Hindsight

Above and Beyond #4

by Jody Klaire

Aeron is a reluctant empath whose gruff exterior is matched by a big heart and need to help people. She learns more about gifts in every mission with the mysterious organization CIG. When General Ursula Frei goes missing, the Criminal Investigations Group is thrown into turmoil. Aeron and Renee follow the last eyewitness reports and trace Frei's footsteps on a journey that takes them deeper through the hardship and heroism of Frei's old life. But with the Internal Affairs Team digging for answers and the foes from Frei's former life closing in on them, Aeron and Renee have to use all their skills, faith, and cunning to find her. Can they get Frei to safety and keep her secrets hidden? Or will the truth mean that she loses the freedom she fought so hard to have all these years?

Genres: Paranormal, Lesbian, LGBT, Mystery, Fantasy, Crime

394 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2016

About the author

Jody has been everything from a serving police officer to working in kitchens before finding her home in writing. She can often be found chuckling to herself at her own jokes; being pounced by her golden retriever Fergus; eating cake or chocolate or preferably both, and sometimes, when Fergus hasn’t run off with her keyboard, she writes stuff.
Best Maid Plans is Jody’s first book independently published but you can find her other published works online or in most book stores (you’ll just need to order them in.)

Website: jodyklaire.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jodyklaireauthor
Twitter: @jodyklaire

Reviews

[Diane Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just an ok read...was a bit disappointed with the storyline after waiting sooo long for this book to be release..my excitement fell flat after reading :(

[Samiha Zubair · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating, beautiful read. Jody seems to me master rider in suspense.

[Velvet Lounger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action/Adventure, Thriller, super Special Ops Crime Drama with a side order of phychic powers and the slowest burn romance imaginable. There are just so many ways to describe “Hindsight”, book 4 in the “Above and Beyond Series” that I almost don’t know where to start.

Well actually let’s start by saying this is a series, and while it might be possible to read this as a standalone there is such a huge history of fact and inter-relationships building up that if you haven’t read the first three then you need to go back and start at the beginning, it will be worth the time and effort and pay off ten-fold.

This latest epic instalment is breath-taking. The action is fast paced, the number of players on the table at any one time is unbelievable and the combination of flashbacks and current action, from multiple points of view, left me gasping. And yet somehow Jody Klaire not only manages to keep all the storylines, points of view and personalities clear, she somehow manages to bring it all to a successful resolution.

As the series progresses we are pulled deeper and deeper into the characters, this time it’s Frei that is revealed along with a huge chuck of her history. All the major players, Aeron and Renee, Lilia and Eli, Nan and even Huber are constantly being fleshed out and filled in. Klaire keeps the development and reveal going while cleverly introducing new characters and seamlessly slotting them in as major players on the chessboard. Oh and you are going to love Aunt Bess.

The plot is both complex and simple. The overall story arc has a team of special ops forces and FBI investigator types chasing a ring of child slavers, but the sub plots and personal journeys are convoluted and delivered with incredible detail making the whole become an exploration of the psychology of each major character. Phenomenal.

I literally couldn’t put it down and read half the night, only to cancel my morning and reach for it over coffee. Now I have to take a week off everything else and re-read the whole series to date because I am completely fascinated all over again. If you love fast paced action adventure, psychological thrillers, crime – any of the above, believe me this series is pure heaven. It is already a classic mind bending journey and I cannot wait for Book 5, “Noble Heart”, to come and confound me all over again.

[Carol Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great adventure with Aeron!

Aeron and Renee are out on another adventure to trace the footsteps of their friend Frei who has gone missing. Under pressure as other teams are hot on their tail, Aeron and Renee encounter many challenges and have to trust in one another and believe in Aeron’s abilities to help them if they are going to be able to get to Frei in time and protect her.

I always enjoy Aeron’s stories, and Hindsight was no exception. It is book four in the Above and Beyond series and although I feel these stories work well as standalone stories, to get the full experience I highly recommend reading the other books in the series first. I absolutely adore Aeron, as an empath I resonate with her character greatly and love how Jody Klaire portrays Aeron because she not what you expect at all, and with every story her character changes and grows.

I was so excited when I realised what was going to be unfolding in this story when it came to Frei. We met her in the previous story and I adored her character, so it was excited to learn more about her and her past in Hindsight. It is hard to say too much about the story without giving away spoilers, so all I can say is everything with this adventure is definitely a thrill and exciting. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if time was finally up for Frei, Aeron or Renee because at times, my heart was in my throat.

I really enjoyed Hindsight and can’t recommend the Above and Beyond series enough. You can emotionally connect with the story and characters and it really is quite the experience that I just enjoy so much.

[Bugs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review applies to the entire Above and Beyond series (Book 1-5)...

If you haven't read Jody Klaire's Above & Beyond series, I highly recommend it! OMG! It's epic! A mammoth of an arc spanning 7 books in total. Very original, unique, fantastic thrills, action-packed, funny, extremely heartbreaking and heartwarming jammed into one, romantic, truly memorable journey & adventures.

