No indiscriminate killing. No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins—and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed … too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.
In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead.
There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!
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** 4.75 stars **
I enjoyed reading this book. Ms Reyne sets a fast pace to a story about millionaire businessman by day and a leader of the organization of ruthless assassins by night and a mysterious PI having hidden agenda. They don’t call Hawes Madigan Prince of Killers for nothing. He has been the man who delivers justice when the legal system fails and scumbags slip through the cracks. He is the strength that keeps his family safe making the tough calls and bearing responsibility. But one mistake three years ago haunts him every day and changes the way he sees what he does. He puts his family on a new track. But it’s hard to be the strong one and then go back to loneliness, to not being able to trust anyone with his secrets and his life. When a man approaches him to deliver a warning, it starts a chain of events that brings to light betrayal that is way too close to home.
Dante Perry is the man who wants to get close. He is a wild card, and Hawes should be wary. But he needs someone to take his power even for a bit because the load is too hard to carry alone. Constantly on alert and not knowing who is the foe and who is a friend, he has no choice but to trust Dante who saves him time and again and makes him hope for something more between them.
Since this book is told from single POV that of Hawes, not much is known about Dante other than what Hawes sees and feels for him. Hawes himself is very likable character. He is loyal, trustworthy and puts his family first. The book spans barely a week but when danger forces two men together they connect on intimate level giving each other what’s needed at the moment.
The identity of the culprit is a devastating blow to the family, and they have to live with consequences of their actions. The book is suspenseful, engrossing and a nonstop roller coaster. The Madigan siblings Hawes, Holt and Helena will lose everything if they don’t uncover the truth. I liked their dynamics, the ease with which they accepted each other, their shared bond.
I wish I knew more about Dante though. He is still an unknown as a person at the end of the book. The end is really a big cliffhanger which Ms Reyne mentions in the beginning. But it’s just so unexpected and well-aimed at piquing my curiosity about what is going to happen next that I barely can wait for the next one. It’s not insta trope here, just intense emotions surfacing when people are under pressure that might lead one day to more. I liked it and I highly recommend it! Copy received for my honest and unbiased review
I want the next book and I want it NOW!! I can’t even imagine how long I’ll have to wait for it. Obviously this ends with a cliffhanger. I knew it and I still read it. Do I regret it? Fuck no!!
I can’t talk much about it because of spoilers so this review is probably not going to make any sense.
Since the whole book is from Hawes’ POV, Dante is a complete mystery to him and us. We get nothing and the whole book I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. And,boy,did it drop!
I loved the mystery and romantic suspense is one of my favourite genres. Loved this book and highly recommended!
I love how it got all twisted up in the end. The ending frustrated me. And I felt so bad for Hawes. My heart broke. I can’t imagine how they’ll trust again.
Layla Reyne, pretty, pretty please can I have the next book soon?
ARC provided by the author via A Novel Take PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review