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The Killed Conscience
Still at the beginning of her career, investigative journalist Emilee Weathers is desperate for the perfect story and doesn’t care how she has to get it. When she’s asked to assist in a convicted serial killer’s appeal, it almost seems the perfect story has come banging at her door.
But not long after arriving to the mountain town of Pigeon Forge, Emilee discovers the body of another, more recent victim. With the body showing signatures of the already-convicted murderer, Emilee sets out to discover if she’s happened upon the work of a copycat, or if the real killer was ever even caught. The more she looks though, the murkier everything becomes. Police begin withholding information and the killer seems capable of going any length to protect his identity. On top of it all, when her investigations uncover the buried secrets of those closest to her, Emilee questions who it is she can and can’t trust in those mountains, if anyone at all.
But not long after arriving to the mountain town of Pigeon Forge, Emilee discovers the body of another, more recent victim. With the body showing signatures of the already-convicted murderer, Emilee sets out to discover if she’s happened upon the work of a copycat, or if the real killer was ever even caught. The more she looks though, the murkier everything becomes. Police begin withholding information and the killer seems capable of going any length to protect his identity. On top of it all, when her investigations uncover the buried secrets of those closest to her, Emilee questions who it is she can and can’t trust in those mountains, if anyone at all.
- GenresMystery
222 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2018
48 people want to read
About the author
Jordan Antonacci
2 books13 followersJordan Antonacci is an HVAC Technician by day and blogger by night, working out of the hot, hot lands of Dallas, Texas. When he isn’t trying to avoid heat stroke, he can be found at his desk with an espresso, brewing up a new story or a post for his blog. Outside of writing, Jordan has a mild case of wanderlust. He enjoys road trips, cruises, and flights out to California to visit his family. His dream is to make a living with writing and visit every country the world has to offer.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 4, 2018
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions presented are my own.
Where do I even begin with this? I guess I'll start with what I feel worked:
The base of this story is intriguing. A young, investigative journalist invited back to her old town to dig into a past serial killer up for an appeal. Things spiral a bit out of control as we unpack what happened in the past, and what is happening now.
The ending, I definitely didn't see coming. If the goal was for the reader to be surprised, I'll say I definitely was that.
Now for what didn't work:
There seemed to be an endless amount of continuity errors here. In one chapter, our MC Emilee has a truly remarkable memory for someone who moved from her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee when she was 10. She is able to recall the smell of her elementary school, the "only store" her mother used to shop at - details that most people would lose to the murky waters of time. Then, one chapter later she can't recall specific memories from when she was 8. This is just one example - there were countless times where information didn’t logically add up.
There is little to no character development. I understand that less character development is generally inherent in mystery/thriller/suspense novels but it really fell flat here. For all of the information we are given about Emilee and Sebastian, I'm at the end of this and don't feel like I understand either of them on any deep level. So much is left out, where detail is wasted in other areas. For example, Emilee's mother abandoned her family after she moved from Knoxville and it has (apparently) negatively affected her father in a very serious way. However, we find this out in one line, in one chapter and it is never revisited or explained. It's literally just a passing mention that she left.
This read very much like a hokey horror movie. 6 friends, one hunting cabin, sexual tension and a MURDER *cue classic horror soundtrack* For what it's worth, I think Antonacci could make this into a movie and I'm sure it would appeal to many. While I may love suspense/thriller novels, I do not, however, enjoy that genre of movie. That being said, a book holds so much more detail and finesse than movies do and I think that was lost in this.
Emilee was not a likable MC. I get she's dealing with an abusive relationship, trying to wade through the anxiety and trouble of finding your path after college but so much of how she was written was lacking at best. Most notably was her insistence on correcting herself when using curse words. I completely disconnected from the story every time she pulled some "I just saw a fu-saw a freaking dead body". Her excuse for this being that she used too many cuss words and when trying to break into a professional career realized she shouldn't? Any self-respecting adult knows when to use curse words and when it is not appropriate. If you just saw a fucking dead body, I think you can know that's an appropriate time to use them. But hey, maybe that's just me. I would 100% NOT keep my shit together if I stumbled upon a dead.fucking.body.
