ramblingmads

SKIN DEEP
Star LAPD homicide detective Marcy Kendrick is infamous for killing three serial killers before they could be brought to trial.
Marcy knows her actions were in self-defense, but her co-workers wonder if she has a vendetta because Marcy’s mother was brutally murdered by a serial killer.
When a series of murders rocks the city, Marcy discovers the killer has the same MO as the man who murdered her mother.
Marcy is assigned to the case and the killer immediately taunts Marcy, telling her that they are very much alike. They’re both murderers.
Can Marcy catch the killer before another victim meets a grisly end?

BLOOD LINE
Det. Marcy Kendrick is feeling the heat from her ex-husband, now her boss.
He’s piling on the pressure and she needs a win.
Then heiress Audrina Dixon is killed with only her twin sons as witnesses. But the traumatized boys seem to have developed a form of mutism.
Or perhaps there’s another reason they won’t speak? Because there’s mounting evidence that the boys may be the killers.
As Marcy investigates, she realizes the murder is just one part of a much bigger picture. Behind it, lies a horrifying web of depravity and revenge….

DARK DUTY

Panic grips LA as a cop killer stalks the streets. So far, three officers have been murdered and there are no clues.
Det. Marcy Kendrick and her partner Angel are assigned the case but the dead cops’ partners  insist they have no idea why the victims were targeted.
But Marcy discovers they are lying, that the officers were connected to an unimaginable crime against an innocent girl.
As public outrage grows, Marcy and Angel are caught in the middle. Can they find the killer before the city blows up?

KILL COUNT
Det. Marcy Kendrick and her partner are called to investigate the murder of a young starlet.
They soon discover this was the work of El Gato, an infamous drug lord who has evaded police for years.
Marcy soon learns El Gato has secrets. But drug lords don’t want their secrets to become public.
Especially not these secrets…

PAY BACK
When an affluent woman is murdered, Marcy Kendrick and Angel Reyes are sent to investigate.
They soon discover that the victim is no ordinary housewife. She’s connected to an organized shoplifting ring.
Now, someone is killing off these women in a series of home invasions.
It’s a race against time. Can they stop the killer before it’s too late?

LOST SOULS
When Det. Marcy Kendrick and her partner investigate the death of a drug dealer, they discover he was waterboarded – with baptismal water.
Then the killer strikes again. This time the victim is a young woman with baptismal water in her wounds.
As the death toll rises, it becomes clear the killer is on a religious mission.
Marcy has no idea where he’ll strike next. Can she stop him before he kills again?

END GAME
Marcy Kendrick is struggling to get her life back to normal when a series of murders thrust her back into the limelight.
A serial killer is on the prowl. He calls himself Killer Cache because he posts the geocaching coordinates of the site where he’s left the body of his latest female victim.
Leaving no stone unturned in the search for the sadistic killer, Marcy must choose between her own safety and stopping a psychopath before he can kill again.

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Theo Baxter loves writing psychological suspense thrillers. It’s all about that last reveal that he loves shocking readers with.
He grew up in New York, where there was crime all around. He decided to turn that into something positive with his fiction.
His stories will have you reading through the night—they are very addictive!

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My thoughts: This boxset was so, so good, gripping, intelligent and shocking. Marcy and Angel (her best friend and partner) track down serial killers in LA. Each case is fiendish and horrifying, but Marcy keeps her cool and the duo dive into the cases, digging into the victim’s lives to find the killer.

They also juggle their personal lives and relationships, which suffer from their all-consuming jobs, the strange hours they work and the danger they put themselves in during the course of their jobs. Unfortunately some of the criminals they come up against take it personally and target Marcy and Angel, making it harder to do their jobs.

They also go after bad cops, the kind that take advantage of the vulnerable and exploit their positions. It might not make them popular in or out of the precinct, but they stand for justice and the victims.

Marcy’s brother Stephen is the most important person in her life, and he has his own demons, but she sticks by him through thick and thin, and he uses his computer skills to help her out from time to time. She also has an ex-husband, who is now her lieutenant and can’t stop losing his temper, he becomes a huge problem that Captain Robinson (their supportive boss) has to deal with.

