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Detective Jade Monroe #1
Maniacal
Sleepy little North Bend just woke up. The newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, and her partner, Detective Jack Steele, have just been informed of an unidentified male body found at a local lake. The town is in an uproar. The victim was nearly decapitated, and murder simply doesn't happen in North Bend. As more bodies turn up, the single connection between all of the victims becomes clear-it's Jade, herself. With each new victim getting one step closer to Jade, time begins to tick away. She must find the person responsible before her loved ones, or herself, are targeted next.
310 pages, Paperback
First published August 14, 2016
5733 people are currently reading
3380 people want to read
About the author
C.M. Sutter
51 books287 followersC.M. Sutter was born in San Jose, California and split time between the sunny California coast and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As a senior in high school, she chose Wisconsin as her permanent address. After many years in the Badger State, she decided on a warmer year-round climate to call home and moved south.
Years of progression took her from working in large companies, to twelve years as a massage therapist, and finally, owning a corporation. She has been self-employed for over twenty years.
Ms. Sutter has been writing and self-publishing since 2014 with eleven titles published in a different genre. Because of her deep interest in crime and thriller novels, she took up writing in the police procedural/crime thriller genre in 2016.
Years of progression took her from working in large companies, to twelve years as a massage therapist, and finally, owning a corporation. She has been self-employed for over twenty years.
Ms. Sutter has been writing and self-publishing since 2014 with eleven titles published in a different genre. Because of her deep interest in crime and thriller novels, she took up writing in the police procedural/crime thriller genre in 2016.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 432 reviews
January 3, 2024
C.M Sutter’s Maniacal is a good read. This book is the first one in Detective Jade Monroe series.
In the peaceful town of North Bend, where crime was almost non-existent, a sudden shock of terror abruptly awakens the community. Recently promoted, Sergeant Jade Monroe, along with her partner, Detective Jack Steele, receive a grim notification stating that a male body, which was nearly decapitated, has been discovered at a local lake. As panic spreads, it sends ripples of fear throughout the town. The peaceful town of North Bend has been shaken by this unexpected and gruesome murder. With the discovery of each new victim, a disturbing link becomes apparent, leading back to Jade herself. With each additional life lost, time morphs into an even more daunting foe. Jade must take it upon herself to uncover the identity of the person responsible for these heinous crimes, in order to protect her loved ones, or even herself from becoming the next victims of this malevolent killer.
Though a bit slow at the start, this book is not only well written but also a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat, as it closely follows the intricate details of a police investigation right up to its thrilling and exciting conclusion. If anyone is interested in reading this book, brace yourself for an exhilarating experience as you follow a psychopathic schizophrenic on a murderous rampage.
In the peaceful town of North Bend, where crime was almost non-existent, a sudden shock of terror abruptly awakens the community. Recently promoted, Sergeant Jade Monroe, along with her partner, Detective Jack Steele, receive a grim notification stating that a male body, which was nearly decapitated, has been discovered at a local lake. As panic spreads, it sends ripples of fear throughout the town. The peaceful town of North Bend has been shaken by this unexpected and gruesome murder. With the discovery of each new victim, a disturbing link becomes apparent, leading back to Jade herself. With each additional life lost, time morphs into an even more daunting foe. Jade must take it upon herself to uncover the identity of the person responsible for these heinous crimes, in order to protect her loved ones, or even herself from becoming the next victims of this malevolent killer.
Though a bit slow at the start, this book is not only well written but also a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat, as it closely follows the intricate details of a police investigation right up to its thrilling and exciting conclusion. If anyone is interested in reading this book, brace yourself for an exhilarating experience as you follow a psychopathic schizophrenic on a murderous rampage.
May 22, 2021
This was a good crime story!
A small backstory:
Jade Monroe along with her partner Jack Steele are on a case of a serial killer that has been killing people that are somehow associated with Jade herself and the killer leaves a dime on his victims after every kill. Jade goes into panic mode though when the killer hits real close to home and she has to up her game to find out who the killer is before he starts wiping out the people she cares for the most.
Thoughts:
I did like this crime story and this could have easily been a five star read, but the author went into too much description with every single detail of every single thing the characters did in the book.
