Review: Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Stay Awake

by Megan Goldin

Release Date: August 9, 2022

2022 St. Martin's Press

Kindle Edition; 340 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250280664

ASIN: B09CNG1KLG

Audiobook: B09GH25Z67

Genre: Fiction / Mystery Thriller

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers―a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.

Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? 

 

My Thoughts

Stay Awake had a premise that was definitely entertaining as well as intriguing; a woman wakes up in a taxi with no idea who she is, how she got there, and in her possession is a bloodstained knife. Definitely got my attention.  And then she notices she has written notes to herself on her hands to "Stay Awake", all very cryptic. So, definitely an interesting start to a novel, and my brain was already heading in a million different directions (I definitely read too much horror, fantasy, and science-fiction) as what happened didn't quite conclude the way that I thought. Is that a bad thing necessarily? No, not really, but it didn't really deliver either. 

The main character is where the story fell short for me. Most of it revolved around Liv, and while I get that she was terrified and afraid to trust people, you would think that in those moments when she was capable of writing messages to herself, she would also be able to write messages of whom to trust as well? And maybe tell herself what is going on? At first I was sympathetic to her situation. Who wouldn't? She was confused, scared, missing several years of her life, unsure of what was happening, worried she may have done something awful, and then news comes down the pipe about something awful.  But for someone who was supposed to be so smart, she didn't really ask a lot of questions about what was happening, and after a while, I got tired of her antics and started losing empathy.  And this is also where the plot goes somewhat sideways at the same time.

The plot was pretty intriguing at first as I didn't really know what was going on.  I had my suspicions, but they were way off, again a product of reading too much horror and sci-fi, but we won't go down that road. While Liv was the main character, there were other POV and other timelines involved, and this is where I had a problem due to the repetitiveness of the the story lines. I did enjoy the detective work by Halliday and Lavelle and thought they showed the most sense when it came to the case as they looked at the clues rather closely and followed up on them.  Out of all the people in the story, they seemed to be the only ones to actually ask anything that was relevant, and I don't recall rolling my eyes once during their scenes.  Oh, and thank goodness there was no romance between the detectives.  

I did think the pace was a bit disjointed, especially towards the middle half of the book, and I wasn't a big fan of the conclusion, but I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that I had little sympathy for the main character by that point. I also thought the killer's motivation was a bit on the thin side.

Verdict

Stay Awake was both intriguing and frustrating. I did find the premise compelling and I was rooting for Liv despite wanting to bash my head against the wall anytime she made a poor decision.  The story line was somewhat repetitive, with Liv just doing the same thing over and over again, and many of the secondary characters were poorly developed, none of whom asked questions or seemed to want to help Liv with her situation.  Overall, there was a lot that was commendable and I was definitely glued to the book for the first half so I can see why this author is so popular. Unfortunately, the book did lose me halfway through, and I had to push to finish it to a somewhat disappointing ending.  That being said, there was enough of interest in it to make me want to read another book by this author. 

 

Review: Quarter to Midnight by Karen Rose

Quarter to Midnight (Romantic Suspense, #26; New Orleans, #1)

by Karen Rose

Release Date: August 2, 2022

2022 Berkley Books

Kindle Books: 594 Pages

ISBN: 978-0593336298

ASIN: B09KX58T1J

Audiobook:B09MDT37QL

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Romantic Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3.75 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Gabe Hebert saw the toll that working for the NOPD took on his dad and decided instead to make a name for himself as one of the best young chefs in the French Quarter. But when his father's death is ruled a suicide after a deliberately botched investigation by his former captain, Gabe knows his dad stumbled onto a truth that someone wants silenced.

Gabe goes to his father's best friend, Burke, for help. Burke assigns the toughest member of his team, Molly, to the case. Molly can't believe she's being asked to work with the smoking hot chef whose chocolate cake is not the only thing that makes her mouth water. Sparks fly as they follow the leads Gabe's dad left them, unraveling a web of crimes, corruption, and murder that runs all the way to the top.

 

My Thoughts

Quarter to Midnight was an amusing contemporary romantic suspense romp through New Orleans. There was danger, a lot of action, secrets and betrayals, romance, and suspense, all thrown into one long week of hell for our heroes. However fun this was, it was still too long and I think it could have been shortened up as some parts of it dragged on and interfered with the suspense and tension.

