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Greg Smith

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The Pits: A Crime Novel Paperback – October 11, 2013

by Greg Smith (Author)

4.1 39 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Kramer & Shadow Crime Series

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An exciting epic action-adventure awaits fans of international crime stories that starch into a contemporary semi-military thriller fraught with wild car chases, gun battles, drug lords, and murder.A new adventure inviting you to join an U.S Marine as he discovers an insidious criminal industry of pandemic proportions that exists worldwide, even right here in his own backyard — activity that needs to be tackled by no less than the best fighters. THE FIGHT IS REAL THE TASK OF TAKING IT ON STAGGERINGWhen those involved come from every walk of life—from average suburban couples, cops, doctors, judges, even politicians of the highest level—can they ever be stopped?If you love fast-moving adventures with unexpected twists & turns in forms of page-turning thrillers like the Bourne series, the Bosch series, by the likes of Patterson and Connelly—then this new epic series is for you.Let the fight begin.

Book 1 of 3

Kramer & Shadow Crime Series
Print length

318 pages
Language

English
Publication date

October 11, 2013
Dimensions

5 x 0.67 x 7.99 inches
ISBN-10

1492847275
ISBN-13

978-1492847274
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

A career graphic designer, Greg Smith now turns his hand to the art of wordsmith in his new novel, THE PITS. Combining his artist's imagination with his passion for the welfare of dogs everywhere, Smith paints in words a roiling story of a man and his dog who team together in their fight against one of man's most heinous activities-dogfighting. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Smith now resides with his wife, two border collies and one cat in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1st edition (October 11, 2013)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 318 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1492847275
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1492847274
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.67 x 7.99 inches

Customer Reviews:
4.1 39 ratings

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Greg Smith

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Thanks for dropping in to check me out.

Though I have been writing for several years I still regard myself as a newbie. But I have been encouraged by the reviews and feedback I have received for my series — an action crime series centered on two characters, Captain Kramer, USMC and his Anatolian Shepherd dog, Sgt. Shadow, USMC.

Book One of the series is THE PITS, Book Two is YOU CAN RUN, and Book Three, LEX TALIONIS.

The Kramer and Shadow series is an action, adventure, crime thriller series that encompasses the world and has our two Marines fighting hard against organized crime at many levels - but always involving do-or-die confrontations.

KILLING SOFTLY (an erotic mystery thriller) was my first attempt at writing and is still available.

Currently I am working on a 2-book historical fiction collection I hope to release in 2020.

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4.1 out of 5

39 global ratings

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booklover

Un-Put-Downable

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2016

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This is a bit of departure from my preferred reading genre. This was also a new author to me. When I read the first few pages, I thought to myself, this is a ‘guy’ book. WRONG! What I got was a marvelous story that at times brought me to tears.

Captain Kramer is a career lifer Marine. OORAH! Corporal Shadow is his Anatolian Shepherd dog … just a puppy when he found him during a tour in Afghanistan. Because dog-fighting was so prevalent in that country Kramer takes the pup with him. Kramer and Shadow develop a bond that will never be easily broken.

While home on extended leave, Kramer runs into a small group of college students who have invested their time and energy into stopping the atrocities of dog-fighting. Little do they know that these ‘events’ are being staged by a nationally known crime drug lord.

When they get the FBI involved, Kramer finds himself going undercover.

This is an extremely well written book. While I was rooting for Kramer at every step, it was Shadow who stole the show. Kramer was developed slowly, giving the reader a glimpse of him as a youngster and his best friend, Rusty. Unfortunately, Rusty died and it took Kramer many years to accept that death until he found Shadow. He still feels a little guilt replacing Rusty.

Warning: The dog-fighting scenes are so realistic … my emotions were all over the place. The author does a great job in creating a balance in a most barbaric practice.

I absolutely could not put this one down. I eagerly look forward to reading the sequel.

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Veritas Vincit

An Intense, Moving, and Memorable Story

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2014

Verified Purchase

I've read my fair share of crime novels, military histories, and dramatic literature in general, and I have largely moved away from those genres in exchange for more fictional fare. However, once in a while, I dip my toes back into more realistic novels, and The Pits was my latest choice. Right off the bat, I would have to give it HIGH praise, as it masterfully combined powerful storytelling, great plot development, action-packed chapters, intense dialogue, dramatic and suspenseful moments, and the love between a man and his god, all without ever being cheesy or contrived. Certain sections of this novel are truly raw, brutal depictions of battle and dogfights occasionally crop up, which were intense to read, but they instantly created a stronger emotional connection to the characters. It's strange to refer to an animal as a key character, but Shadow is written as though he's human, and the relationship between Shadow and Kramer is just like a "buddy cop" adventure, except one of the partners doesn't speak. The dark moments throughout the book were coupled by terse, choppy writing at times to create the sense of danger and tension, a tool often used in crime stories, but effectively and subtly used here as well. I think Smith has a lot of potential, and a whole lot more to give than a single novel. Although the ending certainly wasn't definitive, I wouldn't be surprised if more books were on the way. He has the mind to create great stories and a talent for choosing the right words to tell them.

4 people found this helpful

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Kieran Hair

Moving and Suspenseful Story of Man and Dog

Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2014

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Of all the crimes to receive major focus in literary thrillers, dogfighting has to be one of the rarest. Even more rare are stories that feature dogs as major characters without resorting to an overabundance of predictable slapstick humor. This novel certainly features its fair range of emotions, but for the most part it is thrilling, suspenseful, and very serious.

Although Shadow is a somewhat personified character, he still reads as an authentic trained pooch. Kramer also has an air of legitimacy about him, sharing a number of personality traits with real men his age who have seen military action. These characterizations give the novel a distinct air of credibility, portraying author Greg Smith as a man who is either highly knowledgeable or who certainly does his research.

A few classic story elements are combined to form the plotline of “The Pits.” First and foremost is the story of the trained soldier who refuses to allow crime to fester in his backyards, especially crimes against which he has a personal bias. This basic plotline provides the foundation for the evolution of one of the most touching and intense relationships between man and beast ever put to paper.

This novel does merit a few words of caution. Those who love dogs, or who have light stomachs in general, will find it difficult to make it through some scenes. Even the starkest of activists, who are already well aware of the nature of dogfighting, will find some of the fight scenes in this novel to be absolutely gruesome. Even so, this book merits reading by those who are able to stomach its grislier content and are in search of a well-written crime novel by a talented writer.

2 people found this helpful

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