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Chance Assassin #2
Les Recidivists
Two years following the events of Chance Assassin, Frank and Vincent are living in France, struggling with retirement. And with each other. When someone from Frank's past shows up and threatens to bring his personal and professional lives together with a bang, it's up to them to find out who ordered the hit and take them out first. Things may not be what they seem, but they may be exactly what Frank and Vincent need.
Told in multiple points of view, Les Recidivists takes you deeper into the world or assassinations, art dealers, and a new romance.
Told in multiple points of view, Les Recidivists takes you deeper into the world or assassinations, art dealers, and a new romance.
447 pages, ebook
First published May 18, 2014
21 people are currently reading
209 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Castle
7 books125 followersNicole Castle was raised in New Mexico. She now lives in Oregon. Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder is her first book.
You can reach her on Goodreads or Facebook, as well as view Frank and Vincent's continued adventures at:
http://nicolecastlegreatesthits.blogs...
You can reach her on Goodreads or Facebook, as well as view Frank and Vincent's continued adventures at:
http://nicolecastlegreatesthits.blogs...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 19, 2014
~ ~ ~
THE BEST BOOK I’VE READ ALL YEAR!
Wow, that’s a pretty big statement to make, isn’t it? But if it’s true, it’s true. Ms. Castle took her characters and her storyline from Chance Assassin My Review Here, made them more damaged, more fragmented, more cracked, and then she doused them with even more of the peculiar and hilarious depravity that she alone can dispense. Every page, every line, was pure entertainment.
THE CHARACTERS
Frank – Poor, beautiful, guilty and sometimes clueless Frank. It’s all on his back. Everything. Maybe if he’d get V on his back everything would be better already.
Vincent (V) – The most spoiled, conceited, outrageous brat in M/M fiction, and he deserves every damned spanking he asks for.
Casey – Innocence incarnate. Beautiful, sweet, gifted. Throughout the book I wanted to protect him from anything dangerous or obscene, but he’s surrounded by it constantly. In book 1 I may have thought Casey simple. Here he’s alive, bright and fantastic!
Bella – Barely five feet tall, bitchy, deadly and so damned funny I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. It takes a lot for me to fall for a female character these days, but I’d be Bella’s bitch any day. She’d cut me though. But who cares, ‘cus she’d wrap me in mink, kiss my head and then kick me.
THE STORY
“Vincent thinks we should kill all five of them. He’s bored.” Frank was also bored, but unlike Vincent, he had chosen retirement. And that decision, along with the reasons behind it, continued to put a strain on their relationship.
Full of snappy, self-aware immorality.
Frank and Vincent have retired to the French countryside to live out their days as normal citizens. Aww, can you hear the birds singing in the trees and the dogs wagging their tales? Well, you could if it weren’t for Vincent shooting at raw meat nailed to the trees to stay in shape. Fortunately for us they aren’t normal, at all, and retired life won’t suit them for long.
Casey, Frank’s brother, his mother and stepdad have come to visit and….well never mind because that doesn’t matter at all. What does matter is that Casey meets the most debauched and coutur'd female in existence. Enter Bella, Frank’s sister, dripping from head to toe in Versace and weapons, she is the rudest, foulest, meanest, most wonderful character I’ve had the pleasure of falling for. Yep, you heard me, I fell for the female lead. Even more impossible is the dubious and unique pairing of Casey and Bella. For one minute I thought this het-couple might steal the show and I was worried because this is MY gay romance dammit.
OH Yeah. There is a huge, twisted mystery packed with murder, assassins, blood, death, sex and intrigue. In fact there’s so much going on in this story from every angle that it’s going to work your head. Most of this book reads like the exciting ending of other books. The energy and wit run throughout. Bring your thinking cap, ‘cus Ms. Castle is going to throw a lot your way.
THE WRITING
First off you need to know that this book is written with alternating POV’S which differs from Chance Assassin’s first person, present tense writing. This matters because it isn’t just Vincent’s thoughts that we need to see in this book. For me, it didn’t matter whether we were in V’s, Frank’s, Casey’s or Bella’s head, it was all great and I just wanted more of each one, unlike when an author slips you into a POV that you just don’t care about.
Secondly, and maybe more importantly, is how much this author has improved her writing. It’s miles beyond her work in the first book. Her already colorful characters are not only instantly memorable, but they’re also more endearing. Endearing assassins you say? Yes. I do say.
Lastly, I’m putting Nicole Castle on my quirky authors pedestal with my favorites, Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. Her creation of outlandish assassins tearing at your heartstrings deserves no less.
~ ~ ~
I would like to thank Nicole Castle for providing me with an ARC/Review Copy in exchange for my honest review.
~ ~ ~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.com
THE BEST BOOK I’VE READ ALL YEAR!
Wow, that’s a pretty big statement to make, isn’t it? But if it’s true, it’s true. Ms. Castle took her characters and her storyline from Chance Assassin My Review Here, made them more damaged, more fragmented, more cracked, and then she doused them with even more of the peculiar and hilarious depravity that she alone can dispense. Every page, every line, was pure entertainment.
▪ DEPRAVED ▪ IMMORAL ▪ DEBAUCHED ▪
▪ OBSCENE ▪ DECADENT ▪ ROMANCE ▪
▪ DYSFUNCTIONAL ▪
THE CHARACTERS
Frank – Poor, beautiful, guilty and sometimes clueless Frank. It’s all on his back. Everything. Maybe if he’d get V on his back everything would be better already.
Because the guilt he felt was never over killing. It was the lack of it, the remorselessness, which spoke of true evil.
Vincent (V) – The most spoiled, conceited, outrageous brat in M/M fiction, and he deserves every damned spanking he asks for.
That was what made Vincent so perfect. His raison d’être. He was feminine to the point of being non-threatening, and masculine enough to prove Frank was homosexual after all. Not to mention obscenely beautiful.
Casey – Innocence incarnate. Beautiful, sweet, gifted. Throughout the book I wanted to protect him from anything dangerous or obscene, but he’s surrounded by it constantly. In book 1 I may have thought Casey simple. Here he’s alive, bright and fantastic!
He was a mere boy with a crush. Hardly even handsome, with his silly long hair. He was androgynous the way models had become, with an interesting more than attractive face, and a thin sexless body. And he was an artist for fuck’s sakes. He probably didn’t even have a criminal record.
Bella – Barely five feet tall, bitchy, deadly and so damned funny I couldn’t help but fall in love with her. It takes a lot for me to fall for a female character these days, but I’d be Bella’s bitch any day. She’d cut me though. But who cares, ‘cus she’d wrap me in mink, kiss my head and then kick me.
She applied lipstick as she walked, her Manolo Blahnik stiletto boots leaving holes in the snow like stab wounds.
