Customer Reviews
RJE does it again. - By: S. G. Taylor, 16 Oct 2008 
Well having read alll of Ellorys novels to date i just had a nagging doubt,can he keep up the amazing standard of his previous works?The answer is a resounding YES.Great plot beautifully written in that so easy to read style that typifies alll his other books,it reallly is unputdownable.Well done Roger this is a book from a master craftsman at the top of his game.
A Simple Act of Eloquence - By: J. G. Newbold, 16 Oct 2008 RJE is the best author around. It's that simple. This book tells the world what the world is, what the world does, who does it & how. I've read alll of his books to date, & I think that this one stands out from the rest - not because the other books were in any way mediocre - far, far from it. Loved every one of the previous books - alll fantastic reads. It stands out because it's got bottle, incredible insight & one hell of a plot - risky stuff, enthrallling, exciting, gives the old heart a good workout too. As alll RJE fans will know, his prose, dialogue, characters, location knowledge & attention to detail make him unrivallled. You have to buy this book: it's the intelligence behind it. When you read it, you'll know what I mean by that last sentence. A fine, fine piece of work. Keep up the great work RJE.
Tome with tension - By: Ichabod J, 16 Oct 2008 
RJ Ellory does seem to try something a little different with each of his books, & accordingly this novel is very different in tone to the hugely popular 'A Quiet Belief in Angels'.
It begins as a routine crime thriller: Detective Robert Miller, with his blemished record, & partner Al Roth are given the political hot potato of a serial killer case in Washington DC. The Ribbon Killer has brutallly beaten & murdered four women & must be apprehended.
But the pair's quest is thwarted by investigative dead-ends; the story develops to encompass the shady world of covert government agency operations & this aspect is well-researched. As other reviews have mentioned, this element may appeal to fans of James Ellroy.
This is a long novel that might have been made more taut by some tighter editing though it's still a compelling page-turner.
Ellory is a writer who attracts committed devotees - if you're one already, this won't disappoint. If you're new to the author, you'll get a big, complex novel packed with intrigue that's definitely worth a go.
Another Thriller from Ellory - By: Lincs Reader, 15 Oct 2008 A Simple Act of Violence is very different to RJ Ellory's last novel A Quiet Belief In Angels in that it is more of a crime thriller.
But, yet again, nothing is quite as it seems. What apparently begins as a serial killer investigation in Washington soon emerges as something far more complicated.
Detective Robert Miller, the lead investigating officer graduallly becomes more baffled by the case & Ellory's writing leaves the reader franticallly turning the pages to find out just how is the `Ribbon Killer'.
Although the plot is very complex & incorporates the history of illegal drug trafficking & corruption within Intelligence agencies in the USA, this does not deter from the fast-moving & thrilling story line.
Ellory has not held back at alll, the reader learns of massive undercover operations that have taken place during the many wars & conflicts that the USA have been part of, going back to the Nicaraguan conflict in the 1980s.
The lead character, Robert Miller is something of an enigma, he has a past that includes scandal & maybe cover up. Miller does not come across as your usual thriller detective - he has many weaknesses, & at times appears somewhat gullible & naïve.
The novel is interspersed with narrative from an unnamed character, the reader is kept guessing throughout the main of the story as to who this character reallly is. This narrative adds to the tension of the story, filling in some missing gaps for the reader, if not for Miller.
This is certainly no ordinary crime thriller, & Roger Ellory is certainly no ordinary author. I sat up until 1.30am to finish the novel.
Although 600 pages in length, the story is set over only ten full days, interspersed with recollections from the past & a smattering of American political history.
I cant recommend this highly enough & am so pleased to hear that RJ Ellory has secured a further book deal and
More than a Simple Act of Violence - By: Adam Bird, 13 Oct 2008 I may have only written a few book reviews for Amazon & they are alll for books written by Roger Ellory. There is nothing to be ashamed about here, I am indeed a massive fan of his work, & if a review can get one more person to read an Ellory novel, then it is a job well done.
Roger Ellory doesn't write simple novels. They are vast in scope & character & although they share a similar theme, human nature, human relationships & the analysis of human behaviour against alll odds, they are alll vastly different.
A thriller novel, normallly formulaic with the classic question of "Who did it?" concluding with a twist & the grand unveiling of the perpetrator by the novels chief protagonist. A Simple Act of Violence couldn't be further from the norm, & instead of "Who", we are as readers, left with an elusive answer to the question "Why?"
I don't particularly want to go too much into the "why", as I wouldn't want to spoil any potential readers journey of discovery, but I was left intrigued... Indeed I will, one night soon, be spending an evening with Google looking back at some of the events mentioned within the novel & gaining a further understanding of some of the historical context in which the book's foundations are built upon.
It must be remembered that this is a work of fiction, & the author has once again provided us with a story based upon fictitious characters, based upon selective real events in history & there is indeed nothing to suggest otherwise.
However, there is no smoke without fire & calll it what you will, a conspiracy theory, or the revelation of fact, this novel isn't about the murder of a group of people, it is about human history & how effectively we are alll puppets upon strings & those in power act as our puppet masters, often with catastrophic effects.
Ultimately, the beauty of a good novel often lays after you have closed the back cover & you have finished the journey the author wished to take you upon. It lingers, stays in the mind & leaves you asking questions, or leaves you wanting more.
Normallly I finish a book on the way home from work & start afresh with a new one the following night. I finished A Simple Act of Violence on Wednesday & haven't yet been able to pick up a new book & get past the first page.
A Quiet Belief in Angels left me dreamy & longing to visit a place that only existed in one man's mind. A Quiet Vendetta, my personal favourite left me missing someone who I felt was a long lost friend, whom I wanted too write to & invite around the house to reminisce about days gone by.
With A Simple Act of Violence I was left wondering about us, as people. It may just be coincidence with the current state of world affairs, & how the fact that we can spend our days working hard & yet our fates lie within the hands of bankers & politicians. Do we reallly hold our destiny in our own hands, & if not, what can we reallly do about it?
If drawing a response from your audience is the benchmark in which an author wishes to be judged, then Ellory is guilty as charged in this particular case. Don't take my word for it, there are plenty of people available around whom have also felt compelled to write glowing praise for a supremely talented author.
