Jane Blythe has been entertaining me with her stories for some time now, and Forgotten did not let me down. Even though I knew a lot of what would happen from previous novels, it still felt like the first time. Glad I put some distance in between books.
OMG! OMG! OMG! JANE! JANE! JANE! Even though I knew a lot of what would happen because I read the previous novels, it still felt like the first time and you blew me away.
I love these characters and it is so wonderful being back with them again. They are all flawed in their own ways, but I would still want them by my side in a clutch situation. Jane has put them through hell…repeatedly…and does not give them a break in Forgotten.
Their past comes back to haunt them, over and over again. Secrets will be exposed…and trouble, which is Tessa’s middle name, will find them.
Tessa and Parker’s inability to get past their own insecurities and trust in each other causes a separation they may never be able to overcome. Do we ever really know a person? People are not always what they seem.
Jane has brought all the events in the previous books into play and wraps it up in a NOT pretty package. She has no trouble killing off her characters and the loss of this one was gut wrenching. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I still had all the feels I did the first time around, maybe even more.
The villains are monstrous, but I understand how they got that way. I see their motivation, empathize with their pain, but they know right from wrong and there can be no forgiveness.
It broke my heart when Maisy…and then Jane finished me off with… Tears were rolling down my face as….I couldn’t hold them back. Sometimes knowing what’s coming doesn’t change anything.
You only get one shot at life and you had to make it count.We’re all responsible for our own choices.”
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Forgotten by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Sometimes love can’t conquer all.
With his relationship to wife Tessa strained almost to the point of breaking, Detective Parker Bell finds himself once again becoming too invested in his latest case, that of a young woman who was kidnapped and is suffering from amnesia. As he becomes intrigued by and attracted to the beautiful and mysterious young woman he names Hope his friends and family feel that he is losing his objectivity, and risking everything he cares about in the process.
Meanwhile Tessa is working to battle her demons and finally become the woman who can give her husband what he needs. When Parker pulls away from her, intent on helping his newest project, Tessa must figure out what secrets Hope is hiding before it’s too late. Unfortunately Hope’s secrets will end up costing someone their life.
↝ Trigger warning – themes of sexual assault ↜
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
I would like to send out my thanks to Anita Dickason for the opportunity to read Not Dead. I fell in love with the creepy cover and could hardly wait to find out what’s ‘between the covers’.
The creepy cover for Anita Dickason’s Not Dead drew me in. I love suspense and the supernatural, so this was a perfect fit for me.
There is a long list of characters, which Anita lists in the beginning of the book.
Mandy, a four year old girl, is missing. Meridian, Oklahoma, is a small town, so I am thinking it has to be someone who knows her. Strangers would be noticed.
Chief Chad Bishop is sitting at his desk, rounding up help and doing the basics, amber alert, reward….when in walks HER.
She is the niece of the missing girl and the new editor of the Tribune, Ashley Logan. She is a hotshot reporter from Baltimore, and knowing Chad had left the Atlanta Police Department abruptly to come to to Meridian, she investigates…HIM, while investigating Mandy’s disappearance. Why did he leave such a great position to come to the small town of Meridian. Of course, we could ask the same of her. We will find out all the details.
Ashley thinks she can pump the secretary for details, but she is mistaken.
Anita Dickason’s descriptions of the characters make them easy to picture in my mind.
At the end of Chapter Three there is an eerie moment that ramps up my anticipation for this new element. I wonder, will it be a good thing…or a bad thing.
The story keeps getting more interesting the more I read. It’s nice to see something good coming with the bad. I’m not sure what to share without spoiling things. There is so much more going on than just a missing child and the villains that are truly evil.
The fog…is all fog hiding evil? I didn’t anticipate where the story would go and that is a very good thing. I loved it.
It’s not hard to predict that Ashley will run straight into trouble. She’s persistent, dogged, and determined to find Mandy before her time runs out. She’s not going to leave it up to the coppers to do it.
