Cover for Raptor Canyon

The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Raptor Canyon: (Relic, #2)

Because Raptor Canyon 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.

Rodel Barnachea

1816865
Following my perusing the book's official OBC review and Amazon page, I opted not to acquire the mystery action title. I didn't find myself enthralled after it was what Relic witnessed, which is Lynch shooting the artist. I wasn't interested in knowing about Relic's fate after Lynch started to shoot at him. The novel is not my cup of tea. Reading the title's Amazon sample failed to change my mind. I wouldn't acquire it because nothing in its sample captured my attention, piqued my curiosity, or had me wanting to read the rest of the story. My favorite part is the conversation between Snow and the lawyer, specifically when they talked about Little Horse Canyon, L.L.C.I didn't note any errors in the Amazon sample; I believe the book is professionally edited. I have nothing to suggest to the author.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:59 am by Rodel Barnachea.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ekta Kumari

896308
The book revolves around relic and a young lawyer, Wyatt, and how their paths cross in a turn of events that lead them to a journey that might decide the fate of a treasured site. I liked the premise but wouldn't have read the book as I wasn't much interested in the genre. The thing I did like the most while sampling is that the book has a fair background detailing that helps in understanding the backstory. I also like that the author summarises a brief account of the previous installment at the beginning of the book. For someone who has not read other parts of the series, this would be useful. I didn't find any editing errors, so I would rate the book as professionally edited. I did see an official OBC review before sampling. Although I found the sample engaging, I wouldn't be reading the whole book as I've not read the other ones in the series. While it is not mandatory to read other installments to understand this one, I believe it would still affect the enjoyment of this book. I don't have any recommendations for improvements.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Manang Muyang

176802
I am a huge fan of Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. Thus, this book (title, cover, and blurb) "had me at hello." I would have sampled it outside of the program. I was taken aback by the sample, though. As the official OBC reviewer noted, there were no demarcations for the scene changes. I would have a difficult time coping with this issue, so I decided not to read the rest of the book. I do hope the author will insert chapter headings. This is also the second book in the Relic series; I am not sure if I can appreciate this one without having read the first book. Nonetheless, I found Relic an interesting character. Could he be Mr. Snow, now 91 years old? I found two grammar issues in the bit I read: At 72% of the sample, "In his early fifty's, Winford wore his graying brown hair short" should have used "fifties." Then at 96%, "a business venture finally come to completion that would send him into early, high-roller, retirement" didn't need the last comma.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:57 am by Manang Muyang.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Alice Heritage

173569
This is a book I'd have been unlikely to sample without the programme as I don't often read contemporary thrillers. I also won't buy this today (it was not available for me on Kindle Unlimited) as it seems a little fast-paced and violent for my taste. The text seems well edited; I just thought "closer" or "close" would be more correct than "closely" in the following sentence: "The other men moaned in admiration and moved closely to examine the stone." I liked the way Snow's failing memory was described in the opening scene. That was well done, and a good example of telling rather than showing. I was also intrigued by the dinosaur theme. There wasn't anything that particularly needs improvement as short chapters work well sometimes - this just doesn't mesh with my reading preferences at the moment. I saw an OBC review, but my decision was mainly based on the sample.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:56 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

va2016

119030
The title "Raptor Canyon" conveys that the book is about a place called "Raptor Canyon". The cover depicts the illustration of the skeleton of a dinosaur or a similar type of animal. There are 34 Amazon customer ratings with an average rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is pretty good for me to decide to sample the book. The Amazon summary provides a wonderful description of the story, which makes me interested in sampling the book, so even if not for the First Ten program, I would have sampled the book. As I sampled through the book, I found the narration describing the old man Snow meeting a lawyer at Snow's home. As I am interested in the overall story, I am going to read this book in full. I found the sample professionally edited. There were no grammatical or mechanical errors. What I liked most about the book is its interesting story. I don't have any recommendations for the improvement of the book. 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 May 19, 2021, at 4:54 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

smolbird

2020805
Because I found the cover and title to be interesting, I would have sampled this book outside of the First Ten program. Additionally, its official OBC review gave it a high rating, so I was looking forward to reading it. I liked Relic's character and his name, as I found it to be unusual. However, I disliked the fact that the title is a bit misleading, as I thought the book would revolve more around dinosaurs. Based on the sample, I found the book to be well-edited, as I didn't catch any errors. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in this type of books, so I won't be reading any further.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:28 am by smolbird.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Vickie Noel

