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“Okay, so this post is really about the response to our very first novel, The Case of the Toxic Cruise.
Back in 1999, Lidia and I both had technical writing skills and engineering backgrounds, but this was our first time writing a novel together. We honestly didn’t know how it would land.
We sent free copies to newspapers around the country, more in hope than expectation. And when the reviews started coming in, it was… pretty amazing.
One paper called it, ‘All the good stuff is here for a thrilling read — frighteningly current and pertinent.’
Another reviewer wrote that we ‘drew on our combined experience as chemical engineers, knowing the weaknesses of petrochemical processing and the transportation of chemicals,’ which mattered to us, because that part of the story was very real.
What surprised us just as much were the reader responses. One Amazon reader said the book opened up a whole world they hadn’t known about, making environmental dangers understandable while still delivering suspense and action.
Another called it an easy five-star read, saying the characters, the science, and the pacing all worked together in a way that kept them turning pages.
For two first-time novelists — and two engineers — that kind of response gave us the confidence to keep going. It told us the stories mattered.
And that early encouragement is why we didn’t stop with one book… and why we’re now on novel number three, with a possible fourth ahead.”
Newspaper Published Reviews:
- "All the good stuff is here for a thrilling read. Frighteningly current and pertinent." Book Reader, CA
- "I truly enjoyed the fast pace of this exciting story! The LoPintos drew on their combined experience as chemical engineers, knowing the weaknesses of petrochemical processing and transportation of chemicals. They studied at least six incidents, all believed to be “accidents” but no one knows how they happened...” Ann Thomson, Rocky Ford Daily Gazette, CO
- "Authors Charles & Lidia LoPinto tell an exciting story that weaves together the worlds of environmental destruction, blackmail, and politics." Thomas Biblewski, Baker Street Dispatch
- "Poised to be the E-Files of the Environment, within the first few paragraphs the reader is caught up in the story’s plot." Mason Canyon, Chatooga Press
- "I wondered if this novel could possibly live up to being WORTH the asking price. I'm happy to report that if environmental stories are what you like, this new series is for you: if you are as new to them as I, let these authors make you a fan! A well written 'Cozy' with thought provoking information..."
- Reviewed by Ottilee Bastgen of Concord, CA for the January issue of Cozies, Capers and Crimes Newsletterkeeps the reader relentlessly turning pages until the end. Riveting and highly recommended." James Cox, The Midwest Book Review.
- “I enjoyed both of your books and think that you two have created what could be a marvelous franchise for a film and television property. Sean and Julie are strong characters. With Sean, you have an archetype that fits nicely into the hero’s journey. He’s a reluctant hero and Julie’s younger character, a feisty Latina, spurs him into action. There’s nice chemistry between these characters... they would be two meaty film roles.” Scott Petri, Hollywood screenwriter
Amazon Reviews
Please note the book underwent name changes and these reviews are posted in other backlisted books
Jean Sesame
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2015
Lidia did it again in a great literary work putting environmental terrorism and racial profiling on display. Prior to reading this book, I was not very familiar with the nature of chemical spill accidents and the very real impact they have on the communities around them. This book brings a whole new, often mysterious, world to life with rich context to the characters, places and situations. Plus, you get fascinating suspense and action, making a subject that many may not be aware of exciting and understandable. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves science, mystery and action. Enjoy!
What does the Environmental Protection Agency, a train derailment, and love have in common? You guessed it - not much. That is until Mystery Thriller: GASP came around. The LoPinto's do an amazing job in bringing all of these things together into one thrilling, fun, and fantastic novel.
Wow - this book was great. The characters - Juliana Del Rio and Sean Ryan - come together to try and find the suspects that caused a derailment of a train that was carrying toxic chemicals. This adventure leads them into some self-discovery and perhaps, a budding romance? These two make a great team! This book is FULL of awesome dialogue, well-structured paragraphs, and an amazing plot that strings the reader along. I LOVE a book that pays attention to detail - this is one I love. The cover, the organization, the character development, and even the book blurb - ALL great!
Awesome premise - great execution here!
Wow - this book was great. The characters - Juliana Del Rio and Sean Ryan - come together to try and find the suspects that caused a derailment of a train that was carrying toxic chemicals. This adventure leads them into some self-discovery and perhaps, a budding romance? These two make a great team! This book is FULL of awesome dialogue, well-structured paragraphs, and an amazing plot that strings the reader along. I LOVE a book that pays attention to detail - this is one I love. The cover, the organization, the character development, and even the book blurb - ALL great!
Awesome premise - great execution here!
Amazon Reviews for Book 1: The Case of the Toxic Cruise
A little bit of James Bond meets Jason Bourne meets Man vs Wild.... Loved it. Amazing book, great page turner. The Lopinto team has cooked up a fantastic formula here of action, adventure, environmentalism mixed in with the threat of nuclear terrorism. Episode #1 of "Target Alaska!" reads like a movie, the authors pull you right into every scene. What I liked best about the book is that there is little downtime between scenes of action and intrigue. The breadth and scope of the story is very impressive, and the book neatly ties itself together with a satisfying mix of romance, action and mystery. Well done, two thumbs up!
