Rage Factor

Dixie Flannigan #2

by Chris Rogers

Bounty hunter Dixie Flannigan is well acquainted with the difference between law and justice. But not even she can believe a sleaze like Lawrence Riley Coombs, on trial for a sadistic rape, will walk--especially after jumping bail and attacking her when she went to bring him in. But a jury sets him free, and before Dixie can even stifle her outrage, she learns that a vigilante group has abducted Coombs and given him a brutal taste of his own medicine.

Dixie can't help wondering if the attack involved her friend Assistant DA Brenda Benson, threatened by Coombs as he strolled out of the courtroom. And when Dixie can't help wondering, Dixie can't help investigating. As the vigilantes strike again, she learns that these outlaw avengers risk spinning out of control--and at least one of them will go to any length to protect their mission. And worse--Dixie doesn't know there's someone else targeting someone who likes his revenge slow and painful....

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Chris Rogers was born in Texas and raised in the days of EC Comics and “B” horror flicks that could chill you down to your funny bones. She resides in a small community within commute of the four major Texas metropolises, where she ghostwrites business books and memoirs while turning out her own novels and short stories. Chris has taught mystery writing at the Rice University School of Continuing Studies, the University of Houston and in private master classes. Her students have received numerous awards and acknowledgements for their works. After a career in graphic design, Chris became a writer the easy way: She read voraciously and filled blank pages with drivel until her fingers cramped and her brain defected. Eventually, she learned to craft a decipherable sentence. Author of the Dixie Flannigan series, Bitch Factor, Rage Factor, Chill Factor and Slice of Life, Chris has published stories and essays in, among others, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and Writer’s Digest.

Reviews

[Jenene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Lisa Barnum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dixie Flanagan goes above and beyond to her work commitments, but not her personal commitments.
Good thing she has Mud, her dog.
Believable villains, and those who feel they are avenging angels,and innocents too set the story in a believable fashion.
Was sad that her and Parker didn’t work out

[Mike Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. Not a real "page-turner" but good enough to hold my interest.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the wow factor of the first novel in this series, I could hardly wait to start the second book, RAGE FACTOR. If you aren't into rape, violence and vigilante revenge, you may want to pass this one. This takes gritty to a new level - it is not for the faint-of-heart!

I really liked the fact that Dixie was still with her paramour, Parker Dunn, from the first story. However, there's plenty of angst between them. There's the issue of the dangerous nature of Dixie's job. Parker is worried that Dixie will get into something she can't handle. The opening chapters of this story prove Parker to be right to worry.

As a native Houstonian, I've enjoyed the generous sprinkling of Houston-area sites and addresses in this series. It is a nice change from the usual addresses in Los Angeles; is just me or are most of the bad guys in crime novels hanging out in LA & San Francisco? I'm glad to see that a few have moved to Houston.

This book has several things going on; it begins with an assault/rapist escaping conviction through his good looks and sincere smiles. The rapist has the prosecutor and Dixie in his sites for vicious retaliation.

In the meantime, Dixie has taken a bodyguard job - protecting the 16-year-old daughter of a famous actress. Threatening notes have been coming for weeks to the actress. The most recent one has promised that the stalker will take his anger out on the daughter.

At the same time, a vigilante group of unknown persons is wreaking vengeance on those miscreants who escape justice in the court system. Dixie is worried that she may know some of the participants. All these strands make for a well-paced book with lots of action - some of it grisly.
4 stars

Dixie Flanagan
1. Bitch Factor (1998)
2. Rage Factor (1999)
3. Chill Factor (2000)
4. Slice of Life (2012)

[Vickie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was brutal! It kept me breathless throughout the story that had multiple things going on through different voices telling the story.
Dixie is still the main character and she has her bounty hunting to do as well as bodyguard duty and the investigation into the vigilante group, Avenging Angels, to see to because she is worried it's actually people she knows and cares about who are taking the law into their hands.
The bodyguard detail is to look after the daughter of an actress out from California to film a sci-fi flick and her teenage daughter is none too happy to have a babysitter. She causes Dixie problems from the get-go and all Dixie wants to do is get her through the day without issue.
Add to the mix the Avenging Angels and the criminals they are after, these are the most intense scenes in the book. Not for the faint of heart.
Five brutal beans.....

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is good in the respect that it shows women to be strong and capable. Dixie thinks she has it all, job she loves to do, great family and a man she thinks she can have a long relationship with..... :-)

[Lissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series. A nice quick read because you can't put it down! I also like the short chapters, it makes it easy to pick up any time even if you only have a few minutes to spare!

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Can't do it. I just can't finish it.

so bored that I've read 4 books after starting this one, each time hoping I'll want to return to this one to see how it ends.

Nope. Could care less.