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Catch & Neutralize
What if you joined a secret society of women hunting the world’s worst criminals?
Could you push yourself to do the unthinkable?
What if you couldn’t tell anyone about your activities?
Could you hide behind all the lies?
What if your husband suspected you were having an affair?
What if he followed you on your most dangerous assignment, unarmed and unaware?
Could you keep him safe?
Phalanges “Angie” Carter is a member of a women-controlled secret society designed to hunt down notorious criminals. Blessed with long golden locks and a bikini-model body, Angie’s been at the shallow end of The Institute’s missions. She’s fed up with being the pretty faced flirt used to delay bad guys. She’s had enough of being pushed to the side while other agents get the risky, more important assignments.
Finally, Angie’s time of waiting for a challenge has ended. Her new assignment: Catch & Neutralize a group of killers involved in drugs, torture, and everything in-between. Experts at eluding the authorities, these thugs will stop at nothing to take down the beauty getting in their way – if they can find her.
Who are they? The hard part is figuring out the identity of these villains. Until then, no one is in the clear. No one can be trusted. Angie must dig deep to prove she can Catch & Neutralize these uncatchable criminals before The Institute’s alarm signifies failure…
Or something much worse.
Could you push yourself to do the unthinkable?
What if you couldn’t tell anyone about your activities?
Could you hide behind all the lies?
What if your husband suspected you were having an affair?
What if he followed you on your most dangerous assignment, unarmed and unaware?
Could you keep him safe?
Phalanges “Angie” Carter is a member of a women-controlled secret society designed to hunt down notorious criminals. Blessed with long golden locks and a bikini-model body, Angie’s been at the shallow end of The Institute’s missions. She’s fed up with being the pretty faced flirt used to delay bad guys. She’s had enough of being pushed to the side while other agents get the risky, more important assignments.
Finally, Angie’s time of waiting for a challenge has ended. Her new assignment: Catch & Neutralize a group of killers involved in drugs, torture, and everything in-between. Experts at eluding the authorities, these thugs will stop at nothing to take down the beauty getting in their way – if they can find her.
Who are they? The hard part is figuring out the identity of these villains. Until then, no one is in the clear. No one can be trusted. Angie must dig deep to prove she can Catch & Neutralize these uncatchable criminals before The Institute’s alarm signifies failure…
Or something much worse.
- GenresThriller
354 pages, Paperback
Published September 13, 2016
16 people want to read
About the author
Chris Grams
5 books29 followersCHRIS GRAMS writes dangerous, daring, breathless stories about resilient women conspiring to correct bad situations. Her characters are described as witty, gutsy and, when the conditions are right, a little crazy. Grams herself, at one time or another, has also donned these colorful titles but respectfully disagrees when asked. She prefers revenge stories with equal dollops of shock and terror.
Grams was born in Rhode Island, grew up in Florida, and now lives in New Mexico with her husband, Brandon, and daughter, Sierra. Visit her at www.ChrisGramsFiction.com.
Grams was born in Rhode Island, grew up in Florida, and now lives in New Mexico with her husband, Brandon, and daughter, Sierra. Visit her at www.ChrisGramsFiction.com.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 15, 2016
*Women be crazy, yo!*
This was a pretty fast read for me. Even though the blurb prepared me for what was to come I was still quite surprised at how Chris Grams managed to make me doubt anything and anyone the blurb indicated towards. I started doubting Angie just like her husband did… and that’s darned good writing, eh?
All these questions in the blurb will get an answer through a variety of characters and variety of events.
The book starts off with Mark, the husband’s POV chapters. He is a geneticist and his work is something that creates a threat in the book for a few of the characters. So Mark starts suspecting that his wife is cheating on him and he takes it into his own hands to gather more proof and catch her in the act. By God’s will (no not really, just fate.. or actually, by the author’s quick thinking) he meets a woman, Laura, who may be able to help him disguise himself seeing that Laura’s expertise is in make-up, creating face masks, and such.
Then we’re going to get Angie’s POV. She’s working undercover as a secretary for a douchebag. Angie is a little firecracker. She is feisty and full of misbehavior which comes across really strong. She has to keep her true job a secret from her husband, though, and uses pretty despicable means to do so. Tut-tut…
Welcome Tiffany! Angie and Tiffany befriend each other in a restaurant but then Angie gets a message from the Institute to ‘Keep an eye on Tiffany’. Task and a half when you’ve only just met the woman. Some chats and booze later, they start playing a game of dares for high sums of money… What Angie doesn’t know however is that Tiffany has her own agenda… You got that right… Sinister! Or is it Tiffany’s fault? They end up in Tiffany’s house…and Scott is involved…sooo…
Who’s Scott?… Scott is a waiter in a restaurant Angie frequents. A horn-dog hellbent on getting a piece of Angie’s ass… is he harmless, what’s his deal? Perhaps he is a freaking predator that needs to be caught and neutralized?
