Showing posts with label serial killer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label serial killer. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

Book Review - Critical Threat (Extreme Measures #3) by Lynette Eason

 

In Critical Threat by Lynette Eason, an FBI agent will need to team up with the son of a serial killer to stop the recent string of murders. FBI Special Agent Grace Billingsley is a psychiatrist and behavioral analyst who focuses on tracking serial killers and getting them off the streets. Sam Monroe is a prison psychiatrist who works with violent criminals on a daily basis. He knows that just because someone is in prison doesn’t mean that person isn’t a threat anymore. Sam’s father, Peter, is a notorious serial killer who is serving multiple life sentences in prison. Even while behind bars, Peter is still actively trying to get involved in Sam’s life. However, Sam wants nothing to do with his father and wishes that he can rid himself of Peter.

When a rash of dead bodies start to show up with a similar M.O. to Peter’s, Sam and Grace are asked to consult on the case together. Grace is hesitant to work with Sam because they have met before and things didn’t work out. They went on a date after meeting at a conference and Grace thought they hit it off, except Sam ghosted her after the date. Grace tries to put her feelings aside as they work together but she can’t help but feel that there is something between the two of them.

This book is the third book in the series but can be read as standalone. I read the first book in the series and a few of the characters from the earlier works make an appearance in this book, but they are minor characters and the reader does not need to know their backstory. I thought the book was an okay read. The mastermind was an unexpected twist but a few of the other twists were predictable. I do like that the book has a lot of action and thrills to keep the reader guessing.

Like the first book, I also didn’t really care for the characters in this book. I felt that the characters were one dimensional and wooden. The interaction between the two protagonists felt dull and forced. I felt like there wasn’t any chemistry between all the characters. There wasn’t a single character that I found believable or likable. The drama with Sam and his ex-wife was cliché. Grace and her family also deal with their own familial issues that I felt like didn’t add much to the story. I felt that while the author woven these family dramas to give readers a glimpse into Sam’s and Grace’s lives to help readers build an understanding about them, I could have done without these details. Even the interaction with minor characters didn’t seem plausible. I find it hard to believe a teenage boy who doesn’t want to hang out with his younger sister and calls her a munchkin, then has intellectual conversations about how isolated and afraid his sister might feel (without prompting!).

I also didn’t like that Grace continuously kept putting herself in danger because she assumed that backup was right behind her. I also don’t understand how the killer managed to get her so many times. I do commend her bravery but, after the first three times of her being captured and then needing to be saved, it got boring and repetitive.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion** 

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Book Review - Life Flight (Extreme Measures, #1) by Lynette Eason

 

Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations as an EMS helicopter pilot. However, when she was forced to land on a mountain in a storm with a critical patient and a serial killer is on the loose; her nerves are a bit frayed. She was able to escape the killer's grasp with the help of FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield.

As Penny tries to put the day behind her, she realizes that she might still be a target. She finds herself under attack and then she finds out that Holt might have killed the wrong man. Penny and Holt will need to work together to catch him before he claims another victim.

I thought the story was an interesting and entertaining read but, I didn't care for any of the characters. I felt like there were a lot of characters with different backstory. I felt like the connection that Penny and Holt had was unrealistic and had no bond. I didn't really feel a connection between the pair. I thought that the novel had a lot of different side stories and I didn't like how they were all dragged out through the entire story only to be tied up neatly in the end. I loved the story itself but, the execution was a bit choppy. However, I would be opened to reading more books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Friday, December 31, 2021

Book Review - Nine Elms (Kate Marshall, #1) by Robert Bryndza

 

Kate Marshall had a promising career as a police detective until she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. What should have been a great victory quickly descended into a nightmare. Kate watched her career ended in scandal as she was publicly shamed and betrayed over shocking circumstances surrounding the murder case.

Fifteen years later, Kate is still being haunted by the ghosts of her past. She is a professor at a small English university, hoping to move on with her life. However, she was given a chance to face her demons when a copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms legacy and continuing on the work of his idol.

Kate enlists the help of her research assistant, Tristan Harper, to find and catch the copycat. She believes this might be her chance to redemption. However, Kate doesn't realize she was intended to be the fifth victim and his successor means to finish the job.

I thought the book was an interesting read but, I was a bit torn on the ending. I felt like the story was suspenseful but, the ending seemed a bit of character. I wish there that the characters were developed a bit more and there were moments in the story that audience had to suspense belief. I did like that the author included a bit of foreshadowing at the end and I am hoping it is hinting what the second book would be about. Overall, I thought it was a good read and look forward to reading other books in the series.