3.5 Feathers
The Heart of a Killer
by Jaci Burton
(The Killer # 1)
Romantic Suspense
I'm torn at writing this review. Let me just say first of all I love Jaci Burton. I can't wait for her books to come out and usually read them right away. She has a way of telling a story that I find flows easily and takes you into the story.
Now that being said, we find ourselves with The Heart of a Killer. I had some issues with this story. In general I liked the idea of the plot. I liked the characters even. All of them. So you know what, lets do the good first.
I liked Dante. Even though he disappears when Anna needed him most, there are reasons why, but he never forgot her and just can't stay away. Plus it helps he's pretty sexy. Anna had her TSTL moments, but in general she was a pretty good heroine, especially when she gives in to her desires ;) Gabe, I'm very intrigued to know more about him and I'm hoping his story is next.
So this story starts with a group of 16 year olds at an ice cream shop. Anna is the only girl, she's dating Dante, who's a few years older. In the group are Dante's foster brothers. Everything changes that night when Anna gets attacked and almost raped and killed.
Fast forward 12 years, Anna is now a detective, two of the foster brothers skipped town the night of her attack (including her boyfriend) but they are all back now. And the killings begin. Someone is after Anna again and is killing the people around her while leaving little presents for her. Yeah, creepy.
Now lets pick up the subject of my issues again. I think Ms. Burton completely missed the mark on human emotion and reactions in this book. Why? Well, for example, someone gets killed in the same way as Anna's traumatic assault, and the group of them have a pizza party, drinking beer, catching up and making jokes. I'm all for moving on with your life after something traumatic happens, but we didn't get to see much in terms of grief, and the pain the characters went through after losing someone close to their heart. Don't they have feelings? The same could be said for how things were handled at 16, after Anna's attack.
Most people thought the identity of the killer was out of left field for them. Actually I suspected the killer from the beginning. Ms. Burton did a good job at throwing me off his trail throughout the book, but I always kept coming back to him.
In the end, it's a good book, I read this quickly, it kept me interested and wanting to find out what happens. But everytime I was slapped in the face with how there was no emotional reaction to something that should've had one, it pissed me off. Which is why I'm giving this story the rating I am. I am very interested in continuing the series though, I've never read a book by Ms. Burton where I've had this issue, so I trust this won't happen again!
Now that being said, we find ourselves with The Heart of a Killer. I had some issues with this story. In general I liked the idea of the plot. I liked the characters even. All of them. So you know what, lets do the good first.
I liked Dante. Even though he disappears when Anna needed him most, there are reasons why, but he never forgot her and just can't stay away. Plus it helps he's pretty sexy. Anna had her TSTL moments, but in general she was a pretty good heroine, especially when she gives in to her desires ;) Gabe, I'm very intrigued to know more about him and I'm hoping his story is next.
So this story starts with a group of 16 year olds at an ice cream shop. Anna is the only girl, she's dating Dante, who's a few years older. In the group are Dante's foster brothers. Everything changes that night when Anna gets attacked and almost raped and killed.
Fast forward 12 years, Anna is now a detective, two of the foster brothers skipped town the night of her attack (including her boyfriend) but they are all back now. And the killings begin. Someone is after Anna again and is killing the people around her while leaving little presents for her. Yeah, creepy.
Now lets pick up the subject of my issues again. I think Ms. Burton completely missed the mark on human emotion and reactions in this book. Why? Well, for example, someone gets killed in the same way as Anna's traumatic assault, and the group of them have a pizza party, drinking beer, catching up and making jokes. I'm all for moving on with your life after something traumatic happens, but we didn't get to see much in terms of grief, and the pain the characters went through after losing someone close to their heart. Don't they have feelings? The same could be said for how things were handled at 16, after Anna's attack.
Most people thought the identity of the killer was out of left field for them. Actually I suspected the killer from the beginning. Ms. Burton did a good job at throwing me off his trail throughout the book, but I always kept coming back to him.
In the end, it's a good book, I read this quickly, it kept me interested and wanting to find out what happens. But everytime I was slapped in the face with how there was no emotional reaction to something that should've had one, it pissed me off. Which is why I'm giving this story the rating I am. I am very interested in continuing the series though, I've never read a book by Ms. Burton where I've had this issue, so I trust this won't happen again!
5 comments:
I'm always bothered when characters have inadequate emotional responses to events. It comes across as...lazy, on the part of the author. Great review!
Thanks! This is NOT the norm with Ms. Burton though.
Francesca
It sounds pretty good even with the emotional disconnect. I plan to read this one. I hope the killer isn't that obvious to me- that is the part I hate and makes me lose some interest.
Thanks for the review!
I know for other people the killer was not obvious, so hope you enjoy it! And it is pretty good aside from the emotional disconnect!
Francesca
I hate writing reviews with negative feedback when I love the writers other works. But that's what reviewings about.
I really like the idea for the book, sounds very interesting! :D Might look it up. :)
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