As is required by thrillers, every chapter, every POV reveals new details to the story, new ideas and further curve-balls. I was thoroughly mystified and questioning everything that was happening from beginning to the end. There are some scenes of torture/bullying, mostly dealt by the female hand… So, yes, some criminals end up in the picture and it’s all just a freaking funfair of happenings but I just found the ladies actions, even though the bad guys had it coming for them, a bit childish. Surely, when you want to bring wrath upon someone, or neutralize them, then for rapists and child molesters there’s a better way to do it- don’t bully and torture them by tapping into their homophobia; just castrate, kill and stop wasting your time on scum! I did find the potato peeler an interesting choice of a torture weapon though… hahaha… BUT- this is a book, not real life, so welcome to the twilight zone!
The writing was really nice and flowy, the story progressed at high speed and there was plenty to keep me entertained. Kind of like watching an action movie. The only thing I had an ‘issue’ with was the fact how quickly the characters seemed to just fall into each other’s lives. Mark with Laura, Angie with Tiffany… everything is possible in books, though, so it’s not a major complaint of mine.
Overall- 3 ***. I liked it. A fast paced entertaining read for everyone who likes the female domination (and I don’t mean sexually here, pull your mind out of the gutter!). There is definitely a bigger plot behind the whole novel… what is this Institute, how widespread are they, what happens to the guy who was supposed to destroy all evidence of Mark’s dangerous lab creation?
This was a pretty fast read for me. Even though the blurb prepared me for what was to come I was still quite surprised at how Chris Grams managed to make me doubt anything and anyone the blurb indicated towards. I started doubting Angie just like her husband did… and that’s darned good writing, eh?
All these questions in the blurb will get an answer through a variety of characters and variety of events.
The book starts off with Mark, the husband’s POV chapters. He is a geneticist and his work is something that creates a threat in the book for a few of the characters. So Mark starts suspecting that his wife is cheating on him and he takes it into his own hands to gather more proof and catch her in the act. By God’s will (no not really, just fate.. or actually, by the author’s quick thinking) he meets a woman, Laura, who may be able to help him disguise himself seeing that Laura’s expertise is in make-up, creating face masks, and such.
Then we’re going to get Angie’s POV. She’s working undercover as a secretary for a douchebag. Angie is a little firecracker. She is feisty and full of misbehavior which comes across really strong. She has to keep her true job a secret from her husband, though, and uses pretty despicable means to do so. Tut-tut…
Welcome Tiffany! Angie and Tiffany befriend each other in a restaurant but then Angie gets a message from the Institute to ‘Keep an eye on Tiffany’. Task and a half when you’ve only just met the woman. Some chats and booze later, they start playing a game of dares for high sums of money… What Angie doesn’t know however is that Tiffany has her own agenda… You got that right… Sinister! Or is it Tiffany’s fault? They end up in Tiffany’s house…and Scott is involved…sooo…
Who’s Scott?… Scott is a waiter in a restaurant Angie frequents. A horn-dog hellbent on getting a piece of Angie’s ass… is he harmless, what’s his deal? Perhaps he is a freaking predator that needs to be caught and neutralized?
As is required by thrillers, every chapter, every POV reveals new details to the story, new ideas and further curve-balls. I was thoroughly mystified and questioning everything that was happening from beginning to the end. There are some scenes of torture/bullying, mostly dealt by the female hand… So, yes, some criminals end up in the picture and it’s all just a freaking funfair of happenings but I just found the ladies actions, even though the bad guys had it coming for them, a bit childish. Surely, when you want to bring wrath upon someone, or neutralize them, then for rapists and child molesters there’s a better way to do it- don’t bully and torture them by tapping into their homophobia; just castrate, kill and stop wasting your time on scum! I did find the potato peeler an interesting choice of a torture weapon though… hahaha… BUT- this is a book, not real life, so welcome to the twilight zone!
The writing was really nice and flowy, the story progressed at high speed and there was plenty to keep me entertained. Kind of like watching an action movie. The only thing I had an ‘issue’ with was the fact how quickly the characters seemed to just fall into each other’s lives. Mark with Laura, Angie with Tiffany… everything is possible in books, though, so it’s not a major complaint of mine.
Overall- 3 ***. I liked it. A fast paced entertaining read for everyone who likes the female domination (and I don’t mean sexually here, pull your mind out of the gutter!). There is definitely a bigger plot behind the whole novel… what is this Institute, how widespread are they, what happens to the guy who was supposed to destroy all evidence of Mark’s dangerous lab creation?