 

First of all, I did enjoy the diverse set of characters in this book.  I like how Gabe and Molly are attracted to each other, but want to keep all of their dealings professional, so when Molly is hired to help Gabe solve his father's death, you learn more about them as people rather than just jump into the romantic side of things.  Gabe is a local celebrity so trying to do her job was quite difficult for Molly, and it was fun watching her navigate that whole minefield trying to keep him safe. Most of the characters though, were quite likeable and I enjoyed them for different reasons. I thought the author did a great job giving them distinct voices so you could keep them straight. However, no matter how much I wish otherwise, I didn't feel any chemistry between Molly and Gabe, none. Felt forced.

I thought the plot was interesting, but there was nothing really new to it. The themes of dirty cops has been around for a while so it was just a matter of waiting to see who else would be involved. Unfortunately, the many and varied POV created a problem with the tension and the secrecy, creating a disjointed story line that did impact the overall suspense of the story as well as gave away the identity of the top culprit which irked me quite a bit.  And then there was the body count, so high. I just couldn't believe that that many people would disappear, or that many people would die around a certain someone, and no one else would be suspicious?  The book was long for a romantic suspense novel, and while this slow-burn thriller has some great moments, I do think it has some moments that could have been edited out to enable a faster pace and keep the tension going.  

Verdict

Quarter to Midnight has good character development and overall, I thought the story was fun. I did find the plot to be predictable under all of that drawn-out character development and action, and think the book is way too long with too many bodies that were overlooked without explanation as if people going missing are unimportant, or readers won't pay attention to such details.  This is really a mystery with a forced romantic suspense thrown in between the two main characters simply because the genre is labelled romantic suspense.  When you separate it all, it looks really good, when you put it all together, something was missing and it just became ok. I think if you are looking for a half decent mystery that is somewhat predictable, but has good character development, you will enjoy this, but if you are looking for steamy romance, pass. 

 

Review: Lute by Jennifer Thorne

Lute

by Jennifer Marie Thorne

Release Date: October 4, 2022

2022 Tor Nightfire

Kindle Edition; 274 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250826084

ASIN: B09NK4P9R9

Audiobook:B09Q76C7NZ

Genre:Fiction / Horror 

Source: Review copy from publisher

2.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune. They live a happy, superior life, untouched by the war that rages all around them. So it’s only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island’s gift is honored.

Nina Treadway is new to The Day. A Florida girl by birth, she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina’s heard about The Day, of course. Heard about the horrific tragedies, the lives lost, but she doesn’t believe in it. It's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.

Then The Day begins.

 

My Thoughts

Lute is one of those books that I really wanted to like more than I did, but I just struggled to get into it as I found the characters to be lacklustre. I think the marketing team did a disservice to the book as well as they gave away too much information about the book in its description leaving no room for the reader to figure out any secret in the story thus reducing any subtle build up that you would experience while reading.  

First of all, my favourite character was Matthew, the lighthouse keeper, who kept to himself, and seemed to have this big secret.  He seemed to dislike Nina which immediately put him in my good graces and I wanted to know why.  Plus, like I said, he seemed to have a secret, something that I found intriguing as no one else seemed to have one.  Unfortunately, I just wasn't invested in the other characters, including Nina. And here's why. For seven years she's lived on this island and heard about the Day and how it brings prosperity, but has also heard about the tragedies and doesn't question a thing about it? She just went along with it for almost seven years, clueless, subservient to her husband and his whims, and suddenly she wants to grow a pair and confront him? Nope, didn't work for me at all. To be honest, while I wasn't a fan of the husband and his sudden abusive tendencies, I did appreciate his growing obsession with getting off the island and the reasons for doing so. Plus, I think I am nosy and would have wanted to learn all the superstitions about my new home as I would have found them intriguing. Overall, I just didn't feel much empathy for the characters as I didn't think they were well-written and their personalities were all over the place, written for convenience rather than growth.

 

I was initially intrigued by the folk lore elements in the story and definitely felt the Final Destination elements in this story, (having just watched the first film in over a decade) and appreciate the random selection of victims which should have made it that much more creepy and tense.  Unfortunately, by the time the events started happening, I hadn't developed any empathy with any of the characters so I didn't really care who died or who didn't.  It just became a predictable story line, with Nina at the center to save the day, naturally being the only person in a millenia who can figure out what the island needs. 