First off, it's NOT what you think. The premise reads like an adventure/thriller but it's SO MUCH more than that because not only is the MC (Aeron) a very unconventional character, how she feels, thinks, behaves, is very unique because of her circumstances.

Jody's skillful wordplay and story structure hook you in because you literally FEEL Aeron, her surroundings, the situations/scenarios, as well as the characters she comes into contact with, one of them in particular - which sets off a whole new plethora of emotions so hypnotic you simply MUST find out what's next! It's literally off-the-charts THRILLING! A bloody fantastic roller coaster ride! And you can't just read Book 1 ("The Empath")! You MUST, for your sanity, read the rest of them as Jody turns up the drama/humour/thrills/romance (the most unique, addictive, slow-burn you'll ever read, tbh!)/action a notch as you go through Book 2 onwards, with amazing secondary characters. Oh, I especially love the grandmother!! You'll know when you read the books!

Although the series is created around Aeron, it's the 2 other primary characters, Renee & Frei, who give the story arc depth, complexity & make Aeron whole. I call them the Terrific Trio! Their affinity & special connection with each other are not unlike Harry Potter, Ron & Hermione in the Harry Potter series. They go through all the adventures, thrills, drama & angst together.

All 5 (out of 7 that are released) books will make you laugh, cry, mad, angry, scream, cheer with the characters. The devastatingly slow-burn romance between Aeron & Renee...omg. Their language, their words, their actions will leave you yearning for more! Literally kills me with all the feels! (don't know how many "awwww!"'s I'd uttered whilst devouring the series!). As for Frei, you'll find out and discover her past and I can guarantee you it'll break your heart. But it'll give you a deeper level of understanding about why Frei's what/who she is. Extraordinarily heartfelt.

As the story progresses throughout the books, the action gets more intense. Klaire's masterful use of words to describe the heart-pounding action sequences will literally put you on the edge of your seat! It did for me every time there was one! It's like watching it in motion on-screen! Gobsmackingly spectacular! I was holding me breath during the entire car chase scene,& then the....scene...& then the... Errr...I'd better not reveal anymore because...spoilers! You simply have to read the books to find out!

I also want to add that the subject matter of the story arc that spans several books (which you'll find out) is what is happening to the world we live in today, although, unfortunately it's not being talked about and pretty much "hidden" because of the powers that be (money, power, influence) that have their hands in it. So many actually believe it's in the past & not happening anymore or just happening to certain groups of people. For Jody to use it to build her A&B world (perhaps shine a light on it, albeit it's fiction, but really makes one ponder at what's really behind the curtain of our world) is something that I'm grateful for & appreciative of. I don't think it's been told like that in fiction.

This series really, must be read chronologically as follows:

1. The Empath
2. Blind Trust
3. Untrained Eye
4. Hindsight
5. Noble Heart
6. Black Ridge Falls (not released yet)
7. Full Circle (not released yet)

**I'm hoping Book 6 will feature Renee's backstory and more about her.Simply her character - as an individual, as Aeron's romantic interest, as Frei's close/best friend. She's basically a badarse! And then, finally, everything comes full circle (as Book 7 alludes to, maybe?), we see the Terrific Trio ride into the sunset together!!! Well, that's my wish, anyway!**

All in all, the Above & Beyond series is a resounding MUST-READ!! You won't regret it!

Thank YOU so much, Jody, for creating this absolutely memorable series!! I put A&B alongside HP as one of my favourite series of all time! Well done, mate!

Now, Bedazzled Ink Publishing, I IMPLORE you to release the last 2 books SOON! PLEASE!!

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying, that this series is not in my usual genre. But I loooove the trope with an Empath, so I thought: „why not?“ And it was such a good decision!

All in all, in the seven books, we have:
- paranormal, slow burn (but really really slow), muscles, found family, love (in all shapes and forms)
- violence, action, mystery, child trafficking, slaves, thriller, a lot of surprises and ghosts.

I am going to write one big review for all seven books, since I read them all at the same time, in quick succession. It took me less than a week to read them all and I did little else.

The Empath
it’s the beginning, solid, kept me reading 14/10, i love Aeron, i love Renee, thriller, very brutal
I was on the killer’s tail, but changed my mind like 3 times. Even tho it’s the first book, there are scenes, that are more important later on, which i loved! The beginning, when Aeron calls her Tess is one of them. Plus Renee’s reaction to it only gets explained somewhere in the last book.
The scene, where Aeron finds out Renee’s real Name is so cool.

Blind Trust
lots of trust, kept building their relationship, mystery, i love Zack (love him even more now that i know who he is), 10/10 this book was not as butal as the first one, but still pretty intense. St. Jude is the cutest town and this is the first time we kind of see Aeron builing a fanclub, by saving a lot of people, which will then be important in the last book, when everyone gets together to save her. Also, what we only know in the last book is that all the really bad villains are connected, which makes it even better, thinking back...

