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Val Ryker #1
Pushed Too Far
A TOWN'S TERRIBLE SECRET
Two years ago a woman was brutally murdered, her body burned until only ash and shattered bone remained. Police Sergeant Valerie Ryker solved that case, putting psychopath Dixon Hess in prison for life, and becoming the first female police chief of her tiny Wisconsin town.
A COP'S UNFORGIVABLE MISTAKE
Then the original murder victim turns up in a frozen lake, all in one piece and only recently dead, and Val must enter a race against time. In only forty-eight hours, Hess will be set free, and he wants payback. And Val, her town, and everyone she loves are at the top of his list.
A KILLER'S NEXT VICTIM
But surviving Hess's vengeance is only part of her dilemma. For there's another killer in Lake Loyal. One who may be closer to Val than she knows...
Val will need all the help she can get, including a sexy firefighter, her dead sister's daughter, and a tough Chicago cop named Jack Daniels. Everyone has a breaking point, and Val has just reached hers.
From bestselling romantic suspense author Ann Voss Peterson comes a page-turning thriller of police procedure, passion, and revenge. Make sure you're holding your Kindle tightly with both hands.
Two years ago a woman was brutally murdered, her body burned until only ash and shattered bone remained. Police Sergeant Valerie Ryker solved that case, putting psychopath Dixon Hess in prison for life, and becoming the first female police chief of her tiny Wisconsin town.
A COP'S UNFORGIVABLE MISTAKE
Then the original murder victim turns up in a frozen lake, all in one piece and only recently dead, and Val must enter a race against time. In only forty-eight hours, Hess will be set free, and he wants payback. And Val, her town, and everyone she loves are at the top of his list.
A KILLER'S NEXT VICTIM
But surviving Hess's vengeance is only part of her dilemma. For there's another killer in Lake Loyal. One who may be closer to Val than she knows...
Val will need all the help she can get, including a sexy firefighter, her dead sister's daughter, and a tough Chicago cop named Jack Daniels. Everyone has a breaking point, and Val has just reached hers.
From bestselling romantic suspense author Ann Voss Peterson comes a page-turning thriller of police procedure, passion, and revenge. Make sure you're holding your Kindle tightly with both hands.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2012
529 people are currently reading
1717 people want to read
About the author
Ann Voss Peterson
106 books102 followersAnn Voss Peterson is the author of over thirty novels and has millions of books in print all over the globe. Winner of the prestigious Daphne du Maurier Award and a Rita finalist, Ann is known for her adrenaline-fueled thrillers and romantic suspense novels, including the Codename: Chandler spy thrillers she writes with J.A. Konrath and her own thriller series featuring small town Wisconsin police chief Val Ryker.
A creative writing major in college, Ann worked all manner of jobs after graduation, ranging from grooming show horses to washing windows, and now she draws on her wide variety of life experiences to fill her fictional worlds with compelling energy and undeniable emotion.
She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her family and their border collie.
A creative writing major in college, Ann worked all manner of jobs after graduation, ranging from grooming show horses to washing windows, and now she draws on her wide variety of life experiences to fill her fictional worlds with compelling energy and undeniable emotion.
She lives near Madison, Wisconsin with her family and their border collie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
August 23, 2013
I had mixed feelings about this book. I liked it, but was confused over a lot of the author's choices. I still don't understand the hand numbness. I mean I understand the disease, but I don't get why it was needed in the story. Also, when I first started the book I kept thinking I had missed a previous story because I thought I was already suppose to know what was happening with the hand. Another issue I had was the twist. I'm not sure if it was due to the fact that I took a break between reading this or what, but by the time it came to reveal who was doing what, I didn't remember who was who or understand all of the connections. I didn't think the "romance" made any sense either. It felt thrown in. All that being said, this book has one of the best deaths EVER. That is probably what redeemed it for me. Overall, it was an alright book that wasn't life changing.
