are people who have NOT yet bought or read your book. A purchase-intent focus group is an important and extremely useful marketing tool for any product, not just books. For other products, you might walk on the street and show people an item in a package and poll them about whether they would buy if or $X or not. These kind of focus groups are one of the ways big marketing companies find the ideal price points for products and test the effectiveness of different packaging. The focus group can help you identify your market so you how to target ads of your book, and it can (but may not) provide you new useful info about your "packaging" (e.g. your book cover, your book synopsis on Amazon, etc.). The point of the focus group comments is to give you information from people who have not bought or read your book about why they plan to buy your book which will help you in marketing the book. These are not reviews or critiques of your book because they are not from people have read the book. This is a marketing tool, not reviews. The trick of book marketing and book advertising is that you have to convince people who have not read your book yet that your book is worth buying and reading. For marketing, it doesn't matter much if people love your book after reading it if you cannot convince potential buyers before they read it that they will love it.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable. This is because we only poll about 20 or so readers, and all readers have to say "no" to almost all books. Over a million books are published each year. Even a very active reader cannot come close to even reading 1% of books out there.
This is also why publishing books is such a tough industry.
Heidi M Simone
If it wasn't for this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover seems fairly bland and the title isn't one that piques my interest. Reading the blurb gives a good idea of what the book will be about, but unfortunately it isn't one that I'm interested in reading. In addition, international crime/mystery is a genre that I rarely read. The reviews, including the OBC one, do not sway my opinion of the book one way or the other. Based on what I read, the book does seem to be edited well. In general, I like the cruise aspect of the story. I went on one once and reading brought some of those memories back. However, I don't find myself connecting with John, the main character, and his loneliness without Rachel, his ex. Also, I didn't find myself caring about how the captain of the ship has rigged the casino machines to limit the amount of winners. In general, I don't think this book is for me for the above reasons. Therefore, I do not plan on finishing this book.
First Ten review added on May 6, 2018, at 7:05 am by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gravy
This is way outside my typically reading preference, so I would never have looked into it, and the sample did not change my mind about it.
There were no errors that I noticed, and the sample was interesting and kept my attention. There was a repetitiveness to the writing, but I found that it gave a noir style/feel to the story.
I also have to note the font used on the cover, as it is kind of genius and sets the mood quite nicely.
I am not sure if there was an official review, but my opinion would be the same regardless.
Due to personal reading preference, I won't be continuing with this, but would likely recommend it to the right reader.
First Ten review added on May 6, 2018, at 4:52 am by Gravy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
rs1977
The cover is indicative of the places where the story is happening, and the title is indicative that there's something sinister at works that needs be handled. I would have chosen the book for sampling even if not for the First Ten program. On sampling this book, I found the story exciting and worth a full read. I loved the Greece background, the mafia connections, and the ship detective taking actions along with an EU detective. It's quite a theme that I would read, as I like thriller novels very much. I am going to read this one in full. I found the book professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the story is the plot and the narration. What I thought could be improved is the writing style, which is a bit rustic. I found an OBC review for the book, but my decision to read this book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on May 6, 2018, at 12:57 am by rs1977.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
N_R
Reading the review of this book, it was very positive and therefore I was looking forward to reading the sample. I am aware that this is a series and this is the third book of the series. Reading the sample, I enjoyed the first part which was talking about planning for a murder. However, it then started to discuss the action on a ship and I felt a bit lost. I wonder if I missed out on some things as a result of not reading the first two books. For this reason, I am not going to buy this book, but I want to go back and read the first book to see if it is a series that I will want to read. I did not see any spelling errors and the book appears to be professionally formatted. I think that the part of the book I liked the most was the start where it moved at a reasonable pace, but did not go too fast.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 8:14 pm by N_R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
RebeccasReading
This is a book I would have normally read. The action and adventure outlined in the description definitely appeal to me. After reading the sample, my opinion is the same. I will be finishing this book. The mystery of the main character's plot hooked me in. I enjoyed the way the author set up the intensity of John Lock. My only suggestion for improvement is to make the cover a little more eye-catching. It seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 5:27 pm by RebeccasReading.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ccrews0408
