Fatal Enemy

Jess Kimball Thriller #0.5

by Diane Capri

Librarian's Note: Alternate covers for this ASIN can be found here.

Jess Kimball's Impossible Mission: Protect Crime Victims

Relentless victims' rights advocate Jess Kimball and Jack Reacher both deliver justice when the legal system fails. Reacher waits until trouble finds him and then he does whatever it takes. But Jess pursues legal justice and draws lines she will not cross. How can she win against killers who refuse to follow the rules?

Jess Kimball hadn’t been in the same room with Richard Martin for more than a dozen years. Worse things than Richard had happened to her since she’d seen him last. He’d find out soon enough that she wasn’t a gullible sixteen-year-old anymore. She was his enemy now and he was hers, whether he knew it or not.

Jess decided long ago she would never yield to him again. Richard Martin would make his choice tonight. Would they become fatal enemies? In this tense battle of nerve and guile, who will survive?

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Novella, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Collections

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 16, 2012

About the author

Bestselling author Diane Capri is a recovering lawyer. She’s a snowbird who divides her time between Florida and Michigan. An active member of Mystery Writers of America, Author’s Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Sisters in Crime, she loves to hear from readers and is hard at work on her next novel.

Connect with her online:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/@DianeCapri
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-...

Here’s the Long version, if you’re looking for more info:

#1 Amazon Bestselling Author Diane Capri’s work is what the #1 worldwide publishing phenomenon Lee Child calls “Full of thrills and tension, but smart and human, too.” Margaret Maron, Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Award-winning MWA Past President, says: “Expertise shines on every page.” And Library Journal raves: “….offers tense legal drama with courtroom overtones, twisty plots, and loads of atmosphere. Recommended.”

Diane’s new Jess Kimball series kicked off with Fatal Distraction, opening as the #3 Bestselling Legal Thriller, behind John Grisham. Diane’s new Hunt for Jack Reacher series began with Don’t Know Jack, which garnered #1 Bestseller spots on Mystery, Hard-boiled Mystery, Police Procedural, Women Sleuths, and Legal Thriller lists both in the U.S. and U.K. Don’t Know Jack was followed by two bestselling short stories in the Hunt for Jack Reacher series, Jack in a Box and Jack and Kill. Diane’s Judge Wilhelmina Carson mysteries were praised by Romantic Times and garnered the coveted “Top Pick.” Diane’s savvy, spunky character, attorney Jennifer Lane, stars in her own romantic suspense series, which kicks off with Annabelle’s Attack.

Diane is the past Executive Vice President of International Thriller Writers, past member of the Board of the Florida Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and active in Sisters in Crime and other writing organizations. She comes to writing after a successful legal career and is married to her college sweetheart. She loves her nomadic snowbird existence preferring perpetual summer migrating from Florida to Michigan each year.

Diane says she writes mystery and suspense for the same reason she reads: to find out what happens, why people do what they do, and how to bring justice to an unjust world.Her books are translated in twenty territories. Diane loves to hear from readers. Contact her at: DianeCapri.com/Contact to receive notice of new releases, subscribe to Diane’s blog, or simply connect with her.

Reviews

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fatal Enemy is a short story written by Diane Capri introducing Jess Kimball. It raises more questions than it answers (as it is designed to do). It serves to whet your appetite as to demonstrate the type of stories -- victims advocacy stories -- that Jess Kimball will investigate and interact with. Interesting enough to want to read some more. The plot is a little contrived, but alas rings truer than one would want or believe possible. This story might have been taken from a headline and that's equally as disconcerting. We read the reality of these narratives in newspapers and magazines almost weekly, so . . . yeah, that happens. There is truth in this fiction and it feels horrifying in a way that monster stories can’t.

[Magpie67 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jess is Jack Reacher in the female body... While I liked the novella, it started out like it was in the middle of story already. Yes, I understand this man was in her past, but the writing should have flowed from the past to the present day..... first. I am going to read the second book which is longer and see if her writing flows better. But I do definitely, like Jess!!!