We switch character’s points of view and I love hearing from the horses mouth, so to speak. It allows me to understand their motivations and feelings that lead them to do what they do.
I love the mix of child trafficking and the supernatural. I can overlook a problem or two that I had with Chad and Ashley working together. After all, it is fiction and I allow the author to take me where they will, as long as there is a good story to go along with it. Not dead did not blow me away, but I loved the mix of romance, suspense and the supernatural…AND THE DOLL.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A small-town Texas cop who is haunted by his past. A reporter who risks it all, even her life. A kidnapping that crosses into an unearthly realm.
Focused on the abduction of four-year-old Mandy Norton, Chad Bishop, Meridian’s Police Chief, ignores the twinges of foreboding triggered by an eerie fog that shrouds his town. What he can’t ignore is the editor of the Tribune.
When Ashley Logan becomes embroiled in the search, nothing stops the hard-hitting, investigative reporter, including Chad’s threats to throw her in jail. She’s Mandy’s aunt.
As the mystery of Mandy’s disappearance deepens, unnerving details emerge. Chad refuses to believe they’re connected to his past until the case turns deadly. He’s forced to face the terror that haunts him. It’s waiting in the shadowy depths of the unearthly fog.
This time, it could cost Chad more than his sanity.
ABOUT ANITA DICKASON
Code Name: Trackers: The elite of the elite. FBI agents, each with a secret, an extra edge, that defies reason and logic.
Characters with unexpected skills—that extra edge for overcoming danger and adversity—have always intrigued Anita. Adding an infatuation with ancient myths and legends of Native American Indians, and Scottish and Irish folklore creates the backdrop for her characters.
Anita is a retired Dallas Police Officer. During—what she refers to as an extraordinary career—Anita served as a patrol officer, undercover narcotics officer, advanced accident investigator, and SWAT entry/sniper.
Upon retirement, she became involved in a research project that dealt with the death of a witness to the Kennedy assassination. The research led to her first book, JFK Assassination Eyewitness: Rush to Conspiracy, that details the results of her reconstruction of a 1966 motor vehicle accident that killed Lee Bowers, Jr., a key witness to the assassination.
Once the Bowers book was written, Anita reached the same point many authors ultimately face: I’ve written it, now what do I do? Answering that question has become another career, one she has wholeheartedly embraced. The publishing field is in a constant state of flux, offering unlimited possibilities for an author, but also endless landmines.
Anita started a new company, Mystic Circle Books & Designs LLC, offering cover design and manuscript services. In addition to her works as an author, she enjoys helping other authors see their dream become a reality.
I first found Sibel Hodge by participating in a tour by Partners In Crime and never looked back. Whenever I see her name, I immediately check further. This will be my third book by Sibel Hodge and I have loved every one of them.
Their Last Breath has a powerful cover that definitely fits the storyline. Done by BlackSheep.
I love the simple but powerful cover and it definitely pertains to the story inside. Does it make you curious? Good! I love Sibel Hodge’s work and was so excited when she gave me a copy for review.
Detective Warren Carter retired…with a haunting secret, so when the call came from the Chief Superintendent of the Professional Standards Department, he was on full alert. She wanted his help and gave him free rein to investigate. He felt the justice system failed many, all politics, all the time, so he didn’t always follow the rules, going rogue and I like that. I feel his frustration. This time, it was with approval.
Nice touch, with the old neighbor. I felt his feebleness, oldness, loneliness.
I wondered how Warren and Becky’s cases would intersect.
Their Last Breath by Sibel Hodge is one of those books that takes off early, ticking me off, getting my emotion in an uproar. Human trafficking and enslavement. The reason for the women’s abductions was a new one for me and that just added to my disgust. I loved trying to understand what could possibly make someone think that is okay. Delving into the minds of twisted characters fascinates me.
Becky…she eats often…she’s a grazer. I almost snorted out loud. LOL Sibel Hodge’s writing. She creates complex characters and she knows how to ‘show’ their personalities.
Early on, I find HER very fishy. My spidey senses are tingling and instinct is a valuable tool when reading, writing, and investigating.