The plot has this weird war going on, and it took me a couple of chapters to understand it wasn't WWII as they were using current technology. I didn't really understand the purpose of the war as it didn't have a relevance to the plot other than make Nina, an American, an enemy? I don't know, but it was silly.  Watching Nina interact with the townspeople after realizing she was stuck on the island was a highlight simply because I was curious about the people who were left, not because I developed an interest in Nina. Her complete lack of curiosity in anyone and anything actually drove me nuts from the first page as I just couldn't relate.  And there's the completely unbelievable romance that happens in the middle of the books. What? 

 

Verdict

Lute is one of those books that simply didn't work for me. The concept was intriguing and I loved the idea of a story intertwined with folk lore, but there were a lot of inconsistencies within the plot and the characters lacked development.  And while a slow burn doesn't typically bother me, it never really stepped up to that level of tenseness and creepiness that would have made the reading experience interesting and exciting.  However, I would read another novel by this author as I am curious to see what she will do next, but I found this one to be predictable and flat.

Review: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

The Man Who Died Twice (Thursday Murder Club, Book #2)

by Richard Osman

Release Date: September 1st, 2021

2021 Penguin

Kindle Edition; 422 Pages

ISBN: 978-0241425428

ASIN: B08YRM9NBM

Audiobook: B08ZJVVB55

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

 

3 / 5 Stars

 

Summary

Elizabeth has received a letter from an old colleague, a man with whom she has a long history. He's made a big mistake, and he needs her help. His story involves stolen diamonds, a violent mobster, and a very real threat to his life.

As bodies start piling up, Elizabeth enlists Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron in the hunt for a ruthless murderer. And if they find the diamonds too? Well, wouldn't that be a bonus?

But this time they are up against an enemy who wouldn't bat an eyelid at knocking off four septuagenarians. Can The Thursday Murder Club find the killer (and the diamonds) before the killer finds them?

 

My Thoughts

The Man Who Died Twice is the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series, and I thought it was highly entertaining.. A clever murder mystery featuring retired professionals in a variety of fields, I loved how it parodied our cultural biases regarding the elderly and their usefulness in society.  A blend of humour and some very serious issues regarding aging made this second instalment a lot of fun.

 

The story is very much character-driven, but was done in such a way as to continue the secrecy of what some of the characters actually did before they retired.  On the outside, Elizabeth was a spy, Joyce a nurse, Ibrahim a psychologist, and Ron a union organizer, but as the threads unwind, you learn they were involved in so much more.  And I thought this was cleverly done by the author as I kept reading to find out more about the characters and their past histories, especially Joyce who confounds me.  It was quite easy to figure out Elizabeth although we are learning only a bit about her, but I really feel like it's Joyce who has the big secret and is being overlooked in a clever way.  All of the characters are very well-written and I enjoyed their banter, both with regards to the mystery as well as to the tongue-in-cheek comments about growing older. 

 

But while I did enjoy the character development, I did think the mystery was a bit weak, which is why I gave it the rating that I did.  When a book is so character-driven, sometimes the plot sinks too much in the background and this is exactly what happened. It tried to be too clever, with a lot of banter between the characters, and thus, the mystery got lost in there somewhere.   I did feel like the whole narrative was executed much better in this instalment as the author tended to focus more on the main characters rather than all of the characters in the story, such as Chris and Donna, which is how it should be, but there were still some pacing issues and it took a while for the main mystery to really get going. 

 

I did appreciate a larger focus on the themes of dementia, PTSD, loneliness, and the difficulties of growing older in a society that seems to devalue the elderly and their contributions.  There are some sharp criticisms of our society revolving these issues and I am glad to see them there as they need to be discussed, especially with a growing older population in many countries.

 

Verdict

The Man Who Died Twice was a fun entry into this series, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Although there were some pacing issues and I felt the mystery was predictable, I did like the character development and thought the way the author incorporated issues into the plot was quite clever.  I am looking forward to many more books in this series; I have already read the third book, and am looking forward to the fourth book when it is released next September.

 

Review: All the Broken Girls by Linda Hurtado Bond

All the Broken Girls

by Linda Hurtado Bond

Release Date: August 23, 2022

2022 Entangled: Amara

Kindle Edition; 368 Pages

ISBN: 978-1649372147

ASIN: B09H5JS22K

Audiobook: B0B223575G

Genre: Fiction / Mystery

Source: Review copy from publisher

3 / 5 Stars

Summary

Crime reporter Mari Alvarez was never able to solve her mother’s murder ten years ago. But when a woman is gunned down on the doorstep of her West Tampa neighborhood, Mari can’t shake the eerie sense of connection.

