this book by Lyn Thomas was terrific! Once I started reading I didn’t want to stop until I’d finished the whole thing. It pulls you in from the beginning, and I really enjoyed the author’s “voice” and style of writing. The complex, interweaving plotlines were well-developed and not predictable, and I liked the dialogue between the characters that moved the plot forward at an addicting speed. The characters were all interesting and well-written, and although there were some grammatical and punctuation errors, it wasn’t anything that really bothered me. I’d love to read more from Lyn Thomas in the future! Recommend.

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wow, “Preying Mantis” (perfect title) By Lyn Thomas was awesome! I haven’t read anything like that in a long time, if ever. Totally crazy twists and characters that keep you fully invested the whole way through. And the Writing! Lyn Thomas is a talented writer for sure and the use of the 3rd person omniscient here was great because we were able to see a wide perspective and get in the characters heads. And For once it seemed like the characters were anything but the stock, ordinary typical hero/protag guys (our lead is an older man in his mid-60’s), and I don’t want to focus too much on it, but I thought the Nigerian aspect was pretty cool too. All came together to create a fresh-feeling novel that was out of the ordinary and kept me hooked throughout. This was a standalone book(not a part of any series, it appears), but I hope the author Lyn Thomas writes more like this in the future. I’d be reading it!

4.5 stars
This was the first book I’ve read by this author Lyn Thomas, but I certainly hope it’s not the last! She has a gift for writing descriptive and life-like scenes that make us feel like we are really there inside the story, as opposed to it all just being “told” to us, as so many rookie authors make the mistake of doing. I like that this book didn’t feel stale or derivative, but instead like a new niche of literary drama that serves well to help diversify a somewhat cookie-cutter genre (in my opinion). It was very well-edited (I notice these things!) And I personally would have preferred more dialogue spaced throughout the narrative as it got quite dense at times. But I loved how it all wrapped up and overall the entire novel was one that I thought was well-crafted and delivered an emotional win.

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From the opening pages of “Preying Mantis” by Lyn Thomas I knew it would be different from the books I’ve been reading lately and I was right! Ms. Thomas writes so beautifully… almost lyrical, poetic prose that sucks us right in. She sets of the scene and characterizations in a skillful way that not only engages the senses but creates great visualizations and elicits emotional investments. I truly cared about the characters’ fates, and was shocked at certain things (no spoilers). Len is great… love the cultural influence and the fact that the MC is older. An interesting and diverse cast of characters, along with several intriguing plotlines interwoven against unique setting makes this a memorable read for me. Highly recommend for fans of compelling literary fiction.

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