Book two in the Turning Point SeriesA fight for what’s right becomes a fight for his life.As guilt plagues him, Matthew Elliott’s world begins to spiral out of control. The harder he holds on, the more it slips through his fingers, and he’s helpless to stop it. Entering into the underground cage-fighting scene, he starts out fighting for what’s right. The deeper he gets, the more guilt consumes … gets, the more guilt consumes him—the more pain he takes for his penance—and he’s soon fighting for more than justice.
He’s fighting for love.
He’s fighting for his life.
**Third Edition – has new cover and has been re-edited, though no new content has been added.
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I really liked this series when I read it about a year ago and now after listening to it on audio, I fell in love over again. I did cry a lot through this book so expect that when you read it.
It’s a brutal book on your emotions but well worth a read.
*** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ***
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Angela –
Breaking Point returns us to Detective Matthew Elliot as he embarks upon his biggest investigation since the Tomic case, quite possibly of his entire career. That’s a little bit of a spoiler, but as it’s something you learn very early in the book, I’m okay with disclosing it because it weighs heavily on my review. Before I devolve into what is going to come across as a gripe-fest, let me state clearly that I absolutely loved this audiobook. The tension came from an entirely different source this time around, but I was still glued to my Echo Dot, listening intently because I needed to know how things were going to play out for Matt. Knowing that there’s a third book in the series only alleviated my fear that Matt wouldn’t make it out alive, but as I haven’t read the blurb for Starting Point beyond the mention of Matt recovering, his survival was the only outcome I was certain of when things started getting dicey in Breaking Point.
There are two main sources of conflict in the story, one external and one internal. The external source was the undercover investigation Matt embarks upon. This part of the storyline produces a level of action and suspense similar to what we saw in book one because of the criminal elements and the danger inherent to his job. The internal conflict nearly drove me nuts. Why? Because I was too far into Matt’s head, feeling his sense of isolation, his guilt, his anger, his fear, and his anxiety. Between Walker’s wordsmithing and Crisden’s performance, I felt as though I was being dragged down Matt’s rabbit hole, whether I wanted to be or not – and I didn’t want to be. The rational side of my brain is screaming at Matt, “Why haven’t you taken any time in the past year to discuss the possibility of undercover work with Kira?!?!?” Wondering more than once why he wouldn’t let Kira know there was an ongoing investigation without telling him the details, especially after I got the impression that it was Matt’s decision to keep it a secret from Kira, not a mandate from his boss. Matt’s internal conflict trampled all over my last nerve because it’s so well done and feels so real.
As a reader, Matt’s withdrawal and sense of guilt over lying to Kira seems overblown. His internal insistence that he’s no longer a cop – while he’s working undercover – is absurd and annoying and reeks of self-pity, but I suspect that’s the point. Matt’s isolation from all members of the force puts a huge strain on a man who is used to constant camaraderie. This, in turn, puts a strain on his relationship with Kira. And while, to an outside observer such as myself, it seems overdramatized, I worry it’s not and that far too many in law enforcement find themselves in similar situations. With that said, I still wanted to smack Matt Moonstruck style and tell him to snap out it. Contradictorily, the psych student in me was fascinated by how Matt’s guilt surrounding Kira’s abduction in book one resurfaced in some extremely dangerous ways. And while the story is told from Matt’s point of view, I still found myself wanting to pull Kira aside to tell him to stay strong, not to give up on Matt, and to THINK about who the man he loves is at his core!!! I was irrationally annoyed that Kira didn’t figure out what was going on, while wanting to comfort him at the same time. And then, when everything went down as it did and the fallout from it, oh, my heart hurt for both men. Not surprisingly, I was exceedingly pleased when Yumi made her dissatisfaction about the investigation known at the end of the book (hehe). It’s odd not to say the ending was perfect when reviewing an N.R. Walker book, but not only does Matt’s story continue in book three, he also paid a really high price to close his investigation and it left me conflicted. Because of that, I am, for once, very happy that I’m a tad behind on my reviews as I have the audiobook for Starting Point cued up to listen to next.
Regarding the narration, I was very pleased to see that Sean Crisden had reprised his role as Detective Matt Elliot. Crisden did such a good job in creating voices for the main cast of characters in Point of No Return that I cannot imagine someone else at the mic. The narrator not only expresses the despair and darker emotions Matt experiences this time around, but Crisden also makes Kira’s worry, resignation, and anger so obvious that you cannot miss it in a single word. However, I must admit that the snicker-inducing jock strap shopping scene was even more entertaining in audio versus reading it. Yet none of it compared to the level of emotion shown when Matt and Kira finally reconnect or with what happens in the final chapter – something I’ll leave as it’s meant to be, a surprise for other readers. Now I’m off to listen to Starting Point because I must know if Walker has given these two men the happily ever after they’ve earned with their blood, sweat, and tears.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of Breaking Point (Turning Point #2) by N.R. Walker, narrated by Sean Crisden to listen to and review.