249577
I think I would have read this book outside the program based on the editorial reviews and its blurb. The cover art and title are unlikely to have done much to capture my interest. After reading the sample, I'm more curious about the story. I liked the author's writing style and the suspenseful plot. For example, after introducing us to Old Man Snow, Baldwin offers a description of the character thus, "...with full, riotous hair the color of his name..." I also found it amusing how Snow kept delaying the signing of the documents by bringing up random things that strained the lawyer's patience; I actually thought he was doing it deliberately because of something he suspected was up. Anyway, I still want to know what outcome resulted from his decision. The book is professionally edited. However, "daughter in law" should be hyphenated in the sentence, "Six months later, his son and daughter in law died together at the hands of a drunk driver..." I have no recommendations for improvement. I saw an OBC review, but my decision to read further is based on the sample.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 4:04 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Shrabastee Chakraborty

614426
The cover thrilled me. However, from the official OBC review, the premise sounded too complicated. Hence, based on that, I wouldn't have read the book. I found no errors in the first ten pages. They described a deal Old Man Snow was supposed to make regarding the ownership of the canyon. However, his forgetful mind seemed to give him troubles. Reading these first ten pages made me change my mind. I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something untoward would happen to the old man any moment. This made me apprehensive and thrilled about the mystery. I had no suggestions for improvement, either. Based on my experience, I will read the book.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 3:07 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Sou Hi

1445186
The cover looks nice, and the official review is alright. There are a number of ratings on Amazon, and the blurb is promising, so I decided to give the sample a try. The book starts with an old man, Snow, who is forced to sign some documents regarding Little Horse Canyon. Since he needs money for his granddaughters, he has no choice but to accept the lawyer's deal. The scene then shifts to two years later, focusing on a man named Relic.

I like the smooth wording of the book. The editing is fine, but the pace is a bit slow. Also, since this is the second part of the book, I'm not sure if it's an independent book, or if it's connected with the first one. I would want to have a brief summary or an introduction so that I can understand the context first. Besides, the plot is not very interesting, as I haven't seen the selling points yet. Thus, I won't buy this book.

Error example: I think there's big dinosaur fossils all through that layer of rock nobody's found yet. -> Since "fossils" is plural, I think it should be "There're"

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 3:07 am by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Annelore Trujillo

97769
I would not have sampled this book based on the genre, blurb, OBC review, cover and title. The story just didn’t interest me. After reading the first ten pages, I won’t be finishing this book. I liked that there was some suspense when Snow and the lawyer were going over the paperwork. There were some hints that the deal might not have been that honest or in Snow’s favor. However, when it switched to the “two years later” section and started following different characters, I lost interest. I tend to have a hard time following when the book switches like this. There isn’t anything specific that needs improvement. The book did seem to be professionally edited.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 1:54 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ann Ogochukwu

2074422
I may have sampled this book based on the OBC review; it was intriguing to some extent. The cover and title are fitting, but they didn't catch my interest.
The bit of this book that I sampled was quite interesting, but it didn't hold my interest for long, so I won't be completing the book. The story starts with an old man who worries about finances; he needs money to keep his granddaughters in school and to run his ranch, and his best bet might be to give up some part of the ranch.
What I liked most about the book were the unique and realistic characters, especially forgetful Old Man Snow. The editing was also impressive, as I didn't notice any errors in the sample. I don't think this book needs any improvement.

First Ten review added on May 19, 2021, at 12:59 am by Ann Ogochukwu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

MsH2k

1404847
I prefer the OBC cover of this book to the one in the Kindle sample. I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. I rarely read western-type mysteries. The sample pages were vividly written. I enjoyed how the author described scenes in a clipped manner, but they were still very clear and colorful. As expected, I will not buy this book because I’m not that invested in the story, but I did enjoy the sample pages. There seems to be a lot of intrigue in the story. In the end, I hope Snow and his granddaughters are alive and well. I noticed a couple of grammatical errors in the sample pages, but they were not distracting. The last comma is not needed in this sentence at location 35: “Most folks in the high country called him Old Man Snow, eighty-nine years and counting, with full, riotous hair the color of his name, and caramel eyes that squeezed into narrow slits when he laughed.” Daughter-in-law should be hyphenated in this sentence at location 45: “Six years later, his son and daughter in law died together at the hands of a drunk driver in Heber City.” The featured OnlineBookClub review was very well written and engaging, but it had no bearing on my decision not to buy this book. I have no suggestions for improvement.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 11:17 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Justine Ocsebio

