Cover for Diamond and Pearls

The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Diamond and Pearls

Because Diamond and Pearls 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.

Ekta Kumari

896308
The storyline features a string of burglaries that involves Sydney Malone who played real estate agent by the day but resorted to theft to maintain her luxurious lifestyle. The story takes an interesting turn when her new love interest, Drew Diamond, gets involved in the investigation of these burglaries. What will come out of it? Will he find out the truth? I really liked the thrill of the central storyline. I would have read the book even if it wasn't a part of the top ten program as the cover page and the title got my attention. While sampling, the thing I liked the most is the background setting done by the author by detailing not only the main characters but also everyone else who are part of the story development. I also like the cliffhangers at the end of the chapters. As for the editing, I would rate the text as professionally edited as I didn't find any errors so far. I'm planning to read the whole book as I thoroughly enjoyed the sample. I did see an official review before sampling. And I've no recommendations for improvements.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 3:57 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sonya Nicolaidis

1005818
When I read the OBC reviewer’s summary of this book, I wasn’t immediately interested in the story. The front cover and title, although appealing, didn’t promise a very different kind of crime story, so my first instinct was that I wouldn’t be interested in this book. The first ten pages were exceptionally well-written and the action in the main story was launched very early on. My attention was captured with details of pearl diving and snippets of real information which I always look for in novels. The best part of the sample is the ease with which the burglary took place - it suggested that the rest of this book would be well-planned and eventful. There was nothing I didn’t like about the sample, and I didn’t see any errors which makes me think it was professionally edited. I wouldn’t suggest any changes to this book in any way as I think the author has got the formula just right. Although this books fits the genre that I enjoy in being a crime thriller, I do prefer murder mysteries to robbery stories, so I’ll probably follow my first instinct and give this book a miss.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 3:49 am by Sonya Nicolaidis.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Lorraine De Vos

140922
I would have chosen to sample this book based on the title and cover. The image is luxurious and inviting. I rather enjoy mysteries, and the thought of a real estate agent turned jewelry thief is intriguing. The book does appear to be professionally edited. The official OnlineBookClub review was informative and confirmed that I will be adding this book to my reading list. I have no recommendations for improvements.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 3:45 am by Lorraine De Vos.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Howlan

1471486
The cover looks great. The synopsis gives us a general introduction to this book. In the first ten pages, Joyce and Ray gets robbed at night when they were away for dinner. To fix their furnace, Tom appeared in the morning and unlatched the rear window in the basement without the occupant's knowledge. At night, the thief came in and robbed jewelry worth more than $100,000 and a thousand dollars in cash. A detective comes in and finds the unlacthed window and footprints under it. The story is well narrated and well started. Well, the first ten pages does not start flamboyantly but I am generaly interested in a mystery when I see one. The Amazon customer reviews and OBC official review mentions of intense suspense and plot twists in the story, so I am definitely interested in those. So, I am going to buy and read this book as I am interested in the story. No typos were found in the first ten pages. I found nothing to improve in the first ten pages. The Official Review is present, and the reviewer rates it highly.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 3:11 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sou Hi

1445186
The cover matches with its title and summary. I opted for the sample because I like this genre, and there are good responses from the official review and Amazon. The case begins with a jewelry theft in Massachusetts. One day, the Conways discovered that along with their $1,000, a bunch of Joyce's treasures also disappeared. Among those, there's her heirloom from her grandma, the $100,000 pearl set.

I like the mysterious tone of the book. By using a female thief, it piques my interest. The actions and progress are logical and solid, promising a good start for a crime novel. The editing looks fine, though I do find some errors. For example, I think "We've got a half a tank of oil" has one redundant 'a'. Also, the font of chapter 3's first paragraph is bigger than the rest for no reason. I wonder if that's a formatting issue. Aside from that, I have no complaints about this story. Since it seems intriguing, I want to read on. I will buy this book.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 2:58 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

AnnOgochukwu

1654319
This program aside, I would have loved to read this book; everything about it appealed to me, from the genre to the cover page. Reading the OBC official review piqued my interest in it as the book seemed to have an interesting storyline, and I wasn't disappointed when I read the sample. What I liked the most about this book was the storyline and all the suspense that came with it.
While this book has got an intriguing storyline, I feel it could use one last round of editing; I noticed a couple of errors, a missing comma, and a wrong tense. For instance, there's a missing comma in the statement "...pass it along to my daughter Susan one day". I also think the diction needs a little polishing. Nonetheless, I'd love to complete this thrilling book.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 2:29 am by AnnOgochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

va2016

119030
The cover and the title are not indicative of what the book is about. There are only 7 Amazon customer ratings, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book. The Amazon summary provides a crisp description of the story, which is about the protagonist detective discovering facts about burglaries that happen, and how what he finds out places him in a dilemma. As I am interested in this theme, I would have sampled the book even if not for the First Ten program. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing how a furnace in a home gets serviced, and eventually the home getting robbed of valuables. I didn't find the book professionally edited. I found mechanical errors like missing commas. For example, in Chapter 1, there is a comma missing between the words "$500 in cash" and "and stuffed". What I liked most about the book is its theme. As an improvement, I recommend thorough proofreading. Although I found one OBC review of the book, my decision to read the book in full is based on my own sampling.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 2:25 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Aditi Sapate

