Chasing Karma

by Terry Shepherd

Jessica Ramirez must die. The three men behind the villains in CHASING VEGA and CHASING THE CAPTAIN send the world's most deadly assassin to dispatch Jess for foiling their plans. When the killer turns up dead, events escalate and Jess faces the greatest challenge of her life, without her identity and with no memory of who she is.

Terry Shepherd ratchets up the tension with his stunning plot twists, high tech weaponry and the cast of characters readers have grown to love in The Jessica Ramirez Thrillers. Chasing Karma rockets forward at Terry's usual breakneck pace and we don't know how things end until the last sentence discloses the story's final satisfying reveal.

Jess and Ali are back, along with love interests Michael Wright and MET Detective Inspector Layanna Evans. FBI Director Terry Taylor returns, as do MI6 operatives Mo Gerhardt and Tom Anastos and Andy Milluzzi's band of tech whizzes. We celebrate the return of fan favorite Joey Price, MD, plus a cadre of new players and a delectable antagonist who is a deadly match for Jessica's tenacity, skill, and commitment.

Chasing Karma takes the Jessica Ramirez canon to a new and terrifying level, a powerful stand-alone thriller, and a rewarding new entry in a series with much more to come.

"Terry Shepherd’s Jessica Ramirez is back with a vengeance! Chasing Karma is an adrenaline-fueled ride with breakneck twists you won’t see coming. Jason Bourne and Jack Reacher have nothing on Jessica Ramirez". —James L’Etoile, author of Dead Drop, Black Label and the Detective Penley series

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2023

Reviews

[Isabel Nicholson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it had good pace, was well written and an engaging plot. Although it is the first book I have read by the author, it isn’t the first book featuring these characters. While that didn’t affect the storyline or understanding of the book, it did affect how well I connected with the characters and I struggled to warm to them quickly, which I think would have been less of a problem had I read other books in the series. This didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the book but to get more of a feel for the characters I think I would normally try to start at the beginning.
The characters were interesting, strong women leading the way, with men as the supporting characters made the mystery/thriller even more enjoyable. Jess, especially, as a character pulls the reader in and makes you want to know what happens next.
The book is pacy, there are some unexpected twists and turns. There are moments of high drama and some more amusing moments. A very enjoyable read, overall and I will happily read more by this author in the future.

[K-BRC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Ramirez is a take-no-prisoners heroine Shepherd introduced who never stops until she gets her man (or perp). Each adventure with her and partner Ali just gets better. This can be read as a standalone but is better read as the series to give the reader the whole backstory. But I also recommend the previous stories that bring you up to Chasing Karma. You will not be disappointed; Ramirez has skills and will entertain you mightily while unraveling the whodunit.

[Cassy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I read in the Jessica Ramirez Thriller's. Yes, it's the third book, so I felt like I was jumping in the middle of a story. I was still able to follow along and enjoy the story. It was fast-paced with twists and mysteries that kept me flipping through the pages. I really enjoyed this story and plan to go back and read the beginning of Jessica's adventures to see what all happened prior to the events that transpired in this book.

[Sierra Clothier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one heck of a ride. I haven't read the earlier books in this series, so there were a few spots in the story that took me a little bit to catch up on, but really it wasn't that hard. One of the greatest things about the story was that it was elaborate, yet easy to follow. Author Shepherd had headings on each chapter that not only told us who's point of view it was, but also where the action was. The amount of research done in this fictional tale was stunning. An example:

"Begun in 1402 The Petronium, The Castle of St. Peter or simply Bodrum Castle has had many residents. From the Knights of St. John to the Ottoman Empire, its walls have provided refuge. Its ramparts stood watch over the Aegean, an early warning system until the castle was abandoned after World War I."

Another thing I adored is the care Author Shepherd took to make all the main characters smart, including the two female detective partners. There are hints that in previous books the women fought discrimination in the police force, but in this book, the women are in the group of very intelligent spies and cops. It's delightful to read! Like an Ocean's Eleven movie or one of the sequels. Pure fun to read, yet with consequences that could be real today. The twists will make you sit up straight and the ending is more than satisfying. It actually made me feel like it is probably pretty similar to other incidents that happen with the CIA or FBI. Or at least similar to the next Michael Bay screenplay.

[Christy Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firepower meets feminism in this cinematic action thriller that had me reading late into the night. If you like your action with a side of action, you'll enjoy Chasing Karma as a standalone read or sequel to the riveting Clark and Ramirez series.

