The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Abate the Nuisance: A Judge Roth Novel
Because Abate the Nuisance 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.
OloladeO
From the cover and title, I wouldn't have read the sample because I prefer the romance genre. From the sample, Judge Al Roth was finally getting married to Linda Burns after a year and a half. He sensed that something was troubling his old 12th street gang pals, Hack and Ben. He figured they had a legal problem and that they needed his help but he didn't want to discuss anything about the law on his wedding day. However, after the wedding ceremony, Hack and Ben sought him out and told him that trouble was brewing for him and Jake (one of their buddies). Apparently, Fred Lambert, a crooked cop turned private investigator, had dug up information about the Pontiac robbery where Al had killed an old man and Jake killed the owner. The book seems professionally edited. The OBC reviewer seemed to enjoy this read as I am sure lovers of its genre will. As for me, I'll pass as it is not my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 4:58 am by OloladeO.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Nelsy Mtsweni
I love the cover of the book, and this would have made me to choose reading this book. Having read the sample and the book review, I found this to be one of the greatest books ever written. As a fan of crime novels, this book full of suspense is my cup of tea. Jake Gertner and Al Roth have been friends since they were young. Coming from the same area, they were both involved in gang activities, and later on, ended up joining the USA Army. Al becomes successful as a lawyer, while Jake continues being involved in criminal activities. I loved everything about the book. I learned that we have the capability to change our lives, and that depends on the choices we make. For example, Jake could have also turned out to be successful like Al, but instead, he chose the life of crime. I did not notice grammatical errors with the book. Thanks.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 4:15 am by Nelsy Mtsweni.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bianka Walter
I would never have sampled this book without the first ten program. I don't like to read the second book in a series without having read the first. The first ten pages of this book were a bit confusing. There were a lot of characters introduced very quickly and I felt like I should have a pad of paper ready to jot down who was who. Judge Al seems like an interesting character, but I think most of the cast of the book was built in the first instalment, and because I didn't read that, I've missed out on their real introductions. The editing was okay, there were a few missing commas here and there. One such example is, "I mean what else could you do?" I won't be finishing this book. It didn't pique my interest in any way, nor did I find that any of the characters were ones that I wanted to get to know. Mostly, as mentioned before, I don't like to read the second book in a series without having read the first.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 3:10 am by Bianka Walter.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sicily Joy
While I don't care for the cover as I don't like photo covers, I still would have sampled the book based on the positive official review, description, and genre. I enjoy action-packed crime novels. After sampling the book, I decided I want to buy and read the rest of the book. The main element I liked was all the drama packed into the first ten pages. Right away, the reader learns that Al Roth( a Superior Judge) is been investigate by Goldman (a lawyer) based on Al's history of unlawful actions alongside his best friend ( a hitman). I also liked the juxtaposition of this information coming out the wedding of Al and Linda. It is interesting to read Jake's internal struggle about whether to blurt out all their criminal activity at this formal event. The one thing I think could be improved is the scenes seem too short and rushed. Therefore, I think the pacing of the scenes could be improved. I found no errors and I believe this book was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 2:18 am by Sicily Joy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Sahani Nimandra
Abate the Nuisance by Bill Sage is a fictional crime read that hooked me up from the start. Judge Al Roth getting married to his sweetheart, Linda. On his wedding day, Ben and Hack told Al about Goldman hunting Al's past with Jack in the aim of blackmailing him or to extort money from him. It's very interesting to see how the story flows in the up coming pages. This plot consists of steamy conversions. There weren't any hindrances while reading. The official OBC review was good. It covered up every aspect about this read. This is definitely a read that I'll be looking forward to.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 2:06 am by Sahani Nimandra.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Annelore Trujillo
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, cover, title, and OBC review. While I occasionally liked to read C/T/M/H books, the Amazon blurb said that this is the sequel to another book, and I didn't read that first book. I don't usually like to start in the middle of a series. After reading the first ten pages, I won't be finishing this book. I felt like I was already behind from not reading the first book. There were multiple characters talked about within the first few pages, and I had a hard time keeping them straight. I think it would have been easier if I had read the first book. For example, Hack and Ben came in to talk to Hal about something that happened in the past with Jake. They also mentioned Gus and Lambert. While there were a couple little sentences about some of the characters, I was still a bit lost, especially with all the dialogue. I also noticed errors. For example, when Hack is talking he says "We're gonna go to the bar." The quotation marks are missing at the beginning of the quote. Because of this, I don't think the book was professionally edited, and I don't like to read books that aren't edited.
