"Never has a dark choice seemed so right." -M.R. Fournet, author of Brick Dust and Bones Charlie Edwards once-perfect life is shattered when she discovers her husband's infidelity and plan to kill her for an inheritance. Feeling helpless and in danger, Charlie turns to her mirror-image twin, Dani. They use their specialized skill sets to assure his plan does not succeed. FBI agent Brian Deeds is assigned to investigate Charlies' husband for bank fraud. When the possibility of his ex-fiancés' involvement arises in the case, will his feelings override his duty? In this gripping tale of deception and danger, the twins will use an outhouse, a pig farm and some very sharp knives to outmaneuver Jonathan and stay one step ahead of the FBI's investigation. Will they have what it takes to make the dark choices to change their destiny?
Happily retired after over thirty years of nursing. I now enjoy the sunsets on Galveston Island sitting on my deck and writing new stories for my readers. From historical Fiction to Thrillers, I love to keep you turning the pages. I've been away from Goodreads for a while but now have more time to check in often.
This book is one of those that you keep so you can reread again. Not many books make that list with me. Janet K Shawgo is a new author for me and I will be following her work. I hope there is a part2 continuing the story. I definitely recommend if you like forensic and investigative type stories with a lot of twists and turns. I am team Charlie all the way. Well done! I received an advance reader copy and this is my honest review.
Received as a review copy from Booksirens, this is an honest review. This is such a great book and its description alone had myself hooked that I had to get the book from the site to review. The author truly delivers an intense, harrowing and gripping tale of Charlie and Jonathan Edwards, that on the surface are a couple flush in money and influence that other people could be envious towards; but its behind closed doors that the truth is revealed as Jon wants absolute control of Charlie's life and she has the bruises showcasing how dangerous the man she once loved has turned into a monster. As Jon seeks to finally force Charlie from the list freedoms she has held onto, Charlie is finally determined of escaping the abuse and turns to her twin Dani to help hatch and execute a very complex plan that's a grandiose dance of revenge against Jon. As their plans unfolds, the FBI is about to hatch a case against the Edward's family as there are some quite dark secrets coming to light that could the sisters' plans a lot more harder as the FBI feels something off about the women that their plan could come back to haunt them in the end of thee carefully hold the story they're telling.
I received this book for free, this does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review
“I think he is going to kill me or have me killed,” Charlie told her.
A Change in Destiny: Dark Choices was the story of how a woman can find herself in an abusive relationship and the dark choices that can come up because of it, with some serendipitous circumstances helping out along the way. Charlie lost her parents and then her relationship with her fiance broke off, leaving her feeling vulnerable. Even with her close relationship with her twin sister, Jon, a good friend to Charlie and her ex-fiance moves in and within the year they are married. Coming from a high society banking family, Jon soon reveals what's under his suave mask and Charlie finds herself slowly being isolated as Jon tries to ruin her relationship with her sister, friends, and colleagues.
She knew as an investigator there were no perfect crimes.
Charlie's an investigator for the Houston medical examiner, she has friends in law enforcement, is very good friends with the state attorney, and has a sizable inheritance from her deceased parents. I thought it was mindful to show how a woman who seemingly has all the outs and backbone, still could find herself into an abusive relationship; it could happen to anyone. The story relays multiple povs, so readers get more of a surrounding view of the world and it gets going right away with a quick look at the present before going back six months and showing why Charlie is now at a pig farm.
Now the games begin.
I'm not sure I'd tag this as mystery or thriller, the reader is let in on every aspect of the whys and hows. This also read kind of dry to me, there wasn't much emotion coming from out characters, when Charlie straightforward tells her sister what she plans to do, it's all so matter-of-fact for such a heavy dangerous situation. I would tag this a procedural story, as Charlie's knowledge from her job comes into play at times and it becomes a story of steps Charlie systematically takes to come out from under her husband's thumb, without consequences. The serendipitous part comes in when, Charlie's ex-fiancé who works for the FBI shows up, and Jon, along with his father and bank, are served warrants and are now under investigation for bank fraud. It brings some attention Charlie wasn't expecting at first but ultimately works, I think, for her betterment. The investigation brings in more procedural story telling, almost no emotion from Charlie and her ex in the FBI worked into the story.