The book was a little drawn out in spots of events happening which made the book drag some, but then the killings were bloody so that helped to get me through some of the action scenes of the story. This was my first time reading this author and at some point I will step into the rest of the series. Giving this one four "maniac" stars.
A small backstory:
Jade Monroe along with her partner Jack Steele are on a case of a serial killer that has been killing people that are somehow associated with Jade herself and the killer leaves a dime on his victims after every kill. Jade goes into panic mode though when the killer hits real close to home and she has to up her game to find out who the killer is before he starts wiping out the people she cares for the most.
Thoughts:
I did like this crime story and this could have easily been a five star read, but the author went into too much description with every single detail of every single thing the characters did in the book.
The book was a little drawn out in spots of events happening which made the book drag some, but then the killings were bloody so that helped to get me through some of the action scenes of the story. This was my first time reading this author and at some point I will step into the rest of the series. Giving this one four "maniac" stars.
May 10, 2019
My thoughts:
This was a typical serial killer story with nothing special to help it stand it. This was a quick read that was well-written and entertaining, but I felt it was fairly predictable. I thought Jade presented as pretty slow to pick up on clues and rather clueless overall, as did her lieutenant. Her partner and some of the other team members came off as smarter, but overall the whole department was pretty inadequate.
I read this as a Buddy Read, which made it more interesting, but I doubt I’ll read any more in the series.
Recommend: Not really, but I seem to be in the minority on my opinion.
My Rating: 2 ⭐️’s
Published: August 14th 2016 by C.M. Sutter
Pages: 311
Book Blurb:
Sleepy little North Bend just woke up.
The newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, and her partner, Detective Jack Steele, have just been informed of an unidentified male body found at a local lake. The town is in an uproar. The victim was nearly decapitated, and murder simply doesn’t happen in North Bend.
As more bodies turn up, the single connection between all of the victims becomes clear—it’s Jade, herself.
With each new victim getting one step closer to Jade, time begins to tick away. She must find the person responsible before her loved ones, or herself, are targeted next.
This was a typical serial killer story with nothing special to help it stand it. This was a quick read that was well-written and entertaining, but I felt it was fairly predictable. I thought Jade presented as pretty slow to pick up on clues and rather clueless overall, as did her lieutenant. Her partner and some of the other team members came off as smarter, but overall the whole department was pretty inadequate.
I read this as a Buddy Read, which made it more interesting, but I doubt I’ll read any more in the series.
Recommend: Not really, but I seem to be in the minority on my opinion.
My Rating: 2 ⭐️’s
Published: August 14th 2016 by C.M. Sutter
Pages: 311
Book Blurb:
Sleepy little North Bend just woke up.
The newly promoted Sergeant Jade Monroe, and her partner, Detective Jack Steele, have just been informed of an unidentified male body found at a local lake. The town is in an uproar. The victim was nearly decapitated, and murder simply doesn’t happen in North Bend.
As more bodies turn up, the single connection between all of the victims becomes clear—it’s Jade, herself.
With each new victim getting one step closer to Jade, time begins to tick away. She must find the person responsible before her loved ones, or herself, are targeted next.
March 12, 2022
This story is a good detective story and kept my interest. The 3 rating is because I knew who the killer was rather obviously early in the book and the Detectives on the case seemed blind solving it since they talked enough about the similarity of the murderer and who did the killings. No spoilers.
Read
October 27, 2022DNF at 19 %
Writing grinds at me and I can’t keep track of story or characters. Not sure what’s the chicken and what’s the egg, but there it is. Nothing major, but the narrative constantly throws me off:
“Jack’s cell phone rang, and Kyle was calling with instructions. ‘Do you think you can find the exact spot?’ I asked after Jack ended his call.”
“He knew the area well, having grown up there as a kid.”
Edit: 33 books published since 2016… I really need to learn to check before starting to read.
Writing grinds at me and I can’t keep track of story or characters. Not sure what’s the chicken and what’s the egg, but there it is. Nothing major, but the narrative constantly throws me off:
“Jack’s cell phone rang, and Kyle was calling with instructions. ‘Do you think you can find the exact spot?’ I asked after Jack ended his call.”
“He knew the area well, having grown up there as a kid.”
Edit: 33 books published since 2016… I really need to learn to check before starting to read.