First Ten review added on October 22, 2018, at 12:37 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I wouldn’t have read it. The book really didn't seem to be all that exciting and not really a genre that I would normally read. After reading the first ten pages I didn’t change my mind and therefore will not be buying and reading the rest of this book. I enjoyed the character development early on and the forced style of humour that they had. For example, I liked the allusion that life would be better now for everyone since they wouldn't have to worry about jury duty or parking ticket (Al's light-hearted humour with the inlaws). That being said, even though there was a little bit of a promise for some action, I really didn't see the plot moving very quickly. There was too much dialogue and not enough happenings in the sample that I read that would convince me to read the rest of the book. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read, but it did seem well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 11:22 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
va2016
The title and the cover of the book are not indicative of the story in the book. The Amazon summary of the book gives a clear picture of what the story is about. It also conveys that this is the second book in the series, and it would help to read the first book first. There are 5 Amazon customer reviews for the book with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is not much. Based on the above factors, I would have skipped sampling the book if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the story plot being narrated pretty well. Especially, the interactions between Jake and Al, and what transpires next in Judge Roth's courtroom makes me pretty curious. Because of the nice story telling, I am going to read this book in full. I found the book professionally edited. I didn't find any grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its plot and the way of storytelling. I could not find anything that can be improved with the book. Although I found 2 OBC reviews on the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 10:41 pm by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Dolor
Without The First Ten program, I was not so sure whether to read the entire story or bypass reading this book. The cover has a black and white effect like that of an old photograph. The title is thought-provoking. Reading the first ten pages, I saw these minor errors:
*capitalization error*
JUDGE AL ROTH KNEW SOMETHING WASN'T
*fragmented sentence*
Not on this day.
The editing was not error-free. I don't have any further improvement suggestion for this book aside from making the first ten pages a gripping read. The first ten pages did not take off; I felt no spark of interest while reading them. The story was set in Newport Beach, California, in August of 1983. Right at the reception of the wedding of Linda and Judge Al Roth, Hack and Ben confronted Al about The Pontiac robbery where he and Jake were involved. The blackmailing had just started. I will bypass reading this book. I am uninterested in topics which involve blackmailing. Bill Sage's Abate the Nuisance is a #LegalThriller novel involving #Blackmail, #Crime, and #Action. This is a standalone sequel to "Judge Roth’s Law."
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 7:51 pm by Dolor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
RebeccasReading
This is a book I would have normally read. I enjoy legal and crime thrillers. After reading the sample, my opinion has changed. I really didn't like the main character of Al. He is presented as a criminal and a crooked judge. I haven't read the first book in the series, so maybe the reason for his bad behavior is explained there. I did like the interjections of Yiddish words. It gave the book some character. The only thing I could suggest for improvement is to give some more context about Al's past crimes. It seems to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 6:26 pm by RebeccasReading.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Heidi M Simone
Without this program, I would not have sampled this book. The cover, title, and genre are unappealing to me. Reading the blurb also wasn't very engaging and seemed a bit disjointed. Though there are positive reviews, including two OBC ones, these do not affect my opinion of the book. Based on what I read, the book could use another round of editing. For instance, the line, "Apparently, 'Fatboy,' hired Lambert to see what he could dig up on you and Jake.", has an unnecessary comma after the word, "Fatboy". It's interesting how all the threat of the mafia is learned about during Judge Al's wedding day. It's makes me wonder if Linda, his new wife, knows about about Al's deceitful ways in the courtroom. However, when Al was speaking to Jake about Goldman, my attention dwindled. In general, the writing style, isn't very exciting and I personally don't enjoy mafia-based stories. Due to this, I do not plan on reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 4:25 pm by Heidi M Simone.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Fu Zaila
