3 stars out of 5
After reading and enjoying other books by
this author, I jumped at the chance to get it as an Amazon Prime Reads selection. Now I've finished it, and I have to say it just didn't push the right buttons for me. It's heavy-handed in the focus on sexual abuse (often graphically described), psychologically damaged victims and some of the sickest characters I've ever had the displeasure to meet. It's not that it isn't well-written, I hasten to add - it was for me just too much of a bad thing.
There are two plots going on here, both tinged (make that doused) with violence and revenge. A group calling themselves The Crew meet on the Dark Web, plotting to make sexual predators "pay" for what they've done. No killing or maiming allowed, they claim; they simply want to impress upon them that payback is a you-know-what. The other story focuses on Sawyer Brooks, a 29-year-old journalist who longs to be on the crime scene beat. She and her two sisters, Aria and Harper, are themselves victims of extensive and horrific sexual abuse - and dealing with it in very different ways (Harper is a neat freak, Sawyer avoids emotional or physical attachments and Aria simply refuses to go there). Not only are all three seriously psychologically damaged by abuse, but in large part because of those experiences, they have tended to not play well with each other.
Things get heated when Sawyer gets her wish to partner up with the nationally recognized crime reporter at their Sacramento newspaper and her beloved grandmother dies. Since she's going home to nearby River Rock for the funeral, she convinces her new boss to let her report on the years-ago murders of two young girls and another - Sawyer's best friend - who went missing but was never found. Meanwhile, The Crew keep busy chasing down and showing the predators who abused them the error of their ways (oh golly, what could possibly go wrong with that scenario)?
For Sawyer, going home puts her right back in the eye of her storm - visiting the parents who at best ignored their daughters and the prison release of one of their abusers. On top of that, no one - including the police - are happy that old rocks are being overturned for all the world to read about in Sawyer's story. There are a few twists here and there, although they're for the most part predictable. Still, it's an action-packed adventure, albeit not what I'd call a totally satisfying one.
Don't Make a Sound by T.R. Ragan (Thomas & Mercer, June 2020); 285 pp.
4 stars out of 5
This is the third in the series featuring Jessie Cole, a private investigator in Sacramento, California. It's a good one, but I do strongly suggest reading the other two first. In large part, that's because all the recurring characters have storied (and very troubled) pasts; with so many in the mix here, it helps, I'm sure, if readers already have a leg up on what's happened in the past. I read the first, and I have no doubt I'd have enjoyed this one more if I'd had the second under my belt as well.
At the epicenter here is Jessie's friend Ben Morrison, who is an investigative reporter with a past he can't remember, courtesy of an auto accident. But while Jessie believes in him, plenty of other folks from his past claim he's got a mean, sadistic streak that he's trying to hide. That includes Ben's father, who's in jail for murder (in fact, he insists Ben is "deranged"). Other early-on characters include Jessie's teenage niece Olivia, who lives with her aunt; Jessie's assistant Zee Gatley, who needs meds to control her schizophrenia but is nonetheless colorful and fun; and Colin Grayson, a local homicide detective with whom Jessie has an on-again, off-again romantic relationship.
To kick off the action, a young woman turns up dead in a barn; just as that investigation gets underway, Zee agrees to take on the case of a man who's looking to prove his wife is having an affair (Jessie eschews domestic cases, but Zee wins this battle, in large part because the firm can use the hefty retainer). Meantime, Jessie is trying to uneath Ben's real backstory; she sees him as a friend, but could it be that he really does have a history of violence? Speaking of violence, I must mention that while it doesn't bother me, there's some super-salty language and [brief] descriptions of lewd sexual acts here that might be offputting for those who may be sensitive about such things.
Other murders follow, leading to the suspicion that a serial killer may be at work. Throw in the coach of an athletic team on which Ben's daughter plays; Ben thinks he's up to no good, putting him at odds with his wife and daughter, both of whom think he practically walks on water. Ben's father, Lou, threatens his psychological counselor at Folsom Prison in an effort to get out of jail free. Chapters shift from the perspectives of several characters (plus from that of the killer, whoever he or she may be). While I'm not a huge fan of this technique, it's done well enough that I have no complaint at all.
But the big question is, do any of these goings-on relate to Ben's past and the person he really is? If so, how? Those questions get answered for the most part, with plenty of fodder left for the next book (said to hit the presses early in 2019). Overall, this is an enjoyable, fast-paced read - and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to review an advance copy.
Deranged by T.R. Ragan (Thomas & Mercer, October 2018); 288 pp.
4 stars out of 5
Finding a new series -especially one that shows promise - to me is akin to finding gold pellets in a stream. First comes the excitement of discovery, followed by the hope of more to come. Such is the case here, with the introduction of Sacramento, California, private investigator Jessie Cole. I won't say it was love at first word, but she's interesting enough that I look forward to future adventures.
As is the usual case with series heroines, Jessie brings "issues" to the table - most notably, the disappearance of her younger sister Sophie 10 years earlier. Since then, Jessie has become almost obsessed with finding her - or at least what happened to her - especially important since Sophie's daughter, Olivia, lives with Jessie and is for all intents and purposes now her daughter. When she's not focused on Sophie's disappearance, Jessie spends most of her time finding missing persons on behalf of her clients.
At the outset, one of those clients puts Jessie in a real bind. Hired to document a stalker, she ends up on the other side of the crime and facing prosecution (and possible jail time). Her one-time love interest, detective Colin Grayson, is still around, but for the moment, at least, their future as a couple doesn't seem to be in the cards. He's been hard at work trying to find the so-called Heartless Killer, who's kidnapped, tortured and killed numerous victims.
Almost out of the blue, Jessie is contacted by journalist Ben Morrison, who has a backstory of his own. A decade ago, he was seriously injured in an auto crash that left the driver dead and Ben with no memories of the accident or, for the most part, his past (except, I guess, his ability to write - apparently he's continued his newspaper career with only time out for recuperation). But now, triggered by bothersome but unexplainable flashbacks that include a woman who resembles Sophie, Ben wants to rehash her now-cold case, and it's important that he has Jessie's support.
He gets it, albeit reluctantly since Jessie questions his motives. And, she's got cases of her own to work on, including the possible kidnapping of a mentally disturbed young woman whose off-the-wall father is desperate to find. As all this plays out, chapters switch to what's going on with the very active serial killer; the only thing that's clear is that he will keep doing his thing until he's caught.
The action is almost nonstop, so I was happy to be able to finish the book in two days of spare-time reading (for the record, I'd have been even happier if I could have done it in a single day). Jessie is off to a great start -and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
Her Last Day by T.R. Ragan (Thomas & Mercer, October 2017); 318 pp.
