Veena’s review of Spiraled (Callahan and McLane, Book 3) by Kendra Elliot
Romantic Suspense published by Montlake Romance 02 Jun 15

This story brings home the senseless destruction of life caused by random shootings in public places or not as random as this particular case proves to be.  Detective Mason Callahan of the Oregon Police Department is on the case when a 911 call alerts him of a shooting at the local mall, and suddenly it becomes extremely personal when he learns that one of the victims is an FBI agent, specifically his girlfriend, Ava McLane.  Ava is already on disability leave following her last encounter with a serial killer. How will this new event effect her and their relationship?

Poor Ava, she’s finding it hard to believe that an innocent yoga class in a mall has led her into the eye of the killer again. Yet she coolly and calmly does as her training has taught her and rescues a young woman who had exited the class with her. She caught a glimpse of the killer as he walked right by her.  Why did he spare her and yet a short time later kill himself in the bathroom? It’s going to haunt her, and so even though she’s on leave of absence from the FBI she tags along with her colleagues as they work to solve the murder.

As they work the case they find other similarities between a few other similar shooting cases.  Is there something sinister behind promising young men opening fire randomly in public places dressed alike? Is this some type of initiation? As their investigation proceeds a chilling story emerges, and once again Ava is the sights of a killer.

Against this backdrop is the continuing story of Ava’s twin and her trials and tribulations. It seems like Ava’s been pulled down on all fronts and potentially needs to seek counselling to help her deal with both the personal as well as what might be a form of PTSD from her being targeted and narrowly escaping death twice in a short time.

I enjoy how the author builds the scene and the police work and collaboration between the various agencies that goes into solving the crime.  The growing relationship between Mason and Ava that started with the first book in the series adds a very nice touch to the darkness of the crime. As a reader it’s great to know some of the facts that the crime fighters don’t yet know, but the villain in the tale is only known once the crime fighters solve the case.

Grade: B

Summary:

FBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival.

But that’s only the beginning…

An epidemic of mass shootings has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives. The task force assembled to solve the case—which includes Ava’s boyfriend, detective Mason Callahan—remains stumped. And on top of this chaos, Ava’s troubled twin sister reappears, throwing Ava’s already-tumultuous life into a tailspin.

An old-fashioned cop with a strong sense of duty, Mason struggles to find the cause of the shootings as workaholic Ava spins ever closer to breaking down. But can one detective save the lives of countless innocents—and prevent the woman he loves from going over the edge?

No excerpt available.

Other books in this series