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Alvarez & Pescoli #2
Chosen To Die
Set against the fan-favorite backdrop of Grizzly Falls, Montana, Chosen to Die pits two of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson’s most fascinating characters—detectives and friends Selena Alvarez and Regan Pescoli—against a ruthless serial killer who has chosen Pescoli as his next victim. The cold of winter isn’t just a nuisance in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana. It’s merciless and brutal—a weapon that a twisted serial killer uses to torture vulnerable women. Detectives Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez have spent months tracking down the Star-Crossed Killer, as he’s dubbed by the press. They know how devious and patient he can be. What they couldn’t have guessed is that Pescoli would be abducted by the very monster she’s been hunting . . . Pescoli knows too much about her captor and his methods to doubt her fate. She’s a trophy he’s content to taunt for now, but eventually, he’ll tire of her too. Until then, his killing spree continues, stretching the police department—and Alvarez—to the breaking point. Desperate to bring her missing partner safely home, Alvarez teams up with Pescoli’s on-again, off-again lover, Nate Santana. But as the body count rises, a macabre pattern emerges. And Pescoli, though using every ounce of skill she possesses, knows that even if she escapes her captor’s lair, the battle for survival is just beginning . . .
477 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
2166 people are currently reading
15114 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Jackson
271 books9,577 followersLisa Jackson is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of over ninety-five novels, including the Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya Series, the Pescoli and Alvarez Series, the Savannah series, and numerous stand alone novels. She also is the co-author of One Last Breath, Last Girl Standing, and the Colony Series, written with her sister and bestselling author Nancy Bush, as well as the collaborative novels Sinister and Ominous, written with Nancy Bush and Rosalind Noonan. There are over thirty million copies of her novels in print and her writing has been translated into twenty languages.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
Before she became a nationally bestselling author, she was a mother struggling to keep food on the table by writing novels, hoping against hope that someone would pay her for them. Today, neck deep in murder, her books appear on The New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly national bestseller lists.
With dozens of bestsellers to her name, Lisa Jackson is a master of taking readers to the edge of sanity—and back—in novels that buzz with dangerous secrets and deadly passions. She continues to be fascinated by the minds and motives of both her killers and their pursuers—the personal, the professional, and the downright twisted. As she builds the puzzle of relationships, actions, clues, lies, and personal histories that haunt her protagonists, she must also confront the fear and terror faced by her victims and the harsh and enduring truth that, in the real world, terror and madness touch far too many lives and families.
Visit http://www.LisaJackson.com where you can find a Media Kit with photos and more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 717 reviews
July 5, 2018
Narrator, Alan Nebelthau makes this unlistenable for me.
May 4, 2016
Please note, this contains spoilers for book #1 in the series, so don't read further if you haven't read the book.
Book gods: "Ha! She thinks that she has a new series that she is going to fall in love with, we just lured her in to mess with her head."
Blue:"Yeah! I liked the last book, so hopefully this one improves upon what I liked so much."
Book gods: "Snicker. Wait watch her face."
Blue: 'wrinkles nose.' "Wait a minute, this is wrong, that's not what happened at the end of the last book? How is X still alive? They were dead. Let me go back to the first book and re-read again."
Book gods: "Oh she expected continuity between books #1 and #2? Evil laughter.
Blue: "What the heck? How did no one catch that?? Okay well back to reading.
Blue: "Why in the world is a serial killer so stupid to kidnap a cop? I mean what the hell?
Blue: "Wait a second, so now we have some random guy that in the last book no one knew about was sleeping with Regan that now everyone knows about him?"
Blue: "Regan's kids are awful."
Blue: "And why are they showing her son to be some oversexed idiot who is making really long soliloquies about wanting to spank his stepmother. Ugh."
Blue: "Her kids are still awful."
Blue: "They are giving Selena nothing to do in this book, and Regan's love interest being former military ops is eye roll inducing. Dude is doing nothing but going around and saying stupid shit about how he's going to find her."
Blue: "This dude is worthless as hell. At least it made me think of Daniel Day Lewis though. That's a good thing. I wonder if I can download Last of The Mohicans and watch it?"
Blue: Watches The Last of the Mohicans and daydreams about Daniel Day Lewis and his hotness. MMMMMMMMM
Book Gods: Watches along with Blue. MMMMMMMMM
Blue: "Oh for God's sake? So we have a random subplot about some patient who is tied to some secondary character who is gross. What the hell is this book? And why is the serial killer involved with this?"
Blue: "This is so demeaning about Regan being naked and fighting this guy. Her kids still are fucking terrible."
Blue: "I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.
Blue: "How has no one slapped these kids? And why would someone in the sheriff's department be messing with her son like this when his mom is missing and presumed dead? This town makes Sunnydale look sane.
Blue: "The link between how people figured out who the killer is was one of the dumbest things I have read in recent memory."
Blue: "I love how Regan has figured out who the serial killer is and pretty much saved herself with no help from her expert tracker lover. Whatever dude.
Blue: "Wow. This entire book was terrible."
Book Gods: High five one another and reads Atlas Shrugged again.
In summary, this book was awful from beginning to end.
The continuity between books #1 and #2 was thrown out the window entirely.
We once again focus on partners Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez but we also get perspectives included again from the serial killer's point of view, Regan's son, Regan's daughter, Regan's lover Nate, and also a plethora of secondary characters, one who claims to be psychic. There was no development at all with any of these characters, and it seems that Regan's kids are still going for the we are asshole awards when the book ends so there's that.
We have a secondary plot thrown in there that includes the serial killer, someone from his past, and a recent death. I am sure that is going to be resolved in book #3, but since I would rather read one of the Prey books again than book #3 I guess I will have to go on without knowing how that storyline wraps up.
The writing in this one was not great, the flow was terrible from the constant jumping around, and though Ms. Jackson used Montana as the setting just as well as she did int he last book, the ending was pretty awful.
Book gods: "Ha! She thinks that she has a new series that she is going to fall in love with, we just lured her in to mess with her head."
Blue:"Yeah! I liked the last book, so hopefully this one improves upon what I liked so much."
Book gods: "Snicker. Wait watch her face."
Blue: 'wrinkles nose.' "Wait a minute, this is wrong, that's not what happened at the end of the last book? How is X still alive? They were dead. Let me go back to the first book and re-read again."
Book gods: "Oh she expected continuity between books #1 and #2? Evil laughter.
Blue: "What the heck? How did no one catch that?? Okay well back to reading.
Blue: "Why in the world is a serial killer so stupid to kidnap a cop? I mean what the hell?
Blue: "Wait a second, so now we have some random guy that in the last book no one knew about was sleeping with Regan that now everyone knows about him?"
