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Wicked #1
Wicked Game
One By One, They’ll Die…
Twenty years ago, wild child Jessie Brentwood vanished from St. Elizabeth’s high school. Most in Jessie’s tight circle of friends believed she simply ran away. Few suspected that Jessie was hiding a shocking secret-one that brought her into the crosshairs of a vicious killer…
Until There’s No One Left…
Two decades pass before a body is unearthed on school grounds and Jessie’s old friends reunite to talk. Most are sure that the body is Jessie’s, that the mystery of what happened to her has finally been solved. But soon, Jessie’s friends each begin to die in horrible, freak accidents that defy explanation…
But Her…
Becca Sutcliff has been haunted for years by unsettling visions of Jessie, certain her friend met with a grisly end. Now the latest deaths have her rattled. Becca can sense that an evil force is shadowing her too, waiting for just the right moment to strike. She feels like she’s going crazy. Is it all a coincidence-or has Jessie’s killer finally returned to finish what was started all those years ago?
Twenty years ago, wild child Jessie Brentwood vanished from St. Elizabeth’s high school. Most in Jessie’s tight circle of friends believed she simply ran away. Few suspected that Jessie was hiding a shocking secret-one that brought her into the crosshairs of a vicious killer…
Until There’s No One Left…
Two decades pass before a body is unearthed on school grounds and Jessie’s old friends reunite to talk. Most are sure that the body is Jessie’s, that the mystery of what happened to her has finally been solved. But soon, Jessie’s friends each begin to die in horrible, freak accidents that defy explanation…
But Her…
Becca Sutcliff has been haunted for years by unsettling visions of Jessie, certain her friend met with a grisly end. Now the latest deaths have her rattled. Becca can sense that an evil force is shadowing her too, waiting for just the right moment to strike. She feels like she’s going crazy. Is it all a coincidence-or has Jessie’s killer finally returned to finish what was started all those years ago?
514 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
2525 people are currently reading
6260 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Jackson
271 books9,489 followersLisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of over ninety-five novels, including the Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya Series, the Pescoli and Alvarez Series, the Savannah series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of One Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Colony Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Nancy Bush, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan. There are over thirty million copies of her novels in print and her writing has been translated into twenty languages.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 440 reviews
October 20, 2015
Ehhhh. I love mysteries and thrillers, but I found this book repetitive, confusing, and many parts and characters unnecessary. It begins with a teenage girl murdered in a maze, and her boyfriend and friends all suspects. Flashforward twenty years, the cop working the case and uber fucking creepy hot for dead girl is still hopeful he can solve the case. Did I mention he was creepy? SO FUCKING CREEPY. Oh but I mentioned her friends as suspects, right? Well don't worry about remembering too many of them, because I honestly don't know what purpose some of them had. What a waste. Add on the fact that EVERY character had to state a bazillion times that little dead Jessie was a sexy tease and I wanted to dump drinks on all of them. I get it. She was a sexy tease, she was all about dat mysterious boyfriend of hers, Hudson. She "knew" things. She was masterful temptress. So clichéd. Move. Plot. Now.
But it wasn't just a who done it because our MC Becca has visions -- apparently past and future. They seem to come and go throughout the book. And the villain made no sense. Is it a floating black blob, is it a person, is it a religious freak who doesn't like virgins, is it the ex, is it a former friend? It just went every which way without saying or doing anything for the majority of the book.
And the romantic suspense part wasn't so great. Just because you cared for someone in the past doesn't mean they are the same person twenty years later.
Also, creepy cop is still creepy.
But it wasn't just a who done it because our MC Becca has visions -- apparently past and future. They seem to come and go throughout the book. And the villain made no sense. Is it a floating black blob, is it a person, is it a religious freak who doesn't like virgins, is it the ex, is it a former friend? It just went every which way without saying or doing anything for the majority of the book.
And the romantic suspense part wasn't so great. Just because you cared for someone in the past doesn't mean they are the same person twenty years later.
Also, creepy cop is still creepy.
June 15, 2020
I usually enjoy Lisa Jackson books for their grabbing action and fast plot. Wicked Game was my first book in this series and I generally enjoyed it.
The suspense part was exciting. It kept me guessing till the end. Still, the ending was a bit too hasty, I wish there were some investigation or that someone (Mac or Becca and Hudson) discover the identity of the killer. However, I believe that this part is developed in the other books in the series.
The other thing that wasn't properly developed is the romance part. In fact, Becca and Hudson start their relationship in the same place they ended it sixteen years earlier. Usually, I don't like it, but this time I somehow felt it was all right. I could still find some feelings between them.
There were also some stupid things.