July 12, 2015
I jacked this in at 38% in the end. It was too confusing and was just beginning to irritate me, then one mistake too many ensured I deleted it.
In the plaudits right at the start the title was written as Pushed To Far which should've tipped me off. Pretty appalling to get the title wrong before we even begin.
Then she kept referring back near the start to only having 48 hours available to them while never explaining why that was the case. Again with a remark made to Val at one time about a crime happening next door to where she lived. It was cryptic and meant nothing to me whatsoever. I find it hard to believe Val was wanting to flirt with one of her chief suspects as well. A little farfetched.
She has an irritating habit of slinging made-up words in such as squicked or slapbrush, bizarrely.
There were misplaced apostrophes, missing commas and fullstops and I packed in it when somebody was asked if they wanted to wave their right to an attorney......enough.
In the plaudits right at the start the title was written as Pushed To Far which should've tipped me off. Pretty appalling to get the title wrong before we even begin.
Then she kept referring back near the start to only having 48 hours available to them while never explaining why that was the case. Again with a remark made to Val at one time about a crime happening next door to where she lived. It was cryptic and meant nothing to me whatsoever. I find it hard to believe Val was wanting to flirt with one of her chief suspects as well. A little farfetched.
She has an irritating habit of slinging made-up words in such as squicked or slapbrush, bizarrely.
There were misplaced apostrophes, missing commas and fullstops and I packed in it when somebody was asked if they wanted to wave their right to an attorney......enough.
March 12, 2020
The story is predictable and over the top. Relationship between two of the main characters felt forced just for the sake of writing a sexual element into the book. I doubt I will read another by this author.
May 12, 2012
Caution: Slight spoiler ahead...
For a free Kindle read, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The part I liked most was the way the heroine's "disability" was realistically portrayed. Because I have family members with the same disease, I guessed what Val's problem was early on. I thought the denial aspect and Val's actions were spot on.
The part I didn't like was the romance, the attraction seemed awkward and forced. Also, because the story didn't end with a HEA (happily ever after) it should not be considered as a romance, but as suspense with romantic elements (although I didn't feel it was realistic romance either.)
This book contains some gruesome violence but those scenes were written without too much graphic language.
All in all, the book kept my attention throughout and was a chilling, interesting read.
For a free Kindle read, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The part I liked most was the way the heroine's "disability" was realistically portrayed. Because I have family members with the same disease, I guessed what Val's problem was early on. I thought the denial aspect and Val's actions were spot on.
The part I didn't like was the romance, the attraction seemed awkward and forced. Also, because the story didn't end with a HEA (happily ever after) it should not be considered as a romance, but as suspense with romantic elements (although I didn't feel it was realistic romance either.)
This book contains some gruesome violence but those scenes were written without too much graphic language.
All in all, the book kept my attention throughout and was a chilling, interesting read.
July 12, 2019
5 Stars
Pushed Too Far is the first book in the Val Ryker series by Ann Voss Peterson. It is a thrilling mystery, with plenty of suspense, and a little romance. I recently discovered Ms. Voss Peterson’s books and loved what I found- so since then I have been making my way through her back catalogue.
This story is told from several POV’s giving the reader quite a lot of information to think about. There are a LOT of characters, all playing their part to build the tension and move the story along. I really love the way Ms. Voss Peterson deftly weaves so many intriguing elements into her stories, always leaving me guessing, and completely caught up in the story. And this one is no different.
The book opens on a murder scene, and as the story progresses, the body count climbs ever higher. We hunt for a devious killer in an exciting game of cat and mouse- with plenty of puzzles to try to figure out along the way.
Another great read from this talented author!
Thank you, Ms. Voss Peterson!
Pushed Too Far is the first book in the Val Ryker series by Ann Voss Peterson. It is a thrilling mystery, with plenty of suspense, and a little romance. I recently discovered Ms. Voss Peterson’s books and loved what I found- so since then I have been making my way through her back catalogue.
