“An obsession with revenge might not be great for your mental health, but at least it’s calorie-free.”Private detective David Braddock is holed-up on the Thai island of Samui plotting the death of Grigory Polzin, the Russian oligarch who ordered the killing of his daughter. Embittered and descending rapidly into alcoholism, the Englishman must find a way to exact his retribution before he … he completely falls apart.
Fate, however, has one final lesson for David Braddock: the dead don’t always stay dead.
‘Everyone Dies’ is the final book in John Dolan’s ‘Karma’s Children’ trilogy.
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A father’s grief sends a man over the edge for revenge in Author Dolan’s third and final book of the Children of Karma series. Private Investigator David Braddock is set to avenge the murder of his daughter, Katie. Russian oligarch, Grigory Polzin, is highly suspected of having her assassinated by a ruthless killer as retribution for the death of his son. As David plots the demise of Polzin, his personal life spirals out of control as he drinks his way to oblivion to mask his mental and escalating physical pains. His office partner Da, and house manager Wayan try and help him, but are weighted down by their own personal dramas.
Karma plays its efficacious hand as David’s plans move forward via a seedy underground network, but will David’s health allow the plan to move forward? Da deals with a tragic death, will she be able to continue working with the agency? Wayan is still mourning her lost love, the assassin suspected of killing Katie–will she ever come to terms with his brutal ways and abandonment?
A surprise reveal provides a karmic twist of events for David and his friends and family, forcing a drastic change in strategy. There are suspenseful turns on every page and the ending is masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this series and am a huge fan–great characters, witty dialogue, intriguing plots, international suspense, with just a dash of romance. A great read, highly recommended!
What a great finale to a tension-filled, original series! I don’t even know which part I enjoyed more, the first one – angst-filled and full of self-destructive tendencies, or the second one – a road to some major transformation.
The final book in the series (which can also be read as a standalone, by the way) picks up where the previous one left off, with David Braddock mourning the loss of his daughter Katie and all but killing himself with excessive alcohol and nicotine intake. However, as soon as his grief transcends into something darker and more sinister, he decides to kill the man responsible for his daughter’s death before his broken heart gives up on him. And this is where quite a few unexpected turns come into play, which kept me on the edge of my seat with every page turned. The seemingly reckless plan, a surprising new ally, an old enemy that could be used if the cards are played right – all this made “Everyone Dies” simply unputdownable.
Without revealing too much of the plot (I’m afraid that I can accidentally give away a few spoilers and ruin the experience for you) let me just say this: if you enjoy dark, gritty, well-written novels with an exotic setting and no less exotic set of characters, you’ll definitely enjoy “Everyone Dies.” The powerful message delivered in the end was also just a perfect conclusion to a great saga. My only complaint is that when I closed the book, I felt like I was saying goodbye to an old friend whom I most likely shall never see again (yes, I got so attached to the characters) but isn’t it amazing that some books can make us feel this way?
I really can’t recommend this series highly enough. I’m already looking forward to what Mr. Dolan writes next.
David Braddock, author John Dolan’s sardonic, Thailand-based, private detective, is in a bad place. He is agonizing over the murder of his daughter, Katie. He is smoking and drinking more than ever. His health is taking a nosedive too. An obsession is taking over his every waking moment… a deadly fixation on avenging his daughter’s death. The odds he faces are seemingly unsurmountable, and with every step he takes, he seems to be farther away from achieving his objective. ‘A bad place’ is probably an understatement.
Author Dolan doesn’t grab you from the first paragraph in his new book ‘Everyone Dies’. No. Dolan’s writing absorbs the reader through the magical osmosis of wordplay, transporting them inside Braddock’s convoluted mind, tantalizing them with caustic, dark humor, much more so in this novel than in many of the other Braddock tales to date.