1872914
I wouldn’t have sampled this book based on the blurb, as I didn’t find the premise intriguing. The story began with an old man having an agreement with a lawyer. The old man is selling a portion of his ranch to a company. Two years laters, a man named Relic witnessed a murder. I like the way the author built up the mystery and the intrigue in the beginning. However, I don’t exactly find the premise appealing to my preference, so I’m not going to read the whole book. I disliked nothing, and I didn’t see anything that needed improvement. The text is well edited. The official review did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 9:10 pm by Justine Ocsebio.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

xsquare

1815722
I prefer to read books of a series in order. Having sampled the first book of this series before (and deciding against reading it), I wouldn’t have sampled this book if it hadn’t been part of the First Ten program. I like the exciting start to the book: I think the author has done a good job describing Old Man Snow’s internal conflict between the desire for land and the need for money. The deteriorating state of his mental faculties that caused him to get easily distracted was also very evident in the writing. I did not see any typos, and I don’t think that there was anything that the author could have done better. However, I did not find the premise of the novel very exciting. I won’t be reading the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 5:38 pm by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

OB Brian

1819811
I definitely would have picked this read based on the blurb, cover, customer reviews, and genre. The synopsis especially piqued my interest. Relic, Wyatt, and Faye find themselves devising plans to preserve a canyon while running for dear life from nefarious individuals who are after the treasures of the canyon. Sampling this work only served to intrigue me more. Unfortunately, I will not read it today as I am currently in the middle of another. Still, what I liked most in the sample was the picturesque description employed. Therefore, I was able to conjure images of the characters' surroundings as I read. The first ten pages of this read are devoid of errors, leading me to conclude that this book is edited professionally. That said, I found nothing to improve on. Finally, I read the official analysis of this work at OnlineBookClub.org. it was informative and influenced my decision to sample this read.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 2:54 pm by OB Brian.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

MarisaRose

106960
After looking at the Amazon blurb for "Raptor Canyon" by A.W. Baldwin, I was not initially interested in reading this book. The book is the second in a series, and that alone is what made me not want to read this book ( I do not start series in the middle ). That being said, there were some interesting aspects of the blurb. I'm a fan of mysteries, and "Raptor Canyon" includes a mysterious murder. However, there were aspects of the blurb that I did not find appealing. For example, the first paragraph was a bit confusing and difficult to decipher. Based on what I disliked about the blurb and the fact that this is the second book in a series, I would not choose to purchase this book blindly. After sampling the first ten pages, I was surprised by how impressed I was with the narrative. The sample was well written, I didn't notice any grammatical errors, and I was intrigued by the main character, Snow, and the Utah backcountry setting. I was immediately reminded of the "Longmire" series, which is one of my favorite mystery series. I did feel as though I was missing some information, however. For instance, I couldn't really get a good grasp on Snow: Was he old and losing his memory, or was his mind just on other things and that is why he was confused during his discussion with the lawyer? Further, I had questions about the limited liability corporation Snow was supposedly agreeing to and the motives behind that. Overall, I feel like I need to read the first book in order to full understand what is going on in the opening scenes of "Raptor Canyon." That being said, I was really impressed with the author's writing style and the setting for this book, so I am curious to take a look at the first book in the series. Further, I noticed no obvious grammatical errors in the text, though there may have been a missing hyphen (marble top table should be marble-top or marble-topped table). I did see the official OBC review for "Raptor Canyon," and the rave four-star rating had me excited for this author's work. Based on the fact that this is the second book in the series, I won't be purchasing it today. However, I am heading over to Amazon to check out the first book in the series since the sample and review for "Raptor Canyon" piqued my interest!

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 2:33 pm by MarisaRose.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Rayah Raouf

1999381
I would not have chosen to sample the book because of the cover. It looked like it would be about dinosaurs and that does not interest me. I will not read the book. It is the second book in a series, so I presume there are references to the first book that I will not understand. The premise of the book did not resonate with me either. I thought it would be similar to Jurassic Park, but it's more about fossils. I noticed no grammatical errors in the sample. Therefore, the book seems to be professionally edited. I like the map at the beginning of the book. It helps us picture the place. It isn’t a very well-made map, but it does the job. I have no suggestions for improvements. There was an official review. It makes the book sound interesting, but it’s not something I would want to read.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 1:09 pm by Rayah Raouf.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mariana Figueira