THE STORY
“Vincent thinks we should kill all five of them. He’s bored.” Frank was also bored, but unlike Vincent, he had chosen retirement. And that decision, along with the reasons behind it, continued to put a strain on their relationship.
Full of snappy, self-aware immorality.
Frank and Vincent have retired to the French countryside to live out their days as normal citizens. Aww, can you hear the birds singing in the trees and the dogs wagging their tales? Well, you could if it weren’t for Vincent shooting at raw meat nailed to the trees to stay in shape. Fortunately for us they aren’t normal, at all, and retired life won’t suit them for long.
Casey, Frank’s brother, his mother and stepdad have come to visit and….well never mind because that doesn’t matter at all. What does matter is that Casey meets the most debauched and coutur'd female in existence. Enter Bella, Frank’s sister, dripping from head to toe in Versace and weapons, she is the rudest, foulest, meanest, most wonderful character I’ve had the pleasure of falling for. Yep, you heard me, I fell for the female lead. Even more impossible is the dubious and unique pairing of Casey and Bella. For one minute I thought this het-couple might steal the show and I was worried because this is MY gay romance dammit.
OH Yeah. There is a huge, twisted mystery packed with murder, assassins, blood, death, sex and intrigue. In fact there’s so much going on in this story from every angle that it’s going to work your head. Most of this book reads like the exciting ending of other books. The energy and wit run throughout. Bring your thinking cap, ‘cus Ms. Castle is going to throw a lot your way.
THE WRITING
First off you need to know that this book is written with alternating POV’S which differs from Chance Assassin’s first person, present tense writing. This matters because it isn’t just Vincent’s thoughts that we need to see in this book. For me, it didn’t matter whether we were in V’s, Frank’s, Casey’s or Bella’s head, it was all great and I just wanted more of each one, unlike when an author slips you into a POV that you just don’t care about.
Secondly, and maybe more importantly, is how much this author has improved her writing. It’s miles beyond her work in the first book. Her already colorful characters are not only instantly memorable, but they’re also more endearing. Endearing assassins you say? Yes. I do say.
Lastly, I’m putting Nicole Castle on my quirky authors pedestal with my favorites, Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde. Her creation of outlandish assassins tearing at your heartstrings deserves no less.
~ ~ ~
I would like to thank Nicole Castle for providing me with an ARC/Review Copy in exchange for my honest review.
~ ~ ~
Take a look at my Male/Male Romance Book Blog:
http://www.attentionisarbitrary.com
February 9, 2015
DNF at 24%
So...after I gave this book the second chance....
Now it is officially:
I won't try it the third time.
You should pay me for it.
I liked the first book, Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder. A lot. Up to the 85%.
The rest 15% pissed me off.
I am not going to read a book that consists EXACTLY of the story that I DIDN'T LIKE AT ALL. I had a feeling, the author took these 15% from the first book, added more strange characters-as if it was already not enough!-and deepened the most uninteresting part of the plot! Grrrrrrr...WHY?!
Sometimes it is good to stop in time.
This book is an evidence for it.
I would recommend it only those readers who enjoyed the ending of Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder.
July 12, 2014
So...I don't know. Look, I loved the first one, even though it was disturbing, I really really liked it and I would recommend it.
This one, sigh...I knew with the retirement that there would be issues between Frank and V, and I was prepared for that, prepared for them to not be what they once were or trying to figure out where to go from there, but what I was not prepared for was Bella.
Bella is a selfish, immature, soul-sucking witch, I spent the first fifty percent of the book hoping someone would tie her to a chair, beat her within an inch of her life, make her watch while they broke the heels off her shoes and burned her clothes and then finally just fucking shoot her.
So yeah...Bella was a bit of an issue for me. And not just because she's so awful (cuz let's face it, V. is fucking psychotic), but not only was she more awful than the serial killers and psychopaths, she took away from my Frank and V time. I wanted them and she was simply not compelling enough for me to have to get her perspective every other chapter.
Now...I love Casey. I do. But again, Bella is not complicated or intriguing, so even though I love Casey, there isn't enough love in the world to make up for Bella in the first half of that book.
Now, I've ranted. The second half was great. I was feeling it. It took me weeks to get through the first 50% and I finished the second half today. It was more on point, it was my guys again and their psychotic, dysfunctional but totally addicting relationship and interactions, it was everything I wanted. So...maybe you won't mind Bella and you'll have no problems.
Overall 3 stars.
Issues: Bella, not enough V and Frank
I think Ms. Castle is a fantastic writer, she writes vivid, interesting and consistent characters. I will be reading more from her.
This one, sigh...I knew with the retirement that there would be issues between Frank and V, and I was prepared for that, prepared for them to not be what they once were or trying to figure out where to go from there, but what I was not prepared for was Bella.
Bella is a selfish, immature, soul-sucking witch, I spent the first fifty percent of the book hoping someone would tie her to a chair, beat her within an inch of her life, make her watch while they broke the heels off her shoes and burned her clothes and then finally just fucking shoot her.
So yeah...Bella was a bit of an issue for me. And not just because she's so awful (cuz let's face it, V. is fucking psychotic), but not only was she more awful than the serial killers and psychopaths, she took away from my Frank and V time. I wanted them and she was simply not compelling enough for me to have to get her perspective every other chapter.
Now...I love Casey. I do. But again, Bella is not complicated or intriguing, so even though I love Casey, there isn't enough love in the world to make up for Bella in the first half of that book.
Now, I've ranted. The second half was great. I was feeling it. It took me weeks to get through the first 50% and I finished the second half today. It was more on point, it was my guys again and their psychotic, dysfunctional but totally addicting relationship and interactions, it was everything I wanted. So...maybe you won't mind Bella and you'll have no problems.
Overall 3 stars.
Issues: Bella, not enough V and Frank
I think Ms. Castle is a fantastic writer, she writes vivid, interesting and consistent characters. I will be reading more from her.
December 12, 2015
Leaving this unrated for now. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, and I really wanted to love this too. So, am sad to say this was only disappointing to me. I struggled heavily for the first half of the book. I wanted way more action, for some interesting things to actually happen. But what really killed my remaining interest was how much page time the MF couple got in this book- I liked their brief appearances in the first book, but here they seemed like different characters to me. I just couldn't get into their POV chapters or the idea of them as a couple at all. I was wholly uninterested in seeing their whole storyline play out, when I would have preferred that time spent on Vincent and Frank, or just more action. In the end, I felt mostly bored for too long.
Sorry. :/
Sorry. :/
July 4, 2014
If Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino got married and made a filthy mouthed word baby, I’m almost certain it would come out looking like Les Recidivists, book two in the Chance Assassin series.
Les Rec scores another huge win for author Nicole Castle, as this installment reads something like a quirky family comedy—if by comedy it means the quirky family exists in a perfectly balanced union between committing mass murder and trying to avoid being executed in the most heinous possible way. Sometimes by each other. Who knew death and dismemberment could be so much fun? Not to mention fashionable.
