Review of Fortune Cookie

[NetMassimo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fortune Cookie" by John R. Johnson.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Fortune Cookie by John R. Johnson is a crime thriller that digs into human nature, with particular attention to greed. Detective Valerie Richard is drinking in a bar after finalizing her divorce when she's called to the scene of a murder. The victim is Harry Ma, a Chinese-American middle-aged man who got killed in front of his young wife Amy. In a press conference, the Harris County Sheriff claims it's a hate crime against Asians. However, Valerie suspects that there's a different motive behind the murder. Harry Ma worked for an oilfield equipment company that is developing new equipment that might be very valuable. Valerie's investigation gets complicated because there are several possible suspects in a case in which greed can be a powerful motivator, even to commit murder.

Industrial espionage is a problem well-known to affect many economic fields in which the theft of intellectual property can be worth billions of dollars. It's perpetrated most of the times by companies in which gain comes before honesty. There are cases in which even foreign governments were accused of industrial espionage.

In this novel, Detective Valerie Richard gets convinced that a botched deal in a case of industrial espionage is behind the murder of Harry Ma. John R. Johnson builds a plot that explores a possible crime of that type and digs into the suspects' motives. Several suspects are discovered to be greedy, starting with Harry Ma's wife Amy.

I particularly liked how Valerie's investigation leads her and her fellow detectives to discover how every person of interest has some secrets or a hidden agenda, sometimes both. At every new discovery, a person of interest becomes the main suspect just to be replaced by the next one after the next discovery.

All of that is well constructed in a consistent story full of people who might be ready to sell intellectual property for the right price. All the important characters must make their choices, showing their virtues and their flaws, including Valerie.

I'm not a big fan of detective stories in which a detective's personal life is an important part of the story because I find it distracting. However, I have to say that John R. Johnson handled Valerie's personal story in a way that blended it well with her investigation. Her personal life is deeply intertwined with her professional life, so all of that reveals her own motives and parts of her personality. It also reveals the reasons behind some complicated relationships with several of her fellow police officers.

There are some descriptions of violence that are quite detailed, so be warned if you're squeamish. There's a common use of profanity throughout the novel. The sexual bits are occasional and not particularly detailed. All of that makes the novel especially suitable for adults who are not too impressionable.

Overall, I found Fortune Cookie well-constructed with a lot of attention to the important characters' psychology. There's nothing I disliked about this novel. The pace is quite fast, with surprises and revelations that keep the suspense high until the end. It's exceptionally well edited, so there are no distractions while reading it. For these reasons, I'm happy to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. If you like this kind of story, this is a must-read!

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Fortune Cookie
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Gerry Steen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Fortune Cookie" by John R. Johnson.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Share This Review

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Fortune Cookie by John R. Johnson is a crime thriller that digs into human nature, with particular attention to greed. Detective Valerie Richard is drinking in a bar after finalizing her divorce when she's called to the scene of a murder. The victim is Harry Ma, a Chinese-American middle-aged man who got killed in front of his young wife Amy. In a press conference, the Harris County Sheriff claims it's a hate crime against Asians. However, Valerie suspects that there's a different motive behind the murder. Harry Ma worked for an oilfield equipment company that is developing new equipment that might be very valuable. Valerie's investigation gets complicated because there are several possible suspects in a case in which greed can be a powerful motivator, even to commit murder.

Industrial espionage is a problem well-known to affect many economic fields in which the theft of intellectual property can be worth billions of dollars. It's perpetrated most of the times by companies in which gain comes before honesty. There are cases in which even foreign governments were accused of industrial espionage.

In this novel, Detective Valerie Richard gets convinced that a botched deal in a case of industrial espionage is behind the murder of Harry Ma. John R. Johnson builds a plot that explores a possible crime of that type and digs into the suspects' motives. Several suspects are discovered to be greedy, starting with Harry Ma's wife Amy.

