Thirteen Scars

Wow I can't believe this is the authors first book! I definitely enjoyed reading this one! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, intrigue, and a bunch of twists and turns! And a great who done it!! I was absolutely shocked about the who done it! I usually can figure certain things out but as I said I was shocked at who the bad guy was! I highly recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! I can't wait for more from this author! I'm definitely a fan! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me! It was a great thriller!

This is a thriller in the truest sense of the word. The author sucks you in with a tragic back story and a really sympathetic main character and then all bets are off as you try to keep pace with a plot which will keep you guessing until the last page. I could not put this down.

This was a very dark, very violent, very convoluted story. The first chapter starts off intriguingly enough, with an eye-catching prologue and hints of terrible things to come.

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Unfortunately, the insta-love /meet-cute scene between Ashe and Eva at Tessa’s coffee shop lowered the promising tone of the writing and introduced a dime store-style romantic vibe. The caliber of the writing went down several notches and my expectations deflated somewhat.

The mood changes in this novel came on far too abruptly. Throughout the rest of the novel, the atmosphere kept shifting from dark tension to awkward, strained romantic yearning on the part of the overworked private detective, Ashe Lincoln. These constant shifts made me feel like I was being doused with ice cold water in one chapter (dread/horror), then shoved under a heat lamp as soon as I turned the page (due to Ashe’s constant slushy romantic thoughts about Eve.) Relationship-wise, things also go from hot to cold between Eva and Ashe. He runs to her and then abruptly backs away from Eva several times throughout this story: a yoyo had more finesse!

Throughout the novel, Ashe keeps referring to Eva as his Rabbit. (Eva’s daughter Clemmie, is, of course, her little bunny.) With all these odd nicknames, I started to suspect Ashe, at one point, of being the Demon. But Clemmie magically formed a spontaneous, loving attachment to Ashe, so I speculated that the author was trying to show us that Clemmie could sense Ashe’s goodness? Actually, Clemmie was the only well-rounded character in this very long, winding misadventure. (And yes, I did guess who the Demon was: there was nothing subtle about that character's introduction into the plot. I even suspected that the author may have completely changed her mind and invented this new character because she may have painted herself into a corner.) It also didn’t help that the story is told from several different points of view, with several minor characters popping in unexpectedly as a narrator, especially towards the end. That soooo didn’t work for me.

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I’m rating this one a 2.9 (rounded up to a 3) out of 5 stars. The characters were one dimensional, the plot was disjointed and meandering, and the author described Eva’s numerous beatings and attacks – and I mean NUMEROUS!- with unsparing detail. Words like sadistic, brutal and gratuitous exploitation kept popping into my head each time I was forced to endure yet another scene where Eva was beaten unconscious. Yes, yes, I get it: the author wanted us to feel sorry for this brave but damaged main character, who was constantly being treated like a human punching bag and a target. I blame TV dramas like GOT and TWD for desensitizing the viewing and reading public to depictions of such extreme and brutal violence. What a horrific fad to follow.

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an Arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thirteen Scars grabbed me from the very first sentence and never let me go! The emotional rollercoaster this book sent me on was intense. I cried, I cheered, I got mad this was a whole emotional journey!! A definite must read!!!

This is a very intense novel with some twists and interesting characters. For some readers it might be too graphic, too detailed, because the crimes are not "cozy" and what Eva went through is more cruel than anyone wants to imagine.
I really enjoyed reading this book.

Thirteen Scars is a very graphic and disturbing read. The main character suffers unspeakable trauma which is potrayed in a lot of detail, but also with a lot of compassion. It’s easy to feel for Eva as she works hard to rebuild her life and reinvent herself, while taking care of her little family.

The book more than lives up to its genre, since it’s packed with twists and thrills to the point where you absolutely need to find out what happens next. The romance is a welcome relief from the terror Eva faces, and it does take up a significant portion of the story. This is something that can bother some readers, while others may take or leave it. However, it serves to balance out the terrible things that happen, so it’s kind of hard to imagine the book would be better without it.

The characters are fleshed out quite well, and the writing flows very satisfyingly. Some moments are incredibly sweet, especially the scenes that involve Eva’s daughter Clemmie. The hunt for the killer is exceptionally thrilling, and the behavior of the characters seems convincing from a psychological perspective. With the warnings for graphic depictions of physical, sexual, and emotional violence and abuse in place, this is an exciting read for anyone ready to stomach all that and admire the strength of the protagonist.

Thirteen Scars is suspenseful and thrilling.
Characters are all likable and the women are strong.
This was one I didn’t want to put down. There were a few clues to tell you who “done it” but it was still a bit of a shock. If you are into it as much as I was you will see you are left wondering about one specific character. Hoping that will lead to the next book and this will become a series.

Through the whole reading process, I was really engrossed in the book, I was kept awake all night reading, I rooted for the main characters so hard to get their happy ever after, and finally was rewarded with nice ending for them.
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That being said though, after finishing the book, I started to think about some details that just didn't make sense while Eva was abducted, also, when i gave it some thought, I realized that Ashe was undeserving of Eva, she was so strong and independent and he was just.. whiney, he literally had the decision making skills of a kid, he was on again off again kind of guy.
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The ending was satisfying, I was left with closure for MCs, and onto the next book we go!
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange of an honest review*