September 5, 2016
This was sent to me from the author herself Chris Grams and I want to say thank you from the very beginning you know how to capture your audience and keep them seated and at attention up to the very end. How it's done though is a secret that you must figure out with your next assignment...Catch & NEUTRALIZE that is your mission...Good luck and if you should fail your mission you will just have to figure it out...Happy Reading and enjoy....JANE CULWELL
November 7, 2016
I had an awesome time writing about Angie and Mark. It was super fun making them weave in and out of danger, constructing lies, and sorting out truths. If you're interested in thrillers, give this one a go. Hope you enjoy it! Feel free to send a line letting me know. :)
September 21, 2016
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Before I get into this novel, let me tell you a little about my process: After deciding to read a book, I tend to forget what it's about rightaway -- if for no other reason than I'm too frequently tempted to predict what the book'll be like. So when it comes to series and/or author's I like, all I need to know is "Oh, a new Faith Hunter book is out!" or "Ahhh, a Jonathan Tropper that I haven't read -- sweet!" That's all I need. Similarly, when it's a book by someone new, or a new series -- or when an author (case in point) asks me to read their new book -- once I've decided I'm down for it, I'll let the details slide, so I'm fresh for the book.
So when I opened this one (see, there's a link) and read the first few chapters, I kept asking myself "I said 'yes' to this?" Not because it was bad -- it wasn't -- it's just not the kind of book that I'd normally read. A little later, I went to log that I'd started the book in Goodreads and read the blurb there -- I didn't recognize it as the book I was reading. A chapter or two later, it was exactly what the blurb said. And that's both good and bad. Let's see if I can explain my point.
In the first few chapters we meet Mark -- a super-smart geneticist who's also (for good reason) super-jealous. He's pretty sure his wife is having an affair (as is the reader), and he's understandably upset. He takes a few steps that most husbands don't -- but most husbands don't have his apparent personal budget or friends in the right fields. He also happens to meet a willing accomplice -- perhaps too willing, as she's young, pretty and talented, and a little tempting for a guy who's pretty sure his marriage is on the rocks. But whatever -- now, at this point, I'm interested, invested -- I'm rooting for Mark (at least a little), and really hoping he doesn't end up killing his wife or something similarly stupid/misguided.
Insert the sound of a needle scratch, because we're done with Mark at this point -- without warning or anything, and we meet Angie (Mark's wife) and Tiffany, and a little creep of a waiter. We learn at this point that Angie's been faithful, is actually ga-ga over Mark and the actions that have led him to his horrible conclusion are actually her working for a vigilante group that takes down criminals who've gotten away with crimes against women and children. It turns out that Tiffany is, too -- but she might be playing a little fast and loose with the organization's rules. There's a strange combination of play and danger in the interactions between Angie and Tiffany -- it's pretty fun as long as you think of them as fictional characters. If you think of them as real people, it's just scary.
And that feeling gets so much worse once Tiffany and Angie get their hands on a couple of rapists and pedophiles. This is also where things between the two women go off the rails. It's not long after this that Mark comes back into the picture -- and the book changes again. It was Book A with Mark's chapters, it becomes an entirely different book (B) in the Angie and Tiffany focus (the one that matches the Goodreads/Amazon/Gram website blurb -- and was the kind of book I'd normally be interested in) and then becomes Book C after Mark shows up (and maybe becomes D a little later). Where most authors would've intertwined A and B, so that C flows from them; this is almost like changing the channels on TV between the three. I'm not saying it's good or bad -- it's jarring and unexpected, but maybe that's what Grams was going for -- it actually kinda works. But man, it made for odd transitions. Along this lines, the dénouement has the feel of an entirely different book, too -- something like the overly-cheery final scene in a 80's cop drama.
Now, there's some tense gunfighting scenes, some torture, some double-crossing, and a whole lot of questions that aren't answered. Each of the books I mentioned above are pretty well-written and grabbing, if somewhat disturbing -- it's just bringing them together that didn't work for me. The characters are well-constructed -- sure they might act in ways that are hard to understand sometimes, occasionally in near-insane ways -- the reader will be drawn-in and compelled to keep going with these people.
Oh, and the little creep of a waiter? Yeah, he turns out to be worse than initially thought (and, I promise you, his first impression is a bad one), and well, things really don't go his way.
This is definitely written like it could kick-off a series, and if that's the case, I'm very interested in what comes next, if for no other reasons than so I can see if Grams can pull it off. But mostly, because I'd like to see what comes next
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinion -- I hope she doesn't regret that too much, especially since I let our agreed upon posting date pass without a word. Ms. Grams, you're a class act. Thanks.
---
Before I get into this novel, let me tell you a little about my process: After deciding to read a book, I tend to forget what it's about rightaway -- if for no other reason than I'm too frequently tempted to predict what the book'll be like. So when it comes to series and/or author's I like, all I need to know is "Oh, a new Faith Hunter book is out!" or "Ahhh, a Jonathan Tropper that I haven't read -- sweet!" That's all I need. Similarly, when it's a book by someone new, or a new series -- or when an author (case in point) asks me to read their new book -- once I've decided I'm down for it, I'll let the details slide, so I'm fresh for the book.