Untrained Eye
10/10 Frei has become one of my favorite characters, Aeron is a dimwit, Renee has issues (but I still love her), but only because she has to live with the same blessings/burdens as Aeron has had her whole life. I love, that later on, because of that Renee starts to believe. Before that she trusted Aeron telling the truth, but having experienced it herself, she starts to believe. Which is also when she starts seeing Nan. I loved loved loved the friendship between Aeron and Frei! Frei trusting her enough, that she told her about her past was huge. And letting her in repeatedly was also huge. Plus in ‚Full Circle‘ Frei talks about being Lorelei-d, and being soft and mushy. Which I think started here.

Hindsight
10/10 Tense, Action, race for time, declining health, Relationships, Aeron and her cans of soda (pop). Here we see that Aeron is getting worse and worse and by the end it takes about five people for her to feel better. Also, i don’t really remember when I knew, that Jessie is Frei’s daughter, but the second I knew that there was no doubt, that she was going to be the genius behind the screen. Literally so many plot twists regarding family. And again, there were small signs, that did not make a lot of sense, but were revealed in the later books.

One of my favourite scenes:

So where is home to you?” Renee’s voice was soft, gentle,
curious, not shrink-like at all.
Mrs. Squirrel sounded like she was gonna rip right through something
any second. Renee was waiting for an answer. I rubbed my hand over the back of
my neck, the restlessness wriggling through me again. I needed to move, to do
something . . . to find what Mrs. Squirrel was scratching at before there was a
hole in the cabin wall.
“Aeron?”
“Wherever you are,” I mumbled and got up.
I trudged toward the cabin, making my escape as I followed the
sound. She��d think I was crazier than she already knew I was.

Noble Heart
10/10 Romance is picking up, Aeron still oblivious, Renee in love (but with whom?) I love the description of Aeron in love. She discribes in such a cute way, I could totally understand Renee falling for her. She spent her whole adolescence in a mental institution and therefore has never known love, or never realised it. So her trying to figure out her feelings is just adorable. The scene, where she kisses Renee while she’s asleep, is even funnier, when you know that Renee has done the same (which we find out in ‚Full Circle‘). Frei and her Family pick up new members and there is a lot of history. Aeron’s health is declining and nothing seems to stop it.

Black Ridge Falls
9/10, I know that it was important for the story, that they hike up the mountain. They had to retrace the steps of Renee’s Dad and Brother, to solve the mystery of their deaths. But Aeron was almost dying and Renee could have just let her chill for a second. Plus they had little Zack with them. It was kind of wholesome, that Aeron got to see what none of the other people in Renee’s life saw. The whole ‚chase‘ up on the mountain was not as good as the other books, but it was more of a buildup for ‚Full Circle‘. Which after having read it, so many things make so much more sense. Also Aeron having the guts to tell Renee that she loves her was amazing. Especially since Aeron still thinks, that Renee loves someone else.

Full Circle
15/10 was soooo long, but soo worth it!!!! Mysteries were solved, plot twists, LOVE!!! I was whooping after Renee finally finally confessed her love to Aeron! That scene was so funny. I’m really glad i read until the last one, because so many things were happening at once, and so much was revealed. And i was laughing every single time Susan talked to the furniture. Was kind of happy that Frei got rid of Theo. Gasquet and Gossett deserve a whole bucket of pickle juice, but their names were so similar i stopped trying to figure out who was who at one point.


All in all, I highly reccomend this series! I laughed, I cried, I was scared, tense, hiding, and literally every other emotion you can Imagine.

PS: I don’t know if I’ve said it, but I love Nan!

[Elisa Rolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

2017 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Jody Klaire Hindsight (The Above & Beyond #4)
1) This is part of a series, and the best of the series thus far. The writing is exceptional, the dialog purposeful, restrained, important. The setting could have been more clarified, but the writing style keeps one reading until the setting is clear.
2) Interesting read. Great plot and characters. All were well written and developed in depth. Haven’t read the other books in this series but I will bed after reading this one. This one I couldn’t put down.

[Heather Henkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

It was nice to see more of Ursula s past and meet Bess. But holy cow it's Aeron every going to figure things out?

[Woody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thrilling race against time
Some great new characters in this forth instalment of the Above and Beyond Series.
Frei and Jessie have disappeared and it’s up to Aeron and Renee to find them with the help of Aunt Bess. Head of the Internal Affairs Abby Fleming turns up asking where they are. Abby was Renee’s ex fiancé. So, begins a race to find the missing pair and save them before Abby can realise what is going on at the CIG base. Totally loved the character of Aunt Bess. Lots of fast paced action with flashbacks to Frei’s past and present. Jody Klaire is a great storyteller and a very talented writer. Looking forward to the next book Noble Heart.

[Rtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely awesome. This series keeps delivering loads of action, deeper character development and cool plot twists. It's really fun to watch them have each other backs and get into sticky situations. Read them in order. It's binge worthy.