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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
slow-paced
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide
It's not that long ago I read the first book in that series and after a quiet start I ended up loving that so I had high hopes for this one. And it didn't disappoint. The main character Jessie Flynn was for me the weakest of all the people in the book but with lots more back story for her I finally started to understand her a bit more and she seemed less bland to me. We had more history of her brothers suicide, her fathers part in it releasing her (hopefully) from some of the guilt she felt and more around her OCD issues.
My favourite character though is still DO 'Marilyn' Bobby Simmons the Ronny Wood/ Marilyn Manson a like. So many detective are identikit and you could transport them into any detective series but this one is so richly described and unique you can't help but love him. So now the challenge is on to do something with Captain Callan who's in danger of stagnating and being nothing more than wordy eye candy. Some more on his (recent) past would be interesting.
Avoiding commenting on the actual story a bit as it's quite harrowing being about several seemingly random teenage boy suicides. As with any detective series nothing is ever truly random and the link and reveal when it happens is so heartbreaking. This is fiction but sadly we live in a world where these e things are real (no spoilers). Lots of difficult topics explored in this novel all with sensitivity. I was intrigued by who thebao the bad guy turned out to be and there should be some fall out from it in Book 3 which I'm looking forward to.
This series is rapidly becoming one of my favourites and I'm looking forward to the next book. I would highly recommend it.
My favourite character though is still DO 'Marilyn' Bobby Simmons the Ronny Wood/ Marilyn Manson a like. So many detective are identikit and you could transport them into any detective series but this one is so richly described and unique you can't help but love him. So now the challenge is on to do something with Captain Callan who's in danger of stagnating and being nothing more than wordy eye candy. Some more on his (recent) past would be interesting.
Avoiding commenting on the actual story a bit as it's quite harrowing being about several seemingly random teenage boy suicides. As with any detective series nothing is ever truly random and the link and reveal when it happens is so heartbreaking. This is fiction but sadly we live in a world where these e things are real (no spoilers). Lots of difficult topics explored in this novel all with sensitivity. I was intrigued by who thebao the bad guy turned out to be and there should be some fall out from it in Book 3 which I'm looking forward to.
This series is rapidly becoming one of my favourites and I'm looking forward to the next book. I would highly recommend it.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is the 2nd book in the Jessie Flynn series - I read the 1st one and although I like it there were times when I didnt feel connected to the story or the characters. I am so glad I gave Medina another chance as this book takes the foundations of characters in book 1 and really develops them and adds 'flesh' to them.... I also found teh story more interesting.
The format follows the same as book 1 - psychologist Jessie Flynn, Captain and military police Callan, and Detective Inspector Bobby Simmons all have 3 seperate cases to look into... but all end up drawn into the same heartbreaking, shocking crime.
The storyline has hints of real life events and is presented the reader in a detailed but not graphic way - definitely kept me guessing till the end with several red herrings on the way.
The main characters all likeable in their own way - although it can be quite draining on the reader when all 3 main characters have so mnay problems and issues!
Im looking forward to book 3!
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
The format follows the same as book 1 - psychologist Jessie Flynn, Captain and military police Callan, and Detective Inspector Bobby Simmons all have 3 seperate cases to look into... but all end up drawn into the same heartbreaking, shocking crime.
The storyline has hints of real life events and is presented the reader in a detailed but not graphic way - definitely kept me guessing till the end with several red herrings on the way.
The main characters all likeable in their own way - although it can be quite draining on the reader when all 3 main characters have so mnay problems and issues!
Im looking forward to book 3!
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in return for an honest review :-)
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Very bleak subject matter with explicit references to suicide in the first few pages. Really enjoyed this though - clever reveal at the end.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a free preview copy in return for an honest review.
This is the second instalment in the Dr Jessica Flynn series, but it sits well as a stand-alone novel.
Baby Harry is abandoned outside a busy Accident and Emergency Department. The hunt is on to find his father who may be suicidal after his other son’s recent suicide on an army base.
Meanwhile a 16 year old is found dead on an army base. Someone tried to save his life but whom?
Dr Jessica Flynn is called in as a consultant psychologist and when young soldier from the same army base is referred to her for counselling she fears he too may be suicidal. Are the cases connected and if so how?
Note: Amended to 4 stars as I really did enjoy this.
The novel moves on a quick pace, with the quick chapters and changes of scene. Then it hurtles at speed to the climax that comes from nowhere. Although when you reflect you realise that you, like Jessica and her colleague Ben Callan, have simply followed the red herrings set down by the author.
It’s an intriguing mystery that will keep you wondering until the end, and I am looking forward to reading the next in instalment in the Dr Jessica Flynn series.
This is the second instalment in the Dr Jessica Flynn series, but it sits well as a stand-alone novel.
Baby Harry is abandoned outside a busy Accident and Emergency Department. The hunt is on to find his father who may be suicidal after his other son’s recent suicide on an army base.
Meanwhile a 16 year old is found dead on an army base. Someone tried to save his life but whom?
Dr Jessica Flynn is called in as a consultant psychologist and when young soldier from the same army base is referred to her for counselling she fears he too may be suicidal. Are the cases connected and if so how?
Note: Amended to 4 stars as I really did enjoy this.
The novel moves on a quick pace, with the quick chapters and changes of scene. Then it hurtles at speed to the climax that comes from nowhere. Although when you reflect you realise that you, like Jessica and her colleague Ben Callan, have simply followed the red herrings set down by the author.
