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beate251's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"I like permanence and reliability and you don't get that with humans unless they're dead."
This is book 3 in the 5 book Sweetpea series about serial killer and survivor of Priory Gardens crèche massacre Rhiannon Lewis. In the first book she killed and cut up her lover AJ, father of her unborn baby (amongst other people), and managed to frame her cheating boyfriend Craig for it.
Book 2 was all about her pregnancy which hinders her bloodlust. She is also not very happy to just be known as a serial killer's girlfriend.
Rhiannon has now given birth and left baby Ivy with AJ's aunt. She manages to leave the country on a cruise ship around the Mediterranean. Later she moves on to a remote Hacienda in Mexico to live with Tenoch, an elderly former cartel member and hitman until she can get surgery to change her appearance, which is where she meets Rafael.
This book is about 100 pages too long as she treads a lot of water at the Hacienda, gardening, cleaning and getting annoyed by Tenoch's crew who she calls the chipmunks. One of them, Paco is particularly bad news but Tenoch, who is like a Dad to her, forbids her to kill him.
For a long time she learns to keep her anger in check, partly because she feels quite happy in Mexico. But then something happens and you really have to brace yourself for a particularly brutal scene which actually brought tears into my eyes and told me once and for all that Rhiannon, as damaged as she is, would do anything to protect a child.
The kill count in this book is 4 and altogether 19 so far, with a few near misses that I'm not counting.
It's brilliantly written and I am starting book 4 right away to see what is next for our unhinged murderer, now that she's learned that Ivy is in danger. That's one drawback - none of the books in this series work well as a standalone so do me a favour and read them in order because they will start where the last book ended, with no time for a summary.
Btw, I'm tickled pink to learn that The Alibi Girl has apparently been written by Rhiannon!
This is book 3 in the 5 book Sweetpea series about serial killer and survivor of Priory Gardens crèche massacre Rhiannon Lewis. In the first book she killed and cut up her lover AJ, father of her unborn baby (amongst other people), and managed to frame her cheating boyfriend Craig for it.
Book 2 was all about her pregnancy which hinders her bloodlust. She is also not very happy to just be known as a serial killer's girlfriend.
Rhiannon has now given birth and left baby Ivy with AJ's aunt. She manages to leave the country on a cruise ship around the Mediterranean. Later she moves on to a remote Hacienda in Mexico to live with Tenoch, an elderly former cartel member and hitman until she can get surgery to change her appearance, which is where she meets Rafael.
This book is about 100 pages too long as she treads a lot of water at the Hacienda, gardening, cleaning and getting annoyed by Tenoch's crew who she calls the chipmunks. One of them, Paco is particularly bad news but Tenoch, who is like a Dad to her, forbids her to kill him.
For a long time she learns to keep her anger in check, partly because she feels quite happy in Mexico. But then something happens and you really have to brace yourself for a particularly brutal scene which actually brought tears into my eyes and told me once and for all that Rhiannon, as damaged as she is, would do anything to protect a child.
The kill count in this book is 4 and altogether 19 so far, with a few near misses that I'm not counting.
It's brilliantly written and I am starting book 4 right away to see what is next for our unhinged murderer, now that she's learned that Ivy is in danger. That's one drawback - none of the books in this series work well as a standalone so do me a favour and read them in order because they will start where the last book ended, with no time for a summary.
Btw, I'm tickled pink to learn that The Alibi Girl has apparently been written by Rhiannon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Rape, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
travelseatsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Rhiannon Lewis is back, or is she? New name. New appearance. New life? New attitude?
I devoured the first two in the series so was giddy to get my hands on the audiobook and get a bit of sarky and twisted Rhiannon back in my life. As I initially started to listen I was a bit nervous Rhiannon had lost her edge and that this book was going to be the one that let me down. Thankfully Rhiannon's usual dark, sick and absolutely hilarious self makes a reappearance quite quickly. Without spoiling anything I had also been unsure as to whether there was going to be the same level of gore and excitement as the previous two. Again, Cj Skuse did not disappoint.
This is another whopper from Skuse which again is carried brilliantly by Georgia Maguire the narrator. The ending is left open enough for Rhiannon to return in whatever form she decides to take and I am so excited to see her return. Long live Rhiannon.
I devoured the first two in the series so was giddy to get my hands on the audiobook and get a bit of sarky and twisted Rhiannon back in my life. As I initially started to listen I was a bit nervous Rhiannon had lost her edge and that this book was going to be the one that let me down. Thankfully Rhiannon's usual dark, sick and absolutely hilarious self makes a reappearance quite quickly. Without spoiling anything I had also been unsure as to whether there was going to be the same level of gore and excitement as the previous two. Again, Cj Skuse did not disappoint.
This is another whopper from Skuse which again is carried brilliantly by Georgia Maguire the narrator. The ending is left open enough for Rhiannon to return in whatever form she decides to take and I am so excited to see her return. Long live Rhiannon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Cancer
Minor: Animal cruelty
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