One of the things I wasn’t expecting when I started reading Les Recidivists was the emergence of the side characters who were introduced briefly in Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder. There are parallel and intersecting storylines in this installment of the series that deliver the crazy in a fast paced, stylized, don’t blink or you’ll miss something—someone getting shot, stabbed, blown up, beaned, eye gouged in a cosmetic incident, things like that—way, and while I at first thought I was going to be disappointed by the author’s decision to let those side characters hog the spotlight, I was wrong. So very, very wrong to think it.
This book is a continuation of the slightly slantways romance of now husbands Frank Sullivan-Moreaux and Vincent Sullivan-Moreaux, to be sure, but with Casey Evans and Bella Moncrief thrown into the…romantic?… mix—in quite possibly the most insane matchmaking scheme ever—Frank and Vincent take on the added role of keepers and handlers in this murderous monkey cage of love. Frank tries to keep order, V just wants to stir up trouble and kill people, and their matrimonial bliss is now under considerable strain brought on by their retirement from the assassination biz, as well as the residual effects of Vincent’s injuries, injuries neither Frank nor Vincent can seem to quit blaming themselves for. Guilt really doesn’t make for a good threesome. It also doesn’t make for the kind of sex Vincent wants, because Frank is too busy treating V like he’s going to shatter into a million little pieces at any moment. Where’s a little autoerotic asphyxiation when a guy needs it?
Then the plot thickens…
So, Casey and Bella… they’re Frank’s surrogate brother and sister, how fun is that? Casey, the pansexual, wide-eyed, high hopes, everything is glitter and Technicolor glee, artist Casey. And Bella, the fudge you, you fudgety fudging fudgewad, I’ll blow your fudging head off but you better not get your brain on my shoes, assassin Bella (Only she didn’t say fudge. See: Scorsese/Tarantino word baby). I loved her. Theirs is a union of sugarplums and smoking guns (yes, there’s M/F sex in this one, for those of you who care), and watching these two fall in love was hysterical. Really, it was more like watching my belovedly flake-headed Casey repeatedly stick his tongue in a light socket, but then, miracle of miracles, the light socket decided not to fry his cranium.
And then these two gave my heart all the feels it could feel. It was not only unexpected but was also a lovely bonus to all the death and dismemberment.
Nicole Castle is a masterful storyteller. Just when you think Les Rec should be fined for disorderly conduct, everything gets wrapped up and strangled to within an inch of its perfect life, blissfully delivering Frank and Vincent—the dynamic duo of mischief, mayhem, and madness—back into the murder business, it would seem, which has left me with the hope that there will be more foul mouthed word babies coming soon to a shallow grave near me.
This author has written two books that have vaulted her onto my auto-buy list. They are laugh-out-loud funny one moment, mildly disturbing the next; then the next thing you know, your heart is in your throat. They both kept me turning page after page just to see which I’d feel next, and I was never disappointed. Other than when they ended.
Les Rec scores another huge win for author Nicole Castle, as this installment reads something like a quirky family comedy—if by comedy it means the quirky family exists in a perfectly balanced union between committing mass murder and trying to avoid being executed in the most heinous possible way. Sometimes by each other. Who knew death and dismemberment could be so much fun? Not to mention fashionable.
One of the things I wasn’t expecting when I started reading Les Recidivists was the emergence of the side characters who were introduced briefly in Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder. There are parallel and intersecting storylines in this installment of the series that deliver the crazy in a fast paced, stylized, don’t blink or you’ll miss something—someone getting shot, stabbed, blown up, beaned, eye gouged in a cosmetic incident, things like that—way, and while I at first thought I was going to be disappointed by the author’s decision to let those side characters hog the spotlight, I was wrong. So very, very wrong to think it.
This book is a continuation of the slightly slantways romance of now husbands Frank Sullivan-Moreaux and Vincent Sullivan-Moreaux, to be sure, but with Casey Evans and Bella Moncrief thrown into the…romantic?… mix—in quite possibly the most insane matchmaking scheme ever—Frank and Vincent take on the added role of keepers and handlers in this murderous monkey cage of love. Frank tries to keep order, V just wants to stir up trouble and kill people, and their matrimonial bliss is now under considerable strain brought on by their retirement from the assassination biz, as well as the residual effects of Vincent’s injuries, injuries neither Frank nor Vincent can seem to quit blaming themselves for. Guilt really doesn’t make for a good threesome. It also doesn’t make for the kind of sex Vincent wants, because Frank is too busy treating V like he’s going to shatter into a million little pieces at any moment. Where’s a little autoerotic asphyxiation when a guy needs it?
Then the plot thickens…
So, Casey and Bella… they’re Frank’s surrogate brother and sister, how fun is that? Casey, the pansexual, wide-eyed, high hopes, everything is glitter and Technicolor glee, artist Casey. And Bella, the fudge you, you fudgety fudging fudgewad, I’ll blow your fudging head off but you better not get your brain on my shoes, assassin Bella (Only she didn’t say fudge. See: Scorsese/Tarantino word baby). I loved her. Theirs is a union of sugarplums and smoking guns (yes, there’s M/F sex in this one, for those of you who care), and watching these two fall in love was hysterical. Really, it was more like watching my belovedly flake-headed Casey repeatedly stick his tongue in a light socket, but then, miracle of miracles, the light socket decided not to fry his cranium.
And then these two gave my heart all the feels it could feel. It was not only unexpected but was also a lovely bonus to all the death and dismemberment.
Nicole Castle is a masterful storyteller. Just when you think Les Rec should be fined for disorderly conduct, everything gets wrapped up and strangled to within an inch of its perfect life, blissfully delivering Frank and Vincent—the dynamic duo of mischief, mayhem, and madness—back into the murder business, it would seem, which has left me with the hope that there will be more foul mouthed word babies coming soon to a shallow grave near me.
This author has written two books that have vaulted her onto my auto-buy list. They are laugh-out-loud funny one moment, mildly disturbing the next; then the next thing you know, your heart is in your throat. They both kept me turning page after page just to see which I’d feel next, and I was never disappointed. Other than when they ended.
June 20, 2014
I have to say that I’m surprised by both Miss Castle, and myself when I read her work. If anybody had told me before the Chance Assassin series that I would end up adoring two sociopathic murderers, I would just worry about them. But, it’s happened.
Unlike the first book, the sequel picks up at a point in Frank and V’s relationship where not everything is perfect. They couldn’t be doing worse after retiring from the life of assassins, and to make their situation more fun they end up having to deal with Frank’s former partner Bella returning while they have his family visiting from the States.
The characters held over well from the first book to this one, I adored getting more info on Frank, and as always, Vincent’s mouth is a liability.
