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Jason Parent is one of those authors whose stories I eagerly anticipate and Unbalanced did not let me down. The cover does go with the story, giving a glimpse into Jaden Sanders despair.
Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads
MY REVIEW
I love the character of Royo, and his life partner, Rickie, who is a bit flamboyant. I read about his purple Lycra pants and smiled at the picture that formed in my head. It reminds me of a couple of gay friends I had when I lived in Michigan. I have been reading about more diverse characters in the past year and am glad I have expanded my reading genres. Royo is incorruptible and loves nothing more than putting the pieces of a crime together, like a jigsaw puzzle.
Jaden lives across the hall from the dead woman. There is so much to Jaden’s story that I am not even going to try and tell it. I will tell you, my heart aches for him. His sister is his sole support system, since the death of his girlfriend. The more I read, the more I fear for his sanity. He is Unbalanced, but I do not see him being the cause of her death…but ya never know. Does he take his medication? Is it helping or harming him? I am so suspicious of the doctor, but I won’t tell you why. You will have to find out for yourself, and I do recommend doing so.
Prosecutor Heather Laughton is out to make a name for herself and is throwing Jaden to the wolves, when he kills the men who invaded his home. I felt disgusted and angry.
As more is revealed, I bounce back and forth about Jaden. Something wicked is going on and I need more pieces of the puzzle. My heart was in my throat through most of the book. The suspense, pacing and my need to know drove me on, searching for answers, wanting to protect him and take down those who wished him harm.
I read so many great books it’s hard for me to get so riled. I am only halfway through and I am so poed for him. I cannot imagine what I would do in Jayden’s place, but I doubt I could keep from standing up and losing it in front of one and all.
At times I felt Royo was like Columbo, bumbling and tenacious, like a dog with a bone. He won’t stop until he has the answers. I felt he was on Jayden’s side, but why doesn’t he follow the questions he has? What’s taking him so long to open his eyes, see their importance? I feel Jason Parent is torturing me…and Jaden. LOL He sure knows how to get my blood pumping, my heart pounding. Even when I had doubts, I felt Jason Parent was leading me where he wanted me to go.
Officer Megan Costa is a new recruit who Royo remembers from the a class he taught at the Academy. She is bright, diligent, not afraid to share her opinion. I would love to see more of her. Royo, I liked even more at the end. I know Jason Parent does stand alone novels and I have only seen him do one series, the Cycle Of Evil, but…
What do you think Jason? Could there be another story for Royo and Costa?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unbalanced by Jason Parent.
GOODREADS BLURB
By-the-book Detective Asante Royo can only clean up Fall River’s filth for so long without getting dirty. When he’s called to an apparent suicide at an apartment complex notorious for its prostitution and drug trade, he doesn’t shed a tear for the life wasted. Yet something about the scene haunts him, and when his investigation gets swept under the rug, he has a hard time living with the stain.
Jaden Sanders is an unstable loner who lives across the hall from the crime scene. When three men break into his apartment, Jaden is ready for a fight. He kills two of his attackers in self-defense then stalks and stabs the third in the back. Jaden is soon arrested for murder.
With no clear motives for the home invasion or Jaden’s violent response, Royo must uncover the true story before more people get hurt. His only leads are derived from the version of events extracted from a truly unbalanced mind. Is Jaden a victim being steamrolled by cold justice or a murderer capable of killing again?
ABOUT JASON PARENT
In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.
In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it’s harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he’s back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that’s another story.
When he’s not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists into a knot or takes somebody’s head off – he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.
Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonP…, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.
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4 Stars