It was a nice read. I would give it 3.5 star.
The suspense part was exciting. It kept me guessing till the end. Still, the ending was a bit too hasty, I wish there were some investigation or that someone (Mac or Becca and Hudson) discover the identity of the killer. However, I believe that this part is developed in the other books in the series.
The other thing that wasn't properly developed is the romance part. In fact, Becca and Hudson start their relationship in the same place they ended it sixteen years earlier. Usually, I don't like it, but this time I somehow felt it was all right. I could still find some feelings between them.
There were also some stupid things.
It was a nice read. I would give it 3.5 star.
January 28, 2019
Wicked Game accomplishes the remarkable fete of being over the top, melodramatic at times, and utterly mundane and boring at other times. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot in between these two extremes.
I knew I wouldn’t like this novel right from the opening scene. It was a dramatic scene, but it was so overwritten with cliché and forced melodrama. Instead of creating tension, it made me roll my eyes. There are times to turn up the intensity, but the execution from the authors was lacking. The characters were bland. Some were vanilla, and others were not remotely likeable. At the top of the list of the unlikeable (or maybe it was just the silly name they gave him) was The Third. I mean, who would call somebody The Third? I didn’t find the protagonist, Becca, at all likeable and I found her reaction to rejoicing after learning she was pregnant after literally her first date with her old high school sweetheart beyond unrealistic.
The antagonist wasn’t so much a character as a cardboard cutout with no characteristics that resemble an actual human being. Bad guys are generally very difficult to get right, but this villain was especially poor. I can’t say there was much I liked about the novel and I would not recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of The Invocation
I knew I wouldn’t like this novel right from the opening scene. It was a dramatic scene, but it was so overwritten with cliché and forced melodrama. Instead of creating tension, it made me roll my eyes. There are times to turn up the intensity, but the execution from the authors was lacking. The characters were bland. Some were vanilla, and others were not remotely likeable. At the top of the list of the unlikeable (or maybe it was just the silly name they gave him) was The Third. I mean, who would call somebody The Third? I didn’t find the protagonist, Becca, at all likeable and I found her reaction to rejoicing after learning she was pregnant after literally her first date with her old high school sweetheart beyond unrealistic.
The antagonist wasn’t so much a character as a cardboard cutout with no characteristics that resemble an actual human being. Bad guys are generally very difficult to get right, but this villain was especially poor. I can’t say there was much I liked about the novel and I would not recommend it.
Carl Alves – author of The Invocation
July 2, 2011
I see that many of the other reviewers didn't like this. Again, I am going to have to disagree. I don't usually like Lisa Jackson's work, but I picked this up because I felt like reading something light (to me, this is light) and I thought this book was suspenseful enough to hold my interest and keep me reading. It was a mystery as well as a romance, and I liked how I did not figure it out before the ending. The characters were realistic and did not seem like the carbon cutouts most romantic suspense books feature. It obviously has set itself up for sequels, as a lot of question are not answered in the end. the mystery held my interest and I had a strong desire to see how things turned out for the characters. One of the problems with romantic suspense is that you always know how its going to turn out- the two main characters will come through unscathed and they will end up together. So, I liked it that the author kept things unpredictable by including so many minor characters, some sympathetic, some not, whose fates were up for grabs. Overall, this was enjoyable.
January 27, 2022
I received this book as a gift and am looking forward to reading it.
May 16, 2022
Jessie Brentwood disappeared from her high school and all her friends just thought that she had run away, as she had done before. When her bones of found on school grounds 20 years later, they realize that Jessie’s ramblings about someone being after her may have been true.
This story is told from multiple perspectives, from Jessie’s friends to the detective to the killer. It makes for a very interesting ride.
Every person in this book has a secret that eventually comes out. The dialogue from the killer gives the reader some idea that none of Jessie’s friends killed her, but there are other issues among the group that line up with the main story.
The story kept me intrigued, but it was the ending that had me hooked. I really had a hard time putting it down. There is a very climactic scene that had me all nervous and flustered. There are also some sad parts throughout.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
This story is told from multiple perspectives, from Jessie’s friends to the detective to the killer. It makes for a very interesting ride.
Every person in this book has a secret that eventually comes out. The dialogue from the killer gives the reader some idea that none of Jessie’s friends killed her, but there are other issues among the group that line up with the main story.
The story kept me intrigued, but it was the ending that had me hooked. I really had a hard time putting it down. There is a very climactic scene that had me all nervous and flustered. There are also some sad parts throughout.
