Fearless Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson travels to Chicago to trap the head of a notorious crime family, in a high-stakes, nail-biting mission that sees her trapped in one of the city’s tallest buildings during a blackout… Rankin
A city in darkness. A building in lockdown. A score that can only be settled in blood…
Working off the books for FBI Special Agent Alex Monroe, Florida bounty-hunter Lori Anderson and her partner, JT, head to Chicago. Their mission: to entrap the head of the Cabressa crime family. The bait: a priceless chess set that Cabressa is determined to add to his collection.
An exclusive high-stakes poker game is arranged in the penthouse suite of one of the city’s tallest buildings, with Lori holding the cards in an agreed arrangement to hand over the pieces, one by one. But, as night falls and the game plays out, stakes rise and tempers flare.
When a power failure plunges the city into darkness, the building goes into lockdown. But this isn’t an ordinary blackout, and the men around the poker table aren’t all who they say they are. Hostages are taken, old scores resurface and the players start to die.
And that’s just the beginning…
Praise for the Lori Anderson Series
‘This is romping entertainment that moves faster than a bullet’ Sunday Express
‘If you like your action to race away at full tilt, then this whirlwind of a thriller is a must’ Sunday People
‘Stripper-turned-bounty hunter Lori, with her sickly young daughter in tow, gets into high-octane escapes when she sets out to bring her former lover and mentor to justice. Lively’ Sunday Times
‘An impressive thriller, the kind of book that comfortably sits alongside seasoned pros at the top of their game. Sultry and suspenseful, it marks a welcome first vow for an exceptional new voice’ Good Reading Magazine
‘Suspense, action, romance, danger and a plot that will keep you reading into the wee small hours. I loved it’ Lisa Gray, Daily Record
‘Fresh, fast and zinging with energy’ Sunday Mirror
‘Readers will cheer her every step of the way’ Publishers Weekly
‘There’s a good deal of wit at the expense of the complacent, anachronistic, loud mouthed quick-fisted mobsters. Just a whole hell of a lot of fun’ New Books Magazine
‘Fresh, compelling and beautifully written’ S.J.I. Holliday
‘Fast-paced, engaging and hugely entertaining’ Simon Toyne
‘Brilliant and pacey’ Steve Cavanagh
‘A hell of a thriller’ Mason Cross
‘A blistering debut’ Neil Broadfoot
‘If you love romantic suspense, you’ll love this ride’ Alexandra Sokoloff
‘A stunning debut from a major new talent’ Zoë Sharp
‘Crying out to be a Hollywood movie’ Louise Voss
‘One of my favourite debut novels for a long, long time’ Luca Veste
‘A gritty debut that will appeal to Sue Grafton fans’ Caroline Green
‘Crazy good … full-tilt action and a brilliant cast of characters’ Yrsa Sigurđardóttir
‘The pace moves at breakneck speed. The writing style is accomplished and real and this is quite simply one of the best debut novels I have ever read. I will definitely be reading more books by this author’ Angela Marsons
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Fast paced. Held my interest
I fibbed – I haven’t read this book. The print is so tiny it’s impossible to read. Was unable to increase print size even using all options on my I-pad. Hope other readers did not experience this same problem.
Bounty-hunter and fierce in her pursuit of justice, Lori Anderson is no quitter. With her ‘use whatever you’ve got to get the job done’ attitude, she’s ready to play the game. With the Mob on one hand and the FBI on the other, it’s a very uncomfortable squeeze for Lori. She must survive, no matter what. But the assignment Munroe wants her to do is nothing short of frightening, and ramped-up by impossible odds. Similar to the other books in the series, wiping the slate clean is all that Lori craves. If she fails, she loses Dakota and JT. I liked Lori instantly. Tough and resilient, she must think quickly on her feet. Improvising seems to be her gift. She’s definitely one to champion.
This time, a priceless chess set and a few tough opponents causes the adrenaline to run high. Lori must learn to play a high stakes game, but does she have enough time to prepare? What if Cabressa doesn’t fall for the plan? These were my questions as I read on. Lori’s best chance to keep Monroe off her back is to give him a watertight case against Cabressa. If she does exactly what he asks, then she’s free to live the life she’s always wanted to live. With her daughter and her man. What lady doesn’t have a few tricks of her own? Lori isn’t about to be cheated, after all, if things go south, she needs a fool-proof plan, even if it means withholding one tiny piece of it. With her type of street smarts, things could still get tricky.
Once past the security check, the penthouse is a quiet, intimate space, perfect for a small group. But as the game progresses, Lori is up against her worst fears. Having only played a few games prior to this, I’m amazed she can take on some experienced and hardened opponents. As the game draws closer to its end, Cabressa decides to up the stakes. A two week-old Rolls Royce worth over eight hundred grand for Lori’s chess pieces. The problem is, Lori has made an incomplete bet, and not only that, the whole of Chicago is suddenly engulfed in darkness. Nothing is going to plan and this is where the story takes a menacing turn. I’m not sure I’ve read a locked-room mystery quite like it. 10 people with loaded secrets and only one of them has a carefully guarded identity. It’s a guessing game that has tempers rising to record heights. But if they are to deactivate the lockdown protocols, someone had better guess right. When they do, there may be a price to pay.
I didn’t expect this author to allow her characters to have a clean run. But what I hadn’t expected was the level of skill she demonstrates with her plots. Taken from Lori’s point of view and written in first person, it’s easy to get into her head and understand what she’s going through. I don’t know how else to describe Lori except to say she’s genuine and extraordinary. I was very impressed at how Broadribb etched this character into my mind, so much so, it was hard to let her go after the last chapter.