The blurb and the cover didn't interest me at all but I really liked reading the sample. I loved the writing style which was compelling and engaging. I sensed a slight hint of insta-love in Al and Linda's story, but thankfully, it wasn't elaborated. Jake's character makes me curious but I'm intimidated by the fact that this book has a prequel. There wasn't anything I didn't like and the writing was clearly professionally edited. I won't be reading this book since I already have a lot of series to catch up on. But it would attract many other readers for sure.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 3:09 pm by Fu Zaila.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Alice Heritage
I probably wouldn't have sampled this book without the program as I haven't read the first book in the series. (I saw from the editorial review on Amazon that that is recommended). I could see the book's merits from the sample but probably won't read the rest of it in the foreseeable future as I'm not particularly reading crime thrillers at the moment. It appeared professionally edited as I noticed no errors. I liked the summary at the beginning of Chapter 2 because that made the events of the previous book very clear. I also liked the dialogue as lines like "You sure that's what you wanna do? I mean -" represents the way people talk well and brings the characters to life. There may be something that could be improved in the summary of the first book too, though, because I felt like I was suddenly bombarded with a lot of names at the beginning of Chapter 1 in a way that was a little confusing. I didn't see an OnlineBookClub review but that didn't affect my decision. I'm happy to have a free copy and will keep this in mind for the future.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 10:06 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mercelle
Judging by the cover, I wasn't going to read this book, but the OBC review persuaded me when it mentioned that the story is about blackmail, at the center of it a judge whose criminal past threatens to unravel. When I read the first ten pages, I liked that despite the differences in their present lives, Al and Jake agree that their past mistakes shouldn't come to light. The text needs a round of editing because I spotted an error, a misplaced word, on the first line of the first chapter. That plus the uppercase writing at the beginning of chapters are things I would change about the bit I read. I will, however, not read the rest of the book because I didn't find the story appealing.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 9:58 am by Mercelle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Debjani Ghosh
Based on the cover, title and blurb, I would not have sampled the first ten pages of this book. From the poorly crafted book cover, I could not guess what kind of story this book could be telling. The blurb, on the other hand, is intriguing and evokes a sense of several sub-plots some of which occurred in the past and have the power to derail the protagonist’s present. The editorial review also convinced me to read the sample. Further, the book is listed as a legal thriller and I am a fan of this genre.
After reading the first ten pages, I am disinclined to buy and read the whole book since it is the second book in the Judge Roth Thriller series and this does not seem to be standalone. In the first ten pages itself, characters and events from the first book seem to hold importance. But the author’s lucid writing style made it possible for me to understand the overall picture, if not the specifics. Still, I would not like to go in blindly and read it without reading the first one.
The book is professionally edited since I could not find any error.
I liked the camaraderie between Al Roth (the protagonist) and his friends. They seemed to be looking out for each other and were receptive to each other’s feelings without saying anything. I also liked the romance between Al and his wife Linda.
I read the official OnlineBookClub review of this book and it encouraged me to read the sample of this book.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 5:00 am by Debjani Ghosh.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Catherine Hsu
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book. I think the cover design could be better, as the pink-red words do not really fit the image's somber color scheme, but the blurb still sounds interesting. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. I really liked how anticipatory the book started, by not really providing the reader with details, especially since I had not read the first book. The writing style was great and short fragments at the end of paragraphs, such as "Not on this day." added a lot to the intrigue. I did not read the official review but that did not affect my decision. The book seemed professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 4:16 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Cristina Chifane