Based on the cover and review, I had mixed feelings about this book. The cover looks extremely bland. Though the actual scenery is nice, it's casted in a very dark light. I don't think it would attract very many readers. The review, on the other hand, sounded action packed and very exciting. Now that I have read the first 10 pages, I don't plan on reading this book. It starts off pretty interesting, where Lock is on murder a mission; however, after the scene switches to the cruise ship, I quickly began to lose interest. I didn't notice any typos or grammatical errors and there was an official OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 4:09 pm by ccrews0408.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
Despite the beautiful and intriguing cover, I probably wouldn't have sampled this without the program because I have a long reading list at the moment and don't normally read thrillers. I would, however, like to read on after the first ten pages because Lock's mission is intriguing and the locations are well described. I noticed the error 'shuddered' instead of 'shuttered' (presumably). I liked the port settings and the hero's toughness best. There were some stereotyped descriptions of women that could maybe be improved, but I'll read on to find out how the Rachel character is handled. I did see an OnlineBookClub review.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 3:47 pm by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
melissy370
I was on the fence about if I wanted to read this book. I don't read too many crime novels, but the Amazon blurb made it sound action packed, which does interest me. The sample did help in making up my mind and I will not finish reading it. It starts off ok, but then all the casino information made me zone out. I also did not like all the odd analogies the characters used. I did not see any errors.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 2:53 pm by melissy370.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
IsabelMay
I wouldn't have sampled this book on my own since the cover and the description didn't intrigue me. The sample was rather dull, due to to blocks of description that truly suffocated the storyline. It was packed with unnecessary details. I couldn't wait to get to some action or at least some dialogue. Therefore, there's room for improvement when it comes to the writing style. The book seems proofread, if not edited. I've seen several positive reviews, including one by OBC, but the storyline just isn't my cup of tea, so I'll skip this one.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 2:03 pm by IsabelMay.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shelle
I like international mysteries and thrillers and thought this one looked good. I had never heard of the John Lock series and am grateful for the BOTD program for bringing it to my attention. The story starts off quickly, but then turns into more of a data dump and I was overwhelmed with tedious information that I should have been able to gather organically. This is the third book in the series and I always start with book 1, so if I were to read this one, it would be after I finished the first two books. Because this isn't the first book in the series, I will not be reading the rest right away. This book appeared to be professionally edited and error-free.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 11:51 am by Shelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jackie Holycross
I thought the blurb sounded interesting. I like crime and action plus the cruise ship should add to the plot. So I might have tried this book on my own. The first few pages caught my attention. The main character has several self-professed faults including drinking, gambling, and driving his girlfriend away. I like the fact that he is an imperfect hero. I did not notice an editing mistakes, and I don’t see anything that needs improved. I do plan to finish reading this book. I’m really curious about what crime is about to happen.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 11:24 am by Jackie Holycross.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
bookowlie
I would not have sampled this book without First Ten the topics described in the Amazon blurb are not my cup of tea - government corruption, drug smuggling, human trafficking, the Russian mob, etc. That being said, the OBC review is glowing and mentions realistic characters and an easy to understand, suspenseful plot. The Amazon summary appears to be edited well, but the explanation of the plot made me feel the storyline would be too busy for my taste. The sample is also free of errors, but it is bogged down by an excess of description. Although the setting is described well, there is almost no dialogue to balance the overly descriptive narrative. John Lock's character is introduced well, but I still found it difficult to become absorbed into the story. Based on the subject matter and sample pages, I am not interested in buying the book.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 9:30 am by bookowlie.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I initially wasn't at all interested in this book based on the book title and cover. The sample started out quite choppy to my taste with rather brief sentences. The absence of dialogue in the beginning almost made me give up, but I held on for some reason. After a while, the story began to feel like something I generally root for and I eased up into it. I see myself getting to the end of the story. I couldn't find any errors save for a spot with an omitted comma. In the meantime, I laughed when I pictured Lock's disbelieving face when the information he'd just requested for from Sturgis was proclaimed ready before hand and also the point when I read about card counting: "It shifted the edge in favor of the gambler and was therefore banned by every casino on the planet." I don't really have any recommendation for improvement on the book and the absence of an OBC review didn't affect my decision negatively.
