Who doesn’t love an Allison Brennan book?

Max is a tough female who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it.

This series has it all. Friendship, romance, deceit, kidnapping, death……you name it and it’s in this series.

If you like books with all that then you really need to read this series.
I have been reading Allison Brennan since her very first book and I have never been disappointed.

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Investigative reporter Maxine Revere has a theory: that the five New York City murders for which Adam Bachman is being tried are just part of his killing spree. In probing the disappearance of a retired couple who vanished the prior summer, Max uncovers striking similarities to Bachman's MO and develops a theory that Bachman wasn't working alone.
Max wins a coveted pre-trial interview with the killer, whose disarming composure in the face of her questions is combined with uncomfortable knowledge of Max's own past. She leaves the room convinced, but unable to prove, that Bachman knows exactly what happened to the missing couple. The D.A. wants nothing to jeopardize his case against Bachman and refuses to consider Max's theory. With no physical evidence, Max has to rely on her own wits and investigative prowess to dig deep into Bachman's past. The picture that Max puts together is far darker and more deadly than she ever imagined.
As Max gets closer to the truth, she doesn't realize that she's walking down a road that has been paved just for her. That every step she takes brings her one step closer to a brilliant, methodical sociopath who has been waiting for her to make just one small mistake.
And when she does, he'll be there waiting.

*4.5 stars*

This is the second Max Revere novel, following on from Notorious.

Another Allison Brennan novel - and another instant favourite. It seems that every time she puts out a new novel, I like it more than the previous one. There are a few reasons for this so let me lay them out for you:

* The writing it TIGHT! I find with a lot of thriller novels, authors tend to "pad" them a little with insignificant details or characters. That certainly isn't a problem here. Every character, situation - hell, every word serves a purpose. We get every detail that we need to know and none that we don't.

* Following on from the previous point, the pacing of this book is excellent. When you don't weigh your book down with boring bits, it is far easier to control the ebbs and flows of a story. Brennan does this so very well (pretty much in every book).

* The character development of Max in this book really gives the reader a bigger look into her early life, her personal life and watch as she develops as a reporter, a friend and a "person." (I say that in quotation marks as I think the phrase "growing as a person" is a bit silly but you understand that I mean...) In a series like this, I don't really need much more in growth from the side characters, just the main one - and I certainly got that here. Her romantic life is a shambles and I appreciate that - life is like that for busy, professional women. I felt a certain authenticity to her character, that she wasn't in the perfect relationship with the perfect guy...

* The story itself is very gripping. The fact that it is told from the point of view of a reporter and not a cop, a lawyer or some other in the prosecutorial field, and although she is researching old cases, the chaotic life of Max really added a sense of desperation to her investigation. There are plot twists along the way (watch out, the last one is a doozy!) and the tension just ratchets up another level with every passing page. I loved that.

There were one or two little niggly things that dropped the rating to 4.5 stars but, truly, they aren't worth mentioning here cos they didn't really lessen the experience of the story - just small things that dropped me out of the story a few times.

Overall, one of the better thriller novels - and writers - you will come across. Go and read Notorious first, then get stuck into this one!


Paul
ARH

Max Revere #2
Good mix of Max' past and present cases, and I liked learning more about her. Will continue to look for more in this series to recommend.