Now there have been two murders in two days. Each crime scene awash with arcane clues—and without a trace of DNA from the killer. And for each victim, a doll. The first is missing an eye. The second is missing a heart. But are these clues leading to the killer…or messages for Mari?

Caught up in a maelstrom of Old-World superstition, secrets, and ties to her own past, Mari has only one option. Put the puzzle together before someone else dies—even if it destroys her career. But there’s no escaping the hungry spider’s web when it’s been made just for you…

 

My Thoughts

All the Broken Girls is one of those books in which I entered with a bit of trepidation as I am really not that interested in romantic suspense type books.  Luckily, the romance is not front and center of this book, which allowed me to focus on some of the other interesting things I was learning about, like the Cuban-American culture and Santeria. But while I thought the book started off pretty strong, there were some parts that could have used some tighter editing, plus I wasn't always a fan of Mari as she could be abrasive and pretty rude at times.  

First of all, Mari.  While I loved how Mari cared about the girls and wanted to help them, pushing authorities to do more, there was this abrasiveness about her character that bothered me constantly throughout the book. As a reporter, she was pushy, but sometimes she stepped over the line and was a bit rude to people when it was not necessary and unfortunately, it did get on my nerves after a while.  The author tried to compensate by giving her these vulnerable moments, but for me, they didn't really work all that well as it made me feel like Mari was being more manipulative than real. 

 

I don't really feel like any of the other characters had any development and were rather one-dimensional.  However, I did like the focus on family and difficult family relationships as well as the religious aspects of the Cuban-American culture as I don't know a lot about them so I found them enlightening.

While the plot was interesting and somewhat complex, the pacing is a bit erratic with this subplot that keeps interrupting the main plot.  I almost wondered if the author was going in a different direction at one point and decided to change the plot and not go there at this time which is why we have this main plot with another subplot running through it.  So, while some parts moved rather quickly and were quite interesting, other parts dragged on and were bogged down by meaningless details; this is often where characters were introduced for no reason that I could see or little purpose, adding to the confusion. Or where family drama erupted, again for reasons to just fill space, but added little to the actual plot, or had to do with the subplot that went nowhere.  Does that sound confusing? Because it was.

 

Verdict

All the Broken Girls left me feeling a bit in the middle with regards to this book.  There were actually some really interesting aspects to the story and I did like the overall mystery, even if it took a while to muddle through it.  And while I wasn't a fan of the main character, I did like some of the relationships I could see forming and am invested enough to want to learn more about her family.  I did think the plot was all over the place and could have used some tightening up, but the ending makes me wonder if the author changed direction for the book and has now decided on a sequel?  Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the ending as I thought this was a standalone, but that ending was a bit of a disappointment.  It was strong enough overall though, that I would probably read another book if it was released. 

 

Review: Clown in a Cornfield 2: French Lives by Adam Cesare

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives

by Adam Cesare

Release Date: August 23, 2022

2022 Harperteen

Kindle Edition; 416 Pages

ISBN: 978-0063096912

ASIN: B09MD7VWBC

Audiobook: B09MZR992B

Genre: Fiction / YA / Horror

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Set a year after the first book, it looks at how the surviving characters are dealing with fame and infamy when a new threat, wearing an old clown mask, reaches out to upend their lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Thoughts

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives definitely had an interesting premise. Famous from the attack the year before, Quinn, Cole, and Rust want only for life to return to normal so they can continue on with their lives and try to heal from the horrifying events through which they survived.  However, social media attacks have turned people against them, manipulating the information and creating chaos.  And while I loved the ideas and definitely believed there is some truth to it in our current world situation, I did feel like this book suffered a bit compared to the previous one in that the tension and suspense just wasn't there and that crazy action that was in the first book was also missing. 

 

Quinn is one of my favourite characters in this book; she is tough, devious, and just a lot of fun to read about.  Her father is now the town mayor and spends the majority of his time trying to get the town back to normalcy, despite its growing attraction for those tourists searching for all things macabre and horrifying, wanting to see where all the killing occurred.  Naturally, some members of the town obliged by creating a tourist attraction for those to purchase tickets and visit the cornfield where the 'event' happened a year before, to the disgust of some of the other townspeople, setting up an interesting scenario of us against them making the reader wonder how all of this was going to reach a boiling point and spill over. 