Finally, about 4 chapters from the end I started to feel like I was going to give this 3 stars but then it really crashed and burned for me. The motive behind the killer(s) made literally no sense to me. There was absolutely no development into this at all and it came totally out of left field and I couldn't get behind it.
All in all, there is definitely something here idea-wise, but I don't feel it was well executed. It might appeal to others who aren't looking too deeply into the story or who aren't looking for more than an entertaining read, but it just didn't work for me.
Where do I even begin with this? I guess I'll start with what I feel worked:
The base of this story is intriguing. A young, investigative journalist invited back to her old town to dig into a past serial killer up for an appeal. Things spiral a bit out of control as we unpack what happened in the past, and what is happening now.
The ending, I definitely didn't see coming. If the goal was for the reader to be surprised, I'll say I definitely was that.
Now for what didn't work:
There seemed to be an endless amount of continuity errors here. In one chapter, our MC Emilee has a truly remarkable memory for someone who moved from her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee when she was 10. She is able to recall the smell of her elementary school, the "only store" her mother used to shop at - details that most people would lose to the murky waters of time. Then, one chapter later she can't recall specific memories from when she was 8. This is just one example - there were countless times where information didn’t logically add up.
There is little to no character development. I understand that less character development is generally inherent in mystery/thriller/suspense novels but it really fell flat here. For all of the information we are given about Emilee and Sebastian, I'm at the end of this and don't feel like I understand either of them on any deep level. So much is left out, where detail is wasted in other areas. For example, Emilee's mother abandoned her family after she moved from Knoxville and it has (apparently) negatively affected her father in a very serious way. However, we find this out in one line, in one chapter and it is never revisited or explained. It's literally just a passing mention that she left.
This read very much like a hokey horror movie. 6 friends, one hunting cabin, sexual tension and a MURDER *cue classic horror soundtrack* For what it's worth, I think Antonacci could make this into a movie and I'm sure it would appeal to many. While I may love suspense/thriller novels, I do not, however, enjoy that genre of movie. That being said, a book holds so much more detail and finesse than movies do and I think that was lost in this.
Emilee was not a likable MC. I get she's dealing with an abusive relationship, trying to wade through the anxiety and trouble of finding your path after college but so much of how she was written was lacking at best. Most notably was her insistence on correcting herself when using curse words. I completely disconnected from the story every time she pulled some "I just saw a fu-saw a freaking dead body". Her excuse for this being that she used too many cuss words and when trying to break into a professional career realized she shouldn't? Any self-respecting adult knows when to use curse words and when it is not appropriate. If you just saw a fucking dead body, I think you can know that's an appropriate time to use them. But hey, maybe that's just me. I would 100% NOT keep my shit together if I stumbled upon a dead.fucking.body.
Finally, about 4 chapters from the end I started to feel like I was going to give this 3 stars but then it really crashed and burned for me. The motive behind the killer(s) made literally no sense to me. There was absolutely no development into this at all and it came totally out of left field and I couldn't get behind it.
All in all, there is definitely something here idea-wise, but I don't feel it was well executed. It might appeal to others who aren't looking too deeply into the story or who aren't looking for more than an entertaining read, but it just didn't work for me.
July 1, 2018
Antonacci does an okay job with the characters in this crime drama. I was expecting our journalist Emilee to be a more focused investigative image. This is a book more described as a lesson in don't forget to look in the rear view mirror before your life drifts into a busy future. This prose kept me reading but I am afraid I had the murderer figured out early on. "A copy of this book was provided by author via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."
July 20, 2018
This was a great read and a new author to me. When I was approached with the synopsis, I was excited and fired up. It sounded different, brilliant even.
The author’s writing style was eye catching and gripping, as well as intriguing. You’re definitely pulled into the story from the very first page; hell, from the blurb itself.