1296030
I wouldn't have chosen to read this book based on the title, cover and genre, as I'm not a big fan of crime thrillers. However, the official OnlineBookClub review informed me that this book is actually a slow-paced and fun-filled crime thriller. I was intrigued by this description. When I started sampling the book, I really liked how well written the conversation between Ray and Tom was. The book really does seem promising. I will continue reading this book. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors as far as I read it. Also, there is nothing that I disliked about the sample.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 1:50 am by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Annelore Trujillo

97769
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. The story didn’t seem like something I’d be into. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I think the succinctness of the book could be improved. To me it dragged a bit. There was a lot of dialogue about the oil heater and getting it fixed. This went on longer than I expected. The book did seem to be professionally edited. There isn’t anything specific I liked. I won’t be reading it because the first chapter and its amount of dialogue was not interesting to me. I don’t usually like a lot of dialogue.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 1:43 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Catherine Hsu

104096
If I had not read the sample, I would have read the book as the cover looks really great and the blurb looks interesting. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. Some of the sentence structures did not read very fluidly and I felt like there was an issue of parallelism, like "The serviceman quickly removed..., pushed...,...and the exhaust fan went on." Other than this, things are professionally edited. I am not sure about the first and second person switches in the book mentioned in the official review, but other than that it did not change my mind.

First Ten review added on November 1, 2020, at 12:32 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Wy_Bertram

1608356
I likely would have independently sampled this book as it has an interesting blurb and an appealing appearance. It helps that I enjoy crime novels as well.

Yes I will be reading the rest of the book. So far the story has evolved nicely, and I'm curious to see where the plot goes.

I did not find any errors in this sample.

Sadly, no part of this story particularly stood out to me. To be honest, it starts out a bit tepid. I feel the writing could be improved. Even though the author has an impressive collection of published works, the writing in this book comes off quite amateurish.

The official onlinebookclub review gave this book a perfect rating.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 10:34 pm by Wy_Bertram.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

MsH2k

1404847
I don’t read many crime thrillers, and I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. I have read one book by this author and sampled another. He paints a vivid picture of a scene, but I get distracted by the details that are included as he tells instead of shows. These sentences are an example at loc 309: “Joyce still hadn’t had breakfast yet.  Ray ran another coffee through the Keurig, and Joyce managed to down an English muffin before the doorbell rang.” Another example of telling instead of showing is his paragraph at loc 255: “Ray rose on Thursday at his usual six-thirty, drank a glass of water with his vitamins, and headed out the door down the driveway in his bathrobe to retrieve the morning newspaper.  It was quite chilly that day, and Ray was anxious to get back inside.” The story sounds interesting, but I will not buy this book because I find the writing style distracting.

I noticed two grammatical errors in the sample pages. At loc 102, a comma missing after the name of the state: “The doorbell rang at 44 Tiffany Lane, Attleboro, Massachusetts as the heating oil . . .”

Also at loc 102, there is an unnecessary comma in the compound predicate: “Joyce Conway glanced out the glass pane next to the door, and greeted the Superior Oil repairman as she let him in.”

I have no suggestions for improvement.
The featured OnlineBookClub review was very good, but neither it nor the Amazon ratings influenced my decision not to buy this book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 9:40 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

ritah

236447
Based on the title and genre, I would have sampled the book out of curiosity. I read the official review and sampled Diamond and Pearls. I didn't like the whole discussion on the basement and repairs with Tom, the discussion didn't keep me keen on turning pages. I didn't find any errors in the pages I read. There are no changes I'd recommend. That being said, the first ten pages didn't rouse my interest, which is why I won't be reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 8:42 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

moowshiri

1527685
I would have read this book even had I not been part of this program based on a customer review I came across on Amazon. After sampling its first few pages, I both loved and enjoyed reading every bit of Syd's break into Ray and Joyce's house: it was very captivating. Consequently, I'm going to read this book to its very end. I was also delighted by the lack of errors in the few pages that I sampled. The section I read also requires no improvement. There is also an official review from the OnlineBookClub team for the book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 7:22 pm by moowshiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Stephanie Runyon

1424579
To start with the author is one of my favorite suspense writers. I like Ayotte's exceptional writing style and that would have me sample this book. The title and cover are not anything special to draw my attention. The OBC review gave me a good idea that this wouldn't be a disappointing book. After reading the first ten pages, I was drawn into trying to figure out if there was more than one person involved in the robberies. I like how well developed the characters are, the scene is painted in enough detail without losing interest, and the pace of the story kept me wanting to read more. This novel appears professionally edited and I found nothing that I disliked, except wishing the sample was longer. I will finish reading this book. I didn't read any reviews other than the one on OBC.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 6:47 pm by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kajori Sheryl Paul