Blue: "Regan's kids are awful."
Blue: "And why are they showing her son to be some oversexed idiot who is making really long soliloquies about wanting to spank his stepmother. Ugh."
Blue: "Her kids are still awful."
Blue: "They are giving Selena nothing to do in this book, and Regan's love interest being former military ops is eye roll inducing. Dude is doing nothing but going around and saying stupid shit about how he's going to find her."
Blue: "This dude is worthless as hell. At least it made me think of Daniel Day Lewis though. That's a good thing. I wonder if I can download Last of The Mohicans and watch it?"
Blue: Watches The Last of the Mohicans and daydreams about Daniel Day Lewis and his hotness. MMMMMMMMM
Book Gods: Watches along with Blue. MMMMMMMMM
Blue: "Oh for God's sake? So we have a random subplot about some patient who is tied to some secondary character who is gross. What the hell is this book? And why is the serial killer involved with this?"
Blue: "This is so demeaning about Regan being naked and fighting this guy. Her kids still are fucking terrible."
Blue: "I don't care. I don't care. I don't care.
Blue: "How has no one slapped these kids? And why would someone in the sheriff's department be messing with her son like this when his mom is missing and presumed dead? This town makes Sunnydale look sane.
Blue: "The link between how people figured out who the killer is was one of the dumbest things I have read in recent memory."
Blue: "I love how Regan has figured out who the serial killer is and pretty much saved herself with no help from her expert tracker lover. Whatever dude.
Blue: "Wow. This entire book was terrible."
Book Gods: High five one another and reads Atlas Shrugged again.
In summary, this book was awful from beginning to end.
The continuity between books #1 and #2 was thrown out the window entirely.
We once again focus on partners Regan Pescoli and Selena Alvarez but we also get perspectives included again from the serial killer's point of view, Regan's son, Regan's daughter, Regan's lover Nate, and also a plethora of secondary characters, one who claims to be psychic. There was no development at all with any of these characters, and it seems that Regan's kids are still going for the we are asshole awards when the book ends so there's that.
We have a secondary plot thrown in there that includes the serial killer, someone from his past, and a recent death. I am sure that is going to be resolved in book #3, but since I would rather read one of the Prey books again than book #3 I guess I will have to go on without knowing how that storyline wraps up.
The writing in this one was not great, the flow was terrible from the constant jumping around, and though Ms. Jackson used Montana as the setting just as well as she did int he last book, the ending was pretty awful.
September 9, 2015
Lisa Jackson used to be one of my favorite authors. USED to be. I'd taken a break from reading her books, I had found some new authors I was interested in, and finally purchased some of Lisa's books that I hadn't read. I'm quite saddened to see the downgrade in her writing. The stories used to be really good, a nice mix of romance and suspense, which I liked. This book did have a healthy mix of it, but it leaned more towards the suspense side of the game, which didn't bother me one bit. The storyline was still interesting, but the inconsistencies in the storytelling really detracted from the good parts. And I'm quite sick of Alverez and her "damned" cold/flu/sniffles/whatever. Enough already.
The reason why I am so irritated (and I NEVER write reviews, but this situation had me mighty heated, so I needed to share my piece!) was because of the ridiculous inconsistencies in the book, the major one being the constant reference to the copycat killer, the "woman apprehended in Spokane"...it's referenced about a thousand and one times, so it's a pretty major point. I read the first book in this series, Left to Die, and at the climactic ending (if you've read it...), you can remember that Falda was the copycat and she was hit over the head with a crutch during the struggle with Jillian and died. She was so dead that Lisa Jackson had to drive the point home by repeating her death with "he held his wife's corpse" and "cradling his dead wife". Point taken - she's dead! So why in hell is she "in custody" in Spokane? I don't think it's legal to arrest a corpse (haha). And it's repeated, over and over - the news people leave Grizzly Falls to go to Spokane, someone from the Grizzly Falls PD goes there to check the suspect, and they keep going back to the "suspect in Spokane". I am not normally so nitpicky with errors, we all make them, but this one was quite a huge error. There was a minor inconsistency in the first book that got my goat, which was when Bianca was described as being dark haired, blue eyed, slightly Mediterranean, but a few pages afterwards, she had light brown eyes and red hair. (Not to mention the car in the first book...a Ford "Eclipse". Yeah, OK.) That was fairly minor, but this copycat error is quite a large oversight. So now when I'm reading this book, I can't get a clear picture of Bianca in my head and I keep thinking about the apprehension in Spokane, wondering why they handcuffed a dead woman (o:
Long story short, Ms. Jackson needs to hire a new team of proofreaders and editors. If you want your fans to continue to read your works and take you seriously as an author, these mistakes need to be fixed prior to publishing instead of having the readers write heated reviews. If it takes a little longer to get the new book out to fans, so be it. I'd rather wait a little longer than have stories that are supposed to tie together, but don't make a lick o' sense because backstories are incorrect in the next book. I still have to get through the last 2 books of the series but with the way the first 2 went, I don't know if I'm going to be a happy camper while slogging through them.
The reason why I am so irritated (and I NEVER write reviews, but this situation had me mighty heated, so I needed to share my piece!) was because of the ridiculous inconsistencies in the book, the major one being the constant reference to the copycat killer, the "woman apprehended in Spokane"...it's referenced about a thousand and one times, so it's a pretty major point. I read the first book in this series, Left to Die, and at the climactic ending (if you've read it...), you can remember that Falda was the copycat and she was hit over the head with a crutch during the struggle with Jillian and died. She was so dead that Lisa Jackson had to drive the point home by repeating her death with "he held his wife's corpse" and "cradling his dead wife". Point taken - she's dead! So why in hell is she "in custody" in Spokane? I don't think it's legal to arrest a corpse (haha). And it's repeated, over and over - the news people leave Grizzly Falls to go to Spokane, someone from the Grizzly Falls PD goes there to check the suspect, and they keep going back to the "suspect in Spokane". I am not normally so nitpicky with errors, we all make them, but this one was quite a huge error. There was a minor inconsistency in the first book that got my goat, which was when Bianca was described as being dark haired, blue eyed, slightly Mediterranean, but a few pages afterwards, she had light brown eyes and red hair. (Not to mention the car in the first book...a Ford "Eclipse". Yeah, OK.) That was fairly minor, but this copycat error is quite a large oversight. So now when I'm reading this book, I can't get a clear picture of Bianca in my head and I keep thinking about the apprehension in Spokane, wondering why they handcuffed a dead woman (o:
Long story short, Ms. Jackson needs to hire a new team of proofreaders and editors. If you want your fans to continue to read your works and take you seriously as an author, these mistakes need to be fixed prior to publishing instead of having the readers write heated reviews. If it takes a little longer to get the new book out to fans, so be it. I'd rather wait a little longer than have stories that are supposed to tie together, but don't make a lick o' sense because backstories are incorrect in the next book. I still have to get through the last 2 books of the series but with the way the first 2 went, I don't know if I'm going to be a happy camper while slogging through them.