I've read/watched my fair share of true crime and horror movies, so I can't say I was personally surprised or horrified by some of the events, but this was a story I enjoyed taking the journey. I would have liked a little less of Charlie Scooby Doo dumping it all on her sister how she was going to get rid of her abusive husband problem and rather went more of an engaging mystery/thriller slow revealing. The ending jumps some time with enough divulging to give readers an answer to Charlie's fate. If you don't mind less emotional and more procedural (with pigs in the mix!), this could be one to pick up.
“A Change in Destiny: Dark Choices” is a multi-award-winning novel from author Janet K. Shawgo. On the outside, Charlie Edwards appears to have a picture-perfect lifestyle: a large house, expensive clothes, money, and a successful husband. But behind closed doors, her life is anything but lavish. Jonathan Edwards, Charlie’s narcissistic husband, batters and abuses her daily, controlling every aspect of her life down to the clothes she wears and the friends she has. Most alarmingly, Charlie learns through her identical twin Dani that Jonathan may be planning to murder her and collect on an insurance plan. Together, Charlie and Dani must orchestrate a plot to stop Jonathan from carrying out his plans. What dark choices will these sisters make, and are they themselves above murder to accomplish it?
Ms. Shawgo expertly captured the mindset and mentality of a narcissist to an alarming degree. Jonathan’s disdain for Charlie and the amount of turmoil and trauma he put her through were sometimes sickening to read. I wanted to root for Charlie and Dani to help Charlie escape her prison, even though the things Charlie and Dani plotted would normally not be above reproach. To complicate things, the FBI investigator in charge of finding out what happened to Jonathan is Charlie’s ex, so any feelings of justice are clouded by his spurned love and affection. The dichotomy of these thoughts and feelings made for an interesting contrast in both characters and plot.
As far as pacing, and this is just me personally, it did seem to dip a bit after the “big event,” so to speak. That’s not to say the book gets bad, but for me, the most interesting developments occurred earlier on. That being said, the story remained intriguing as the characters dealt with the fallout of the decisions made. The author’s greatest strength is her memorable characters, so regardless of any possible shortcomings in pacing, the story is worth reading through to the end due to the well-written and relatable characters.
This book will make you want to see the underdog succeed while making you question your own ideas of morality. Are certain deaths justifiable? And if so, which ones? This story will make you think about these questions and ponder the answers long after you’ve closed the book. I highly recommend “A Change in Destiny: Dark Choices” by Janet K. Shawgo to lovers of crime fiction, female empowerment, and sisterhood.
In A Chance in Destiny: Dark Choices by Janet K. Shawgo, readers are thrust into a world where Charlie Edwards' life unravels with the discovery of her husband's infidelity and a sinister plot to claim her inheritance through any means necessary. Fearing for her safety, Charlie turns to her identical twin, Dani, for assistance. Together, they utilize their unique skills to dismantle the malevolent scheme threatening to consume them. Simultaneously, FBI agent Brian Deeds finds himself entangled in fraud allegations surrounding Charlie's husband, blurring the boundaries between his professional duties and personal emotions, especially considering his past connection with Charlie.
This captivating thriller novel explores the intricate web of trust, loyalty and the extraordinary lengths individuals will go to when facing altering their destiny. The contrasting personalities of Charlie and Dani create a magnetic dynamic that underscores the resilience they exhibit in the face of adversity. As we witness Charlie's transformation from a vulnerable victim into a strategic powerhouse, it becomes clear that her journey is one of profound empowerment. Dani's unwavering support is a testament to the strength of familial bonds, adding depth to the narrative. The introduction of FBI agent Brian Deeds adds an intriguing layer of moral ambiguity to the story. Duty clashes with personal emotions, and this theme reverberates throughout the narrative, presenting our characters with ethical dilemmas that challenge their principles.
The gritty realism of the story's surroundings, featuring an outhouse, pig farm, and razor-sharp knives, underscores the characters' resourcefulness as they navigate perilous situations. As the twins embark on a high-stakes game of wits against Jonathan and attempt to stay one step ahead of the FBI, the novel grapples with the consequences of dark choices and the relentless pursuit of justice. The tension is expertly maintained, building towards a suspenseful climax that will keep readers thoroughly engaged from beginning to end.
A Chance in Destiny: Dark Choices is a riveting narrative that delves into human nature's depths, showcasing its characters' transformative power while challenging their very core. This gripping police procedural will have readers in suspense till the thrilling end.
