Review of DOA in a Florida HOA

[Annika porter]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "DOA in a Florida HOA" by Ralph Monti.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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DOA in a Florida HOA opens with two seemingly very disparate stories. Moses Rose is president of his Homeowners Association, and as such he must navigate a very colorful cast of neighbors. When one of his neighbors is found dead after a neighborhood party, the entire community is aflutter with speculation and intrigue. Simultaneously, in Duasco, Mexico, Olivia is an English as a Second Language teacher who works with the town’s youth. She is approached by a notorious drug cartel leader who offers her a confusing proposition: to use his money to build a community center for Duasco in order to mitigate violence between gang members and villagers. The author alternates between Olivia and Moses’s perspectives seamlessly, and weaves an intriguing murder mystery in the process.

One of the things I adored about this novel was how the author utilized distinct voices in the perspectives of both Moses and Olivia. Moses’s chapters contain fun metaphors and colorful language, depicting his laid-back, playful nature. I was constantly chuckling as he described each of his neighbors, often comparing them to an army platoon. Meanwhile, Olivia’s chapters are full of descriptions of the beauty of Duasco (highlighting her love of nature and her captivation with the town) as well describing her own life in a very subdued and frank manner with little embellishment. This language highlights her commitment to her faith, background as a nun, and dedication to serving her community. Olivia sees the heart and soul of each villager, even as their lives are upended by extortion and violence at the hands of the cartel. It increased my enjoyment of the novel that I got to spend so much time with such well-developed, likable characters. I think it speaks volumes that this author could craft two very different characters in such a three-dimensional manner, and I want to commend the author on such an accomplishment.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys well-crafted mysteries. This book kept me engaged with twists and turns up until the last page. I like to think I am a relatively astute reader, but I did not anticipate the reveals within this book! I loved every second I was reading this, and I had such a hard time putting it down every night! The only aspect that might irk some readers is that much of the true action of the book did not occur until three-quarters of the way through. This did not dampen my love for the story, as the author used the time to carefully intersperse details that allowed for such fun twists at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about all the colorful characters of Moses’s HOA and rooting for Olivia to triumph in her work in the Duasco community. So while the book could be considered a bit slow-paced for some readers, I found this fact did not diminish my enjoyment of the book at all. The work was also clearly edited and proofread; you can tell the author spent a lot of time making sure to get the story just right. I loved this thrilling and sordid tale, and I must rate it 5/5 stars for the above reasons, and for keeping me so thoroughly engaged the whole time!

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DOA in a Florida HOA
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[Mark Lazarus]

The mix of humor and heart really drew me in. I appreciated the slow build that made the twists even more surprising, and I’m definitely curious to dive into this intriguing mystery.

[Gabriela Contreras Gonzalez]

I have never lived with a HOA (at least not one like the one the book talks about) but I know there are a lot of persons who would want to murder a member of the HOA. However, this is not what this book is about, the characters in this book have a bigger mystery in their hands.

[kimarijohn]

Having been gripped by the story for three-quarters of the book without intriguing action shows the class of the author in playing with words to capture attention. Won't mind to have a peek on this.

[kimarijohn]

The mix of humor and heart really drew me in. I appreciated the slow build that made the twists even more surprising, and I’m definitely curious to dive into this intriguing mystery.

I now see why Porter writes in this review that although the action part starts late, the book is a captivating read. I believe it's the humor and other such qualities.

[Annika porter]

Having been gripped by the story for three-quarters of the book without intriguing action shows the class of the author in playing with words to capture attention. Won't mind to have a peek on this.

I totally agree!! Usually a lack of action is very frustrating to me, but in this novel, I didn't mind at all! It really demonstrated that the author is fantastic at their craft.

[NetMassimo]

This is a thriller involving a drug cartel that contains humor as well. Two protagonists have distinct voices. The blend of these elements forms what seems like a terrific story that keeps the reader's attention until the end. Thank you for your great review!