I love flawed characters and Warren is one for sure. I would want him and Becky in my corner if I am ever in trouble. Their tenacity and instinct lead them to success.
Well done, Sibel. You hooked me from beginning to end. The characters are filled with depth and personality and that made me me love and hate them. The storyline is one I am familiar with, kidnapping and trafficking, but you added that little bit extra that I am always looking for, getting my emotion in an uproar, filling me with disgust at the villains and empathy with those that can find no way out of the position they find themselves in, just because they wanted a better life. Their Last Breath has the feeling of reality, of events that go on today.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Their Last Breath by Sibel Hodge.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Detective Carter knows all about torture – but he’s never known a case as dark as this one.
The Six…
An
abandoned building goes up in flames. Six women are chained inside and
left to die – the truth is left to burn with them. Only one piece of
evidence remains, but will it be enough to find their killer?
The Detective…
Retired
detective Warren Carter has been suffocated by grief for his wife and
is looking for a new start. But when he gets a call that cuts to the
heart of the force, investigating a corrupt police officer, he has to
accept. This time, though, he’s going to have to face his demons and
work out who to trust when the truth is guarded by his own colleagues.
The Bad Cop…
It
was supposed to be the perfect crime: they knew the system well enough
to beat it and get away with murder. But they didn’t know Detective
Carter, and how far a man will go when he has nothing left to lose…
Their Last Breath is the gripping new thriller perfect for fans of Line of Duty, from the bestselling author of Duplicity and Into The Darkness
ABOUT SIBEL HODGE
Sibel Hodge is the author of
the #1 Bestsellers Look Behind You, Untouchable, and Duplicity. Her
books have sold over one million copies and are international
bestsellers in the UK, USA, Australia, France, Canada and Germany. She
writes in an eclectic mix of genres, and is a passionate human and
animal rights advocate.
Her work has been nominated and
shortlisted for numerous prizes, including the Harry Bowling Prize, the
Yeovil Literary Prize, the Chapter One Promotions Novel Competition, The
Romance Reviews’ prize for Best Novel with Romantic Elements and Indie
Book Bargains’ Best Indie Book of 2012 in two categories. She was the
winner of Best Children’s Book in the 2013 eFestival of Words; nominated
for the 2015 BigAl’s Books and Pals Young Adult Readers’ Choice Award;
winner of the Crime, Thrillers & Mystery Book from a Series Award in
the SpaSpa Book Awards 2013; winner of the Readers’ Favorite Young
Adult (Coming of Age) Honorable award in 2015; a New Adult finalist in
the Oklahoma Romance Writers of America’s International Digital Awards
2015, and 2017 International Thriller Writers Award finalist for Best
E-book Original Novel. Her novella Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave
has been listed as one of the top forty books about human rights by
Accredited Online Colleges.
It’s the end of the Count To Ten series by Jane Blythe and I am so sad to say goodbye to some characters that I have known and loved for a long time. Jane Blythe found me through another, in her word, amazing blogger and I can only say thank you to whoever it was, because I have been loving Jane since 2016 because of them. I eat her books up like M&M candies. If you have tried her work, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, and are a thriller lover, than I recommend you give her a try.
I turn my Kindle on, search for Ten by Jane Blythe, then click the cover with trepidation. I have been following Jane Blythe’s Count To Ten journey since 2016 and I am eager, yet hesitant to begin, wanting to know the end, yet wondering if it will meet all my expectations. Fair or not, I have set the bar high for Jane Blythe…and I am so happy to say that even though I hate to see the journey come to and end, I am very sad, yet satisfied with the end. She not only met my expectations, she exceeded them.
An electrifying beginning and it doesn’t take long for the bodies to start falling and I am fearful of those characters I have come to care so much about.
Tessa…independent, reclusive, strong…she has been through so much, yet Jane is done with her yet. She’s and urban legend.
JANE JANE JANE! You’re breaking my heart. Hope you enjoyed your killing spree.