Without the first ten program, I probably wouldn't have come across this thriller. The cover and title don't tell me too much, but the Amazon blurb promises an exciting thriller which could be read as a standalone book even if it is the second book in a series. The editorial reviews and the few customer reviews recommend it as a good legal thriller. Unfortunately, I found the dialogue between Al, Linda, Hack and Ben lacking a natural flow and sounding a bit awkward and repetitive. For example, the narrator already said that Al was bringing Linda a Chardonnay when the character himself repeated exactly the same thing. I couldn't find any editing errors in the pages I have read, but I didn't like the story itself. There aren't enough descriptions or background information and from what I understood the story revolves around a judge who doesn't hesitate to use a hit man to fix his problems. The OBC reviewer also warns potential readers about the excessive violence scenes in the novel. I will not be reading it because I was not impressed by either the characters or the plot development.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 3:37 am by Cristina Chifane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ladycraic
I would not have chosen to sample this book apart from First Ten seeing as neither the title nor the cover appealed to me initially. To go into specifics, the dark color scheme of the cover did not leave me wanting to find out more about this book. Plus, I was confused as to who the man in the cover was due to the fact that the title made no noticeable reference to him. To me, he looked out of place. The blurb did not further my interest in reading- midway through reading the blurb, I found a sudden shift in the direction of events which slightly confused me. First, there’s mention of the situation that Roth and Jake find themselves in. Then there’s this sudden transition where now the author makes a reference to the two friends’ previous endeavors. At first, as I began to read the very first pages, I had an interest in the plot. Somewhere from there and where I left off, something changed. I just thought the writing style didn’t fit my expectations, if that makes sense. As I began to read further, my interest in the plot diminished. As a result, I will not be reading the rest of this book. This book seemed professionally edited but I did notice a few places in the story where commas were used incorrectly. For example: “You, sure?” is a phrase found within the story that contains an unnecessary comma.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 3:04 am by ladycraic.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ObsessedBookNerd
Had I not read the first ten pages of the book then I would have not read the book based on the title, cover, genre, blurb or reviews. The title and cover do not draw me into reading the story. The genre of the book doesn't interest me either because I don't like reading crime thrillers.The blurb/reviews indicate that there will be murder, hitmen, and blackmail throughout the story which turns me away from reading the book. I am not going to buy or read the whole book because I don't want to read about crime, blackmail or gangs. I also don't want to read this book which is the second book of the series and I have not read the first book. The book seems professionally edited and I found no spelling or grammatical errors. I did not like anything within the first ten pages of the book. It starts off with Judge Al Roth meeting his old 12th street gang pals for a drink before his wedding ceremony. There was a lot of dialogue within the first ten pages and it made it hard to follow/get into the story. I became very bored with the story and I dislike the author's writing style. The book seemed all over the place and it kept skipping further into the story. The first ten pages of the book are mostly about the wedding, the old gang, and about Roth and Jake (his best friend) maybe having a chance of them being blackmailed due to stuff from their past. Goldman is the man who is trying to dig up dirt from their past in order to blackmail them.The author spread out what I summarized in two sentences into over three chapters; it was drawn out, had unnecessary information that didn't need to be in the story, and had too much dialogue within the first ten pages of the book. I don't know if it is because I have not read the first book but I could not follow the story and I greatly disliked the book. I know that this book is not for me and I did not enjoy reading any of it.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 1:24 am by ObsessedBookNerd.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsTri
When I saw this, I didn't like either the cover or the title. Then the Amazon synopsis and OBC review (the only one I read) confirmed that it's not the book for me. I don't like tales that include blackmail or the mafia/mob, so I'll be passing on this tome. I still found the sample read to be interesting, and it seemed to be professionally edited as well. I liked the scene where Jake gave his Best Man's toast to Al and Linda. Even though I won't be reading this full novel, I don't have suggestions for changes because it is written well for what it is.