What was impressive was that everything that happened in LR felt necessary for the characters involved. Frank and V are forced to confront each other over issues that they’ve left unresolved, and they have to deal with many that they never thought that they’d have. Their relationship moved from lusty teenager adoration into an actual relationship, one with problems that can include anything from a broken sink to whose turn it is to bury their victims. What’s not to love?
This book may not be for everybody. Anybody who can’t deal with gleeful murder scenes, rough sex, silent arguments, or Czech footwear will be very disappointed.
Unlike the first book, the sequel picks up at a point in Frank and V’s relationship where not everything is perfect. They couldn’t be doing worse after retiring from the life of assassins, and to make their situation more fun they end up having to deal with Frank’s former partner Bella returning while they have his family visiting from the States.
The characters held over well from the first book to this one, I adored getting more info on Frank, and as always, Vincent’s mouth is a liability.
What was impressive was that everything that happened in LR felt necessary for the characters involved. Frank and V are forced to confront each other over issues that they’ve left unresolved, and they have to deal with many that they never thought that they’d have. Their relationship moved from lusty teenager adoration into an actual relationship, one with problems that can include anything from a broken sink to whose turn it is to bury their victims. What’s not to love?
This book may not be for everybody. Anybody who can’t deal with gleeful murder scenes, rough sex, silent arguments, or Czech footwear will be very disappointed.
August 19, 2014
Good gad, what an awful book. It was infuriating. I made it up to 60% before I threw in the towel. Bella is the worst female character I have ever read and everything I loved about the first book was conspicuously absent. Lena_Ribka said everything I wanted to say about this godawful mess. Read her review if you loved the first book and want to know why you shouldn't read this one.
Want to read
April 23, 2014Holy Shit! It's here, it's finally here!!!
Well, not quite, but soooon.
Well, not quite, but soooon.
October 19, 2014
2.5 stars.
The blurb is missleading, the book is not about Vincent and Frank, but about Casey and Bella.
Who are, to put it with Bella's words, plain fucking boring.
I did loved (loved, loved LOVED) Chance Assassin and was really happy to read, that the author would write a sequel. Now I kinda wish, I wouldn't have read this, because the book was really disappointing.
While I like Casey, I find him to less interesting for a bigger story. He is the nice sidecharacter who you like, when he appears, but not have much own character to drive a plot (although you can argue that the book has not much plot to begin with).
However Bella... Bella is just annoying. She is a whiny, egocentric woman, trapped in the mind of a little girl, whose only interests lies in shopping designer-clothes. Nothing more.
They love-relationship is unbelievable and were going on my nerves, because it is just "you are fucking hot" from Caseys side (the reason he falls in love with her - she is hot. Great.) and "you don't stop stalking and talking to me, although I treat you like shit" from Bellas side.
They both have no chemistry, nothing. Nada, niente, nix.
It is very rare, that I skip pages or scenes, the most time I am unabble to do it, I clench my teeth and fight through it, but here I DID skip scenes, because they were so boring and annoying. I couldn't really stand this couple.
Besides the plot of the book does not arrive until 45% of the book, it disappears between 60 and 70% again, but then it was nice.
Only that, the books deserves 1 star.
Which rescues the book were Vincent and Frank, who are sidecharacters in their own book. And that is sad, because their relationship is suffering and it is handled like a sidestory that isn't very important. The ending of their storypart was kinda rushed (because too much time for Bella and Casey), which was sad. The solution of their problems came kinda fast after most of their storyline Frank denies exactly that. They deserved more.
I did like the other sidecharacters, especially Silva, who was really nice written, and Deaglan. I did hope to spend more time with these two characters, and that they would have been more expanded, but sadly no. Joe too was an interessting character which I like.
Overall the plot, when it cames was really great, but sadly rushed. It could have been much much more, but it was sacrificed on the altar of the relationship of Bella and Casey (which is basically "I want to fuck" and more fuck-speaking from Bella. And throwing designer labels through the book).
I read the author plans to write two more books and to be honest, I will not read them, if they focus again on Bella and Casey. The author lost me as an auto-buy reader, I will wait for reviews how the books are and will decide then.
The blurb is missleading, the book is not about Vincent and Frank, but about Casey and Bella.
Who are, to put it with Bella's words, plain fucking boring.
I did loved (loved, loved LOVED) Chance Assassin and was really happy to read, that the author would write a sequel. Now I kinda wish, I wouldn't have read this, because the book was really disappointing.
While I like Casey, I find him to less interesting for a bigger story. He is the nice sidecharacter who you like, when he appears, but not have much own character to drive a plot (although you can argue that the book has not much plot to begin with).
However Bella... Bella is just annoying. She is a whiny, egocentric woman, trapped in the mind of a little girl, whose only interests lies in shopping designer-clothes. Nothing more.
They love-relationship is unbelievable and were going on my nerves, because it is just "you are fucking hot" from Caseys side (the reason he falls in love with her - she is hot. Great.) and "you don't stop stalking and talking to me, although I treat you like shit" from Bellas side.
They both have no chemistry, nothing. Nada, niente, nix.
It is very rare, that I skip pages or scenes, the most time I am unabble to do it, I clench my teeth and fight through it, but here I DID skip scenes, because they were so boring and annoying. I couldn't really stand this couple.
Besides the plot of the book does not arrive until 45% of the book, it disappears between 60 and 70% again, but then it was nice.
Only that, the books deserves 1 star.
Which rescues the book were Vincent and Frank, who are sidecharacters in their own book. And that is sad, because their relationship is suffering and it is handled like a sidestory that isn't very important. The ending of their storypart was kinda rushed (because too much time for Bella and Casey), which was sad. The solution of their problems came kinda fast after most of their storyline Frank denies exactly that. They deserved more.
I did like the other sidecharacters, especially Silva, who was really nice written, and Deaglan. I did hope to spend more time with these two characters, and that they would have been more expanded, but sadly no. Joe too was an interessting character which I like.
Overall the plot, when it cames was really great, but sadly rushed. It could have been much much more, but it was sacrificed on the altar of the relationship of Bella and Casey (which is basically "I want to fuck" and more fuck-speaking from Bella. And throwing designer labels through the book).
I read the author plans to write two more books and to be honest, I will not read them, if they focus again on Bella and Casey. The author lost me as an auto-buy reader, I will wait for reviews how the books are and will decide then.
September 13, 2014
DNF.
I LOVED the first book. What the hell happened here?
I HATE Bella. I HATE Casey. I could give two shits about either of them, let alone their "love story".
I came for the depravity, sex, and love between Frank and Vincent, and at this point, they think/talk about sex more than we actually see any on the page.
I'm bored and I don't care about what the author clearly thinks is the real story of book 2.
I've been told that if you make it to the 50% mark, it gets better, but who has time for this shit? I'm bailing.