This story is told from several POV’s giving the reader quite a lot of information to think about. There are a LOT of characters, all playing their part to build the tension and move the story along. I really love the way Ms. Voss Peterson deftly weaves so many intriguing elements into her stories, always leaving me guessing, and completely caught up in the story. And this one is no different.
The book opens on a murder scene, and as the story progresses, the body count climbs ever higher. We hunt for a devious killer in an exciting game of cat and mouse- with plenty of puzzles to try to figure out along the way.
Another great read from this talented author!
Thank you, Ms. Voss Peterson!
October 17, 2022
I picked up this book because the author writes books with JA Konrath. This book has a short stint with a crossover character (Jack Daniels). This is a kickoff to the Val Ryker series. Val is police chief in a small town. A killer that she put away has been released since the body of the person he was accused of killing has just been found dead in the lake. This sets off an explosion of events that pits Val against a cunning killer, more murders, job suspension, and surprising suspects as she tries to find the real killer while trying to stay alive herself. I will continue with this series
January 1, 2021
This was a fun fast-paced thriller set right here in Wisconsin! Val Stryker is a small town police chief in southern Wisconsin. She got the top job after putting a killer behind bars, but when a body is found on a frozen lake a couple years later, the guy is released from prison..and turns out he's got some major grudges. This has twists and turns, violence, a little romance, and a lot of references to Middleton, Madison, and even Sauk City. Not great literature, but a fun ride. I already downloaded the next book in the series.
October 25, 2019
3.5 stars.
I have mixed feelings about this one. There were times that I felt this should have been book two instead of the first in the series. There seemed to be a lot of gaps in the storyline for both the past and the present day. I found myself wondering if I had missed part of the story somehow. Some of the issues were partly resolved as the story unfolded; others, not so much.
I actually got book 2 first, then realized it was a series so I went back and got this one. I will end up reading the second book eventually. It wasn’t a bad read and I may like the next one more since I know more about the key players now.
I have mixed feelings about this one. There were times that I felt this should have been book two instead of the first in the series. There seemed to be a lot of gaps in the storyline for both the past and the present day. I found myself wondering if I had missed part of the story somehow. Some of the issues were partly resolved as the story unfolded; others, not so much.
I actually got book 2 first, then realized it was a series so I went back and got this one. I will end up reading the second book eventually. It wasn’t a bad read and I may like the next one more since I know more about the key players now.
November 26, 2016
This book started with an interesting idea. Firefighters pull the body of a woman from a frozen lake. The boss firefighter recognises it as his wife. The only problem is she died two years ago and her body was burnt in a barrel. How can this be? No, the original investigation didn't just assume it was her, mitochondrial DNA showed the body to be from the wife's maternal line and she was the only living female left in that line.
Val Ryker is the police chief of the small Wisconsin town who got the Chief's position on the back of arresting Dixon Hess for the wife's murder. He is languishing in jail and, while there is no doubt he's a very nasty man, he clearly didn't commit the murder he was convicted of so will soon be released.
So who is the burnt body? And who killed her? And did the husband have something to do with it after all? It is Val's job to find out. But she is hampered in her quest as when Hess is released he goes on a killing spree, vowing vengeance on anybody who had anything to do with his wrongful conviction. It gets a bit yucky as he cuts a swathe through the local justice system. Val is surely on the list. As you can guess there may be a dramatic showdown at the end.
It was a solid thriller but not inspiring. It did seem a little melodramatic to me and the budding romance between Val and the fireman seemed inappropriate and unnecessary. Nevertheless, its the first in a series and I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and have a start book 2 eventually.
Val Ryker is the police chief of the small Wisconsin town who got the Chief's position on the back of arresting Dixon Hess for the wife's murder. He is languishing in jail and, while there is no doubt he's a very nasty man, he clearly didn't commit the murder he was convicted of so will soon be released.
