THIRD RING by Phillip
Tomasso III
Barclay Books - October 2001
ISBN: 1931402043 - Paperback
Mystery
xplicit - Mild profanity and
sexual content. Disturbing violent scenes.
Reviewed by Nancy
Mehl, MyShelf.com
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a Copy
Nick Tartaglia is a
P.I. with problems. While other private investigators follow unfaithful
spouses, Nick seems to be a magnet for the bizarre and supernatural. A
burglary that turns fatal pulls Nick into the world of the occult. Asked
to interview one of the suspects, Nick finds that there is more going
on than anyone wants to tell him. The burglar, Gordon Birdie, nicknamed,
"Whine," was after a book - a special book - one of the three
books that make up The Talisman. Someone has two of the books, Heaven
and Earth, and Nick is thrown into a desperate race to find the third
book - Hell. Hell is the third ring. When all three rings are joined together,
the results could be cataclysmic. The person possessing all three rings
can cast evil spells. Spells that can't be broken. Even though Nick has
faced the supernatural before, (his client in the first book of the Nick
Tartaglia series, TENTH HOUSE, was a ghost) - not even Nick is prepared
for the evil that is unleashed around him. When "Whine" is attacked
by small, hungry creatures called "minions"
.well, never
mind. Just keep the lights on and don't expect sleep to come easily for
a few days.
Tomasso has a hit with
his Nick Tartaglia series. His writing is real and flows just the way
a detective novel should. The powerful and frightening plot captivates
the reader, and the character of Nick is presented in a way that allows
us to connect to him. His reactions are not drawn as a parody of what
we think a PI should be; Nick is a real person, with real emotions, trapped
in a situation that evokes real terror. His grief made me cry, his fear
made me cringe, and his sense of humor made me laugh out loud.
THIRD RING is a frightening
ride, full of twists and turns. But when the ride is over, all you want
to do is buy another ticket and go again.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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