Chaotic Ninja

The second book in the series usually re-introduces characters only briefly so there’s always a chance of not understanding certain aspects of the character dynamics.  With that said, The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza brilliantly presented the characters in such a way that I didn’t feel like I’ve missed out on important background details. On to the review… A serial killer is on the loose and it’s up to DCI Erika Foster to find the violent, heartless, totally deranged person who’s killing male victims. The killer operates by stalking the victims first with ninja-like precision then killing them mercilessly. The weapon of choice: Suicide bag . The victims never see the killer coming. I like that the killer is revealed a bit earlier than usual. Some would say it’s easy to guess who the killer is. But one has to realize that it’s the thrill of the chase that makes this book a wicked page-turner. Erika and her team have to outsmart the seemingly untracea...

The Teacher by Katerina Diamond Even before I flipped to the first chapter, I already sensed that the story is going to be very dark, but I wasn’t prepared for how gruesomely dark the story is. At one point, I actually flinched when the author described the last moments of this one poor, poor character. Was it over the top? Perhaps. Did the character deserve it? Perhaps not. But my theory is that the graphic depiction was used to justify whatever was to come (dun-dun-duuun!). This effectively puts the reader in an ethical and moral quandary (that is if you’re like me who gets too involved in stories like this). What’s great is that even DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles are in that same predicament. So yeah, we’re all in the same boat. Although it’s easy to get hooked, there’s a lot of jumping around between story arcs, timelines, and characters. If you have short-term memory, it can be challenging. (Sorry, Dory, this isn’t for you). The next hurdle ...

Time To Die by Caroline Mitchell is a chilling read with an interesting cast of characters whose lives intersect; but not always in the best of situations. I personally like my crime/mystery thriller to be as close to reality as possible. Injecting a paranormal and supernatural twist makes it a little tricky because it could blur the line between what is plausible and what is not. And it’s a question of whether you’re willing to go on board or not. Well, I’m on board and completely gripped! DC Jennifer Knight and a team of specialists with extraordinary skills set out to catch a killer who may or may not have supernatural abilities. Given how elusive he is, he could very well be a mystical creature who commits the most unthinkable crimes. I am impressed at the character dynamics and interaction of the Moonlight Operation squad and fascinated at how they handled the investigation. This is a brilliantly executed crime thriller with a remarkable main character ...