The First Ten Focus Group Feedback for Diamonds of Devil's Tail: (Relic, #4)
Because Diamonds of Devil's Tail 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
The book centers around treasure hunting after the discovery of diamonds in a remote canyon stream. The story revolves around Brayden and how he will discover the truth about his ambitious uncle, who is also after the diamonds, and beat the thieves to the hidden gems with the help of a desert recluse named Relic. The book sounded thrilling and action-packed. Plus, I liked its summary and cover page, so I would have read the book even if it wasn't a part of the top ten program. The thing I liked the most while sampling is that the book is filled with exciting and heart-thumping moments. This obviously kept me engaged. I also like how the author describes the settings and scenes in detail. As for the editing, I would rate the book as professionally edited as I was unable to find any errors in the portion sampled. I've no other recommendations for improvements in the part I read. I did see an official review before sampling. As I've enjoyed reading the sample so far and because the author doesn't reveal everything at once, I'm curious to know more, so I'll definitely read the whole book.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 4:59 am by Ekta Kumari.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Catherine Hsu
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. The writing was catchy and I really appreciate the use of onomatopoeia, like "a muffled crunch" or "Thump!" which made the book very immersive. There is nothing I'd change so far. It was professionally edited. The official review did not affect my decision, as it was rated highly and the review talked about how it was action-packed and character-driven.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 4:38 am by Catherine Hsu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Alice Heritage
Praise is due to Daniel Thiede for the clever, eye-catching cover art, though I probably wouldn't have sampled this book on my own as I don't normally read thrillers. I also won't buy this today as I'm not currently looking for stories that are focused on action. As noted in the helpful official OBC review, this seems professionally edited as I didn't notice any countable errors. I particularly liked the chapter that introduces Relic as his colourful language about devilled and rotten eggs brings him to life. As a very small point, the reference to Tommy's sister's friend is a little distracting as I started wondering about Tommy's family. It was a good touch to add that Tommy had heard about the diamonds before, though. Nothing really needs to be improved from the point of view of fans of this author and genre.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 4:35 am by Alice Heritage.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
elisathelvarik
I would not have chosen this book based on its title, cover, and description. The title doesn't reveal much about the plot. The cover is beautiful but does not reveal much either. The official review shows the beauty of the scenery and the compelling storyline. It convinced me to read the sample at least. I love the author's descriptive writing. It really brings you into the story the minute you start. The action starts quite quickly. The descriptive language actually started becoming too much. It was too much exposition and detail to the background. I did not dislike it too much, but it did detract from the actual story. I will not buy and read this book. It is not my usual read and the descriptive language made pages go on forever. Usually I like descriptive language, but this was too much. I did not find any errors or typos. This book seems well-edited.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 4:27 am by elisathelvarik.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Vickie Noel
I may not have sampled this book outside the program just by looking at its cover. The title and blurb may have piqued my interest, though. After sampling a few pages, I'd like to read more. I liked the author's tone and writing style. His descriptive prowess is evident through his words as they paint vivid mental images in the mind of a reader. I could easily imagine Tommy's facial expression upon peering into the top drawer until "his breath got stuck halfway up his throat." The chase from the security guard at the Southwest Jewelers' building was realistic and entertaining. I would love to find out what happened to the thieves along the line. The book is professionally edited, however, the word "beat" should be "bit" in the sentence, "He did an awkward chin-up...and rested a beat." I have no recommendations for improvement. I saw a highly enthusiastic OBC review which contributed hugely to my interest in the book. Thankfully, the sample further heightened my curiosity.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 4:25 am by Vickie Noel.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
va2016
The cover is so attractive. The title does not convey what the book is about. There is only one Amazon customer rating, which is not a sufficient number for me to decide if I should sample the book or not. The Amazon summary gives a clear description of the story, which is about the protagonist Brayden teaming up with a person called Relic, and trying to save the diamonds and the whitewater rafters from the diamond thieves. As I feel that the story will be very exciting, 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 Tommy stealing the gems from a building, and escaping with the gems along with his partner Will in an airplane. As I was very intrigued by the thrilling action, 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 thrilling narration. 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 October 20, 2020, at 3:32 am by va2016.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Howlan
The cover looks great. The synopsis gives us a general introduction to this book. The first ten pages start with a robbery that took place at Southwest Jeweler's Building in the town of Cortez in 1947. Tommy, after an elaborate heist flew with his collaborator Will in a makeshift plane to Canada. The narration is nice and detailled. It is overly detailed, so much that it took a whole chapter to describe Tommy climbing into the building. The plot is well thought out and this book is part four of the "Relic Series" and I am definitely interested in the storyline. However, I am not going to buy and read this book today, as I am interested in the reading the whole series and I would hate reading it without reading the three prequels. 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 October 20, 2020, at 3:07 am by Howlan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AvidBibliophile
I love the vivid color scheme and the silhouetted shapes visually embedded within the cover art. The Amazon product description entices prospective readers with mentions of moonshining hermits, whitewater rafters, grenade-tossing thieves, and stray diamonds stemming from a long-ago jewelry heist. I loved the descriptive imagery of a cat burglar's antics as the story opened stealthily in 1957; I could just picture Tommy striking the glass with a "muffled crunch," and I could envision all of the loose diamonds glistening in the light of his lantern. This book appears to have been professionally edited, as I did not encounter any obvious errors. The one published OBC review offers a glowing recommendation, and the one currently posted Amazon user rating is just as persuasively positive. Since I do love a good adventure tale featuring quirky, elusive characters, sparkling jewels, and rugged canyons, I look forward to reading this title in its entirety!