January 23, 2012
I read Lisa Jackson's Chosen to Die last month along with a couple other of her books and was reminded what a gifted author she is.
I like to think I am a well-rounded reader, though in my old age I've come to realize I don't want to read "just anything" for the sake of keeping up with what's hip. Generally I enjoy manly books of fiction -adventure, excitement, intrigue. In the last decade or so, I've found that more and more I've enjoyed this kind of fiction with female protagonists, most often written by female authors. Then reading the works of female authors, you get into romance. More often than not these books, while fun to read, emphacize the romance and "feelings" to a fault, leaving the adventure as a poor leftover.
Not so with Lisa Jackson's books. Oh, yes, there's some romance, but it's realistically built into the lives of her characters and her stories, taking not a thing from the adventure, intrigue, fear, and sometimes horror of her plots.
I'm sorry that this is not truly a review of this specific book,or a good synopsis, but more a compliment of Jackson's body of work.
I truly did enjoy this one!
By the way, this enjoyment of strong female protagonists is reflected in my inclusion of Nevser Akkaya Chase, a very beautiful, confident, and enigmatic Turkish Intelligence agent as a protagonist along with Captain Frank Brown in my novel Macedonia Passage: Dangerous Cargo.
I like to think I am a well-rounded reader, though in my old age I've come to realize I don't want to read "just anything" for the sake of keeping up with what's hip. Generally I enjoy manly books of fiction -adventure, excitement, intrigue. In the last decade or so, I've found that more and more I've enjoyed this kind of fiction with female protagonists, most often written by female authors. Then reading the works of female authors, you get into romance. More often than not these books, while fun to read, emphacize the romance and "feelings" to a fault, leaving the adventure as a poor leftover.
Not so with Lisa Jackson's books. Oh, yes, there's some romance, but it's realistically built into the lives of her characters and her stories, taking not a thing from the adventure, intrigue, fear, and sometimes horror of her plots.
I'm sorry that this is not truly a review of this specific book,or a good synopsis, but more a compliment of Jackson's body of work.
I truly did enjoy this one!
By the way, this enjoyment of strong female protagonists is reflected in my inclusion of Nevser Akkaya Chase, a very beautiful, confident, and enigmatic Turkish Intelligence agent as a protagonist along with Captain Frank Brown in my novel Macedonia Passage: Dangerous Cargo.
October 13, 2012
I didn't care for this book. The author treats the reader like a slightly illiterate idiot with short term memory problems. She constantly explained obvious plot points and repeated plot points as though I weren't quite bright enough to think for myself. When you consider some of the stuff that's on the best seller lists, you tend to be slightly more understanding of the author's need to write down to us; for instance, "Twilight," but I found this style to be insulting and too distracting. Remember "the suspension of disbelief?" The wonderful state of being, the nirvana of the reading experience? Too often, now, I find myself yearning for a red marker so that I may do the editor's job and help this "writer" entertain.
The one good thing I can say about the book is that the writing was at least grammatically correct. The main characters, though you've met them countless times before in other books and made-for-TV movies, are cohesively written. This is pop fiction. I don't expect the "great American novel" but I do expect the writer to show respect for the audience. I do expect the writing to be of the quality that lends itself to escapism. I do expect originality. This book fails on all counts.
The one good thing I can say about the book is that the writing was at least grammatically correct. The main characters, though you've met them countless times before in other books and made-for-TV movies, are cohesively written. This is pop fiction. I don't expect the "great American novel" but I do expect the writer to show respect for the audience. I do expect the writing to be of the quality that lends itself to escapism. I do expect originality. This book fails on all counts.
November 16, 2019
After reading Left to Die, I was anxious to read this second in the series to find out who the killer was. I was not disappointed in my wait. Another "I could not put it down" book. Thankfully, I was on an overnight flight to Munich and was able to finish the book before landing.
Lisa Jackson keeps you guessing until you are about 85% of the way through the book...I was really stressing hoping that help got the Reagan before too late. The author left a few strings hanging so there may be another book with these people in it. If so, I'll be in line waiting for its release.
Lisa Jackson keeps you guessing until you are about 85% of the way through the book...I was really stressing hoping that help got the Reagan before too late. The author left a few strings hanging so there may be another book with these people in it. If so, I'll be in line waiting for its release.
October 10, 2021
Definitely not up to her normal standard of writing. I'm not even sure what went wrong with this one. Lisa Jackson is one of my favorite authors so, I will definitely give her another try. It may have been me with this one not her.
December 29, 2024
I won this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
I'm so glad I did!
I love Lisa Jackson, but I had not read this series until recently.
Chosen To Die is a sequel to Born To Die, and it did not disappoint! This is one cold killer! 🧊
I almost missed an appointment, thanks to the grip this book had on me!
Lisa has masterfully curled her story around a plot that keeps the reader constantly guessing and on their toes.
There are some plausibility issues, but I took them with a grain of salt. That often comes with the territory in reading a thriller.
Lisa wraps this up nicely.
I'm so glad I did!
I love Lisa Jackson, but I had not read this series until recently.
Chosen To Die is a sequel to Born To Die, and it did not disappoint! This is one cold killer! 🧊
I almost missed an appointment, thanks to the grip this book had on me!
Lisa has masterfully curled her story around a plot that keeps the reader constantly guessing and on their toes.
There are some plausibility issues, but I took them with a grain of salt. That often comes with the territory in reading a thriller.
Lisa wraps this up nicely.
January 11, 2019
SPOILERS AHEAD
The problem with this story was that it didn't start where it ended though that what she tried to do. At least in the audio version, the copycat killer was killed while trying to kill Jillian. So imagine my surprise as I started listening to this book, the killer was in custody. I thought maybe they are talking about someone else. But no, LJ clearly said the copy killer who tried to kill Jillian. This isn't a plot hole, this is a plot apocalypse. She resurrected someone from the dead for what purpose???
Then the last book, Santana was considered a drifter because he wasn't from the area and just showed up. In this book, he's reportedly friends with town's people he's known since he was a kid growing up in the area. Not to mention she starts off suggesting that Santana has some sort of sight from his native american ancestry. Yet, she takes this nowhere.
Unfortunately, maybe the author thought she could get away with it as time passed between books. But did she think that one day people could read them back to back.
For me, this is a huge mistake and totally takes me out of the story which was relatively good if you ignore the glaring mistakes. And there are other inconsistencies, these are the bigger ones. The author can't remember what she wrote in previous chapters and descriptions and conversation change.