November 18, 2017
Another serial killer novel. How exciting. Right up there with a root canal.
All the standard elements are here, meaning this book is just a clone of every other serial killer book ever written. At least Sutter didn’t fall into the trope of having the killer commit the most moronic mistake possible, thus making it possible for even a blind man to see who he was but did, on the other hand, have Jade and her partner experience an Aha! moment where they realized who the killer might be around page 275 of this 300 page book. I figured it out somewhere around page 100.
Sutter tends to write very basic sentences and to over-explain things (like what Jade does to start a pot of coffee brewing). The writing felt stilted in many places, the sentences identical in structure to where they formed a rhythm. It wasn’t an engaging one but a monotonous one.
Had Sutter not started her series off with a serial killer novel, I might consider reading more of her books. Because she did, I won’t be back for more Jade Monroe adventures.
All the standard elements are here, meaning this book is just a clone of every other serial killer book ever written. At least Sutter didn’t fall into the trope of having the killer commit the most moronic mistake possible, thus making it possible for even a blind man to see who he was but did, on the other hand, have Jade and her partner experience an Aha! moment where they realized who the killer might be around page 275 of this 300 page book. I figured it out somewhere around page 100.
Sutter tends to write very basic sentences and to over-explain things (like what Jade does to start a pot of coffee brewing). The writing felt stilted in many places, the sentences identical in structure to where they formed a rhythm. It wasn’t an engaging one but a monotonous one.
Had Sutter not started her series off with a serial killer novel, I might consider reading more of her books. Because she did, I won’t be back for more Jade Monroe adventures.
March 26, 2018
I enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and believable. The pace of the book was steady and kept your interest throughout. The author gave the right amount of detail in the story, without bogging down the story with minutia. I thought the author also kept the identity of the killer hidden well until the closing of the book. I recommend this book for anyone that enjoys criminal.
February 6, 2017
"Missed the target"
There are plenty of characters in this one; and loads of procedural detail. The plot is simple enough to follow, but I found the extra layers of people and descriptions too confusing. It's an easy read, and will occupy a few hours on a long flight, but I never fully engaged with Jade Monroe to the extent that I would wish to follow her stories through a series.
There are plenty of characters in this one; and loads of procedural detail. The plot is simple enough to follow, but I found the extra layers of people and descriptions too confusing. It's an easy read, and will occupy a few hours on a long flight, but I never fully engaged with Jade Monroe to the extent that I would wish to follow her stories through a series.
August 27, 2016
Well, I do love a good tale about a demented psychopathic serial killer - and this one has a doozy! The maniac has a gruesome way of murdering his victims - and though it's fairly graphic, the author doesn't dwell on the details so that it becomes violence-porn. It's never disgusting - just creepy and eerie and very unpleasant to think about.
The characters in what appears to be the beginning of a series are engaging...clever, intelligent and thoughtful. The writing style is clean and effortless. I enjoy "lean" writing in a thriller, where pacing can add to the excitement, and too many words can water it down.
The discovery of the killer's identity was a complete surprise to me - I didn't see it coming, and it was all the more enjoyable for that (I don't like it when I figure out who-dunnit halfway through a book!).
This is a one-sitting read. A rainy night, a box of cookies, a bottle of sherry, and "Maniacal" will make for a fun 3 or 4 hours!
The characters in what appears to be the beginning of a series are engaging...clever, intelligent and thoughtful. The writing style is clean and effortless. I enjoy "lean" writing in a thriller, where pacing can add to the excitement, and too many words can water it down.
The discovery of the killer's identity was a complete surprise to me - I didn't see it coming, and it was all the more enjoyable for that (I don't like it when I figure out who-dunnit halfway through a book!).
This is a one-sitting read. A rainy night, a box of cookies, a bottle of sherry, and "Maniacal" will make for a fun 3 or 4 hours!
did-not-finish
August 15, 2017I just couldn't get in to this book-- I feel bad that I only got about 15% of the way through, but life is too short for me to keep reading things that didn't grab me right away.
I will say that the constant physical descriptions of people got annoying really quickly (I repeat, 15% of the way in)-- I know the character is a cop, but like, it felt so clinical and dry and just...jarring?
Maybe the genre just isn't for me-- might be worth checking out if you prefer crime novels.