First Ten review added on October 21, 2018, at 1:19 am by MsTri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
Crime fiction really doesn’t interest me, and yet, I appreciate that this book at least has a unique plot. Al gets ambushed by his old friends who tell him his mobster days are catching up to him. Although he’s now a judge, his past could ruin his career unless he does something. The review was very positive and clearly explained what made this book different than regular murder mystery novels. This book involves blackmail, which is very refreshing in terms of the genre. The book has a fast paced tone to it with little in the way of extravagant details. I didn’t like all the curse words, one reason I don’t enjoy crime books. However, the editing looks great and crime fans will surely enjoy having a unique plot to read.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 10:53 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
revna01
Judge Al Roth has just married Linda when his old friends from the 12th Street Gang let him know he is being targeted for investigation and possibly blackmail based on the Pontiac robbery which occurred in his past. The sample didn't really interest me, as I felt the writing style was choppy and forced. I also didn't care for the title or the cover illustration because they appear too generic. To the author's credit, the story moved quickly into the plot and introduced a lot of key characters right away. I noticed no grammatical errors during the first ten pages. The Online Book Club review gave it four stars, but I won't be reading the remainder of the book as it deals with the mafia and blackmail, which aren't topics I find especially interesting.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 10:53 pm by revna01.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
The cover of this book makes it seem like it is non-fiction. I would not have picked it up because I did not read the first book. The amazon blurb says that it can be read as a stand-alone, but after reading the first ten pages and the blurb, I realized I was confused. This book requires another round of editing, the first page has a sentence with " was wasn't". Overall, I find the plot too confusing without having read the first book. I did not read any OBC review.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 9:47 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Seraphia Bunny Sparks
After reading a few pages of, Abate the Nuisance by Bill Sage, I have decided that I will not be reading this book. When I first saw the cover of this book, my first impression was non-fiction. As I read the blurb for this book, I learned that it is a fictional crime drama. Am I an avid reader of crime drama novels, but this book does not pique my interest. If I had not read a sample of this book, I would not have picked it up. I say this because I have not read the first book in this series. The author even recommends reading book one first. The fact that the author says this causes me to pause. I think book one builds up book two. As I read a few pages of, Abate the Nuisance, my interest is mildly piqued. I'm curious as to what is going on with Judge Al Roth's two friends. I wonder if it has anything to do with their past together. I appreciate that the author gives me some quick glances of background on some of the characters. I'm wondering why his friends didn't tell him before his wedding day. As I read, I feel that I am missing something. I'm missing the background history leading up to the present point in the story. Based on what I have read this book appears to be professionally edited. This book does have an official OnlineBookClub review. The reviewer speaks positively of this novel. The reviewer piques my interest a bit, but not a lot. I will not finish reading this book, but I will put it on my to-be-read shelf. Once I have read the first book in this series, I will come back to this book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 7:57 pm by Seraphia Bunny Sparks.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mary WhiteFace
Without the First 10 program I would not want to sample this book, as I don't usually enjoy crime thrillers. The Official OnlineBookClub review warned of excessive violence, which contributed to my not wanting to read it.
Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I found the narrative well written, but I'm not interested in crime thrillers. There wasn't any part that I liked best, but I did think it was humorous when Al pointed out that Linda's Uncle Max was dancing, making faces and shouting at her father. (pg. 5).
The book seemed professionally edited. I have no suggestions for improvements. I will not be reading this book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 7:34 pm by Mary WhiteFace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sharill Rasowo
If I had not read the sample, I probably would have read the book. The official OnlineBookClub review made the book sound very exciting so I was looking forward to it. Reading the sample, I found myself confused as we landed in the middle of a wedding and the discussion of a robbery of a store that happened years ago. The characters are not introduced and I got the feeling that we are already supposed to know who they are. It is only later that it dawned on me that this was the second book in a series. I would not buy and read this book as I think the first one needs to be read in order to understand this one. I did not spot any typos or errors so I think it was professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 7:05 pm by Sharill Rasowo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kendra M Parker