First Ten review added on May 5, 2018, at 3:32 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
P0tt3ry
Having read the first in the John Lock series, the "swing into action" approach was to be expected. The cover wasn't too inspiring but the reviews confirmed my hope that this book would be as good as the earlier ones. I will be continuing the series by reading this book. There were a few grammar errors--mainly word choice-- but they were few and far between. He "pulled hard" on a glass of brandy. The game room was "shuddered" rather than "shuttered." Small things that weren't too distracting. John Lock's relationships with his co-workers is one of the most interesting aspects of the book. I haven't read an OnlineBookClub review but it wouldn't have made a difference in this case.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 11:07 pm by P0tt3ry.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Chelsy Scherba
I found myself thoroughly entertained by this author’s writing style. The analogies he used were so creative. I’ve never heard of a nose so sharp it could slice daylight, that cracked me up. I didn’t see any errors, the editing was perfect. I like the tone set by the author and so far it’s very interesting and fun to read. I don’t usually like mystery novels or the crime genre, but I actually want to give this book a shot. There’s no review so I’m not completely sure what it’s about, but I still enjoyed the sample. I will definitely be reading more.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 10:48 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
ladycraic
I would not have chosen to sample Crude Currency apart from First Ten since I didn't find the cover visibly appealing. In addition, the title does nothing to draw my interest. The blurb was very well-written. After reading, I had more interest in sampling the first few pages of Crude Currency. I thought the first chapter started off strong. My attention was captured as I realized John Lock was a man of urgent (possibly dangerous) business. The opening lines of the chapter just drew me in. Midway, however, when John Lock was on the ship, my interest waned. I didn't really care for where the plot was going. Overall, I think I will pass on this book due to my lack of interest. Luckily, it's free so if ever I change my mind, I can always give Crude Currency another shot. This book seemed professionally edited but I noticed a few places where a comma could have been used.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 10:30 pm by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
I found this book's cover easy on the eyes but were it not for the First Ten program; I had no intention of sampling it. The few errors I spotted on the official review made me have even more doubts. When I read the first ten pages, the story didn't appeal to me as much as I envisioned. For this reason, I won't read the rest of it. I, therefore, conclude that the book underwent professional editing due to the lack of noticeable grammatical errors. What I liked most about the book is that the author's use of the third person point of view added an air of mystery to the story. As it is, there's nothing I would change about the bit I read.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 10:19 pm by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have not read Crude Currency if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. There wasn't a Book of the Day review so I was confused as to what to expect. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I enjoyed the Greek and cruise ship setting. However, this is the third book in the series. As a result, I didn't know anything about the characters or the plot. Due to this, I will not be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 10:06 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
psychopathycathy
If I had not read the sample I would not have read the book as I did not think it was in my genre. After reading the sample I have not changed my mind. It was professionally edited, but I felt like the narration was a little robotic; it seemed to keep telling the reader what was happening, but I wanted to read more about Lock's emotions, not just his actions. I think trying to "show", not "tell" would make the read more engaging. I did like the dialogue style, as it seemed very authentic and moved the story forwards faster than the narration did. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 9:05 pm by psychopathycathy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Tbunde5
I enjoy detective drama so I may have chosen this book, although the cover and title do not make the genre clear. The OBC review gave an interesting summary as well as stating that this is one in a series. The author does a good job of setting the stage for drama in the opening pages. There are several references to people and events that seem to require knowledge of previous books, which muddles the story for anyone who hasn’t read them. I noticed one glaring error- the use of shuddered instead of shuttered. Otherwise it was professionally edited. Because the book was free, I will finish reading it. If I enjoy it, I will probably need to buy the others as well.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 8:26 pm by Tbunde5.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
micoleon13
