Review: Hearts Before Diamonds by Bryan Fields

Hearts Before Diamonds by Bryan FieldsMy rating: 4 of 5 starsThis is the latest in my "You Haven't Read This Yet? You Should!" review series."Hearts Before Diamonds" impressed me, and I am not easily impressed. Easily pleased, yes, and willing to overlook flaws in the interest of expanding my reading horizons, but not impressed. I don't often rate titles above 3 stars. (No, not even my own.)When I do get excited, you can bet that some exacting high standards for a lot of picky details have been unexpectedly exceeded.Intriguing premise? Check.Clever dialogue free from jarring anachronisms or stilted phrasing? Check.Entertaining, original tale, built with classic storytelling techniques? Check and check.Polished, smooth writing free of spelling, grammar and usage errors? Check, check, and check.Add those exceptional delights to a rollicking plot that blends the feel of a stiff-upper-lip British adventure novel with the tropes of a hard-boiled PI novel, sprinkle in some modern attitudes without damaging the authenticity of the setting, and you get ... a GEM of a story. Pun intended. Of course.It's only a short story, but the world-building and the character development have more than enough strength to hold up a much larger plot. I enjoyed it from start to too-soon-reached finish, and I hope to see more of the main character soon. Bonus claps for a title and an eye-catching cover that evoke elements of the story without giving away plot.Hearts Before Diamonds is currently 99 cents on Amazon, and it's well worth every penny.  Gets yours here: Hearts Before DiamondsThe author's full-length urban fantasy novel is also available for sale. Go buy them now. Seriously.View all my reviews (on Goodreads)