Charlie is married to an abuser named Jonathan Edwards who is the son of the bank owner. He is a self-entitled completely detestable excuse for a man. Being a man myself this behavior is something that evokes anger beyond anything in thinking a man can treat a woman this way. I struggled through the book as I wanted to give him a taste of his own medicine. But I loved the book in that he was seriously outsmarted by his beautiful wife. The book will be very hard for those who have had such a despicable person in their life, but for those of us who have never experienced it nor seen it the book helped us understand the helplessness a woman feels by isolation and physical abuse. The book was one I was cheering for Charlie and Dani and hoping their plan worked and Jonathan was made to pay for all his abuses. His list is long, embezzlement from his bank, cheating on his wife more times than I’d care to count, his be seen but be quiet, his hitting his wife more than once and making her his personal slave. And his father encouraging his behavior was beyond me. This book was one I believed that he got all he deserved, and his father paid a price also (seeing the mighty fall was very satisfying) and that both Charlie and Dani got to live a life they deserved. Great book, but definitely a difficult read at times with Jonathan being abusive to Charlie. But helped me understand the control he wanted and tried to exert over his wife for an obedient wife.
An interesting premise - identical twins and one, Charlie, marries a man who is wealthy and handsome and seems perfect until the abuse starts. He cuts friends and family out of her life, including her twin, and forces her to dress as he pleases, etc. In other words, a real creep. After two years, Charlie can't take it anymore and reaches out to the other for help. Divorce is not an option, and with her own life in danger due to a trust fund he can get only if she's dead, Charlie hatches a plan to kill him first.
So great plot and great start, but the book loses speed fast once the deed is done and a police investigation begun - not because Charlie's husband goes missing, but because he has been embezzling money from his family's bank, among other criminal activities. The investigation is the only thing that keeps it somewhat interesting as it goes on, and you wait to see if Charlie and her twin get away with the murder or not. An interesting read, but I ended up skimming just to get to the end.
I am an ARC reader and this is my honest opinion. I loved this book! After the first chapter, when I started to get into it, it pulled me and didn't let go. It's the story of a woman - one of identical twins - married to the third generation of men in a banking dynasty. Too late, she realised the father, the second, 2nd and son, the third, expect their wives to be Stepford wives. (If you don't know the reference, I suggest you Google it) and if she's not to end up a shell with no mind or voice like her husband's mother, she must do something drastic. And that is what she and her twin set about planning. But there's more to her husband's life than she realised and, unbeknown to the sisters, the FBI are on his trail. This story is so suspenseful, it's almost like Hitchcock in places. I couldn't stop reading till I'd finished it. Although it does end, the author leaves just the loose end that leaves the reader wondering - and there's a second book that I'm about to start that carries the story on. If this were a film, I'd be glued to the TV!
Thank you, BookSirens, for this ARC. Overall, I really liked this book - it was full of great women supporting each other, and plenty of FBI thrills too.
At the beginning, I feared I was going to find this story too cliché and tedious, with the descriptions of how Charlie and Dani would get ahead in life more easily because they were beautiful, but thankfully the author did not continue down this line. They were given much more personality and I think they were fun characters.
I don't normally penalise ARCs for a lack of editing, but I did find the poor punctuation made this very hard to read, with commas missing everywhere and then seemingly too many in the second half. There were also some very bizarre typos - "preverbal can of worms" really got me!
I would very much enjoy reading the next book in the series.
A Change in Destiny: Dark Choices by Janet K. Shawgo
Charlie and Dani are (twin) sister with a special bond. Charlie is married to an abusive Husband, when she learns he wants her dead for her inheritance, she looks for help in Dani.
Add to the mix Charlie's ex-fiance an FBI agent digging around. Life is about to take a dark turn for the sisters, while they try to stay one step ahead of the law.
The story moves at a fast pace with two very likable leading women. Suspeseful, intense, compelling, and edge-of-your-seat moments. I was hooked from the first page.
I really liked this book. Nothing like a good revenge story. The characters were great, believable and likeable, or not as the case may be. I loved the twins, totally different but both strong heroines. Jon the husband was despicable, as was his father. We all know these types-rich arrogant controlling men-and wish the worst on them. The plot was different, definitely dark, but I loved it. Everything worked as it should and the twins played their parts quite believably. This is the first book I have read by this author but I look forward to reading more. Her style is very readable and hooked me in from the beginning. I stayed up until the wee hours finishing it. I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A phenomenally gripping read. How vile and evil Jonathan and his dad were! Control at ANY price!!! It sickened me, the abuse and control Jonathan forced Charlie to take in silence! I've lived with violence, and I know the price it extracts. I was physically ill reading all the hateful things of Jonathan . I appreciated the bond of twin sisters and was happy Charlie finally had someone to help her in her darkest hours. I'm in a rush to read the second book. Ta ta til then!! I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest opinion. I highly recommend this book .