I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
May 28, 2017
Maybe if I had listened to this when I first got the audio, I might have felt different. But I don't think so. Twenty years ago Jessie Brentwood, a high school student with a wild reputation, disappeared with no word. One cop suspected murder but without even a blood stain to go on, it was chalked up to a willing disappearance. Now, a body has been dug up on the school grounds and it is clear that the body wasn't there by choice. Her old school friends (though with friends like these no one needed enemies) get together in the hopes that maybe something will happen. But the cop has never let the case go. Jessie's old boyfriend has never really put the past behind him and neither has Becca Sutcliff. She was on the fringe of the group but she can tell something evil is following them. Or maybe just following her. Susan Ericksen, who is normally an excellent narrator, was so melodramatic I kept wanting to kick everybody. Does no one possess common sense? Does everyone think they are better than the trained professionals? Has no one ever watched a horror movie? But the real problem was the characters were exceptionally unlikable. Becca and Hudson, the old boyfriend, were decent, though Becca was painfully naïve. But everyone else was just downright nasty. Again, if these were my friends, I wouldn't need enemies. The villain was certainly evil but he also came out of nowhere, which was annoying as well. And the supernatural bent didn't play well for me. It isn't that I can't believe, it's just that there wasn't enough reason for me to believe.
January 1, 2015
The book started out slow, but my mid-book I could not stop reading. I can't wait to read more.
October 2, 2011
I did not know this book was part of a series until after I had gotten into it a few pages. However the book was still readable and a good book even tho I had not read the first book in the series. There were a few refer back mentions of things that had happened previously but not enough to kill this story for me.
Twenty years ago, Jessie Brentwood disappears without a trace. Her friends think she has run away since she was a habitual runaway and also because she was adopted. Now twenty years later, a body is found on school grounds. Jessie's classmates reunite to talk about what they think happened to her and if they think the body is hers.
Some classmates think it is hers, others do not.
What is interesting in this read is the dynamic of the group of friends in general. The girls who were friends with Jessie in high school now try to claim they hardly knew her at all. The leaders of high school now seem kind of wishy washy. Some classmates don't want the whole ordeal brought up again yet others seem to relish in it and hope everything is drug out again.
And on the sidelines watching this happen is Detective McNally who investigated the disapperance of Jessie and is now investigating this newest discovery.
And we can't forget Becca, close friend of Jessie's who is also gifted with second sight. She has premonitions about events before they happen and she is "seeing" a lot more these days.
Kept me on the edge of my seat.
Twenty years ago, Jessie Brentwood disappears without a trace. Her friends think she has run away since she was a habitual runaway and also because she was adopted. Now twenty years later, a body is found on school grounds. Jessie's classmates reunite to talk about what they think happened to her and if they think the body is hers.
Some classmates think it is hers, others do not.
What is interesting in this read is the dynamic of the group of friends in general. The girls who were friends with Jessie in high school now try to claim they hardly knew her at all. The leaders of high school now seem kind of wishy washy. Some classmates don't want the whole ordeal brought up again yet others seem to relish in it and hope everything is drug out again.
And on the sidelines watching this happen is Detective McNally who investigated the disapperance of Jessie and is now investigating this newest discovery.
And we can't forget Becca, close friend of Jessie's who is also gifted with second sight. She has premonitions about events before they happen and she is "seeing" a lot more these days.
Kept me on the edge of my seat.
August 16, 2017
Im Prinzip ist es ein Psychothriller. Und als solcher wäre das Buch auch gar nicht mal ganz so schlecht. Aber die beiden Autorinnen haben versucht, die Genres zu mischen, und so haben sie noch eine Prise übersinnliche Wahrnehmung hinzugefügt und ein wenig Erotikroman. Leider war das keine gute Idee, denn das alles paßt nicht wirklich zusammen und die Geschichte wird ziemlich gekünstelt. Außerdem nerven die ausführlichen sexuellen Beschreibungen - wenn ich einen Softporno lesen will, kaufe ich mir einen solchen und keinen Thriller.
Hinzu kommt die Sprache, die oft etwas zu sehr ins Melodramatische oder Schwülstige abdriftet. Und schließlich (wo die Autorinnen allerdings nichts für können) ist der Klappentext mal wieder unter aller Sau.
Hinzu kommt die Sprache, die oft etwas zu sehr ins Melodramatische oder Schwülstige abdriftet. Und schließlich (wo die Autorinnen allerdings nichts für können) ist der Klappentext mal wieder unter aller Sau.