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 2:46 am by AvidBibliophile.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Damis Seres Rodriguez
Though the cover is quite nice, the title wasn't particularly attractive to me, and I don't think I would have chosen the book if it wasn't the book of the day. The OBC review I read rated it perfectly though, and that's always a good first impression. As for the content I read, I have to admit it was quite interesting. The narrative was quite captivating. I really like it. I didn't any find any major errors that led me to believe that the book is not professionally edited, and I don't think ten pages are enough for me to give an accurate impression on how to improve it. However, since it is part of a series and I haven't read the previous books I don't think I would enjoy it as much, so I won't continue reading.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 2:06 am by Damis Seres Rodriguez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jeremie Mondejar
The cover photo has a great impact in every novel like this book. By scrutinizing at the cover image, the story seems full of crazy adventures. There are four men in a boat, looking for something, while in a haste. I'm also quite excited to sample this book after I read the OBC review. While sampling, I like the fast-paced narrative. The sample isn't boring. The first scenario is about the thieves, Tommy and William. They stole diamonds. In just less than ten pages, the author laid out a strong foundation. Plus, the sample didn't contain any errors. It's edited well. Though the sample isn't dull, but the plot doesn't capture my interest. I will not read this book because I don't like to read novels involving thieves. I can't suggest anything for improvement because fans of this genre will absolutely enjoy this novel.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 1:57 am by Jeremie Mondejar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Annelore Trujillo
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. The first two chapters were of a robbery and the escape before moving into the present day of the story in the third chapter. I wasn’t interested in this aspect of the story. I also didn’t like the way the formatting of chapter 1 made the writing feel choppy. It had a lot more line breaks than I would’ve expected. There wasn’t anything specific that I liked so far. The book did seem to be professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 1:38 am by Annelore Trujillo.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
edztan15
I wasn't really keen on buying the book despite reading the blurb and review. This is a sequel to the Relic novel series, so you need to have read the first book to appreciate this one, and unfortunately for me, I haven't read that yet. Reading the first ten pages, I found the pacing to be a bit slow. The narration is too descriptive with things that do not add value to the reading experience. Sometimes, a slow-paced narration is needed to immerse the reader to the story and to build a certain atmosphere, but this one just did not work for me. The book is well-edited as also mentioned in the review. This one will be enjoyed
more by those who have read the first book, so I will have to take a pass on this one.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 1:23 am by edztan15.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MeganDJ
Both the title and cover are pleasing to the eye, and the first 10 was gripping (No pun intended). The first 10 pages introduces us to Tommy, who is hanging from the edge of a face brick building, on the prowl for something. Although I think it would be a good read overall, I am not interested in reading crime thrillers at the moment, especially ones that are taken from the criminals perspective. With that being said, I will not be buying and reading the rest of the book. The book seems professionally edited as I did not find a single error during my read. I liked that it started exciting, though I couldn't really say that I was too scared for Tommy as I hadn't gotten to know him yet. For what it is, there is nothing I would improve upon. I did see an Online Book Review and it did help me decide what kind of book I would be getting myself into.
First Ten review added on October 20, 2020, at 1:10 am by MeganDJ.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
ritah
Based on the cover and title, I would have sampled the book out of curiosity. I really like the cover. I read the official review and sampled the book. I held my breath as Tommy tried to sneak into the building, the scene was intense for me, especially when he almost got discovered by the guard. I also appreciated the author's writing style as it painted vivid images in my mind. I didn't find any errors in the pages I read. The one thing I would change is reduce the number of reviews at the beginning section of the book. I felt compelled to keep reading long after the past ten, which is why I will be reading the rest of the book.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 10:06 pm by ritah.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Melisa Jane
I wouldn't have sampled this book based on its title because it doesn't give a clue on what the book is about. After sampling it, I won't finish reading it because I'm not into mystery thriller novels. I liked the storyline the most: how Ethan finds himself in the world of the uncivilized and had to struggle to come back to civilization. I don't have any improvement suggestions. I didn't find any grammatical errors while reading. This book has an official OBC review.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 10:01 pm by Melisa Jane.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
moowshiri
I would have given this book a try had I not even been part of this program based on its title, which is very eyecatching. After sampling its first ten pages, I found Tommy's experience about trying to enter Southwest Jewelers' building by climbing through the windowsills boring. I think Baldwin should consider adding some more thrill to it. I loved the fact that there are no errors in the few pages I sampled. There's also an official OnlineBookClub review for the book. However, I won't be reading the book further since I didn't find its contents striking.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 7:50 pm by moowshiri.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Lee
What I like best about this book is the very colorful cast of characters. Seriously! I love it! It takes a talented writer to draw so many different characters into a cohesive plotline. I also really liked the fact that the author "shows" and doesn't simply "tell." I am interested in reading the rest of this book, and both the Amazon blurb, as well as the review, really piqued my interest. I was pleased the book also looks cleanly edited. The only thing I didn't like was that one of the characters are named Tommy. LOL Yeah, yeah. Personal preference. It just sounds like such a little boy's name to be a character that is breaking and entering, hopping fences and dodging bullets. This book is going on my Want To Read list, even though I'm not purchasing it today.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 7:17 pm by Laura Lee.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jennifer Donovan Smith
Had I not come across this book on OBC, my first impression based on the cover would have been that the book is a Western tale. As Westerns are not a genre that I read, I would not have sampled the book. I learned from the official OBC review that this book is more of an crime/adventure thriller, and despite the positive review, I still wasn't convinced that this is a book I would enjoy.