I will say that the constant physical descriptions of people got annoying really quickly (I repeat, 15% of the way in)-- I know the character is a cop, but like, it felt so clinical and dry and just...jarring?
Maybe the genre just isn't for me-- might be worth checking out if you prefer crime novels.
April 29, 2020
The use of POV was odd. There were times that it felt as if the heroine was addressing the reader directly even though she wasn't. Very strange. I think this story could have benefitted from being told in the third person.
Overall it was pleasant and easy which is kind of a disappointment when reading a book titled "Maniacal" that is about catching a serial killer. Maybe I'm just being a jaded bitch. IDK.
Overall it was pleasant and easy which is kind of a disappointment when reading a book titled "Maniacal" that is about catching a serial killer. Maybe I'm just being a jaded bitch. IDK.
May 20, 2020
C.M. Sutter might just be a nice find. This was a pretty standard serial killer story but the characters were solid, engaging and likable. She’s got quite a few books out there in several series and I’m going to give them a shot.
Jade and her sister seem to have plenty stories left. It’s nice to have them located close to my home. Familiarity of location works well for me. Sutter has a Chicago based series as well. Good stuff!
Jade and her sister seem to have plenty stories left. It’s nice to have them located close to my home. Familiarity of location works well for me. Sutter has a Chicago based series as well. Good stuff!
March 3, 2017
So I got to about chapter 6 in this book before I had to cut my losses.
It started off promising, where we meet the villian, Dime, and his first victim. But then...
This story is narrarated from the main character's perspective. If I thought like she did, I'd probably go insane in five minutes.
We meet her boss. We get his age, body type, hair color. He dispatches the detective and her partner to go to a crime scene.
We meet the forensics crew of 2. We get Forensics Person 1's name, age, personality, marital status, hair color and style. Then we move on to Forensics Person 2: hair color and style, eye color, body type, age. Next they walk up to the ME and his assistant. ME is described. Height, build, hair color and style, age. THen we move on to the Assistant ME. Marital status, age, hair color/style, and a twist...he wears GLASSES.
Then they go on for about a page about the body, then another detective joins them, with the two people who found the body. The detective is described...you got it, hair color and style, marital status, and he has 2 kids. The witnesses are introduced...and of course they are described. Person 1: Body type, hair color and style, clothing. 2nd witness: skin color, he has a large nose, this is the first we even hear about eye color too, and hair color and style...
I'm starting to think this book was written by a hairdresser at this point.
The trouble is, it's not just every character. Every single location is described in the same formulaic ridiculousness. I figured, maybe after we meet all the characters and get into the meat of the story, this will stop. But nooooooo. It just keeps going. I have a feeling there's about 40 pages of story, and about 200 pages of describing what people and places look like. Things that could have been worked into the dialogue or narrative, just handed to you in list fashion.
Don't waste your time on this, it reads like something I would find in a creative writing class in high school.
It started off promising, where we meet the villian, Dime, and his first victim. But then...
This story is narrarated from the main character's perspective. If I thought like she did, I'd probably go insane in five minutes.
We meet her boss. We get his age, body type, hair color. He dispatches the detective and her partner to go to a crime scene.
We meet the forensics crew of 2. We get Forensics Person 1's name, age, personality, marital status, hair color and style. Then we move on to Forensics Person 2: hair color and style, eye color, body type, age. Next they walk up to the ME and his assistant. ME is described. Height, build, hair color and style, age. THen we move on to the Assistant ME. Marital status, age, hair color/style, and a twist...he wears GLASSES.
Then they go on for about a page about the body, then another detective joins them, with the two people who found the body. The detective is described...you got it, hair color and style, marital status, and he has 2 kids. The witnesses are introduced...and of course they are described. Person 1: Body type, hair color and style, clothing. 2nd witness: skin color, he has a large nose, this is the first we even hear about eye color too, and hair color and style...
I'm starting to think this book was written by a hairdresser at this point.
The trouble is, it's not just every character. Every single location is described in the same formulaic ridiculousness. I figured, maybe after we meet all the characters and get into the meat of the story, this will stop. But nooooooo. It just keeps going. I have a feeling there's about 40 pages of story, and about 200 pages of describing what people and places look like. Things that could have been worked into the dialogue or narrative, just handed to you in list fashion.
Don't waste your time on this, it reads like something I would find in a creative writing class in high school.
November 11, 2016
Too much repetition. We don't need to hear about the coffee over and over. We don't need to hear about all the takeout food they eat and then confuse it with the vending machine food. They're not the same. The tense shifts were annoying-present tense and past tense all in the same sentence doesn't work. The main characters were predictable, the plot was predictable, and the serial killer's motive was old and overdone too many times before. Again, predictable. Too much stuff added in that had nothing really to do with background or the story, just filler. Made me think of the old days when authors were paid by the word.
November 3, 2016
Really very good thriller.
This book is about serial killer, he was abused by his mother. Grow up to hate authorities, especially women, functional and clever. People around him doesn't notice his mental illness. Detective Jade is very strong woman, doesn't worry about her looks, does her job without complaining. Great roll model for her sister Amber, she has a great future ahead of her. Polly, Porky and Spaz has a good home too. Will be reading more about them and everybody that loves to read thrillers should read this book.
This book is about serial killer, he was abused by his mother. Grow up to hate authorities, especially women, functional and clever. People around him doesn't notice his mental illness. Detective Jade is very strong woman, doesn't worry about her looks, does her job without complaining. Great roll model for her sister Amber, she has a great future ahead of her. Polly, Porky and Spaz has a good home too. Will be reading more about them and everybody that loves to read thrillers should read this book.
Read
October 31, 2016Didn't like
Book had too much detail and seemed it was written by a novice writer. I couldn't read the book more than a quarter through.
Book had too much detail and seemed it was written by a novice writer. I couldn't read the book more than a quarter through.
September 24, 2017
So boring. Figured out the villain's identity a couple chapters in. Also how does a mental druggie psycho like that hide his crazy enough to do his job around the very people he hates, as well as avoid cameras and tech like he did? LOL.
The author seems to think you write a good first-person POV by just changing "she" to "I." Not true. You need asides and thoughts and quips that are going on in the protagonist's head; this book didn't have that and could've just as easily been from a third-person POV.
Super basic writing. Unrealistic dialogue. Graphic violence as if the author thought that'd be the standout or saving grace of this book. It's not.
The author seems to think you write a good first-person POV by just changing "she" to "I." Not true. You need asides and thoughts and quips that are going on in the protagonist's head; this book didn't have that and could've just as easily been from a third-person POV.
Super basic writing. Unrealistic dialogue. Graphic violence as if the author thought that'd be the standout or saving grace of this book. It's not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2017
I found this wasn't anything very different and it was pretty formulaic as murder mysteries go (and as a rule I don't ever download those covers anymore with the hooded man as there are tons out there). I liked the characters of both Jade and Jack and Amber, too and the story kept my interest but it wasn't anything new, strange or startling, I found.
I was shocked at the amount of prisons in Wisconsin !! That's a LOT in one state.
Something funny which I thought made for a jawdropping chapter opening was this-:
There were the odd missing words which happens too often in e-books.....like a and there were a lot of misused apostrophes as well. Then the name Lawrence was used when Mately was meant which was a big ouch for me !
However, I'll try out the next in the series to see where they're all heading.
I was shocked at the amount of prisons in Wisconsin !! That's a LOT in one state.
Something funny which I thought made for a jawdropping chapter opening was this-:
There were the odd missing words which happens too often in e-books.....like a and there were a lot of misused apostrophes as well. Then the name Lawrence was used when Mately was meant which was a big ouch for me !
However, I'll try out the next in the series to see where they're all heading.
February 23, 2020
That was kinda dumb. Like, the whole plot and characters were meh to begin with but crikey.
All the characters, Jade especially, seemed incompetent. She could never do anything for herself, it was always “let’s ask the lieutenant”. Plus, I felt like no actual detective work went on, everything just popped out of thin air and it felt like there was absolutely no logical reasoning to come to whatever conclusion they did.
Not to mention I knew who the murderer was from the second time he was mentioned. Like, I was hoping for awhile that it was just going to be a red herring, but no, they really did make him the murderer. The author could have been subtle, only giving brief hints, but instead they just gave weird, out of place bits of information that automatically made you go “oh, that’s gonna be relevant later in regards to the murders”.
Honestly, this just wasn’t all that great. I thought it was written well enough (apart from some of the awkwardness in dialogue and shit coming out of thin air) but this really did nothing for me apart from cause anger.
All the characters, Jade especially, seemed incompetent. She could never do anything for herself, it was always “let’s ask the lieutenant”. Plus, I felt like no actual detective work went on, everything just popped out of thin air and it felt like there was absolutely no logical reasoning to come to whatever conclusion they did.
Not to mention I knew who the murderer was from the second time he was mentioned. Like, I was hoping for awhile that it was just going to be a red herring, but no, they really did make him the murderer. The author could have been subtle, only giving brief hints, but instead they just gave weird, out of place bits of information that automatically made you go “oh, that’s gonna be relevant later in regards to the murders”.
Honestly, this just wasn’t all that great. I thought it was written well enough (apart from some of the awkwardness in dialogue and shit coming out of thin air) but this really did nothing for me apart from cause anger.
Want to read
November 13, 2017FREE on Amazon today (11/13/2017)!
December 18, 2020
It was extremely predictable..like, you-can-guess-the-killer's-identity-in-the-first-ten-pages predictable..
June 5, 2021
An interesting and entertaining read if you like police procedural, murder thrillers. The chase for the killer is not an especially deep plot, but it is intriguing and well-done.
July 29, 2021
Maniacal...
This was a really good mystery with a lot of suspense, it kept you guessing til the end. It is the first in this series. Looking forward to reading the resy !
This was a really good mystery with a lot of suspense, it kept you guessing til the end. It is the first in this series. Looking forward to reading the resy !
May 1, 2024
Not bad, a little stilted in places, but the storyline was interesting and the characters wholesome
April 16, 2021
Very well written, reads like a great TV-series, very detailed. Will definitely read more by this author.
August 5, 2022
4.5 Stars
A good start to a new series for me. Lots of action, a bit of gore/nasty business - very good police procedural!
A good start to a new series for me. Lots of action, a bit of gore/nasty business - very good police procedural!
October 14, 2017
The story opens being told from the killer POV, a man being driven and controlled by an inner voice, a man who is a misogynist—it appear from listening to the voice directing him that he hates women because of something that his mother did to him. At the very beginning of chapter two the POV switches to that of the Sheriff’s Departments detective, a female detective newly promoted to sergeant, which would catch the case. This switching between perp and detective reminds me of another book that I read not too long ago where the POV kept switching back and forth between the villain and the hero or heroine. That author did it in a masterful way and I can only hope that this author does as good a job at it.
Chapters appear to be going to be an average of nine pages long, the ideal length for what appears to going to be a real fast paced page turner, one that is going to be extremely hard to put down. Unfortunately I know that I will have to force myself to do just that because my other obligations don’t afford me to read a book of this length in one sitting. I know that it will take me two or three sessions to finish it but with the way this book started off I know that it will be worth it.
As the plot thickens it would seem that the villain is targeting people that Sgt. Jade Morris knows, first her yoga instructor, then her realtor. It has one wondering why he is targeting women that Jade has some kind of personal relationship with. Who will be next? Could the perp be someone that Jade knows personally or someone she has had interaction with as a deputy sheriff? With Amber, her little sister moving in with her makes her one of the perp’s future targets? One could be led to believe that that’s a possibility. Could the woman he blames everything on be Jade? Were the flowers received by Jade from the perp? The plot thickens.
The author’s use of foreshadowing is especially good, especially how Amber is going to learn how to handle a gun and take self-defense lesson. This leads the reader to believe that she will be using those skills in a real life situation to come in this story. Perhaps a reader who isn’t also a writer may not realize that’s what the author was doing, but it popped right out at me as good technique because I had to master that technique when I started to write fiction myself. C. M. Sutter is a master of the technique.
Finally, at the end of chapter 40 the perp reveals that Sargent Jade Morris reminds the perp of his mother and his end game is to take Jade down. If I didn’t already want to see “Dime” dead I would now that he threatened to do great bodily harm to Spatz, Amber’s cat. I love cats and hate anyone who abuses them, dogs too for that matter.
As I raced towards the plots denouement I discover that I dare not say any more about this great book without risking the enjoyment of reading it for everyone else. Who “Dime” turns out to be is someone that I never suspected and I think all of you who read this amazing mystery/thriller after me will be just as surprised as I was.