So who is the burnt body? And who killed her? And did the husband have something to do with it after all? It is Val's job to find out. But she is hampered in her quest as when Hess is released he goes on a killing spree, vowing vengeance on anybody who had anything to do with his wrongful conviction. It gets a bit yucky as he cuts a swathe through the local justice system. Val is surely on the list. As you can guess there may be a dramatic showdown at the end.
It was a solid thriller but not inspiring. It did seem a little melodramatic to me and the budding romance between Val and the fireman seemed inappropriate and unnecessary. Nevertheless, its the first in a series and I'll give the author the benefit of the doubt and have a start book 2 eventually.
January 3, 2025
Strictly okay.
to-read-post-ugb
May 8, 2012Read this: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05...
and download free from Amazon right now.
and download free from Amazon right now.
May 29, 2018
We see many novels promoted by comparing the work to other successful, talented writers. It is easy to compare Pushed Too Far by Ann Voss Peterson with novels by Blake Crouch and J. A. Konrath. Peterson has co-written spy thrillers with Konrath. She thanks J. A. Konrath, Maria Konrath and Blake Crouch in her acknowledgments. Were the claim of similarity made, it would be truth in advertising. Which is almost an oxymoron, but I digress.
This excellent thriller will appeal to readers who like to see a feminist protagonist overcome serious challenges. Val Ryker has many of those. A small-town police chief in Wisconsin, she obtained her position in advance of seniority rights by a successful prosecution of a serial killer. Fame allowed her to claim the position over an assumed successor after the retirement of Chief Schneider. Val had considered Schneider a valuable mentor and, in a town where everyone knew everyone, his support meant much to the town citizens.
Val’s problem was not that Dixon Hess was guilty of murder; there were implications of several murders he had committed. Hess was not charged with similar murders; he was charged and convicted of Kelly Lund’s murder. The state case against Hess was based on the identification of Kelly’s incinerated body found in a barrel. Although DNA identified the body as a Lund, it wasn’t Kelly. Two years after the murder occurred, Kelly’s body surfaced in a lake. She was dead a second time and the death was recent. Val’s position was in danger and a convicted murderer would soon be set free. Hess had his own idea of social justice, one that was extreme. For Hess, it was not an eye-for-an-eye; he believed in total, gruesome annihilation of everyone who had ever wronged him. Val, and everyone around her as well as everyone connected to the case, were in danger.
As if Val’s professional life didn’t contain enough turbulence, her private life simmered at a low level with long-lasting problems. Cancer had killed her sister and Val stepped up to raise her sister’s teenage daughter, Melissa. Although Val did not feel burdened by the task, Melissa was a teenager with all problems that seem to be part of a teenager growing up. Val considered Melissa over-protective with her desire to become more involved in Val’s professional life and the re-opened case against Hess. Melissa became more aggressive with her insistence on helping Val after Melissa discovered a diagnosis of Val’s multiple sclerosis, a genetic disorder as Val informed Melissa.
This is a fast-paced thriller which will motivate readers to continue to the end without stopping. Readers may want to schedule this for a weekend read so as not to show up for work bleary-eyed. As Dixon Hess pursues his course of exacting revenge against several people, the descriptions of torture may bother some but trigger warnings are not necessary. Pushed Too Far fits comfortably in a horror/thriller genre. Fans of the genre will not be offended. Sexual situations are extremely restrained as far as description.
Ann Voss Peterson is a successful novelist with over thirty novels to her credit. This novel, published in 2012, is an additional affirmation of her talent. I look forward to reading more of her works in the Small Town Secrets. Pushed Too Far is USD 4.99 on Amazon and is free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. My rating is four plus Amazon stars.