LJ also continues with her themes. I'm starting to wonder about the author's personal life. As no main character is happy. All have either been divorced repeatedly, given up a child for adoption in secret, have mommy issues (the killer), ex husbands who marry a younger wife, etc. Don't forget a redhead. These are repeatedly used book to book. There are no happy homes in this author's life. While all her themes are possible, given the small town she stages her stories, the laws of probability are against this, especially giving up children for adoption in their youth.
The only seemingly happy characters are killed off. And this author has no problem killing off good characters. Seriously, I wonder about the author. The use of repeated themes suggest a strong familiarity of the subject matter.
Overall the book was good. However, this is the first book where I guessed the killer long before we were given enough information to pick him out of a lineup.
Because of the above, I can't give this book high ratings. However, I plan to continue on with the series. But, I will read/listen to the ones that are free in the romance package. I'm not sold on using a credit. So I will skip the next book and move onto book 4.
The problem with this story was that it didn't start where it ended though that what she tried to do. At least in the audio version, the copycat killer was killed while trying to kill Jillian. So imagine my surprise as I started listening to this book, the killer was in custody. I thought maybe they are talking about someone else. But no, LJ clearly said the copy killer who tried to kill Jillian. This isn't a plot hole, this is a plot apocalypse. She resurrected someone from the dead for what purpose???
Then the last book, Santana was considered a drifter because he wasn't from the area and just showed up. In this book, he's reportedly friends with town's people he's known since he was a kid growing up in the area. Not to mention she starts off suggesting that Santana has some sort of sight from his native american ancestry. Yet, she takes this nowhere.
Unfortunately, maybe the author thought she could get away with it as time passed between books. But did she think that one day people could read them back to back.
For me, this is a huge mistake and totally takes me out of the story which was relatively good if you ignore the glaring mistakes. And there are other inconsistencies, these are the bigger ones. The author can't remember what she wrote in previous chapters and descriptions and conversation change.
LJ also continues with her themes. I'm starting to wonder about the author's personal life. As no main character is happy. All have either been divorced repeatedly, given up a child for adoption in secret, have mommy issues (the killer), ex husbands who marry a younger wife, etc. Don't forget a redhead. These are repeatedly used book to book. There are no happy homes in this author's life. While all her themes are possible, given the small town she stages her stories, the laws of probability are against this, especially giving up children for adoption in their youth.
The only seemingly happy characters are killed off. And this author has no problem killing off good characters. Seriously, I wonder about the author. The use of repeated themes suggest a strong familiarity of the subject matter.
Overall the book was good. However, this is the first book where I guessed the killer long before we were given enough information to pick him out of a lineup.
Because of the above, I can't give this book high ratings. However, I plan to continue on with the series. But, I will read/listen to the ones that are free in the romance package. I'm not sold on using a credit. So I will skip the next book and move onto book 4.
August 11, 2014
Great book - the continuation of the first book "Left To Die", this book was fast paced, and flowed beautifully. The serial killer's identity doesn't get known until very close to the end. A few red herrings are tossed into the mix, just to keep it interesting. Some romance, some true allegiances found, and of course a questionable cop.
This is my kind of book - a twisted mind with a twisted plan. Thank you Lisa Jackson!
2 thumbs up and 5 stars!
This is my kind of book - a twisted mind with a twisted plan. Thank you Lisa Jackson!
2 thumbs up and 5 stars!
September 16, 2011
When I started this book my expectation were not high, but I was expecting a reasonably good thriller... I suppose it was a good thing I wasn't hoping for something amazing because this book was less than mediocre. The characters sounded straight from a middle aged woman's dream. While that may not always be bad, these characters were constructed on little more than flawless look, being over forty, with kids, so let me assure you that they were excruciatingly fake. I suppose some of that could have been a sign that it was meant for an older audience, but everything, not just the "Sex and the City" type characters seemed very cliched and overdone.
Another thing that succeeded in irking me horribly was the numerous different POV's. It was hard to keep track of who was who, but also who the masked serial killer could potentially be. Isn't that supposed to be the best part of any mystery? Figuring out who could be behind such misdeeds along with the hero / heroine? Well, because I could hardly tell one town crazy apart from the other, let alone deduce who was at fault for the numerous deaths I think that this book failed in a rather epic fashion as far as content goes.
Still another thing that I thought was bad was the few teenage characters that were included seemed to be the poster children for "Stereotype!" I mean really? We do not talk like that, and the kids had as much of a soap opera going on as Mom and Dad!
The only remotely entertaining thing about this book was the plot idea. Other than that it was a bit of a train wreck. Yet, despite all this, it still managed a two heart rating, because the writing wasn't horrible, or even bad. That part was perfectly unremarkable, but still not bad. In the end, don't buy it. Please don't waste your money. If you see it in a library, and you have nothing else to read, go for it if you want. But I warn you... there are better books out there. Much better.
Another thing that succeeded in irking me horribly was the numerous different POV's. It was hard to keep track of who was who, but also who the masked serial killer could potentially be. Isn't that supposed to be the best part of any mystery? Figuring out who could be behind such misdeeds along with the hero / heroine? Well, because I could hardly tell one town crazy apart from the other, let alone deduce who was at fault for the numerous deaths I think that this book failed in a rather epic fashion as far as content goes.
Still another thing that I thought was bad was the few teenage characters that were included seemed to be the poster children for "Stereotype!" I mean really? We do not talk like that, and the kids had as much of a soap opera going on as Mom and Dad!
The only remotely entertaining thing about this book was the plot idea. Other than that it was a bit of a train wreck. Yet, despite all this, it still managed a two heart rating, because the writing wasn't horrible, or even bad. That part was perfectly unremarkable, but still not bad. In the end, don't buy it. Please don't waste your money. If you see it in a library, and you have nothing else to read, go for it if you want. But I warn you... there are better books out there. Much better.
July 11, 2018
Kitap çok heyecanlıydı. 5 kitaplık bir seri olduğu için bu kitapta da katil belli olmaz diye düşünmüştüm ama açıklandı. Sayfalar boyunca hep başkasını düşündürttü ama tabi ki ters köşe. Bir sonraki kitap bu katilden bağımsız ama yine Detektif Pescoli ile Detektif Alvarez araştırıyor. Umarım Nate ile evlenirler falan. Çok tatlılar. Kitabı beğendim ben 👍🏻
June 24, 2019
Habe das Buch leider nach ein paar Kapitel abgebrochen. Ich fand das erste Buch schon nicht wirklich gut und das zweite wie gesagt auch nicht. Es ist komisch denn einerseits ist es sehr schnell (man ist direkt mitten drin) aber auf eine Weise auch so langatmig.
January 17, 2018
Lisa Jackson never dissapoints! What I really loved about this read was the setting of it taking place in a small town in the winter! Seriously felt the icicles falling on my fingers as I turned the pages with this one. :)
Chosen to Die is a page turner and will keep you guessing until the very last page. Loved it!
Chosen to Die is a page turner and will keep you guessing until the very last page. Loved it!
November 9, 2020
A heart pounding book! The more you read, the faster you find yourself reading!
The first book in the TO DIE series has Detectives Regan Pescoli and Salina Alverez chasing down the "Star Crossed Killer" case. The story ends when the Seattle Police and FBI think they have captured the killer.
HE CHOOSEs THEM...ABDUCTS THEM...AND KILLS THEM...
He shoots their front tire out, sending them over cliffs and into gullies. Then he rescues them, feeds them, heals them, makes them dependent on him before he strips them and ties hem to a tree in freezing cold snow storms. Their initials are used to write a message to the authorities who he constantly eludes.
Regan Pescoli is now she's missing, and Nate Santana believes something is terribly wrong. As Nate against Selena's constant demands for him to step back and Selena dig deeper into the Star-Crossed Killer case the body count rises. There is no longer anyway for either to think something else could have happened to Regan; suddenly her disappearance has become chillingly clear.
The first book in the TO DIE series has Detectives Regan Pescoli and Salina Alverez chasing down the "Star Crossed Killer" case. The story ends when the Seattle Police and FBI think they have captured the killer.
HE CHOOSEs THEM...ABDUCTS THEM...AND KILLS THEM...
He shoots their front tire out, sending them over cliffs and into gullies. Then he rescues them, feeds them, heals them, makes them dependent on him before he strips them and ties hem to a tree in freezing cold snow storms. Their initials are used to write a message to the authorities who he constantly eludes.
Regan Pescoli is now she's missing, and Nate Santana believes something is terribly wrong. As Nate against Selena's constant demands for him to step back and Selena dig deeper into the Star-Crossed Killer case the body count rises. There is no longer anyway for either to think something else could have happened to Regan; suddenly her disappearance has become chillingly clear.
March 12, 2018
Detective Regan Pescoli never imagined she'd be captured by the very serial killer she'd been hunting.
Nate Santana, Regan's boyfriend is determined to find her.
Selena Alvarez, Regan's partner, is also searching for Regan.
What a story. It captured me from the start and didn't release me until the end. The tension was high, the suspense dramatic. I liked the first person of the antagonist, and the third person deep as the other characters. It made it more personal.
I'll never look at the Montana woods the same.
This book rated "R" for graphic scenes. (Description of body parts.) Thus the reason for my 4-star rating instead of 5.
Nate Santana, Regan's boyfriend is determined to find her.
Selena Alvarez, Regan's partner, is also searching for Regan.
What a story. It captured me from the start and didn't release me until the end. The tension was high, the suspense dramatic. I liked the first person of the antagonist, and the third person deep as the other characters. It made it more personal.
I'll never look at the Montana woods the same.
This book rated "R" for graphic scenes. (Description of body parts.) Thus the reason for my 4-star rating instead of 5.
October 2, 2023
Not one of Jackson's best efforts. Redundant dialogue, overuse of certain phrases throughout (if I never hear "sick sonofabitch" again, I will be thrilled) poor development of characters, and while this point has nothing to do with Jackson, the narrator on the audio book is one of the worst ever.
May 15, 2020
Once again, I liked the book and didn't all at the same time.
It's an exciting read, but I find too many inconsistencies with this author.
The most obvious being the arrest of the copycat killer from book 1. However, the copycat killer died in the arms of their spouse in book 1. Why this detail was changed in book 2 is beyond me. There was nothing significant to the story about whether the copycat killer was alive or dead and wouldn't have mattered. That just makes you start to question everything you are reading. How do you know the author isn't going to just do a 180 and go in a different direction all of a sudden? This is changing the story vs. providing a twist in the plot, etc. Not the same thing and not enjoyable in my opinion.
*Some Spoilers Below *
I found the parts of Regan "working the weld" kinda boring too. Going on and on about her battering herself up trying to break a weak weld. Of course it gets better. Fast forward, she has escaped and is wandering around in the forest, takes a fall and also ends up in a frozen over lake. How does she survive all this??? She should have hypothermia at this point at least.
I also found the overview of the case was repetitive and unnecessary. Same as in the first book. Do it a couple of times and then I think the reader has got it. Even if someone reads it as a standalone book (I can't imagine my review being 3 stars anymore if I had done that), they don't need the details repeated that much.
Moving on to the killer. So clever and yet so dumb.
I feel like his character was altered a bit from the first book. But I suppose the first book had the copycat killer's thoughts going and the real killer's thoughts going on, which created the confusion as to how Zane could be the killer when you know he isn't. But anyways, back to book 2. I found the killer's plan more elaborate and intricate than his motive. I thought the motive was weak and didn't compliment the details of the crimes very well.
Also, the killer makes a lot of choices that should steer the police in the right direction, but don't.
It's annoying that the police searched the properties around the killings and checked out who lived where, but the killer lives in the middle of it all unknowingly. Going over the land records and checking who owns property where, is one of the first things to do. Somehow the sheriff dept and FBI missed this. Yet the sex god happens to be in the right place at the right time to "solve" the case and come to the rescue. I have to point out, Nate is suppose to be a sexy, badass loner from the first book and now he's an ex-military man slash cowboy in love with Regan. I find him softer in this book and just not portrayed the same. Now he's the perfect, manly man, white knight type and not a "lowlife" as described originally.
* End of Spoiler Bits*
This author has got some good ideas, but she's a scatter brain. She needs an assistant and a better editor. I'm not going to continue the series. I can see how the author builds up another story within a story and then finishes off the previous one with a snap of the fingers so to speak. If you remove all the hoopla, this case was solved pretty easily. She could have added an extra 10 chapters to the previous book and finished it off then. (That would have made for a really good book actually). Instead, she spends her time making the most interesting part about Brady's sister and then leaves you with the loose end once the killer is discovered. Then you're on to book 3 etc. I'm not interested enough to find out what happens next. I've read the description of all the books in this series and I'm not intrigued enough. It sounds forced so I'll end it now.
I think I'll give this author a second chance and try a standalone book. Other readers said her earlier work is better. Like I said, she has potential and some good ideas, but she can't seem to pick one and stick with it.
It's an exciting read, but I find too many inconsistencies with this author.
