Can they make their relationship work when all the odds are stacked against them?The would-be highwayman killer’s case is closed, and Luis has been cleared to return to work. He and Donovan are starting their new life together. When people start dying at Assonet Ledge, it seems like a typical case for Donovan until one of the victims turns out to be a missing person from out of state, bringing … bringing the FBI into one of Donovan’s cases yet again.
The park ranger at the site is everything Donovan isn’t, and Donovan finds himself wondering if his partner isn’t falling into old habits. Luis struggles to understand Donovan’s jealousy, which puts a strain on their relationship and the case. To top things off, there may be forces at work here that go back long before humans showed their faces, forces Luis can’t hope to understand. Will those forces propel the case, and Luis and Donovan’s rekindled romance, off a cliff?
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Within a few pages and I’m laughing out loud, this storyline held my fascination, scarry ghosts and so attuned and deep in to the story I at times felt unhinged. So much pain brought on by insecurities I had to stop reading as I couldn’t see the writing for my tears. Jaye certainly knows how to weave the suspense. Brilliant.
I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book for my honest opinions of which I’m under no obligation to do so. I absolutely recommend this book.
First of all I believe these books must be read in order. This story starts shortly after the ending of the first. Luis and Donovan hare working on their relationship. Luis gets a new serial killer case. Donovan is a jealous idiot! I absolutely hated Fred, Donovan’s father. This story was sooo good, kept me glued to the pages. It was an emotional roller coaster! I loved that Luis kept his connection to Captain Lightfoot. I’m voluntarily reviewing from an advanced copy that I received.
4.5 Stars!
Absolution is book 2 in the Hunter series and it needs to be read in order.
I was warned that this book focused on Donovan a lot and that I might still not like him. In my review for the first book in the series, Hunter, I mentioned that it took me a long time to warm up to him, and by the end, it wasn’t like that had changed all that much. Frankly, I don’t think I could ever love him as much as I love Luis and this installment only served to show me how weak and easy to manipulate Donovan is. I complained that he ran to his mommy in Hunter, well, this time he ran to his evil, very manipulative father, who I absolutely hated. And while it was obvious there was more going on than what met the eye, the way Donovan behaved with Luis just made me want to deck him. Donovan’s jealousy was just so ugh and blah and grrr! (I know, I’m so eloquent, right? LOL) I was so frustrated with him, although I will admit that after all was said and done, I like him just a tad better now, at least enough that I might not mind if he and Luis end up together at the end of the series.
Luis has got to be one of my favorite characters ever and I was happy to catch up with him. He’s so strong and caring, especially considering his upbringing. I loved that he had more of a support system in Alicia, Nick, Kevin, and even Donovan’s mother this time around. It was nice to see that he’d been working with a counselor and that while he loved Donovan, he was definitely not a pushover.
The case was intriguing and I liked that we found out who the bad guy was gradually, right along with Luis, as he pieced everything together. As with the previous book, I loved the fact that Luis can see and speak with ghosts, and I was glad we got to see Captain Lightfoot again.
Overall, I found Absolution to be a very interesting read, and while Hunter is a very good book, I found this second book much more enjoyable, despite me wanting to throttle Donovan and his dear old dad more than a few times. 😉 Very recommendable!
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Murders, FBI, police, ghosts, love, hate, love – complicated
Oddly easy to read, considering some of the grisly subject matter. I read ‘Hunter’ first, this is a great follow up book, Luis and Donovon are a complicated couple, and don’t make life easy for themselves for most of the story, thankfully common sense prevails in the end.
This book picks up shortly where the first installment leaves off: Luis and Donovan have a chapter or two of domestic bliss before a serial killer and a malignant supernatural force complicate both their professional and personal lives. The mystery is gripping, as is what happens to Donovan. lI spent a lot of this novel incredibly frustrated with Donovan, whose insecurities make him jealous and petty beyond belief with Luis, who is trying unbelievably hard in ways he should not have to be. By the millionth time Luis reassured Donovan about his fidelity, or his intentions, or his love, I wanted him to find a new boyfriend. Emotionally abusive behavior is not a good look, and the author does a great job writing his descent into irrational jealousy, and leaves you wondering—is this really him? Is there another explanation— before answering that question without letting him off the hook for his choices. I love how Donovan’s family and Luis’s partner rally to support Luis, and I felt like both murder investigation and relationship ended up exactly where they should be by the end of the novel, in a bittersweet, but good, place. I am so hooked on this series, so hopeful for Donovan and Luis’s future, and so ready to read the next installment.
*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.