 

When attacks started happening all over the place, Quinn, Rust, and Cole were forced to head back to Kettle Springs.  This was a bit predictable as naturally, the three would need to be back in the same town in order for them to face down the cyberattackers who were actually heading to their town to take matters into their own hands.  This is also where things gets a bit muddled.  I really enjoyed the first half of the book, the setup, the attacks, and wondered how the author was going to set them up again for some disaster.  Unfortunately, I felt like all three of these characters changed and I was left trying to figure out what had happened, when suddenly the action started.  For whatever reason, I found it a bit more difficult to connect with the characters and believe me, with Cole behaving the way he did, I was rooting for Rust to find someone who was worthy of him.  It was interesting to learn the perspectives of a couple of other characters and what they thought about the events the previous year and how it affected their lives, something I wished the author would delve into a bit more deeply.  So, while the author did try to examine the affects of a community shattered by loss, I don't think he went far enough or deep enough into the psychological effects and consequences of such an occurrence.  

Verdict

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives was a solid book, with an interesting group of characters at its core, although I would like to see more character development within those characters.  I did like how the author tried to use social media as an explosive tool for creating chaos as I think it's definitely relevant in our day and age. There was a bit of an exploration about ethics and morals for some of those wearing clown suits and how they regretted their actions, but I am begging the author not to go down that route.  They brutally killed teenagers with machetes, etc..., should there be a redemption arc? Hell, no!!  And this is where I absolutely loved the end of this book, the best chapter if you ask me, which makes me hopeful that book three will be a beautiful chaotic mess.  I can't wait!!

 

Review: Die Around Sundown by Mark Pryor

Die Around Sundown (Inspector Henri Lefort, Book #1)

by Mark Pryor

Release Date: August 16, 2022

2022 Minotaur Books

Kindle Edition; 320 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250824820

ASIN: B09CNFG195

Audiobook: B0B5FMHJQB

Genre: Fiction / Mystery / Historical

Source: Review copy from publisher

3.5 / 5 Stars

Summary

Summer 1940: In German-occupied Paris, Inspector Henri Lefort has been given just five days to solve the murder of a German major that took place in the Louvre Museum. Blocked from the crime scene but given a list of suspects, Henri encounters a group of artists, including Pablo Picasso, who know more than they're willing to share.

With the clock ticking, Henri must uncover a web of lies while overcoming impossible odds to save his own life and prove his loyalty to his country. Will he rise to the task or become another tragic story of a tragic time?

 

 

My Thoughts

Die Around Sundown is the first book in a new series by this author.  While I did find the overall story enjoyable with two separate mysteries to unravel, I found I was not as engaged in the story as I thought I would be.  That being said, this is the first book where the author is setting the scene, the characters, the atmosphere, and so on, and I do think there is a lot of potential here for some really interesting story lines to develop.  

 

First of all, I did find the main character to be quite engaging. Detective Henri Lefort is an interesting character, a wise-cracking older detective who served in WW1 and struggles with shell shock. Angry at the German invasion into his city and the subsequent subjugation of the French people, Lefort has to temper his prejudices and learn to deal with the Germans and their growing crackdown on his people. Although the author doesn't directly state he has shell shock, Lefort has trouble dealing with everyday loud sounds so the reader understands what is happening without it being discussed.  Personally, I like how his quirks were introduced as part of his personality and the reader slowly gains an understanding of his past through learning about those 'quirks' and realizing how serious they really are. The more I learned, the more I developed empathy for him.  

 

The rest of the characters were nicely developed as well and I look forward to learning more about them in subsequent books.  I particularly enjoyed Mimi Bonaparte, a descendant of Napoleon; she was known for her interest in psychology, a new and somewhat scary field during this time period, a study which women were not really encouraged to pursue so I was fascinated by the scenes in which she was involved.  I do know a bit about her background so I am really curious as to how the author will use her in future books.

 

The plot itself was somewhat predictable, especially the second one involving Lefort.  I did find it interesting however, even if I figured it out quite early on.  I wondered how the author was going to conclude the situation and I wasn't disappointed. There was one clue that I missed completely so I was a bit gobsmacked at learning that truth, something I appreciated.  It's always nice when you don't see a twist coming your way even thought the signs were there. 

 

I felt like the author did a really good job at describing the tense atmosphere during this time period.  Lefort is quite a complex character, but I did feel like the Germans were much more one-dimensional stereotypical characters with little depth to them. I hope as the series progresses, the author does pay more attention to all of the characters as it will definitely enrich the overall story.  I also thought the pacing of the story was somewhat uneven where the tension was quite high, but then it was broken completely by the other mystery.  While I did enjoy the two mysteries, I did feel like they interfered with each other and created the uneven feel to the book; it did affect the tension and the overall fel of the story.  

 

Verdict

Die Around Sundown was a solid start to a new series.  I liked the fact the story is told from the point of view of the French police during this time period and I am looking forward to some real conflict as the war continues and sides need to be taken as they didn't have an easy time during the Occupation.  This was a quick read and I do think readers will appreciate the insights into life at the beginning of the Occupation and the start of the Resistance.  The mystery itself was a standard mystery, a bit predictable, but enjoyable nonetheless.  I am interested in seeing what is in story for Henri in the next book, The Dark Edge of Night.

 

Review: Do No Harm by Robert Pobi

Do No Harm (Lucas Page, Book #3)

by Robert Pobi

Release Date: August 9, 2022

2022 Minotaur Books

Kindle Edition; 432 Pages

ISBN: 978-1250793645

ASIN: B092T9F97Q

Audiobook: B0B61ZVLD4

Genre: Fiction / Suspense

Source: Review copy from publisher

4 / 5 Stars

Summary

Lucas Page is a polymath, astrophysicist, professor, husband, father of five adopted children, bestselling author, and ex-FBI agent—emphasis on "ex." Severely wounded after being caught in an explosion, Page left the FBI behind and put his focus on the rebuilding the rest of his life.

Lucas Page's wife Erin loses a friend, a gifted plastic surgeon, to suicide and Lucas begins to realize how many people Erin knew that have died in the past year, in freak accidents and now suicide. Intrigued despite himself, Page begins digging through obituaries and realizes that there's a pattern—a bad one. These deaths don't make sense unless the doctors are being murdered, the target of a particularly clever killer. This time, the FBI wants as little to do with Lucas as he does with them so he's left with only one option—ignore it and go back to his normal life. But then, the pattern reveals that the next victim is likely to be...Erin herself.

 

My Thoughts

Do No Harm is the third book in the Lucas Page thriller series, and in this one Lucas is still recovering from the events of the previous book.  An astrophysicist by profession, he has this interesting way of looking at the world, almost disdainful and condescending, but something I though was hilarious, as people struggled to keep up with a mind so sharp as they struggled to see the patterns and thoughts that flitted through his mind so easily.  Missing an eye, arm, and leg meant that people who didn't know him often misunderstood him or underestimated him and I loved those interactions, as exasperating as they could be for a reader.

 

While Lucas has no interest in getting involved in another case, it inevitably find him when he attends a medical bash and discovers that a high amount of doctors have committed suicide or have died through natural causes the previous months.  As he begins to delve deeper, he begins to see patterns that no one else sees and this is where the action takes off.  Once it gets going, the author certainly knows how to keep up the tension and suspense and I had a hard time putting this one down.  Plus, I worried for Erin, being part of the medical community, and that something terrible was going to happen to her.  Having read the previous books, I know the author is not afraid to have terrible things happen to his main characters.  

 

The writing style was riveting as well, as the author blends action with humour and family life, but this actually adds to the tension as you develop empathy for the characters and start to worry that something might happen to one of them.  It was fast-paced, and as soon as I began to relax a little bit, something happened and sent the action flying along again. To be honest, this was a mixture of thriller, suspense, police procedural, and family life all rolled into one great story.  

 

Lucas is a bit difficult to get to know and I don't think I would have felt as much empathy for him if I hadn't read the previous books as he comes across as aloof and a bit snotty.  He doesn't connect very well with others and you only see the genuine person when he is with his adopted kids and his friend who watches them when he is working.  He and Erin work very well together as she is kind and compassionate and often tells him to play nicely with others; their interactions constantly make me smile and I believe are used as comedic relief from the high tension of the other scenes in this book.  We do get to see those rare moments when Lucas lets down his guard, and I have to appreciate the author's skill when he lets us get a glimpse of the real Lucas.   

Verdict

Do No Harm was a clever, action-packed suspense book with much needed levity thrown in through family interactions.  Personally, I can see this series on Netflix or Amazon Prime one day, and I was visualizing who would play the main characters as I read.  The plot was interesting and the character development was good, and I am happy to say the twists and turns led me down a merry path so I had difficulty figuring out the answer to this one, although I had my suspicions.  I really enjoy Lucas Page as a main character as he has such a unique personality, and I am curious as to what will happen to him next. Hopefully, there will be a book four in this series.