So when I opened this one (see, there's a link) and read the first few chapters, I kept asking myself "I said 'yes' to this?" Not because it was bad -- it wasn't -- it's just not the kind of book that I'd normally read. A little later, I went to log that I'd started the book in Goodreads and read the blurb there -- I didn't recognize it as the book I was reading. A chapter or two later, it was exactly what the blurb said. And that's both good and bad. Let's see if I can explain my point.
In the first few chapters we meet Mark -- a super-smart geneticist who's also (for good reason) super-jealous. He's pretty sure his wife is having an affair (as is the reader), and he's understandably upset. He takes a few steps that most husbands don't -- but most husbands don't have his apparent personal budget or friends in the right fields. He also happens to meet a willing accomplice -- perhaps too willing, as she's young, pretty and talented, and a little tempting for a guy who's pretty sure his marriage is on the rocks. But whatever -- now, at this point, I'm interested, invested -- I'm rooting for Mark (at least a little), and really hoping he doesn't end up killing his wife or something similarly stupid/misguided.
Insert the sound of a needle scratch, because we're done with Mark at this point -- without warning or anything, and we meet Angie (Mark's wife) and Tiffany, and a little creep of a waiter. We learn at this point that Angie's been faithful, is actually ga-ga over Mark and the actions that have led him to his horrible conclusion are actually her working for a vigilante group that takes down criminals who've gotten away with crimes against women and children. It turns out that Tiffany is, too -- but she might be playing a little fast and loose with the organization's rules. There's a strange combination of play and danger in the interactions between Angie and Tiffany -- it's pretty fun as long as you think of them as fictional characters. If you think of them as real people, it's just scary.
And that feeling gets so much worse once Tiffany and Angie get their hands on a couple of rapists and pedophiles. This is also where things between the two women go off the rails. It's not long after this that Mark comes back into the picture -- and the book changes again. It was Book A with Mark's chapters, it becomes an entirely different book (B) in the Angie and Tiffany focus (the one that matches the Goodreads/Amazon/Gram website blurb -- and was the kind of book I'd normally be interested in) and then becomes Book C after Mark shows up (and maybe becomes D a little later). Where most authors would've intertwined A and B, so that C flows from them; this is almost like changing the channels on TV between the three. I'm not saying it's good or bad -- it's jarring and unexpected, but maybe that's what Grams was going for -- it actually kinda works. But man, it made for odd transitions. Along this lines, the dénouement has the feel of an entirely different book, too -- something like the overly-cheery final scene in a 80's cop drama.
Now, there's some tense gunfighting scenes, some torture, some double-crossing, and a whole lot of questions that aren't answered. Each of the books I mentioned above are pretty well-written and grabbing, if somewhat disturbing -- it's just bringing them together that didn't work for me. The characters are well-constructed -- sure they might act in ways that are hard to understand sometimes, occasionally in near-insane ways -- the reader will be drawn-in and compelled to keep going with these people.
Oh, and the little creep of a waiter? Yeah, he turns out to be worse than initially thought (and, I promise you, his first impression is a bad one), and well, things really don't go his way.
This is definitely written like it could kick-off a series, and if that's the case, I'm very interested in what comes next, if for no other reasons than so I can see if Grams can pull it off. But mostly, because I'd like to see what comes next
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest opinion -- I hope she doesn't regret that too much, especially since I let our agreed upon posting date pass without a word. Ms. Grams, you're a class act. Thanks.
May 30, 2017
This was a disturbing book. I did not enjoy it. I see that there are to be more of them. I will not be reading them.
October 2, 2016
Catch and Neutralize by Chris Grams is an ultimate feminist revenge novel. I don’t think that is a genre but I’ll have to wait and see if similar novels are published. Revenge against what? Male sexual exploitation of females, of course. While that is a serious problem, the way it is dealt with here by a vigilante organization known as Catch and Release (CAN) is extreme to the point of fantasy. There is an author warning of strong language and mature situations that appear throughout the book. Unusual situations, yes. Strong language? Not really and only occasionally.
Dr. Mark Carter is a dedicated doctor and researcher who spends a lot of time at work. His work in genetic research and a lengthy failed marriage to Cheryl has made him wish he could find a cure for the cheating gene. That is what it seems is happening with his new young wife Angie. It seems to him that she is spending a lot of extra time at her job as an executive secretary to Garry Steinberg at Hollite Coffee. Mark tries following her. He examines her phone and finds a series of calls to a number he cannot identify. He consults a friend who is a cop who does a minimal background check that finds no evidence of cheating. Still, Mark believes not only that there is cheating but that Angie is trying to kill him by poisoning his nightly cocktails over a long period of time. When he literally bumps into Laura (traffic accident), a make-up and prosthetics artist, Mark develops a plan. He will disguise himself as the suspected person with whom Angie is cheating and exact his revenge. He will never again lose as much as he did to former wife Cheryl.