The characters were well portrayed, each and every one of them were different with their own intriguing personalities. I loved this story and it shows how much effort the author invested into Emilee’s character. Great story but....
Though I absolutely enjoyed this story the ending wasn’t what I hoped. It was very confusing along with quite a bit of time gaps and discrepancies, some contradictions and mishaps. I was generally disappointed and still completely confused and wished there was that bit more. We’re left with unanswered questions and it’s pretty disappointing.
A lot of the story is based on Emilee’s feelings, and I feel the author may have tried a little too hard with it and injected too many metaphors in where they weren’t needed.
I’d love to read more from this author in the future.
Just a little side note; this should have been picked up from beta readers
* after Emilee grabs the necklace from the shed she goes back to her car and unlocks it. Yet when she got back to the cabin, at first, she left the engine running and the door open.
The author’s writing style was eye catching and gripping, as well as intriguing. You’re definitely pulled into the story from the very first page; hell, from the blurb itself.
The characters were well portrayed, each and every one of them were different with their own intriguing personalities. I loved this story and it shows how much effort the author invested into Emilee’s character. Great story but....
Though I absolutely enjoyed this story the ending wasn’t what I hoped. It was very confusing along with quite a bit of time gaps and discrepancies, some contradictions and mishaps. I was generally disappointed and still completely confused and wished there was that bit more. We’re left with unanswered questions and it’s pretty disappointing.
A lot of the story is based on Emilee’s feelings, and I feel the author may have tried a little too hard with it and injected too many metaphors in where they weren’t needed.
I’d love to read more from this author in the future.
Just a little side note; this should have been picked up from beta readers
* after Emilee grabs the necklace from the shed she goes back to her car and unlocks it. Yet when she got back to the cabin, at first, she left the engine running and the door open.
August 5, 2018
Tonks and I sat and read this all afternoon. A chilling tale of a serial killer, set in a cabin the woods, and featuring friendships that last through the test of time. I worked it out quite early on but so desperately wanted to be wrong. I loved this story despite the superfluous character of the abusive boyfriend who, thankfully, didn’t last the distance.
July 16, 2018
I seen a book review and an author interview for this book and had to read it! I’m so glad that Laura over at LFBooks let me know that the author was looking for reviewers. I enjoyed this book from the moment I picked it up and stayed up until 2 am just to get through it.
The characters were well developed and there was enough suspense and mystery to keep you guessing. The romance wasn’t over the top and I was delighted with how it all turned out, even if I was surprised towards the very end.
The story follows a young investigative journalist, Emille, that has been enlisted by an investigator from her home town to help make sure a serial killer doesn’t get his appeal. She has a blog about serial killers and the detective likes how she writes about them. At least that is what he tells her to convince her to come home. She ends up going home and taking her boyfriend and staying with her old friends that she hasn’t seen in 15 years. When they go up to Sebastian’s cabin and end up getting stuck in the mountains at Christmas is where the story takes its first turn and the author proves to be a master story weaver. With old flames being brought together there will be tension, and it makes the story all the more captivating. With plot twists and cruel twists of fate the characters are on a roller coaster. Being drawn into a serial killers domain and then on the run for her own life Emille makes decisions that affect the whole group of them just to get her story of a life time.
The Killed Conscience is a great read. Quick and with enough detail that it keeps you wanting more. I would have liked more detail but I LOVE a long novel. Can’t wait to sink into another of Jordan Antonacci’s stories!!!
*I would like to thank the author for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
The characters were well developed and there was enough suspense and mystery to keep you guessing. The romance wasn’t over the top and I was delighted with how it all turned out, even if I was surprised towards the very end.
The story follows a young investigative journalist, Emille, that has been enlisted by an investigator from her home town to help make sure a serial killer doesn’t get his appeal. She has a blog about serial killers and the detective likes how she writes about them. At least that is what he tells her to convince her to come home. She ends up going home and taking her boyfriend and staying with her old friends that she hasn’t seen in 15 years. When they go up to Sebastian’s cabin and end up getting stuck in the mountains at Christmas is where the story takes its first turn and the author proves to be a master story weaver. With old flames being brought together there will be tension, and it makes the story all the more captivating. With plot twists and cruel twists of fate the characters are on a roller coaster. Being drawn into a serial killers domain and then on the run for her own life Emille makes decisions that affect the whole group of them just to get her story of a life time.