This excellent thriller will appeal to readers who like to see a feminist protagonist overcome serious challenges. Val Ryker has many of those. A small-town police chief in Wisconsin, she obtained her position in advance of seniority rights by a successful prosecution of a serial killer. Fame allowed her to claim the position over an assumed successor after the retirement of Chief Schneider. Val had considered Schneider a valuable mentor and, in a town where everyone knew everyone, his support meant much to the town citizens.
Val’s problem was not that Dixon Hess was guilty of murder; there were implications of several murders he had committed. Hess was not charged with similar murders; he was charged and convicted of Kelly Lund’s murder. The state case against Hess was based on the identification of Kelly’s incinerated body found in a barrel. Although DNA identified the body as a Lund, it wasn’t Kelly. Two years after the murder occurred, Kelly’s body surfaced in a lake. She was dead a second time and the death was recent. Val’s position was in danger and a convicted murderer would soon be set free. Hess had his own idea of social justice, one that was extreme. For Hess, it was not an eye-for-an-eye; he believed in total, gruesome annihilation of everyone who had ever wronged him. Val, and everyone around her as well as everyone connected to the case, were in danger.
As if Val’s professional life didn’t contain enough turbulence, her private life simmered at a low level with long-lasting problems. Cancer had killed her sister and Val stepped up to raise her sister’s teenage daughter, Melissa. Although Val did not feel burdened by the task, Melissa was a teenager with all problems that seem to be part of a teenager growing up. Val considered Melissa over-protective with her desire to become more involved in Val’s professional life and the re-opened case against Hess. Melissa became more aggressive with her insistence on helping Val after Melissa discovered a diagnosis of Val’s multiple sclerosis, a genetic disorder as Val informed Melissa.
This is a fast-paced thriller which will motivate readers to continue to the end without stopping. Readers may want to schedule this for a weekend read so as not to show up for work bleary-eyed. As Dixon Hess pursues his course of exacting revenge against several people, the descriptions of torture may bother some but trigger warnings are not necessary. Pushed Too Far fits comfortably in a horror/thriller genre. Fans of the genre will not be offended. Sexual situations are extremely restrained as far as description.
Ann Voss Peterson is a successful novelist with over thirty novels to her credit. This novel, published in 2012, is an additional affirmation of her talent. I look forward to reading more of her works in the Small Town Secrets. Pushed Too Far is USD 4.99 on Amazon and is free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. My rating is four plus Amazon stars.
May 14, 2018
High-quality craft and a unique MC combined with a compelling storyline make this a winner. Nothing fancy about this book--it's a solid romantic suspense thriller about a small-town female cop who put away the wrong man (in more ways than one). Now he wants revenge and he's taking it out on her friends and loved ones, working his way up to her.
No wasted words, crisp and taut, with a sustained tension that builds steadily. Also includes just the right amount of romance, especially when we find out her love interest is also a suspect in the latest murder.
Remindful of the Kate Burkholder mysteries by Linda Castillo.
No wasted words, crisp and taut, with a sustained tension that builds steadily. Also includes just the right amount of romance, especially when we find out her love interest is also a suspect in the latest murder.
Remindful of the Kate Burkholder mysteries by Linda Castillo.
July 23, 2024
A good set up that doesn't quite deliver. One dimensional characters don't really deliver on a plot that promises more.
Pushed Too Far starts with the discovery of a fresh body. The trouble is, someone was convicted of this murder several years ago. So small town police chief Val Ryker has a new case to solve, and a man about to come out of prison who is none too happy.
Ryker doesn't know who to trust as she looks into the initial investigation again. There is some confusion around several key details, and several characters who appear to be introduced for later books in the series.
Pushed Too Far starts with the discovery of a fresh body. The trouble is, someone was convicted of this murder several years ago. So small town police chief Val Ryker has a new case to solve, and a man about to come out of prison who is none too happy.
Ryker doesn't know who to trust as she looks into the initial investigation again. There is some confusion around several key details, and several characters who appear to be introduced for later books in the series.
