Faceless

Dark and Dangerous #3

by Debra Webb

Deputy district attorney Carson Tanner has dedicated his life to justice. But he is still haunted by one case that was never the murder of his entire family in cold blood. Back then, the teenage Carson was protected by his girlfriend’s influential father, Senator Randolph Drake. But now, fifteen years later, Carson finds himself facing a whole new world when a man confesses to the Tanner killings. His name is John Stokes. And his confession only scratches the surface of the truth… Carson knows that Annette Baxter uses her brains and beauty as a fixer for the rich and powerful, making their indiscretions disappear in exchange for security and influence. But now someone is using her clients’ secrets—and her own—against her. And even though Carson can’t ignore his attraction to her, he is dead-set on making Annette pay for her crimes…but what if she holds the key to the burning secret he’s spent his whole life seeking?

Genres: Romantic Suspense, Mystery, Suspense, Romance, Fiction, Crime

332 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published July 29, 2008

About the author

DEBRA WEBB is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 170 novels, including reader favorites the Finley O'Sullivan and Devlin & Falco series. She is the recipient of the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers Choice Awards. In 2012 Debra was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for her courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Recently Debra was awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for having achieved publication of her 100th novel.

With more than four million books in print in numerous languages and countries, Debra’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood when her mother bought her an old typewriter in a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Debra grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. She wrote her first story at age nine and her first romance at thirteen. It wasn’t until she spent three years working for the Commanding General of the US Army in Berlin behind the Iron Curtain and a five-year stint in NASA’s Shuttle Program that she realized her true calling. A collision course between suspense and romance was set. Since then she has expanded her work into some of the darkest places the human psyche dares to go. Visit Debra at www.debrawebb.com.

Reviews

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release August 2008

I should confess from the start…I am not a big fan of conspiracy theories. So I was probably the wrong person to read and review “Faceless” by Debra Webb. Once I figured out how just how many ‘dirty’ police, politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc were involved, the story was far outside the bounds of believability for me and that pretty much put paid to my enjoyment of the rest of the novel.

There are a whole lot of moving pieces to this story. I had a difficult time keeping track of them all, especially when the actions of several parties are recounted just using ‘she’ or ‘he’, I’m guessing to heighten the suspense, but it just made it all the more confusing for me. The plot advancement felt very jerky/jumpy for me, first here and then there and then back over here again. The denouement pulled out some new and very surprising information, pretty much making it impossible for the reader to figure out the mystery.

The heroine is a criminal, but she’s the product of her environment and that’s supposed to make it all better. She’s an extortionist, accessory to murder, graft, embezzlement, and just about any other crime you can think of. She covers these crimes up for people and takes lots of money to do so. I didn’t particularly admire her.

The hero is a young and upcoming District Attorney who is supposedly very smart and a go-getter, but he never even had a whiff of suspicion that something was going on? Not too smart. He allows a total stranger to seduce him after a short meeting a bar. Not too smart. I wasn’t particularly impressed with him either.

I didn’t feel any real relationship building between the lead characters. I think the fact that the heroine felt ‘something’ for the first time during sex was supposed to be meaningful and lead to the assumption that she feels something for the hero? After a 10 minute discussion and a hotel sex encounter? I don’t think so.

I didn’t enjoy “Faceless” by Debra Webb.

[Zubee · Rating 3 out of 5]

h was a great character. H was portrayed as being just as great but he came across as a lesser character than h.
I also seriously disliked the way he wore blinkers about his boss, nutty OW's father and nutty OW as well till the very last.
I seriously liked the h; for me she was the stronger of the two of them
But overall an enjoyable read

[ElaineY · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely, unlike Julie. I felt just as she did, more or less, about the protagonists but am a lot more sympathetic and a lot more impressed with Annette than Julie was. Carson made me want to create a new Bookshelf 'Dickhead Heroes', not because they're assholes but because at the time of the story, they meet a woman who makes their brain decide to shift HQ to their dick.

As I read the bar scene between Carson and Annette, I was yelling at him in my head, "Leave NOW! Go. Do NOT say another word to this female. No, MORON! IDJIT!" and I kinda feel that way about him throughout the book. I'm trying to find an excuse so I can feel better about him but the author doesn't develop the romance, being totally focused on playing out these critical 6 days in the lives of the Politician And The Whore.