I LOVED the first book. What the hell happened here?
I HATE Bella. I HATE Casey. I could give two shits about either of them, let alone their "love story".
I came for the depravity, sex, and love between Frank and Vincent, and at this point, they think/talk about sex more than we actually see any on the page.
I'm bored and I don't care about what the author clearly thinks is the real story of book 2.
I've been told that if you make it to the 50% mark, it gets better, but who has time for this shit? I'm bailing.
Read
April 18, 2014Do you remember this little darling?
Well, book two is just around the corner. Woot!
We'll have more info at The Blog soon. :)
Well, book two is just around the corner. Woot!
We'll have more info at The Blog soon. :)
November 16, 2017
An enjoyable sequel to Castle's first book in this four book series Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder. Here we have the continuing (mis)adventures with Frank and Victor, although those misadventures are happening when they are *supposed* to be retired from the assassin business (to Victor's chagrin. He much preferred offing people.)
The biggest difference between this book and Chance Assassin is the added POVs. The first book is told solely from Victor's first person POV (biting, fast, and sometimes very hilarious and almost always self-centered) and this sequel is split between four POVs. We still have Victor's 1st person thoughts (thankfully, since Castle really nailed his speedy thought train), and now also Frank, Bella, and Casey's 3rd person perspectives.
I like Bella and Casey, but felt more lukewarm to their perspective inclusions. (Although Bella is so fascinating when she drops little truths between her acerbic barbs.)
For me, this series is totally the V and Frank show, so prefer to be in their heads.
At over 400 pages, and with the 4 POVs, it also felt *long*, and probably a heartless editor could have been helpful to tighten things up here and there.
Even though I kinda wished for this to be tighter, Castle really blows me away with her writing. It's just really *sharp* while at the same time very layered and rich with characterization. It reads fast, but also immersive, and I'm just a Big Fan of her style and the care that she inserts into her writing that gives so much life to these characters. (It's like they will literally walk off the page, or speed off it in a half-burnt Mercedes that's stuffed with couture fashion and switched-out licence plates.)
Overall, it's an enjoyable continuation, and if you liked book 1, then run, don't walk to this follow-up. (And heads-up, there's more after this.)
(Psst- this also ends well, if you're a nervous reader like me. No cliffhanger.)
The biggest difference between this book and Chance Assassin is the added POVs. The first book is told solely from Victor's first person POV (biting, fast, and sometimes very hilarious and almost always self-centered) and this sequel is split between four POVs. We still have Victor's 1st person thoughts (thankfully, since Castle really nailed his speedy thought train), and now also Frank, Bella, and Casey's 3rd person perspectives.
I like Bella and Casey, but felt more lukewarm to their perspective inclusions. (Although Bella is so fascinating when she drops little truths between her acerbic barbs.)
For me, this series is totally the V and Frank show, so prefer to be in their heads.
At over 400 pages, and with the 4 POVs, it also felt *long*, and probably a heartless editor could have been helpful to tighten things up here and there.
Even though I kinda wished for this to be tighter, Castle really blows me away with her writing. It's just really *sharp* while at the same time very layered and rich with characterization. It reads fast, but also immersive, and I'm just a Big Fan of her style and the care that she inserts into her writing that gives so much life to these characters. (It's like they will literally walk off the page, or speed off it in a half-burnt Mercedes that's stuffed with couture fashion and switched-out licence plates.)
Overall, it's an enjoyable continuation, and if you liked book 1, then run, don't walk to this follow-up. (And heads-up, there's more after this.)
(Psst- this also ends well, if you're a nervous reader like me. No cliffhanger.)
November 3, 2014
A different weaving than the first, with a wider array of character voices and a deeper view into the violent world of the professional hitman. glorious in its telling even if some characters voices were a bit drowned out by others (then again... I'm such a fan of Vincent that i find myself skipping ahead to his parts when i reread this one, i adore that vain little brat! so i guess that may make me biased on that note...) anyways if you enjoyed the first book then you should immediately read this one as well, it picks up neatly a few years after the first one and slowly draws Vincent and Frank out of their redundancy and back into the tumult of bloodshed and violence, only this time they find themselves the target of a personal vendetta. Vincent has done a bit of growing up since the first book... but only a little... age and pain doing nothing to quash his naturally obstinate personality. minor characters in the first book become major characters in this one, giving new angles and emotions and flavors and making everything that should be simple and commonplace completely chaotic. a delicious read and a perfect continuation, though if you haven't read the first book (chance assassin, a story of love luck and murder) than you should definitely read that one first before giving this book a try!
Read
January 28, 2015I had to DNF this one.. It headed toward direction I personally didn't care for, it's just more satirical and silly read. I love Castle at her darkest..like she did in Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder or Greatest Hits.
Bring on the assassins!
Bring on the assassins!
January 21, 2019
The relationship between Frank and Vincent is starting to frustrate me. Vincent constantly complains that everyone is treating him like a kid, everyone expect his husband that is yet his husband treats him like a kid the most and he just doesn't see it. It's just a tad uncomfortable to see this almost 40 year old man treat his 20 year old husband in such a way. Even worse is when Vincent says he wears the pants in the relationship, it's like really dude? do you?
On re-read: Had this continued to be entirely from Vincent's perspective, I would have preferred it more.
On re-read: Had this continued to be entirely from Vincent's perspective, I would have preferred it more.
September 26, 2014
Is it wrong of me to wish Bella had gotten shot and Deaglan remained alive? This book was entirely too hard to get through considering how much I loved the first one. Too much Casey and Bella! I don't think I'll be giving the next ones a chance unless they get some awesome reviews.
July 27, 2014
Très ingénieux!!!
October 14, 2016
Sadly, this failed to be as entertaining as it was trying to be.
There was a lot of posturing from everyone, pretending to be ruthless assassins with a sense of humour. I guess they kept joking about using knives, guns or any weapon, to do each other harm because they were confident in their skills and abilities to defend themselves. I wasn't. And I didn't find some of the situations as funny as they were trying to be.
Up next: out of order ramblings on the book.
Everyone treated Vincent like a fragile baby and that is how he was portrayed. Pouting, making jokes at every opportunity. There was too much book space given to Casey and Bella. A paragraph would have sufficed to get them together without having to sit through endless chapters of them courting each other. I got that Casey was an air-headed marshmallow and so sweet and sunny no killer could resist him. It got nauseating to have it repeated over and over. I got that Bella was this tough Irish chick, trigger happy and impassioned fashionista. It got nauseating to have it repeated over and over. And let's be real, no one would act as dismissively as she did in a house full of psychotic killers and live to tell the tale. And even harder to believe such opposites as Bella and Casey have a chance at staying together. For half the book, I kept thinking Alan was the mysterious client wanting Gideon dead (it made sense at the time, believing Alan wanted Casey away from legal influence so he could get all the money from his paintings). Then, towards the end of the book, I kept fearfully turning the page, expecting a surprise attack from Malkolm and his crew. But they just casually strolled to the house and split up to be killed more easily. I made a mountain out of a molehill with how deceitful and cunning the bad guys could be. I still don't get how Silva orchestrated the whole plot just to get Frank to visit and kill him.
