Revenge is a dish best served cold. But it might cost you everything you love.
Main Characters:
- Anna White (Anna King)
- Olivia King
- Jackson
- Diaz Smith
- Dominic Smith
Genres:
- Romantic Suspense
- Mystery
- Christian Fiction
Tropes:
- Tragic Past
- Revenge
- Heroine in Danger
- Law Enforcement
Setting: Oradale Missouri USA
Approximately 3 years ago was the last time Olivia King was seen. No one knows where she went, and she has not been heard from since. All her sister Anna knows is that her sister left a photo behind, a random number, as well as the name Craven. These all have to have something in common, and hopefully Anna will be able to find her sister. Even if that means infiltrating a crime family so she can get information. Enter, the undercover FBI Agent, Jackson who has the ability to blow this all up, including her cover.
This book held my attention throughout. From cover to cover I was intrigued. I had to know what happened to Olivia King, and how Anna was going to persevere. How was she going to handle finding out the news about her sister, continuing in this relationship with Diaz, all while trying to take him down? Then there was Jackson and his role in all of this.
Here's the thing, this book does start a bit slow. Not DNF slow, it's just slow enough to set the stage, introduce the characters, and build the reader's curiosity. As the story unfolds, and we find out who all these people are, things ramp up. We discover more about Olivia, Diaz, and who Dominic is. We discover what Anna knows, and a little bit of her plan to take Diaz down. Then Jackson goes and throws a wrench into it all. He begins nosing around, and working his case. We see all of this happening, including Diaz's paranoia, but then there are things happening off page that we don't see. Those things are slowly rolled out to us, and it just increases the suspense. Until we finally get to the big moment.
When the big battle scene was about to go down, Brooke Ramsey threw a curve ball and had me literally gasping out loud. That little nugget of information, that reveal, was perfect timing. I LOVED IT! Yes it had me questioning a few things, and it had me thinking back to when John basically said "trust no one".
Let's talk romance. Virtually non-existent. It is the meet cute, it's the proximity, it's the beginning stages of a potential relationship. It's nothing more than that. Until the moment a declaration is made. Don't expect spice. Don't expect anything that you'd really find in a romance novel, because it's not there. It is two people thrust into each others lives under a unique situation. A bond is formed, a base is established, and that's it. Should you be looking for a strong romantic suspense story, this isn't it. If you're looking for an organized crime book with a good amount of suspense, then this would work. I'd rather be open about that, then have another reader go in expecting something that isn't there.
Before I end this I do want to address the religious aspect of the book. I fully admit that going in, I was a bit hesitant. Yes I've read christian fiction before, and there was a time in my life where it was my preference. My tastes have changed, and that chapter of my reading life is much quieter now. As I was saying, going in I was hesitant as I didn't know how "preachy" this book would be. This was my introduction to Brooke Ramsey, so I didn't know. What I can tell you is that it isn't over the top. It's actually pretty minor. The times we enter into those conversations are either self-realization moments with Jackson, or when Jackson is talking with friends. He does briefly bring up to Anna, but again it's minor. And for that I'm thankful. I didn't want a book that was religiously loud. I'll be honest, those moments in the book are easy to skip right over. It has zero impact on the storyline. So if the religious aspect is holding you back, I say don't let it. The storyline holds without all of that.
Reading this fourth book in the Cold Case Murder Mystery series has me wanting to go back and read the first three. I'm being 100% honest. Seeing how much I enjoyed this book, it now has me wondering if I'd be as enthralled with the others. I may be new to Brooke Ramsey's writing, but I think I'll stick around a bit and see what else she has to offer.
Thank you for taking time to read my thoughts. Olivia by Brooke Ramsey releases on October 3, 2022.
Laura
Laura
Olivia King.
Days missing: 1,345 days.
Anna has spent the last three years infiltrating the gang of Diaz Smith—the man responsible for her sister’s disappearance. She’s close to getting the answers she has sacrificed so much for when a newly recruited FBI agent threatens to blow her cover.
Jackson joined the FBI’s narcotics team so that he could put people like Diaz Smith behind bars. When a raid ends with a pistol pointed at his chest, Jackson realizes that the fierce beauty holding the weapon will either be the key to his success or his demise.
Refusing to fail, he devises a plan to recruit Anna as his informant while ensuring she doesn’t end up dead at the hands of Diaz. Everything is going to plan but Jackson didn’t foresee one problem: falling in love with his informant.
The stakes are high and Diaz is watching Anna’s every move. One wrong step could end with another body stuffed in a barrel.