1878669
Before reading the first pages of the book, I wasn't interested in it because, although I enjoy thrillers, this one didn't appeal to me. After sampling the book, I can confirm I won't be reading the rest of it. I kind of enjoy the ranch setting, but the writing didn't do anything for me and I didn't enjoy the abrupt transition from Old Man Snow to Relic. Additionally, the format is uncomfortable because the font size is really small. The novel seems professionally edited and has an official Online BookClub review.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 12:58 pm by Mariana Figueira.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

gen_g

697597
By looking at the title and cover, I would not have read or sampled the book, as it seems like a thriller, which I am not in the market for. However, I have come across a positive OBC review; nonetheless, I would not have sampled it, given that the book is not a genre that I'm looking for. Still, after sampling, 1% in the sample, there is an erroneous comma inserted: "...hair the color of his name, and caramel eyes that..." (conjunction before dependent phrase). I would suggest more editing to improve book quality. Still, I like that that author has included some background context at the beginning of the book, which will help increase reader interest and immersion. For example, we learn that Old Man Snow is 85 years old, and he still has a full head of white hair. However, his wife had died of cancer when she was only 50 years old, and worse still, his son and daughter-in-law were fatalities of a drunk-driving accident six years after. To further improve the book, I would also suggest that the author cut down slightly on descriptions and increase the amount of background context right from the very beginning of the book (i.e. location, etc.) – there seems to be a slight tendency to describe item/object/scene, which detracts from reading flow. However, as I am not in the market for thriller fiction, I will not be buying the book today.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 12:02 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Timothy Rucinski

697172
From the Official Review, I knew I would not be reading this book as I don't like to begin books from a series in the middle of a series. However, this looks like a good book and, since I've been meaning to read the first book in the series, I might get around to this at some point in the future. But I will not be reading it now. The author has a wonderful writing style, and I particularly enjoyed the manner in which he described the mountainous environment, from the cliff faces to the dust on shoes, bringing the terrain to life. There wasn't anything that I disliked about the book. I believe it was professionally edited as I saw no errors.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 10:55 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Jorge Leon Salazar

1225511
The story begins by telling about an old man identified as Old Man Snow, who owned lands and a ranch where he bred cattle and quarter horses. He needed to sell some land because he required cash for his granddaughters' education and for his activities on the ranch. Snow had already seen a fossilized dinosaur jaw and petroglyphs in the canyon. Later, the story tells when Relic saw a column of smoke far upriver in the remote canyon and decides to go investigate what it is. At that place, he observed three men whom he identified as 'tall man', 'blond man', and 'muscle man.' Next, he witnessed when 'muscle man' murdered 'blond man', whom they left there to die.
What is narrated in the sample suggests a plotline around the construction in the canyon in which 'muscle man' and 'tall man' are working. It can be seen that the stories told separately are related. For example, Wyatt and his boss Todd Winford are going traveling to inspect a construction project that appears to be the same one in which 'blond man' was assassinated. What I read so far is intriguing as to what Relic will do about these evil men and the murder.
The official review clarifies the plot a bit and gives names to the men Relic observed. The editing looks remarkable as I didn't see any errors. The cover is artistic as it fantastically displays a canyon and a raptor dinosaur figure at the same time. However, I think the potential audience seeking action and adventure would not easily perceive them on this cover. Other than this, I did not see anything else that I believe could be improved. The story seems well constructed and poses interesting situations, but it didn't fully capture me. Hence, I think I will not read the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 9:38 am by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Diana Lowery

1202329
Based on the cover and the title, I assume that this has something to do with dinosaurs. The blurb and the review confirmed this. I liked the idea of a "moonshine hermit." The writing style was very witty, and I liked the character of the grandfather and disliked the lawyer. I did not see any errors in the pages that I read. I will not finish reading the book now, but I would if it were free on Kindle Unlimited. I do not have any suggestions for the author.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 8:23 am by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sanju Lali

739725
The cover and the title indicated to me that this could be a fantasy storybook based on fossil remains of a dinosaur. With that idea, I considered reading the official review of this book because I was curious to know the setting of the story. The official review helped me to understand that this book has a story about a hermit named Relic and the fight for supremacy among the other three people. This information intrigued me to read the sample of the book before purchasing it. After reading the first ten pages, I realized that this book is not professionally edited because I found some grammatical errors in the sample. For example, the sentence, "Smart and tough, they’d learned to ride, hay, irrigate, and operate all manner of tractor, bailer, and roller mill...". The sentence could have been as follows. "Smart and tough, they'd learned to ride, hay, irrigate, and operate all manner of the tractors, the bailers, and the roller mills... ". The thing l liked the most is the premise of the story, where fantasy story is based on fossil remains of dinosaurs in a canyon, which make it more interesting. Unfortunately, the description of the scenes appeared to be having too much irony and unnecessary details, making it difficult to understand the story clearly. My suggestion to the author would be to go for a round of professional editing and consider the difficulties faced by me, as mentioned in the above sentences. Looking at all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today but wait until the author could help me by addressing my suggestion so that I could get a lot of entertainment by reading this book.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 5:23 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mutai Marshal