[Christine I · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story! Ms Capri's vivid description of the villain of the piece has you just hating him, while at the same time making you want to move forward with Jess Kimball's story to find out more about her son...

[Joan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novellas just aren't my thing; the characters don't become real; the dialogue and narration is too much like a summary.

[Silver Screen Videos · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a growing trend in series fiction for authors at some point to write an "after-the-fact prequel," a book that is written after one or more of the others in the series but comes first chronologically. Diane Capri's Fatal Enemy is a longish short story (or short novelette) that introduces her series character Jess Kimball. Although newcomers to the series like me may be a bit flustered at times trying to figure out some of the details about Kimball that I would assume are made clearer in later books, Fatal Enemy is still a solid, albeit quite short thriller about an unconventional heroine.

According to the blurb, Jess Kimball is an investigative reporter who helps the cause of victims’ rights in difficult situations. However, in Fatal Enemy, she functions more as an unlicensed private investigator. In this story, the man she’s investigating is Richard Martin, an ex-boyfriend who raped here years earlier and left her pregnant. Martin moved on and settled in on another target, whom he married. However, when Martin’s wife finally kicks him out, he tries to retaliate by kidnapping his daughter. Jess foils his scheme but decides to let him go, since she has photographic evidence of his crime if he ever comes near his daughter again. That decision proves spectacular wrongheaded, and Jess soon has to rescue the child from an even more dangerous situation.

There’s not a lot of investigation or journalism in Fatal Enemy. just a fairly straightforward thriller in which the only question is how Jess is going to get the child out of her father’s clutches. The solution that Capri comes up with is rather elegant, especially considering that the entire scheme unfolds in a matter of only a few pages. Capri is quite a skilled writer and her word usage is very economical yet effective here. She also manages to give enough background on Jess’s character to explain how she became the highly motivated character described in the Amazon blurbs.

Obviously, a book like Fatal Enemy could easily have been expanded to novel length, as this story completely glosses over details such as how Jess managed to get close to Martin’s wife before the first attempted abduction, while Martin’s flight and disappearance aren’t the least bit mysterious. And, it’s quite possible that much of this story was originally part of an earlier book that the author decided to edit out. But, for what it is, Fatal Enemy is an effective shorter story.

Having said that, the fact remains that Capri charges $2.99 for the Kindle edition of this story as a standalone volume, and, many people may not feel it’s worth that much money for a story that most will finish in under an hour. However, Capri does make this story available for free or at a substantially reduced price in other volumes that are easily available online Readers who are interested in Capri or Kimball might be advised to do a bit of searching to find it in another collection. My own rating for the book is 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, on the merits of the story alone, without regard to price. However, if I had paid $2.99, I would not have been as favorably inclined. Still, Fatal Enemy introduces a character who could easily become the reader’s literary friend.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Investigative journalist Jess Kimball has a missing son, Peter, born - unknown to his father Richard - after underage Jess was seduced by him.
Now the rich scumbag is back to seize control of Peter's half-sister Anna, born to Jess' sister, Betsy, who wed the abusive rapist despite Jess'
warnings and lived to regret it and leave him. Jess tries to prevent Richard's scheme and succeeds partially - but fatally this intervention is not enough.

What happens to Anna and how does Jess initially thwart his evil intentions?
Where does Richard take Anna? What happens to her mother?
What is special about where Richard has fled with Anna? How does Jess rescue the child?
Why does Jess get stopped at the border with Anna? When Richard arrives how does Jess realise he's traced them?

Queen of the Mystery-Thriller Diane Capri has another success on her hands with this engaging rip-roaring thriller of a murder-mystery
where death is always just around the corner and Jess has to try to stay one step ahead of the killer who won't hesitate to strike again.
I loved it - and I guarantee you will too...tell all your friends and get your copy today!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honest, if I hadn't thoroughly enjoyed Diane Capri's Jordan Fox series, I would not have finished the first chapter of this story.

Jess Kimble, is a victim's rights activists/investigative journalist who begins the story as a disgruntled ex-girlfriend who tried to keep the knowledge of a child from the father. But he found out, and the child was kidnapped. She is searching for her son. Now, Richard has fathered another child, and Jess is out to make sure he doesn't repeat his actions with the new mother after a divorce.

