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Affinity Series #4
Speaker
After months of dancing around each other, Detectives Kim Phillips and Riley Cross have finally become something more than partners. But before the afterglow has time to wear off, they're thrust into a vicious murder case where a confidential informant has been killed to keep a dirty cop's identity secret.
Tasked with finding the killer without giving away their investigation, Kim and Riley dig into the underbelly of Chicago, all while Riley struggles with his new powers and Kim tries to find answers about her own abilities.
But when another body is discovered, everything comes crumbling down around them. Now it's up to Riley and Priya to save a powerless Kim from the grips of a Turned ghost and the biggest challenge they've ever faced.
Tasked with finding the killer without giving away their investigation, Kim and Riley dig into the underbelly of Chicago, all while Riley struggles with his new powers and Kim tries to find answers about her own abilities.
But when another body is discovered, everything comes crumbling down around them. Now it's up to Riley and Priya to save a powerless Kim from the grips of a Turned ghost and the biggest challenge they've ever faced.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 30, 2020
7 people want to read
About the author
J.S. Lenore
6 books16 followersFrom an early age, J.S. Lenore has always been passionate about books and storytelling, but it wasn’t until high school that she started writing her own stories. Starting with fan fiction, Lenore found some minor success writing under the handle p1013. Burner, the first book in the Affinity Series, is her first foray into novel-length fiction. Set in Chicago, where Lenore was born and raised, it’s a dark tale about life and death, the ways that people define themselves, and how our histories can impact our futures.
J.S. Lenore now lives in Indianapolis with her husband, two children, two cats, and zero ghosts.
J.S. Lenore now lives in Indianapolis with her husband, two children, two cats, and zero ghosts.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 21, 2021
I love that this book grew from an image of the main character being caught in an explosion. I feel like that's a great starting point for any story, but definitely this one in particular.
Like the second book in this series, SPEAKER diverts from the main, overarching mystery to deal with a case that's much more grounded and realistic. There isn't a lot of world-building here, but what it lacks in information about affinities it certainly makes up for with character development and relationship building. It's relatively slow moving in comparison to some of its predecessors, but that's not a fault. I enjoyed the digging in to character ties (mainly that of Priya, Kim's ghostly partner, to the other characters) and watching the cast in their normal lives, doing the relatively mundane (for them) before shit goes down. There's comfort to be had in routine and watching other people go about their lives, which I really connected to here.
And then when shit *does* go down, things get really intense. Without spoiling anything, I think the crisis half of the book is the most interesting and compelling because of all of the different perspectives that come in and are forced to take over. It's also compelling because it strips the story of the very thing this whole series constantly leans on. And so it's a really fascinating change of pace. I especially love getting more of Riley Cross as a result here because his perspective of everything is only a step ahead of the reader's. So we're almost learning along with him in real time and being surprised by the random things that happen or pop up around each corner. And we share in his concern for both Kim and Priya because they're always the ones getting into trouble. Plus, I'm just so in love with this tender-hearted man that I enjoy all of the page time I can get with him!
I will say, as much as I love this series and the fact that it's set in Chicago and the characters, reading this through a post-June 2020 lens was a bit difficult. Because this series revolves around two police officers who mainly serve the South and West Sides of Chicago (I believe?), stories of police corruption and gangs and police doing what they need to in order to get the job done (laws and procedures be damned) just hit a bit differently. I don't at all think J.S. Lenore did a terrible or offensive job here, not in the slightest. I only mention this because I think my reading of this book would've been different had I read it this time last year. And I have no doubt that the police corruption thread in this book is only the series' first step into the more complicated politics of policing that have come to light as of late. I look forward to seeing how the author incorporates current events and conversations from here.
With a cliffhanger that'll keep you thirsting for more, SPEAKER is a great addition to the addictive Affinity Series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment with bated breath!
Merged review:
I love that this book grew from an image of the main character being caught in an explosion. I feel like that's a great starting point for any story, but definitely this one in particular.
Like the second book in this series, SPEAKER diverts from the main, overarching mystery to deal with a case that's much more grounded and realistic. There isn't a lot of world-building here, but what it lacks in information about affinities it certainly makes up for with character development and relationship building. It's relatively slow moving in comparison to some of its predecessors, but that's not a fault. I enjoyed the digging in to character ties (mainly that of Priya, Kim's ghostly partner, to the other characters) and watching the cast in their normal lives, doing the relatively mundane (for them) before shit goes down. There's comfort to be had in routine and watching other people go about their lives, which I really connected to here.
And then when shit *does* go down, things get really intense. Without spoiling anything, I think the crisis half of the book is the most interesting and compelling because of all of the different perspectives that come in and are forced to take over. It's also compelling because it strips the story of the very thing this whole series constantly leans on. And so it's a really fascinating change of pace. I especially love getting more of Riley Cross as a result here because his perspective of everything is only a step ahead of the reader's. So we're almost learning along with him in real time and being surprised by the random things that happen or pop up around each corner. And we share in his concern for both Kim and Priya because they're always the ones getting into trouble. Plus, I'm just so in love with this tender-hearted man that I enjoy all of the page time I can get with him!