One of the things I noticed immediately upon opening the sample is that the formatting is a bit off. There is no indent at the beginning of each paragraph, so when there are short single-sentence paragraphs, it all kind of runs together. I would recommend to the author that the formatting be corrected for ease of reading if this same issue is present in the full Kindle edition of the book.
One potential error I found is at the beginning of Chapter 2 at Loc. 113:
"Must be a hundred thousand dollars..." he whispered to himself. "In this bin alone..."
As the second segment of Tommy's thought is not a complete sentence, it might have been better to use a comma rather than a period after "himself."
Another potential error is in Chapter 4, where it appears the dialogue from two separate speakers has occurred in a single line at Loc. 238:
"There's an open file..." "Got it."
Additionally, I found two concrete errors. In Chapter 3, the word "ponytail" is spelled correctly the first time (Loc. 166), but is spelled incorrectly as two words the second time it is used (Loc. 190). In Chapter 4, the word "led" is misspelled as "lead" in the sentence, "...they shuffled through a glass entrance that lead to rows of chest-high cubicles" (Loc. 211). I would suggest another round of editing.
The book throws the reader right into the action from the beginning, which I liked. Nonetheless, reading the first four chapters provided in the sample has not changed my mind, and I do not plan to read the rest of the story.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 6:28 pm by Jennifer Donovan Smith.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Samantha Gayle
I like the cover. It reminds me of a western novel or an outdoor adventure. The title also suggests a western or some type of outdoor adventure. I might have looked up some reviews of this outside of the program. The official OBC review was very positive and indicated this was part of a series but could be read independently. That’s an excellent quality as you can bring in new readers without them feeling they need to start at the first book. I did not find any errors in the first ten pages, and I wouldn’t change anything I read. The writing was strong, and the pacing was good. I probably will not finish the book because I wasn’t too invested with any of the characters introduced. Within the first few pages, you’re introduced to several characters but not given enough to attach to them. Perhaps if I had read some of the other books in the series, I might feel differently.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 6:21 pm by Samantha Gayle.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
MsH2k
The cover had a lot of energy. Adventure novels are not my genre of choice, so I would not have sampled this book if I were not part of this program. The book cover was truthful—this is quite an adventure book. I got lost trying to follow all of Tommy’s maneuvers in the opening scene, but it was still exciting. I can see this will be a fast-paced, exciting read. If I were into adventure books, I would certainly read this one, but I will pass. The sample pages were fun, but I am not interested in investing in the whole book. The featured OnlineBookClub review was very positive, and there was one 5-star rating on Amazon, but neither of them influenced my decision not to buy this book. I did not notice any grammatical errors in the sample pages, and I have no suggestions for improvement.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 5:41 pm by MsH2k.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Elvis Best
Judging by the book's cover, I might have read it because it looks attractive to me. However, after reading the sample, I would not buy and read the rest of this book because I found it hard to follow what was happening in the various scenes. I suspect it is professionally edited, though, since I found no errors in the first ten pages. The one thing I liked most was the suspense in the first few pages. Also, I do not currently have any suggestions for improvement. Lastly, I read an OnlineBookClub review that presented the book well.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 4:18 pm by Elvis Best.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Scerakor
From the cover, blurb, and review of this book, I would not have read this book. I haven't read the other 3 books in the series and therefore would like to give them a shot before reading this one. 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 loved the descriptive writing the author used as early as the first chapter. I really could see the character's situation as he scaled the building. That being said, I think that it would be a good idea to read the rest of the series before diving into 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 19, 2020, at 2:16 pm by Scerakor.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Juliana_Isabella
I wouldn't have chosen this book because I don't usually read crime novels. Even though the review I read was positive, it didn't make me want to read the book because I don't usually like this genre and because I don't like to start in the middle of a series. I didn't find any errors in the first ten pages, and I enjoyed the descriptive way the author talked about Tommy climbing the building. However, after Tommy still hadn't entered the building by the end of page three, I realized that the book was moving too slowly for me. Because I lost interest in the reason he was breaking into the building, I've decided not to finish the book.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 1:34 pm by Juliana_Isabella.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
gen_g
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 minor errors present. For example, at 24%, there is a missing comma to separate clauses: "...an awkward chin-up(,) then slid one elbow...". I suggest more editing. However, I appreciate that the author made an effort to start the story with an exciting scene to better grasp the reader's attention. For example, we learn that Tommy only knew about the riches (in terms of precious stones like diamonds) kept in the Southwest Jewellers' building because his sister's friend was married to the guard who was on duty on that day. The sister's friend had spoken in whispers of the riches in tis building. However, Tommy realises that the stories he had heard had actually grossly understated the wealth held in the building – he is able to fill 3 sturdy cigar tins boxes full of precious jewels. However, as I am not in the market for adventure/thrillers, I will not be buying the book today.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 12:31 pm by gen_g.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Twylla
The cover is very attractive and catches the eye. This cover would appeal to hikers and rafting enthusiasts. The title is very intriguing. Anything with the word 'diamonds' in the title is appealing. I would buy and read this book. After reading the sample text on Amazon, Relic was immediately my favorite character!
