Author: Blake Pierce
Series: Jessie Hunt #2
Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Suspense
Publication Date: December 25, 2018
Format: Audiobook
Narrator: Laura Bannister
Book Description: Jessie, thriving again in downtown LA, is sure she’s moved on from her suburban nightmare. Ready to put her failed marriage behind her, she lands a job with the local police department, deferring her acceptance to the FBI’s Academy.
She is assigned a straightforward murder in a wealthy neighborhood, a simple case to start her career. But little do her bosses know, there's more to the case than anyone suspected. Nothing can prepare her for her first case, one that will force her to probe the minds of the wealthy, suburban couples she’d thought she’d left behind. Behind their polished family pictures and manicured hedges, Jessie realizes, perfection is not what it seems.
Thoughts:
This was a quick read. Jessie Hunt is a rookie criminal profiler. She's branded as a strong female lead. I found her mildly annoying.
One of the things that blew my mind was how the peanut allergy was portrayed. Jessie is supposed to have an allergy to peanuts and their derivates, which is okay, the problem in the story is the treatment described here for an anaphylactic reaction is using an inhaler. In this age it's I believe a very well-known fact that in case of an allergic reaction causing anaphylaxis- the first treatment is an Epinephrine shot. And if it wasn't obvious, a quick Google search should be enough. A book requires research and fact-checking, and the use of an Epi-pen would have served the purpose of the story just as well.
Moving from the medical inaccuracies, let's ignore the fact they play a crucial part of the plotline. Jessie is supposed to be a good profiler and all but she seems to disregard everyone around her, be it advice, warning of dangers, etc. You do you girl.
The book starts off a bit slow. We get a bit of remembrance of what Jessie has been through. Understandably she is struggling with PTSD. She has flashbacks, she has nightmares and she's portrayed struggling to get everything sorted out in her life. On the upside, she is going to sessions with her Therapist as she's trying to get herself under control. Predictably she does not seem to agree with her therapist on how she should handle the situation, she gives smartass comebacks and just behaves like a snappy teenager. It seems annoying but I see it as realistic, she has been dealing with a lot which naturally causes her past trauma to resurface.
She is faced with a few choices in her life. Other than the serial murders and criminals she's dealing with, her life seems to be going well. She is a rookie and yet opportunities for her dream job and training that other talented experienced people are striving for and failing are just offered to her. It's a bit too convenient.
The plotline is again predictable but not awful, it's a passable read for a one-time thing. It's a book you get through in a single day so that's a plus. The audiobook was well done and I would recommend that route.
I used this book for the following challenges:
Continue a Series.
#AYearAthon: Thrillers
Commentaires