Carla Merino is a 39 year old waitress in Arizona who gets her kicks out of picking up one night stands. Part of her ritual is to take souvenirs from the men and on one such night she takes an old photograph. What she didn't realize is the photograph includes Gordon McKintis, a defense contractor who is running for president. In the photo is also a South American drug lord and McKintis doesn't want his past be be exposed. Carla's journalist friend advises her to run so she moves to Alaska but always is looking over her shoulder.

The Hunger of Crows is a romantic suspense story. It is fast paced and moves along nicely. The plot is believable and the supporting characters are well-rounded but Carla makes many bad decisions and always has to be rescued. This worn out trope of the damsel in distress isn't my thing. This is Richard Chiappone debut novel and for that I give it a 3 star rating. Not great but decent.

Thank you Netgalley for the ebook copy for review.

While there is planty of thrill in this thriller, it's also a mixed bag of genres that made for a great reading experience. I lived in the Alaska that Chiaponne writes about for many years and he perfectly describes the area and the people. Those who call Alaska home are a different kind of people.

Carla Merino is a woman who follows her urges as she sees fit. While waitressing in Arizona and living in her camper, she takes a young man home for the evening. But Carla has a quirk. She likes to have a memento of her gentlemen company, so she takes an old picture that drew her interest. No big deal, right? Wrong. The picture is proof of some shady dealings that occured during the Vietnam war and the military contractor in the picture is now running for public office....president. So Carla must run from the men sent to find her and the picture. She runs all the way to Alaska, surely no one would expect that. For awhile, her life is good, she has friends, a job, even learns to fish. But find her they do. The rest of the book kicks up the tension and runs full tilt towards the community protecting her as one of their own.

this was a very good book. I have looked for a sequel or book #2 but don't find them. I guess I'll have to find Richard Chiaponne and ask him where is the next adventure.

How can a one-night stand become a nightmare? That's how everything started in The Hunger of Crows, Carla has the habit of taking mementos from the men she engages with, and this time she took a photo that means huge trouble and she is on the run. A good story, in a beautifully described Alaskan scenery, that provides solid entertainment for a few hours.
Thank you NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Carla hasn't found the man to settle down with, but she has plenty of one night stands. She learned that from her mother. Her thing is she takes something small that won't be missed to remind her of the man. But when she takes a picture, she has no idea how dangerous that was.
Crooked Lane Books and Edelweiss allowed me to read this book for review (thank you). It will be published November 9th.

The picture includes a man who is running for President standing with a man he said he never met. It's a dangerous picture as she soon finds out. Now she has to run and hide before one of the men sent after the picture can find her.

She has friends that help her but is still anxiety driven. She even ends up killing one herself.

It appears that with a new identity she may be safe but she has to leave all her belonging and friends and move away. Can she do that?

It was not for me I am sorry. Crime books are becoming not so interesting for me. But I am sure you would enjoy if a fun.

It was intense it has surprised it has all a crime books have to have. And the inspector was great. I misser the days I enjoy discovering who was thr guilty but I am not in the mood to discovering anymore.

My appologize but if you like crime this should really work for you

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* 3.5, overall pretty good just not sure i cared too much for the ending

DNF!!! Midway I could not understand where the story was leading us. It did not make sense to me. Why was she running away? I mean, ugh why!! felt like a drag, beating around the bush and I lost interest.
Not my type or maybe I misunderstood the blurb before requesting.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lanes Book for the chance to read The hunger of crows by Richard Chiappone. I was drawn to this book by the description, cover and the comparison to another author. While I enjoyed the story, I did have issues with the way the book was written, as I could not connect with the characters and did not like the abrupt ending which was just unsatisfying. 21/2 stars rounded up to 3.

Carla Merino is a waitress with a string of one night stands and a bad habit of keeping a memento to remember them by. But after her night with Cosmo D'Angelo, she takes an old photograph of him from his dresser. No harm right? The problem is the men in the picture with him, one of them Gordon McKint, a military contractor who also happens to be running for president. After she realizes the evidence she holds, she is immediately in fear for her life and on the run. She settles in Alaska, starts a fling with her boss, and after breaking up, she needs some time away on her friends island cabin. Her boat capsizes in a storm and she is rescued by local carpenter and fisherman Scott Crockett, Will the bad men that are after her believe that she's dead, drowned during the storm? Can her nightmare finally be over?
I saw this was a thriller set in Alaska and immediately wanted to read it. The setting was beautiful, the plot was tense enough to keep my attention, and the characters were relatable. Carla was a strong main character and I could sympathize with her struggle to decide between doing the right thing or giving herself security and a better life.
I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Carla Merino is an almost 39 year old woman bartending for a living and picking up one night stands for kicks. One night she meets Carlos D’Angelo who seems suave and well-to-do and he cooks her a yummy meal and they have a good time but she has some uneasy feelings about him. So when he is in the shower she looks through his bedside drawers and grabs her usual ‘memento’ - in this case a photo of him and some other men taken around 20 years ago - and legs it out of there.