He sure isn’t what I expected, but now I am even more worried about my family. You have put them through hell, but the horror just keeps on coming. I must be almost as bad as you because I sure do love reading what you write. The darker, the better, and you paint a bleak picture with your words.
I am almost half way in and I cannot begin to guess at what is to come. Whether it’s because I don’t want to know or face it, I would have to stop long enough to think about it…and I can’t seem to do that.
These characters cannot get a break. Maybe it is time to end the series, Jane, while some of them are still standing. I kinda smiled when I typed that. How evil am I? Will any of them find a happy ever after? How will Jane Blythe wrap it up? Will it have a casket or a pretty bow?
NO NO NO! At 85% tears are falling down my face. I am soooo sad.
OH NO! More tears. I finally gathered my self together, thinking the worst is over…
Jane, woman, OMG, you’re killing me…And it’s still not over.
I laughed, I cried. And I want more. Thank goodness, she has a new series coming, Broken Gems and Cracked Sapphire is due for release in February of 2020.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Ten by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
They say time heals all wounds.
Tessa
Micah is snatched from her bed in the middle of the night. She manages
to make a phone call to her best friend, the partner of her deceased
police officer husband, before she disappears. Tessa has a complicated
past and as the widow of a decorated cop, there are a long list of
suspects. Retired detective, Skylar Wyatt, is determined to find her and
honor the promise he made to his partner; to protect and care for his
wife should anything ever happen to him.
Then people connected to
Tessa start getting murdered. The cops don’t know who from her past is
targeting her, or if it has something to do with her dead husband’s
cases. With time running out, and more bodies falling, vocations will be
questioned, futures reassessed, and not everyone will survive.
** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
There is more happening in July than the beach, so let’s celebrate Christmas In July with Jane Blythe’s Winter Wonderland. I love the old time feel of the cover and, of course, the bullet holes got my attention.
The chills will come from more than the Winter Wonderland and Jane does manage to give me a steady supply. Though Winter Wonderland is the second book, Jane recaps Book I, A Secret To The Grave.
We start out with screeching tires and a screaming voice on a cold winter’s night. Did we get your attention? Made me sit up straight.
Detective Parker Bell is a very patient man and he will need all of that for his love interest, Tess. She is super private, not sharing her nightmares that haunt her sleep. She has a knack for reading people and can whip up a scrumptious pancake. The only place she feels safe is in Parker’s arms, but even her love for him has not overcome her trust issues. Parker can wait, he is strong, heroic, determined, loving…and did I say patient.
THE ICEMAN IS BACK…”death or capture, those are the only things that will end this…”
Jane Blythe does a fabulous job with the description of HIS hiding place. You will have to find it for yourself, though.
The ease with which HE creeps through the houses and takes THEM makes me wonder how that would work in real life. I love a book that gets my mind revved up, and Jane Blythe is doing it just fine. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to wake up, gasping for breath, a gun pointed at my head.
The past keeps coming back, complicating an already complicated scenario. The poor girls. I can’t imagine how they felt, the utter hopelessness, helplessness…
So freakin’ creepy. Never a dull moment. It may seem easy, at times, to decipher the plot, but Jane Blythe will NOT reveal HIM, until she is good and ready…and I do love that about her. Is she setting me up for something? Wouldn’t surprise me a bit.
I am only now at 42%…and Parker…WTF?
Wave after wave of shocks and surprises flow through the pages. Good luck trying to figure it out before Jane is ready to tell you. I wanted to scream and yell at them, tell them to look…please look…think Tessa, she told you…
Think the story is over, brace yourself. I did. One shock after another. Danger, threats…doesn’t quit, but I do see something good coming out of it. I could not stop reading. Kept me guessing who would live and who would die. Teeth gritting tenseness, gripping the kindle tightly, wishing, hoping…Can’t die…Can’t die…
Whew. I feel rode hard and put up wet.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Winter Wonderland by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When winter comes this killer comes out of hiding.
