The purpose of Thrifty Thursday is to read a book which was free (at some point).
Kindle freebie on June 23, 2022 (currently $4.99 at Amazon and Barnes & Noble as of writing this post)
Overall rating 4.22 with 529 ratings and 49 reviews
Dare Game by Melinda Colt Series: Irish Guarda Squad #1
Published by Self-Published on May 2, 2021
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 372
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple
One dead body, one ace of spades… Is the playing card an oversight—or a trademark?
Detective John O’Sullivan needs to find out if the murder was a one-off, or if the killer plans to work his way through a whole deck of cards. The plot thickens as his team discovers more unsolved murders with the same modus operandi—worldwide.
Amber Reed stumbles into the middle of the investigation when she discovers her teenage daughter is a key-player in the Dublin murder case. Determined to do the right thing, Amber and her daughter help John, even though doing so puts their lives in danger.
I really enjoy police procedurals so I was happy to read this putting aside a different freebie. The setting is the Irish Garda in Galway. Dare Game is like most other freebies I read of this type with a few differences. The characters were somewhat better developed and felt more realistic. The other big attraction for me was the incorporation of technology like the Dark Web and bitcoin, along with a crack hacker in the Garda.
We get to see the police team but also a prime criminal / witness. There may be some cliche parts of characters but overall I liked them and how they were developed. We mostly get John’s point of view. He works with his partner, Aidan and the talented tech Jenna. They are exceedingly competent and execute their work faster than I could believe.
Amber, and her daughter Hayley , are new to Galway after Amber’s divorce. They are struggling a bit and end up in this deadly game. Amber and John are attracted to each other, so there is the addition of some romantic suspense here. Hayley seems to be a real teenager; her actions are a bit uneven, which made perfect sense to me.
I enjoyed this one a lot and would be happy to read more in this Irish Garda Squad series. I’d like to see more of what happens to this team, professionally and personally.
These are only Kindle freebies I get, or ones through author newsletters which anyone can sign up and get for free. I don’t include things like Kindle Unlimited or Prime Free Reading (I do have it). Both Tantor and Audible have occasional free audios (to anyone) and I do include those. Since I one-click on 1-2 freebies a day or probably at least 5 a week, I came up with this feature to make sure I start reading them.
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FYI – My Thrifty Thursday post with my reviews and the linkups and giveaway will normally post on the 3rd Thursday of the month. Sometimes though, due to blog tours, mood reading, and other personal problems, it will be moved around. There WILL be one each month on some Thursday. You can post your reviews any Thursday though. The linkup will be open until the next month’s post is published. You can easily find all the Thrifty Thursday posts under the Features tab on my top menu.
(Reminder – If I get more than 10 linkups in a month, I will randomly pick one to select a prize from a list I send them which may include gift cards or giveaway books I have. (Open International))
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You can sign up for the 2023 Thrifty Thursday Challenge HERE
Giveaway:
The prize will be an Amazon Gift card of $25 or $25 worth of Books on Book Depository. Open International. Runs January 1, 2023 to January 7, 2024.
I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 23-COYER
This sounds interesting, Anne💜 I like the idea of it being the Irish Garda and the setting.
It was really pretty good. It lost a bit rating wise as it wasn’t as realistic or complex as some things I have read. But it was enjoyable.
I’ve enjoyed the author’s books for years and this is one of my favorite mystery series. Glad you liked it. 🙂
Thanks Sophia. I have Killer Score to read next which you reviewed already.
I checked I realised I have a copy of this one. Guess it will be one of my freebie reads.
It’s really enjoyable. Maybe not quite as complex or realistic as some reads. I really liked the technology aspects.
It sounds like this one was definitely worth the read. Great find!
Yes definitely worth the read.
It looks good. I wonder how the sequel will be.
Well Sophia enjoyed the whole series and I do plan to read more of them.
New to me! Sounds interesting.
I really liked it.
It sounds like this author is a cut above with character development, as compared to other self-published offerings. Nice to hear this freebie worked out!
Interesting thought Rachel. Do I compare to all books I’ve read or other self pubbed ones? I enjoyed it although it wasn’t the most complex or completely realistic. I really appreciated the technology aspects and having both personal and professional lives of the main characters. It was worth reading.
Hi Anne,
Thank you so much for reading and reviewing Dare Game. I’m glad you enjoyed it and I hope you will be reading more of my books. Dare Game was my first ever mystery novel. 🙂
Best,
Melinda
I’m definitely planning on reading more. Dare Game is an amazing first book. Sophia has already reviewed Killer Score. Thank you for visiting my blog.
Thank you so much, Anne!
Sophia is amazing, she has reviewed my books from the very first one, published a decade ago, and has always been kind. 🙂
Thank you for all that you do, ladies. You rock!
Best,
Melinda
Doesn’t sound like this one was that great overall. But hey, you got one read from the thrifty pile, and that’s always a plus! Thanks for the review.
I liked it quite a bit. There were some oddities but overall it was good.