It is not until later that she looks at the photo closely and realises it’s a ticking time bomb. Along with D’Angelo the photo shows Gordon McKint in what is probably a meeting with a Colombian drug lord. This is only relevant as McKint is now a billionaire and running for President. McKint is former CIA and made his money in civilian security services. He owns the massive security company Sidewinder, for which D’Angelo works. Carla’s journalist friend urges her to flee “right now” and later make arrangements to get the photo to her. This will derail the bid for the presidency as it will show that McKint lied to Congress.

Carla runs all the way to Alaska and finds herself enjoying the life there and making new friends. But she always keeps looking over her shoulder, convinced that D’Angelo will come after her eventually to get the photo back. As you can imagine he does and this sets off a series of dramatic events that bring danger to Carla and everyone she knows and trusts.

I went into this book thinking it would be a thriller but it was romantic suspense so I was not the right audience. Despite that the book did get better as it went along only to be let down again by the ending. I also thought that Carla, who was likeable enough, made some really dumb decisions and kept having to be rescued. Her Alaskan love interest was Scott Crockett who appeared to be smitten with Carla in some form of Insta-love which I’m not a fan of. Scott was a bumbling good guy who didn’t always make the right choices either. All in all I think if you like romantic suspense you will enjoy the book a bit more. I thought it was ok but not great. The whole thing with the photo was clumsy and unrealistic and the ending of the book, well without giving anything away, I’ll just say I wasn’t a fan. Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

Carla is a waitress in Arizona with a habit of taking mementos from one night stands. This time, though, the memento could get her killed. Cosmo, who is a fixer with Sidewinder Security, shouldn't have brought her home but then, let's face it, he should have been more discrete with the photo of himself with Gordon McKint and a Colombian army colonel, McKint doesn't want that photo to get out- it could derail his campaign for the presidency. Carla's on the run in Alaska and luckily she meets Scott who helps her when she really needs it. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC>. Fans of the conspiracy novel will like this one. I liked it for the atmospherics in Alaska and for Carla.

The Hunger of Crows by Richard Chiappone

Five Star Read – Highly Recommend. Alaska is a place I have always wanted to visit, and maybe one day I will. Karmon was my first introduction as a college roommate who came from Sitka and a few years later Maggie from Aleknagik told me more after she left to take up nursing and world travel. I still would love to see it though I am not sure I would be up to the dark nights of winter, long days of summer, and the severe winter weather. Anyway…this book took me back to dreaming about Alaska and perhaps one day I will actually get there though I hope it will be a much easier visit than some in this book had!

What I liked:
* The story and the way it was written – well done
* Scott Crockett: divorced, carpenter, fisherman, survivor, protector, good man
* Shire Kiminsky: bartender, waitress, fishing boat owner, great mother to five-year-old twin daughters, good person
* The setting: Alaska, a place I hope to visit someday
* That the story was set in summer and not in winter
* Quirky aging hippie-like surfer wannabe George Volker owner of Orca Grill
* Carla Merino: divorced, educated waitress, disillusioned, seeks affirmation in interesting ways, memento thief, a product of her past choices, wondered about her life and how it might have been and may end up in the future.
* Cosmo D Angelo: military veteran, divorced, father of Jennifer, works for large security firm, capable, lethal, chef caliber cook, conflicted, intriguing, a bit of a bad boy that might have more beneath the surface…maybe?
* The tie-in to politics, politicians, and political issues that are current and contentious
* The Ravens…brilliant birds and perhaps smarter than the people in this story
* That the story felt believable and that I was along for the ride
* Being able to see this as a movie
* Lying in bed last night trying to figure out who I would cast in each role instead of counting sheep
* Thinking and wondering about the future of the characters in this book
* Reading a new-to-me author that I would gladly read again

What I didn’t like:
* Exactly who and what I was meant not to like:
* Gordon McKint’s aspirations and his plots and plans and willingness to do anything to achieve them
* Knowing that much experienced by the characters is no doubt all too real

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Definitely

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"The Hunger of Crows" by
Richard Chiappone had a strong plot, interesting characters, suspense & even some romance.
I really liked it up until the ending,
the ending didn’t complete the book for me & I was upset about it.
Other than that, I recommend it & I look forward to more by this author.