Now, Annette. I did admire her for her ability to survive so long and do so well for herself. By that I don't mean she should be lauded for her criminal lifestyle but I do admire her for her ability to end up in a luxury penthouse rather than the gutter; for having control of her life rather than still having a pimp. I liked this book precisely because it did not have a typical romance heroine who starts out as a sexually abused kid who makes something good and socially acceptable of herself. Annette is everything most romance authors would NOT create for a heroine because, as a rule, we still want good, law-abiding, warm, loving women for our heroes to love and cherish. Annette is the total opposite - she's never had an orgasm, glad she's moved past her whoring days and no longer needs to use sex to pay the bills but doesn't blink an eye being a Trouble-shooter of a certain kind for the wealthy and powerful. I loved Annette for her amoral self because I could see in her all the pain of her tortured childhood and am glad she's getting a chance now to live her life differently, to love and trust someone at long last. To enjoy sex.

And to have an orgasm.

Usually, I would have thrown the book aside once I realize the hero's a moron but Faceless was such a fast, tight-paced book that I found myself reading on and finishing the book in almost one sitting. The entire story takes place in a space of one week so relationship-wise, Carson's and Annette's feelings for each other was realistic. When the book ends, their relationship is just beginning and Annette is willing to explore where it will take her.

I would have preferred to have one more chapter before the ending just to enjoy a time-out between Carson and Annette...to let Annette take it slow and easy this time having some love-making with Carson and for him to redeem himself just a bit with me. Would that be possible for him to do? Yes, because he did suffer enormous trauma following a fight with his mom and returning home to find her and the rest of the family butchered. He shuts off after that and focuses on his career and is the upcoming star, set to become the next DA. For 15 years he's not allowed himself much introspection and like any regular male, throws himself 100% into work. He's had no social life at all, no relationships and can't even remember when he last got laid, handsome, well-connected and rich as he is.

Yeah, Ms Webb could easily have made him more a typical romance hero at the end but having expended all her energies on this single week in the lives of this couple, it was as if she ran out of gas and felt too exhausted to develop the romance. Yes, there are a lot of developments as Julie said, with a lot of characters in a space of 6 days but unlike many other RS books I've read, I could keep track of them all and followed the scenes much better than I do for many books.

I enjoyed this book more than Nameless, which I loved, BTW, but mainly because of the way the H&H's lives played out in these intense 6 days, giving me a 'suspense title with a hint of a romance' that far exceeds what I was getting from Banks' Three-men-and-a-Lady book. Having said all this, I still do wish Webb would give me more romance and a less tortured hero who can multi-task (meaning he can work his brains at the same time as his dick). I'm also putting Webb on my Watch-out list because I feel she's straying too much into the Suspense category. In fact, by my standards, Faceless isn't a Romantic Suspense anymore and I may not buy her next book for this reason.

[Sandra R · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written thriller/political/crime/romance. (Light on the romance). The first half was very confusing, as there were so many points of view from different characters - all contained within their own small chapters. I almost returned it to KU early on, but at 50% the story got quite gripping and I finished it in one sitting. There are lots of twists and turns and you really have to concentrate to pick up everything that's going on. I will say I sort of figured out the identity of the murderer at about 80%, but not why. A surprising ending. 3.5 stars.

[Rebecca Dowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABOVE THE LAW!!!

How do you get the truth if no one will listen? This is the problem the heroine repeatedly faced. Especially with high powered wealthy.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debra Webb certainly knows how to capture her audience's attention by weaving a web that goes much deeper than you could imagine. Annette and Carson have this magnetic attraction towards each other, even though Carson knows Annette is bad news.

I like how Annette came out of a bad situation and turned things around, to where she has the power and control... until she becomes hunted for knowing too much, those at the top no longer have a need for her and suddenly she needs to be taken care of.

Carson is set to be the next "prince charming" (aka DA) and of course marry the daughter of the Senator who protected him 15 years ago... but he is haunted by that night 15 years ago when he blacked out and has no idea who murdered his family.

The story is pretty fast paced. You are glued to it because the suspense of what is going to happen next and you just have to know what happened that night... ultimately who did it! and who was involved in all this.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third book in the Dark and Dangerous Suspense series. Carson in being groomed to be the DA when his mentor and boss retires. His family was murdered 15 years ago and he is searching for the answers to why. The one women who knows what happened is the women he slept with the night before he was told to investigate her. It is a complicated story with a lot of suspense and romance mixed in. Another great book!

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dead bodies turning up everywhere and a whole slew of bad guys

Carson Tanner wants to find out who really murdered his family. Joining forces with a local prostitute may not be the best idea, but Carson has few allies and doesn't know who to trust. Deception is key in this masterfully written romantic suspense.

[Joyce Westmoreland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carson

I couldn’t put Carson down. This book is amazing and the characters so real. Carson and Annette are both tormented by the past and need to discover the truth to finally be free of their torment. I love this book. Debra Webb never lets her readers down. Thank you Debra. On to your next great story.