What Mark and most readers do not expect is that despite all appearances Angie is not cheating on Mark. She has become an operative in a secret organization that finds exploitative males and punishes them in sometimes gruesome ways. That is what the mature situations warning is about. Because the organization, CAN, has something called a Death Pit and because there is a dedicated clean-up crew (all male) to clean up punishment sites that got too messy, we can expect new definitions of gruesome.
The members of CAN, field operatives and support staff, keep their membership secret. Headquarters issues assignments by coded text messages. These are a part of the events that caused Mark to be suspicious. Dr. Tiffany Bell, a psychologist, is a member as is Angie but they don’t know that about each other. They are thrown together in an evolving plot to get revenge on Scott, a former patient of Tiffany’s and Overton, a police officer and former lover of Tiffany. Tiffany and Angie are in complete agreement that Scott and Overton should be severely punished.
Angie may have gone bit far with a vegetable peeler as she removed strips of skin from Overton. Tiffany had been over the top for quite a while as she had renovated her basement to become a multi-room torture chamber. A very lengthy section of the novel gives us depictions of Scott and Overton being tortured in creative ways. We find out that Officer Overton made liberal use of the police evidence property room to equip local gangs to create a kiddie porn video venture. Scott spends much of his time reflecting on missed opportunities with his stripper mother.
But everyone is waiting for the arrival of Laura, Tiffany’s cousin who was molested by Overton when she as fourteen. Or maybe not. Laura arrives with a new victim for possible elimination, Kyle, an attorney. Kyle might be Mark in disguise. Or Kyle might be Mark’s twin brother. And Laura, the make-up artist, other than being a crack shot with a pistol, might also be a lawyer. This would be a good thing since she had shot and killed two gang members shortly after arriving.
OK, enough of the content. What about the novel’s structure? If we think of a writer contemplating a book sitting around thinking of plot situations and writing each idea on an index card, sort of a storyboard, that is what we have here. Then the writer attempts to flesh out each idea. Then the writer puts them in some sort of order and finally attempts to write transition bridges to link each idea. That is how this novel appears to have been done. The problem is the improbability of so many mind wrenching things to have happened to so few people in so short a period of time. I wanted to put the book down many times but I stayed with it to discover what new rationales might appear for so many implausible events. I felt no attachment to any character.
And then there is the head in the refrigerator.
I would read more entertaining work from this author just to see if there are changes in writing style.
Dr. Mark Carter is a dedicated doctor and researcher who spends a lot of time at work. His work in genetic research and a lengthy failed marriage to Cheryl has made him wish he could find a cure for the cheating gene. That is what it seems is happening with his new young wife Angie. It seems to him that she is spending a lot of extra time at her job as an executive secretary to Garry Steinberg at Hollite Coffee. Mark tries following her. He examines her phone and finds a series of calls to a number he cannot identify. He consults a friend who is a cop who does a minimal background check that finds no evidence of cheating. Still, Mark believes not only that there is cheating but that Angie is trying to kill him by poisoning his nightly cocktails over a long period of time. When he literally bumps into Laura (traffic accident), a make-up and prosthetics artist, Mark develops a plan. He will disguise himself as the suspected person with whom Angie is cheating and exact his revenge. He will never again lose as much as he did to former wife Cheryl.
What Mark and most readers do not expect is that despite all appearances Angie is not cheating on Mark. She has become an operative in a secret organization that finds exploitative males and punishes them in sometimes gruesome ways. That is what the mature situations warning is about. Because the organization, CAN, has something called a Death Pit and because there is a dedicated clean-up crew (all male) to clean up punishment sites that got too messy, we can expect new definitions of gruesome.
The members of CAN, field operatives and support staff, keep their membership secret. Headquarters issues assignments by coded text messages. These are a part of the events that caused Mark to be suspicious. Dr. Tiffany Bell, a psychologist, is a member as is Angie but they don’t know that about each other. They are thrown together in an evolving plot to get revenge on Scott, a former patient of Tiffany’s and Overton, a police officer and former lover of Tiffany. Tiffany and Angie are in complete agreement that Scott and Overton should be severely punished.
Angie may have gone bit far with a vegetable peeler as she removed strips of skin from Overton. Tiffany had been over the top for quite a while as she had renovated her basement to become a multi-room torture chamber. A very lengthy section of the novel gives us depictions of Scott and Overton being tortured in creative ways. We find out that Officer Overton made liberal use of the police evidence property room to equip local gangs to create a kiddie porn video venture. Scott spends much of his time reflecting on missed opportunities with his stripper mother.
