For the most part when you start a second book
In a series you can read it as if it were a stand alone.
Absolution really doesn’t give you a back story at the beginning to help you understand the story line. It starts off about killing and I was just not into the story like I probably would have been had that backstory been there.
Sad because I never stop reading a book and stop before the ending but I barely made it thru 30% of this book. Just couldn’t find it interesting enough to keep reading.

I don’t even know what to say about this book! It was weird, confusing and slow most of the time. The ending wrapped it up for the most part. I had a hard time following this writing and this story did not keep my attention. I rate it a 1.8

This is the second book featuring Ava Saunders. First in this series was TWIST OF FAITH. While not absolutely necessary to read the first book, I highly encourage you to do so.

Ava Saunders was a young child when she saw her mother murdered. This was a terrifying family history that everyone buried... even away from Ava. She has spent her life searching for information. And all around her, bodies are dropping.

The case surrounding the trail of murders has consumed Ava’s friend Detective Russell Bowers. Victim by victim, he’s been hunting the hunter.

TWIST OF FAITH was highly suspenseful with a huge twist that left the reader with a cliff hanger. ABSOLUTION picks up at the exact point in time.. with alternating chapters with the killer's voice, the detective's voice, and of Joanee, a good friend.

I don't think this one was as good as the first one, but it did hold my interest throughout. And again .. there is a small cliff hanger in anticipation of a third book.

Many thanks to the author/ Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Absolution by Ellen J. Green was a great follow up to Twist of Faith! Lots of twists and turns! I'm hoping for a third installment!

This series continues to blow my mind! Ellen J. Green's manipulative serial killer is on the run but this time Russell is hot on her trail. Ava Saunders is closer than ever to the truth about her mother's death, and Russell and Joanne are once again pulled into the wake of the Lavoisier-Saunders family tragedies.

The story has developed into a complex tangle of secrets and lies that Ava, Marie, Russell, and Joanne must untangle. Ava and Marie to learn the secrets of Anais and Ava's family, and Joanne to find the truth about Russell's fiancé, Juliette. After the events of Absolution I can't imagine there's more of the story left to tell, but I'm curious to see where the next book takes readers.

It's intriguing to follow the steps of a serial killer and at times I find myself sympathizing with Ava. At times it's hard to imagine that a secret can create a series of events like we've seen in Twist of Faith and Absolution, but the way the story is presented makes it believable. I'm scared and excited for the next story!
*ARC provided in consideration for review*

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

This is a great follow up. It's got plenty of twists and turns and keeps your interest until the end. It's interesting and entertaining.

If only i had read 'Twist of Faith' before reading 'Absolution'! I did enjoy reading this book nonetheless and have now downloaded 'Twist of Faith' from Amazon.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

This sequel to a Twist of Faith was well worth the read. It was a fast pace story that began where the first book ended. Many questions were answered regarding Ava’s family history while others remained secretive. It was cleverly written with flashbacks by some of the major characters until the past and present collided in a shocking discovery. Absolution matched the intensity of the first book…and then some.

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel to "Twist of Faith" although I did have to go back and re-read the end of the previous book to familiarize myself with the story. It came back to me right away and I remember how I had hoped this sequel would come to fruition. One of things I liked best about this follow-up was that it took a few plot lines that you thought were resolved before and turned them on their heads! It wasn't just an addition to the previous story, but it also altered what we believed before and it just blew my mind. I can't recall a case where that has happened in another series the way that the author does it here.

The only part that stands out to me as disappointing was the neverending obsession that Detective Bowers has for Ava. It felt a little exhausting after awhile, all the risks he continues to take after everything he discovered about what she did. I'm all for the rogue cop character, but Bowers seriously makes you wonder why on earth he is still in law enforcement when he shows such disregard for so many laws time and again.

The ending of the book nicely paves the way for the next one in the series which I cannot wait for! At first, I thought it was a bit of a stretch - what is implied about the character in question - but after reflecting on it, I decided that it was conceivable that this person would react in such a way. It will hopefully bring a fresh take on the continuation of this story line. As always, I look forward to the next book by this author with extreme anticipation!