August 17, 2017
Tbh I skimmed the vast majority of this book. I liked the concept a lot and the writers are to be commended for integrating two authors into a seamless story, which is very hard to do. On the other hand the authors made poor use of literary devices and the writing was ott and melodramatic in a way that works in a cheesy horror movie but not so much in a 400 page book. I also wasn't thrilled with the ending, it wasn't exactly a cliffhanger but I got no answers which frustrates me to no end since I have zero intention of continuing the series
August 2, 2012
Goodreads Description- ONE BY ONE, THEY'LL DIE...Twenty years ago, wild child Jessie Brentwood vanished from St. Elizabeth's high school. Most in Jessie's tight circle of friends believed she simply ran away. Few suspected that Jessie was hiding a shocking secret ? one that brought her into the crosshairs of a vicious killer...UNTIL THERE?S NO ONE LEFT...Two decades pass before a body is unearthed on school grounds and Jessie's old friends reunite to talk. Most are sure that the body is Jessie?s, that the mystery of what happened to her has finally been solved. But soon, Jessie's friends each begin to die in horrible, freak accidents that defy explanation...BUT HER...Becca Sutcliff has been haunted for years by unsettling visions of Jessie, certain her friend met with a grisly end. Now the latest deaths have her rattled. Becca can sense that an evil force is shadowing her too, waiting for just the right moment to strike. She feels like she's going crazy. Is it all a coincidence ? or has Jessie's killer finally returned to finish what was started all those years ago?
This is a very long book that did keep me very interested for most of the book which is pretty hard to do with me because I like fast reading books. This is an on the edge of your seat kind of book even for a 400+ pager :) The only annoying thing was that the author repeated quite a few lines VERBATIM which ended up confusing me because I kept thinking my bookmarks was moved and I was on the wrong page. I really like Lisa Jackson's books because she always adds a hint of the paranormal to her mysteries. I have read many of her books and this one is definitely up to par! The characters are well developed and, even with its length, I just kept wanting to read because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I loved the twists and turns Jackson took with her storyline, throwing in plenty of red herrings to keep the reader in suspense. I thought I knew who "did it" for awhile but when Jackson threw her curveballs and very surprising revelations into the mix, I didn't figure out what was going on unti the end...which I love! If a writer can keep the "secrets" hidden till the end then they have done an excellent job! Recommended to any mystery/thriller lover. This is really a 4.5 star but I can't do that here so I went with 4 stars only because of the repeated lines that I mentioned earlier. This is a great book and I can't wait to read the next in the series!
This is a very long book that did keep me very interested for most of the book which is pretty hard to do with me because I like fast reading books. This is an on the edge of your seat kind of book even for a 400+ pager :) The only annoying thing was that the author repeated quite a few lines VERBATIM which ended up confusing me because I kept thinking my bookmarks was moved and I was on the wrong page. I really like Lisa Jackson's books because she always adds a hint of the paranormal to her mysteries. I have read many of her books and this one is definitely up to par! The characters are well developed and, even with its length, I just kept wanting to read because I wanted to find out what was going to happen. I loved the twists and turns Jackson took with her storyline, throwing in plenty of red herrings to keep the reader in suspense. I thought I knew who "did it" for awhile but when Jackson threw her curveballs and very surprising revelations into the mix, I didn't figure out what was going on unti the end...which I love! If a writer can keep the "secrets" hidden till the end then they have done an excellent job! Recommended to any mystery/thriller lover. This is really a 4.5 star but I can't do that here so I went with 4 stars only because of the repeated lines that I mentioned earlier. This is a great book and I can't wait to read the next in the series!
November 12, 2021
DNF @ 6% and from the other reviews, I'm glad I stopped when I did. It was already weirdly jumbled, but the main characters cinched it for me. On one hand, we have Becca, who is obsessed with being pregnant & having a baby, to the point where she apparently married a guy she didn't really love just to have a kid - she realizes this now after he leaves her for another woman & she's mostly just upset that he got the new woman pregnant (he's now dead - yes, all this dumb backstory was shoved in right away). So I already know she's going to annoy me.
Then we have this single-dad detective, Mac, who is super weirdly obsessed with this underage, missing - he swears dead - girl to the point he FANTASIZES about her and thinks he was/is in love or in lust with her? WHAT? EW, NO. At the same time, it's pointed out that she was well beyond her 16 years and was super manipulative, using her looks to make all the guys drool after her. So the victim is villainized (never great to make it seem like the victim had it coming, but also I now already know the victim is super unlikable & it's going to be hard to sympathize), the cop has some creepy hard-on for her just because she was hot, even though she was a) underage, b) had a terrible personality, and c) he never even met her, and some strange also-sees-visions-high-school-friend coming back into the picture who is being stalked by a dark presence. Stop. I'm done.