Relic was my favorite thing about the book. His Native American heritage and his moon-shining skills made him irresistible!
I don't have any ideas on how to improve the book. It seems great the way it is.
The book seems professionally edited and well-written. I didn't find any errors in the text I read.
The OBC review was excellent. Since the book has only one review on the Amazon site, the OBC review becomes very important.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 11:58 am by Twylla.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
aacodreanu
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: a clue to what the Devil’s Tail is, the title – diamonds and devil are topics of interest for many, the genre, (I love thrillers), and the Official OnlineBookClub editorial review that I saw, which did justice to the book by identifying its many strong points. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind from my original guess, it enhanced my curiosity to find out what would happen with the diamonds. I would love to buy and read the whole book at a later date. Based on what I read, the book seems like it was professionally edited. I was totally taken by the narration of the diamond theft, I held my breath as if I was the one hanging on the outside of a tall building. Any attempt at improving it would spoil the effect.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 9:45 am by aacodreanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mbrooks2518
The summary for this book interested me immediately, so I would have read the sample even without The First Ten. I like that action started immediately with Tommy stealing the diamonds and having to get away. The official review made me even more interested, so I am going to buy the book. I did not find any editing errors, and nothing needs to be improved.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 9:26 am by Mbrooks2518.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Mai Tran
Normally, I wouldn’t have checked out this book because nothing about the title, cover, and synopsis really grasp my attention. However, the official review got me curious about what the diamonds were doing in the canyon stream. Reading the sample filled me with even more questions: Who did Tommy and Will steal from? Did their plane crash? Were the gem stones in the stream theirs? The author had a nice way with words, but it was the action and suspense that had me hook. I plan to continue reading this book with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. The book seems well-edited, and I don't have any suggestion for improvement at this point.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 8:35 am by Mai Tran.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
xsquare
I would have sampled the book based on the intriguing blurb – I am quite a fan of mystery and adventure novels. The cover is also rather attractive and appealing. After reading the glowing official OBC review, I was definitely keen to sample the book. However, I did not find the first ten pages very interesting. The author goes into too much mundane detail about a character’s attempt to climb the side of a building, which did not really hold my attention – I wish the book had a more exciting start. I did like the ending of the first chapter, which was a cliffhanger. I did not see any typos. Unfortunately, I will not be reading the rest of the book as I don’t think the writing style is really my cup of tea.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 5:44 am by xsquare.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Shrabastee Chakraborty
The title and the cover were catchy. The official OBC review rates it a full 4 stars. Based on the reviews I have seen, I would have read this book. The first ten pages were without editing issues. They show Tommy scaling a building, entering through a window, and stealing diamonds. I loved the suspenseful narrative the author employed from the beginning. I have no suggestions for improvement and will gladly read the book.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 4:49 am by Shrabastee Chakraborty.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
evraealtana
The cover didn't really interest me, but the official OBC review did; I was immediately drawn to Relic and wanted to know more about him. The first ten pages were alright, but I wasn't hooked on them. I loved the scene with Relic and the interloper on the ladder; it showed a devilish mischievousness and a willingness to defy social conventions that was appealing to me. Outside that scene, though, I wasn't as interested. The diamond theft was exciting, but I didn't care enough about Tommy and Will to care whether they got caught in the end (I'm assuming they will). I was most definitely not interested in the scene with Brayden and Henry, which felt to me like a corporate drama. In the end, I think I will not continue reading this book. I previewed another of this author's books that I also did not find captivating, so perhaps I'm not this author's target reader. I noted two errors: an extra space in "a pin prick of light" (pinprick); and a missing space in "white flashing through his coalblack hair" (coal black). Also, very few of the paragraphs were first-line indented as they should have been. This might just be Kindle formatting, but it should be corrected.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 3:39 am by evraealtana.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Stephanie Runyon
I liked the storyline synopsis that the OBC reviewer gave. Based just off how colorfully the review was written, I really didn't need any more persuasion to sample the book. Generally, I prefer to read series books in order, but I found that this starts off easily to be a standalone book. There is a lot of suspense and action just from the break in to steal the jewels. I found that the author incorporates a lot of detail during the fast pace of the story, and I easily found myself engrossed in the book. Relic's character was described in a way that I couldn't help but wonder about his origin. I plan to read the preceding books. The book is professionally edited and I don't have any suggestions to improve the book. I will read the entire story as Brayden saw something on the computer screen and I want to know what it was. I like the title and cover of this mystery book as well.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 2:03 am by Stephanie Runyon.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Aditi Sapate
