Review by Annika
TITLE: Red Fish, Dead Fish
SERIES: Fish Out of Water #2
AUTHOR: Amy Lane
NARRATOR: Greg Tremblay
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
RELEASE DATE: March 2, 2018
LENGTH: 11 hours, 48 minutes
BLURB:
They must work together to stop a psychopath – and save each other.
Two months ago, Jackson Rivers got shot while trying to save Ellery Cramer’s life. Not only is Jackson still suffering from his wounds, the trigger-man remains at large – and the body count is mounting.
Jackson and Ellery have been trying to track down Tim Owens since Jackson got out of the hospital, but Owens’ time as a member of the department makes the DA reluctant to turn over any stones. When Owens starts going after people Jackson knows, Ellery’s instincts hit red alert. Hurt in a scuffle with drug-dealing squatters and trying damned hard not to grieve for a childhood spent in hell, Jackson is weak and vulnerable when Owens strikes.
Jackson gets away, but the fallout from the encounter might kill him. It’s not doing Ellery any favors either. When a police detective is abducted – and Jackson and Ellery hold the key to finding her – Ellery finds out exactly what he’s made of. He’s not the corporate shark who believes in winning at all costs; he’s the frightened lover trying to keep the man he cares for from self-destructing in his own valor.
RETRO REVIEW:
I might have already mentioned this a time or two (or ten) before, but I love this series! And I love the audiobooks of this series even more. I mean I have a wonderful romantic suspense novel, add in the fantastic Greg Tremblay to give the words life and you might as well just stamp “perfection” at the cover. I devour this series like the desert does water and Lane can’t write them fast enough. I love Jackson and Ellery, but also all the wonderful side characters that makes this series to what it is – great! Well worth the read, and a re-read.
RETRO RATING: 
REVIEW:
What a ride! I love this series! I finally found Amy Lane books that I can love. Red Fish, Dead Fish, is just like Fish Out of Water mainly a suspense novel, The romance is secondary, and this is even more true for this book where intimate moments are few and far between. This book picks up a couple of months after we left Ellery and Jackson the last time. Now they are going after Owens, trying to stop him before it’s too late.
The hunt for Owens isn’t an easy one, especially when law enforcement or the DA refuses to listen. (I’m skipping the rant about the opinion that some people have it coming and aren’t worth the time and effort) Gruesome bodies (do not read these descriptions if you are fainthearted or disturbed by detailed descriptions of mutilated bodies) pile up and soon Owens hits a bit too close to home. The more Ellery and Jackson finds out about Owens the more horrified we all get. He really is evil personified and is the stuff nightmares are afraid of. The hunt is intense and it is filled with a lot of twists and turns.
The relationship between Ellery and Jackson slowly grows stronger as they learn more about each other and what it means to be in a committed relationship. That being said, they don’t have it easy, far from it. They are really put through the wringer, when the past mingles with the present, making “tomcat” Jackson revert to his solitary ways, proving he is not yet fully domesticated and he has ways to go yet. As this book focuses mainly on the hunt for Owens Jackson and Ellery don’t get that many tender moments but they are still there. As are the humorous moments and the beautiful and touching moments, especially the ones when Jackson realises and admits to his feelings for Ellery.
I got attached. That one. That one’s mine.
My main issue with this book was Jackson’s invincibility. Cats do have nine lives, but Jackson sure seem to use up a lot of his. With that I don’t mean that everything that happens in a book needs to be 100% believable or even possible, but it still needs to be done in a way that makes the unbelievable believable.
If we ever get married, I think you need to maybe open a book of poetry or something. That sounded an awful lot like contract law.
I’m a huge fan of some of the secondary characters in this series, but “Lucy Satan” is by far my favourite one. The banter between her and Jackson is hilarious. (Wonder if he’ll remember to buy that scarf?). Kickass, take no prisoners, Jade is also a sight to behold, but I felt like she didn’t make much of an appearance in this book, and I hope that will change for the next book.
Greg Tremblay was as always amazing and I can’t fault a single thing with his performance of this book. He brought you into this action riddled and at times gritty world Lane created. Held you captive and I had a really hard time putting this book down when RL came knocking. It was flawless.
Just like Fish Out of Water, the story doesn’t end when the book does. Ellery and Jackson have more fish to find, catch and then fry. I for one can’t wait for the next book! Until then I might just go and read Racing for the Sun and get reacquainted with Ace and Sonny and their story I have a feeling they’re going to show up in the next book. Until then, swim safely in the deep waters you never know what might hide in the dark.
RATING:
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