I particularly liked how Valerie's investigation leads her and her fellow detectives to discover how every person of interest has some secrets or a hidden agenda, sometimes both. At every new discovery, a person of interest becomes the main suspect just to be replaced by the next one after the next discovery.

All of that is well constructed in a consistent story full of people who might be ready to sell intellectual property for the right price. All the important characters must make their choices, showing their virtues and their flaws, including Valerie.

I'm not a big fan of detective stories in which a detective's personal life is an important part of the story because I find it distracting. However, I have to say that John R. Johnson handled Valerie's personal story in a way that blended it well with her investigation. Her personal life is deeply intertwined with her professional life, so all of that reveals her own motives and parts of her personality. It also reveals the reasons behind some complicated relationships with several of her fellow police officers.

There are some descriptions of violence that are quite detailed, so be warned if you're squeamish. There's a common use of profanity throughout the novel. The sexual bits are occasional and not particularly detailed. All of that makes the novel especially suitable for adults who are not too impressionable.

Overall, I found Fortune Cookie well-constructed with a lot of attention to the important characters' psychology. There's nothing I disliked about this novel. The pace is quite fast, with surprises and revelations that keep the suspense high until the end. It's exceptionally well edited, so there are no distractions while reading it. For these reasons, I'm happy to rate it 5 out of 5 stars. If you like this kind of story, this is a must-read!

******
Fortune Cookie
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

Who and why would someone kill Harry Ma in order to gain access to the intellectual property attached to oil field equipment? Oil is a very big business, so the suspects could be many. Judging by your review, I will be engrossed in this fast-paced story with many twists, turns, and suspects. Congratulations to the author, John R. Johnson, for earning a 5-star review from you. Great review!

[NetMassimo]

Who and why would someone kill Harry Ma in order to gain access to the intellectual property attached to oil field equipment? Oil is a very big business, so the suspects could be many. Judging by your review, I will be engrossed in this fast-paced story with many twists, turns, and suspects. Congratulations to the author, John R. Johnson, for earning a 5-star review from you. Great review!

Moneys is a huge motivator, which makes it difficult to find the one, or ones, who actually sold the intellectual property at the center of this novel. That search will keep your attention until the end. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Seetha E]

The oil industry invests substantial $$$ in its daily operations, which speaks of the critical nature of this oil-field equipment, around which the plot is centered. The various characters with hidden agendas add the element of thrill to this investigation. It’s clear that you thoroughly appreciated the narrative and found it captivating. Thank you for your recommendation and your insightful review!

[NetMassimo]

The oil industry invests substantial $$$ in its daily operations, which speaks of the critical nature of this oil-field equipment, around which the plot is centered. The various characters with hidden agendas add the element of thrill to this investigation. It’s clear that you thoroughly appreciated the narrative and found it captivating. Thank you for your recommendation and your insightful review!

Indeed, I found the narrative captivating with the twists and the dig into human flaws. Thank you for your appreciation!

[Chi Chiu Michael Mak]

Really gets you wondering just how this crime is connected to fortune cookies. I am hooked!

[Laney K]

Money is such a strong motivation, and I can see it making for an interesting investigation. As a fan of murder mysteries, I will be looking into reading this one!

[NetMassimo]

Really gets you wondering just how this crime is connected to fortune cookies. I am hooked!

You have to read the novel to discover it. Thank you for commenting!

[NetMassimo]

Money is such a strong motivation, and I can see it making for an interesting investigation. As a fan of murder mysteries, I will be looking into reading this one!

When there's a lot of money that can be someway obtained, a lot of people will yeald to their greed. Have fun, and thank you for commenting!

[Lene Lena]

This sounds like a good crime thriller. The tension between perceived hate crimes and underlying motives, such as industrial espionage, highlights the complexities of crime in modern society.

[Victor Nwabuisi]

I admire that Detective Valerie Richard is portrayed as someone who doesn’t take things at face value. I’m curious to see how the book balances personal struggles like her recent divorce with the intense demands of a case involving corporate secrets and possible espionage. Well done.