Then we have this single-dad detective, Mac, who is super weirdly obsessed with this underage, missing - he swears dead - girl to the point he FANTASIZES about her and thinks he was/is in love or in lust with her? WHAT? EW, NO. At the same time, it's pointed out that she was well beyond her 16 years and was super manipulative, using her looks to make all the guys drool after her. So the victim is villainized (never great to make it seem like the victim had it coming, but also I now already know the victim is super unlikable & it's going to be hard to sympathize), the cop has some creepy hard-on for her just because she was hot, even though she was a) underage, b) had a terrible personality, and c) he never even met her, and some strange also-sees-visions-high-school-friend coming back into the picture who is being stalked by a dark presence. Stop. I'm done.
May 27, 2019
This book seemed to drag on for a lot longer than it needed to. It was somewhat redundant and predictable. That being said there were a few highlights and moments that made me want to find out what was going to happen next but in between the exciting parts, I found myself making it a chore to read the book to get through the lulls. It was a different book than what I would normally read but I had also gotten it for free on Bookbub. I normally try to read all the way through a series but since this book was the start of two different series' that intertwined, I just decided that I really didn't want to pursue any more of the books. I wasn't happy enough with this one to give the rest a shot. Its time to move onto a better book or series that keeps me on the edge of my seat! Also I would like to mention that the writing seemed somewhat directed to a younger audience but I would not recommend it for young readers. There was definitely a dark plot to this book with lots of sexuality throughout.
February 2, 2009
This is the first book I've read from either of these authors and I have to say I was sucked right in from the beginning. Usually, I figure out the plots way before the end and those authors that manage to confuse me are those I respect the most. The way this was laid out, the story and the characters were well done. I have to admit that I sat through the super Bowl and read this during the time outs and the dull commercials...but then again, I was pretty close to the end and just had to see what happened. These are the kinds of books I always search for and so rarely find. It was a great read.
July 2, 2021
WOW, I have said this on occasion about a Roller Coaster of a ride, However this is by far 1 that never stops!!! Great to see 2 Sisters Righting a book together... I have read many books by Lisa Jackson and didn't realize she had a sister.. GREAT JOB, Ladies*****
April 7, 2009
Eh, this was ok. Something to read, somewhat interesting. A bit too farfetched.
June 25, 2019
Flat characters, predictable plot.
September 10, 2020
Really disturbing: the frequency in which the main deceased *16 YEAR OLD* character is described as “sexy” “alluring” and “irresistible”. Really killed most of the novel for me.
April 20, 2019
So this book bills itself as a mystery/suspense with some romance and supernatural elements. It fails at everything but the mystery and part of that is how on earth this book got such a high rating. It is very obvious that this book is written by two people. It is also very very repetitive, you could cut this book in half and you would still get the whole story.
It starts with the murder of Jessie Brentwood. Good start but goes down hill from there. Some of the book is from the perspective of the killer and it's bad, terrible dialogue.
The next 3/4 of the book are just an utter mess. The body of Jessie is found, but the police can't confirm it at that time and her "close" friends get together to talk. Part of what annoys me is the fact that everyone switches between calling Jessie Brentwood Jessie and Jezebel. Even the cops call her Jezebel and do so when talking to other cops who unless they know the case, which they don't, how would they know who is being talked about? It would be confusing and offensive in reality and is annoying in the book. Her name is Jessie call her Jessie the back and forth is pointless and unnecessary. Jezebel is traditionally known as a false prophet and later as a promiscuous woman.
Part of the "supernatural" element of this book is that Jessie could on occasion "see things" or "knew things" which has no backing at all (the false prophet to which she isn't a prophet and doesn't really tell anyone about the visions she is supposed to have but are never mentioned). Also Jessie is described as a tease, flirty and sexy and all the boys want her but that she never cheated on her boyfriend so why the hell are they calling her Jezebel? During the meeting of her "close" friends they basically argue back and forth whether Jessie is really dead or not and basically set up alibis for themselves for when the police come calling.
Rebecca "Becca" Sutcliff in the beginning of the book has a vision of Jessie and knows she's dead (but for the next several chapters she keeps saying she's alive then not and back again it's annoying beyond words). She hasn't had a vision since high school and hasn't thought of Jessie in years so no she is not haunted. She agrees to go to the meeting even though Jessie and her old boyfriend will be there. She has lusted after Jessie's boyfriend since high school and had a relationship with him which ended with her getting pregnant and then miscarrying and not telling him. As soon as she sees him again she get's all hot and bothered and falls instantly into bed with him. They then proceed to have sex all the time; a friend dies lets have sex, just went to the funeral lets have sex, we are running from a killer lets have sex. That was the romantic relationship of the story. And it's ridiculous! She has loved him since high school and even though he was with Jessie then and he has loved her but dated Jessie because Jessie and Rebecca looked alike. Why the hell didn't he just date Rebecca from the start is odd.
Another thing that bothered me is the inconsistency in the time line. Everything is described as day by day and yet all of a sudden it's been a week or more. Then they mention that things such as the finding of Jessie's body happened such a short time ago, as in days, but oh my it's been a month? The cop that is investigating Jessie's friends has been on the case since the beginning and he is annoying. It's mentioned that he's had other cases (all case but one or drug cases and he's not vice so the city has a huge drug problem) but really he's only focused on the Brentwood case. When some of Jessie's friends die Rebecca and the old boyfriend become their own detectives to solve the cases. And of course, they are better than the cops even though the cops solve their friend's murders but not Jessie's.
The end of the book speeds up and is like a race to finish it all at once even though the story has been slow so far and several pieces of the mystery/crime are missing. Several facts are revealed, some that are obvious from the start and some that are just cringe worthy
All the answers are supposed to be found, which they are not, at a cult which Jessie and Rebecca supposedly born into and came from. The killer targeted them because of this and that again is supposed to be the supernatural part, they are witches but they don't really have any power besides Rebecca's useless visions of Jessie. This cult is supposed to be the coven of witches and is why and how Rebecca has visions and why Jessie had them. Again no proof that Jessie did and Rebecca's are all of Jessie who doesn't say anything or do anything but look sadly at her and put her finger to her lips. (seems more like delusions to me...)
Then ending is a confusing mess that doesn't answer a lot of questions and the killer is pretty pathetic. Supposedly he has killed lots of people and is certifiably crazy and other people knew, yet no one ever called the cops on him and his own family who has an idea or knows what he is doing but doesn't turn him in?
One last thing that got to me was the description of the weather throughout the book. It's always raining! Maybe once or twice it isn't but 99% of the time it's mentioned, and it's mentioned often, it's raining. But the authors don't call it rain it's "precipitation" 9 times out of 10 it's brought up.
Almost nothing of the blurb which is good (and why I even read this book) is true in the book which is a let down. One last note is about one of the authors, Lisa Jackson
It starts with the murder of Jessie Brentwood. Good start but goes down hill from there. Some of the book is from the perspective of the killer and it's bad, terrible dialogue.
The next 3/4 of the book are just an utter mess. The body of Jessie is found, but the police can't confirm it at that time and her "close" friends get together to talk. Part of what annoys me is the fact that everyone switches between calling Jessie Brentwood Jessie and Jezebel. Even the cops call her Jezebel and do so when talking to other cops who unless they know the case, which they don't, how would they know who is being talked about? It would be confusing and offensive in reality and is annoying in the book. Her name is Jessie call her Jessie the back and forth is pointless and unnecessary. Jezebel is traditionally known as a false prophet and later as a promiscuous woman.
Part of the "supernatural" element of this book is that Jessie could on occasion "see things" or "knew things" which has no backing at all (the false prophet to which she isn't a prophet and doesn't really tell anyone about the visions she is supposed to have but are never mentioned). Also Jessie is described as a tease, flirty and sexy and all the boys want her but that she never cheated on her boyfriend so why the hell are they calling her Jezebel? During the meeting of her "close" friends they basically argue back and forth whether Jessie is really dead or not and basically set up alibis for themselves for when the police come calling.
Rebecca "Becca" Sutcliff in the beginning of the book has a vision of Jessie and knows she's dead (but for the next several chapters she keeps saying she's alive then not and back again it's annoying beyond words). She hasn't had a vision since high school and hasn't thought of Jessie in years so no she is not haunted. She agrees to go to the meeting even though Jessie and her old boyfriend will be there. She has lusted after Jessie's boyfriend since high school and had a relationship with him which ended with her getting pregnant and then miscarrying and not telling him. As soon as she sees him again she get's all hot and bothered and falls instantly into bed with him. They then proceed to have sex all the time; a friend dies lets have sex, just went to the funeral lets have sex, we are running from a killer lets have sex. That was the romantic relationship of the story. And it's ridiculous! She has loved him since high school and even though he was with Jessie then and he has loved her but dated Jessie because Jessie and Rebecca looked alike. Why the hell didn't he just date Rebecca from the start is odd.
Another thing that bothered me is the inconsistency in the time line. Everything is described as day by day and yet all of a sudden it's been a week or more. Then they mention that things such as the finding of Jessie's body happened such a short time ago, as in days, but oh my it's been a month? The cop that is investigating Jessie's friends has been on the case since the beginning and he is annoying. It's mentioned that he's had other cases (all case but one or drug cases and he's not vice so the city has a huge drug problem) but really he's only focused on the Brentwood case. When some of Jessie's friends die Rebecca and the old boyfriend become their own detectives to solve the cases. And of course, they are better than the cops even though the cops solve their friend's murders but not Jessie's.
