Things are never what they seem; especially in police work. John Testarossa is an LAPD cop with an NYPD attitude who has seen it all. The dead, the dying and the decomposing are all in a day’s work for the red-headed Italian from Brooklyn. After an arm rolls up on a Santa Monica beach, and the dead body to which the arm was once attached is discovered, John and his partner, Alex Ortiz, enter the … Alex Ortiz, enter the world of college sports, athletes, and the illegal drugs that enhance their performance.
Rage and revenge come together in a toxic cocktail John is all too familiar with. It defined him as a young boy, and ultimately still does as a man. He carries a dark secret.
It is in the beautiful Dr. Karen Gennaro—who has a few secrets of her own— that John finds a soft place to land. Even as he knows all too well what falling in love with a cop can do to a woman.
What sustains this hard-boiled detective is the bond he shares with his brave and dedicated partners. When that bond is destroyed in a senseless act of violence, will his past, and a desire for vengeance, destroy him?
From Los Angeles, where Venice Beach, Marina del Rey, and the dream of Abbot Kinney’s Venice Canals paint a picture of bliss, Testarossa will take you on a deeper, darker journey.
more
Loved this book! Top notch police procedural that’s terrifically writing with a thrilling storyline that includes a dead college kid, illegal drugs, flying bullets and a lovely romance to boot. It’s an emotional ringer during a few parts that hurt my heart and sprung a few tears. Great murder mystery with hunky cops and lots of bad guys. John and his partner Alex are a hoot along with the rest of the cop crew friends and fantastic camaraderie. And then there’s the lovely Dr. Gennaro. The romance between her and John is fabulous. John was smitten almost to the point of a 40+ hot cop reverting to a teen. Cute! But he mans up and ooh he’s sizzles! Great couple. This one kept me guessing till the end about several elements. JD is on my to-read list after this outstanding story! So many great characters for a sequel. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
This is the first book that I have read from J.D. I am glad that I decided to give this book a chance. I was looking for a book with a little mystery and found it in this one. John Testarossa is a detective. Him and his partner get a case. It all starts with a human arm. Nothing but the arm. Slowly and surely as they start to work through the case they build on what is going on . That is when the book becomes gripping and has you hooked. You are going on a ride with these two trying to figure out who commit the crime and who all the players are. Along the way John tries for a relationship. Will he be able to maintain one? What will happen with the case? I loved this one. I am so glad that I took a chance on this writer and decided to read this one. I cant wait to read the next one and see what happens.
One of the most brilliantly detailed police murder mysteries I’ve ever read. The case details are so vivid and gruesome. You learn quickly the John Testarossa really has his work cut out for him and some.
John suffered a horrific lose at a young age that sculpted him into becoming a cop. He’s a very good one too. Case after case, his work is never done. After a case sends him briefly to the ER, he meets Dr. Karen. You can tell there’s an immediate attraction but you are left wondering how can he balance a relationship and his caseload? Let me just tell you, somehow he does!!
I loved this book, the details were fantastic and set the story apart from other police murder mysteries. You will find your self wondering, “Who did it?”, throughout the story. This story certainly had a lot to keep your attention and those pages turning. I can’t wait to see where this series is headed to.
Wow what a book it all starts when an arm washes up on shore and from there it’s a race to not only find the body the arm belongs to but the person who was the killer.
Testarossa is a Detective for the Lapd and racing against the clock to find out what happened and why. Can Testarossa and his partner find out what happened or will it become another cold case?
An amazing book lots of twists and turns had me guessing throughout the whole book! I can’t wait to see what the next one has in store!
Cary has completely amazed me with this book. It is emotional, suspenseful, written flawlessly, and an overall amazing read!! They have included all elements that suck you in in a romance suspense book. I was sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what was going to happen next. It was a read I won’t forget anytime soon.
Cops are hard and scary to love. John knows this. But sometimes love doesn’t care what you know. This story is gripping, emotional and all around one amazing story you need to experience on your own!!
What a very intriguing book this is. So many facets that grabbed me and pulled me in.
Story 1, father and son. How that relationship maketh the man. John Testarossa only son of an only son. A red headed Italian (me thinks someone bedded an Irishman/woman). A walk to school. A breakfast in a deli. A life changed. I want to hug that guy.
Story 2 a young man robbed of his life. John is good cop. A really, really good cop. The type who feels. The type who senses. The type who is honest and loyal. He’s a mans’ man. Great partner. Great friend. I am in awe of him. I want to know that guy.
Story 3 the compassionate man. He knows the pain of others and can empathise. The touch of a hand or a shoulder. The sympathetic smile. I want the comfort of that guy.
Story 4 the lover man. I can’t remember reading a book recently where a character called Karen is a normal woman and not a psycho mentalist. Hurray for all the lovely Karens of this world! Karen Gennaro, sexy Lady Blue falls for our guy. Cop and doctor could be a match made in heaven or hell. I want to be that Karen.
I haven’t even gone into the crime solving; the way he reveres his colleagues who deserve it and calls out the ones who don’t. Johnny is such a great character. I’ve read some books where there is no continuity in the way a character behaves. Not this one. Solid guy. I want to be his friend.
Great plot. Brilliant writing. Very impressed by this author.
I don’t think I was more than a few chapters in and I realized this book is going to be something special. The main character John Testarossa is a fabulous character.
We get to know quite a bit about him and what drives him in his career – family, friends, the job, and even his love life. Each piece creates a driven, intense, conflicted, fun loving, romantic man.
And I totally fell for him. I absolutely love this character.
The author did a fabulous job with the story. Lots of action, unique crimes, and a great look at an active police detective all of the nuances that entails. Highly detailed descriptions that put you right into the action really make a huge difference in this crime drama.
I loved John’s tight-knit relationship with his coworkers. They really are a family along with all of the snark, love, and respect that is wonderfully obvious.
His relationship with Karen is a delicate blossoming affair that has its ups and downs. John is not without its issues but he is upfront and has his limits. I love the two of them together and I hope that future stories will continue this delicate connection.
Overall, like I said, one of my favorite stories of the year. I can see this character becoming a long-running series of books very easily.
Cary has come from out of nowhere to make a huge splash with this series. An impactful, intense blend of police action, crime, love, the past, the present, and the future.
Sign me up for more. I cannot wait to the next installment. A big publisher needs to seriously grab this author and series!