997537
Julien Ayotte wrote Diamond and Pearls'. Joyce and Ray call for a service visit as the'ir oil-powered furnace stops working. The mechanic sneakily leaves a window unlocked in the basement. Two weeks later the house is burgled. Joyce looses her precious pearl necklace. It was a family heirloom passed down from her grandmother. There were no errors. The book ads professionally edited. The pace was fast. I liked this about the book. The title and cover are apt. The OBC review and the Amazon reviews are detailed. I will read this book as I am intrigued by the story.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 4:41 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Elvis Best

337782
Since the book cover looks attractive, it might have intrigued me to read the book. However, after reading the sample, I wouldn't buy and read the rest of the book because I was not captivated by the storyline. I think the book is professionally edited, though, because I did not find any errors in it. The one thing I liked most was how the book was written in the third person narrative, as it helped me to follow what was going on in a scene. Also, I have no suggestions for improvement. Lastly, I read an Official OnlineBookClub review that gave me a nice overview of the book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 4:33 pm by Elvis Best.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

xsquare

1815722
The blurb of the book sounds quite interesting, although the cover and the title did not really catch my attention (they are quite bland). I would have sampled the book based on the strength of the blurb. After reading the official OBC review, I was definitely keen to find out more. I liked the exciting start to the book and how the dynamic between Joyce and Ray was laid out. I did not see any typos. However, I thought that the introduction of the pearl necklace and its origins were a bit heavy-handed. In addition, I thought it was rather premature to reveal the identity of the thief, especially since I went back to re-read the blurb after sampling the first ten pages. In view of these two factors, the mystery has lost its appeal to me, and I won’t be reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 4:02 pm by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Vickie Noel

249577
Diamond and Pearls is absolutely eye-catching, thanks to its title and cover art! I certainly would have sampled it outside the program. My opinion didn't change after reading the first ten pages. The story is captivating with a witty, suspenseful writing style that kept me submerged in the plot. I smiled when I read Ayotte's description of Ray who "didn't know the first thing about how oil-fired furnaces functioned, except for the little red button inside the unit that begged you to push it" but kept "throwing in his own two cents worth of input." It was hilarious to learn that "there's a macho thing about guys talking with repair guys, thinking that their knowledge in such matters would be bolstered by the association" which was why Ray wouldn't be quiet. I enjoyed the flashback that helped provide a background story of the stolen pearls. The book is professionally edited, but there is a small error in the sentence, "We've got a half a tank of oil." The "a" after "half" should be removed. I saw an interesting OBC review which piqued my interest. I'll be reading this book further.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 3:27 pm by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Melisa Jane

1660668
I wouldn't have sampled this book based on its title because it's not suggestive of the contents of the book. Even after sampling, I won't finish reading it because I can't relate to the story at all. I've never experienced a cold winter and I can't seem to understand why the characters are complaining that a temperature of 50 degrees is cold, when the normal room temperature is always 25 degrees. I can't figure out anything likable within the first ten pages. I didn't find any grammatical errors while reading. I don't have any improvement suggestions. This book has an official OBC review.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 12:03 pm by Melisa Jane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Iva Stoyanova

1815771
I was really interested in the cover and the title of the book. I knew that it will include crime and probably mystery. I would have definitely chosen to sample the book if I wasn't part of this program. The official review got my attention too. However, the author of the review recommended this book to readers who don't expect an action-packed thriller. So, I decided that this book is probably not for me. I am not going to buy and read the book. I enjoy action-packed thrillers, and I guess this book will be a bit boring for my taste. I didn't change my mind after reading the first ten pages. It is quite mysterious but it did not impress me enough.

The book seemed professionally edited. I haven't found any typos or errors. I liked that there is a mystery from the very first pages of the book. It engages the reader. The story is entertaining, it's written very well, and the mystery keeps the reader interested. I don't have any recommendations for improvement.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 11:20 am by Iva Stoyanova.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Maria Esposito

1518462
I knew I would not be interested in this book before I sampled it. The main reason is that I do not like mystery. The title and cover design do not catch my interest. The blurb seems abruptly cut off, as it ends with "From Margarita." The novel has four customer reviews on Amazon, but this had no impact on my decision. Reading the first ten pages did not make me change my mind. The book starts as Joyce and Ray's furnace breaks, and the repairman comes over to fix it. Unfortunately, as Ray is grabbing a glass of water for him, he unlocks the rear window, which one of his collaborators will be using, later on, to break into the house. The author's writing style seems engaging, but the mystery genre of the book does not catch my interest. There was nothing about the book I disliked, I just do not like this genre. However, the book seems well-written and professionally edited as I did not come across errors. It has an official review on Online Book Club, but this had no impact on my decision.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 10:40 am by Maria Esposito.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

aacodreanu

323834
Had I not actually sampled the first ten pages as part of this program, I would have chosen to read or sample this book based on the cover (the pearls are very suggestive), the title, as just naming precious stones makes a girl interested, definitely the genre – I cannot resist mystery and crime thrillers, and the Official OnlineBookClub review that I saw, which intrigued me and gave me more reasons to read the book. I am going to buy and read the whole book, because of the reasons I mentioned above. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess. Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited. I like the surprise of the initial theft, with all the preparation, I like the fact that the reader was taken into confidence and made an accomplice of it, I like it that it all happened very tamely and without any bloodshed. I cannot say anything about improvement before I have read the book. What I read seems in no need of improvement.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 7:13 am by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Rodel Barnachea

1816865
I love reading intense, thrilling stories, so when I learned that the book is exactly like that, I was excited to know more about it. However, upon reading the book's official OBC review and Amazon page, I realized that other features and qualities of the book do not appeal to me. I am uninterested in the main characters, and the premise seems common to most other stories of the same genre; I believe these impressions of mine are due to my personal preference. Therefore, I wouldn't purchase the book.

