Veena’s review of Deserves to Die (Selena Alvarez/Regan Pescoli, Book 6) by Lisa Jackson
Thriller/Suspense published by Zebra 29 Jul 14
This is a great book for readers who enjoy a well-crafted murder mystery with a surprise unveiling at the end. Unfortunately, there are so many threads that I as a reader tugged during my reading, only to find new ones unraveling that I finally got dizzy and lost interest. All through my reading of the book, I viewed it as Jessica’s story, but, as it turns out, the central characters in the story are the two detectives….. apparently this is the sixth book in an ongoing series. Now that is a surprise I was just not prepared for!
The book starts off with a murder and then switches to a young woman in disguise who is hiding away in the wilds in a small town in Montana during winter. It is clear that Jessica is on the run and pretty soon murdered women start showing up with the same ammo as the original murder from the opening chapter.
Poor Jessica. Unbeknownst to her, someone has managed to find her trail and is now ahead of her, setting a trap for her, as opposed to miles behind. Unfortunately for Jessica, she originally came to the town to seek the sheriff’s help and, even though he has died and his brother, who was her second choice, is not inclined to help, I am surprised she stuck around when she felt eyes on her.
An alternate thread that I tugged for a while is the murder of the town sheriff, whom Jessica had hoped to appeal to for help. While he was shot in the line of duty, there appears to be some mystery involved with his actual death in the hospital. Could foul play be involved? And was his brother’s death by suicide also possibly an attempt to cover up murder? However, the murdered women start showing up after these two killings, so what connection could these women have to the sheriff and his brother?
Detectives Pescoli and Alvarez are on the job, even as they have to deal with a new boss whom they both cordially dislike. Pescoli has other distractions on the domestic front that seem to be impacting her ability to stay on top of her game. As we explore Pescoli’s romance, I almost thought that her boyfriend nee fiancé might turn out to be the murderer. There are plenty of other characters that behave in somewhat suspicious manner whom I pegged as the possible murderer, but the author is very canny and plays her cards very close to her chest.
I did persevere to the end, which did come as a total surprise.
Grade:D
Summary:
Judged
As he watches, her body drifts below the water’s surface, forever altered. Before he disposes of each victim, he takes a trophy. It’s a sign of his power, and a warning—to the one destined to suffer most of all.…
Condemned
In Grizzly Falls, Montana, Detectives Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli are struggling with a new commander and a department in the midst of upheaval. It’s the worst possible time for a homicide. A body has been found, missing a finger. Alvarez hopes this means a murderer with a personal grudge, not a madman. But then a second body turns up.…
Executed
As the clues begin pointing toward a suspect, Pescoli’s unease grows. Even with Alvarez barely holding it together and her own personal life in chaos, she senses there’s more to this case than others believe. A killer has made his way to Grizzly Falls, ready to fulfill a vengeance years in the making. And Pescoli must find the target of his wrath—or die trying.…
Other books in this series:
