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Tag: Bombs

Book Review: Point of Danger

Point of Danger – Irene Hannon – Triple Threat #1 – Revell – Published 6 October 2020

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Synopsis

Radio talk show host Eve Reilly is used to backlash from her pot-stirring on-air commentary and interviews, but now it seems a disgruntled listener is resorting to more than angry words to express their displeasure. When a suspicious package arrives on her doorstep, Eve turns to law enforcement for help.

Police detective Brent Lange can’t find any evidence to link the string of unsettling incidents that follows, but he’s convinced they’re connected. As the harassment grows more menacing, it becomes clear someone wants Eve’s voice silenced–permanently.

But unless he can track down her foe, fast, the gutsy woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes–and who is swiftly winning his heart–may not survive.

My thoughts

I have been a fan of Irene Hannon’s suspense novels for a long time. They follow a consistent pattern of strong characters solving complex cases. While I loved the suspense in this book, with misdirects, lots of perspectives from different characters to confuse the reader as to who was behind everything and a massive surprise when the bad guys were revealed, the book has a political undercurrent that comes through the characters’ actions and statements, as well as the positioning of other characters and events, which detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

Eve Reilly hosts a radio talk show where she shares and defends her controversial, conservative beliefs. But when a bomb is left on her doorstep, it seems someone wants her to stop talking. With the help of Police Detective Brent Lange, Eve decides she won’t back down as the police try to discover who is behind the threats, even as more threats emerge and grow increasingly menacing.

The romance between Eve and Brent evolves in Hannon’s usual style, with instant attraction and a growing connection between the characters as they work the case. Eve and Brent also have the opportunity to talk about their past relationships.

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Book Review: Four Three Two One

Four Three Two One – Courtney Stevens – HarperTeen – Published 13 November 2018

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Synopsis

Golden “Go” Jennings wasn’t supposed to be on Bus 21 the day it blew up in New York City. Neither was her boyfriend, Chandler. But they were. And so was Rudy, a cute stranger whom Go shared a connection with the night before. And Caroline, a girl whose silence ended up costing nineteen people their lives.

Though it’s been a year since the bombing, Go isn’t any closer to getting over what happened. Since Chan shuts down every time Go brings that day up, she decides to reach out to Rudy. Just like that, the two fall right back into their easy, deep connection. Facing the past head-on with Rudy has opened up a small window of healing Go never thought was possible. So she makes an impulsive decision: Round up the rest of the survivors and head to New York City. There they will board an art installation made of the charred remnants of Bus 21.

But things are never easy when it comes to rehashing the past. Uniting the four stirs up conflicting feelings of anger and forgiveness and shows them that, although they all survived, they may still need saving.

My thoughts

Take an author who is excellent at writing powerful stories about heartbreaking situations. Add a plot line about a bombing, abusive relationships, recovery journeys and the power of human togetherness. Drop in five character: four survivors and one along for the ride. Stir together and shake a little. With that recipe it’s no wonder that Four Three Two One is an incredibly powerful and emotive story of surviving, overcoming insurmountable odds, and forgiving yourself.

Golden Jennings is one of four survivors of a bus bombing. While she is eager to unpack the emotions and fallout from that fateful day in New York, her boyfriend, another survivor, won’t mention it at all. When one of the attending paramedics reconstructs the bus and creates a memorial for those who died in the blast, Golden decides to make the trip to New York again. With a new-found friend and the two other survivors, Golden begins a journey towards making new memories, facing old ones and maybe even find some form of healing.

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