Rating: 
Summary: Smooth and sleek
Review: Another addition to Hall's well written Florida thrillers. Things are not as they usually are. The FBI aren't heroes. The Travis McGee hunk is a slacker. The killer is no genius. And the heroine is slow on the uptake. But it all feels right and you can't put it down. Another A+ effort. Another look at the fertile Florida thriller scene.
Rating: 
Summary: Rough Read
Review: First of all, despite what the header for this listing says, this is not a Thorn book; It's a stand-alone novel with new characters. Secondly, unlike Hall's Thorn books, Rough Draft just isn't very good. If you've read most of Hall's books like I have, you're probably beginning to feel like if you've read one, you've read them all. A fine writer in his early years, Hall has now gotten stale and boring. The plot for this book was fragmented and patched together, with a twist ending that just didn't work at all for me. The entire idea for this book seemed like a throwaway, something that Hall came up with at the last minute just to crank another book out. Reviewers make a big deal out of Hall's villians, and they are pretty interesting, but the female villian in this one is just like every other female villian that Hall creates, and the male villian needed more fleshing out to be truly classic. The good guys, however, are so plain and vanilla that I never cared one bit about them throughout the entire book. It was a struggle to get through this one, and I can't recommend it to anyone. For a good read, try one of Hall's earlier books instead.
Rating: 
Summary: Underappreciated James W. Hall scores again.
Review: Having read James Hall from the beginning I rank "Rough Draft" as his finest yet. Those other reviewers, for whom this is their first James Hall, have a lot of treats waiting for them."Rough Draft" is a complex thriller, taking the cat and mouse game to new heights. Mr Hall's easy to read flowing writing style allows the reader to keep up with the twists, turns and red herrings without confusion. The chacters are deeply drawn and we get good insight into their professional and personal sides. Full of drama, suspense and tension this tale almost turns the pages for you. It took me a bit of willing suspension of disbelief concerning the villain's homicide method (but that's why they call it fiction). The conclusion was satisfying and whodunit a worthy surprise. I feel Mr. Hall could have another successful series if Frank and Hannah started their own PI firm. Count me among those puzzled by Mr. Hall's lack of recognition. He writes the Florida crime/mystery novel as well as anyone, and better than most.
Rating:
Summary: Hall at his best!!
Review: I have read all of his books. Liked most of them, but this one goes to the head of the class. Hannah Keller is a big step up for the author. Thorne of his early books is kind of a caricature of the Florida guy who finds himself in interesting messes and gets through them. Hannah Keller is definately not Thorne. Of course there is a guy named Hal whom you can grow to be terrified of. There is our FBI trying to catch Hal, which I fervently hope bears no resemblance to the FBI in this novel. There is the US Senator who is somehow controlling the FBI's hunt for Hal to avenge his daughter's murder. There is the bumbling, but honest FBI agent who is on a career ending mission. There is Misty - whom you will not ask any one to sing Misty For Me for you. This is a delicious soup..one that works through the whole book. James W. Hall is growing as an author and that is always a fun thing to watch and experience as a reader. Hop on and hang on - its a bumpy ride.
Rating:
Summary: Hall is at the top of his form here
Review: James Hall has rapidly become one of my favorite authors, whether he's writing another book in his Thorn series, or the stand-alone thrillers he's been producing lately. _Rough Draft_ is one of his stand-alones, but the characters he creates here are compelling enough to warrant their own series. Single mother Hannah Keller, a former policewoman turned bestselling author, is concerned about her withdrawn son. The boy apparently was an eyewitness to the murder of his grandparents many years before by a man Hannah's father was prosecuting for embezzlement. The FBI is aware of her circumstances and an especially devious agent-in-charge sets up an elaborate sting, aimed at the vicious mob killer, Hal Bonner, an odd, inhuman, almost robotic man, with a grisly trademark to his slayings. The agent in charge of the investigation into the death of Hannah's father years before, Frank Sheffield, shows up again and starts to fall in love with Hannah. Just based on this brief summary, you'd be right in thinking this is a pretty convoluted plot for a thriller, but Hall makes it work. His characters are real, believable human beings and they're often put in situations of extreme jeopardy. Not all will survive. It is also to Hall's credit that he almost manages the feat of making us care about the inhuman Hal, who becomes involved in a love affair of his own during the course of the story. This is an excellent, fast-moving thriller, and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Good Read!