This is a well done cover page, but it didn't really immediately draw me in. Unfortunately, there was no OnlineBookClub review to change my mind. The pages which I read were well written and edited and started the story of Lock and his victim, Hanno. The story just didn't grab my attention so I will not be continuing with this book. I have no ideas for improvement.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 7:39 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bluecobia
The cover, title, and amazon review all indicate that this is a good detective / thriller. I would have liked to have seen a book club review but I probably would have checked this book out even without this program. Reading the first ten pages I can see the makings of a good thriller. I did not like the first chapter starting out then back tracking in time. I think it would have been better to keep it in order. I plan to put this on my to read list but will not start it right away. I did not see any editorial errors in the first ten pages so I presume that it was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 5:46 pm by Bluecobia.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a few pages of, Crude Currency by Gary Stull, I have decided that I will not be reading this book. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would not have picked it up. When I saw the cover, this book did not appeal to me. At first glance, I thought that this book would be a political mystery/thriller. As I read the blurb, my interest was not piqued. The author hints at mob connections, mystery, and danger. I am an avid reader of mystery novels, but this book does not pull me in. As I read a few pages of this book, my interest is not piqued. John Lock, as the main character, does not engage me. The first few pages only go to drive my disinterest in this book. I think that if the author had given us a prologue that it would have helped set the stage for the story. As is, Lock getting to his destination and going about is uninteresting. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does not have an official OnlineBookClub review. While I find this surprising, it does not impact my opinion of this book. I don't think that this book will be a good fit for me. I will not be putting it on my to-be-read shelf.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 5:06 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Christina O Phillips
The title and cover caught my eye. Based on the summary, this is not my kind of book. I would have skipped this sample if not for this program. There were no errors that I noticed. I do not know if it is the writing style or that this is book 3 of a series, but I felt like I was missing a lot that I needed to get into the story which I did not like. In the sample there was a lot of telling and not much dialogue until maybe halfway through the sample, which I did not like. The pace felt like it picked up once there was more interaction between the characters and I am interested in the fact that this has a cruise ship for a setting, but there was not much in the sample that I liked.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 3:53 pm by Christina O Phillips.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Bianka Walter
John Lock looks like a character that can create a great action story. He is very James Bond, and I feel like he is a protagonist that will bring great value to this book. I'm not sure, from only the sample, if he is worthy of a James Bond comparison, but the author has already started to build a very distinct character. The scenes in the book are beautifully described and I found the writing to flow well with no discernable errors. I would like to see where John Lock's story leads. I think this is a book that I would like to read, purely from the well written first ten pages.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 2:48 pm by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
If it had not been for the first ten program, I would not have known about this investigative series which seems quite appealing. I love the cover with the picturesque image of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. What is more, the title reflects the novel's topic skillfully summarized in the Amazon blurb. I have always enjoyed reading mystery books and thrillers. In Crude Currency, the cruise ship investigator John Lock is asked to find Auguste Wolfe, an EU negotiator on assignment to Turkey. What follows is full of suspense and many twists and turns. I like the fact that the investigation takes John Lock from Turkey to Russia or from Greece to France. There are no editorial reviews and only 3 reviews, albeit positive. The novel begins full speed with John Lock trying to find a way to contact Hector Hanno, the president of the Piraeus dockworkers' union and head of the local crime syndicate. He reminisces about his mission, an opportunity for readers to understand the storyline and to benefit from the delightful descriptions of the cruise ship itinerary. I think the author also does a good job in describing John and Rachel's troubled relationship. In addition, he knows a lot of things about Greece and Greek legends and mythology. He makes the secene of Lock's pursue of Hanno look realistic and credible. I could not find any typos or grammar mistakes in the first chapter. I did not have the chance to read an official OnlineBookClub review of the book. It would have been nice to learn how things turn out for John Lock. Anyway, I would like to give this novel a try in the near future.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 2:17 pm by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dolor