The Killed Conscience is a great read. Quick and with enough detail that it keeps you wanting more. I would have liked more detail but I LOVE a long novel. Can’t wait to sink into another of Jordan Antonacci’s stories!!!
*I would like to thank the author for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review!
September 5, 2018
I was excited when I heard about this book. I mean, my favorite genre of all is crime/thriller/mystery and this one definitely delivers on all fronts.
The premise of the story is that we are following Emilee, a young blogger who is trying to get her foot in the door to being a well known journalist. As she is trying to find her way, a call from the past reaches her. A detective from her old hometown has contacted her in hopes that she can interview a well known serial killer that is about to go up for an appeal on his cases, and someone wants to keep him behind bars.
Emilee ventures back to her hometown with her over-protective, and kind of creepy, boyfriend in tow. She reconnects with her childhood friends and their significant others. As the whole troupe heads up to a family cabin to spend some quality time together, and Emilee can work on her paper, things start to go from exciting to dark and mysterious.
A young girl at a neighboring cabin shows up dead. Mutilated. In just the same manner that the bodies had been found of the serial killer that Emilee is investigating. As the evidence piles up, Emilee doesn't know who to trust or whether she's on the right trail. But eventually everything becomes crystal clear and she will have to make a very important decision.
While the mystery and thriller aspect is engaging and actually kept me guessing, I definitely loved the vast variety of characters that Antonacci included in this story. There's a little bit of everything from snobby blonde women to stoners, to abusers.
A great story for the fans of mystery novels!
The premise of the story is that we are following Emilee, a young blogger who is trying to get her foot in the door to being a well known journalist. As she is trying to find her way, a call from the past reaches her. A detective from her old hometown has contacted her in hopes that she can interview a well known serial killer that is about to go up for an appeal on his cases, and someone wants to keep him behind bars.
Emilee ventures back to her hometown with her over-protective, and kind of creepy, boyfriend in tow. She reconnects with her childhood friends and their significant others. As the whole troupe heads up to a family cabin to spend some quality time together, and Emilee can work on her paper, things start to go from exciting to dark and mysterious.
A young girl at a neighboring cabin shows up dead. Mutilated. In just the same manner that the bodies had been found of the serial killer that Emilee is investigating. As the evidence piles up, Emilee doesn't know who to trust or whether she's on the right trail. But eventually everything becomes crystal clear and she will have to make a very important decision.
While the mystery and thriller aspect is engaging and actually kept me guessing, I definitely loved the vast variety of characters that Antonacci included in this story. There's a little bit of everything from snobby blonde women to stoners, to abusers.
A great story for the fans of mystery novels!
July 6, 2018
I was excited to receive a copy of this book from Netgalley! I grew up close to Pigeon Forge so I was curious to read a book with a location there. I began reading and this story held my interest from beginning to end. The characters are interesting. Some I liked, some I hated, but all were written well. I would have enjoyed reading more back story about each character. That would have helped me get to know them a little better. The plot is good. I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen. The pace of the story is fast and the book itself can be read very quickly.
The majority of this book flows smoothly. However, there were many times throughout the book when my flow of reading was slowed down or stopped. Sometimes it felt like too much effort was put into a sentence to try to make it overly creative or meaningful, when actually the basic writing was going well anyway.
At the end of the book, I had to re-read the last three chapters. For me, the story finished too quickly and felt a bit rushed. It left me feeling confused by the timeline of events. I had to go back and find some details from the beginning of the story about VDK and the antagonist.
Ultimately, I was completely intrigued by the choices of the main character at the end. It left me scratching my head and I thought "they're just going to go eat breakfast after this, seriously!". I also wondered what their friends were thinking since they were abandoned in a restaurant the night before. What happened to them, where did they go? Some wrap up on that would have been nice to read. If I have interpreted the actions of the main character correctly, I would like to have read a little more to see exactly what she's gotten herself into.