With
the city in the grips of Iceman fuelled terror, Detective Parker Bell
is handed the task of finding a killer who is meticulous enough to leave
behind no physical evidence and self-controlled enough to lie dormant
through spring, summer and fall. While hunting the serial killer Parker
must also balance his fledgling relationship with Tessa Micah, who is
still struggling to deal with the emotional backlash of her own
encounter with a madman.
Tessa Micah is fighting to put the past
behind her. She is trying to focus on the positives, she has fallen in
love, she has friends to support her, she can have the future that she
always dreamed of but never thought she would have. But she can only get
it if she can learn to let go, move forward, and let her past be just
that-her past. Her chance to do that might be ripped away from her when a
killer targets her as the next victim.
** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
Jane Blythe has become a must read author for me. I don’t know how she escaped my attention before I started blogging, but you are in my sights now, Jane.
If you are a romantic suspense lover, these are must reads for your TBR.
I have been reading the Count to Ten series by Jane Blythe and I am so happy to be back with old friends and meeting new ones. Each story of the series focuses on a particular couple with supporting characters playing their roles. These romantic suspense novels stand alone, but I believe once you start, you won’t be able to stop, so I recommend beginning at the beginning.
I’m back with Jack Xander and we have another dead body. It’s murder!
I love his trusty sidekick Rose.
Jack and Rose are a great team. He has a calming presence and a way to get the most out of the victim’s and witnesses and I love that she deals with the suspects.
He seemed to want a family, yet was haunted by something in his past, keeping him from having a meaningful relationship. She is happy go lucky, enjoying the single life.
Laura is agoraphobic and has spent the last ten years of her life in her apartment, cut off from the outside world…by choice. I know where this is going, but Jane Blythe’s writing draws me in, letting the creepiness and suspense build.
I love the cast of characters that hold each other up when they need support and kick some ass when they are in danger.
The villain…Ooooo I love that evil mofo too. Cocky, sneaky, elusive and bold. How he’ll get the one he wants is a frightening climb to the ultimate goal…her death…and there are those determined to stop him.
I had a couple problems with a characters actions, but, hey, ya never know what you’ll do til you walk in their shoes.
A sense of menace permeates every page…lurking….creating an overwhelming sense of anticipation. I know the shit will hit the fan, I just don’t know when and how. I love the edge of my seat reading, faster and faster fly the words, because I can hardly wait to get there.
I may need a tissue to finish this.
I love damaged characters that rise to the occasion. I love the dark and disturbing, and Jane Blythe is happy to oblige. I love an author jerking my chain, making me know I don’t have all the answers and I was brought up short when the action reached its zenith.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Four by Jane Blythe.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Detective Jack Xander and his partner are investigating the sudden spate of crimes at an apartment building, but every time they think they’re making progress another assault leads them in a completely different direction. As they hunt for the killer’s real target Jack is about to come face to face with someone from his past he thought he’d never set eyes on again.
Ten years ago Laura Opal endured a four day long ordeal that left her broken and traumatized. But the men who hurt her were caught, tried, found guilty and imprisoned, so what’s happening in her apartment building doesn’t have anything to do with her. She’s sure of it.
** Warning: Graphic violence and themes of sexual assault/abuse **
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series, Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears. She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
Shannon Nolan thought she’d escaped a nightmare world of ruthless crime – until her son is kidnapped! With nowhere else to run and no one else to trust, she puts her life in the hands of her boss, firefighter Daniel Jennings.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
In her back pocket, her cell phone buzzed, belting out the old-school ringtone she used for unknown calls and text messages. She set aside the paint cup and pulled out her phone, swiping the screen to view the text.
No words, only a picture of her son. He was strapped into a car seat, his shirt rumpled, his pale blond hair windblown, and his cheeks and eyes were red. His lashes were spiked with tears and his lower lip thrust forward in a pout.
What had happened? Then she realized what she was looking at and her heart thudded in her chest. Staggered, terrified by her worst fears, she dropped the phone as she doubled over, clutching her stomach as if she’d taken a punch.