Review: James Hall is a fantastic writer! I read other suspense novels and few of them engage me as much as James Hall. In Rough Draft James Hall creates a villain named Hal who is a wonderful character study - complex, evil and with a little bit of humanity. What more could you want in a antagonist? The heroine in Rough Draft has a son with mental issues. Reading the first part of the book, it seems like the kid shouldn't have as severe mental problems as he does. He witnessed his grandparents death, but his mental problems seem over-the-top for what he witnessed. However, this is why James Hall is so good. By the end of the book you suddenly understand why the boy is the way he is. One other thing about this book: it is actually two mysteries in one -- worth reading!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Good Read!
Review: James Hall is a fantastic writer! I read other suspense novels and few of them engage me as much as James Hall. In Rough Draft James Hall creates a villain named Hal who is a wonderful character study - complex, evil and with a little bit of humanity. What more could you want in a antagonist? The heroine in Rough Draft has a son with mental issues. Reading the first part of the book, it seems like the kid shouldn't have as severe mental problems as he does. He witnessed his grandparents death, but his mental problems seem over-the-top for what he witnessed. However, this is why James Hall is so good. By the end of the book you suddenly understand why the boy is the way he is. One other thing about this book: it is actually two mysteries in one -- worth reading!
Rating: 
Summary: Good story, but cliched characters and conclusion drag
Review: Over the years James Hall has given us some creepy, psychotic villains in his books. Dougie Barnes, the rhyme-spouting muscle bound half-wit from Bones of Coral, Harden Winchester, the paranoid ex-CIA killing machine from Mean High Tide, Martina from Hard Aground, and my persoal favorites, Orlon and Raion, the twin terrors from Gone Wild. None of these villains can hold a candle to Hal Bonner, the demented hit-man from Rough Draft. He is one sick puppy! Raised in foster homes by sick, disfunctional families, Hal is a stone cold killer with a heart colder than an Arctic Winter. After he murders a U.S. Senator's daughter, the FBI is under extreme pressure to catch him. They set a trap for using an innocent civilian, Hannah Keller, as bait. The story moves along slowly and then explodes into an exciting climax....END
Rating:
Summary: Miami Sizzzler
Review: The Grove, Stiltsville, the Orange Bowl...murder, mayhem, and white collar crime, no one depicts this town better than James W. Hall. This is an immensely satisfying tale of the aspects of Miami usually left out the Chamber of Commerce brochures. Novelist, ex-cop, crime victim and soccer Mom, Hannah Keller finds her full life disrupted by an FBI sting which places her as the bait for Hal. This Hal is not a computer but rather sociopathic hit man who literally rips his victims' hearts out of their chests. Hal is assisted by Misty Fielding, daughter of a big time embezzler. Misty, a brilliant but obsessed ex-Hooters girl, finds in Hal a soul mate whose quest for job security neatly dove-tails with her own homicidal instincts. Hannah's aggressive quest for justice leads her into harm's way, where armed with street smarts and a cast of Miami characters that would be unbelievable in any other town, she confronts and conquers pure evil. While there may not be too many surprises, this is one of the best in the Miami mystery genre. Take it from a native Miamian, it could happen here.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant in the mind of those who can read!!
Review: This review will be short but straight to the point. The book was brilliant! I loved it. A must read for anyone who loves to read! James Hall is a mastermind with his fictional tales, which make you feel as if you're in them as well. Hall brings each scene together with a gripping chill and leaves the reader begging for more! This was an amazing book and I say to James Hall - Keep Them Coming!!
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