I will say, as much as I love this series and the fact that it's set in Chicago and the characters, reading this through a post-June 2020 lens was a bit difficult. Because this series revolves around two police officers who mainly serve the South and West Sides of Chicago (I believe?), stories of police corruption and gangs and police doing what they need to in order to get the job done (laws and procedures be damned) just hit a bit differently. I don't at all think J.S. Lenore did a terrible or offensive job here, not in the slightest. I only mention this because I think my reading of this book would've been different had I read it this time last year. And I have no doubt that the police corruption thread in this book is only the series' first step into the more complicated politics of policing that have come to light as of late. I look forward to seeing how the author incorporates current events and conversations from here.
With a cliffhanger that'll keep you thirsting for more, SPEAKER is a great addition to the addictive Affinity Series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment with bated breath!
Like the second book in this series, SPEAKER diverts from the main, overarching mystery to deal with a case that's much more grounded and realistic. There isn't a lot of world-building here, but what it lacks in information about affinities it certainly makes up for with character development and relationship building. It's relatively slow moving in comparison to some of its predecessors, but that's not a fault. I enjoyed the digging in to character ties (mainly that of Priya, Kim's ghostly partner, to the other characters) and watching the cast in their normal lives, doing the relatively mundane (for them) before shit goes down. There's comfort to be had in routine and watching other people go about their lives, which I really connected to here.
And then when shit *does* go down, things get really intense. Without spoiling anything, I think the crisis half of the book is the most interesting and compelling because of all of the different perspectives that come in and are forced to take over. It's also compelling because it strips the story of the very thing this whole series constantly leans on. And so it's a really fascinating change of pace. I especially love getting more of Riley Cross as a result here because his perspective of everything is only a step ahead of the reader's. So we're almost learning along with him in real time and being surprised by the random things that happen or pop up around each corner. And we share in his concern for both Kim and Priya because they're always the ones getting into trouble. Plus, I'm just so in love with this tender-hearted man that I enjoy all of the page time I can get with him!
I will say, as much as I love this series and the fact that it's set in Chicago and the characters, reading this through a post-June 2020 lens was a bit difficult. Because this series revolves around two police officers who mainly serve the South and West Sides of Chicago (I believe?), stories of police corruption and gangs and police doing what they need to in order to get the job done (laws and procedures be damned) just hit a bit differently. I don't at all think J.S. Lenore did a terrible or offensive job here, not in the slightest. I only mention this because I think my reading of this book would've been different had I read it this time last year. And I have no doubt that the police corruption thread in this book is only the series' first step into the more complicated politics of policing that have come to light as of late. I look forward to seeing how the author incorporates current events and conversations from here.
With a cliffhanger that'll keep you thirsting for more, SPEAKER is a great addition to the addictive Affinity Series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment with bated breath!
Merged review:
I love that this book grew from an image of the main character being caught in an explosion. I feel like that's a great starting point for any story, but definitely this one in particular.
Like the second book in this series, SPEAKER diverts from the main, overarching mystery to deal with a case that's much more grounded and realistic. There isn't a lot of world-building here, but what it lacks in information about affinities it certainly makes up for with character development and relationship building. It's relatively slow moving in comparison to some of its predecessors, but that's not a fault. I enjoyed the digging in to character ties (mainly that of Priya, Kim's ghostly partner, to the other characters) and watching the cast in their normal lives, doing the relatively mundane (for them) before shit goes down. There's comfort to be had in routine and watching other people go about their lives, which I really connected to here.
And then when shit *does* go down, things get really intense. Without spoiling anything, I think the crisis half of the book is the most interesting and compelling because of all of the different perspectives that come in and are forced to take over. It's also compelling because it strips the story of the very thing this whole series constantly leans on. And so it's a really fascinating change of pace. I especially love getting more of Riley Cross as a result here because his perspective of everything is only a step ahead of the reader's. So we're almost learning along with him in real time and being surprised by the random things that happen or pop up around each corner. And we share in his concern for both Kim and Priya because they're always the ones getting into trouble. Plus, I'm just so in love with this tender-hearted man that I enjoy all of the page time I can get with him!
I will say, as much as I love this series and the fact that it's set in Chicago and the characters, reading this through a post-June 2020 lens was a bit difficult. Because this series revolves around two police officers who mainly serve the South and West Sides of Chicago (I believe?), stories of police corruption and gangs and police doing what they need to in order to get the job done (laws and procedures be damned) just hit a bit differently. I don't at all think J.S. Lenore did a terrible or offensive job here, not in the slightest. I only mention this because I think my reading of this book would've been different had I read it this time last year. And I have no doubt that the police corruption thread in this book is only the series' first step into the more complicated politics of policing that have come to light as of late. I look forward to seeing how the author incorporates current events and conversations from here.
With a cliffhanger that'll keep you thirsting for more, SPEAKER is a great addition to the addictive Affinity Series and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment with bated breath!
Displaying 1 of 1 review