Two professional killers looking for revenge take on the mob in Florida and the Caribbean.Finn is on a mission to take out a dangerous terrorist when a rogue FBI agent gets in his way.The agent’s looking for Finn’s lady friend, Mary Beth O’Brien. Mary Beth has files linking Florida mobsters to corrupt national politicians, and the FBI agent is out to retrieve the incriminating records.Finn … incriminating records.
Finn alerts his boss to the agent’s interference. His boss’s inquiries get her fired. She decides to strike out on her own, recruiting Finn and Mary Beth to join her in exposing the corruption.
What happens when two professional killers become targets of the mob? Read Avengers and Rogues and see for yourself.
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I received this book for free. I am voluntarily posting this review and all opinions expressed herein are my own.
This is the second book in J.R. Finn Mystery Series. While it is a complete story and the author does provide quick summaries of events which occurred in the first book – I would not call this a standalone in that it provides some answers for issues raised by the first book (“Assassins and Liars”) but also raised several new questions which were left unanswered. Additionally, I would recommend you start with the first book in the series so you can fully understand the characters and their motivations. The ending does set up the next book in the series.
I listened to this book in one sitting – I was completely transported into the world of Mary and Finn which is full of espionage, violence and the occasional cocktail at sunset on the beach. I was so into listening to this book that I audibly gasped at the unexpected twist at the very end. I highly recommend this series.
I really enjoy the two main characters in these books – Finn and Mary. Neither one of them is a known quantity. This book reminded me of the Bourne Identity series in that you were never sure whether you could trust what a character was saying or trust their actions which were frequently diametrically opposed to what they said or trust neither. Several times throughout the story, I had came to the conclusion that a certain character was being honest only to be twisted around by them and then when I was now sure who their true character was, I was twisted again. I was constantly on the edge of my seat with anxiety over what was going to happen next.
In this story, we do learn a bit more about Mary but the focus is on learning more about Finn. Finn is a man who is very careful and alert at all times because he has to be given his line of work. Finn has always been a loner – it was easier that way to trust only yourself and no one else would be in danger. But now that Mary’s in his life and he has an interest in developing a future with her, Finn starts daydreaming at inopportune moments and loses focus when he is always so self-controlled. Finn was much more personable and relatable in those moments when he felt insecure about Mary’s affections or his own feelings about their developing relationship. I found these moments the most revealing and relatable about his character.
In contrast, Mary’s character is still a tough nut to crack but still very intriguing. She is still less than forth coming but, the things she lets slip are very telling. For instance, Finn asks Mary about a gun she possesses and she explains she got it from her neighbor after he dropped it by her door. When Finn is somewhat surprised that someone would just drop a gun on her doorstep, she nonchalantly explains that the gun dropped from her neighbor’s hand on her doorstep after she broke his arm when he tried to rob her. Clearly Mary is a very strong woman who can take care of herself in any situation. And then, out of the blue, she was very soft and tender to Finn – which made me like her even more.
A narrator, for me, is important to convey the author’s meaning, the character’s emotions and to transport the listener to the world created by the author’s words. The narrator, David Bosco, with his wonderful baritone voice did just that narrating this book. He used different voices to make each character distinctive. This was a smooth narration with no extraneous noises. He also narrated the first book in this series, which is the first time I heard him narrate. I have become a fan.
Wow this is a Fantastic series. This read kept me on the edge of my seat from the start to finish. A fast paced read, that has lots of twists and turns. And it keeps you guessing throughout the whole listen. The Narrator does a fantastic job bringing out the characters, The Author has brought out a Fantastic listen to fruition. I definitely recommend this listen.
Shauna Joesten
Just two assassins making their way in the world…
Avengers and Rogues (J.R. Finn Sailing Mystery Series, Book 2) by Charlie Dougherty and narrated by David Bosco is an amazing second book to the series! This is a series that has pleasantly surprised me and I highly recommend it. If you enjoy mysteries with sailing elements, assassins, or looking for a new mystery, give this series a chance.
What’s it about? Taking place shortly after the end of the first book, Finn is on a job when an FBI agent waltzes in targeting Mary. From there the adventures begin…kidnapping, murder, corruption, the meeting of Finn’s long time boss, a new partnership emerges, a little romance, travel via sailboat, plenty of action and mystery. The questions are: How far up does the corruption go? Who manages to stay alive? What secrets have yet to be exposed?
David Bosco does an outstanding job once again. I’d recommend listening to the audiobook as David’s narrations are exceptional and add to the story.
I listened in one sitting and like the first book, wondered where the time went and it left me wanting the next book out on audible asap. If you enjoyed the Assassins and Liars don’t wait to get this one- dare I say this was better than the first? Yes, I will. The story and narration will draw you in. While I’d recommend starting with Assassins and Liars, you could pick this one up and have a general understanding but know you will enjoy the series to a greater extent if you start from the beginning. Once again, there is a good amount of sailing terms/knowledge, but you should have no problem keeping up even if you are a novice.
Parental guidance/trigger warnings: The two main characters are assassins, drugging, torture, murder (multiple), war talk (effects of war/PTSD- not discussed in detailed but indicated), mafia, a couple swear words throughout- I actually had to search the book afterwards because I couldn’t remember if there were swear words as the story pulled me in that much (1 f-word, 14 s-words, 12 damns, 13 hell), sex indicated (but not in detail), verbal sexual harassment (in a joking manner of a female to a male but also mild flirtation).
*I was given a free review copy of the audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. Thank you for allowing me to listen and review the book!