The most obvious being the arrest of the copycat killer from book 1. However, the copycat killer died in the arms of their spouse in book 1. Why this detail was changed in book 2 is beyond me. There was nothing significant to the story about whether the copycat killer was alive or dead and wouldn't have mattered. That just makes you start to question everything you are reading. How do you know the author isn't going to just do a 180 and go in a different direction all of a sudden? This is changing the story vs. providing a twist in the plot, etc. Not the same thing and not enjoyable in my opinion.
*Some Spoilers Below *
I found the parts of Regan "working the weld" kinda boring too. Going on and on about her battering herself up trying to break a weak weld. Of course it gets better. Fast forward, she has escaped and is wandering around in the forest, takes a fall and also ends up in a frozen over lake. How does she survive all this??? She should have hypothermia at this point at least.
I also found the overview of the case was repetitive and unnecessary. Same as in the first book. Do it a couple of times and then I think the reader has got it. Even if someone reads it as a standalone book (I can't imagine my review being 3 stars anymore if I had done that), they don't need the details repeated that much.
Moving on to the killer. So clever and yet so dumb.
I feel like his character was altered a bit from the first book. But I suppose the first book had the copycat killer's thoughts going and the real killer's thoughts going on, which created the confusion as to how Zane could be the killer when you know he isn't. But anyways, back to book 2. I found the killer's plan more elaborate and intricate than his motive. I thought the motive was weak and didn't compliment the details of the crimes very well.
Also, the killer makes a lot of choices that should steer the police in the right direction, but don't.
It's annoying that the police searched the properties around the killings and checked out who lived where, but the killer lives in the middle of it all unknowingly. Going over the land records and checking who owns property where, is one of the first things to do. Somehow the sheriff dept and FBI missed this. Yet the sex god happens to be in the right place at the right time to "solve" the case and come to the rescue. I have to point out, Nate is suppose to be a sexy, badass loner from the first book and now he's an ex-military man slash cowboy in love with Regan. I find him softer in this book and just not portrayed the same. Now he's the perfect, manly man, white knight type and not a "lowlife" as described originally.
* End of Spoiler Bits*
This author has got some good ideas, but she's a scatter brain. She needs an assistant and a better editor. I'm not going to continue the series. I can see how the author builds up another story within a story and then finishes off the previous one with a snap of the fingers so to speak. If you remove all the hoopla, this case was solved pretty easily. She could have added an extra 10 chapters to the previous book and finished it off then. (That would have made for a really good book actually). Instead, she spends her time making the most interesting part about Brady's sister and then leaves you with the loose end once the killer is discovered. Then you're on to book 3 etc. I'm not interested enough to find out what happens next. I've read the description of all the books in this series and I'm not intrigued enough. It sounds forced so I'll end it now.
I think I'll give this author a second chance and try a standalone book. Other readers said her earlier work is better. Like I said, she has potential and some good ideas, but she can't seem to pick one and stick with it.
February 15, 2013
I won this book playing white elephant at my book club's Christmas party. We were all supposed to bring in a trashy read. This fits the bill perfectly. It would be a book you would find at a beach house you've rented or in an airport convenience store.
The book is a standard mystery about a serial killer stalking women in rural Montana during the winter. He shoots their tires out while they are driving alone, then rescues them from the wreck and carries them to his remote mountain hideaway where he flirts with them and nurses them back to health. He tells them the snow is too deep to get help and cell phone reception doesn't work there. Then, after the women are feeling great he turns on them, makes them strip, ties them up, and then transports them via a snowmobile to an even more remote part of the forest, ties them to a tree and leaves them to die.
The author keeps going on & on about what a terrible way to die this is but I don't get it. Fire is a terrible way to die. Disembowelment is a terrible way to die. Being drawn & quartered is a terrible way to die. When someone dies of cold they get sleepy and numb and then pass out and die while they are unconscious. As far as evil serial killer torture, this is really mild. Oooooh! You'll fall into a stupor and then die in your sleep! Maybe I've read too many mysteries and crime novels but this was sooooo not a scary serial killer. I think the author was going for psychological torture as well but since the book isn't well-written the reader doesn't feel much menace from the earlier scenes in the cabin.
What is a page turner about this book and what kept me reading til the end was the trying to figure out who the killer is. The author throws lots of red herrings in the story. I didn't guess the killer because the author was a bit weasely in not writing much at all about the character who is the killer. No fair. How are we supposed to guess if the correct choice isn't really included in the plot? The setting reminded me a bit of the Agatha Christie books I read in jr. high. Set in a small town where everyone knows everyone and there are a plethora of potential killers in the town to choose from.
As far as the hero of the story, it seems like the author couldn't decide who the hero should be and just made a bunch of people the hero. The tough female detective who is one of the victims, her tough female partner assigned to the case and the tough loner cowboy who is dating the kidnapped detective are all written as the main hero. THey even all solve the crime independently of each other and at the same time. It is rather convenient, no? The characters are all stock characters that are just there to further the story. I didn't feel any deep connection to any of them. And the dialogue! Hoo-boy, there is some mediocre writing in this book!
I kept thinking this would make for a great Lifetime movie. I dunno, maybe it already is. If you stumble across this book and are bored and need to pass some time then read this book. Otherwise don't bother. There are hundreds of other mysteries out there that are creepier and more well-written than this one.
The book is a standard mystery about a serial killer stalking women in rural Montana during the winter. He shoots their tires out while they are driving alone, then rescues them from the wreck and carries them to his remote mountain hideaway where he flirts with them and nurses them back to health. He tells them the snow is too deep to get help and cell phone reception doesn't work there. Then, after the women are feeling great he turns on them, makes them strip, ties them up, and then transports them via a snowmobile to an even more remote part of the forest, ties them to a tree and leaves them to die.
The author keeps going on & on about what a terrible way to die this is but I don't get it. Fire is a terrible way to die. Disembowelment is a terrible way to die. Being drawn & quartered is a terrible way to die. When someone dies of cold they get sleepy and numb and then pass out and die while they are unconscious. As far as evil serial killer torture, this is really mild. Oooooh! You'll fall into a stupor and then die in your sleep! Maybe I've read too many mysteries and crime novels but this was sooooo not a scary serial killer. I think the author was going for psychological torture as well but since the book isn't well-written the reader doesn't feel much menace from the earlier scenes in the cabin.
What is a page turner about this book and what kept me reading til the end was the trying to figure out who the killer is. The author throws lots of red herrings in the story. I didn't guess the killer because the author was a bit weasely in not writing much at all about the character who is the killer. No fair. How are we supposed to guess if the correct choice isn't really included in the plot? The setting reminded me a bit of the Agatha Christie books I read in jr. high. Set in a small town where everyone knows everyone and there are a plethora of potential killers in the town to choose from.
As far as the hero of the story, it seems like the author couldn't decide who the hero should be and just made a bunch of people the hero. The tough female detective who is one of the victims, her tough female partner assigned to the case and the tough loner cowboy who is dating the kidnapped detective are all written as the main hero. THey even all solve the crime independently of each other and at the same time. It is rather convenient, no? The characters are all stock characters that are just there to further the story. I didn't feel any deep connection to any of them. And the dialogue! Hoo-boy, there is some mediocre writing in this book!
I kept thinking this would make for a great Lifetime movie. I dunno, maybe it already is. If you stumble across this book and are bored and need to pass some time then read this book. Otherwise don't bother. There are hundreds of other mysteries out there that are creepier and more well-written than this one.
January 29, 2015
This was a fairly good read, however, for me no where close to the exiting, suspenseful story of the first book. The first in the series was more about a woman rescued by a stranger in the woods, (who may or may not be a serial killer), and their relationship, and less about the two woman investigators. A bit too predictable for me and I could not get attached to the main character. I was more attached to the characters in the first book that were not brought forward in the story.
The loose ends were tied up in an exciting but abrupt ending. I am hoping that the next book in the series is better and less predictable.
The loose ends were tied up in an exciting but abrupt ending. I am hoping that the next book in the series is better and less predictable.
January 18, 2024
The plot was interesting and I definitely wanted to know how it ended; but I was also ready for the book to be over halfway through. The writing style, constantly switching POV’s without warning, and the poorly written borderline icky sex scenes made this hard to get through.
March 28, 2022
If I have to see the author describing somebody setting their jaw one more time, I'm going to scream. Okay... breath. On to the actual review!
This is the direct continuation of Left to Die, the first book in the Alvarez and Pescoli series. We get to see the end of the Star-Crossed Killer, the serial killer case our detectives have been working on tirelessly. I was hoping that Chosen to Die would conclude the chase for this killer in a satisfying way, but Jackson hasn't fixed some of the issues that were very obvious in her writing of the first book. Mainly the fact that there are some very ridiculous scenarios that are highly plausible, but added in this time is a MAJOR plot hole that is impossible to ignore. Reference is constantly made to a character being alive who was killed off in the first book, and this doesn't just happen once or twice. I found parts of this book to be very frustrating.
We see the return of all the characters from the first book (minus Rivers and MacGregor). Nate Santana is given more of a role here, although his character has changed substantially and not for the better. He is first described as sort of a mysterious lone drifter type who is having a casual no strings attached sexual relationship with Pescoli. Now all of a sudden he is just so entirely head-over-heels in love with her, willing to move heaven and earth to find her. Pescoli also has much of the spotlight as we hear about her ordeals at the hands of the serial killer. I thought this POV was well and good, until she escapes. You know that she will survive, as there wouldn't exactly be an entire Pescoli and Alvarez series without her... but the fact that she survives at all is absolutely unbelievable.
I think the killer's perspective as he becomes more and more careless and unhinged is the most interesting part of the whole book. We hear more about his motives and grand plan as he starts to spiral out of control. I wasn't 100% sure of his identity, although it was one of my guesses, until it was finally revealed. This was definitely one of the highest points for me, since it wasn't obvious even after two books. His motives felt weak and the conclusion felt pretty disappointing after such a huge build-up over such a long period of time.
The sub plot about the Long family felt unnecessary as well, except for to add a bit of explanation behind the killer's motivations. This added a lot of padding that took away from more exciting aspects of the book. Padgett's story is also left at a very open-ended conclusion for.. whatever reason. If the author could have thought of an alternate bit of backstory/motive for the killer, the Long's part in this book could have been omitted entirely.
Left to Die was much better, even for all of its faults. Jackson didn't fix any of the writing flaws from the previous book when she continued with Chosen to Die and has made even more glaring mistakes here. I don't know if I will read more of this series if it continues to have such gaping plot holes and unrealistic scenarios. I'm rating this lower than Left to Die, but I still enjoyed enough of this book despite some frustrations to give it 3 stars.
This is the direct continuation of Left to Die, the first book in the Alvarez and Pescoli series. We get to see the end of the Star-Crossed Killer, the serial killer case our detectives have been working on tirelessly. I was hoping that Chosen to Die would conclude the chase for this killer in a satisfying way, but Jackson hasn't fixed some of the issues that were very obvious in her writing of the first book. Mainly the fact that there are some very ridiculous scenarios that are highly plausible, but added in this time is a MAJOR plot hole that is impossible to ignore. Reference is constantly made to a character being alive who was killed off in the first book, and this doesn't just happen once or twice. I found parts of this book to be very frustrating.
We see the return of all the characters from the first book (minus Rivers and MacGregor). Nate Santana is given more of a role here, although his character has changed substantially and not for the better. He is first described as sort of a mysterious lone drifter type who is having a casual no strings attached sexual relationship with Pescoli. Now all of a sudden he is just so entirely head-over-heels in love with her, willing to move heaven and earth to find her. Pescoli also has much of the spotlight as we hear about her ordeals at the hands of the serial killer. I thought this POV was well and good, until she escapes. You know that she will survive, as there wouldn't exactly be an entire Pescoli and Alvarez series without her... but the fact that she survives at all is absolutely unbelievable.
I think the killer's perspective as he becomes more and more careless and unhinged is the most interesting part of the whole book. We hear more about his motives and grand plan as he starts to spiral out of control. I wasn't 100% sure of his identity, although it was one of my guesses, until it was finally revealed. This was definitely one of the highest points for me, since it wasn't obvious even after two books. His motives felt weak and the conclusion felt pretty disappointing after such a huge build-up over such a long period of time.
The sub plot about the Long family felt unnecessary as well, except for to add a bit of explanation behind the killer's motivations. This added a lot of padding that took away from more exciting aspects of the book. Padgett's story is also left at a very open-ended conclusion for.. whatever reason. If the author could have thought of an alternate bit of backstory/motive for the killer, the Long's part in this book could have been omitted entirely.
Left to Die was much better, even for all of its faults. Jackson didn't fix any of the writing flaws from the previous book when she continued with Chosen to Die and has made even more glaring mistakes here. I don't know if I will read more of this series if it continues to have such gaping plot holes and unrealistic scenarios. I'm rating this lower than Left to Die, but I still enjoyed enough of this book despite some frustrations to give it 3 stars.
