Shiver

New Orleans #3

by Lisa Jackson

Detective Reuben 'Diego' Montoya is back in New Orleans. Thanks to years working with the dark side of society, his youthful swagger is gone, replaced by a determined, take-no prisoners stride. He'll need every bit of it as somebody is playing a sick game, and Montoya intends to beat him at it.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Suspense, Crime

432 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2006

About the author

Lisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of over ninety-five novels, including the Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya Series, the Pescoli and Alvarez Series, the Savannah series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of One Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Colony Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Nancy Bush, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan. There are over thirty million copies of her novels in print and her writing has been translated into twenty languages.

Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.

With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.

Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.

Reviews

[Jonetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Abby Chastain is giving up on New Orleans after having returned to her hometown a few years ago. She couldn’t save her marriage to cheating shock jock Luke Gierman and there’s no reason to hang around, especially as her childhood memories are painful. When a series of high profile murders connect to the abandoned Old Lady of Virtues hospital, the place where Abby’s mother died, Detective Reuben Montoya feels they are somehow related to her, too.

This may just be a case of where the reader and the author fail to connect. The substance of the mystery is strong and the brewing romance between Abby and Reuben is tantalizing. But the unending pattern of relentlessly establishing a sense of time and place where none is needed makes these stories overweight. I also am turned off by the need to resort to repeated ethnic stereotypes that throw me out of the story. Lastly, this is the third book involving a serial killer with strong religious themes and it felt like rinse and repeat.

I’m reading the series with a group and that’s the only reason I plan to continue. The half star is for the first half of the book where I was intrigued. After that, I just wanted to know the identity of the killer. If this was the first book in the series, it would be more interesting but after two similarly themed stories, I’m over it. The editing errors were significant as well (i.e. the reference to convicted murderer Captain Jeffrey MacDonald was “Doctor John McDonald). 3.5 stars

[Eline Van Der Meulen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book! I want to read more of the New Orleans serie by Lisa Jackson!
https://elinevandm.wordpress.com/2022...

[Greta Samuelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had my pulse racing!

20 years ago, Abby’s mom (who she shared a birthday with) jumped out of her window at the mental hospital she was in. It happened just as Abby, her sister and her dad drove up to visit her.

Fast forward to today - there is a serial killer who stages his murders in pairs of 2 unrelated people. One of the first victims is Abby’s ex husband! As the killer continues his sick game the circle seems to be closing in on Abby and it’s becoming clearer and clearer that she is on his list.

Detective Reuben Montoya is assigned to the case and he is especially aware of Abby’s position in this killer’s game.

Lisa Jackson had me flipping pages. I thought I figured it out but then I didn’t. Either way, I was wanting Montoya to hurry up and get this dude! Serial killer stories freak me out but sometimes I just can’t resist.

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shiver by Lisa Jackson is the 3rd novel in her New Orleans Series featuring Detectives Reuben Montoya and Rick Bentz.

Terrifying and shiveringly and grippingly suspense!! Edge-of-your-seat roller coaster ride.

Reuben Montoya, the sexy and brooding detective that we met in the previous 2 books is faced with a series of murders, where the victims are killed in pairs and placed in a staged and grisly scene. At first, there seems to be no connection between the victims and no apparent motive. But when Montoya questions Abby Chastain, the ex-wife of one of the first victims, Luke Gierman, he has a feeling that there is a lot more about the case than she’s telling him. When the killings continue and escalate, he discovers that there is something about the victims and the crimes that have a connection to her.

Abby Chastain is determined to get her life back together. After a bitter divorce she has decided to leave New Orleans behind her. She’s also having to get closure on her mother’s mysterious suicide 20 years ago, which she had witnessed at the asylum where her mother had been placed. She has been haunted by her death and some of her memories of that terrible and tragic part of her life are slowly surfacing. She decides to return to the place of her mother’s suicide, Our Lady of Virtues Mental Hospital, now an abandoned and decaying building, soon to be demolished. Perhaps there’s something there that will spark her memories.

The setting of the old and derelict mental hospital was scary, dark and daunting. The vivid imagery of the place is beyond creepy!!!!

The scene where Abby finally faces the killer is so terrifying and chilling that I had Goosebumps…….the evil, cunning, sick and remorseless murderer gave me the chills.

I enjoyed the connection between Montoya and Abby but I would have liked a bit more romance.

The author has devised a superb plot full of unexpected and surprising twists, clever misleads and mysterious characters.
A story of the abuse and unethical practices to the mental patients, the clandestine behavior and how the nuns turned a blind eye to what was going on in the asylum such as rape, torture and even murder just to keep their secrets.

The ending is left with a kind of a cliffhanger, which will be revealed in the next book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have quite a little collection of Lisa Jackson novels. But, truthfully, I have only read a handful of them. Part of the reason I pass them over is because half of the time her books are really, really good, but the half of the time they are too full of "filler" and not much story. Sometimes it's not until the last 100 pages or so that the story actually gets moving. But, "Shiver" was one of the good ones. This is a hefty book, 495 pages.
But, the story got off to a quick start, and then stays on track.
Abby, divorced and still single has decided to leave New Orleans. She has even put her home on the market and plans to move to California. But, then her ex husband is murdered. Abby looks like a suspect to the detectives at first. She is questioned by a nice looking cop named Montoya.
Montoya knows he can't get involved with Abby because she is connected with the case, but once he realizes Abby is a potential victim, he has no trouble getting involved.
The key to the murders lies in a connection to an old mental institution where Abby's mother died. Abby still has dreams about that day her mother fell through the window. Something about the memories of that day are "off". Montoya thinks there is a connection, but can't figure out what it is. But, the bodies keep piling up and Abby could be in danger.
I think this book could be placed in Romantic suspense, as well as mystery and maybe even psycological thriller. It's not like there are a string of suspects and you have to try and guess who did it. In fact, the way the book is written, it's impossible to try and figure out who is responsible. I can't say too much more without giving too much away. But, I like that the author was able to keep me interested in the story and keep me guessing.
There is a follow up to this book, BTW, that will tie up some loose ends. (there isn't a cliffhanger here, but some new info comes out at the end that makes Montoya beleive there is more to the story about Abby's mother)
The romance part was a little stiff and hurried, IMO. But, the main focus was on the mystery. I do like Bentz and Montoya a lot.I'm sure we will see them again. Overall I give this one a B.

[Anica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I totally liked this book, but I also didn't hated it. It is a tie, I guess. Because the beginning was really good. Just like a good thriller should start. But then there came about 400 more pages and I was like...duh. Oookay. I wasn't really bored because the story was intrigueing and all but something was just missing, I think.

Plus, all the info dumping and mentioning things all over again (especially when it came to the victims, I was a bit annoyed because we didn't wanna know everything at all.

Like I said, the idea was good (the killer/victims plot at least) but after finishing this book I am seriously asking myself, WHAT the book wanted to show me. The ending was stupid and a bit out of context and it came kind of out of the blue. Like Jackson needed to finish it now. And the whole aspect with Faith, maybe I am dumb, but exactly why did he started the killing part and all? Very weird somehow.

Anyway, not a brilliant book but one you can read. :)

[Dun's · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not my first book by Lisa Jackson but it's my first time reading the Bentz and Montoya series. A few chapters in, I quickly realize that religion and mental health are some of the main themes in the author's books.

Multiple POV usually works for the genre but it makes things confusing in this book because there are just so many characters to follow. Overall, it's a good mystery read that keeps me my interest in figuring out the killer's motive and identity. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

Thank you for the ebook I received from a Goodreads giveaway.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this book hadn't been a group read I would have DNF it after the second chapter. It was twisted, convoluted and I just didn't like it. The baddie was a psycho piece of work and I just never got into his scheme of revenge that included the innocent along with the guilty. I did like the romance, even though it was a no-no for the lead detective to get involved with a victims ex-wife. I liked how Montoya heeded his instincts that Abby was the key to unravel the whole thing. 3 1/2-Stars

[Tabea Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, I have so much love for this thriller series and the characters. This book has almost 600pages and I devoured it in one day. I cannot wait to read the rest of these books!

[Dimitar Jovanovski · Rating 5 out of 5]

''Shiver'' - the third book in Lisa Jackson's New Orleans series was the best so far.

1. First of all, Lisa Jackson is a great storyteller. Her writing always keep me captivated. The characters are well developed, you discover things about them like they are alive persons and you can have feelings towards them.
2. I love the religious tone that these books have. It's creepy.
3. Although the mystery was the main focus, without the romance this would be even better.
4. Some things are repetitive from the 2 previous books and that bothers me a little bit but this time I decided to give 5 stars rather than 4. I like the concept and the idea behind all the murders in all of these books so I think at least one book in this series deserves 5 stars by my side.

[Henri Moreaux · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up unaware it was part of a series, apparently being the third book in the series, however that being said reading the book out of order I didn't feel it was missing any elements that detracted from the reading experience. There's enough background of each character and their present circumstances for the book to stand on its own, although there are call backs to prior events that do make you aware something has gone before, but not to the detriment of the narrative.

Overall, it was a decent serial killer book, set around a mental hospital and events of the past. There's some romance/sex scenes there that seem targeted towards the female audience yet not to the point of derailing the story as you would find in some men-writing-women books.

Would recommend for readers who are fans of crime and serial killer novels.

[Deb G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like if you have read one Lisa Jackson book, you've read them all. At least with the three that I have read. The characters are lame, no development at all. Ms. Jackson is very repetive with her writing, almost like as a reader you are too dumb to remember things. And her books seem to have recycled stories, they all have: a demented Catholic serial killer, a woman who unknowingly ties all the murders together and is the cause of the killer going off the rails, a secret son given up for adoption many years before, a woman who meets a guy and falls instantly in love with him and he with her, a woman who cannot separate sex from love, and an ending where the serial killer comes after the woman, but the big strong man comes and saves her. Tired, weak, unoriginal, and demeaning.

[Kathleen Kersznowski · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was painful to read. I hate to abandon a book once I start it, and I almost dropped this one at least 4 times, but I persisted. It was awful. It had sooooo much unnecessary expository detail throughout. It was filled with maddening, irrelevant details that did nothing whatsoever to enhance the story. 436 pages could easily have been under 300. It was so draggy. The writing was just so poor…I especially hated every bit of the embedded and predictable romance and all the characters’ self-talk about how they should not let themselves feel those feelings. I was so glad to finally be done. I’ll never read another book by this author.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shiver indeed! The best book so far in Lisa's New Orleans/Bentz and Montoya series.

It's amazing how religion can be twisted and molded to suit whatever fetishes or evil that suits you. Montoya is looked at more closely in this book and I found myself liking him as a somewhat failed character - good cop though.

An old abandoned mental hospital on the grounds of a still functioning Abbey is the basis for this book - who knows what's behind all those close doors now and what was there in the past?

2 thumbs up and 5 stars

[Carla Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a personal read. This one was amazing. All the twists and turns. Montoya and Bentz, are once again back to the abandoned psychiatric hospital, Our Lady of Virtues. All the murder victims this time around are all connected to the hospital from when it was open and operating from 20 years before. Seems somebody has a revenge list for Faith Chastain's death that was thought to be a suicide. Was it suicide or was she murdered after all? Lots of questions and suspects arise within this part of the series. Once again it was not who I thought it was. Lisa Jackson has once again fooled me on who dunnit. I highly recommend this book. Lots of detail, lots of suspense and lots of action. Please go and check it out.

[Lisa - (Aussie Girl) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Z - Secondary Characters - Zoey Chastain, Lyn Zaroster

[Emily Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually writing a review as a reminder to stop picking up more $3 bin Lisa Jackson books. Interesting story and I always enjoy a thriller, but one dimensional characters and poor dialogue

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shiver
3 Stars

Detective Reuben Montoya investigates a series of murders in which the victims' deaths are staged to look like murder/suicides. A tangential connection to the abandoned Old Lady of Virtues hospital soon emerges, and Montoya believes that Abby Chastain, whose ex-husband is a victim and whose mother died at the hospital, is the lynchpin to the entire case.

Unfortunately, this series is becoming repetitive. Not only is this the 3rd book with a serial killer, but once again, the motivation has religious undertones and a victim's wife is a suspect. Jackson really needs to diversify her plots.

Abby and Reuben's romance has potential but remains underdeveloped mainly due to the fact that Jackson spends an inordinate amount of time providing inconsequential descriptions and details. This inevitably slows the pacing and reduces tension and suspense as well as making it difficult for the reader to follow the convoluted clues to the killer's identity. Nevertheless, the last few chapters are exciting and the resolution is satisfying.

Overall, this book and the others in the series would be better if Jackson's writing were tighter and better edited. 500+ pages is far too long for this type of romantic suspense novel.

[Darin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, this book had an Intriguing plot and the imagery set the scenes quite well. However, there were many moments that were a little too descriptive or repetitive. I do not need to know the toppings that were added to a frozen pizza. I feel like if the book was shortened to 400 pages, the message would have came off easier. I have never read a Lisa Jackson book and I was quite surprised at the amount of smut in this novel. Some of it was classy and it contributed to the development of the characters, but some of it was so unnecessary (I.e. rock hard cock)

I found the development of characters were quite slow and I wasn’t that much interested in the main characters. I did find myself more intrigued with the lives of the supporting characters and the victims, perhaps my favorite parts of the book were from the perspective of the killer. (Maybe I’m just really dark).

I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an exciting thrilling read, just be prepared for some smut, okay a lot of smut.

[Haley Robb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning was pretty slow but.... this was a good read!

[Dottie Sylte · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It started out a little slow for me, but definitely became a page turner later on. Jackson has a writing style that keeps the plot twisting and turning until the end. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries.

[Tracy Pinkston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could have done without the first 5 chapters. Very slow start and she "beat a dead horse" repeating herself. We got the point, move on. The last half of the best was the best part. A few grammatical errors.

I will give another book by her a shot.

[Momma-Bear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fast paced, contemporary, spine tingling intrigue and a mystery that careens like a runaway train to a climactic conclusion, with goodies along the way. How's that for not giving the story away? Language loses a star for me.

[Ellen Spes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good mystery thriller.

[Sarah Jowett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Used to be a fave genre but I think I am over it now couldn't capture my interest

[Christine Poitras · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Jackson definitely knows how to keep you hanging in suspence; this time is no exception. The vivid depictions of the high-intense drama make you feel like you're right in the room, watching every millisecond unfold.
Thus far, every Jackson novel I've picked up has made for an immeasurably gripping/unforgettable read.

[Debbie Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read, start to finish!!

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn’t want to put it down.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Lyda Van Den Bos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gruwelijk spannend.