⇒ Download DOUBLE UGLY eBook Jim Murray

DOUBLE UGLY eBook Jim Murray

Download As PDF : DOUBLE UGLY eBook Jim Murray

DOUBLE UGLY eBook Jim Murray

As detective stories and thrillers go, this one has rocketed to the top of my all-time faves list (or damn near); the writing is really quite remarkable. From the detective hero with admitted sociopathic tendencies, which make him a most satisfying suspect, trying to clear his name, to his boss, the guy who would love to pin the murder on him, to Double Ugly who is the bad guy in this story to end all bad guys, the characters leap off the page with in-depth, nuanced portrayals. And the character arcs the two leads go through in confronting one another along with Double Ugly, the ever shifting character dynamic between the three players, is among the best I’ve ever encountered. That is not to say that minor characters and the opportunities for plot thickening and character deepening that they bring are neglected, because they aren’t and are just as expertly handled.

One of the challenges of writing a story with this much character development and this many subtleties is that it’s easy to create setups and then forget to pay them off. And if you do, then the plot points become mere decoration, and are easily forgotten. But every important character revealing detail we’re given on the leads is acted upon later and when it is paid off, serves to drive the character arcs forward. Honestly, if I was going to teach a writing class on the importance of character arcs and character dynamics to sustaining and uplifting and holding a story together—in the absence of virtually all else—this novel would be at the top of the list. What makes the book all the more satisfying is that the author does not neglect the many other important aspects of good storytelling: the three act story structure, the dramatic turning points, the essential story beats as outlined by Blake Snyder in Save the Cat, are all there. And so much more.

When our hero incurs a heart attack early in the story during the brutal interrogation he’s subjected to, he’s slated for a heart transplant. When he gets that heart, he finds he’s inherited more than he bargained for with memories that come with the heart that belong to its prior owner. Not just memories but new habits, cravings, and inclinations. This is just one of the many big character arc movements that are in store for you. And I’m going to stop there to prevent from spoiling the fun of encountering each of the subsequent ones in turn.

This book was a fast read for me because I just couldn’t put it down. I’m guessing you won’t be able to either.


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DOUBLE UGLY eBook Jim Murray Reviews

Story was Ok, but not a lot of intensity or intrigue. Characterization was a bit questionable, but over a fair read
An intruging, captivating and at times quite funny novel which you will enjoy from first to the last page. Moves from read-as-fast-as -you -can to an intricately plotted story. Kind of like a roller-coaster ride at the beginning - fast, twisted and entertaining. The plot kinks and twists perfectly blend into the story, and at least a dozen times I thought I had the mystery figured out, but then something unexpected happened and I had to try put the pieces together again.

The main character, Armand Burke, an ex-policeman, suffers a shocking event, and even though he becomes the owner of a prestigious restaurant, he never gives up the hunt to solve the mystery around this event and he pursues it to the end. Along the way he becomes embroiled in conspiracies, murders, the murky world of sex trafficking, blackmail .The prose convincingly gives you a sense of being sucked into the darkest places in the human soul, but this book is by no means depressing. At times it is a bit of a wild ride, and was entertaining throughout. I would highly recommend this skilfully ploted book, and I am impatiently waiting for the next book in this series.
This is a well written yarn about two (at least) psychopaths, one of whom has had a frustrating life while trying to do the right thing and yet not being successful in his endeavours, either as a policeman or family man. But when he has a heart transplant, all that changes...
I was lucky enough to get to read this for free, and enjoyed it. It isn't (for me) one of those can't put it down, read all night type of novels but was a good, solid read all the same. I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it to others as worth the read.
I think that this book is a fantastic read for all kinds of readers. The story is in itself a great thriller that will keep the attention of everyone who likes the darkest crime books. It will transport you into the world where young women are trafficked as sex slaves and people are murdered ruthlessly. But it will also please more demanding readers who are looking for something intelligent that provokes deep questions.

To sum up, the book is about war between good and evil -- both in the world of criminals and policemen and in the individual minds of several characters. I won’t spoil your read by telling you the story. Instead let me point out at least a few interesting ideas that the book subtly conveys.

First it is the idea of free will versus limitation by our physical handicaps. Someone’s dreams are thwarted by a silly mole on his nose, then the same man changes dramatically after a heart transplant. Another character, Double Ugly, was born with a scarred revolting face and ended up with a scarred revolting mind as well. But the picture is not as dark as it may seem when we look more closely at two cases of sociopaths which are important parts of the whole story. Both sociopaths are incapable of empathy. They cannot experience the feelings of love and compassion. There is the bad sociopath who uses and tortures innocent people, but there is also the good sociopath who has learned to respect the law and even risk his life out of mere respect of duty. His emotional poverty even makes him less vulnerable and thus better equipped to deal with the bad guys. When I was reading about this good sociopath, I could not help but think about Immanuel Kant’s duty-based ethics, which has been puzzling its critics as a standard too narrow for compassionate and loving beings.

Both characters seem to have the choice to decide whether they want to serve good or evil. Both turn to powerful maternal figures from their childhood, mother and aunt, who were kind to them, when seeking some answers regarding empathy they do not possess themselves. But it is up to them to decide whether they will remain limited by their own handicaps or whether they will respect the moral output of the empathy of others as their moral guide -- the way blind people accept the fact that there is a colorful world they cannot see but may need to know about.

I would like to emphasize that this book is a thriller, not an essay on free will. The ideas that I have just mentioned are just a small part of the highly entertaining story. But I personally see it as an interesting bonus that the book poses these age-old philosophical questions.
As detective stories and thrillers go, this one has rocketed to the top of my all-time faves list (or damn near); the writing is really quite remarkable. From the detective hero with admitted sociopathic tendencies, which make him a most satisfying suspect, trying to clear his name, to his boss, the guy who would love to pin the murder on him, to Double Ugly who is the bad guy in this story to end all bad guys, the characters leap off the page with in-depth, nuanced portrayals. And the character arcs the two leads go through in confronting one another along with Double Ugly, the ever shifting character dynamic between the three players, is among the best I’ve ever encountered. That is not to say that minor characters and the opportunities for plot thickening and character deepening that they bring are neglected, because they aren’t and are just as expertly handled.

One of the challenges of writing a story with this much character development and this many subtleties is that it’s easy to create setups and then forget to pay them off. And if you do, then the plot points become mere decoration, and are easily forgotten. But every important character revealing detail we’re given on the leads is acted upon later and when it is paid off, serves to drive the character arcs forward. Honestly, if I was going to teach a writing class on the importance of character arcs and character dynamics to sustaining and uplifting and holding a story together—in the absence of virtually all else—this novel would be at the top of the list. What makes the book all the more satisfying is that the author does not neglect the many other important aspects of good storytelling the three act story structure, the dramatic turning points, the essential story beats as outlined by Blake Snyder in Save the Cat, are all there. And so much more.

When our hero incurs a heart attack early in the story during the brutal interrogation he’s subjected to, he’s slated for a heart transplant. When he gets that heart, he finds he’s inherited more than he bargained for with memories that come with the heart that belong to its prior owner. Not just memories but new habits, cravings, and inclinations. This is just one of the many big character arc movements that are in store for you. And I’m going to stop there to prevent from spoiling the fun of encountering each of the subsequent ones in turn.

This book was a fast read for me because I just couldn’t put it down. I’m guessing you won’t be able to either.