First off, I think that the cover of the book is really beautiful. However, I wouldn't have chosen to read this book based on the title and genre, as I'm not a fan of action-packed crime novels. The official OnlineBookClub review confirmed my suspicions about the genre of this book and gave me an insight into the storyline. When I started reading the book, I liked that the theft done by Tommy was described in a very slow-paced manner. However, as I know what will follow (as the book is full of action packed sequences), I will not continue reading the book. The sample did not contain any grammatical errors as far as I read it.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 1:41 am by Aditi Sapate.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sanju Lali
The cover and the title hinted to me that this book has a story based on a thrilling adventure. In light of that, I read the official review of this book because I was curious to know about the premise of the story. The official review helped me to understand that the story has a setting in Canyonlands National Park, where a lot of wealth in the form of jewels is illegally stashed, and it is guarded against theft. This information encouraged me to read the sample of the book before purchasing it. When I read the first ten pages, I realized that this book is professionally edited because I did not find any grammatical or typing errors. The thing l liked the most is the premise of the story where a lot of ancient wealth in the form of diamonds and jewelry is illegally hidden and guarded in a remote location, and the protagonist accidentally visits that place. However, the readers like me need a more detailed description of the scenes to visualize them without having to make some wild guesses. The narrative appeared to me like a bit of a mental exercise, especially in the scene where Tommy took away some of the illegally hidden diamonds, using a nice plan. My suggestion to the author would be to address the shortcomings pointed out by me in the above sentences. Considering all these facts, I decided not to purchase and read this book today but wait until the author addresses my suggestion so that I could enjoy reading the book.
First Ten review added on October 19, 2020, at 12:52 am by Sanju Lali.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
dianaterrado
I love heists and action-packed books, so I knew I had to read the book when I first saw it. Also, the OBC official review states that this is a fourth book in a series but can be read as a standalone. After reading the first few pages, I knew I made the right choice to read the book. The writing was good, exciting and straighforward, and I really liked that. The characters all seemed interesting, and I would love to read more about their adventures. The book seemed professionally edited from what little I've read. So far, so good- I can't think of anything the author can improve on. I do hope the rest of the book is as action-packed and thrilling as I expect.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:26 pm by dianaterrado.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kaitlyn Canedy
I likely would have checked out the sample of Diamonds of Devil's Tail even if it was not the OnlineBookClub's book of the day. The cover art is very attractive, and made me want to read the sample. There were no grammatical errors that I could spot at all. However, I think that there should be a longer description on Amazon.com; I did not feel that I was informed about what I would be reading. When I read the sample, I quickly became bored of the story. The description of what the character was doing dragged on and on, which was not very engaging for me. Honestly, I think that the only part of the book that I like is the cover. As such, I will be skipping this one. There is an official OnlineBookClub review for this book, but I did not need to read it to make a decision about reading Diamonds of Devil's Tail.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:12 pm by Kaitlyn Canedy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jsovermyer
The cover picture is interesting. The book title sounds like a Western, and I don't usually read that genre. I probably would not select this book from the cover alone. The official reviewer had high praise for this story. I found no spelling or grammatical errors and believe this book has been professionally edited. I liked the character of Relic the best. It was funny when he knocked the thief's ladder over. The part I disliked most was when Brayden figured out Henry's password so easily and stumbled upon the suspicious payments. That was a little too easy and a bit contrived. I didn't get involved in the story or care about any of the characters from reading the sample pages. I will not be finishing this book.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 10:52 pm by Jsovermyer.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Ari Martinez
If I had not sampled this book as part of this program, I would not have chosen to sample this book based on its title, cover, or Official OnlineBookClub review. The title and cover did not catch my attention and after reading the official review, I realized this is not the type of plot I am interested in. Reading the first ten pages did not change my mind; therefore, I will not be reading the rest of the book simply because I do not care about the plot. From what I read, what I liked the most was the vivid imagery of Tommy's struggle to steal the diamonds - I was able to visualize everything in my head. The book seems professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 10:36 pm by Ari Martinez.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sou Hi
The cover is compatible with the book's summary and official review. Because its genre is one of my favorite ones, I chose to read the sample. The story began with a heist in 1957. Countless gems were stolen, and the two perpetrators successfully escaped. Decades later, we are met with Brayden and his sudden discovery of his uncle's secret: Henry's computer contains several strange transfers, and Brayden starts to realize he shouldn't be seeing these files.