Bottom line. I was infuriated with the atmosphere of the book. Where was the gritty feel of the first novel? I didn't want to be reassured, I didn't want to gag at the play by play romance between Casey and Bella. I didn't want every character to have their say in the book. I wanted V's point of view alone. I wanted action and adrenaline, unknown assailants and dangers, mad chases through Europe to save lives. I wanted more attention on the evolving relationship between Frank and Vincent. The events in Prague and their subsequent consequences were definitely not enough to make up for the other failings of the book. Weak.
There was a lot of posturing from everyone, pretending to be ruthless assassins with a sense of humour. I guess they kept joking about using knives, guns or any weapon, to do each other harm because they were confident in their skills and abilities to defend themselves. I wasn't. And I didn't find some of the situations as funny as they were trying to be.
Up next: out of order ramblings on the book.
Everyone treated Vincent like a fragile baby and that is how he was portrayed. Pouting, making jokes at every opportunity. There was too much book space given to Casey and Bella. A paragraph would have sufficed to get them together without having to sit through endless chapters of them courting each other. I got that Casey was an air-headed marshmallow and so sweet and sunny no killer could resist him. It got nauseating to have it repeated over and over. I got that Bella was this tough Irish chick, trigger happy and impassioned fashionista. It got nauseating to have it repeated over and over. And let's be real, no one would act as dismissively as she did in a house full of psychotic killers and live to tell the tale. And even harder to believe such opposites as Bella and Casey have a chance at staying together. For half the book, I kept thinking Alan was the mysterious client wanting Gideon dead (it made sense at the time, believing Alan wanted Casey away from legal influence so he could get all the money from his paintings). Then, towards the end of the book, I kept fearfully turning the page, expecting a surprise attack from Malkolm and his crew. But they just casually strolled to the house and split up to be killed more easily. I made a mountain out of a molehill with how deceitful and cunning the bad guys could be. I still don't get how Silva orchestrated the whole plot just to get Frank to visit and kill him.
Bottom line. I was infuriated with the atmosphere of the book. Where was the gritty feel of the first novel? I didn't want to be reassured, I didn't want to gag at the play by play romance between Casey and Bella. I didn't want every character to have their say in the book. I wanted V's point of view alone. I wanted action and adrenaline, unknown assailants and dangers, mad chases through Europe to save lives. I wanted more attention on the evolving relationship between Frank and Vincent. The events in Prague and their subsequent consequences were definitely not enough to make up for the other failings of the book. Weak.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2016
Frank and Vincent remind me of my husband and myself. He is tall and dark, shy, uncertain around others, awkward and far more sweet and romantic than other people think. I'm impulsive, explosive, rather spoiled, and proud. Everyone assumes I'm the one in charge, but it's largely because he is content to let me have my way, only putting his foot down when it's important... or fun. ;)
But, enough over-sharing about my love life, this book was another fun glimpse into the bloody, violent lives of professional assassination. I wanted to cheer in the final climax when I realized who the hero of the day would be. I enjoy the laissez faire with which the assassins view the tumult and bloodshed, it being just another day at the office. I'm now debating whether I should start reading the third book in the series, or not, considering it is already nearly 3am... a few chapters won't hurt, right?
But, enough over-sharing about my love life, this book was another fun glimpse into the bloody, violent lives of professional assassination. I wanted to cheer in the final climax when I realized who the hero of the day would be. I enjoy the laissez faire with which the assassins view the tumult and bloodshed, it being just another day at the office. I'm now debating whether I should start reading the third book in the series, or not, considering it is already nearly 3am... a few chapters won't hurt, right?
April 12, 2021
4 stars
Re-read June 2018: I don’t know why I like Frank and Vincent so much. They really are horrible people. Except they love each other in this weirdly profound way that it makes me happy. Plus, they have this honour among thieves thing that really only works in stories, but still manages to make them hard to hate. Go figure.
Much like book one, this story is still violent and still not for everyone. But I still loved it.
Re-read June 2018: I don’t know why I like Frank and Vincent so much. They really are horrible people. Except they love each other in this weirdly profound way that it makes me happy. Plus, they have this honour among thieves thing that really only works in stories, but still manages to make them hard to hate. Go figure.
Much like book one, this story is still violent and still not for everyone. But I still loved it.
August 29, 2017
really enjoyed reading this book, very well thought out and detailed characters and plot. way funny quirks and surprising twists and turns! would definitely read again! different than the first book, but just as wonderful to me.
Want to read
November 9, 2015Free again today, 11/8/15!
August 13, 2015
WOW....what a wacky freaky fun read!!!!
dark but so so funny can't wait to see what more fun and trouble these two get up to.....
dark but so so funny can't wait to see what more fun and trouble these two get up to.....
March 20, 2019
I loved the first installment in this series. I couldn't wait to get stuck in with frank and V. I loved them. But this novel was told from Bella and Casey's perspective as well.
It was fine the first two times...but after that it really annoyed me. I didnt care for them. Their story could have been told from V's perspective. I started skipping their parts and that pissed me off...bella was very unlikeable and casey was extremely naive. Was he really 25? He acted 16yro. Bella had no redeeming qualities. She was a raving bitch and i hated reading her story. Plus the only reason casey liked her was for her appearance. The end. Nothing else.
She treated him like dirt, was hot and cold with him...yet somehow he still ended up falling in love with her? How? Because she looks good? Despite being a selfish psychopath that was hired to kill his dad. Which didnt faze him. He still wanted her....again because "Bella is really pretty". I started disliking casey alot more by then. He was so idiotic.
I felt cheated...i bought this book to read about frank and V, not characters i didnt care for. It made me fucking mad. The blurb was so misleading!
So much ranting about a couple that should have been secondary characters in this book.
It was fine the first two times...but after that it really annoyed me. I didnt care for them. Their story could have been told from V's perspective. I started skipping their parts and that pissed me off...bella was very unlikeable and casey was extremely naive. Was he really 25? He acted 16yro. Bella had no redeeming qualities. She was a raving bitch and i hated reading her story. Plus the only reason casey liked her was for her appearance. The end. Nothing else.
She treated him like dirt, was hot and cold with him...yet somehow he still ended up falling in love with her? How? Because she looks good? Despite being a selfish psychopath that was hired to kill his dad. Which didnt faze him. He still wanted her....again because "Bella is really pretty". I started disliking casey alot more by then. He was so idiotic.