It’s an intriguing mystery that will keep you wondering until the end, and I am looking forward to reading the next in instalment in the Dr Jessica Flynn series.
The second in the Jessie Flynn series and wow, they just get better and better!
Creepy, horrific and twisted, Kate Medina has nailed this book! The characters continue on from the first book in the series (but I’d say you could read them on their own not in the series, but more backstory if you read them in order), with the addition of some new and they all captivated me. The author has a way to make me so fixed and interested in the characters' lives I want to know more.
Due to work reasons this book took a long time to finish and that annoys me as its honestly something you could read in 24 hours! The loose ends are again neatly tied up, but also leaving questions for the next book in the series - with a relationship starting right in the final pages that you want to immediately know more about!
I’m buying the third book in the series immediately!
Creepy, horrific and twisted, Kate Medina has nailed this book! The characters continue on from the first book in the series (but I’d say you could read them on their own not in the series, but more backstory if you read them in order), with the addition of some new and they all captivated me. The author has a way to make me so fixed and interested in the characters' lives I want to know more.
Due to work reasons this book took a long time to finish and that annoys me as its honestly something you could read in 24 hours! The loose ends are again neatly tied up, but also leaving questions for the next book in the series - with a relationship starting right in the final pages that you want to immediately know more about!
I’m buying the third book in the series immediately!
My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.
Author Kate Medina’s second entry in the Jessie Flynn crime series, “Scared to Death,” is an entertaining thriller that is sure to delight her fans while leaving others satisfied, but not enthralled. Here’s an overview, without spoilers:
The story moves at a brisk pace, aided by the quick chapters and by continual shifting between the three main characters, Jessie, Captain Callan, and Detective Inspector Bobby Simmons. Ms. Medina artfully weaves multiple mysteries for readers, dropping clues as well as red herrings. Toward the end the pace picks up and races towards the climax, although the ending felt a bit clipped, as if the author was running out of pages and had to end everything quickly. The final chapter for one of the minor characters was a bit unbelievable and thus disappointing.
Readers of Ms. Medina’s first Flynn book, “Fire Damage,” will remember Jessie as an intelligent psychologist dealing with her own personal psychological disorder. The oft-used gimmick of using a physical or emotional problem as a substitute for a character trait is frustrating to see in so many novels, and Ms. Medina has enough talent to forgo using such a technique. However, Jessie is now in her second novel, so there is nothing to do at this juncture but sigh and move on. But…
Captain Callan has his physical issues, compounded by neurological damage that, if exposed, could cost him his career. This leads to additional focus on another character dealing with physical problems rather than moving toward deeper character development. It could be argued by readers that the characters are revealing their personalities through their physical and mental issues. That could be true, though I would prefer to see the cast struggling with their personal foibles rather than constant mentions about uncontrollable things that cannot be defeated.
“Scared to Death” can be read as a standalone, and the author provides enough backstory to understand how Jesse, Callan, and Simmons all met and their subsequent relation to each other. In fact, sometimes it felt like there were too many references, and folks who read this book first may know too much about “Fire Damage” to want to go back and read the first book. For those who wish to know, the book is moderately seasoned with vulgarities including f-bombs, as well as an occasional oath every few chapters.
Overall, “Scared to Death” is a fine entry in this series and I recommend it to lovers of crime mysteries. Four stars.
Author Kate Medina’s second entry in the Jessie Flynn crime series, “Scared to Death,” is an entertaining thriller that is sure to delight her fans while leaving others satisfied, but not enthralled. Here’s an overview, without spoilers:
The story moves at a brisk pace, aided by the quick chapters and by continual shifting between the three main characters, Jessie, Captain Callan, and Detective Inspector Bobby Simmons. Ms. Medina artfully weaves multiple mysteries for readers, dropping clues as well as red herrings. Toward the end the pace picks up and races towards the climax, although the ending felt a bit clipped, as if the author was running out of pages and had to end everything quickly. The final chapter for one of the minor characters was a bit unbelievable and thus disappointing.
Readers of Ms. Medina’s first Flynn book, “Fire Damage,” will remember Jessie as an intelligent psychologist dealing with her own personal psychological disorder. The oft-used gimmick of using a physical or emotional problem as a substitute for a character trait is frustrating to see in so many novels, and Ms. Medina has enough talent to forgo using such a technique. However, Jessie is now in her second novel, so there is nothing to do at this juncture but sigh and move on. But…
Captain Callan has his physical issues, compounded by neurological damage that, if exposed, could cost him his career. This leads to additional focus on another character dealing with physical problems rather than moving toward deeper character development. It could be argued by readers that the characters are revealing their personalities through their physical and mental issues. That could be true, though I would prefer to see the cast struggling with their personal foibles rather than constant mentions about uncontrollable things that cannot be defeated.
“Scared to Death” can be read as a standalone, and the author provides enough backstory to understand how Jesse, Callan, and Simmons all met and their subsequent relation to each other. In fact, sometimes it felt like there were too many references, and folks who read this book first may know too much about “Fire Damage” to want to go back and read the first book. For those who wish to know, the book is moderately seasoned with vulgarities including f-bombs, as well as an occasional oath every few chapters.
Overall, “Scared to Death” is a fine entry in this series and I recommend it to lovers of crime mysteries. Four stars.