[Hannah Ruff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just had a feeling this wouldn’t be the book for me even before I started reading it. I saw on another review someone said there was a lot of plot holes and I definitely agree. The flow of the book was just very odd. I wish the author built upon the love interest btwn the main characters a bit more.

[Jessica Britt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but,

This is a good book with wonderful characters. But it had a lot of plot holes and didn't explain how certain things happen, and because of that it made it hard to follow.

[Shirley kendall · Rating 3 out of 5]

undecided

Something about this book was unsettling. It seemed familiar so I may have read it before🤔. It was well written and suspenseful but I just did not really like the characters a lot.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Working on reviews- I have gotten behind on my written reviews. But not the reading.

[Beth Lechman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy books by Debra Webb. She grabs you at the first page and doesn't turn loose until the last.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is is the second Debra Webb book I've read, again at the suggestion of my friend Rachel. I liked this one more than the other.

The mystery was tightly wound and slowly unraveled through out the 330 some odd pages. I was a bit surprised at how it turned out. I didn't start figuring it out until well past the halfway point, and even then I didn't quite get it right. I love that in mystery books.

I gather that Webb uses romance, well hot sex at any rate, in her books, and this one had some, not near as much as in Nameless but it was there and it didn't feel out of place for the story and it was well written, not Harlequin cheesy.

The women Webb uses as lead characters in her books (the 2 I've read so far) are strong women who have overcome some sort of trauma and are smartly written.

While this isn't a masterpiece of literature it was an enjoyable read that didn't feel like a waste of time or mindless reading. I liked it and found it a nice break from some of the heavy books I have read and still have on my pile of books waiting for me to read them.

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

"Deputy district attorney Carson Tanner has dedicated his life to justice. But he is still haunted by one case that was never solved: the murder of his entire family in cold blood. Back then, the teenage Carson was protected by his girlfriend’s influential father, Senator Randolph Drake. But now, fifteen years later, Carson finds himself facing a whole new world when a man confesses to the Tanner killings. His name is John Stokes. And his confession only scratches the surface of the truth… Carson knows that Annette Baxter uses her brains and beauty as a fixer for the rich and powerful, making their indiscretions disappear in exchange for security and influence. But now someone is using her clients’ secrets—and her own—against her. And even though Carson can’t ignore his attraction to her, he is dead-set on making Annette pay for her crimes…but what if she holds the key to the burning secret he’s spent his whole life seeking?" (From Amazon)

I really enjoyed this romantic suspense novel.

[Carmelo Pineda · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I had a hard time with the characters, specially the hero because he is way too self absorbed, and the story didn't seem much interesting. But once the story started going downhill I found myself craving to know every detail of what really happened with Carson's family, more of curiosity for the story than for sympathy with the character.

For a story that reveals its secrets at a rather slow pace, the writer definitely managed to hook you up with the roller coaster of events that made you think you know whats going on just to discard your assumptions in the next few chapters.

I would totally recommend it if you are between long series, or for having your mind busy with something for a few hours.

[gert · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh. not as good as the previous. and the heroine (for lack of a better term) is most definitely not someone i'd like to meet. and unfortunately, she's also not someone i even want to read about.

pretty good storyline, but nothing that you won't figure out if you're paying attention.

i didn't find the romance element in the least bit romantic. hero lusts after heroine, after having pounding sex. but neither one of them actually show enough of themselves to even intimate that there's romance involved.

[Jebe]

Nowhere near as good as Nameless! All the main characters were very unlikable. I could barely finish it, the only reason I did finish it was because I kept hoping it would get better. When it didn't, I kept reading to see how over-the-top the ending was going to be. Take a pass on this one.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one up at a stand at the Flint Airport the day I left for Florida and returned it to the Atlanta airport 5 days later. It was a quick read and pretty good. I loved the read and return program at the airport. It softens the blow of buying a book without knowing if you're going to like it or not.

[CD {Boulder Blvd} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note to self: This one didn't work for me as well...really loved some elements of the plot, but was not enamored with the characters - there wasn't one character in this book that I liked. The characters did have one thing in common - they were all self absorbed and almost everything about them was me, me, me.

[Alaa Supertramp · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was that one time that I was with someone who was choosing a book for me to read while depending on the cover of the book. Thankfully, it wasn't a horrible book to read. But it wasn't great. Just an average.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Absorbing. The positions the two main characters Annette and Carson play contradict each other. 3/5 stars.

[Kris H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

...more like 2 and a half

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end of the Less series, whew, it went out with a bang. Nice wrap up too, totally fooled me!

[Tiffanni Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as Namless.

[Debra]

very good

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

I started it but didn't like it so I'm not reading it.

[Kathym]

quite enjoyed the trilogy, going to go look for more books by this author. Recommend this author if like romance and mystery combo.

[Sara Herring]

good