Reading the sample did not change my mind. I wouldn't purchase the book for a similar reason I stated in the first paragraph. The sample is primarily about Joyce and Ray getting robbed by Syd. What I liked most is reading Syd's method of burgling since she is incredibly skilled in doing it and leaves little to no traces of robbery. I didn't note any errors in the text, so I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 6:05 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Alice Heritage

173569
This isn't a book I'd have sampled without the programme as I'm not reading many contemporary thrillers at present. The cover is well composed and eye-catching, and would have attracted me if this were a genre I was looking for. The beginning was strong, but I won't buy this today as I'm not looking for new thrillers. The book seems professionally edited; I think "one level home" should be hyphenated to avoid confusion. I liked the way the story was set up - the jewellery theft was relatable as a similar thing happened to my grandparents, although without the heating engineer. The writing could be improved by removing some redundancy. For example, in "two cents worth of input", "of input" is not required as this is the meaning of "two cents['] worth." Similarly, in "she began rummaging through each drawer, searching for valuables", it's obvious what she would be searching for, and we see what she finds, so that could be cut. The OBC review was helpful in pointing out the story's main conflict, but my decision was based mainly on the genre and sample.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 5:42 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Emy Katherine

94929
I would have read the book based on the cover, title, and genre. Unfortunately, although I enjoyed reading the sample, I changed my mind after reading the OBC review. The OBC reviewer mentioned the book is filled with suspense and twists and turns, but it is not filled with action. Being a huge fan of action-packed thrillers, I do not think this book is for me; therefore, I will not read the rest of the story. While Ray and Joyce are out to dinner, a thief breaks into their house and steals Joyce's $100,000 natural pearl necklace. A retired detective, Drew Diamond, is on a mission to find out the identity of the intruder. The writing style was clear and descriptive, and I enjoyed the realistic, engaging dialogues. What I liked most, however, was that the story was told from multiple perspectives; it made it easier for me to connect with the characters. Sadly, I encountered some distracting errors throughout the sample, so I would suggest another round of editing. For example, there should be a comma after "necklace" in the following sentence: “Oh, by the way, you wouldn’t have a photo of that pearl necklace would you?" (location 350 of 522 • 67%) There should not be a comma after "upstairs" in the following sentence: "A few minutes later, Ray was back upstairs, and headed for the telephone." (location 125 of 522 • 24%) It should also be written "The right-hand drawer of the desk" instead of "The right hand drawer of the desk." (location 260 of 522 • 50%)

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 4:40 am by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

J_odoyo

1344976
Diamond and Pearls by Julien Ayotte is a riveting and seemingly well-written novel. I think it will make a great read for lovers of crime and mystery novels. The earlier pages of this book are so engaging and beautifully written. I think the book’s cover page was okay; it was attractive enough. The title was also attractive and professional. I liked the book’s description on the Amazon website; it was precise and informative enough to allow for an accurate guess of what to expect in the book. The book also had an official OnlineBookClub review, which gave an insight into what the book entails. I didn’t find any error (in the pages I’ve read), and I think that the book was professionally edited. Joyce Conway and her husband, Ray, woke up one morning and realized that their furnace had stopped running. The repairman left one of their windows open, which gave room to an intruder to enter their property. The intruder has stolen their cash and some valuables while the couple was away to dinner. They have notified the nearby police station, and detectives have embarked on their job. The progress of this story is so promising, and I can’t stop guessing what is next. Having read the first ten pages and the OnlineBookClub review, I’m not going to finish reading this book because I’m not a fan of this genre.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 4:19 am by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mutai Marshal

1793503
Ray and his wife were out for dinner when an intruder broke into their house. The thief made away with pearls and a few dollars. Can the detective tasked with the case unravel the motive behind the theft? The book was written from the third-person perspective (at least the sample I read). I loved most the simple language used. It made the information fathomable. The intriguing book title and cover page triggered my interest in this book, and I would have read it without sampling. The review by OBC also piqued my interest. Having sampled the first ten pages, I will buy this book because I love suspenseful and attention-grabbing mystery books. It was exceptionally edited, and I cannot suggest any improvements.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 3:53 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sanju Lali

739725
Nothing was evident to me from the cover and the title what the book is about because "Diamond and Pearls"meant many things to me. I considered reading the official review of this book before buying because I was curious to know about its contents. The official review was helpful enough to let me know that this is a crime thriller book, which focuses on several cases of home burglaries done by Sydney Malone, a real estate agent living in Providence. She also steals a pearl necklace and a matching ring, which was worth $100,000. This idea motivated me to sample the book by reading the first ten pages for making a buying decision. After reading the first ten pages, I found that this book was professionally edited because there were no grammatical errors. The thing l liked the most in this book is the premise where a woman is a burglar and steals valuable items from the houses without leaving any trace. A book with this premise can be a best seller if presented elegantly. Sadly, I found that the description of the scenes was inadequate for the average reader like me, especially in the scene where Joyce's house is being robbed when Joyce has gone for dinner. I had to make so many wild guesses to visualize the scene when the burglar was making an entry into Joyce's house. My suggestion to the author is to address the shortcomings raised by me in the above sentence. Noting all these aspects of the book, I decided not to purchase and read this book today. I decided to wait until the author addresses my suggestion so that I can enjoy reading this book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 3:35 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Shrabastee Chakraborty

614426
The cover and the title were intriguing. The official OBC review rates it a full 4 stars. Based on these, I would have read this book. The first ten pages, however, caused me to changed my mind. They contained no editing issues. They feature a couple, Joyce and Ray. Joyce wakes up to find the thermostat not working and orders Ray to check it. Ray calls in an electrician to check the thermostat when he fails to restart it himself. The pace of the narrative seemed too slow for my choice. Also, the dialogues sounded a little unnatural. These are the two areas that might need improvement. Because of the slow pace, I wouldn't want to read this book.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 3:32 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jennifer Donovan Smith

1483456
The cover is attractive, so I would’ve been drawn to the synopsis to find out if this is a romance or a mystery. The synopsis sounds interesting, with one character being a retired detective while his love interest appears to be a petty thief. The official OBC review left me confused, though, especially in its declaration that this book is full of “business ideas” and its suggestion to “forget this book” if you’re looking for something with action.

I liked that we were introduced to the thief in the first chapter and that we get to know how she’s gaining access to the houses. I noticed a few minor errors with commas, as well as two countable errors. First, because Swiffer is a brand name, “swiffering” ought to be capitalized in the following sentence:

“...Joyce had just finished vacuuming and swiffering the floors...” (Loc. 161)

Additionally, a comma should precede the dialogue tag rather than a period in the following sentence:

“‘...I’d like to take a cold tablet.’ Tom asked.” (Loc. 195)

I would recommend more editing by an experienced editor. Nothing particularly grabbed my attention in the first ten pages and the statements made in the review left me feeling uncertain, so I will not purchase the book today.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 1:56 am by Jennifer Donovan Smith.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

CrescentMoon

56447
After reading the blurb, I wouldn't pick this book up because the premise didn't really interest me. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors but there were a few sentences that I thought were very awkwardly worded. In chapter one, "Say, you wouldn't have a glass of water I could have, would you?" There were so many "woulds and could" in this sentence that it was confusing at first. I think it would be better to just say, "Say, could I have a glass of water?" What I liked best about the book so far was the descriptions and imagery. I could easily imagine the scene. For example, I don't have much knowledge about oil furnaces and how they work but I could easily imagine the red reset button and how Tom was able to fix the blockage based on the descriptions. My suggestion for improvement is to make the story flow more like a novel. To me it felt like a lot of telling rather than showing. The events occurring such as Tom fixing the furnace, opening the window, and then the burglar in the sedan coming was all listed as a sequence of events. It felt like a list of things happening rather than a novel. There was an onlinebookclub review. However, I wasn't hooked by the sample so I don't have an interest to continue reading the rest.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 1:23 am by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kaitlyn Canedy

1401101
I likely would have skipped the sample of Diamond and Pearls if it hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. The plot is interesting; it seems that one of the protagonists meets an ex-cop and helps him out with real estate. The sample was quite intriguing; it shows quite a few discussions that occur with many of the characters. It made me think that there would be many characters involved with the story. To be honest, I thought that I would be reading this book after reading the sample. However, I did change my mind after reading the official OnlineBookClub review. The review states that this is not an action-packed crime book, which is what I was expecting. Because of this, I will be skipping the book. The sample for Diamond and Pearls did not have any grammatical errors at all, making it a pleasure to read. This book has an excellent plot, and it may be the right video for those that enjoy thriller books.

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 1:07 am by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

AvidBibliophile

1437518
The cover art is mysteriously alluring and seduces with a sense of tantalizing intrigue. The Amazon product description entices prospective readers with mentions of burglaries, intruders, devious love interests, and linked destinies. I like that the tale begins with mundane marital spats and furnaces on the fritz. This book appears to have been professionally edited, although in the very first sentence, a comma should also appear after the state name: "The doorbell rang at 44 Tiffany Lane, Attleboro, Massachusetts(,) as the heating oil..." The one published OBC review is quite complimentary and persuasively positive, as are the seven currently posted Amazon user ratings. Since I do enjoy romantic crime novels with dubious side hustles and a bit of added mystery (and pearl history), I look forward to reading this one in its entirety!

First Ten review added on October 31, 2020, at 12:29 am by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Verna Coy

1064106
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have chosen it because the title and cover don’t appeal to me.
For this reason, I don’t intend to purchase and read the whole book.
Reading the first ten pages didn’t change my mind about buying the book, but I can see how it might have appeal for fans of the C/T/M/ H genre.
Based on what I read, the book seems professionally edited.
I didn’t see errors in the first ten pages.
What I liked most about what I read is how the author described how cold New England can be. It set the scene well.
I know that readers who enjoy detective mysteries will like this novel.
As far as improvements, I could see no need for any in what I read.
I did read the Official Online Book Club review and found it insightful. It didn’t affect my views of the book.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 11:30 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jsovermyer

1045410
The cover picture and title are very generic and not interesting to me. I would not buy this book from the cover alone. This is a crime and mystery novel featuring Drew Diamond and a jewel thief. The reviewer rated this book high. I found a grammatical error at location 130 where it says, "she proceeded to blast her husband Ray." There should be a comma used between husband and Ray. It was interesting that the furnace repairman was in on the robbery, unlocking the cellar window when the homeowner wasn't looking. The crime was not very exciting and the author already told that the thief was a woman. That takes some of the suspense out of the story. The book is slow to me and I am not interested in the characters introduced so far. I will not be finishing this book.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 11:25 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Gabrielle Sigaki

1762417
Diamond and Pearls by Julien Ayotte is a fiction book that contains crime, suspense, mystery, a lot of twists, and a bit of romance. If I didn't sample this book, I would read it based on its genre since novels with crime and suspense catch my interest. When I saw its Official OnlineBookClub review, I was willing to read the entire book since the story seemed realistic, unique, surprising, and dynamic. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind, and I will read the whole novel because I found the author's style engaging, fast-pacing, and dynamic. However, my favorite part was the manner the author constructed realistic dialogues. Besides, the book seems professionally edited, I didn't find errors or typos, and there's nothing to be improved in it.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 9:09 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Scerakor

45879
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. The review itself stated that this isn't an action-packed adventure and I usually prefer my crime thrillers that way. 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 did enjoy the first chapter's quick foray into crime and burglary. I particularly liked the intruder's internal monologue as they chided themselves for each place they looked and pushing their luck. That being said, I just don't think the writing style or the content are for me with this one. I didn’t see anything specific that I would have wanted to change within the sample that I read and the book looked well written and edited. The official review did not affect my decision at all.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 9:06 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ari Martinez

1624319
If I had not sampled this book as part of this program, I would not have chosen to sample it because the title and cover did not catch my attention. The Official OnlineBookClub review had good things to say about the book, but I have been reading too many crime mystery novels lately, and do not feel like reading another one at the moment. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind. I will not be reading the rest of the book because, as I was reading, I got the feeling I had already read or seen something similar to this before - maybe in an Alfred Hitchcock movie? My favorite part of what I read was how Tom unlocked the window since that's such an effective way to create suspense with just a few words. I do not think it can be improved, and it does seem professionally edited.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 8:34 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Hazel Arnaiz

1897704
I will not sample the book outside the program. The cover and the title relate to each other. The blurb was enough to build on the intrigue and reviews were enthusiastic. However, chasing after stolen jewelry did not interest me enough. After sampling, the story seemed promising. I liked the technical information about the pearls and the back story of the jewelry. Also, I did not notice grammar mistakes and typo errors from the sampled pages. I have no further suggestions for improvement. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review, which was informative. I will keep this book in mind but will not finish it now.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 8:33 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Lee

1513376
This book has a lot going for it. What I like best is that it tells a sweeping saga, spanning the globe. Furthermore, it encompasses decades (going back to Venezuela of the 1930s). This gives a depth to the story that is very enjoyable. I also really like the author's "voice." There's enough description to enable a reader to picture scenes in his/her mind, but not so over-the-top that it bogs the story down.

The Amazon blurb is well-written and the review is also intriguing. The reviewer said that the entire book is very well-edited and I agree: based on the sample pages, this is professionally edited. The only mistake I found was that the first paragrph of the third chapter is, inexplicably, a larger size font. The one thing I REALLY disliked about the book is how the tenses would change from past tense to present tense, sometimes within the same paragraph. I don't know whether this is a new "technique" or just inexperience, but it's very distracting. When telling a story of events that supposedly have already happened, it sounds much better to be written PAST tense and, whatever you do, don't change tenses in the same paragraph!

I won't be finishing the story because it's not really a genre that interests me. The book review really had no bearing on my decision to not read it, but the issue with tenses decided me to take a pass. However, if you like suspense, mystery, and thrillers, give the book a try. Despite the issue with tenses, it's a smartly written novel.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 8:18 pm by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jorge Leon Salazar

1225511
The story begins in January 2019 when Joyce Conway and her husband Ray call in a technician to repair the heating. Next, it is told when a thief (Sidney) breaks into the Conways' house and steals cash and jewelry. The Conways call the police, and Detective Mullen comes to their house. In the sample, the plot does not develop much. Mainly, It tells about aspects associated with the jewelry business. Plus, it narrates the story of Joyce's grandparents. Intriguing things are mentioned like the pearls can be cultured or natural. In addition, striking issues are mentioned about the estimated value of pearls.
It seemed incredible to me that Joyce's grandparents were from Margarita Island in Venezuela since I've been there. From the official review, it is obtained that the necklace of forty large pearls has significance in the plot. The story is entertaining and what I read in the sample leaves some interesting expectations. However, it did not captivate me completely. Therefore, I think I will not read the rest of the book, at least not in the near future. The edition seems outstanding although in 88% of the sample the town of Parlamar is mentioned; indeed, the name of the town is Porlamar. The cover is simple but consistent with the title and content of the book.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 7:09 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Bertha Jackson

1904023
I am not sure if I would have given a second thought to this book before reading the first ten pages. The cover and title made me think more of a detective genre like James Bond. I liked the customer reviews, and the OnlineBookClub increased my interest enough that I have added it to my bookshelves. Unless there is a really good romance option, I will probably read this book. I found no errors in the first ten pages of this professionally-edited book. I liked how the author made me feel like I was part of the story. I did not see anything to change in the first ten pages.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 6:53 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kelyn

741624
If I had not been a member of this program, it is unlikely that the genre, title, cover, or author of this book would have prompted me to pick it up. As the crime/mystery genre is not one of my favorites, more than likely, I would not have even encountered the book. If I had, however, neither the cover nor the title would have particularly interested me. I like it when the cover of a book gives me an idea of what is within its pages. Although that is achieved, it is only minimally. Ok, the book has something to do with diamonds and pearls. Sooo....there's nothing else to indicate even that the book might be a mystery (for those who are into that genre.) The author is unknown to me, so that would not have affected my decision. The blurb brings about a touch of intrigue. Drew (a detective) has a new girlfriend who might be a thief?!?! That can't end well!! My curiosity was piqued. There were a few customer reviews on the Amazon site, all of which were positive. There was also a small snippet of the review from this site in the book's beginning pages. It was also complimentary, as was the whole review from this program. This gave a good impression going into the book. I have to admit; I admired Sydney's skill as a thief. She had a very 'professional' air in how she did things and was extremely careful not to arouse undue suspicion. Even for a burglar, you have to admire that type of skill. Perhaps she's the 'villain' in this story, but I liked her right off the bat. I had to wonder what her connection to the repairman was, though. Despite my almost instant engagement with Sydney, the fact remained that the book is a crime/mystery, a genre that I have a well-proven history of not enjoying. For this reason, I have decided not to continue reading the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' mistakes in the sample.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 6:13 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Ungureanu

620179
The way this book looks didn't turn my head around, and neither did the OBC review. The reason must be the book's genre. I enjoyed reading the sample though. Joyce and Ray are having some problems with the heating, so they call a serviceman to their house. I was pleased with the writing style of the author. He seems to master the art of writing a crime novel. It also made me think that this book is professionally edited. I like the way the author insisted to detail every little thing, like how Joyce asked the serviceman to wipe his feet at the entrance. However, my interest stops when he goes into details about how a furnace works. My problem with this beginning was the lack of some concrete action, but I feel the suspense building, so I'm sure that the author has done that for a good reason. However, since mystery crime is not a genre I enjoy, I'm not inclined to read it. The way the OBC reviewer presented the plot seemed intricate, but it didn't make me curious to find out the truth, which is the most important aspect of a mystery novel.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 6:10 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

LinaJan

1695237
My initial impression of ‘Diamond and Pearls’ by Julien Ayotte was ‘not for me’ when I judged it by its cover and the title. Upon reading the official onlinebookclub.org review, I learned that, opposite to my impression, this is a novel that is very much my ‘go-to’ genre. I still do not care for the cover or the title as I find them to be non-indicative of the genre, but my interest in the story has now certainly piqued. Having also had the opportunity to sample ‘Diamond and Pearls,’ I was too intrigued to stop there. The work seems to be professionally edited and proofread, and J. Ayotte’s writing style appears to be as smooth as Tom’s operation in the cellar was. Also, whilst at the beginning I had no particular feelings towards Joyce, maybe even found her slightly annoying, I now feel for her. Her loss was really brought home by the story of how the pearl necklace came to be. I look forward to getting some closure for both Joyce and me.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 5:52 pm by LinaJan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Mallory Porshnev

768407
The cover of this book didn't excite me too much. The OBC review was somewhat poorly written and a bit of a turn off as well. I was also concerned as the reviewer mentions that the book is written in both first and third person. That sounds like a mess to me. I sampled the first ten pages and didn't find any editing errors. I like the premise of the book. It sounds like an interesting plot with potential. However, I really didn't enjoy the writing style. The dialogue is wordy and not natural at all. I don't think I would enjoy this book. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest of it.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 5:43 pm by Mallory Porshnev.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Twylla

1548676
I would buy this book based on the book cover, the 7 Amazon reviews (4 and 5 ratings), the OBC review and the sample text on Amazon. I was disappointed when the sample text on Amazon ended. I was into the story. The characters are vivid and interesting. The writing style is easy to read.
I love the book cover. That is exactly the right art work for this book!.
I don't have any suggestions to improve it. This is a really good book!
The book seems professionally edited and well-written. I didn't find any errors in the text I read.
The OBC review was excellent and the analysis is right on track.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 5:18 pm by Twylla.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kirsi Cultrera

1629804
From the outside, this book truly looked like some cool old-fashioned crime story. The cover reminded me of ever so lovable Agatha Christie, and this was enough to grab my attention, leaving me excited about the change to read a sample of the book. Unfortunately, the sample pages felt rather boring. I wasn’t at all convinced about the story with burglary to have enough interesting twists and turns to keep me glued to my seat. Technically the book seemed good, editing was perfect, and everything was in its right place. I am not quite sure why I felt so disappointed, but it might have something to do with the image of Agatha Christie created by the outward appearance of the book. I read an Official OnlineBookClub Review of the story and learned that there’s a lot of information about pearls included. That might have been interesting, but the tiny traces of special magic that makes a good book extraordinary was missing this time. Therefore, I decided to leave reading this book to others.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 4:45 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Odette Chace

1623591
I wasn't drawn in by the title and don't typically read mysteries. I like the heavy contrast on the cover. Based on the synopsis on Amazon, the book doesn't appear to include any violence, which makes it more appealing to me. The official Online Book Club review gave the work a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars, but the review was poorly written and didn't make much of an impression. The opening chapter started out a little slow. I wasn't expecting to read so much about a furnace being repaired in a mystery novel. The Conways are portrayed as very boring people. I was disappointed in the sample and won't be finishing the book. However, I did not notice any grammatical errors and believe the work was professionally proofread.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 4:32 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Brenda Creech

1236408
I was attracted to the cover and title of this book right away, so I would have checked it out. After reading the official review, I was somewhat intrigued. When I read the sample I was a little bit disappointed. The sample wasn't as exciting as I had hoped. It was pleasant, but to me it wasn't a page turner. I did not find any errors in what I read. As for improvement, it would have been more exciting if it had not been so easy for the reader to know who unlocked the basement window so the burglar could get into the house. It is true I didn't get enough information to figure out how the female burglar and the furnace repair man are connected, but I couldn't convince myself I could get that interested in the rest of the book. Therefore, I am going to pass on reading the rest.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 2:56 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Diana Lowery

1202329
The title mentioned two things that I am fond of, but the cover, with its shadowy background, felt like it would be a mystery, which is not my favorite genre. I liked that in the blurb it was mentioned that the necklace would travel over three continents. I was surprised when reading the first ten pages of how quickly I got interested in the characters, especially the clever robber. I was surprised that it was a woman. Although the review mentioned that it appeared to be well-edited, I found a comma error in the first paragraph of Chapter One. There is no comma after Massachusetts in the sentence, "The doorbell rang at 44 Tiffany Lane, Attleboro, Massachusetts [ ] as the ..." I will not finish reading the book at this time because it is not a genre I am currently reading. I have no suggestions for improvement for the author. I enjoyed the authentic dialogue.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 2:39 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Theresa Moffitt

857578
I like the title and the cover art of this book. The jewelry caught my attention right away. I am curious about the book and the subject of the story. The first ten pages were interesting and drew me in right away. A husband and wife wake up to find that their furnace isn’t working properly. They contact a repairman who comes right over that same morning. Unfortunately, when the owners aren’t looking, he unlocks a basement window. Later burglars enter the home through that window. It sounds like a great story. I would like to finish reading this book. I didn’t see any errors, so I believe it was professionally edited. I didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon in the first ten pages. I read an Online Book Club review of this book that was very positive and gave it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. This reinforced my decision to finish reading this book. I didn’t read a customer review, but I had all of the information I needed based on the first ten pages and the OBC review.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 11:53 am by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

712962
I like that the cover of the book is simple but not in a boring, unprofessional way. The blurb is to-the-point and attractive, and I love a good mystery so I would've bought the book based on my first impression. Also, the book has great ratings.
What I liked the most about the first ten pages is how accurate it is in its observation of human nature. The description of how Ray pretends to know about the heater and, later on, "Ray listened attentively to this explanation, looking as if he understood what the repairman had just said" is my husband to a T. That made me laugh. And I've got to admit that the broken heater con is smart in its simplicity.
I didn't find editing mistakes, and I don't think anything needs improvement. The official review didn't influence my decision.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 11:40 am by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

gen_g

697597
Based on the title and cover, it seems like an adventure/thriller type of book, which I am not in the market for; hence, I would not have sampled it. I have also come across a positive OBC review of the book, but this would not have changed my decision not to sample, since this book does not belong to a genre that I am looking for. After sampling, there are a couple of errors present. For example, at 18% in the sample, the comma in "...next to the door, and greeted the Superior Oil repairman..." is wrongly inserted (conjunction before dependent phrase). I suggest more editing. However, I appreciate that the story started with a bang, as it helps the reader to maintain interest. For example, we learn that when the repairman came to fix the faulty furnace at Ray and Joyce's house, he had unlatched the clasp of the window in the cellar where the furnace is located. This was how Syd got into the house and stole 2 envelopes containing $500 each, Joyce's jewellery box with her heirloom pearls (necklace and ring), and another $5000-$6000 worth of other jewellery. However, as I am not in the market for thrillers/mysteries, I will not be buying the book today.

First Ten review added on October 30, 2020, at 10:06 am by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Total ~ 40%

Diamond and Pearls earned a score of 40%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 40% 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 Diamond and Pearls