Crime thrillers can be great fun if they are well done. The official review makes this one sound like it is really interesting, but I’m not sure I really want to dig into one of these right now. As I read the first ten pages, they were cleanly edited. I really enjoyed the dialogue between Al and Linda on their wedding day, especially as they talked about Jake. There is definitely an interesting plot here, but the idea that all of these characters are rather cut-throat and will do whatever it takes to get what they want does not really appeal to me. I think I will probably pass on this book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 7:04 pm by Kendra M Parker.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
FictionLover
I would not have chosen to read this novel based on title or cover. I like crime and mystery novels but the title does not say mystery to me. The meaning of the title is obscure and the picture tell me nothing. At first glance it looks like 2 farmers wanting to abate some pests on the farm. The OBC review was favorable, but I have to admit that I lost the thread of the plot and was not inclined to want to read this. The reviewer calls Judge Roth "A good judge", but clearly he is a corrupt judge who uses his knowledge to help his friend the hit man. That turned me off and I will not read further. . . . The book seems professionally edited and I did not notice grammatical errors. . . . Though the idea of a tough judge with some "shady" friends sounds good in theory, I just did not find Al sympathetic. Also, I found the author's style a bit confusing. I found the beginning of chapter 2 confusing and vague. For example: "If he didn't finish him off, they threatened to put a contract on him." (Perhaps this does need a grammatical tweak.) I assumed "they" refers to the mob, but it is not clear. I had to read the next passage three time to really understand what it meant. "To accomplish that, he fed Jake things Goldman should do during the trial. Jake passed them on to him, but said he was getting instructions from the Syndicate Commission." Maybe it is just me, but I think this could be written in a clearer manner.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 6:27 pm by FictionLover.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CrescentMoon
After reading the blurb and book review, I would check this book out because I love the genre. I'm a huge fan of crime mystery novels and courtroom drama as well so this sounds right up my alley. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors. However, I wasn't too big a fan of the writing style. I thought the dialogue between the characters was really short and clipped and the sentences were short and choppy and felt really rushed. I thought there was too much telling going on and not enough showing and I felt more like I was reading a movie script rather than an actual novel. Al talking to his wife Linda and her family and then friends just happened way too fast and it felt like a blur. Therefore I don't think I'll be reading the rest.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 6:09 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
CinWin
I wouldn't have picked "Abate the Nuisance" by Bill Sage to read based on its cover. It appeared to be a book about a war. It is a sequel to "Judge Roth's Law". Since I haven't read the first book, I won't be finishing this one. It was a bit confusing because I am unfamiliar with all of the characters. I did read the first 10 pages and it begins with Judge Roth getting married. He is interrupted at the reception by two of his friends telling him he might be blackmailed by what he supposedly had done in the past with his friend, Mafia hitman Jake. I enjoyed the author's writing style. It was easy to understand and there were no typos. I would suggest putting an intro in front of the book, explaining what happened in the previous book. It might help understand this one better. There was an onlinebookclub review that helped.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 5:45 pm by CinWin.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
HRichards
I probably wouldn't have picked this book up on my own as I didn't find the cover and genre very appealing. I won't be reading the whole book, as I am reading too many other things at the moment. The first ten pages didn't convince me to start this book either. The sample focuses on a man named Al who used to be a bank robber who finds out that his former partner is getting too chatty about their previous jobs together. The sample was very intriguing and I didn't notice any grammar errors. I usually don't find crime mysteries that interesting, but this introduction was good. I have not read any other reviews of this book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 5:34 pm by HRichards.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lavellan
I probably would have not read Abate the Nuisance if it had not been a part of The First Ten program. While the Book of the Day review was positive, I didn't like that it was the second installment in the series. The book seemed like it was professionally edited and I did not notice any errors while reading. I enjoyed the strength of Al and Jake's friendship. Jake's loyalty to Al is admirable. I didn't like the author's writing style. It was too dialogue heavy. For instance, the author stated that Al got a Chardonnay for his wife and the next sentence had Al tell her that he got her a Chardonnay. I will not be reading the rest of the book because it's the second installment in the series and I don't like the writing style.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 5:00 pm by lavellan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
kfwilson6
Although I typically enjoy most crime novels, I tend not to read any that involve mob, gangs, or corrupt government entities or workers. The fact that everyone in this book is basically a bad guy does not appeal to me. So prior to reading the sample, I would not have read this book.
