After completing my first two novels, Low Men and Three Worlds Collide: Rise of the Demon Scorpion, I entered them in the Readers’ Favorite Awards Contest. I haven’t won in my category, yet. As I understand it, they receive so many entries, those that are reviewed and awarded are selected at random. But, each time, the book has been read and a review posted. Below is the latest 5 star review provided by one of the Readers’ Favorite readers, Pikasho Deka:
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers’ Favorite
“Low Men is a gripping crime thriller by Gransom Hayes. When the lead programmer of a VR company dies under mysterious circumstances in Orange County, Detective Mark Slade and his team are assigned to the case. The evidence points toward the killer being a local creature of legend. Haunted by his past and his secrets, Mark’s life slowly threatens to spiral out of control after he runs into an old flame with a dark past of her own. Helen, a victim of human trafficking, pulls Mark into a world of organized crime, seduction, and deceit. As the count of murder victims piles up, Mark struggles to navigate the case between his loyalty to Helen and the law. Meanwhile, he gets a chance to rescue someone he thought was lost forever. Will Mark be able to protect himself and his loved ones?
“Borrowing elements from a fascinating combination of genres – crime drama, murder mystery, and neo-noir – Gransom Hayes delivers a riveting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last. Something about the dark and gritty tone of the narrative reminded me of HBO’s hit TV show True Detective (Season 1). Low Men is filled to the brim with suspense, mystery, romance, and intrigue. Hayes moves the plot deliberately, leaving room for the multi-layered characters to show depth and connect with the reader. The author does this by giving interesting backstories to the main characters that reveal all layers of their personalities and their motives. Mark Slade is a complex man with somewhat grey morals, and it makes him a very compelling character to follow. The ending felt fitting. In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.”
Even though this review is the result of a paid contest entry, it’s still gratifying to know that someone out there read my novel and appreciated it. I didn’t realize it had influenced me while I wrote this book, but the description of the ‘gritty tone of True Detective’ is fairly accurate. I’ve taken to calling this a romantic suspense novel revolving around a murder mystery with a neo-noir vibe. If you want to check it out, you can access a sample anywhere eBooks are sold.
Thanks, Gransom Hayes
Three Worlds Collide: Rise of the Demon Scorpion (A supernatural thriller)
Low Men (Romantic suspense: A symphony of psychological disorders wound into a spicy techno-thriller whodunit with a neo-noir vibe with a dash of medium spice. Hmm, well, okay… a bit more than a dash.)
These are available wherever books are sold. Check me out on social media.
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