The majority of this book flows smoothly. However, there were many times throughout the book when my flow of reading was slowed down or stopped. Sometimes it felt like too much effort was put into a sentence to try to make it overly creative or meaningful, when actually the basic writing was going well anyway.
At the end of the book, I had to re-read the last three chapters. For me, the story finished too quickly and felt a bit rushed. It left me feeling confused by the timeline of events. I had to go back and find some details from the beginning of the story about VDK and the antagonist.
Ultimately, I was completely intrigued by the choices of the main character at the end. It left me scratching my head and I thought "they're just going to go eat breakfast after this, seriously!". I also wondered what their friends were thinking since they were abandoned in a restaurant the night before. What happened to them, where did they go? Some wrap up on that would have been nice to read. If I have interpreted the actions of the main character correctly, I would like to have read a little more to see exactly what she's gotten herself into.
July 16, 2018
Sometimes I get to a point where I feel bogged down in a certain genre and need a change. That is when a Mystery is always my go-to. I feel like they make me think and help get my mind off of things more than any other genre.
There is a great balance between the Suspense and Mystery. I found myself guessing the whole way through, and being wrong quite a bit.
The plot was fast paced and flowed smoothly and the characters were those who I really liked reading about. They were interesting and compelling.
There is a great balance between the Suspense and Mystery. I found myself guessing the whole way through, and being wrong quite a bit.
The plot was fast paced and flowed smoothly and the characters were those who I really liked reading about. They were interesting and compelling.
September 1, 2018
I love me a good cabin in the woods mystery!
Emilee, our main character, is a plucky young journalist who has been requested by police to go back to her hometown to help investigate an old murder case. In doing so, she finds herself stuck in a cabin with her two childhood best friends, their partners and her abusive boyfriend.
The whole book plays out very much like a film in your mind, which is something I quite enjoy. There's a lot of bickering and high tensions between characters while they're stuck up the mountain and they're all suspicious until we finally reach the (not so) unexpected conclusion and find out whodunnit. The characters all bounce off each other and fit well as a dynamic.
The characters in this book don't have as many dimensions as I might have liked, they fit too closely to generic molds but I was enjoying the story too much to really care too much about that.
The pacing of this story is brilliant and it's filled with action rather than red herrings, leaving you desperate to figure out what's going on. This is another debut author to keep an eye on for the future.
*Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this title*
Emilee, our main character, is a plucky young journalist who has been requested by police to go back to her hometown to help investigate an old murder case. In doing so, she finds herself stuck in a cabin with her two childhood best friends, their partners and her abusive boyfriend.
The whole book plays out very much like a film in your mind, which is something I quite enjoy. There's a lot of bickering and high tensions between characters while they're stuck up the mountain and they're all suspicious until we finally reach the (not so) unexpected conclusion and find out whodunnit. The characters all bounce off each other and fit well as a dynamic.
The characters in this book don't have as many dimensions as I might have liked, they fit too closely to generic molds but I was enjoying the story too much to really care too much about that.
The pacing of this story is brilliant and it's filled with action rather than red herrings, leaving you desperate to figure out what's going on. This is another debut author to keep an eye on for the future.
*Thank you NetGalley for a free copy of this title*
July 3, 2018
Ugh! This is one of the worst books I’ve ever read. The writing is amateurish and choppy. The characters are not developed well. The end is unbelievable. One of the quotes early on is repulsive, talking about being in a crowded room is compared to sleeping like Mexicans. There are grammatical errors as well. I was an early reader for NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.
July 28, 2018
Emilee is a journalist who is asked to look at the case of the VDK, a murderer who killed three women. As she investigates, she starts to wonder if he actually did it. The first quarter of the book sets up Emiliee and her friends, this pays off later as she starts to question VDK's guilt. It was an interesting read and I would recommend it.
July 9, 2018
I was sucked in from the first page.