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2013Most fiction books I pick up for Kindle just don't seem to deliver like the novels I used to get from the book store. However there are lots of bright points out there and Target Alaska is one of them. I grew up camping and doing all sorts of outdoor activities so I decided to pick this one up.
Good action, great adventure and solid romance make this a very entertaining read. I also learned a bit about environmental terrorism and what that means. The only thing I knew about it before was from random stories on the news.
Overall its a good fast-paced read with an interesting twist on current events.
Good action, great adventure and solid romance make this a very entertaining read. I also learned a bit about environmental terrorism and what that means. The only thing I knew about it before was from random stories on the news.
Overall its a good fast-paced read with an interesting twist on current events.
Samuel Alexander
Saving the environment is deadly business
Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2014
This was a brilliantly crafted novel. A fast paced exciting crime caper that was worth every page. Characters where well developed. The plot moved at a fast pace as it should. Didn't allow your adrenaline to stop pumping for a second which worked very well. If mysteries, love interests, extreme danger and a sense of humor are things you like in a book this one doesn't fail to deliver.
Regardless of what the cover may allude to I found that sean was more or less the main character. The reluctant hero thrown into a case he doesn't want that turns out to be more than what he bargained for. His character was very well written and fit the perfect type of male role usually found in such action capers. He was rather funny, entertaining, and good at his job. Didn't miss a beat and was always on alert as good as any FBI/CIA operative should be. Very well written. My only problem with this was it was rather cliche. The demoted drunken agent. Taken out of the field, issues with women on the job. Doesn't like his lot in life. Refuses to stop drinking. I felt like I had been here before. I guess I was expecting him not to fit the perfect role he fell into so perfectly. Having him be Irish was definitely a nice touch though.
Julie. A woman on a mission. How can you not love someone with that kind of drive. Beautiful and determined. And she speaks spanish. Bonus points. Needless to say I loved her too. A woman who shows obvious disdain to the arrogant agent she must work with who clearly doesn't want to work with her. Goes through a learning curve finds out maybe he's not so bad after all, and defeats the bad guys in the end. What's not to love about this kind of woman. She, just like sean was very well written. Again, as before, maybe too well. She sorta came of like Velma but ended up being Daphne in the end. For someone with so much fight I guess I was a bit disappointed she did the stereotypical I've never done this before but I'm going to venture out on my own, get caught and now the man has to come in and save the day. The only thing that saved it from being to cliché was that her rescuer got caught too.
The suspense, great. Perfect even. All the clues where laid out at the right points. The air of mystery never fell flat. The sense of wanting to turn the page to find out what the great mystery is, who is behind it, and would the heroes come out on top in this book or would I have to wait for the sequel, was held up to the last page. In this area the book was very good and did exactly what I expect action novels to do. Be page turners and keep me wanting to read it. I was invested in the plot of this story, but then I have a thing for water, ice and snow so maybe I'm a bit partial to this book being set in Alaska. Still the situations the characters found themselves in made for a very good read.
If you like action packed stories, with impossible circumstances, and a race against time and uncertain death, this series is definitely worth the read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good action novel. And as a bonus this one is eco friendly. Who says being an eco cop isn't cool. I've read this book and I know for a fact that they are cool. And so is this novel.
Regardless of what the cover may allude to I found that sean was more or less the main character. The reluctant hero thrown into a case he doesn't want that turns out to be more than what he bargained for. His character was very well written and fit the perfect type of male role usually found in such action capers. He was rather funny, entertaining, and good at his job. Didn't miss a beat and was always on alert as good as any FBI/CIA operative should be. Very well written. My only problem with this was it was rather cliche. The demoted drunken agent. Taken out of the field, issues with women on the job. Doesn't like his lot in life. Refuses to stop drinking. I felt like I had been here before. I guess I was expecting him not to fit the perfect role he fell into so perfectly. Having him be Irish was definitely a nice touch though.
Julie. A woman on a mission. How can you not love someone with that kind of drive. Beautiful and determined. And she speaks spanish. Bonus points. Needless to say I loved her too. A woman who shows obvious disdain to the arrogant agent she must work with who clearly doesn't want to work with her. Goes through a learning curve finds out maybe he's not so bad after all, and defeats the bad guys in the end. What's not to love about this kind of woman. She, just like sean was very well written. Again, as before, maybe too well. She sorta came of like Velma but ended up being Daphne in the end. For someone with so much fight I guess I was a bit disappointed she did the stereotypical I've never done this before but I'm going to venture out on my own, get caught and now the man has to come in and save the day. The only thing that saved it from being to cliché was that her rescuer got caught too.
The suspense, great. Perfect even. All the clues where laid out at the right points. The air of mystery never fell flat. The sense of wanting to turn the page to find out what the great mystery is, who is behind it, and would the heroes come out on top in this book or would I have to wait for the sequel, was held up to the last page. In this area the book was very good and did exactly what I expect action novels to do. Be page turners and keep me wanting to read it. I was invested in the plot of this story, but then I have a thing for water, ice and snow so maybe I'm a bit partial to this book being set in Alaska. Still the situations the characters found themselves in made for a very good read.
If you like action packed stories, with impossible circumstances, and a race against time and uncertain death, this series is definitely worth the read. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good action novel. And as a bonus this one is eco friendly. Who says being an eco cop isn't cool. I've read this book and I know for a fact that they are cool. And so is this novel.