If you love a mystery/thriller that will keep you pasted on the edge of your chair from the very first page, this book is a must read for you.
Chapters appear to be going to be an average of nine pages long, the ideal length for what appears to going to be a real fast paced page turner, one that is going to be extremely hard to put down. Unfortunately I know that I will have to force myself to do just that because my other obligations don’t afford me to read a book of this length in one sitting. I know that it will take me two or three sessions to finish it but with the way this book started off I know that it will be worth it.
As the plot thickens it would seem that the villain is targeting people that Sgt. Jade Morris knows, first her yoga instructor, then her realtor. It has one wondering why he is targeting women that Jade has some kind of personal relationship with. Who will be next? Could the perp be someone that Jade knows personally or someone she has had interaction with as a deputy sheriff? With Amber, her little sister moving in with her makes her one of the perp’s future targets? One could be led to believe that that’s a possibility. Could the woman he blames everything on be Jade? Were the flowers received by Jade from the perp? The plot thickens.
The author’s use of foreshadowing is especially good, especially how Amber is going to learn how to handle a gun and take self-defense lesson. This leads the reader to believe that she will be using those skills in a real life situation to come in this story. Perhaps a reader who isn’t also a writer may not realize that’s what the author was doing, but it popped right out at me as good technique because I had to master that technique when I started to write fiction myself. C. M. Sutter is a master of the technique.
Finally, at the end of chapter 40 the perp reveals that Sargent Jade Morris reminds the perp of his mother and his end game is to take Jade down. If I didn’t already want to see “Dime” dead I would now that he threatened to do great bodily harm to Spatz, Amber’s cat. I love cats and hate anyone who abuses them, dogs too for that matter.
As I raced towards the plots denouement I discover that I dare not say any more about this great book without risking the enjoyment of reading it for everyone else. Who “Dime” turns out to be is someone that I never suspected and I think all of you who read this amazing mystery/thriller after me will be just as surprised as I was.
If you love a mystery/thriller that will keep you pasted on the edge of your chair from the very first page, this book is a must read for you.
February 2, 2019
A gripping read
Wasn't going to read this book yet, even though I had it on my kindle, because of the picture on the cover. But then I discovered that the together book that I was going to read came much later in the series. So I reD ad Maniacal and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It keeps you guessing right to the end as to who the murderer is. I don't know if I'll purchase all of the other books, but probably I worn be able to resist. Only 4 stars because I felt that sometimes the writing was a bit amateurish, the author seemed to feel they had to tell us every minute detail of very insignificant events sometimes. It didn't spoil the story though and wouldn't put me off reading more in the series.
Wasn't going to read this book yet, even though I had it on my kindle, because of the picture on the cover. But then I discovered that the together book that I was going to read came much later in the series. So I reD ad Maniacal and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. It keeps you guessing right to the end as to who the murderer is. I don't know if I'll purchase all of the other books, but probably I worn be able to resist. Only 4 stars because I felt that sometimes the writing was a bit amateurish, the author seemed to feel they had to tell us every minute detail of very insignificant events sometimes. It didn't spoil the story though and wouldn't put me off reading more in the series.
May 3, 2018
Mundane
I tried several times to read this but couldn't get past the poor writing style and excessive, mundane details. I don't need to know the minute details of every character the first time they are introduced. It's pointless. The narrative and dialogue are bland and frankly Jade comes across as an inexperienced and weak cop. She really doesn't know what to do when she encounters evidence of a crime outside her jurisdiction? And a house piled with trash and dirty ash trays has tissues for the weepy uncle? I'm disappointed because the opening chapter showed interesting promise but what came after was a real let down.
I tried several times to read this but couldn't get past the poor writing style and excessive, mundane details. I don't need to know the minute details of every character the first time they are introduced. It's pointless. The narrative and dialogue are bland and frankly Jade comes across as an inexperienced and weak cop. She really doesn't know what to do when she encounters evidence of a crime outside her jurisdiction? And a house piled with trash and dirty ash trays has tissues for the weepy uncle? I'm disappointed because the opening chapter showed interesting promise but what came after was a real let down.
March 23, 2020
It was good, but predictable.
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