Even without the First Ten program, and the official OBC review, I will buy and read this book because the cover, the title, and the blurb had hooked me up. The cover gives me the feeling that I want to be in that place someday. The blurb gives me an idea of some twists and turns. There is no official OBC review of this book yet. Reading the first ten pages made me read more. The beginning of the story is a gripping read. Crude Currency: A John Lock Novel (John Lock Series Book 3) is a suspenseful crime/mystery book that chronicles the joining of forces of the two detectives at the same time old lovers, John Lock and Rachel McKean in a quest to find the negotiator, August Wolfe. I don't have any improvement suggestion for this professionally-edited book.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 2:14 pm by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kendra M Parker
I do enjoy day good crime novel now and then, but it has been a while since I looked much at the genre. While the Greek architecture on the front of the novel is lovely, it does not seem to connect to the title right away. The alliteration in the title is catchy, but I’m not sure that this alone would cause me to pause and pick up the book to read without this program. Reading the blurb on Amazong was fine and gave me a good picture of what to expect, but it wasn’t arresting, and knowing that this is the third in the series, I would want to know if I could read this out of order, or if I needed to read the other two first. I probably would not pick up this one until I had read the other two no matter what. Reading the first ten, I was drawn into the story pretty quickly. There is plenty of suspense created from the first few pages, and that is a great way to start books in this genre. It is well written and I could feel myself getting drawn into it. I did not see an official review of this book, which doesn’t mean much, but it is sometimes nice to know more about a book like this before I get into it. I may come back to this one at some point, but I can’t say that I feel a need to put this on my immediate “to read” list. I have other books I’d like to get to first. So, for now, I will say no, I am not going to read the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 1:20 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
This book’s title looked interesting. The description promises an action-packed story with lots of side elements, but it didn’t hook my interest. I don’t often enjoy thrillers. Before sampling, I wasn’t going to read. After sampling, my decision remains. Though well-written, this book just isn’t for me. The author does an excellent job of creating tension through the writing. My favorite part was the feeling that something bad was about to happen. The book appears professionally edited with no noticed errors. I have no improvements to recommend at this time. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review, but this likely wouldn’t have changed my mind. This just isn’t my type of book, but it would very much appeal to thriller lovers.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 12:49 pm by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the cover and title, I wouldn't have sampled the book because it didn't capture my attention. I didn't see an official review for Crude Currency. I liked that the narrative had an intense feel to it; Lock choosing to leave his luggage behind that contained his firearms was a risky move. I did not spot any errors in the pages I read. Unfortunately, I didn't feel that the book was for me as I wasn't invested in the story enough to want to continue reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 12:48 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Snowflake
The cover picture is very good. I think the fonts used for the title and author’s name could be more professional looking. I find the title of the book off-putting and the Amazon blurb too long. Even though I do read the mystery genre at times, it is unlikely that I would have sampled this book without the first ten pages program. The sample was good. I did not notice any obvious typos or grammar errors. The turn of phrase caused me to reread a few sentences to understand what they meant. The writing flowed well and the main character was interesting. The scenes were described well, as well. The book seems good, there was just nothing that stood out or really caught my interest. I am sure many will enjoy this story. However, I do not plan to read the rest of this book at this time.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 12:37 pm by Snowflake.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Helpme71
I think I would've sampled this book, even without being involved in the First Ten program. The cover is inviting, and the blurb is very attention-grabbing. I was so invested in the first ten pages that I almost didn't want to stop! I think I will be going on to read the rest of the book; however, I think I would like to read the first books in this series before I truly dive into this one, as I am not a huge fan of simply diving into a series in the middle.
