Diamonds and Cole

Cole Sage Mystery, Book 1

By: Micheal Maxwell

Narrated by: Lou Hecker

In the first Cole Sage book, we find Cole at the low point of his career. Now, he's returned to the paper where he started his career, The Chicago Sentinel. Instead of writing the big stories, he's doing the work of a rookie reporter. His "big story of the day" is a cat caught in a tree. During its rescue, the cat's owner takes her Good Samaritan neighbor hostage. Cole witnesses something so disturbing it reawakens the journalist's desire to write again.

Returning to the paper, Cole finds a desperate message asking for help from Ellie, one that got away. The one that has continually haunted his life. Cole drops everything and flies to California. He must find what would make her so desperate, she would call him after so many years. Cole finds her terminally ill, and abandoned by her husband. He discovers while Ellie was heavily medicated, she mistakenly signed a power of attorney. Now her estranged daughter Erin's inheritance won't go to her, but her abusive step-father. Cole vows to find the girl and right the situation.

The path to keeping his word is blocked at every turn by the husband who abandoned her, his shady real estate deals, violent con men, street thugs, and the lure of a fortune in diamonds that unite them. The anger, sorrow, and crippling guilt of 20 years fires Cole's drive to keep a promise, that in the end, will heal and return the soul to the great journalist.

Beaten, bloody but determined, Cole Sage conquers greed and hatred with a strength that only love, and a will as hard as diamond, can achieve.

©2013 Micheal Maxwell (P)2016 Micheal Maxwell

Cole Sage Is A Good Man

Loved this story and so glad it is the first in the series so I can catch up and read the first eight, then the ninth, the tenth....you get it. I loved this story. The author made his books available through Facebook postings and then on Amazon’s unlimited. I happened to decide to buy this first book in e-format and audible format. Great decision. Let’s just say that listening to the narrator bring Cole Sage to life was rewarding. Cole is a broken man who let the woman he loved all his life get away. He hasn’t ever gotten over her. He is now 45 years old, a respected journalist, known world wide and still Ellie haunts his memories. So, when she calls him out of the blue and tells him she needs help and he is the only person she could think of, he drops everything, takes vacation time and flies from Chicago to Los Angeles. What he finds there is heartbreaking, Ellis is dying, but she needs his help. Being a resourceful and clever investigative reporter, he listens to her request and sets about to try to give her what she is asking. He turns over a lot of trouble. Her husband is a crook and mixed up with some very unsavory characters. The worst thing though is what he has done to Ellie. She is dying and he has left her at a nursing home with no visits. Hard to understand. So, Cole gets involved and the events that unfold make this a terrific mystery. No blood or bad behavior unless you count the bad guys. It is a book worthy of Jack Reacher or Philip Marlowe but without bad language or violence. Micheal Maxwell writes a mystery and creates a hero we would all like to be. The narrator, Lou Hecker, is excellent. Wish all the books had audible formats available.

This book is great,

This is great book, don't need Profanity and sex to make a good book. Amazon is carrying this series I wish audible would also. Have ask them but I didn't get a good response from them

refreshing change

heart warming a real change to so much I usually read. I can share this book with you 11 year old or my wife and know the essence of the story will shine brightly. Yet it's the sort of story you can't put down..

Laughter and Tears

Realistic characters with soul, wit and authenticity. Wonderfully read aloud almost like a radio play!

loved it great mystery and character development.

is nice to find a story with a good mystery not a lot of sex and unnecessary violence. As Cole Sage finds is renewed purpose​,, the energy a man on a mission fills the story with excitement and motivates me to see my past driving my future

Wow

I have had this for a while and finally I listened to it. Mystery, suspense, action, romance, love. You follow the threads through a great plot. This could be a movie. Nothing is black or white. Do yourself favor and come meet Cole Sage😍

Wow!

This book started out slowly for me. But the summary and other reviews kept me going. I'm so glad I kept listening, I was so immersed in the story, that I had a hard time pausing the book. I really like Cole's sense of justice which is based on protecting the underdog and those given a raw deal.
I was pleasantly surprised by the old country preacher. As Cole searches for answers, he finds them without compromising his respect and dignity
The reader soon learns that Cole has no patience for those that exploit the helpless and vulnerable.
I hope that the author lets us know what happened to a few of the characters in the other books. Especially Whisper.

I wish Audible had all his books narrated, not just "Diamonds and Cole". I loved the narrator.

I strongly recommend this Audible book.

Great Story!

Wow! Micheal Maxwell can write and Lou Hecker can bring the words to life! Great story from beginning to end. Can't wait to hear the second installment.

Truly an enjoyable book!

I enjoy reading/listening to a variety of different genres. I was over joyed that there wasn't any profanity and not one bit of sexual content! I have deleted so many books and audios without hardly starting them because, I have no desire to fill my mind with such trash! I read for a good story and this was a good story! I only gave it 4 stars on the story part because the story was a bit predictable, but enjoyed it anyway. I am definitely going to add Michael Maxwell to my list of favorite authors!!

Interesting Beginning to a Mystery Series

Summary: Cole Sage gets a call from an old flame and goes flying to her side. There, he finds her languishing in a nursing home with a couple of huge favors to ask of him.

Additional Comments:
- There are some events in here that I find disturbing. They show a cruel streak in our hero. In one sense, it fleshes Cole out and gives him a few flaws, but in another sense, it just makes him look like a petty jerk. That's not cool. I want to be able to root for the good guy always.
- Ellie and Erin are decent characters, but again, choices are made along the way that cast them in a less flattering light.
- It's categorized as a mystery, but it's probably 30% mystery with 70% romance done in flashbacks. For once, the flashbacks are done very well. Cole has some downtime at various points in the book so he thinks and dreams about times with Ellie.
- The twist at the end is highly predictable but also satisfying.
- I heard the audio performance by Lou Hecker. For the most part, it's a stellar performance. Unfortunately, there are times he did his job too well. The few times he was doing a TV like preacher set my teeth on edge by being both loud and 130% annoying. There was one slight editing mistake in the almost 8 hour narrative.
- Content warnings: some strong language; a disturbing/crude image within the first few pages. Aside from those though, it was fairly clean compared to the grand scope of modern mysteries.
- What I liked: The story of Cole's relationship with Ellie unfolds in a series of flashbacks. It's filled with regret but beautiful all the same. I loved how he flew to her side and becomes her knight in tarnished armor. He might not be perfect but at least he's willing to stand up for his friend. The characters in here are quite interesting, flaws and all. I liked the FBI guy - Ferguson (sorry about spelling, I heard the audio). Aside from the few spots mentioned above, it's an easy to listen to narrative. Cole's the kind of guy you can see getting in to a lot of trouble.

Conclusion: Interesting beginning to a long mystery series.
*I was given a copy of the audiobook, the choice to review as well as the words and rating are my own.*