The sample didn't capture my interest. It's obvious from the start that everyone is trying to cover their own butts and make sure none of their secrets get out. Even at Al's wedding, him and Jake are trying to cover up their crimes. Although thoroughly edited with no noticeable errors, I'm going to pass on Abate the Nuisance.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 4:26 pm by kfwilson6.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the genre and title, I would have sampled the book because I often enjoy books in this genre. I read the official review and then sampled Abate the Nuisance. I liked the suspense that grew around Hack and Ben's angst; I found the information Gus had revealed to Fred Lambert about AI and Jack's criminal activities interesting to read, which is why I will be reading the rest of the book. Also because I'm curious to find out the events that will follow after this reveal. I did not spot any errors in the pages I read.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 3:41 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
micoleon13
I am always interested in books that have an old photo as the cover page so I liked this one and I was curious about this book. The OnlineBookClub review was complementary but I struggled to finish it. The storyline just didn't grab my attention. While I like crime novels, I tend to avoid those that have strong mobster plots or judicial influences. I wasn't as interested in reading it. There was an error immediately in the first sentence "something was wasn't right". Normally an error like that would mean I would immediately stop reading. I continued with the pages, however, I didn't like the writing style. The sentences were very short and the conversation between Al, and his friends at the wedding about his past with Jake seemed forced and not really realistic. I will not be continuing to read this book and I would suggest another go through with an editor.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 3:10 pm by micoleon13.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Yoli García
I rarely read crime novels, so I would not have sampled this book without this program. The OBC review did not convince me to read it. Themes about blackmail, mobsters, and crime are not my thing. After I read the sample pages, I thought the book was professionally edited. I thought it was strange that the mobsters decided to tell the judge that someone knows about the Pontiac robbery during his wedding. I will not read this book because I am not into crime novels.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 2:42 pm by Yoli García.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
cpru68
Judge Al Roth is celebrating his wedding day to his wife Linda when the novel opens. Two guests, Hack and Ben, friends from the 12th street gang are in attendance. They approach Al and let him know of a conversation with Gus Steiner who claims that a mafia attorney, Goldman, is acquiring information on a murder that Al and Jake were involved in during highschool. This makes Al nervous as he realizes blackmail is coming. He already manipulates trials to benefit his friend Jake, so now to find that he may be undermined in his own court room makes him distracted from the wedding festivities going on around him. I liked how the “bad news” comes during a day that’s supposed to be jovial. And, as usual, the shady husband is trying to hide the truth from his wife Linda. It sets a good tone of suspense as Al Roth’s world seems to be out of his control and past crime is coming back to haunt him. I didn’t find any errors in the portion I read so it appears that this book has been professionally proofread. I will not be finishing this book as this genre really doesn’t interest me, and my to read list is quite full. I will send it out on social media as a recommendation for potential readers as it does seem to be a suspenseful book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 2:26 pm by cpru68.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Allyseria
The book cover and title do not attract me because it feels like it is a biography and I tend to not like reading this genre. When I read the blurb and found out that it is a mystery thriller, I was confused as to why the book cover and title was chosen. It does not seem to reflect the story. The review also made me unsure about the book because it mentioned that the narrative goes back and forth in time. I tend to not like this style of writing because it leaves me hanging and makes me want to skim until it goes back to the present time. When I started reading the sample, I immediately disliked the short dialogues. There was little action in between and sometimes, there were lines of dialogue. I prefer to read about the body language and actions of a character while they are speaking because it helps to show their personality. I also disliked the very short scenes because it keeps jolting me out of the book and abruptly moving me on to the next scene. Overall, I will not continue to read this book. Note: The book had been professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 1:48 pm by Allyseria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
"Abate the Nuisance" is a crime mystery about two army guys, Jake and Al. They have a secret past together, one of them going to college, and the other doing illegal activities. The book starts with their peace of mind being shattered, and from that moment the action begins. This genre is not for me and I don't like the plot. Because of that, I won't continue reading the book and I wouldn't have tried this book out without the program. The very first phrase of the book has a grammar mistake: "Jude Al Roth knew something was wasn't right".