A pedestrian effort with a novel plot that never really goes anywhere and ends with a whimper. It's one of those reads that you hope will suddenly come out of it's shell-right until the final page.

3 stars. An enjoyable roller coaster but an unsatisfying ending.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own and not influenced by anybody. Ever.

What an interesting new book and author! I selecteded this for the Alaskan setting, the intriguing title, and the mysterious synopsis. I had not read this author before and was not disappointed.
The main character, Carla, lives in AZ, works as a waitress, has an ordinary life, except she has relationship issues and makes poor life choices. This lands her in life-threatning situations. The result of a one night stand will put her on the run from Az to Utah to Alaska.
D’Angelo, an operative in the Phoenix office of Sidewinder Security, drops into the bar where Carla works. Carla and D'Angelo's one night stand becomes a cat and mouse game with deadly ramifications.
D'Angelo's boss is Gordon McKint, a military contractor, billionaire, who's running for president. He's a ruthless, evil man.
The plot is thick with intrigue and dizzying action. I found myself cheering for Carla because of and despite her flaws.
It was easy to picture the scenic Alaskan area with the authors vivid descriptions of the water, the boats & fisherman, the local bars & restaraunts, the salmon, even the tourists.
It was a very satisfying and thrilling adventure to read. There is a strong plot, interesting characters, suspense and even some romance. I highly recommend and I look forward to more by this author.
Thanks so much to Netgalley, Richard Chiappone, and Crooked Lane Books for the advance digital copy. These thoughts and opinions are mine alone given voluntarily.

Richard Chiappone’s debut novel The Hunger Of Crows is a fast-paced action thriller with short snappy chapters that keep the reader on tenterhooks.

Carla’s harmless habit of picking up a memento from the guys she spends the night with has suddenly landed her in a heap of trouble. One night with handsome hunk Cosmo D’Angelo has her running scared for her life. The photograph she stole from his drawer has the potential for national upheaval and the brutal reality of the situation forces her to run and hide in the remotest corner of the world in Alaska.

As the story progresses thru Scott, Carla, and Cosmo, the action shifts from Phoenix in Arizona to Homer in Alaska with an edge-of-the-seat action. There are of course quite a number of books with a commoner getting their hands on something so valuable that the entire country is after them. But the author has surprisingly kept the adrenaline rush to a tolerable level and giving a greyish shade to Cosmos and laying out the personal reason for him has him gaining the reader’s sympathy. The unlikely hero Scott is a lovely character with the kind of naivety and sweetness that for a time, I wondered if Carla would chew him alive. In fact, the female characters including Clara and her friend Shire are positively more worldly-wise than Scott so much that his lack of confidence around Clara definitely comes across.

The ending was totally unexpected, it was something like when one expects a spectacular firework display, all that they are given is a damp squib. But again, as an attempt to deviate from the norm, it is definitely an appreciable effort and I admire the author for that. But with an action thriller, I am so used to those heart-thumping ends, the climax of Hunger of Crows felt low-key especially with that first 85% offering such breathless excitement.

A 3.5 stars breathe-easy thriller ☂️☂️☂️ 💧

Many thanks to Net Galley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

3.5 stars. I really liked this up until the end. The ending didn’t complete the book for me and I was super bummed about it.
The book follows Carla and the events after she takes a memento from her one night stand. The memento taking was a habit of hers. This time though, she takes the wrong one and it gets her in some serious trouble. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I was just expecting a better ending. This is just my opinion and yours could be very different, so I would still give it a shot if you are on the fence. I, personally, will definitely read another book from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this in exchange for an honest review.

I almost liked this one. There were certainly some interesting elements, but in the end, I couldn't like the MC. and found myself liking the plot less as it went on. I did want to know how things turned out, but did not find the conclusion any more satisfying.

How a one-night stand stolen memento makes you end up in Alaska … page turner – seriously, once started could not put it down!
Meet Carla Mernio, social worker turned waitress, Cosmo D’Angelo “problem solver” for Sidewinder, and Gordon McKnit (who is running for president), Scott Crokett the less likely person to get involved into any messes, but local Alaskan hero… and an old picture.