Critical Pursuit: A Review

 

Brinna's life mission is to rescue kidnapped girls just like she was rescued. Jack is just trying to survive until the sentencing of his wife's killer. When the two are thrown together on patrol for two weeks, they have to learn to work together in order to confront the past and its secrets.

I've read Cantore's other books, and while I liked them, I loved this book. Brinna and Jack are real---full of flaws and failures, which is why I liked them so much. I also liked the fact that their relationship was more about figuring out who they were than romance although I wouldn't be sad or surprised if something develops.

The action is fast. There were several serious events that happened in a short time. They could have been more meaningful if one or two were kept for a later book. However, the suspense kept me reading and left me waiting for book two!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for me review, and my thoughts are my own.

 

 

'

Abducted: A Review

 

After finding the mayor's killer, Carly Edwards is thrilled to be back in patrol with her partner Joe. When Joe's wife is hospitalized for a strangle illness, their infant son is kidnapped, and Carly must join forces with her ex-husband, who is acting distant after wanting to reconcile, and the town reporter, who wants more than just a story from Carly. Will the three be able put their feelings aside to find out who is behind the kidnapping?

 

 

There are several interesting story lines in Abducted. First, you have the kidnapping of Joe's son, AJ, which turns out to be much more than just a kidnapping. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader interested and just a little surprised along the way.

 

Like the first novel, there is also a lot of spiritual growth as Carly's newly found faith is tested time and time again. There were a couple times where the spiritual aspect bordered on preachy, but it deepened the character of Carly--a new Christian excited to share with everyone.

 

While I enjoyed the novel, I wasn't thrilled with Carly's relationship with Nick. He was one of my favorite characters in the first book, but for the first half of this book, I wanted him to go away. Readers could forgive him in book one, but it seemed too early in the reconciliation to have him acting like a jerk again.

 

I don't want to spoil the ending, but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It felt a little rushed. I guess I'll have to read book three to see what happens next.

 

Fans of Christian police novels will enjoy this addition to the series. I do recommend reading them in order.

 

I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Accused: A Review

After an officer-involved shooting, Carly Edwards is stuck in the juvenile division doing desk work.  When a former gang member who knows Carly’s mother through church asks for help when he’s wrongfully accused for the mayor’s death, Carly begins to unravel a conspiracy that reaches the top of the community.  Unsure who to trust, Carly finds herself in the killer’s hands.

The good: Janice Cantore is a retired cop, and her experience and knowledge is visible throughout the book. The book is action-packed and is a fast read. I enjoyed the characters too. Carly got on my nerves a little at the beginning, but she grew on me. I think Nick was actually my favorite character even though he was a “jerk” at the beginning of the story. I enjoyed seeing him develop throughout the book, and I especially loved how the author didn't have Carly just run back into his arms.

The bad: the writing, especially the dialogue, was a little off at the beginning of the book. It felt stilted. As the drama intensified, it wasn’t as noticeable, but that could be because the storyline kept my attention instead of the writing.

The Ugly: Since I used the good and the bad, I have to have an ugly. J Random observation: the author gave very few details describing Carly’s physical traits at the beginning of the book. I wondered if it was intentional.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Although I figured out who was involved, there were a few twists that caught me off guard and the ride to the end was worth the bumpy start.