London Noir: A gripping crime suspense t...

Closure for the first book.
All the things that you felt left hung in Good Girl Bad Girl were answered and put to rest in this book. I did love that, and the new plot too, as well as feeling it's complete.
If Kal Medi is in  a third book, it would HAVE to be a new plot, story and everything. No questions were left raised in book 2.
It was more exciting for me, and that is rare for a second book to better than the first. I feel that was as this story had a beginning, middle and end, where the first book wasn't like that at all.
Really good stuff together though!! I know many of you will enjoy reading about Kal Medi and all that she gets herself into.

I received this book to give an honest review.

I have to say though this story is short it packs quite a punch. We are introduced to Buddy who lives in an apartment complex with this mother and who is a writer though never published. When his next door neighbor moves in and offers him beer and pizza he makes an excuse up. He rather just be alone. So when his day goes to hell that is what starts this adventure with Buddy and it does not end pretty at all. Though he has a story he can write so there is always that. 

It honestly was a short and to the point story, Buddy though we learn just a little about him is chilling and makes you never want to have a neighbor like him. 

I've had my problems with the Lynley books ever since Helen's death. What still kept me reading them were the main characters, especially Barbara Havers. She's very special and I like her unorthodox methods. But in Just One Evil Act Barbara's behaviour often was hardly bearable. She acts extremely immature, naive and often simply stupid. While this is partly understandable especially when you look at the miserable live she's leading it makes reading this book very tedious.
On top of that the actual crime seems very contrived and obvious. Most of it is set in Italy and Elizabeth George seems to use every possible cliché, not just on Italy and the Italians but also on Pakistanis/Muslims and private investigators.
What makes me still want to continue reading this series is how the book ended (except for Azhar's story): Things seem to progress in Lynley's private life, Barbara finally is in her right mind again and Isabelle Ardery even looks human. I'm curious for the next volume and how things will continue!

The 23rd Mrs Murphy mystery uses a different method than other books in this series: the solution for the murder of a UVA history professor has a lot to do with what happened during the American war of independence. Thus, there are two storylines, the usual one which tells about what is happening in 2015 and another one which is set during the war. The reader has to get used to two sets of characters. The ones in the 18th century are described quite well and I really liked this storyline, how it tells about the prisoners of war etc. I don't know much about this war and now I'm a little more familiar with it.
The modern story and the actual crime however were actually quite poor. The characters weren't worked out very well, it was obvious why the professor had been killed and also who was the killer. Harry's naiveté towards danger kind of annoyed me, it was worse than in other volumes of the series.
All in all I was rather disappointed by the book. I had high hopes for it because I enjoyed the last volume very much but this one just didn't grab me.

(I received a free digital copy via Netgalley/the publisher. Thanks for the opportunity!)

Author: Alexandra Sokoloff

Performed by RC Bray

Published by Alexandra Sokoloff and released on Audible May 2014

Category: Crime/Mystery/Suspense, Psychological

A Thriller Award nominee for Best eBook Original Novel… Book 1 in award-winning author Alexandra Sokoloff’s riveting new Huntress FBI series about a driven FBI agent on the hunt for that most rare of all killers: a female serial.

Matthew Roarke, a special agent with the FBI, is in the midst of an investigation and while on his way to meet one of his undercover agents he notices a mysterious young woman on the opposite side of the road immediately before his agent is hit by an oncoming large semi truck. Roarke doesn’t believe in coincidences, especially since the woman has disappeared. He strongly suspects there’s more to this than meets the eye.

Since he was a boy, watching the news reports of a horrific massacre, Matt Roarke had his heart set on a career as an FBI agent. He and his right hand man, Damien Epps, begin to delve into the sequence of events that lead to the agent’s death, beginning with witness statements, one of which saw the mysterious woman speak to the agent seconds before he was hit by the truck.

Roarke needs to find the woman and as his investigation gains momentum more gruesome murders are uncovered. Now Roarke and his team need to make the connection between the victims and as the pieces begin to fall into places the horrifying details of the Huntress’ background start to emerge. 

She’d seen the road signs in the middle of the night and impulsively made the turn. She like hotels, motels too, the anonymity and uncomplicatedness of them.

The plan is clear. She will drive. It’s a huge state, a huge country. Plenty of open areas to get lost in and reduce the chances she will be found. She always keeps moving; there is less chance of tracking her. But for the next six days she must be as invisible as possible.

If she can just get through the next days….Just six more days.

The story alternates between Roarke’s perspective and the Huntress’ compelling point of view. Even though the murders are fairly grisly, once her heartbreaking story is fully revealed it would be hard not to feel some sympathy for her and, at the same time, horror at her actions. The storyline is devised wonderfully and the tension builds steadily with a thread of the psychological. And as events unfold good and evil are uncovered, connections are made and Roarke is totally conflicted.

Alexandra Sokoloff has crafted, not only an outstanding story, but also a cast of skilfully multi layered and believable characters. The locations in the story are vividly described to give a real sense of place. Combined with an excellent performance from RC Bray this is a fantastic listening experience. Definitely a series to follow.