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holl3640's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
winglady's review against another edition
5.0
This murder mystery is just creepy enough, with great characters, red herrings, twists & turns leading to a breath-taking conclusion. Detective thriller at its finest!
elipinski's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
D.D. Warren has been injured quite badly on the job and lives in pain every moment of the day. As she goes forth with personal therapy she also tries to remember what happened that night she fell down the stairs. Her superior suggests she should try Dr. Adeline Glen to manage her pain.
Adeline Glen has a rare condition where she is unable to feel pain. She must constantly monitor her actions in order to be aware of danger as her body cannot let her know. Adeline's life has been rare - her father was a serial killer who killed himself once the police were on to him, her mother died in an institution, she was adopted by a doctor who wanted to keep her alive and an older sister that is in prison for killing a boy when she was fourteen. Decades later she, Shana is still in prison for murdering guards in prison. Shana's only monthly visitor is Adeline.
30 years after Shana's first murder women are being murdered and skin flayed like their father had done and Shana herself. One is dead and the other in prison so who is killer?
D.D. gets involved in solving the crime despite her injury and starts looking at Day family and their secrets. Can she discover the killer before she or another woman is murdered?
I was intrigued with this novel for so many reasons. Adeline's condition was so interesting and how she had to live her day to day life. Adeline was a hard character to completely like as she had some odd activities she liked to engage in. Yet, I found myself feeling sorry for her too, as she is alone and her past seems to always be so present. Shana is a perfect character to dissect and dislike at the same time. She is hostile and a killer but her upbringing makes you wonder if she could have been any other way. Poor D.D. is injured and is almost sidelined but yay she pushes her way into the case. The suspense in this novel was crazy...I was constantly trying to figure it all out but then gave up when the twists kept turning me around to the point I was getting dizzy. A great suspense mystery thriller that will have you up all night trying to finish the novel to reveal the killer!
(I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review).
D.D. Warren has been injured quite badly on the job and lives in pain every moment of the day. As she goes forth with personal therapy she also tries to remember what happened that night she fell down the stairs. Her superior suggests she should try Dr. Adeline Glen to manage her pain.
Adeline Glen has a rare condition where she is unable to feel pain. She must constantly monitor her actions in order to be aware of danger as her body cannot let her know. Adeline's life has been rare - her father was a serial killer who killed himself once the police were on to him, her mother died in an institution, she was adopted by a doctor who wanted to keep her alive and an older sister that is in prison for killing a boy when she was fourteen. Decades later she, Shana is still in prison for murdering guards in prison. Shana's only monthly visitor is Adeline.
30 years after Shana's first murder women are being murdered and skin flayed like their father had done and Shana herself. One is dead and the other in prison so who is killer?
D.D. gets involved in solving the crime despite her injury and starts looking at Day family and their secrets. Can she discover the killer before she or another woman is murdered?
I was intrigued with this novel for so many reasons. Adeline's condition was so interesting and how she had to live her day to day life. Adeline was a hard character to completely like as she had some odd activities she liked to engage in. Yet, I found myself feeling sorry for her too, as she is alone and her past seems to always be so present. Shana is a perfect character to dissect and dislike at the same time. She is hostile and a killer but her upbringing makes you wonder if she could have been any other way. Poor D.D. is injured and is almost sidelined but yay she pushes her way into the case. The suspense in this novel was crazy...I was constantly trying to figure it all out but then gave up when the twists kept turning me around to the point I was getting dizzy. A great suspense mystery thriller that will have you up all night trying to finish the novel to reveal the killer!
alecthegemini's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Fear Nothing
3 Stars
As is evident from my previous reviews, the D. D. Warren books are rather hit and miss. Unfortunately, this one is more of a miss than a hit.
Similar to the other books in the series, Gardner narrative style employs alternating perspectives - third person POV for Detective D. D. Warren and first person POV for the secondary protagonist, Dr. Adeline Glen. The switch between these POVs is quite smooth (usually one chapter for each), and it is easy to follow along with the thoughts and motivations for each character. That said, readers unfamiliar with this style may become confused.
While D. D. is not an easy character to like, she has matured over time and become more appealing in recent installments. Thus, the problem with this book actually lies with Adeline. Although she initially comes across as quite sympathetic due not only to her physical disability (she cannot feel pain), but also her familial history as the daughter of a serial killer and the sister of a convicted murderer, it rapidly becomes clear that Adeline is seriously disturbed herself, which makes it difficult to identify with her.
The plot revolving around The Rose Killer, a murderer apparently connected to Adeline and her sister, has potential yet becomes more and more bizarre as the events unfold. One never really gets a feel for either the crimes or the investigation mainly due to the focus on Adeline's problematic psyche. This makes it virtually impossible to care about the killer's victims or identity (which is pretty easy to figure out), and the resolution is anti-climactic and unsatisfying.
All in all, not one of Gardner's better books (although the parts with D.D. and her family and colleagues are enjoyable). Hopefully, the next one will be better.
3 Stars
As is evident from my previous reviews, the D. D. Warren books are rather hit and miss. Unfortunately, this one is more of a miss than a hit.
Similar to the other books in the series, Gardner narrative style employs alternating perspectives - third person POV for Detective D. D. Warren and first person POV for the secondary protagonist, Dr. Adeline Glen. The switch between these POVs is quite smooth (usually one chapter for each), and it is easy to follow along with the thoughts and motivations for each character. That said, readers unfamiliar with this style may become confused.
While D. D. is not an easy character to like, she has matured over time and become more appealing in recent installments. Thus, the problem with this book actually lies with Adeline. Although she initially comes across as quite sympathetic due not only to her physical disability (she cannot feel pain), but also her familial history as the daughter of a serial killer and the sister of a convicted murderer, it rapidly becomes clear that Adeline is seriously disturbed herself, which makes it difficult to identify with her.
The plot revolving around The Rose Killer, a murderer apparently connected to Adeline and her sister, has potential yet becomes more and more bizarre as the events unfold. One never really gets a feel for either the crimes or the investigation mainly due to the focus on Adeline's problematic psyche. This makes it virtually impossible to care about the killer's victims or identity (which is pretty easy to figure out), and the resolution is anti-climactic and unsatisfying.
All in all, not one of Gardner's better books (although the parts with D.D. and her family and colleagues are enjoyable). Hopefully, the next one will be better.
queathy12's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really interesting read--I almost didn't see the end coming. The concept of someone who isn't able to feel pain being related to a serial killer will always grab my attention--especially when she is a pain management specialist.