I like the fast-paced and thrilling scenes. The author's wording is quite interesting, describing the theft vividly. The scenario where Brayden finds out about Henry's mysterious deeds is suspenseful, too. I am curious how Relic, Brayden, and the heist are connected. As the official review said, this is not the first book of a series, so I was a bit perplexed about Relic. However, that's minor, and I can still understand the flow. For now, I have no complaints, as even the editing looks good. I think this book is worth reading on. I will buy the book.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 10:33 pm by Sou Hi.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Kelyn
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 adventure/crime genre is not an interest of mine, probably, I would never have run across the book. If I somehow did, neither the cover nor title would have drawn my interest as they give the impression of a 'western' type of theme (i.e., cowboys), which is also a genre in which I have little interest. The author is unknown to me, so that would not have influenced my decision. The blurb stirred slight curiosity, mostly about Relic. A combination of a 'fringe' element and a detective, mixed with a strong dose of environmentalist, he seems an interesting fellow. The customer reviews on the Amazon site were all positive, giving a good impression of the book. Although I did not see a review from this program on the Amazon site itself, there was one in what seemed to be the first pages of the sample. Being an excerpt from the review on this site, it joined the customer reviews in complementing the book. The sample was somewhat interesting even though I am not a mystery fan. I absolutely loved it when Relic sat at the top of the cliff, and the interloper (apparently) thought him to be the ghost of a Pueblo Indian. I couldn't help but laugh. However, I was left to wonder what happened to Tommy (from the beginning of the sample). It seems his story was just abandoned to move on to Braydon's. Hopefully, it is revealed later in the book what happened to him and his cohort. Unfortunately, as amusing as I found parts of the sample, the fact remained that the book is a crime/mystery, which is not a genre I generally enjoy. Given this, I decided not to continue reading the book. The book seemed well-edited. I found no 'countable' errors in the sample.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 9:22 pm by Kelyn.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Mallory Porshnev
The cover of this book is colorful and appealing. I read the OBC review and was a little confused what the book is about. The summary was a bit confusing. However, after reading the book's blurb at the beginning of it and sampling the first ten pages, this sounds like an action-adventure mystery novel that will be exciting to read. I didn't notice any errors in the part I read. I love that it starts out right with the diamond heist action and draws the reader in. It's too bad it's part of a series, but it is apparently a stand alone novel. Therefore, I will definitely be reading the rest of this one.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 9:06 pm by Mallory Porshnev.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Verna Coy
Had I not sampled this book through the First Ten program, I would not have chosen this book because I don’t read thrillers.
For this reason, I don’t intend to purchase and read the whole book today.
Reading the first ten pages didn’t change my mind about reading the book, but I can see how it would appeal to fans of thrillers set in the wilderness.
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 story begins with action that seems to continue non-stop.
I know that readers who enjoy tales wrapped in the history of the Aztec and stolen jewels will love 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 18, 2020, at 5:53 pm by Verna Coy.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Diana Lowery
The review was more persuasive than either the title or the cover. The title's use of the word "devil" has a negative connotation for me. The cover was confusing, but it looked like it might be about a canoe trip in the Grand Canyon. The blurb mentioned moonshine and a character with a major in English. After reading the first ten pages, I was impressed with the writing style. The scene of the guy using rock climbing skills on the side of a building was very descriptive. I did not notice any errors. I will not finish reading the book at this time because it sounds like too much of an adventure novel for me.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 5:26 pm by Diana Lowery.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Kajori Sheryl Paul
A.W. Baldwin's 'Diamonds of Devil's Trial' is a part of a series. In the year 1957, Tommy robs a stash of diamonds and other jewel. He runs off and joins his friend, Will. Together, they take a flight out of the city of Cortez. They aim for the Colorado River, eventually hoping to reach Canada. The story then shifts to the future. Relic was meandering around in the ancient pueblos. He saw a man coming towards him. He sensed his intent of thievery. The book is fast paced. I liked this. There were no errors. Hence, it is professionally edited. The title and the cover is pretty eye-catching. The OBC review and Amazon reviews are excellent. I will skip this book as I am not in the mind-frame to read a book of this genre as of now.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 4:36 pm by Kajori Sheryl Paul.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Gabrielle Sigaki
Diamonds of Devil's Tail by A.W. Baldwin is a book with crime, suspense, relics, mystery, and a thrilling plot. Its cover attracted my attention right away, and based on it, I would sample the book since the picture portrayed a curious and enchanting atmosphere. When I saw its Official OnlineBookClub review, I was even more interested in reading it since the story seemed fast-pacing, action-packed, and engaging. After sampling it, I changed my mind, and I won't read the entire novel since I found the beginning of the book confusing and very fast-pacing for what I expected, which made the plot even more difficult for me to understand. However, I liked the fact that the author brought some of the inner thoughts of the characters, the book seems professionally edited, and I didn't found any errors or typos. I think that the author could introduce the characters with a slow-pacing at first, so the readers could follow the plot with more ease.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 4:13 pm by Gabrielle Sigaki.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Jorge Leon Salazar
The story begins in 1957 when a character named Tommy enters a building and steals various diamonds and colored gems and manages to flee with the loot. Next, the story jumps to the present where the characters Relic, Brayden, and his Uncle Henry appear. The first few pages culminate when Brayden discovers several files on Henry's computer with strange-looking amounts and transactions with clients.