In addition to being interesting, the book also seems professionally edited. There wasn't an error that I spotted in the first ten pages, which is always a good sign. The author also seemed to have really researched his information, or perhaps he already knew the information. Either way, it seems well-written, and it gives me hints and references to the previous books without requiring me to actually read them. I only wish that there was an OnlineBookClub review for it, so I could get a better idea if I would like the book or not.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 12:00 pm by Helpme71.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and description of this book I probably wouldn't have picked it up. The cover wasn't really exciting and, although seemingly full of action, I didn't see anything special with the plotline. After reading the first ten pages, I may have changed my mind. I really enjoyed the author's writing style and could see myself reading about Lock. The author got me excited about the action to come fairly easily. I didn't see anything specific that I would like to see changed. Especially since I already have a copy, I will definitely keep this one in my back pocket to read the rest of later. From the sample, the book looked well written and edited. The lack of an official review did not affect my decision at all, but may have gotten me more excited in about the book earlier on.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 11:38 am by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Libs_Books
I do enjoy a good thriller … but there are so many bad ones. I normally only read them on recommendation, and I haven't heard of the John Lock Series, so - despite the attractive cover - I probably wouldn't have downloaded this one, if it hadn't been for the offer. The quality of the writing is good, and the book has obviously been professionally edited. I have certainly enjoyed the first ten pages – in fact, against expectations, I found them compelling. The writer obviously understands the uses of mystery; he only tells us what we need to know and makes us speculate about the rest. I'm not sure yet whether I like John Lock, but he's clearly not meant to be a saint, so that's OK. I would probably like Rachel McKean more, and I'm pretty sure that's a deliberate ploy on the author's part. I have a hunch we are going to be hearing more about Ms McKean. If there had been an OBC review, perhaps it would have confirmed that one way or the other, but I'm banking on it, anyhow. Yes, I will go on reading this, and probably finish it, as I hate abandoning books once I've “properly” got started.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 10:43 am by Libs_Books.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Elizabeth Pass
The picture on the cover is scenic but doesn't tell me much about the book. The title doesn't interest me and it doesn't seem to be in a genre I'm attracted to. The characters sounded interesting, based on the synopsis, but the plot seems too thick for my taste. After reading the first few pages, I don't feel like I want to keep reading this book. I liked John Lock as a character but nothing in the beginning really hooked me. I didn't find any errors, so I'd like to think it was properly edited.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 8:18 am by Elizabeth Pass.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The cover is fabulous and the title smacks of a conspiracy, so I would have selected this book to sample, even if not for the First Ten program. After I sampled the book, I found the story very tasteful. The Greek background and the secret agent work are enough motivators for me to read this book, so I am going to read this in full! I found the book professionally edited, with no grammatical or mechanical errors that I found. The thing I liked the most about the book is its contemporary narration and the criminal/detective background. I didn't find anything that could be improved in the book. I did find an OBC review for the book, but my decision to read this book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 8:10 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
gali
I probably wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, but only because it is the 3rd book in the John Lock series. I prefer reading series in order. Otherwise, I would have sampled it, as I love the genre. Seeing as this book stands on its own made me eager to sample it. I love the cover! While the blurb gives a good sense of the content, it is far too detailed. The book revolves around a cruise ship investigator's escapades. The sample was a bit slow to start but once the action got going, it didn't let go. I like the style of John, and the way he dealt with the mobster enticed me. His idea of sending evil eye's souvenirs to the mobsters' people was brilliant! I loved the writing as well and didn't notice any glaring errors. As I enjoyed the sample very much, I would read the balance of the book. The OBC review further convinced me to read the book.
First Ten review added on May 4, 2018, at 7:45 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 46%
Crude Currency earned a score of 46%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 46% plan to read the whole book.
IMPORTANT: Any score over 10% is considered very good. And any score above 0% is acceptable.
Over a million books are published each year. Any given person could not even read .0001% of the books out there. This means readers have to be very selective. Even taking the time to look over reviews and blurbs, let alone read samples, is more time than most readers can afford for most books. The First Ten is a powerful focus group that addresses those issues. It creates a helpful tool for authors, publishers, and other readers.
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