Daniel caught the phone and steadied her with a hand at her elbow. “Shannon? What’s wrong?”
“I—I’m not sure.”
The ringtone sounded as another text came in and she grabbed the phone from Daniel.
If you want to see your son again, tell his father to cooperate.
Her stomach clenched and she clapped a hand over her mouth. Whoever was behind this had chosen the wrong leverage. She’d never had any influence over Aiden’s father. Naturally, the sender’s number was blocked, but she hit the icon to call back anyway. It rang and rang, and no one answered.
“I have to go,” she said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Regan Black, a USA Today bestselling author, writes award-winning, action-packed romantic suspense and paranormal romance novels featuring daring heroines and sexy heroes. Raised in the Midwest and California, she and her family, along with their adopted greyhound and two arrogant cats, reside in the South Carolina Lowcountry where the rich blend of legend, romance, and history fuels her imagination.
If you are looking for a fabulous and informative crime and thriller blog to follow, look no further. I have been a follower of Sue Coletta’s for some time now, so I was super excited to get my hands on Marred and Cleaved.
I just finished MARRED and it blew me away, so there was no way I was going to wait to read CLEAVED. I have to have more!
I love anything to do with water, and when I saw the Marine Patrol and Fish & Game would be involved, I became even more excited. I know what water can do to a dead body and I’m looking forward to finding out who put it there.
Sue starts her books out with a bang and I am gasping for breath right along with Sage. Then, Sue takes it to an even darker place and I excited to see how it will play out.
I feel as if the characters have become my friends and I worry for them as the serial killer adds body after body and the action continues non stop.
Sage has great instincts and after all she has been through, she listens to them.
Frankie has become my favorite character. She is humorous, brash, dresses as if she’s going out on the town instead of to a crime scene, hates authority and is quick with a sharp retort. Niko doesn’t think she would be good as the Sheriff because of these faults, so he is constantly grooming someone else to take his place when he quits.
Niko’s team has a Keystone Kop, Mayberry feel to them, but they are coming together, making constant progress.
The serial killer is back with a vengeance and I wonder if it is the same one…or is there more than one.
Sue Coletta takes us to a very dark place with a kidnapping that would make any of us cringe and rage at the villain and the world.
I love how creative Sue is in coming up with new ways for the serial killer to torture and kill his victims, really making them suffer and beg for death. She never thinks the evil is bad enough, so she piles on more and more and more…
Her ability to create so much tension and angst, at times left me white knuckled, gripping my Kindle so tight my hands hurt, making me want to reach through the screen and take matters into my own hands.
I voluntarily reviewed Marred by Sue Coletta.
5 STARS
Author Sage Quintano writes about crime. Her husband Niko investigates it.
Together they make an unstoppable team. But no one counted on a
twisted serial killer, who stalks their sleepy community, uproots
their happy home, and splits the threads that bonds their family
unit.
Darkness swallows the Quintanos whole—ensnared by a ruthless killer out for
blood. Why he focused on Sage remains a mystery, but he won’t stop
till she dies like the others.
Women impaled by deer antlers, bodies encased in oil drums, nursery rhymes,
and the Suicide King. What connects these cryptic clues? For Sage and
Niko, the truth may be more terrifying than they ever imagined.
Marred by Sue Coletta starts out with a baby’s funeral and a severely broken woman who is pissed off at herself and the world because of it. I can’t help but wonder WHY.
Sage is broken in more ways than one…blaming herself for her unborn baby’s death even though she had been tortured by a serial killer and was lucky to even be alive. She is MARRED for life and now I understand why.
NOW, he’s back, terrorizing her and she has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
I cannot imagine what she has been through, though Sue Coletta’s writing makes me become totally engrossed in her story, filled with details that draw a too vivid picture in my mind. I think it is time she takes matters into her own hands and let him know she will not cow down…this time. I love when the character has been through a traumatic, life changing experience, and the past comes back to haunt them, demanding they take action to defend themselves.
