Reviewed by Annika
SERIES: Badge and Bullets #1
AUTHOR: Brittany Cournoyer
NARRATOR: Kenneth Obi
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
RELEASE DATE: May 14, 2019
LENGTH: 6 hours, 24 minutes
BLURB:
Making eye contact with a killer wasn’t exactly how Bradley Danforth had planned to start his day. As an accountant, he craved structure and routine. What he hadn’t anticipated was being part of a real-life murder mystery with him cast in the starring role.
Death and sorrow were part of Max Donohue’s job description, leaving the detective hardened after years on the job. On his latest case, he’s the one stuck protecting the only witness in a sadistic homicide.
One death becomes two…then three. And soon Max and Bradley find themselves playing a deadly game of cat and mouse. Can Max save Bradley from the clutches of a serial killer? Or will the killer finish what he started?
At a Stranger’s Mercy is the first installment of a continuing series featuring the same two characters. It’s a suspenseful murder mystery that depicts detailed crimes, strong language, and adult situations. While this series will include a romance, it’s a slow burn that develops throughout the series.
REVIEW:
First thing first, this is not a romance, it’s pure murder mystery with not even a kiss in sight. However, there is the possibility of a relationship further along the series, so inquiring minds need to stick with it to see what happens in that area. Secondly this book is not for the faint-hearted. The murders are gruesome and by this I mean in the headless kind of way – and that’s only to start.
It all started with Bradley waking up early one morning and decided to go to work instead of going back to sleep. When going out to his car he noticed a man coming out from his neighbours’ house. A man that made him uneasy and with a stare that he could only describe as evil. Getting home from work later that night he realises how right he’d been. The man he’d seen that morning had just murdered his neighbour in the most horrific of ways. And now he’d set his eyes on Bradley.
At first this book had me hooked, and I really enjoyed myself. Well as much as one can enjoy reading about twisted murders I guess, but you know what I mean. Sure I really disliked Max but I could live with that seeing as I liked the plot. Then about half-way through that changed too. The plot became too much, or rather not enough. I don’t mind that a plot isn’t credible – if I can still believe in the characters and the actions they take. That was not the case here. Max and the (non-existent) investigation turned more and more ridiculous and frankly it’s a miracle Bradley didn’t die along with many more victims.
Max, the detective assigned to the case is determined to do whatever it takes to catch the killer that keep sending dismembered bodies his way. Even if it means to dangle Bradley as bait for the killer – with or without his permission. Max has got to be the most unlikable (main)characters I’ve come across in a long, long while. He was arrogant, rude, self-satisfied, brash, accusatory and I would also say chauvinistic. How he ever became a detective is beyond me, I mean to you have to have some people skills, and not talk down to every single person he met, victim shaming and god know what else. It got old real fast. Bradley on the other hand was kind of just there. The witness, victim, bait. Scared out of his mind at times – sure. Still he felt more like a side character than a main one.
I wasn’t all that fond of Kenneth Obi’s voice for Max, then again I wasn’t fond of Max either so that fit. Obi definitely nailed his character perfectly in every aspect. Also, this was a voice of Obi’s that I was previously unaware of, so that was actually a nice surprise to pull out of the hat. As for the rest of it, Obi did a great job bringing this gruesome tale to life. So while I can’t say that the story worked for me his narration definitely did.
So in the end, the first part of the story drew me in, but the second one put me off. I can’t tell you if I’m interested enough to see Bradley and Max going forward, watch them develop. I’m a fan of murder mysteries and of Obi’s but I don’t know if that’ll be enough for me to come back. I guess time will tell.
RATING:
Story: 3 hearts
Narration: 4,5 hearts
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