The sample reveals some interesting situations with the theft of the diamonds; the incident in which Relic knocks down the ladder to prevent what looked like a robbery; and the relationship between Brayden and his uncle Henry. However, the relationship between the stories is yet unshown. From the official review, one can comprehend how these stories converge. It is also indicated that the novel has intriguing twists and turns. Nonetheless, the plot did not capture me completely, so I think I will not read the rest of the book. The editing seems prominent as I didn't see any details to comment on. The cover seemed very abstract, which makes it difficult to associate with a theme clearly.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 3:28 pm by Jorge Leon Salazar.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Hazel Arnaiz
I will not sample the book outside the program. The cover, title, genre, blurb, and reviews did not appeal to me. The cover reminded me of lava flow because of the warm colors. The text looked crowded at the top of the cover. The finer fonts were too narrow making it hard to read. Also, “OnlineBookClub.org” was misspelled as “OnelineBookClub.org.” Based on the title, I thought the story was about mining diamonds. But, from the blurb and review, I gathered it was about theft and diamonds. I was hoping for a fresh take on the theme to captivate me. Sampling the first ten pages did not increase my interest in finishing the entire book. The pace was slow and the scenes needed more intensity. I noticed almost two pages were allocated to describe the wall climbing abilities of the burglar at the beginning of the story. I wondered if it bears any significance in the later part of the story to be highlighted in detail. I liked the book was easy to read because of the language used. Meanwhile, I encountered formatting errors at the beginning of the book (before the start of the chapter). Here is an example. A spacing error, found at location 1: “DESER T GU ARDIAN.”
I have no further recommendations for improvement regarding content. There was an Official OnlineBookClub review. It was informative, but it did not change my mind.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 3:10 pm by Hazel Arnaiz.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Chelsy Scherba
The book begins with Tommy climbing the outside of a building he intends to rob. The author did well describing the climb, I felt rather sick as Tommy tried not to fall. He made a noise opening the window and almost alerted the guard, but managed to escape with some loot where Will greeted him, overjoyed. The author tells the story well, I’m just not very interested in the subject. Even though the review was positive, the book just seems a little boring to me. I’m not really interested in reading further, but the book is professionally edited without errors to speak of. The title is very good and I like the cover. I don’t look for books outside of the program, so I wouldn’t have sampled it for any reason on my own based on the genre.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 3:02 pm by Chelsy Scherba.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Laura Ungureanu
I liked the cover of this book from the first sight. However, the OBC review confused me, so I was reluctant and didn't want to check it out. The sample starts with Tommy breaking into a building where there are many diamonds. The book is action-packed and the author's descriptive tone matches the inspired plot. I liked that it kept me interested, but I don't like books that focus too much on action, so I will stop reading. It looked professionally edited.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 2:52 pm by Laura Ungureanu.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Emy Katherine
The story takes place in Utah's Canyonlands National Park and follows a gin-brewing recluse named Relic, who finds himself helping a young man, Brayden, as he is chased by two armed men after founding his coworker's body beside a small stream filled with diamonds and jewels. Without The First Ten program, I would not have read the book based on the genre. Surprisingly, I changed my mind after reading the sample and the OBC review. I liked I was thrown into the action from the very first pages, and there was enough suspense to keep me engaged throughout the sample. I found the dialogues realistic, and the characters were relatable; I was particularly intrigued by Relic's character. The writing style was also descriptive, and I only found some minor errors that did not distract me from my reading. For example, there should be a comma after "drawer" in the following sentence: "Tommy peered into the top drawer and his breath got stuck halfway up his throat." (location 97 of 262 • 37%) It should be written "a thousand-year-old mystery" instead of "a thousand year-old mystery." (location 161 of 262 • 62%) There was nothing that needed to be improved. Based on the OBC review, this story is filled with adventure, action, and unexpected twists and turns; I am looking forward to reading it.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 2:43 pm by Emy Katherine.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Brenda Creech
Based on the title and cover of this book, it would not have been one I would have checked out without a review. After reading the official review, I wasn't sure if I wanted to read all of it or not. I was intrigued by the character Relic. I read the first ten pages of the book, but that did not take me far enough in to really get a feel for the story. I did not find any errors or anything I thought needed improving in the portion I read. There was, however, some mild cursing that early in the book. Also, the review mentions violence. I don't enjoy either of those aspects when I am reading a book. I am not a real fan of crime novels anyway, so I have decided not to read the rest of the book. I'm weary of violence right now as that's all you see in the news, so I am going to pass on reading about violence.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 2:18 pm by Brenda Creech.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda
From the cover of the book and the blurb, I could tell this book was not for me. There's nothing wrong with them but I usually don't love the "outdoorsy adventures" kind of read. It has great ratings but I wouldn't have bought it based on my first impression.