The Killed Conscience is exactly my kind of book and it’s one that I’ll read again for sure.
Emilee is an up and coming journalist and blogger who works cold cases and writes about them. She’s called by a detective in her hometown to investigate an accused and convicted serial killer’s first court appeal. Little does she know, she’s signing up for the story of a lifetime.
Reuniting with old friends at a cabin in Pigeon Forge seems like the perfect, quiet location to work on her story until the unthinkable happens.
Who is the real VDK (Valentine’s Day killer)? Why do his victims resemble Emilee? What is Detective Nichols holding back?
This is a definite page turner and kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to read more from Jordan Antonacci!
The Killed Conscience is exactly my kind of book and it’s one that I’ll read again for sure.
Emilee is an up and coming journalist and blogger who works cold cases and writes about them. She’s called by a detective in her hometown to investigate an accused and convicted serial killer’s first court appeal. Little does she know, she’s signing up for the story of a lifetime.
Reuniting with old friends at a cabin in Pigeon Forge seems like the perfect, quiet location to work on her story until the unthinkable happens.
Who is the real VDK (Valentine’s Day killer)? Why do his victims resemble Emilee? What is Detective Nichols holding back?
This is a definite page turner and kept me guessing until the end. I can’t wait to read more from Jordan Antonacci!
July 29, 2018
Superb writing from Jordan Antonacci and a action packed story. There were a lot of moving a parts to this one and I really liked the originality that Antonacci brought.
This novel was very vivid in the descriptions, the writing really jumped off the pages and into my head. Suspense and Mystery laced throughout.
I felt like I got a solid understanding of the characters in the story. There was definitely a lot of action going on that will have readers flipping pages furiously.
This novel was very vivid in the descriptions, the writing really jumped off the pages and into my head. Suspense and Mystery laced throughout.
I felt like I got a solid understanding of the characters in the story. There was definitely a lot of action going on that will have readers flipping pages furiously.
June 25, 2018
It felt like a movie reading this story, it would make a really good movie. You didn’t really know what was going on, you were along for the ride with Emilee, the main character. When she finds out new things, you find out at the same time. You are trying to figure it all out with her. The twist was really well done, you don’t see it coming until it happens. So again really well done to the Author for building the suspense and the tension.
The crimes, the situation is nothing overly unique but it was extremely well written and told in just the right way to get you hooked. Emilee isn’t perfect, she fighting her own battles, even with her boyfriend. I think her not being perfect is what makes you drawn to her. Makes you realize the amount of strength she has.
The crimes, the situation is nothing overly unique but it was extremely well written and told in just the right way to get you hooked. Emilee isn’t perfect, she fighting her own battles, even with her boyfriend. I think her not being perfect is what makes you drawn to her. Makes you realize the amount of strength she has.
September 14, 2018
Full review available on my blog.
The characters are solid. The setting is well chosen and described with incredible detail. The plot is interesting. And perhaps most important for a suspense thriller, the tension is there and continues to grow right through to the final scene. This novel has everything going for it; my only wish is that it was a little more put together. There are connections that are made that are eventually forgotten or fade away, and there are moments when the other characters are pushed to the side to the point that they become invisible, so when they show up again it is somewhat surprising and a little jarring. There are also a few loose ends that are left hanging by the end. But the thing is, the ending and the journey getting there are good enough to where most of this can be forgiven, and the overall story is still compelling enough to make this a good story.
The characters are solid. The setting is well chosen and described with incredible detail. The plot is interesting. And perhaps most important for a suspense thriller, the tension is there and continues to grow right through to the final scene. This novel has everything going for it; my only wish is that it was a little more put together. There are connections that are made that are eventually forgotten or fade away, and there are moments when the other characters are pushed to the side to the point that they become invisible, so when they show up again it is somewhat surprising and a little jarring. There are also a few loose ends that are left hanging by the end. But the thing is, the ending and the journey getting there are good enough to where most of this can be forgiven, and the overall story is still compelling enough to make this a good story.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews