Thursday, June 1, 2017

A Life Removed: A Novel - by Jason Parent


5 of 5 Stars     Review copy

Not exactly what I was expecting from Jason Parent, but WOW, what a great read.

“Are you looking for some company?” she asked, knowing they wouldn’t be talking to her for any other reason. “Actually, we were looking for you.” The man’s smile and his voice’s velvet tone oozed with charm. 

Eliza, one of the victims of a serial killer like none other. Assigned to the case are Detective Bruce Marklin, a man no one liked, and his partner, Detective Jocelyn Beaudette.

“They sawed through all four victims’ chests and removed their hearts like scooping the pulp out of a jack-o’-lantern."

Officer Aaron Pimental is the author's main protagonist.  In his guest post on my blog yesterday, the author asked, "Can you become emotionally invested in a character whose morals are questionable or absent altogether?"  For me, the answer would be a resounding YES!.

“Well, that gives us a hooker, an attorney, a diddler ex-con, and— what did the fourth guy do again?”“Antiques dealer and appraiser. Yeah, if these four are somehow connected, their employment doesn’t seem to be the common link.” 

The horror builds slowly until it ultimately becomes oppressive.

As the blade entered his chest, Peter’s eyes flew open involuntarily. The metal seared inside him, his every nerve ending screaming their torture into his brain. The blade pierced flesh and bone until its hilt rested against Peter’s chest. He felt it tugging at his insides. His ribcage put up some resistance before it yielded. He squealed as his life slipped away. Numb with shock, Peter stared up to see his killer was still smiling. 

At its core A Life Removed is a gritty police procedural, yet so much more.  It's a compelling read with a wicked twist.  Stomach churning at times and one of the best books I've read this year.

Given the right circumstances, anyone could be a hero… or a killer, the distinction was only a matter of perception. 

From Red Adept Publishing A Life Removed is currently available only as an e-book.

From Jason's bio - In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he callsNew England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody's head off - he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.


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