The crimes are shocking, the interpersonal relationships fascinating, the characters realistic and empathetic, the writing gripping.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

Seattle defense attorney Daniel Raine is relentless in his pursuit of justice. And he’s in the right place – the city’s streets provide an endless supply of cunning criminals and high-stakes cases.
With his career on the line and justice hanging in the balance, Raine will have to stay one step ahead of ruthless prosecutors and dangerous adversaries – or his next case may be his last.

BURDEN OF PROOF
Some people would kill for a fresh start.
Attorney Daniel Raine’s law partner is leaving their firm. If Raine can’t find a way to stay afloat, he’ll be practicing law out of his car.
Then, rich socialite Abigail Willoughby arrives at his door, wanting to divorce her even richer husband.
Raine takes the case but gets forced into an alliance with realtor Rebecca Sommers, who has her own motives for wanting to get close to his client.What seems like a straightforward case turns to chaos when Abigail threatens her husband Jeremy in front of dozens of witnesses. That same night, Jeremy is murdered.
Abigail swears she’s innocent and Raine believes her. Together with Sommers, he races to find out who really killed Jeremy and to save his client from serving a lifetime behind bars.

TRIAL BY JURY
Murder is an art form. And this one is a masterpiece.
When attorney Daniel Raine is invited to a gala at an art gallery, he sees it as a chance to find some new clients.
And it works in the most unexpected way when an artist is found dead in the restroom.
The police declare it a suicide and the young woman’s parents promptly sue the gallery owner for driving their daughter to take her own life. Raine is hired to defend the lawsuit and embarks on a mission to exonerate his client.
He soon becomes convinced that the young artist was murdered. But why? And by whom?

THE SURVIVAL RULE
A family on top of the world. With a long, long way to fall.
Daniel Raine is hired by Adam Harper, the son of Seattle’s biggest developer. Adam wants to  seize control of the family company by declaring his father mentally unfit.
There’s only one problem – the old man is very much in possession of his mental faculties and Raine is going to lose the case. Ever the pragmatist, Raine decides to stick with it and rack up some billable hours.
But he finds himself in the middle of a deadly dispute as various members of this powerful family fight to gain control. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. Including murder.
As Raine closes in on the final truth, he himself becomes a target in this twisted game.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY
Murder. Lies. Corruption. Just another day at the office.
A young man, Michael, dies while in custody at the county jail. The authorities claim it was a heart attack.
His mom thinks it was murder.
Daniel Raine agrees to take the case, suing the jail for wrongful death. But no one will talk about what happened in Michael’s cell on that fateful night.
Now Raine must unravel the mystery. Did someone order Michael’s murder?

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Stephen Penner is an author, artist, and attorney from Seattle. He has written over 25 novels and specializes in courtroom thrillers known for their unexpected twists and candid portrayal of the justice system.
Stephen began his legal career as a criminal defense attorney, appearing in federal, state, and municipal courts throughout the State of Washington. After several years, Stephen ‘switched sides’ and became a prosecutor. He has been practicing criminal law for nearly 30 years, working his way up from misdemeanor offenses, to felonies, and finally to homicides. He has conducted over 100 trials and draws on his extensive experience to infuse his writing with
realism and insight.
In his spare time, Stephen enjoys painting, drawing, and spending time with his family.

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My thoughts: I really enjoyed this series, I was only going to talk about the first two books but I read all 4, they were so compelling and well written.

Daniel Raine is down on his luck, his legal partner has recently become a judge, and if he doesn’t get some clients who can pay him soon, he’s going to lose his office space too.

Then the very wealthy Abigail shows up asking if he’ll represent her in a divorce from her controlling husband. At the same time he also meets the fabulous Rebecca Sommers, estate agent par excellence, who agrees to help him out as his investigator. She has incredible connections throughout the city and a nose for finding things out.

Throughout the four stories in this collection, Daniel and Rebecca investigate the cases their clients bring them, even when the clients aren’t the nicest people. He’s a good lawyer, smart and insightful. Rebecca is my favourite character, she’s so well connected and people just seem to want to tell her things.

Daniel is also juggling co-parenting his sons with his ex-wife, who he’s still in love with, and puts himself in danger hunting for the truth for his clients, and himself. The author uses his legal knowledge and expertise to craft clever and intricate cases that keep you gripped and wanting to know what happens next and how Daniel will win in court.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.