Jessica Ramirez is one epic cop who is impossible not to like and the fact that she's based on a real person makes her even more admirable. She and her partner, Alexander Clark, are two spunky leading ladies who might shoot you if you call them that. Quick chapters keep the pace efficient and sharp with an entertaining balance between local witty banter and intense intelligence operations across the globe. Although the violence that goes with the genre is not my first choice for a read, Shepherd may have just created the perfect mix (read: margarita) to make me a fan.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Books three of the Jessica Ramirez series takes the reader on a thrilling adventure from start to finish with Karma being a central theme to the plot. I enjoyed the powerful relationship between Jessica and friend/colleague Alexandra as they navigate their way through a man's profession. I read this book as a stand alone and will be reading the first two in the series-I think it would have contributed more to my understanding of Jessica and Alexandra's romances and connections to the other powerful characters. I highly recommend this thrill of a ride and look forward to the next in the series.

[Karin Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I grow up, I want to be Chasing Karma’s cop heroine, Jessica Ramirez. Think lightning-fast reflexes, a lithe body of solid muscle, nicely shaped of course, a rapier sense of humor, good at life-or-death puzzles, with a touch of the romantic thrown in, able to take gruesome deaths in stride and still have a brain. One death hit me like a gut punch. Who knew a college-town cop could end up in the middle of a world power struggle? Wildly crazy, yet entirely plausible. It helped, of course, to be packaged in author Terry Shepherd’s explosive metaphors and plot twists. Chasing Karma is book three in the series. Now I have to read the others. Bravo!

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this mile-a-minute international police drama/romance about assassins, international power brokers, multi-branch police actions and mistaken identities. It's part of a series, but given my experience, it works well as a stand-alone story. It's even got a couple of romantic subplots to spice things up a bit although if you're exclusively a romance reader, there's probably not enough steam in this one to keep you happy.
On the other hand, if you love police dramas that are fast paced with lots of murder and mayhem, this one definitely should be on your TBR.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is part of a series and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the previous books before this one. That being said, this was a fast paced book and reminded me a lot of old time spy/espionage thrillers.

The main character, Jessica Ramirez, is a kickass, take no prisoners woman and I absolutely loved her! The story was well-written, action packed and a lot of fun to read. This was my first book by the author but I will definitely be on the lookout for more written by him.

[Mikki Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazingly well written book.  The text and story together seamlessly.  It reads as if you're sitting in a theater.  In fact,  this book would make for an action packed, flick! One where officers and military chase an invisble terrorist, playing cat and mouse right up until the very end, where you find out if life as we know it will continue in the land of the free.  Great read. Definitely recommend

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all the books in this series and this one is as exciting like the others with action and suspense from beginning to the epic ending, Jessica is a strong and determined cop who fights with everything she has. Wonderful to see characters from the previous books continue in this one and their support for Jessica. Good book as a stand along but would highly recommend the whole series.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chasing Karma by Terry Shepherd is nonstop action in a tightly-woven plot featuring Detective Jessica Ramirez, a strong female cop with her equally impressive partner Ali. Both are unstoppable and very determined to catch the killer plus identify whoever took out the assassin sent after her.

This is my first book to read in this series, but it will not be my last Ramirez or Shepherd book. In fact, I think I may binge-read the whole series soon.

[Patricia Stoltey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thriller so much and wish I had started the series with book one. Many of the plot points/incidents are a little over the top, reminding me of the tongue-in-cheek events in a James Bond thriller. Once I accepted the first "but no one would ever do that," set aside my expectations for reality, and went along for the ride, I had a great read.

[Carla Vergot · Rating 5 out of 5]

I lost track of how many times I said out loud--"NO!" or "WAIT!" or "DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?"
JRam is edgy and fast and can hold her own. I'm a fan. My one regret is not reading 1 and 2 before reading this one. I thoroughly enjoyed the book but missed a few references from previous storylines in the series.

[Lisa Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was thrilling on the edge, car chases yes. There was never a dull moment with such strong descriptive characters and the scenes were amazing.
I am loving this Authors writing. If your looking for a great exciting Thriller this is it.

[JoAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action pack, edge of your seat thriller. The story grabbed me from beginning to end as I was taken on a riveting ride following the lives of some intriguing characters and their adventure. So very well woven that I felt I was right there experiencing it all.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a super fast read because it was so fast-paced I couldn't put it down!! Some of the characters the author took out shocked me since they were part of some of the main characters and most authors don't kill them off that way. It was a fantastic read!!

[Julie Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twist and turns

This is my first read book by Mr Terry Shepherd.
It will not disappoint.
I love the drama of building explosions and plans going die with key players involved.
People are after them and they won't stop till they are de$d.
I look forward to more from Mr Shepherd.
Julie with ARC Anny.

[Romana · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reader of Terry and I absolutely loved it! So many twists and turns you are in for wild ride.

[Penny Riley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced keep you in your seat thriller! Enjoyable twisty plot with engaging characters that keep you entertained till the end! Not my usual genre but really enjoyed this story!!

[Jill Badker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this story. Fast paced and hard to put down. Great writing draws you in from the first page.

[Angela Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best yet in the Jesisca Ramirez series. There are things you didn't see coming, jammed packed with action that keeps you drawn in. This book leaves you anticipating the next adventure.