This was a really good thriller! I love the identical twins idea. They were very similar and very different characters. I love bow Dani dropped everything the minute her sister called and took the next flight to get to her no questions asked! I love the complicated relationship between Charli, Jonathan and Brian! The road not taken! I don’t understand why Brian is so hell bent on finding Charli guilty of anything and everything! I was not too happy with the cliffhanger but am excited for the next book! I recommend this exciting thriller!
I was able to get a pre-released copy of this book from the author. The story did not disappoint! The characters were well done and the story itself kept me turning pages to see how this would play out. This author somehow manages to leave the reader thinking- Didn’t see that coming! Did the twins pull off the perfect murder? Or will the FBI agent/ former fiancée figure it out? I am definitely Team Charlie!!
What if 'Kill or Be Killed' was not a simple saying you lob into a conversation, but the decision you must make. Could you? Would you? Charlie, the author's heroine, must choose. Instead of being victims to the twist and turns of the novel, Charlie and her twin Dani, drive the novel's action. Hang on for a wild ride in Shawgo's Dark Choices.
Timothy Sojka, #1 Selling Author of Politikill, Payback Jack, and the upcoming novel Claws.
This was a very intense and enjoyable story. This is a new to me author and I will definitely be trying to find more of her works.. Will there be more to this story? I believe everybody should read this story!!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review
I loved this story; such a great tale of overcoming a misogynist husband and his father. This is a trilogy, and this book does leave you hanging a little bit, so I can't wait to dive into the next on to see what happens.
I listened to this book and while not wild about the narrator's voices for the men, she does a good job of narrating the book.
Charlie and Dani are identical sisters. Charlie is married to an abusive man, and he plans to kill her for the insurance money. Can Dani help her sister?
A good thriller, and the man deserved it. The story was engaging, and I enjoyed the multiple views, including the detective.
I couldn't put the book down. Page after page drew me into asking "what will happen next?" Janet did a wonderful job structuring the story and weaving the plot and characters to deepen the intrigue. I loved it and can't wait for the next novel.
Such a fun read for spooky season! If the song “goodbye earl” was a book this would be it! The only thing I would change is adding a second chance romance between Charlie and Brian… maybe in The next book???
Holy cow was this book a wild ride in all the best ways. The thrill of seeing if the girls got away with it, the perfect crime! I super excited to see where this story goes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’ve been reading Shawgo’s books since her first in 2012 and it’s been a delight watching her storytelling style evolve. Her latest, a crime thriller was massively entertaining and I couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to the sequel!
I enjoyed this book. Charlene (Charlie) Edwards, an investigative coroner for the local coroners office, is married to Jonathon Edwards, a bank executive I Houston. Jon is a perfectionist and he expects Charlie to be perfect also. If she’s not, he abuses her either emotionally or physically.
Finally Charlie decides she’s had enough trying to hide disfigurement of his beatings A promotion for Jon with the bank provides the perfect opportunity. Together with her completely identical twin sister Dani, who’s a pig farmer in a small town in Wyoming, and an experienced cattle butcher, they hatch a plan to rid Charlie of her problem husband. The plan is carefully executed and every detail is reviewed many times to make sure every part is complete and undiscoverable. When the twins are satisfied that all is well Charlie returns to Houston.
In the meantime, Jon’s father, Styles, reports his son missing. And when Charlie returns to Houston she is met by Brian Deeds, an old flame and FBI agent. He questions Charlie and the investigation into Jon’s disappearance begins. Can agent Deeds and his crew discover where Jon is? If you love a good mystery you’ll enjoy this book.
Many thanks to BookSirens and the author for allowing me to review this ARC.
This book did not work for me. The characters didn't read like people. I was getting nothing at all from the twins and only play-up stereotypical abuser from Jon. The plot and the pacing bored me. Not much happened and there was no tension. Charlie’s plot was done pretty early, Brian couldn’t really get anywhere where with his investigation, obviously, and Jon’s illegal activities weren’t a mystery or compelling either, so what was happening? There was never a point where I felt the tension of wondering how things would play out or worrying for any character. It was just a straightforward, bland walk-through of an investigation doomed to go nowhere and suspects waiting around to get there. Plus there was a lot of dialogue and some scenes that felt like space filler, not contributing to the plot or the characters or anything else, just there to be there.