The end of the book speeds up and is like a race to finish it all at once even though the story has been slow so far and several pieces of the mystery/crime are missing. Several facts are revealed, some that are obvious from the start and some that are just cringe worthy
All the answers are supposed to be found, which they are not, at a cult which Jessie and Rebecca supposedly born into and came from. The killer targeted them because of this and that again is supposed to be the supernatural part, they are witches but they don't really have any power besides Rebecca's useless visions of Jessie. This cult is supposed to be the coven of witches and is why and how Rebecca has visions and why Jessie had them. Again no proof that Jessie did and Rebecca's are all of Jessie who doesn't say anything or do anything but look sadly at her and put her finger to her lips. (seems more like delusions to me...)
Then ending is a confusing mess that doesn't answer a lot of questions and the killer is pretty pathetic. Supposedly he has killed lots of people and is certifiably crazy and other people knew, yet no one ever called the cops on him and his own family who has an idea or knows what he is doing but doesn't turn him in?
One last thing that got to me was the description of the weather throughout the book. It's always raining! Maybe once or twice it isn't but 99% of the time it's mentioned, and it's mentioned often, it's raining. But the authors don't call it rain it's "precipitation" 9 times out of 10 it's brought up.
Almost nothing of the blurb which is good (and why I even read this book) is true in the book which is a let down. One last note is about one of the authors, Lisa Jackson
October 23, 2018
A wicked good read! With a group of six (or more) high school students who knew well the missing Jessie, twenty years later a skeleton is found on their private school grounds, buried at the foot of a Madonna statue. Is it Jessie? Some don't think so, they are certain Jessie ran away all those years ago, as it was something she did often. The reader might wobble back and forth as to whether these are Jessies bones or not; but even worse is that there are so many in that high school group who could have killed her. This is set in a small town on the Oregon coast, and when the bones are found, the police detective who worked the case twenty years ago, is still on the force and is assigned this now cold case. It brings the group back together - for interrogations, reluctant meetings between themselves, and much speculation.
And then there is Becca, who suffers from 'visions'. We don't know whether this is a supernatural story or a skewed mental state on the part of some of the characters. This book kept me turning the page, had a great twisty plot with plenty of mystery and more murders. I love author Lisa Jackson and this is another one of her great series. This is Book 1, which could be a standalone book (doesn't leave you hanging) although I'm interested in the entire series now. I recommend it.
And then there is Becca, who suffers from 'visions'. We don't know whether this is a supernatural story or a skewed mental state on the part of some of the characters. This book kept me turning the page, had a great twisty plot with plenty of mystery and more murders. I love author Lisa Jackson and this is another one of her great series. This is Book 1, which could be a standalone book (doesn't leave you hanging) although I'm interested in the entire series now. I recommend it.
June 5, 2019
It's a paranormal thriller as well as a romance...heavier on the paranormal. It's also a very long book and it was sometimes made even longer by the author...for some unknown reason... repeating lines verbatim in several different chapters. In spite of that small flaw...the characters are well developed and, even with its length, you just have to find out what was going to happen. There were lots of twists and turns and lots and lots of red herrings to keep the reader in suspense. Many times I I thought I knew who did it, but I didn't actually figure that out until nearly the end. I always have felt that If a writer can keep the mystery going until the very end then they have done their best job. Any mystery and suspense or thriller fan will love this trilogy...and this is only book 1.
September 26, 2021
Great Who Done It
When bones are found in an old garden maze at a closed up school, a group of friends start wondering if the bones belong to a student who disappeared years ago.
And then when these same friends start did dying off, questions about the girl who everyone thought she just ran away, may still be alive and taking revenge on her, so called friends.
Wild ending will keep you wondering what will happen next?
When bones are found in an old garden maze at a closed up school, a group of friends start wondering if the bones belong to a student who disappeared years ago.
And then when these same friends start did dying off, questions about the girl who everyone thought she just ran away, may still be alive and taking revenge on her, so called friends.
Wild ending will keep you wondering what will happen next?
October 20, 2022
The creepy prologue sucked me in and I devoured “Wicked Game!” I loved the paranormal thriller plot and enjoyed the slow build-up in suspense with its unexpected twists. I really liked how the characters were developed well in between the moments of excitement, too. The romance was so sweet! But I wish the grand finale explained more about the mystery’s reveal - I was so fascinated and just wanted more insight. But it is a series, so I can’t wait to keep reading and hopefully learn more!