I felt cheated...i bought this book to read about frank and V, not characters i didnt care for. It made me fucking mad. The blurb was so misleading!
So much ranting about a couple that should have been secondary characters in this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2018
I loved the first installment of this series, and this was a little bit of a let-down. Vincent and Frank are not the only main characters in this story which would've been fine if I could find it in me to give a damn about Bella or Casey. Their story only felt like a huge distraction from the people I really wanted to read about.
I like the fact that Vincent's injury is not brushed over and that it has real consequences for him and Frank. It feels real and raw. I just wish it, and they, had been given more attention.
I like the fact that Vincent's injury is not brushed over and that it has real consequences for him and Frank. It feels real and raw. I just wish it, and they, had been given more attention.
January 9, 2016
Enjoying this series!
I am so enjoying this series...I love all the characters..I like this book because u hear the voices of all characters and their take if what's going on... Vincent and Casey are my favorites....Vincent with his humor and Casey with his innocence...and please let's not forget about Bella!! Off to book 3!!!
I am so enjoying this series...I love all the characters..I like this book because u hear the voices of all characters and their take if what's going on... Vincent and Casey are my favorites....Vincent with his humor and Casey with his innocence...and please let's not forget about Bella!! Off to book 3!!!
Want to read
July 26, 2014Free on Amazon this weekend 7/26/14
http://www.amazon.com/Recidivists-Cha...
http://www.amazon.com/Recidivists-Cha...
June 14, 2019
Ugh. I am so mad right now. How the hell did Nicole Castle manage to fuck up this perfectly wonderful series?!
I was so looking forward to more Vincent and Frank ! Instead, what I got was an entire (!) book about Bella and Casey, who are easily the most unlikeable characters ever. I absolutely despised them. Oh so perfect Casey who is loved by literally everone already annoyed me when he had a brief appearance in Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder; and he was even worse this time round. And Bella... What a bitch! I was constantly hoping that Frank or Vincent would kill her (oh please, please, please!). I honestly don't get why they didn't. I also honestly didn't give a shit about what designer she was wearing.
It was cringeworthy enough to see them describing themselves as so very fucking perfect, but why did both Frank and Vincent have to be so fond of them as well?! Just no. Not to mention that they had no chemistry whatsoever.
They both had so many extreme mood swings I'm still feeling the whiplash. Like, literally crying and having a hysterical meltdown one second and then being crazily happy again the next. What the fuck?! Most of the time I didn't even know where they were coming from or why they were happy or sad or both at the same time?
And the whole thing?! I mean, are you fucking kidding me?!
But even apart from Casey and Bella, I found most of the secondary characters incredibly obnoxious and as for the numerous assassins, I couldn't even keep track or tell them apart, not gonna lie.
Plus, the smoking had already bothered me in "Chance Assassin", and it was even worse this time. So disgusting.
The only character who managed to save this book in the few chapters that were dedicated to him was my favorite badass psycho Vincent, bless him. He is literally the only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars after all, even though they're not deserved. If it wasn't for the fantastic reviews for the third installment in the series, The Inauspicious List, I swear I would have DNFed this book. I might change my rating to 1 star a bit later on, I still need to think on it.
It is truly shocking how much Vincent relishes in his fantasies of killing people - and yet, that's what makes him so unique and I love him for it. It's weird, I know. Someone wrote in their review that "Vincent is funny in a way that shouldn't be funny", and I couldn't agree more. I am enjoing every single moment in that sick head of his.
It was also lovely to see how dependent Frank is on Vincent. Another user wrote, "I don't know why I like Frank and Vincent so much. They really are horrible people. Except they love each other in this weirdly profound way that makes me happy." That is so accurate.
And it also made the fact that there were such obvious issues in their relationship that much more painful. The rougher aspects in their relationship had always bothered me a bit, but now that Vincent is kind of handicapped and they can't go at it like they used to anymore, it kind of breaks my heart. Vincent is so sad about it and truly grieving their former sex life, and those scenes were so emotional and very touching to read. Yes, it was a bit too rough for my taste, but at the same time, it was such an essential part of their relationship and it was just so them. I really need them to be happy again, so please tell me that there'll be some sort of magical cure for Vincent's health issues. I like that there were long lasting consequences of what had happened to Vincent at the end of book #1, but I just can't take it anymore. I need my happy and healthy Vincent back!
What really annoyed me though was that everyone was treating Vincent like a child, including Frank who was such a condesending ass at times.
Really hoping for more of Vincent being murderous and no Casey and Bella in the next book! Please don't disappoint me.
I was so looking forward to more Vincent and Frank ! Instead, what I got was an entire (!) book about Bella and Casey, who are easily the most unlikeable characters ever. I absolutely despised them. Oh so perfect Casey who is loved by literally everone already annoyed me when he had a brief appearance in Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder; and he was even worse this time round. And Bella... What a bitch! I was constantly hoping that Frank or Vincent would kill her (oh please, please, please!). I honestly don't get why they didn't. I also honestly didn't give a shit about what designer she was wearing.
It was cringeworthy enough to see them describing themselves as so very fucking perfect, but why did both Frank and Vincent have to be so fond of them as well?! Just no. Not to mention that they had no chemistry whatsoever.
They both had so many extreme mood swings I'm still feeling the whiplash. Like, literally crying and having a hysterical meltdown one second and then being crazily happy again the next. What the fuck?! Most of the time I didn't even know where they were coming from or why they were happy or sad or both at the same time?
And the whole thing?! I mean, are you fucking kidding me?!
But even apart from Casey and Bella, I found most of the secondary characters incredibly obnoxious and as for the numerous assassins, I couldn't even keep track or tell them apart, not gonna lie.
Plus, the smoking had already bothered me in "Chance Assassin", and it was even worse this time. So disgusting.
The only character who managed to save this book in the few chapters that were dedicated to him was my favorite badass psycho Vincent, bless him. He is literally the only reason I'm giving this book 2 stars after all, even though they're not deserved. If it wasn't for the fantastic reviews for the third installment in the series, The Inauspicious List, I swear I would have DNFed this book. I might change my rating to 1 star a bit later on, I still need to think on it.
It is truly shocking how much Vincent relishes in his fantasies of killing people - and yet, that's what makes him so unique and I love him for it. It's weird, I know. Someone wrote in their review that "Vincent is funny in a way that shouldn't be funny", and I couldn't agree more. I am enjoing every single moment in that sick head of his.
It was also lovely to see how dependent Frank is on Vincent. Another user wrote, "I don't know why I like Frank and Vincent so much. They really are horrible people. Except they love each other in this weirdly profound way that makes me happy." That is so accurate.
