Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Kill Game 
SERIES: Seven of Spades #1
AUTHOR: Cordelia Kingsbridge
NARRATOR: Wyatt Baker
PUBLISHER: Riptide
RELEASE DATE: April 20, 2018
LENGTH: 7 hours, 56 minutes
BLURB:
Homicide detective Levi Abrams is barely holding his life together. He’s reeling from the fallout of a fatal shooting, and his relationship with his boyfriend is crumbling. The last thing he’s prepared for is a serial killer stalking the streets of Las Vegas. Or how he keeps getting thrown into the path of annoyingly charming bounty hunter Dominic Russo.
Dominic likes his life free of complications. That means no tangling with cops—especially prickly, uptight detectives. But when he stumbles across one of the Seven of Spades’s horrifying crime scenes, he can’t let go, despite Levi’s warnings to stay away.
The Seven of Spades is ruthless and always two moves ahead. Worst of all, they’ve taken a dangerously personal interest in Levi and Dominic. Forced to trust each other, the two men race to discover the killer’s identity, revealing hidden truths along the way and sparking a bond neither man expected. But that may not be enough to protect them.
This killer likes to play games, and the deck is not stacked in Levi and Dominic’s favor.
REVIEW:
Why haven’t more books been released into audio???
I was a bit, okay very, hesitant picking this book up. On the one hand, I really wanted to listen to this book. On the other hand, after listening to the sample, which was bad – narration wise – I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to listen to 8 hours of Wyatt Baker. So I let the book go. But over the months I kept coming back to it, I was drawn to it. So I figured I was going to give it a try anyway. And you know what – I’m so glad I did! The sample did not make this book any justice – at all. I loved this book and can’t wait for the next one!
There’s a serial killer hunting in Las Vegas, nicknamed the Seven of Spades. Why you might ask. They leave that particular playing card at each of their kills. The last thing homicide detective Levi Abrams need is a serial killer, closely followed by constantly crossing paths with bounty hunter Dominic Russo. Unlucky for him, he gets both. Add in a tanking relationship and dealing with the consequences from a fatal shooting and his life is a bit of a mess. A mess that does not need his growing attraction to Dominic. Or a bounty hunter set in catching said serial killer.
I like how both Levi and Dominic are so human. They are flawed, imperfect and they are people like you and me. They have issues and inner demons they fight. It makes them relatable and in turn the story more believable. I loved them as individuals, but even more together. They have chemistry that’s off the charts and you can almost see the string that pulls them together.
This is definitely my kind of book. The suspense, the twists and turns. The mystery of it all. The thrill of the hunt. The flawed, real characters, the slow build of a relationship. Please just give me more! I’m waiting impatiently.
Like I said in the beginning, I had huge doubts about this book, about Wyatt Baker’s narration. So no one is happier than me to be wrong. I loved this book, and everything about it. So the narration wasn’t flawless – very few are. I would have loved a little more emotion and feelings from Baker. Just to have that extra layer, to connect just a bit more, because at times the narration felt a bit detached. However, that’s most noticeable when you start listening. After a few minutes the story takes over and you are immersed and engrossed, the rest of the world disappears. So if you are able to listen to this book in one go those first few minutes will be erased from your mind, but when you need to start and stop when RL intrudes, those first few minutes are more noticeable and more difficult to overlook. Something that I always appreciate with narrators is the use of different voices for different characters, that always helps the listener to keep track if who’s talking and making the listen much easier and relaxing. Or well, in this case as relaxing as a hunt for a serial killer can be.
I loved this book a lot and I only have one wish – for the rest of the series to be released in audio asap, because the suspense of what happens next might just kill me.
Highly recommended.
RATING: 
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