October 16, 2018
Full of suspense that builds until the very last page.
March 4, 2021
Reading thinking it would go one way, but it turned another way I wasn't expecting
June 20, 2024
I'm about to sound very naive but do people really swear when they get scared as much as her books imply
March 4, 2023
havent read a lisa jackson in a while.....will have to not let that happen again
June 24, 2015
Wicked Game is the first book in The Colony series (also known as The Wicked series) by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush. I read this book because this is a series I have been wanting to read for a long time. I have all of the books, the newest Wicked Ways as an ARC from Netgalley, and it was time to get reading on these :)
The book was an interesting romantic suspense with danger and secrets mixed with some paranormal aspects like visions and psychic abilities. It also has a police procedural feel because part of the book is told from the point of view of the investigating detective.
I enjoyed reading this book because the atmosphere evoked the emotions it intended to bring out in the reader. The detailed descriptions include all of the character’s senses to really give a good picture of the setting and characters.
By about the midway point in the book, I couldn’t put it down. I was supposed to be doing other things, but I sat at the kitchen table and read it the rest of the way through.
On the other hand, this book had some problems. Some were minor, but others were bothersome.
The first person accounts confused me, especially at the beginning. I thought the main character Becca was having a vision, but I figured out a few pages later that wasn’t whose point of view it was. It didn’t become clear to me right away that the first person accounts were the point of view of the killer. Because this problem didn’t last very long, I’d say this is one of the minor problems.
Another minor problem was that the authors overused the word “copse.” I was going to scream if the characters saw another copse of trees.
A third minor problem showed up on page 416. The authors called Becca by Jessie’s name. I don’t know if this was a mistake or intentional. If it was intentional, I never understood the reasoning behind it.
A fourth minor problem was that we never find out what Mitch knew about Jessie. It was implied that he knew something about her disappearance or something related to her in some other way, but it was never explained.
As for bigger problems, I have two I would like to mention. First, I found more than one place in the book where details didn’t match up with something written earlier in the book. For example, a character would contradict something he/she said or did earlier.
The second bigger problem was I was very disappointed with the explanations given for Scott’s behavior and situation. The details throughout the book didn’t match up with the explanations given. I kept expecting a twist that would resolve these incongruities, but a twist never came.
I can overlook the minor things because they are kind of nit-picky, but the bigger problems definitely impact my rating of the book.
However, I did think the authors excelled at keeping the story suspenseful, realistic, and fast-moving.
I will continue reading this series. If you’re in it for the thrill and you’re not expecting a literary masterpiece, I recommend trying Wicked Game.
The book was an interesting romantic suspense with danger and secrets mixed with some paranormal aspects like visions and psychic abilities. It also has a police procedural feel because part of the book is told from the point of view of the investigating detective.
I enjoyed reading this book because the atmosphere evoked the emotions it intended to bring out in the reader. The detailed descriptions include all of the character’s senses to really give a good picture of the setting and characters.
By about the midway point in the book, I couldn’t put it down. I was supposed to be doing other things, but I sat at the kitchen table and read it the rest of the way through.
On the other hand, this book had some problems. Some were minor, but others were bothersome.
The first person accounts confused me, especially at the beginning. I thought the main character Becca was having a vision, but I figured out a few pages later that wasn’t whose point of view it was. It didn’t become clear to me right away that the first person accounts were the point of view of the killer. Because this problem didn’t last very long, I’d say this is one of the minor problems.
Another minor problem was that the authors overused the word “copse.” I was going to scream if the characters saw another copse of trees.
A third minor problem showed up on page 416. The authors called Becca by Jessie’s name. I don’t know if this was a mistake or intentional. If it was intentional, I never understood the reasoning behind it.
A fourth minor problem was that we never find out what Mitch knew about Jessie. It was implied that he knew something about her disappearance or something related to her in some other way, but it was never explained.
As for bigger problems, I have two I would like to mention. First, I found more than one place in the book where details didn’t match up with something written earlier in the book. For example, a character would contradict something he/she said or did earlier.
The second bigger problem was I was very disappointed with the explanations given for Scott’s behavior and situation. The details throughout the book didn’t match up with the explanations given. I kept expecting a twist that would resolve these incongruities, but a twist never came.
I can overlook the minor things because they are kind of nit-picky, but the bigger problems definitely impact my rating of the book.
However, I did think the authors excelled at keeping the story suspenseful, realistic, and fast-moving.
I will continue reading this series. If you’re in it for the thrill and you’re not expecting a literary masterpiece, I recommend trying Wicked Game.
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