And it also made the fact that there were such obvious issues in their relationship that much more painful. The rougher aspects in their relationship had always bothered me a bit, but now that Vincent is kind of handicapped and they can't go at it like they used to anymore, it kind of breaks my heart. Vincent is so sad about it and truly grieving their former sex life, and those scenes were so emotional and very touching to read. Yes, it was a bit too rough for my taste, but at the same time, it was such an essential part of their relationship and it was just so them. I really need them to be happy again, so please tell me that there'll be some sort of magical cure for Vincent's health issues. I like that there were long lasting consequences of what had happened to Vincent at the end of book #1, but I just can't take it anymore. I need my happy and healthy Vincent back!
What really annoyed me though was that everyone was treating Vincent like a child, including Frank who was such a condesending ass at times.
Really hoping for more of Vincent being murderous and no Casey and Bella in the next book! Please don't disappoint me.
May 20, 2019
As the second novel in the series, I was excited to read and left somewhat disappointed, it suffers from 2nd movie syndrom. There was an incredible amount of potential to really flesh out the world the characters live in, and address character development and backstories and I felt like it just didn't go deep enough. I think the biggest issue with this book and something that would have improved it to a 5 star, is the lack of a solid editor. There were some awkward sentences, a typo or two and at times the writing was just amateurish. Not as bad as book 3 (which was a disappointment in general) but enough to mark it as a departure from the first book. Overall I do really love V's narration and POV. He's FUNNY in a way that maybe shouldn't always be funny but his flaws and immaturity can be entertaining. He lacks adult sophistication in many ways and that comes across in his voice (as well as Bella's) but overall I still felt that the first book was much better in regards to the characters.
The strength (and weakness) of Castle's books are the characters. Frank and V continue to be fascinating in their flavour of psychopathy. No idea if that's the correct term for their sort of murder-committing, but whatever. I really liked the idea of following them in their retirement and thought it was excellent that Castle explored the the relationship tensions following V's injuries at the end of the first book. How a relationship change and suffer under traumatic situations and subsequent disability was a great theme in the book although I don't think it ever really got beyond surface level.
The female characters are problematic in a way that really hurt this book for me. Bella was little more than a painful caricature. I wanted to like her and just found her Irritating and had complete disbelief that Frank would have such a close relationship with her. There are a lot of fantastic elements to this series and this was the one I couldn't accept. Most of Bella's scenes just took me out of the book. At times when they did hint at her mental health and Other Issues (murder lifestyle fallout) I could see the start of a legitimately fascinating female character who deserves her own story, but it never really developed properly, even towards the end when her over-the-top behaviour calmed to realistic levels. It was really just painful and felt like a character a male author would write as a joke although I could SEE the potential that just wasn't quite developed. Bella's arc was the part of the book that really needed an editor and would have been powerfully strong if it'd had that.
Maggie was essentially nothing but a plot device to be pitted against Bella and fuss as a mother most of the book. I would have actually liked to have learned something about her and how she as a 'normal' law abiding person married to a powerful lawyer calmly rationalizes Frank's lifestyle as an Assassin. But we didn't go there. As a backgroung character I wasn't as annoyed by her treatment as Bella's, but it was still a detail that made me notice the only two women (and I guess Sophie the plot device at the end) were badly used.
I feel like this could have been a really good book plot wise. There was enough backstory available to properly develop and explore Silva's motivations but again, it just didn't go for it. If it had been developed more, had a good editor, I really think this would have been a 4 star book. It wasn't bad enough that I didn't read the subsequent book because I do really love Frank and V and tend to like books driven by character. Most of my disappointments in this book are because of the potential being there. You can see it. Its there. But Castle just doesn't quite grab it and use it as well as she could.
The strength (and weakness) of Castle's books are the characters. Frank and V continue to be fascinating in their flavour of psychopathy. No idea if that's the correct term for their sort of murder-committing, but whatever. I really liked the idea of following them in their retirement and thought it was excellent that Castle explored the the relationship tensions following V's injuries at the end of the first book. How a relationship change and suffer under traumatic situations and subsequent disability was a great theme in the book although I don't think it ever really got beyond surface level.
The female characters are problematic in a way that really hurt this book for me. Bella was little more than a painful caricature. I wanted to like her and just found her Irritating and had complete disbelief that Frank would have such a close relationship with her. There are a lot of fantastic elements to this series and this was the one I couldn't accept. Most of Bella's scenes just took me out of the book. At times when they did hint at her mental health and Other Issues (murder lifestyle fallout) I could see the start of a legitimately fascinating female character who deserves her own story, but it never really developed properly, even towards the end when her over-the-top behaviour calmed to realistic levels. It was really just painful and felt like a character a male author would write as a joke although I could SEE the potential that just wasn't quite developed. Bella's arc was the part of the book that really needed an editor and would have been powerfully strong if it'd had that.
Maggie was essentially nothing but a plot device to be pitted against Bella and fuss as a mother most of the book. I would have actually liked to have learned something about her and how she as a 'normal' law abiding person married to a powerful lawyer calmly rationalizes Frank's lifestyle as an Assassin. But we didn't go there. As a backgroung character I wasn't as annoyed by her treatment as Bella's, but it was still a detail that made me notice the only two women (and I guess Sophie the plot device at the end) were badly used.
I feel like this could have been a really good book plot wise. There was enough backstory available to properly develop and explore Silva's motivations but again, it just didn't go for it. If it had been developed more, had a good editor, I really think this would have been a 4 star book. It wasn't bad enough that I didn't read the subsequent book because I do really love Frank and V and tend to like books driven by character. Most of my disappointments in this book are because of the potential being there. You can see it. Its there. But Castle just doesn't quite grab it and use it as well as she could.
December 29, 2019
This was so much fun to read. I was afraid that by having more perspectives it wouldn’t be as amusing as the first book, but it was.
My complaint: if I’m reading a m/m book, I want for the m/m couple to be the important one, not the m/f couple as it is in here. Yes, I loved Bella so fucking much, but I couldn’t care less about her and Casey’s relationship. I ended up skipping their chapters at some point, and I pray that the next books don’t focus on them at all.
If we’re mostly told and not showed Frank and V’s relationship in Chance Assassin, in Les Recidivists we get to read about it even less, and yet, those few moments they had I adored. I also felt the characters were darker than before, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Overall the book kind of disappointed and bored me but I still enjoyed it a lot. I’m reading the next one immediately.
My complaint: if I’m reading a m/m book, I want for the m/m couple to be the important one, not the m/f couple as it is in here. Yes, I loved Bella so fucking much, but I couldn’t care less about her and Casey’s relationship. I ended up skipping their chapters at some point, and I pray that the next books don’t focus on them at all.
If we’re mostly told and not showed Frank and V’s relationship in Chance Assassin, in Les Recidivists we get to read about it even less, and yet, those few moments they had I adored. I also felt the characters were darker than before, which is exactly what I was looking for.
Overall the book kind of disappointed and bored me but I still enjoyed it a lot. I’m reading the next one immediately.
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