Great read for a 1st time author!! The characters were interesting and the story flowed. I loved being familiar with many of the local landmarks and even some of the characters mentioned.

I’m looking forward to the next one!!

A nice straight up action thriller by Patrick Brown. He does a great job fleshing out the characters and their interactions and choices are depicted realistically, unlike other thrillers that have their leads make bone headed decisions that fly in the face of conventional wisdom and the experience their character is supposed to possess.

I loved the way Brown tied everything up especially how a murder gets Reid involved initially to help out a friend but stay on for different reasons. The twist at the end will surprise many of the readers.

All in all a delightful read. I hope we get a prequel that shows how Salem became what he is.

Could not put this book down. Growing up Peachtree Corners, I loved that it featured roads and parks I knew from growing up. I gravitate toward thriller/suspense books. I love characters like Lee Child’s Jack Reacher or Harlan Coben’s Myron Bolitar. Patrick Brown has written protagonist Salem Reid in a similar style. Salem is such a wonderful character that I hope he appears in future Patrick Brown novels.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. An ex-army owner of a security/limousine business finds himself involved in providing justice after a friend gets robbed and a prostitute dies of an overdose, all resulting in violent retribution.

The pace is excellent and it is a real page-turner, engaging and exciting. Our hero never puts a foot wrong, unlike other detectives/heroes of mystery thrillers.

One misgiving that I have is that, if you are not totally familiar with life in the United States, many references will escape the reader – that certainly happened to me (Blue Moon etc..). This is even truer if the reader does not know the city of Atlanta: there are lengthy descriptions of routes around Atlanta, various places and restaurants, all of which is meaningless to anyone outside of Atlanta.

What a fantastic read! I could not put this book down! Patrick Brown’s writing is smooth and engaging. The characters are well developed and the plot twists and turns from beginning to end. I’m looking forward to Brown’s second novel. I certainly hope there’s another thriller featuring Salem Reid!

I thoroughly enjoyed Patrick Brown’s first novel, Varied Traits. The plot is action packed and full of suspense. The author did an excellent job drawing the characters and I was particularly impressed at how ably he brought the female characters to life. True to the title, the characters are multi-faceted, and the author has a true facility for thoroughly imagining the details of a situation and allowing the reader to assert themselves in it. As a first novel it is remarkable; I eagerly await his future endeavors.

Varied Traits is THE thrilling, suspenseful novel you’ll want to read next. I literally couldn’t put it down. Your heart will race, and it will sink. You will laugh, and your jaw will drop… Varied Traits takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions, only leaving you with wanting more. The characters are so carefully and wonderfully depicted, and the storyline flows beautifully. I felt involved in the storyline and couldn’t wait to turn the pages. Patrick is a truly talented writer and I would bet we see him as an up-and-coming author- get this book!!!

From the moment I started reading Varied Traits, I was hooked. Patrick Brown does an unbelievable job of making his readers fall in love with the characters and the story. When I was not reading the book, I constantly found myself anticipating what would happen next. Now that I’m done with the book, I find myself thinking about the characters and what’s going to happen next in their life. Patrick did an incredible job of encapsulating humanity at its finest. When you read this book, you will go through the ups and downs with the characters and come out having a better understanding of yourself. Thank you Patrick…I am excited to be on this journey with you.

What do you get when you bring an army vet, a degenerate partier and a bunch of lady’s of the night together…you get a lot of action, chaos…and Varied Traits! What I found most interesting about this book went far beyond the plot and story as the author Patrick Brown brought these characters to life in a way that few manage to do in their first turn in writing. I was wholly captivated by the characters as I found my self drawn in to their lives as one would an old friend or a family member. Though when we are first introduced to these characters we might not find the depth that is later introduced as the story progresses.

My favorite character was Salem (what a great name). He is an Army vet that has experienced some situations in his life that can bring the strongest man to his knees. I loved the strength he showed even in moments of great vulnerability. His story intertwines with another of my favorite characters, Sarah, as I enjoyed watching their particular story unfold.

There are some seedy and gripping situations to look forward to as well. The plot and action of the story is well developed and will give you a sense that you are being pulled forward into something that you know isn’t gonna be something you want to see, but can’t turn away! All in all I have to say that this is a fantastic read and I look forward to seeing what Patrick Brown comes out with next.

Varied Traits is the first book of author Patrick Brown and provides a surprisingly human view of the seedier side of prostitution and adult entertainment. Patrick is a native of Atlanta and it shows in his description of the city and his use of many landmarks that all who grew up in Atlanta will fondly recall.

The book opens with the tale of a former UGA jock turned car salesman getting ready to hit up the strip clubs and party with a friend for a night on the town. Joey McIntosh has done well for himself and is living the good life and would be easy to dislike, yet somehow comes across as a good-hearted guy. Without offering a spoiler, he’ll redeem himself later in the book.

Joey’s night on the town turns bad fast and reminds us that prostitution isn’t really a victimless crime. We’re introduced to a bevy of beautiful young women that ply their trade in the world’s oldest profession, yet the ladies are very likeable and really are the girls next door. That’s sobering for a moment if you think about it, but Brown makes the story work. I found myself rooting for the ladies throughout.

A major character is introduced a few chapters in – Salem Reid. Salem is Atlanta’s Jack Ryan and is guided by his sense of honor and friendship with Joey, and in a surprising twist, with one of the dancers – Sarah is an old girlfriend whom he has not seen in fifteen years. Salem brings all the right skills to the problems at hand and is somewhat MacGyver-like in how he solves problems and tracks the bad guys.

Varied Traits was a great read (about 360 pages) and was a relaxing way to spend a day during the holidays. It is a great first-effort by Brown and I look forward to seeing what’s next from this new author. There were a few passages in the book that weren’t believable (how little time the police spend with Liza when she was in the hospital), but they don’t detract from the story and by the time you get there (Chapter 41) you’ll be friends with the characters and will overlook this piece.

Would I recommend Varied Traits? Absolutely. Brown touches upon prostitution and drug use in the book, yet no more so than you’d see in a movie theater. The author did cause me to reflect upon the fact that the girls caught up in that type of life are human and have families just like the rest of us. There’s a major twist towards the end of the book that I didn’t see coming – you’ll be surprised.