Driven

Years ago I was looking into changing from reading Romance books to Murder/Mystery and the bookstore owner I trusted recommended Lawrence Block. He became one of the authors that I read all of his books …. and now I have found another author that reminds me of Block and his writng and stories. Driven by Dane Cobain is the first book in his Leipfold Mystery series and you will be HOOKED immediately. James Leipfold is a private investigator down on his luck. He is in dire need of a good case to follow and money coming in before he is forced to do something desperate. Unfortunately he gets a case only because he is interested. Donna Thompson, a wanna be actress working as a waitress, is hit by a car when she leaves her waitress job. It is listed as a hit and run when the car does not stop and when she is pronounced dead, it is questioned whether it is an accident or murder. Leipfold knows he needs a paying case but he is drawn to this case and wants to solve it. Because he is down on his luck and doesn’t have much money, he looks into hiring an intern. Little does he know that when he meets Maile O’Hara, she will become a valuable asset to him. Maile has crazy skills on the computer, some of which could be illegal, but that’s okay she doesn’t work for the police. Luckily Leipfold has an in with the police, his friend Detective Inspector Jack Cholmondeley. The two have a unique relationship but are there for each other when it counts. So all three dive into Donna’s hit and run to determine if it is indeed murder. Unfortunately they will find a lot of person’s of interest and the case will take them down a long and winding road…. Readers will LOVE Driven and the way that Cobain pulls you into the story immediately. You will fall in love with the characters and their relationships and everything they bring to the story. I, for one, cannot wait to get my hands on more books in this series. I highly encourage you to go and get your copy so that you can enjoy the story !!!

Loved the characters and the plot. Highly recommended.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this excellent London Police Procedural courtesy of the author, Dane Cobain. I have read Driven of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. I am pleased to add Dean Cobain to my favorite authors and recommend him to friends and family. He writes a compelling mystery with a fast pace and fully characterized protagonists. Driven is the first of the Leipfold Series, and you can tell it’s going to be a good one. Young geek Maile O’Hara adds her computer skills and sparkle to the experience and good-natured personality of Murder Detective Jack Cholmondeley. It will take both of them working hard to solve the mystery of the murdered actress, run over by a self-driving car in the wee hours of the morning. though captured on CC film, there was no driver in the vehicle and there were several people, including her mother and her agent, who all had motives. I am looking forward to number 2.

Very tidy little murder mystery with very engaging characters. What a fun read this was in the first of a series that I’m sure will do quite well. Nice little twists here and there that you might or might not see coming. (I’m betting not). I very much enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series. I received this book as a gift and this is my honest opinion of the tale

Fast paced and entertaining story, good characters. I found a couple of editorial errors, but recommend the book.

I chose to read this book after receiving a free e-copy from the author. All opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. This is the first book in the Leipfold Mystery series. It’s a good mystery with several suspects. I couldn’t decide who the murderer was, so I had to wait until Leipfold’s big reveal. I like how he gathered everyone related to the case no matter how small a role they played to reveal how things went down. The characters in Driven are interesting, and I enjoyed them as much as I did the mystery. Leipfold is kind of different, and his new assistant, Maille, is very different, but I like them both. I especially enjoyed the development of their relationship. I’m looking forward to starting the next book in the series, The Tower Hill Terror!

Twisted. So many selfish self interested people all in one book!!! I enjoyed the journey and was clueless until the reveal. Suspenseful and kept my interest. Interesting characters, most who I’d never want to meet irl. I voluntarily read a free copy of this and am giving an honest review.

James Leipgold is a PI who reminded me of Poirot. His assistant, Maile keeps him on the straight and narrow while using her computer skills to work legally and otherwise. Very well-written and action packed

I’ve become a fan of Dane Cobain from watching his YouTube channel Dane Reads. From those videos, I’ve heard him perform some of his own work, as well as give reading performances from the work of other authors. This private detective murder mystery novel had everything that I would want from this type of story. I thought it was a brilliant example of the genre. As I read through the book, I found myself smiling at several places, pausing, and talking to other people about my excitement regarding the story and characters. The inclusion of newer technology was innovative, including the murder of a woman by a car with what appeared to be no one at the wheel. I highly recommend this book for fans of murder mystery novels. I’ve already picked up the second book in the series and am happy to see the adventures of the characters continue.

If you like cozy mysteries but are tired of little old ladies and 30 something divorced bakers solving crimes then this cozy detective story might be just the thing you have been waiting for. James Leipfold is a throw back to the old school noir hard boiled detectives but without the sexist mindset of that era. His assistant is a modern young woman with punk style and who knows her way around a computer, much like Lisbet Salander (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) but without the dysfunction. There is also Detective Inspector Jack Cholmondeley who is not exactly bumbling but he is somewhat reluctant to rely on Leipfold’s gut instincts. They play off each other quite well throughout the story. The plot jumps right into the murder and we learn early on that the murder weapon is very unique and it raises some interesting questions about our own near future. There is decent cast of potential suspects that will keep you guessing until the end.

This was a fast-paced and fun to read detective story. The main characters of the detective and his assistant were very likeable and worked well together. The plot was engaging and I enjoyed puzzling out the mystery till the very end. I look forward to more books in this series.

This was a unique premise fit into a classic PI/ Police Procedural mystery. The characters were very likeable and well fleshed out. Imagine a self driving car as a murder weapon. I loved it!