But everyone is waiting for the arrival of Laura, Tiffany’s cousin who was molested by Overton when she as fourteen. Or maybe not. Laura arrives with a new victim for possible elimination, Kyle, an attorney. Kyle might be Mark in disguise. Or Kyle might be Mark’s twin brother. And Laura, the make-up artist, other than being a crack shot with a pistol, might also be a lawyer. This would be a good thing since she had shot and killed two gang members shortly after arriving.
OK, enough of the content. What about the novel’s structure? If we think of a writer contemplating a book sitting around thinking of plot situations and writing each idea on an index card, sort of a storyboard, that is what we have here. Then the writer attempts to flesh out each idea. Then the writer puts them in some sort of order and finally attempts to write transition bridges to link each idea. That is how this novel appears to have been done. The problem is the improbability of so many mind wrenching things to have happened to so few people in so short a period of time. I wanted to put the book down many times but I stayed with it to discover what new rationales might appear for so many implausible events. I felt no attachment to any character.
And then there is the head in the refrigerator.
I would read more entertaining work from this author just to see if there are changes in writing style.
September 15, 2016
Kat Mandu says...
When you think your wife is cheating on you—and even worse, trying to kill you—what’s a guy supposed to do? Mark decides to follow Angie and set her up. But the real truth lurks just around the corner and that could kill Mark faster than his wife could.
Fellow readers, I must admit when I first read the summary for this – about a woman who secretly hunted down criminals and her last name happened to be Carter – I couldn’t help it. I was hurled into this world where I assumed the story was along the lines of Marvel’s Agent Carter.
I was proved wrong, both sadly and yet, I’m impressed by the idea regardless. Angie and Mark, as well as several other characters (Tiffany and co.), all have something up their sleeves in this story about love, hate, and justice. For review purposes, I’ll be reverting to the what I liked vs. what I didn’t set up.
What I liked: I really enjoying hearing the perspectives of multiple characters, mostly because you get to hear a side to their story that you wouldn’t otherwise. It’s fun for thrillers. And although Mark was kind of annoying and paranoid throughout most of the book, I enjoyed a lot of the characters who told the story. The author did an excellent job of portraying each as individuals, without falling to the prospect of having them be too similar.
She also did a great job of an ending, with a set up that kept you guessing until the end, which I’ll admit, was pretty explosive. However, it does happen rather quickly, so pay close attention or you’ll miss something along the way.
What I didn’t like: The setup dragged at times, so I was really, REALLY hoping for that good ending because I’ve seen too many books with really long set ups that don’t come together at the end. Although I wasn’t disappointed, getting to the end was a long and sometimes painful process. Also, I know that this book was given to me as an ARC but I found quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes that kind of distracted me from it.
The thing that bugged me the most was the lack of romance. There are SOOOO MANY innuendos in the entire thing that I was amazed to find that there was little to no romantic scenes. I guess I’m in the mindset that if you’re setting up so many hints that there’s romance to come, you’d better deliver. And this really failed at this unfortunately. I was just expecting more from all those juicy one-liners. Even the first line has something to do with sex. So when it never REALLY happened, I was like all sad and stuff.
Overall, I enjoyed it, so I give it a three rating.
When you think your wife is cheating on you—and even worse, trying to kill you—what’s a guy supposed to do? Mark decides to follow Angie and set her up. But the real truth lurks just around the corner and that could kill Mark faster than his wife could.
Fellow readers, I must admit when I first read the summary for this – about a woman who secretly hunted down criminals and her last name happened to be Carter – I couldn’t help it. I was hurled into this world where I assumed the story was along the lines of Marvel’s Agent Carter.
I was proved wrong, both sadly and yet, I’m impressed by the idea regardless. Angie and Mark, as well as several other characters (Tiffany and co.), all have something up their sleeves in this story about love, hate, and justice. For review purposes, I’ll be reverting to the what I liked vs. what I didn’t set up.
What I liked: I really enjoying hearing the perspectives of multiple characters, mostly because you get to hear a side to their story that you wouldn’t otherwise. It’s fun for thrillers. And although Mark was kind of annoying and paranoid throughout most of the book, I enjoyed a lot of the characters who told the story. The author did an excellent job of portraying each as individuals, without falling to the prospect of having them be too similar.
She also did a great job of an ending, with a set up that kept you guessing until the end, which I’ll admit, was pretty explosive. However, it does happen rather quickly, so pay close attention or you’ll miss something along the way.
What I didn’t like: The setup dragged at times, so I was really, REALLY hoping for that good ending because I’ve seen too many books with really long set ups that don’t come together at the end. Although I wasn’t disappointed, getting to the end was a long and sometimes painful process. Also, I know that this book was given to me as an ARC but I found quite a few spelling and grammar mistakes that kind of distracted me from it.
The thing that bugged me the most was the lack of romance. There are SOOOO MANY innuendos in the entire thing that I was amazed to find that there was little to no romantic scenes. I guess I’m in the mindset that if you’re setting up so many hints that there’s romance to come, you’d better deliver. And this really failed at this unfortunately. I was just expecting more from all those juicy one-liners. Even the first line has something to do with sex. So when it never REALLY happened, I was like all sad and stuff.