With a murdered mother and a kidnapped child, all caught on camera, Canada will not turn over the killer because he will be facing the death penalty. Now it's up to Jess to find justice for Betsy.

A well written story, but I'm not certain I like it, yet. I will read at least the next one in the series before making up my mind.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Jess Kimball, and this has the makings of a great series. She is bold, ruthless, and not bound by laws. This short story was a bit disappointing because there are so many unanswered questions. Her son? What's the story there? Her relationship with her son's father? There are many backstories here that I assume will come to light in future installments of this series.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast paced, riveting novella. A great introduction to Jess Kimball and how she starts out. There is clearly more to her life than the reader is privy to, but there is enough to understand why she chose the profession she did and how she works within the law to work for the victims and to get to the truth.

A great start to a new series from a great crime writer.

Rating; 4.7
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Drasko · Rating 1 out of 5]

Jess spends half of novella justifying her intended violence against monster she confronts. It sounds lame and looking at her readiness to use gun to get a justice done one is asking why she didn't dispatch abominable guy before and get her son back. As "ugly" sad in "Good, Bad and Ugly" - "if you wont to shoot, shoot don't talk"

[Mark Everett · Rating 1 out of 5]

2.99 was 299 percent too much. The story was flat and largely uninteresting.

I would not buy another of the authors work on any topic except for the “near” Reacher series. Lee Child set the standard and she can expand on it in an acceptable manner.

[Debbie Chatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this short story, Jess intervenes on behalf of a child who shares the same father as her missing son. And since she knows how evil the father is, she will stop at nothing to protect the child. Was good clean read.

[Mella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced action. I really enjoyed this. Reminds me a lot of Furious. Seems like an interesting introduction to Jess Kimball. I can't wait to read more.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Fantastic book! But, why aren’t Diane Capri’s books in box sets on Amazon? They are on kobo. I asked Amazon, and the guy basically said, too bad so sad. Guess I’ll buy the rest from Kobo. And, they’re cheaper on Kobo too. Bad attitude, Amazon.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as a part of two books within an introduction to the Jess Kimball series called Fatal Starts, I hope this is the start of a good series. I enjoyed this "book" and plan to read the next part of Fatal Starts which is Fatal Distraction.

[Gabrielle Moroni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen this listed as book .5 and book 7 in the series. Either way I don’t think you need to read the others to enjoy this one. It’s short if you have a few hours to kill. I will probably read the rest of the series since it’s well written.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a Reacher novel and a new unrelated hero... it may take time to get to be an enthusiastic reader of the Jess Kimball thiller... kidnapping back your dead sister-in-law sort-of, daughter... how bizarre how bizarre?

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This was a good introduction to Jess Kimball. She is daring. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend this book.

[Leslie Hysom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short story but it was totally enjoyable. Always looking for a book that keeps me thinking. Really enjoyed the fact it had a conclusion.

[Briana · Rating 1 out of 5]

this is a novella. And it shows. NO character development and the whole story was pointless.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This time Jess tracks down her ex after he kills his new wife. A great short story read.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*

For a short story I do think it is good, but, also feel the story seems to lack a few fill in details and could do with additional add ins in order to get it flowing a bit better.

[Trena · Rating 2 out of 5]

This never reached the part where the characters become developed.I never got into this book.

[Pandora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Downfall of kindle is you don’t realize you picked up a book of less than 40 pages until it is too late.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has great suspense, conflict and tension for a short story. Good beginning to the Jess Kimball series.

[Pauline Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this start of the series. Cannot wait to continue. A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start.

[Jerri Fulkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping, page turner

Catches your interest from the 1st paragraph. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to read the next book.

[Don Paske · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only gave this four stars because I gave Fatal Attraction four stars and this was the prequel...

[Russ Leavitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes these books are so short it's really hard to get a measure how good they are. I'll know better after the 1st full novel.

[C S Dwyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy

Not sure about this book. Seemed like background missing for the reader. Not sure where all the characters came from.