1793503
Having read one of Baldwin’s books in his series, which was wittily crafted, the cover page and title piqued my interest in this book. Baldwin’s creative writing fascinated me in this sample. My favorite aspect was the deployment of vivid descriptions. I could picture how neatly dressed Snow’s attorney was and the ensuing conversation revolving around Old Man Snow in the office. Having read the OBC review and sampled this read, I will finish reading it since I like fast-paced novels. The sample seems exceptionally edited since I didn’t flag any grammatical errors. I recommend using a bigger font to prevent readers from straining their eyes.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 4:48 am by Mutai Marshal.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Ahbed Nadir

2007076
Raptor Canyon by A.W. Baldwin is a great work. Looking at the cover and the title alone, I was immediately interested in the work as it brings to mind tales of adventure and danger that are quite the draw for most readers. Having already made up my mind to check this book out, I then read the various reviews and ratings that the OnlineBookClub reviewers had put down and I was very pleased by the general tone of excellence and quality that I heard all over. Upon sampling the first ten pages of this work, I was pleased to see that the book lived up to the standard that I had imagined it would. The author painted a gritty, down to earth, everybody's man sort of character that immediately connects with the reader, making one feel as though he's experiencing the world through his eyes. The pace of the book quickly sped up with appearances of violence, danger and bravery. I was left wanting more as I pondered about the mystery of dinosaur skulls in Raptor Canyon and the danger present in searching them out. I will definitely be buying this book as I look forward to solving the mystery. I didn't notice any grammatical errors and the book seemed professionally edited. What I liked most about this was the realism of the hero of the book. An old man with hopes, fears, sicknesses and ailments, Relic was quite the draw and he felt extremely relatable. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review for Raptor Canyon and seeing this cinched my decision to purchase the book. Great read and I definitely recommend it.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 4:45 am by Ahbed Nadir.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

evraealtana

1255476
I have previously sampled two of Baldwin's other books, Wings Over Ghost Creek and Diamonds of Devil's Tail, and enjoyed both. At the time I remember wanting to read more of both of them, although I haven't done so yet. I likewise enjoyed the first ten pages of this one. I adored the character of Old Man Snow, particularly the organic way that his addled memory flitted from thought to thought and back again with limited recollection. The interaction with the lawyer as seen through his eyes felt authentic. I liked the detail about Old Man Snow catching the lawyer's glimmering eyes as the lawyer thought about something to do with the dinosaur fossil; it felt like Old Man Snow had been sharp once before age took his memory, and in that moment, a little of his old self was poking through. As always, Relic made me smile; he is such an eccentric character that it makes me want to know more about him, even if only to discover why he is the way he is and why he lives as he does. I am not really fond of law and law procedurals, so the scene with Wyatt and Winston didn't really interest me. If I were sampling Raptor Canyon without any prior knowledge of Baldwin's work, I would skip it because I would anticipate property law being an uncomfortably large part of the plot, enough that the rest of the book wouldn't interest me. However, the glowing official OBC review and my enjoyment of the early parts of two of his other books has convinced me to put this one on my to-be-read-eventually list, along with Wings and Diamonds. I love that all of Baldwin's book covers are stylistically similar, as it forms a "trademark aesthetic" that makes his work instantly identifiable. Having seen one cover, the others all clearly look related, which makes his books stand out. I found one error in the first ten pages: a possessive instead of a plural in "in his early fifty's" (fifties).

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 4:09 am by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

J_odoyo

1344976
After reading the sample of this book, I have realized that the book seems to have been well written and riveting. I didn’t have any problem with the book’s cover page; I think it was well-designed. The book’s title was also okay. There were no errors in the sample I read, and I would wager that the book was professionally edited. The description on the Amazon website was also okay. The book had an official OnlineBookClub review, which gave insight into what the book is all about. Reading this sample didn’t change my mind to finally read this book; I’m not a fan of this genre. The earlier pages of this book narrate the story of Old Man Snow and his life in his over six hundred acres of land. I have no recommendation for the improvement of this book; the sample was well written.