December 23, 2018
AVP. writes a good western, but her thought process of the criminal mind is unbelievable. As I read this novel my forethought were this is being written by an ex detective. A man accused of murder and sent to jail only to find the real culprit at a later date. Then to top it all off the lady police chief becomes a target. You will not want to put this novel down once you begin to read it. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
September 29, 2017
Keeps you turning the pages!
Page turning thriller! Character development needs a little work, possibly some clearer background on the villain. But what was very gods was the revelation of the initial current crime, then the subsequent didn't need as much words left to reader to fill in the horror.
Page turning thriller! Character development needs a little work, possibly some clearer background on the villain. But what was very gods was the revelation of the initial current crime, then the subsequent didn't need as much words left to reader to fill in the horror.
July 4, 2019
You can't put this down
From the first page to the last this book keeps you guessing. Well written with believable characters and intriguing plots. So many twists and turns, with many surprises. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
From the first page to the last this book keeps you guessing. Well written with believable characters and intriguing plots. So many twists and turns, with many surprises. Would recommend this for anyone who loves a great thriller.
October 30, 2019
What would you do?
We this readers are so very fortunate to have authors such as this one who pour their hearts into writing books that thrill, entertain, while enlightening us along the way.
We this readers are so very fortunate to have authors such as this one who pour their hearts into writing books that thrill, entertain, while enlightening us along the way.
November 24, 2019
Fast paced
A gripping and surprise ending. Perhaps, too many rescues for it to be any semblance of reality. This is the first book I've read by this author and I would like to read another of her books.
A gripping and surprise ending. Perhaps, too many rescues for it to be any semblance of reality. This is the first book I've read by this author and I would like to read another of her books.
August 31, 2020
Val Ryker got a conviction and sentence for a crime two years ago. Then a body appears to be the person he was convicted of killing. Upon his release, he stalks and kills everyone who sent him the prison. Good plot, good characters, fast read. I rate this a 5.0
November 29, 2024
Val Ryker is a character that pops up periodically in the Jack Daniels books. The timeline for this book is early in the Jack Daniels series as Jack is dating Lantham. Good book. Nice seeing the back story of Val. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
March 6, 2018
Was a decent quick read. Could have done without the Harlequin Romance detour, but not bad
August 24, 2018
Such a fantastic storyteller!
I’ve read a ton of books by this author and they all stand well on their own as well as combined
I’ve read a ton of books by this author and they all stand well on their own as well as combined
February 16, 2019
Fast paced
A fast paced thriller with good characters and a lot going on along the main story. A good read for thriller action lovers.
A fast paced thriller with good characters and a lot going on along the main story. A good read for thriller action lovers.
June 23, 2019
Great book
Great book from beginning to end. I did not see wher it was going and was surprised at the ending. Good job. I’ll keep reading your books.
Great book from beginning to end. I did not see wher it was going and was surprised at the ending. Good job. I’ll keep reading your books.
January 1, 2020
Not bad
It was a good story but it wasn’t as thrilling I guess as I thought it would be not as exciting a little bit on the boring side
It was a good story but it wasn’t as thrilling I guess as I thought it would be not as exciting a little bit on the boring side
January 26, 2020
Ok story
Ok story line with some twists, but I never got interested in the main characters. Also the ending didn't seem right.
Ok story line with some twists, but I never got interested in the main characters. Also the ending didn't seem right.
April 18, 2020
I love Val Ryker as a character. It's not just because she's connected to the Jack Daniels. The revelation of what is going on with her is awesome.
May 4, 2020
I enjoyed this book; it was well written with plenty of mystery,and surprises at the end . I recommend this to anyone who likes intrigue.
May 22, 2020
Val Ryker
A suspenseful thrilling mystery.
Great cast of characters.
It's the twists and turns that keeps my interest.
Surprising endings are the best.
A suspenseful thrilling mystery.
Great cast of characters.
It's the twists and turns that keeps my interest.
Surprising endings are the best.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews