So great! Excellent mystery, lots of action and suspense. The rodeo lifestyle is interesting. I dont recommend reading at night, some scary stuff!

Review: UNSPEAKABLE GRUDGES by P. J. Turner

UNSPEAKABLE GRUDGES is a fascinating mystery-thriller with a really weird, and really unusual, serial killer. The story gets down to the nitty-gritty of crime and violence (including child abuse and rape) so easily sensitive readers take note. The novel proceeded at such a rapid pace that I raced through in just a few hours, not about to take a break. (Smile) I really became engaged with the characters ( even those I didn't like, of whom there were several), and the plotting kept me engrossed. High recommendations--I can't wait for the author's next mystery.

The lead detective character in UNSPEAKABLE GRUDGES by PH Turner is an attractive and appealing young woman who draws the reader's interest in her work to unravel what is going on in the book. Working on a complicated divorce settlement case at her first real detective job for a Denver law firm, she finds herself drawn into a more complex situation involving a rather disturbed rodeo cowboy and his criminal past and present.
The book falls a bit short on the mystery and suspense side, as the reader knows from the outset what crimes are being committed and who the perpetrator is. It is also somewhat obvious from the start what the outcome will be given the unfolding connections between the major players. That said, readers who are interested in the world of rodeo cowboys and their followers might enjoy the book. For me, it was a bit heavy on the rough sex and gory crime side and a bit short on the mystery and suspense side.

An original story, well written and with characters I'd like to read more about. Lots of twists and turns, but easy to follow and never boring.

First, thanks to Net Galley and the author for providing a copy in exchange for a completely honest review. I really enjoyed this book, which was filled with interesting characters and lots of action. The main character, Claire Callahan, is a brand new PI who (and this was hard to believe) lands her first job as an investigator for a high class, big money law firm. Her first assignment is working on a high stakes divorce. I've done many divorces as a solo attorney, and never had one like this, but the characters and issues ring true for me. At the same time, Clint Barlow, a delusional serial killer who collects the ring fingers of his victims, is at work in the same Denver area. He is a champion bull rider, and those scenes were fun to read and also ring true even though I have zero experience in that field! The bad guys are, for the most part, predictable, stupid and extra mean. Claire and her mentor, a police detective, seem to be the only good guys, and their relationship at the end was, even though predictable, also hard to believe. It was also totally unnecessary, in my humble opinion, and just may keep me from picking up #2. The two subplots combine to cause lots of action and a great denouement. It's important to note that the ending is complete with all loose ends tied up, even though this is #1 of a new Clair Callahan series. This author obviously respects her readers enough to finish her books without using a cliffhanger to get them to buy the next one. Bravo!