First Ten review added on May 18, 2021, at 1:31 am by J_odoyo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Theresa Moffitt

857578
I like the title of this book and the cover art. It looks to be a story involving dinosaurs or dinosaur fossils. I am interested in the story based on the cover of this book. I would have picked this book up based on the cover alone. The first ten pages were interesting and told the story of ‘Old Man Snow’ who is 89 years old living in Utah. He takes care of his two granddaughters who are both attending college. However, he needs cash and has agreed to create a limited liability company to sell a portion of his property. He seems to have dementia because he keeps forgetting what he is doing. He has a lawyer stop by with the paperwork and forgets what the documents are for. The author has an interesting writing style. The characters seem realistic and interesting. I didn’t see any errors in the first ten pages, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I also didn’t see any area that the author could improve upon. The Online Book Club review of this book was very positive and gave it a four star rating. This increased my interest in the book. Based on the first ten pages and the OBC review, I would like to finish reading this book.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 10:09 pm by Theresa Moffitt.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kaitlyn Canedy

1401101
I likely would not have read the sample of Raptor Canyon if it hadn't been the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. The description did not seem interesting to me at first and, sadly, neither did the sample. Upon the first impression, I have to say that I did not like that I had to adjust my font size to be able to read it. After dealing with this, I was not sure what to make of the book. However, the official OnlineBookClub review said that there is a hermit involved with lawyers, which ought to make for an intriguing read. Once I read this review, I knew that I had to get and finish the rest of the book. I even went back to read the sample again after reading this review. The scenes describing the illegal activity and the cover art were the two aspects that caught my attention the most. There were no grammatical errors that I could find, and I think those that like legal thrillers may find pleasure in this book.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 10:01 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Catherine Hsu

104096
If I had read the sample, I would not have read this book as I do not read books of the Western genre. After reading the sample, I have not changed my mind. Part of it is for the same reason and lack of interest whn it comes to talk about warranties, money, and disclosures, but also I think the book could be improved with more editing. It used "fifty's" instead of "fifties." The official review did not affect my decision.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 9:13 pm by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Verna Coy

1064106
Wow! The cover of this book is really striking. It enhances the title and grabs a reader’s attention at first glance. This type of book isn’t usually my first choice, so I probably won’t purchase it, but I know that this book will be popular with readers who love a good adventure set in the southwest. I didn’t see errors in what I read today, although the print did seem a bit small for me. I saw no need for improvement to the book. It tells a good tale and the action moved along well. It seems professionally edited to me, although the review mentioned a few errors. I enjoyed the 4-star review by Online Book Club, great job.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 6:55 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Brenda Creech

1236408
This is not a book I would have checked out based on the title and cover because neither one intrigued me. However, after reading the official review, I was curious about where the story would lead. I read the sample and found it well written and error-free. I didn't find anything that needs improvement. The part I read was about Old Man Snow, who owns the canyon and has been coerced into selling some of it so he can get the money to pay for his granddaughters' college tuition. And the second part of the sample was about Relic, who had been making gin at "one of his stills" when he saw smoke from a campsite. Out of curiosity, he wanted to know why the campers were there and headed straight for him. When he witnessed one of the men shoot another, Relic was determined to find out what was going on. I found it interesting that the author seemed to be introducing the characters one by one. However, in just the few pages I read, there was cursing several times. Nothing severe, but I don't care for a lot of cursing and violence in a book I am reading. Also, I didn't find myself curious enough about what was going on to continue reading. Therefore, I have decided not to read the rest of the book.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 6:52 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Ari Martinez

1624319
If it wasn't for this program, I wouldn't sample this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review because the combination of the setting and the plot did not seem to be something I would enjoy. After reading the sample, I will not continue to read the book because I did not feel drawn to the story or the characters. My favorite part of the sample was the author's description of events. I've never been to a canyon before, but I could imagine the scenes and events happening in the book. I cannot think of any way to improve the book, and it seems professionally edited.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 6:23 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Sarah_Khan

89585
The cover of this book looks cool, but the title is average. I would not have picked this up without the First Ten program because the plot does not seem interesting. The first ten pages are well edited. Mr. Snow seemed like as sweet old man, I found it cute that he was mostly worried about his granddaughters. The official OBC review was positive, but it did not change my mind. Overall, I just do not find the plot of this novel interesting. So, I do not intend to read the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 5:37 pm by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Mbrooks2518

1121144
I love mysteries and thrillers, so this book's summary caught my interest immediately, and I would have read the sample without The First Ten. I like that the action started right away with the artist's murder that Relic witnessed. I liked the first ten pages, and the official review convinced me even more that I will enjoy this book, especially because they described it as fast-paced, so I am going to buy it. There were no editing errors. There is nothing that needs to be improved.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 5:18 pm by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Emy Katherine

