Death. Lies. Revenge.After years of running, Kate Jones is finally putting her past behind her. Between restoring ties with her younger sister, moving in with Sam, a cop-turned PI, and working as a PI herself, she’s learning to live life without looking over her shoulder.Then Kate lands a case that changes everything: a young college student with no history of drug abuse dies of an overdose, and … dies of an overdose, and the parents come to Kate demanding answers. Soon, Seattle is reeling from dozens more deaths, all with the same chemical markers. At first, police assume that the victims are closet junkies who got a hold of a bad combination, but after someone close to her becomes a victim, Kate believes something far more sinister is going on.
The deeper Kate digs, the more she uncovers about the deadly drug’s origins, forcing her to choose between doing what’s right…
and getting revenge.
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Wow I just love D.V. Berkom books they just seem to get better with each book and this one didn’t disappoint either. If you love lots of action and bad guys finally getting there comeuppance then this is the book for you.
Kate is going it alone, well sort of, when she makes a deal with the devil (aka Angie-yep the assassin that has tried to kill her twice before) although I couldn’t help but wonder why Kate thought that would be a good idea, knowing Angie as she does, but I guess when a family members life is on the line anything goes. With Angie around you just know, that things aren’t going to go quite the way Kate plans them to go and add in some computer hackers, corporate fat cats, drug dealers and revenge to the mix Kate finds herself on another runaway train to hell.
Another great book by D.V. Berkom. This one had me guessing what was next the entire time. Some was a little over the top, but who cares as it was very entertaining.
Excellent – had me nervous from the outset
I’ve read and really enjoyed all DV Berkom’s Kate Jones thrillers. This is the latest and picks up a little while after the last one. Kate is in Seattle and still living happily, almost in contentment with the lovely, enigmatic Sam. That was very pleasing, but knowing her track record, it made me a little nervous for his wellbeing. Of course, this being a thriller; giving you any details would constitute spoilers, so I’m trying to review without any.
The progression of and growth of Kate’s character throughout the series is really convincing; so much so that I was mentally saying ‘don’t do it’ just before a couple of her classic Kate decisions in this latest chapter of her life.
What I love about this series is this… Kate is a normal woman, who experiences challenging (to say the least!) situations seizing them by the tail, often without the planning one would wish. She manages to extricate herself from sticky situations, always learning something, but often ignoring that vital lesson enabling us to have another novel in the series. She’s a convincing protagonist, as are all the characters within the series; even the small and transitory ones. The author doesn’t over emphasise the back history, giving just enough explanatory information for any new readers, without annoying those of us in the know, nor do they clutter up the page with an excess of adjectives; writing clear and intelligible prose that sets the scene, allowing me, the reader the freedom to visualise everything. It must be a tough balance, and one that many authors fail to achieve in my opinion – too often it can feel as though a novel is a little laboured, but all DV Berkom’s flow beautifully.
As I said, I’ve read all the back catalogue and as a result, when I downloaded this, the latest in the Kate Jones series, I was in a quandary – should I ration myself, so that it lasted, or be indulgent and immerse myself thoroughly over the course of a couple of evenings. I decided that restraint was the way to go, and as a result it lasted me a week. Now of course, I can’t wait for the next one!
Suspenseful
It’s hard to cheer for a private detective so lacking in common sense as the heroine of this novel. It’s also hard to continue reading as that lack keeps getting her into obvious dangerous situations that the reader can see coming for pages ahead and that require sheer luck to escape from.
Poorly done
Likable character, interesting story, a little unrealistic action at times but worth the time.
Not impressed. It was fine at first but as the book continued it became more unbelievable
Vigilante Dead is the eighth book in the Kate Jones Thriller series, and the first book I’ve read by DV Berkom. Unlike some book series in which each book could be read as a stand-alone, Kate’s backstory is so intertwined with this tale that I was left in the dark about some of the characters/events mentioned.
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Kate’s younger sister Lisa suffers from migraines. To control the pain, she buys some drugs at a party that are tainted, causing Lisa to end up in a coma. When other people start dying from the same drug, Kate and her new boyfriend Sam start investigating the source of the drug. Kate’s past comes back to haunt her as she digs deeper into the case.
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Besides entering the series in the middle, I was very impressed with Berkom’s writing. Her characters, especially Kate, are very well crafted, and each had their own personality that shows quite well on the page. The action is crisp and well paced, and there are very few slow moments in the novel. Berkom has created a heroine, flaws and all, that the reader can easily root for. I’m very interested in digging into this series again, this time from the beginning.
Kate Jones works with an ex-police officer turned P.I., Sam Akiaq, to find the origin or a tainted fentanyl drug which has put her sister Lisa in a coma and is killing many other people in the state of Washington. You sympathize with Kate when she has to confront her stepmother, a woman who always puts her down, and her own guilt for having her younger sister leave home to live with her. You keep wondering if Lisa, who is not a drug addict and took the pill believing it would relieve her severe headache, will ever recover from her coma. The book is definitely a page -turner.
This was a fast-moving tale that dove into the world of addiction. I wasn’t able to relate well to the main character who turned vigilante rather than having some patience. Perhaps if I had read the previous books, I would have been more empathetic.
Page turner with action and some realistic terror filled scenes. Somewhat believable. There were times I didn’t want to keep reading because one of the characters was pretty evil. I wanted Kate, the main character, to stop what she was doing, but then there wouldn’t be a story, now would there?
I didn’t care for this book. Several times I felt like quitting as I didn’t care for the main character, Kate. It goes against my grain to not finish a book so I did, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone else.
Fascinating central character who, unfortunately, is probably her own worst enemy.
Excellent read, moved right along.
I did not like the main character. She continued to make bad decisions
i liked this book. i will buy more books in this series.