March 18, 2024
Merhaba herkese #lisajackson isimli yazarın #alvarezandpescoli serisi 2. Kitabı #ölümiçinseçilmiş yani #chosentodie ilk kitabı okumadım. Ama dedektif serileri bağımsız okunabiliyor. Bu kitapta dedektif Regan pescoli'yi okuyoruz. Eski kocası iki çocuğunu kaçırıp velayeti üzerine almaya çalışınca dedektif yola koyulup çocuklarını geri almaya çıkar. Polis merkezinde yıldızlı katil adındaki katilin yakalanması için uzun mesailer harcanmakta ve çok çalışılmaktadır. Katil avlayacağı kadınları otoyolda ağına düşürmekte lastiklerinin patlamasını sağlayıp yaralı kadınları kulübesinde iyileştirdikten sonra çıplak bir şekilde ormana bağlayıp ölmelerini beklemektedir. Kar yağışı ile birlikte zorlu bir yolculuk yapmakta olan Regan, yakalamak istediği katilin hedefi olur ve arabası kazaya sürüklenir. Ortağı dedektif Selena ve Regan'ın takıldığı adam Nate birlikte bu işin peşine düşerler. Grace, psişik güçleri olan ve kötü şeylerin olacağını hisseden bir kadındır aynı şekilde şaman büyük dedesinden kalan hisler Nate'e de bulaşmıştır.
Çok fazla polisiye kitap okumuyorum bunun sebebi hepsinin birbirine benzemesi katillerin motivasyonlarının birbirine benzemesi olabilir farklı şeyler okumayı tercih ediyorum bu yüzden. Bu da ayda yılda bir okuduğum polisiye kitaplardan ama öyle saçma saçma bir kitaptan sonra başladım ki bu kitaba da katşlnamadım ve yarım bıraktım. karakterleri merak etmiyorum, olay örgüsü çok dağınık katilin motivasyonu yeterli değil çok karakter var (100 sayfada 28) esas olaydan çok uzaklaşılmış dedektif eski kocasının soyadı ile takılıyor wtf uğraşamam.
Çok fazla polisiye kitap okumuyorum bunun sebebi hepsinin birbirine benzemesi katillerin motivasyonlarının birbirine benzemesi olabilir farklı şeyler okumayı tercih ediyorum bu yüzden. Bu da ayda yılda bir okuduğum polisiye kitaplardan ama öyle saçma saçma bir kitaptan sonra başladım ki bu kitaba da katşlnamadım ve yarım bıraktım. karakterleri merak etmiyorum, olay örgüsü çok dağınık katilin motivasyonu yeterli değil çok karakter var (100 sayfada 28) esas olaydan çok uzaklaşılmış dedektif eski kocasının soyadı ile takılıyor wtf uğraşamam.
November 24, 2019
Just as good as the first book of this series.
Reagan is kidnapped by the Star Crossed Killer and taken to an isolated location. Meanwhile, her partner, Pascoli is trying to find out where she is, how she can help her partner's kids out, and how to solve the mystery of who the Star Crossed Killer is.
To make things in this small town in Montana even more interesting is that the town's wealthiest man, Brady Hicks is shot in his own home and left for dead. The police also discover that Brady's sister who had not said a single word in 15 years suddenly starts speaking and leaves the facility she is at due to the death of her brother.
Why did she wait 15 years and the death of her brother to speak again? What leads up to it? Is the murder of her brother and the Star Crossed Killer connected?
I really liked this book. I could see every scene coming alive as I was listening to the audiobook. If you're looking for a good mystery and suspense novel then this would be a great book to pick up.
Reagan is kidnapped by the Star Crossed Killer and taken to an isolated location. Meanwhile, her partner, Pascoli is trying to find out where she is, how she can help her partner's kids out, and how to solve the mystery of who the Star Crossed Killer is.
To make things in this small town in Montana even more interesting is that the town's wealthiest man, Brady Hicks is shot in his own home and left for dead. The police also discover that Brady's sister who had not said a single word in 15 years suddenly starts speaking and leaves the facility she is at due to the death of her brother.
Why did she wait 15 years and the death of her brother to speak again? What leads up to it? Is the murder of her brother and the Star Crossed Killer connected?
I really liked this book. I could see every scene coming alive as I was listening to the audiobook. If you're looking for a good mystery and suspense novel then this would be a great book to pick up.
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September 11, 2025My honest opinion on this book!! I prefer to read a lot of horror novels because I like wanting to go back to a book and wonder what is going to happen next. I want a book that makes me want to read it. This book by Lisa Jakcson completely meets all my needs. There was never a point in this book I was “bored” of reading. It's obviously not for everyone because some people get unsettled by these types of things but this is the only genre I tend to find page turning. I really enjoy the turnaround and ending of this book, but I will not spoil the ending. The turnaround that made this different from other books is that in a lot of the books I have read I have not had someone investigating become the victim. It made me much more eager to get to the end of this book because I wanted to know what happened to Reagan. I think a lot of its positives came from how different it was from the rest and how it lengthened the usual horror story into something with a little spice. The only thing I think came across as a weakness for the writer is being on a very thin line of the book being a little too much, like a crazy plot. I think where it is now is just the right amount of difference from a ‘regular’ horror novel but if there was any more to it I believe it would be a little bit busy.
January 12, 2024
Personal read. Bravo 👏 👏 👏 👏. Couldn't figure it out. All the twists and turns in the plot kept me guessing on this one. Real page turner. Read it in less than 10 hours. A serial killer in the middle of a few blizzards in Montana has a disturbed way of killing a select few chosen women. He also kills his enemy the one lone man in all the deaths. And does it differently than women to throw the police off. The weird thing is he never sexually abuses the women before he kills them. The police work and the manhunt that ensues is amazing as an exhaustive team do everything they can to bring him in, especially since he kidnaps and plots to kill one of the counties main female detective on the case. I highly recommend reading this book. It always has you on the edge of your seat.
June 10, 2023
Not my favorite Lisa Jackson book. I’ll not be reading anymore in the series. A serial killer is on the loose in the wilds of Montana. He’s a sniper who disables women’s cars, then removes them to his secret hideout. He nurses them back to health and then takes them out into the forest, attaching them naked to a tree and leaving them to die. Detective Pescolli gets caught in the mess and spends the remainder of the book attempting to get away. Too much gratuitous romance for my taste.
July 20, 2019
The follow up book to the first book in the series Left To Die which ended in a cliffhanger. We finally get resolution in this book about the Star Crossed Killer (yay)! This book also continues to explore the lives of Pescoli and Alvarez as more about their past, especially Selena Alvarez, is slowly revealed.
February 23, 2023
Exciting and a page turner, this is about Regan Pescoli, a detective in Grizzly Falls, Montana who is investigating a serial murderer who happens to be local. He targets women driving over the Bitterroot Mt. One night he targets Regan.
November 18, 2023
The starcrossed murderer has claimed 5 victims already and now he has captured detective Regan Pescoli. The whole department is searching desperately for her before she too will be found tied naked to a tree and left to freeze to death.
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