Overall, I enjoyed it, so I give it a three rating.
September 22, 2016
I received an advanced copy to read and review. Gram’s book has a convoluted plot that moves very fast and is loaded with tension. The plot line that kicks off the book—Mark believes his wife is having an affair—got lost in the telling of the varies sub-plots, which ultimately do connect. The characters are a raunchy bunch, which have the interests and tastes in love and life that are somewhat pornographic and definitely poisonous. The suspense in the book will keep you guessing and the behavior of the characters will keep you anything but bored.
September 15, 2016
So, this book actually just came out today and I was asked to hold off on publishing my review until today. This is Grams's first book in a series and I was very happy to receive an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review; so thank you again!
The book follows Angie Carter who is part of a secret society where women hunt down criminals known as the Catch and Neutralize Insititute (CAN). Angie has also been blessed with a great body and a rather rich husband who is suspecting her of having an affair. The book follows numerous different perspectives, including Angie's husbands, in Angie's mission to take down the criminals that she has been assigned to.
The book begins with Angie's husbands perspective, Mark, who is a geneticist. This part takes up around the first quarter of the book and definitely makes for an intriguing start to the story. I almost forgot what book I was reading and was wondering when Angie was going to jump in and start with her assignments. Now, this definitely wasn't a bad thing, more of positive thing really and made you want to read on and figure things out. The writing style was also really great and made for a fast paced book which I always like. The writing is also a bit explicit which I know can put people off, but certainly not me. I would even say that it added to the air of mystery.
I wouldn't say I loved or hated any of the characters in this book. They all definitely played their parts and worked as a whole which I liked but there weren't any mass insights (not that this mattered) and as I said, I didn't love any of them. But please don't take this as a bad thing! There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book. I did enjoy the changing perspectives but they did get a little too often towards the end of the book which did get a little confusing as sometimes I did sometimes want some of them to last longer. The ending was a little wrapped up too fast but I guess I'm just being picky here!
Overall, I did really enjoy this and the book definitely kept my focus throughout. I will keep my eyes out for the next book in the series!
The book follows Angie Carter who is part of a secret society where women hunt down criminals known as the Catch and Neutralize Insititute (CAN). Angie has also been blessed with a great body and a rather rich husband who is suspecting her of having an affair. The book follows numerous different perspectives, including Angie's husbands, in Angie's mission to take down the criminals that she has been assigned to.
The book begins with Angie's husbands perspective, Mark, who is a geneticist. This part takes up around the first quarter of the book and definitely makes for an intriguing start to the story. I almost forgot what book I was reading and was wondering when Angie was going to jump in and start with her assignments. Now, this definitely wasn't a bad thing, more of positive thing really and made you want to read on and figure things out. The writing style was also really great and made for a fast paced book which I always like. The writing is also a bit explicit which I know can put people off, but certainly not me. I would even say that it added to the air of mystery.
I wouldn't say I loved or hated any of the characters in this book. They all definitely played their parts and worked as a whole which I liked but there weren't any mass insights (not that this mattered) and as I said, I didn't love any of them. But please don't take this as a bad thing! There wasn't much that I didn't like about this book. I did enjoy the changing perspectives but they did get a little too often towards the end of the book which did get a little confusing as sometimes I did sometimes want some of them to last longer. The ending was a little wrapped up too fast but I guess I'm just being picky here!
Overall, I did really enjoy this and the book definitely kept my focus throughout. I will keep my eyes out for the next book in the series!
September 13, 2016
Catch & Neutralize by Chris Grams
Angie is a foot soldier in CAN (Catch & Neutralize) a secret organization set up to protect women and children from evil men the Law don’t, or can’t investigate. Her particular quarry is an evil drug dealer called Tristan, but in her pursuit is thwarted by a fellow foot soldier named Tiffany. That girl Tiffany has serious issues, not to be divulged here, but she abuses her ‘friendship’ with Angie for her own profit. There’s a few twists and a lot of turns but good triumphs.
There is a love interest. Because CAN is seriously secret, Angie cannot reveal to her husband Mark, that her day job as a secretary is a cover, and that her real job is catching and neutralizing bad men. Therefore he jumps to the conclusion that his beautiful wife is having an affair and sets up his own devious investigation of her curious habits.
This is an easy read and the character of Angie is well developed. You do get to cheer for the good gal, and one of the bad guys is a surprise. The ending is no revelation, but the point of the story isn’t to be clever but to offer you a good read. Whether Catch & Neutralize is a good read I’ll leave to you.