I didn't like the first ten pages at all. They almost exclusively describe the maneuvers Tommy made to get to the jewels. I think it could have been described on a page, maximum. This is why I usually don't like adventure books: I don't know what Thomas is thinking or feeling (until chapter 2) or why is he there but I got 9 pages of climbing. I only cared slightly when the guard peered out. I found a couple of editing mistakes. The first one on position 102 where thinking should be italicized or signaled in some other way: "Please, please do not look up…" I would suggest fixing this and the formatting for the Kindle app. It has strange black squares at the beginning and end of chapters, and the dedicatory is misplaced. The official review didn't change my mind.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 12:12 pm by María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Odette Chace
The title and cover don't appeal to me as I'm not interested in action/adventure novels. The synopsis on Amazon didn't pique my interest either. The official Online Book Club review gave the book a perfect rating of 4 out of 4 stars and the reviewer stated it was his favorite book in the series thus far. However, I'm simply not interested in this book. I had a hard time getting into the sample because I didn't know anything about Tommy (other than that he smokes and plays guitar), I didn't know what he was trying to do, and I didn't know whether or not to root for him. There was just mindless action at the beginning. After Tommy looted the jewels, the story was more exciting, but I'm still not interested in finishing the book. "Tommy looked behind them and saw a pin prick of light scan the sky maybe seventy yards away, coming through the cottonwoods, growing brighter" (loc. 150). Pinprick is one word. I only noticed this one minor error in the sample, so I believe the book was professionally edited. I don't plan to finish the book.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:55 am by Odette Chace.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
AntonelaMaria
This book has an amazing OnlineBookClub review. Even before reading the blurb, I have read that review. It is intriguing, to say the least. I am a bit hesitant to read book four in the series. I know it can be read as a standalone, but my reading preference is to read the series from the beginning. Another thing is that I don't read many thrillers. So, I am not the right audience or this book. After reading the sample, I am still not sure I will pick this book up. I liked shorter chapters. It helps with the pace of the story. Relic is an interesting character. I didn't notice any grammar errors. I don't think anything needs improving in this sample.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:41 am by AntonelaMaria.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
Sarah_Khan
I really like the unique cover of this book and the title is cool too. After reading the Amazon blurb, I would not have went ahead and sampled this because the plot does not pique my interest. The first ten pages are professionally edited. The beginning of the book definitely starts out with some action, I was surprised to realize Tommy and Will escape by a plane. Relic seems like a fun character with his unique phrases like "shit on a shingle". The official OBC review was positive. The reviewer mentions that this is the fourth book of the series, but it is a stand-alone novel. Overall, this seems like a good book for fans of this genre. Personally, this is not my cup of tea as the plot does not interest me. Therefore, I will not be reading the rest. I do not have any suggestions for the author.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:30 am by Sarah_Khan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? No
LinaJan
'Diamonds of Devil's Tail' by A.W. Baldwin did not take long to capture my full attention. The combination of the title and the cover art could not be more promising of a thrilling adventure. This is, without a doubt, my most loved genre. Having read an abundance of reviews – the official onlinebookclub.org review among them – I now feel my heart pounding and my breath shortening. I have a vivid imagination, and I foresee that this book will likely send me on one of my best adventures. Having also had the pleasure to sample 'Diamonds of Devil's Tail,' I felt my heart pounding intensify. The author's ability to have me rooting for Tommy – the 'bad guy' by the looks of it – is simply uncanny. Whilst I feel that screening of this book would quickly become a blockbuster, no other form of storytelling can beat good writing. Especially when a book is as professionally edited and proofread as 'Diamonds of Devil's Tail.' I cannot wait to lose myself in this adventure.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 11:29 am by LinaJan.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Timothy Rucinski
Just like the Official Review mentioned, the book starts off with a bang and keeps on going through the pages I read. It was a terrific review and captured the spirit of the book, as did the few snippets of review within the book itself. The cover is very neatly done as well. Based on the reviews and cover, I would have picked up this book and read the first pages automatically.
Not only will I read this book, but I will go back and purchase and read the entire Relic series. This is first-class mystery writing and will be well worth my time. The character descriptions most intrigued me. There isn't anything I would suggest for improvement. And the book appears to be professionally edited as I saw no typos.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 10:13 am by Timothy Rucinski.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Bertha Jackson
The cover, title, genre, blurb, editorial reviews, and customer reviews would have all grabbed my attention, and I would have checked it out as a possible read. I like crime thrillers, and the blurbs at the beginning of the book were good. The BOTD review made me curious as to how the diamond heist ties in with the rest of the book. One of the customer reviews at the beginning of the book was from OnlineBookClub. I have downloaded the book into my library to read at a later time. I suspect the diamonds Dylan and the others found are from the heist, but I want to know how they got there. The only thing I would change from reading the first ten pages is the formatting to include paragraph breaks. I think the book has been professionally edited because I did not see any errors in the first ten pages. The formatting may be the author’s preference and not editorial.
First Ten review added on October 18, 2020, at 9:40 am by Bertha Jackson.
Do you plan to read the whole book? Yes!
Total ~ 31%
Diamonds of Devil's Tail earned a score of 31%.
In other words, out of the top-level reviewers who read at least the first 10 pages of this book, 31% 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 Diamonds of Devil's Tail