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 11:56 am by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Camille Turner
I don't think I would've sampled this book without the program for two reasons. The first is that I didn't get a really clear sense of what the book was about from the cover, title, and blurb, but I think that's because it is the second in a series, and I haven't read the first one yet. Additionally, Amazon lists it as a thriller, and I'm not very interested in that genre. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any grammatical errors, so I assume the book was professionally edited. My impression has stayed the same, as I was a bit lost like I thought I'd be from not having read the first book. There were many characters referenced in the first ten pages, and I think that it was hard to get a sense of them without prior knowledge of the story. Furthermore, certain big events were mentioned, like the Mangano murder trial, which I would've definitely liked to know more about before continuing the story. I liked that the book started with Al and Linda's wedding, reminding me of "The Godfather," and I don't think the intended audience would need anything improved. I won't read the rest of the book, however, because if I decide to read the series, I'll want to start with the first one. I'd need to sample the first book to know if I will actually read the series or not.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 10:23 am by Camille Turner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LV2R
I was not attracted to the cover or the title of the book. The Amazon Blurb stated that it was a sequel to “Judge Roth’s Law” but that the book could be read as a stand-alone, even though reading book one was highly recommended. The attorney Goldman threatens to take down Judge Roth and Jake and leaves a letter to protect himself from getting killed by them. I wasn’t sure about the book, so I read the first ten pages. The first ten pages scene was at Judge Roth and Linda’s wedding, where Jake was the best man. I liked best that Roth had wanted to marry Linda ever since he met her and after a year and a half, they were getting married. Hack and Ben, childhood gang pals, tipped Roth of Goldman knowing about the Pontiac robbery and rumors that Roth shot an old man and Jake killed a store owner. There was talk about silencing Goldman in a discreet way. The OBC review mentioned that Roth and Jake did some criminal things when they were in high school and now Goldman is forcing Judge Roth to rule leniently on his Mafia clients and threatening to tell the authorities. The book seems to be edited well, as I only noticed one awkward sentence on page 4: “Al was stunned, just sat still.” I do not want to read this book because I would prefer to read book one first before reading book two. It seems like I would understand more clearly about all the characters and the past acts of Roth and Jake if I could read book one first.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 10:19 am by LV2R.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
desantismt_17
This book’s title and description didn’t hook me. I don’t often enjoy thrillers, and this one didn’t sound like something I’d enjoy. Before sampling, I wasn’t going to read. After sampling, I’ll pass. The book appears professionally edited. I noticed no errors. The suspense starts right away, with the main character knowing something’s bothering his friends. The fact that he doesn’t know and doesn’t want to find out yet gives the opening an ominous feel, which is done nicely. Quickly, it becomes apparent the ominous feeling is warranted, and the main story kicks into gear with an interesting mystery. Really, I have no improvements to suggest. I didn’t see an OnlineBookClub.org review, but one likely wouldn’t have influenced my decision. Though well-written and seemingly well-paced from what I read, this just isn’t a book that interests me.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 9:46 am by desantismt_17.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
lesler
Looking at the cover, I love mob crime dramas, and am very interested. Reading the sample, I am hooked, and can’t wait to read more. This book appears to be professionally edited, with no grammatical errors or typos. I loved the development of Al and Jake, their friendship standing the test of time, with everyone else letting them down every time. I did not like how the book jumped back and forth between the 80s and 50s-it was disjointed. I will be reading this ASAP.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 9:07 am by lesler.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Julie Green
I would not choose to read this book based on the title and cover; I don't understand the title and the image is suggestive of a wartime biography, which does not appeal. Having read the opening pages, I will not be reading the book.
I do like how the author managed to surprise me - the main characters we meet in the initial pages seem at first sight friendly and reasonable, but we quickly realise from the dialogue that they are bad guys e.g. discussing what to do about an associate who has been talking to the police. The main reason I was put off, however, was the way all the interesting characters are men. The one female, Linda, seems to play only a supporting role; when the author states that "Linda opened her favourite gardening book", I wanted to weep. I did not spot any grammatical errors.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 8:55 am by Julie Green.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gali
I wouldn't have sampled the book on my own, as this is the second book in the series. Neither the cover nor the blurb appealed to me. The blurb was awkwardly worded and just confused me more. I didn't change my mind after sampling the book. As I didn't read the first book, I found it difficult to get into the story. A corrupted judge is getting blackmailed for his past deeds, and he crafts a plan to take out a blackmailer out of the game. The sample opened with the judge being notified in the middle of his wedding about plans to blackmail him. I find it odd that a judge was a gang member in his youth and could get to be a judge despite that. That he continued murdering his foes with the help of his sidekick stretched the credibility even more. Although the premise is interesting, I didn't care for the writing. The writing at times felt rather stiff, and the characters weren’t likable. Additionally, the book could use another round of editing. There was an error right at the start: "Judge Al Roth knew something was wasn't right." (The word "was" is redundant). I won't read the book, as I don't enjoy mob stories. The official review further steered me away from the book by mentioning its strong emphasis on backstories and lack of relatable characters.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2018, at 8:41 am by gali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Total ~ 16%
Abate the Nuisance earned a score of 16%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 16% 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.
Go to main Bookshelves page for Abate the Nuisance
