FIVE MINUTES, by Nick Lucas                                               

“Debut novelist Lucas joins the growing list of Florida crime writers (Carl Hiaasen, Laurence Shames, Tim Dorsey) who mix capers and comedy...Readers will fall hard for this lovable loser...Further adventures would be welcome.” Booklist, June 2005

"Five Minutes: A Comic Thriller is a darkly funny, rip-roaring novel about a fast-talking realtor who is quite possibly the world's worst judge of character. Hunted down by drug dealers, irate customers, a betrayed girlfriend and the husband of a married woman he had an affair with, he has five minutes to live at the opening of the story - perhaps more if he can persuade the angry husband not to point the gun at his head. Then again, perhaps not. Oh, and his mother has come to live with him and won't take no for an answer.

A wildly frantic novel about a ne'er do well whose bad deeds have caught up with him, and his wacky struggle to stay just one step ahead of the trigger, suspenseful to the very last word. " Midwest Book Review

DEATH OF A CHEAT, by J.R. Ripley                                

“Ripley demonstrates his talent and versatility with this second adventure featuring gendarme Charles Trenet. Although they couldn’t be more different than his wacky Tony Kozol series, the Trenet novels also reflect Ripley’s first-rate character development and ample descriptive powers. . .Trenet is a pleasure to be around all on his own. . .A pleasant, touching story featuring a hero who is a “gentle man” in both senses of the word.” Booklist, Jan. 2006

“This second in the ‘Gendarme Trenet’ series (after Murder in St. Barts) provides nice, light entertainment.” Library Journal, Dec. 2005

“Ripley demonstrates his talent and versatility......first-rate character development and ample descriptive powers. . .A pleasant, touching story...” Booklist, Jan. 2006

“If there were a book industry equivalent of the indie music scene, one of its stars would be J.R. Ripley.” Fort Myers News-Press