From the very first Braddock novel, ‘Everyone Burns’, Dolan has repeated a mantra that could easily have come from the Old Buddhist Monk Ananda, one of the engaging characters that populate the pages of his tale: ‘everything is connected’. In this novel, Karma plays a major role, stalking the events and personages, and not just Braddock, with its wistful settlement of the consequences of their past deeds; sometimes bringing a smile to the reader; other times a sense that a mystical balance has been maintained through implacable justice. The only exception to this premise, in this brilliant novel, is James Fosse – yes, he’s back! – who seems to operate on a plane of existence with its own rules.
Dolan has revealed many facets of Braddock’s life, both past and present, over the preceding six novels, yet the tone that permeates this one, despite the reader’s enjoyment of the character’s acid drollness, is many shades of darkness greater than all the others. There’s a sense of finality, of abandonment in Braddock’s actions, which lends weight to the somber route the detective follows. I expected to feel sadness as the outcome of the novel presented itself. The sorrow that comes with saying goodbye to a lifelong friend. However, cleverly, author Dolan imbues a feeling of attainment, of closure in Fortuna’s wheel, which is a fitting culmination not just for David Braddock, but also for many of the detective’s frequent travel companions in the seven books.
My final words: Don’t Read this Book Now! Start with ‘Everyone Burns’ and let author John Dolan’s words whisk you away into the Braddock universe as you accompany the detective through the trials and tribulations, the many transitory ups and downs that make up his existence. You will not be disappointed. Five Stars is not enough for this glorious gift from author Dolan. Highly recommended.
‘Everyone Dies’ is one hell of a fine novel. But, sadly for me, it has its downside; it concludes John Dolan’s ‘Time, Blood and Karma’ series, and we get to say farewell to David Braddock the complex, introspective, Kho Samui PI, and goodbye to Wayan, Da, Jim Fosse, and all the other characters who figured in his life. And so, like all good things, the series ends.
But Dolan ends it well. At 437 pages, it’s the heftiest book in the series, and packed with drama, humor, wit and other goodies we fans of Dolan and Braddock have come to expect. In my heart I was hoping the writer would keep it going; maybe he will.
I have to say I was fortunate to start at the beginning. Lying on my back in a Chiang Mai hospital bed, and bored out of my mind I opened ‘Everyone Burns’ on my notebook, and met Braddock engaged in bar-room fist-fight. And so it began.
Next up was ‘Hungry Ghosts’ and a shift of action from Kho Samui to Bangkok. ‘Poison Tree’ followed and the drama intensified. As each book was published I downloaded and got into it, and pursued Braddock on his Quixotic quest. The only problem was, I had to wait.
But now the waiting is over and the series complete. Seven novels, each one independent, but intrinsically linked as in a chain. So, for any new reader, as good as it is, a reading of ‘Everyone Dies’ should be delayed. Commence with ‘Everyone Burns’ and follow the series through. That way you’ll enjoy Braddock’s odyssey better, see how he wraps it all up, and get to savour ‘Everyone Dies’ in all its excellence. A super series, ending superbly. I can’t recommend it enough. Thank you Mr. Dolan.
Never have I read a series that has been so multi-layers and captivating as the one that chronicles the tumultuous life of David Braddock. He is such a fascinating character, a veritable trouble magnet who somehow manages to end right-side up, no matter what kind of quandary he gets himself into. Though he seems to have a propensity for landing in impossible situations—whether it’s due to fate or his own doing—his close-calls don’t seem to temper his cavalier attitude. So much the better for the voyeur, for there’s never a dull moment in the Braddock-sphere.
Author John Dolan is truly a master of suspense. I felt anxious, hopeful, scared, resigned and plain puzzled in turns, while laughing at totally inappropriate times during Braddock’s struggles. The comic relief is a bonus, one the author uses with great effect.
Having now read all seven of Braddock’s adventures to date, I now want to go back and read them all over again so I can fully appreciate the careful and cunning planning that went into this spellbinding series. Bravo, Mr. Dolan! Well done!