Deathwish

An intriguing blend of suspense and romance with a stunning twist! Five surprised stars!

HOLY SMOKES! Unlike dozens of books I’ve read recently, with their predictable plots and cookie-cutter characters, this one started with a bang and ended with a surprising twist I NEVER SAW COMING! This happens so rarely that I’m still a bit stunned, and I look forward to reading more books by this talented author.

Here’s a brief synopsis of the plot. (WARNING: A few spoilers ahead, but I won’t reveal the ending.) The story begins in Afghanistan when our hero (Hunter Bing) leads a rescue mission to free his buddy (J.T.) from captivity. During their escape from the Afghan village, Hunter kills a young Afghan woman, mistaking her silver cell phone for a gun. Following this successful (and very realistic) rescue, Hunter leaves the army and returns to his small hometown of Broslin, Pennsylvania, where he plans to marry his longtime sweetheart (Cindy). But when he goes to meet her at his apartment–with an engagement ring in his pocket–he finds her lying on his bed. She’s dead, from a single shot to the head.

Enter our heroine, Police Officer Gabi Flores, a tough as nails cop who recently joined Broslin’s police force after her ex-boyfriend (a crooked cop) ruined her professional reputation in Philadelphia. She’s determined to do a good job in Broslin, restore her reputation, and return to the force in Philadelphia. She suddenly gets a chance to prove herself when she’s put in charge of the investigation into Cindy’s murder.

Naturally, Hunter is Gabi’s primary suspect. He had the means (his gun was the murder weapon), the motive (Cindy was pregnant and cheating on him with two men), and the opportunity (Cindy was in his apartment). Gabi brings Hunter in for questioning and keeps him in a holding cell for two days, but he’s cleared when two witnesses verify that he entered the apartment after they heard the gunshot. Since Gabi and Hunter are anxious to solve the murder (and they’re also attracted to each other), they decide to work together on the investigation, hoping to uncover the real murderer.

From this point on, the plot is an intriguing blend of their budding romance and a “whodunit” murder mystery. Theories and suspects abound, but most of the suspects have alibis. Tension mounts when someone shoots at the police captain’s squad car (the captain is Hunter’s brother) and runs their father off the road, landing him in the hospital. Are these mysterious incidents unrelated to Cindy’s murder, or is someone determined to kill the people Hunter cares about? And if so, why? Who could possibly hate Hunter that much? (Trust me–the final revelation will surprise you!)

Gabi was my favorite character. Raised by criminals, she rejected that life to become the perfect cop: smart and tough, yet compassionate. On the other hand, Cindy’s odd transformation from a sweet kindergarten teacher into a cheating, irrational, gun-wielding blackmailer was too far-fetched for me, even if she was molested as a child.

I enjoyed this tangled tale of deceit, betrayal, revenge and murder, enveloped in a sweet (and occasionally quite steamy!) romance between Hunter and Gabi that ends in a heartwarming Happily Ever After. Kudos also for flawless proofreading and limited profanity, bringing my rating to five stars overall.