94929
After witnessing a homicide in the canyon, a gin-brewing recluse (Relic) teams up with a young lawyer (Wyatt) to save a set of petroglyphs from three greedy, unscrupulous men who will not hesitate to kill anyone who gets in their way. As I am a big fan of action-packed thrillers, I would have read the book on my own. The Amazon blurb intrigued me, and I am pleased to say that reading both the OBC review and the sample increased my interest in reading the rest of the story. I particularly liked I was thrown into the action from the very beginning, and there was enough suspense to keep me engaged throughout the sample. I also liked the story was told from multiple perspectives by using a fast-paced, descriptive writing style. There was nothing that needed to be improved. I found some errors, but they did not disrupt the flow of the story. For example, it should be written "Winford’s right-hand man" instead of "Winford’s right hand man." (location 559 of 598 • 85%) It should be written "daughter-in-law" in the following sentence: "His son and daughter in law died together at the hands of a drunk driver in Heber City." (location 289 of 598 • 48%)

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 4:41 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Yvonne Monique

1919118
The book cover has a great design that catches the eye. The book title is a reference to the book cover. Personally, I would not pick this book up if I would see it in a book store because I normally do not read action novels. I have read the blurb and OBC review, but neither manages to give me a good idea about the story line. The OBC reviewer made a really great effort to explain the story, but I just could not picture the story in my head. The sample seemed to be professionally edited but I did not find the beginning very engaging. It is obvious that the lawyer is trying to get a dodgy contract signed, but I did not feel drawn into the story. That is the reason why I will not buy this book. I have no suggestions for improvement.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 4:29 pm by Yvonne Monique.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Odette Chace

1623591
I like the title and the cover. However, I was disappointed to learn that the book doesn't actually involve dinosaurs. The synopsis on Amazon did not interest me. The official Online Book Club review gave the work a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars, but I still would not sample this book if I weren't part of this program. Additionally, I have previously sampled another book in this series and don't recall enjoying the experience. "Six years later, his son and daughter in law died together..." (13% of sample). Daughter-in-law should be hyphenated. I believe the work was professionally edited. I most enjoyed the description of Snow. He was a fierce man in the past, and seeing him struggle to remember things in his old age really humanized him. I didn't enjoy the chapter with Relic nearly as much, even though it had much more action. I just wasn't invested in Relic as a character and I also don't like his name. (I can only assume that readers who've read the first book in the series are already attached to him.) I don't plan to finish reading the book. While I liked Snow, nothing else about the book was appealing to me.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 4:23 pm by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Scerakor

45879
After reviewing the title, genre, cover, blurb, and review of this book, I might have read this book. The concept behind the book and the characters definitely sounded interesting. After reading the first ten pages I didn't change my mind and therefore will buy and read the rest of this book eventually. I loved the descriptive writing. The sentence "A shot cracked through the canyon like the pierce of lightening, jarring Relic's teeth, snapping his bones to attention" was particularly image-inducing. The book looked well written and edited and I didn't see any objective errors in the sample. The thing I would have improved from the sample I read is potential overuse of descriptive names like "Blond man" and "Muscle man". There was an official OBC review, but it did not affect my decision at all.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 4:19 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

Kirsi Cultrera

1629804
The outward appearance of this book did not seem interesting to me. Therefore, I would not have sampled it if it wasn’t for this program. Reading the sample pages reminded me of a modernized western novel, and even if I liked this character called Relic, this book just was not for me. As far as I could say, the editing seemed professional. The writer of the Official OnlineBookClub review seemed to have enjoyed this book with its fast-paced storyline, and I could not find anything particularly wrong with it, either. I am sure many will find this book an adventurous and enjoyable read. However, I lack interest in this type of story and am not going to read it further.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 4:00 pm by Kirsi Cultrera.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Chelsy Scherba

75151
I like how easy the writing flows. It was simple to follow the narrative of Snow discussing his granddaughters’’ future with the lawyer and how he found a real dinosaur bone in the canyon. The review mentioned this may not be all it seems though, since an artist is murdered and claims the cave drawings of dinosaurs are fake. The editing looks pristine with no errors and I really don’t have any suggestions to improve the book. I really like the cover design as well. The genre is not really my preferred one though, so I will pass for today. I would not have found this book of interest outside of the program.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 3:42 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

TheMazeRunner

1994037
This is an action-packed and thrilling story. I love that kind of book, and I would sample it. The author made sure to alternate between the character's points of view to get us the best from the story. I love that part of the book. The characters also seem to be well-developed. Relic, a guy from the first chapter, seems to have a nice background story, and the author captivated us with a scene of a murder. I am going to read the rest of it because I want to know what happens next with the dinosaur remains. The text is written immaculately with no errors, and I am completely sure this book is edited professionally. It also has an official review, and there is nothing that has to be improved in it.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 3:23 pm by TheMazeRunner.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