Roo
Angie is a foot soldier in CAN (Catch & Neutralize) a secret organization set up to protect women and children from evil men the Law don’t, or can’t investigate. Her particular quarry is an evil drug dealer called Tristan, but in her pursuit is thwarted by a fellow foot soldier named Tiffany. That girl Tiffany has serious issues, not to be divulged here, but she abuses her ‘friendship’ with Angie for her own profit. There’s a few twists and a lot of turns but good triumphs.
There is a love interest. Because CAN is seriously secret, Angie cannot reveal to her husband Mark, that her day job as a secretary is a cover, and that her real job is catching and neutralizing bad men. Therefore he jumps to the conclusion that his beautiful wife is having an affair and sets up his own devious investigation of her curious habits.
This is an easy read and the character of Angie is well developed. You do get to cheer for the good gal, and one of the bad guys is a surprise. The ending is no revelation, but the point of the story isn’t to be clever but to offer you a good read. Whether Catch & Neutralize is a good read I’ll leave to you.
Roo
Read
September 15, 2016I don't enjoy writing reviews like this. I really find them difficult. But I always try to give honest, constructive reviews, so here goes.
This book started off reasonably well, albeit with a character leading the narrative that I wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there.
I didn't like Angie at all. I found her to be shallow and self centered. I simply couldn't work her out. Not even a little bit. But, I found that I wasn't bothered after a while, mainly because, I was struggling to like the story as well. It bounced all over the place and had too many characters (for my liking in any event) and just followed too many tangents.
And ultimately, it was just too much for me. I couldn't finish it. But, as is often the way, I am in the minority.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book started off reasonably well, albeit with a character leading the narrative that I wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there.
I didn't like Angie at all. I found her to be shallow and self centered. I simply couldn't work her out. Not even a little bit. But, I found that I wasn't bothered after a while, mainly because, I was struggling to like the story as well. It bounced all over the place and had too many characters (for my liking in any event) and just followed too many tangents.
And ultimately, it was just too much for me. I couldn't finish it. But, as is often the way, I am in the minority.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2016
I was hooked from the very first page. I love everything that Chris Grams writes and this was certainly no exception. Angie's character in this book was exciting and the plot was full of suspense.
Angie is part of a secret society (CAN) Catch and Neutralize, whose mission is to protect women and children. She catches criminals and you guessed it, neutralizes them. Angie's husband Mark thinks she is having an affair. Later on he even thinks that she wants to kill him. He starts following her around and gets himself in a little predicament. Will Angie be able to save her husband? You'll have to read it to find out. I hope that you like this as much as I did. Now I'm anxiously waiting for Catch and Eliminate.
Angie is part of a secret society (CAN) Catch and Neutralize, whose mission is to protect women and children. She catches criminals and you guessed it, neutralizes them. Angie's husband Mark thinks she is having an affair. Later on he even thinks that she wants to kill him. He starts following her around and gets himself in a little predicament. Will Angie be able to save her husband? You'll have to read it to find out. I hope that you like this as much as I did. Now I'm anxiously waiting for Catch and Eliminate.
November 29, 2016
This did not go how I thought it was going to go at all. In the beginning, I didn't think I was going to like it because I thought it was going to be all about Mark and his cheating wife. Thankfully the book takes a turn and it's a crazy one. Unfortunately, that made the book seem like multiple books smushed into one book.
I loved the parts with the vigilantes fighting the people that have harmed women and children. Some of those scenes were pretty intense, though. Especially, the ones with Tiffany, that girl was kind of scary sometimes. I can see why Mark thought Angie was cheating on him because he had me convinced she was too.
I loved the parts with the vigilantes fighting the people that have harmed women and children. Some of those scenes were pretty intense, though. Especially, the ones with Tiffany, that girl was kind of scary sometimes. I can see why Mark thought Angie was cheating on him because he had me convinced she was too.
August 29, 2016
This isn't your normal read. Yes the books synopsis is right but not in the way you would think. You don't realize it until the last page is read. Did I like book???? Yes and No. I liked the book at the very end when it all came together. I almost put the book down a few times but I am glad I stuck it out because it is worth the read.
September 15, 2016
I liked this book. It was different than most, but that only adds to it for me. Angie Carter is a member of a secret society that protects women and children.
I found it to be written well with well-defined characters. Some you will like and some you won't. It is an interesting read and the first book in a series. I look forward to the next book in the series. I do recommend this one.
I found it to be written well with well-defined characters. Some you will like and some you won't. It is an interesting read and the first book in a series. I look forward to the next book in the series. I do recommend this one.
October 17, 2016
A Good Read but .....
I enjoyed reading this but found the second half of the book lacking. Just about every new character introduced in the 2nd half was a member of CAN or aware of it. Hard to believe this was so for a SECRET organization. The first half held my attention as I was wondering what was going on here.
I enjoyed reading this but found the second half of the book lacking. Just about every new character introduced in the 2nd half was a member of CAN or aware of it. Hard to believe this was so for a SECRET organization. The first half held my attention as I was wondering what was going on here.
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