Sage is a bestselling author, writing crime novels, and this adds an extra element, making it even more interesting. Does her writing bring the killer even closer, thinking of her as a challenge? She keeps secrets, pushing people away, even keeping her husband at arm’s length. She writes about crime and her husband investigates the.
The murders are described in detail and they are brutal, savage. The more gruesome the better for me. LOL I guess I am a little twisted myself.
The body count rises.
I’m almost at 50% and I see what you are doing Sue. I know what you set me up for and I think it’s going to get ugly. I am pissed off at both of them for not communicating, but if they did we wouldn’t be in this dark place, with a sense of urgency and danger making me want to read faster and slower all at the same time, savoring the story.
There is a touch of the paranormal, rape, brutal and mind numbing torture. Why do women and society place blame on the vivctim, when it is the villain’s fault?
At times I am so angry with Niko that I want to reach into my Kindle and slap him upside the head, cuss him out, and tell him, “It’s not about YOU!”
Having a couple of critters adds another element that I love. They’d put their lives on the line for her.
Uh oh, I am glad that what I was thinking at 50% was wrong. Sue…you did a great job of yanking my chain and it takes a lot to lead me down the wrong path. Fabulous!
Deputy Sheriff Frankie, a female, is becoming a favorite character for me. To say she is rough around the edges is putting it mildly. She is aggressive and a bit raunchy, but I wouldn’t want any one else by my side in a time of crises.
WOW, Sue. You can sure spin a tale that has a lot of suspense that keeps my emotions raging as I struggle to take a calming breath before moving on to more of the same. You twisted and turned the story, keeping plenty of surprises coming my way.
Marred is the first book in the Grafton County series. One villain is taken care of, but you will want to read more of the series, because one remains.
I voluntarily reviewed Marred by Sue Coletta.
5 STARS
When a serial killer breaks into the home of bestselling author, Sage
Quintano, she barely escapes with her life. Her husband, Niko, a
homicide detective, insists they move to rural New Hampshire, where
he accepts a position as Grafton County Sheriff. Sage buries secrets
from that night—secrets she swears to take to her deathbed.
Three years of anguish and painful memories pass, and a grisly murder case
lands on Niko’s desk. A strange caller begins tormenting Sage—she
can’t outrun the past.
When Sage’s twin sister suddenly goes missing, Sage searches Niko’s
case files and discovers similarities to the Boston killer. A
sadistic psychopath is preying on innocent women, marring their
bodies in unspeakable ways. And now, he has her sister.
Cryptic clues. Hidden messages. Is the killer hinting at his identity? Or is
he trying to lure Sage into a deadly trap to end his reign of terror
with a matching set of corpses?
Member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International
Thriller Writers, Sue Coletta is an award-winning, multi-published
author in numerous anthologies and her forensics articles have
appeared in InSinC Quarterly. In addition to her popular crime
resource blog, Sue co-hosts the radio show “Partners In Crime”
on Writestream Radio Network every third Tuesday of the month from 1
– 3 p.m. EDT/EST (see details at www.suecoletta.com).
She’s also the communications manager for the Serial Killer Project
and Forensic Science, and founder of #ACrimeChat on Twitter.
She runs a popular crime website and blog, where she shares crime tips,
police jargon, the mind of serial killers, and anything and
everything in between. If you search her achieves, you’ll find posts
from guests that work in law enforcement, forensics, coroner,
undercover operatives, firearm experts…crime, crime, and more
crime.
For readers, she has the Crime Lover’s Lounge, where subscribers will be
the first to know about free giveaways, contests, and have inside
access to deleted scenes. As an added bonus, members get to play in
the lounge. Your secret code will unlock the virtual door. Inside,
like-minded folks discuss their favorite crime novels, solve
mindbender and mystery puzzles, and/or relax and chat. Most
importantly, everyone has a lot of fun.
Sue lives in northern New Hampshire with her husband, where her house is
surrounded by wildlife…bear, moose, deer, even mountain lions have
been spotted. Course, Sue would love to snuggle with them, but her
husband frowns on the idea.
5 STARS