CrescentMoon

56447
After reading the blurb, I wouldn't pick this book up because the premise didn't really intrigue me and the genre isn't for me so I'm not the target audience for this book. After reading the first ten pages, I didn't see any spelling or grammar errors and the book appears professionally edited. What I liked best about the book so far were the descriptions and writing style. I was really impressed with the author's ability to describe the scenery and the characters so well. I could easily picture Old Man Snow smoking and Relic working on his gin. The descriptions were so on point that I genuinely felt like I was watching a movie. I do not have any suggestions for improvement. There was an onlinebookclub review. I was very impressed with the author's writing style but this genre is not for me so I will not be reading the rest.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 3:10 pm by CrescentMoon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Gabrielle Sigaki

1762417
Raptor Canyon by A.W. Baldwin is a action-packed novel with suspense, crime, ancient relics, canyons, and a lot more. If I didn't sample this book, I wouldn't read it based on its Official OnlineBookClub review because the plot with relics, crime, and ruins didn't interest me since I'm more interested in futuristic books with dystopian plots. After sampling it, I didn't change my mind and I won't read the entire book since the premise of the book didn't catch my eye indeed. However, the book seems professionally edited, there's nothing to be improved in it, and I liked the fact that the author changes the point of view, jumping from one character to another ond, even though the story is narrated in the third person perspective.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 2:44 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Bertha Jackson

1904023
The book cover is attractive, and the title is appropriate. The genre, blurb, customer reviews, editorial reviews, and the OnlineBookClub reviews are favorable for this book. The first ten pages of the book caught my interest because I thought it would be about the preservation of dinosaur petroglyphs. However, after reading the OnlineBookClub review, those petroglyphs are just a backdrop to the plot. This information spoiled my desire to read the book. Therefore, I will not be purchasing and reading this book. I did not see any errors or anything I would change about this book. The book appears to be edited by a professional editor. I really like the illustrated book cover.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 2:17 pm by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda

712962
The cover of the book is attractive, and I like the abstract style. However, I don't care about the plot presented in the blurb. Although I do admit I wonder how do toothpicks are going to help save the day. The ratings are mostly good, but I don't like the plot enough to buy the book based on my first impressions.
What I liked the most about the ten first pages were the descriptions. For example, saying the lawyer's teeth were "Hollywood white" or his handshake as that of a congressman. These small details make the story much more vivid. I also feel sad for Old Man Snow, because I believe he set up a chain of disasters just because he didn't remember "a pledge he’d made to a friend, a promise not to reveal a remote set of petroglyphs they’d found there", and he wanted to help his granddaughters. It comes to show how unpredictable life can be.
I didn't find editing mistakes. The reason I wouldn't read the book is that, although I like the writing style very much, I don't care for adventure plots. The official review didn't influence my decision.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 2:13 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Laura Ungureanu

620179
The cover looks interesting, but not enough to make me pick it up. I needed something more. After checking the OBC review, I was reluctant regarding this book. I didn't feel like I would like it because the story didn't appeal to me. Upon reading the sample, I was caught by the western setting. I liked the way the author described Old Man Snow's life. I won't continue reading it, as I wasn't convinced by the plot. It also seems like a typical American story, which I'm not interested in reading. The book doesn't seem to need any improvement since my decision is purely personal. There were no obvious errors in the sample.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 2:10 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Kajori Sheryl Paul

997537
'Raptor Canyon' is written by A.W. Baldwin. Old Man Snow reluctantly agreed to join a venture that involved Little Horse Canyon. He only signed up because he was hard pressed for money that was needed to ensure the success of his granddaughters. He also thought that it was set up by his trusty friend and lawyer, Bob Bartlett. I like the way the story moved from the past to two years later to Relic. It made it fast-paced and more interesting. The editing is great as I did not find errors. The title, cover, OBC review, and the Amazon reviews are apt and interesting. There is nothing in need of an improvement. I will give this book a read as I am intrigued by the plot. Also, I would like to know more about the petroglyphs.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 2:05 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!

AntonelaMaria

1285898
If I haven't read this book through this program, I wouldn't have read it otherwise. Not just because the blurb is not appealing, but this is book two in a series. I don't pick books out of order to read. After reading the sample, I didn't change my mind. The narration didn't catch my interest. Another reason is the editing and book font, which was very difficult to read. That is something I would change about the book. I didn't notice any grammatical errors. There is an Offical Onlinebookclub review that gives an excellent synopsis of the book.

First Ten review added on May 17, 2021, at 12:38 pm by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No

Total ~ 27%

Raptor Canyon earned a score of 27%.

In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 27% 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 Raptor Canyon