User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
When teenager Faith Appleyard is abducted from the street, a plastic bag placed over her head, and cable ties used to tether her hands, she believes she’s going to die, but though she’s very badly beaten, luck is on her side that day, when sirens from a police car in the locality stop the abductor in their tracks. The strange thing is though, she won’t press charges. Now why is that? The next victim won’t be so lucky though, and so begins another complex but riveting case for DI Adam Fawley and his team.
This case is particularly difficult for Adam because the crimes appear to have the same M.O. as Gavin Parry, The Roadside Rapist, who has served 20 years for his offences, and Adam was the one who helped to convict him. Parry is now due for parole, but these new cases are so similar that it begs the question, was the right man convicted, because Parry has always maintained his innocence!
Dealing as it does with issues that are currently receiving media attention such as gender reassignment, the novel develops through changing scenes, told mainly from the points of view of DI Fawley and his team, each with their own loads to bear, problems in their home lives, weaknesses they wish they could redeem - imperfect.
Incredibly complex yet completely gripping, All The Rage keeps you reading because these are characters that you know, characters that you’ve met in real life. You don’t necessarily have to like them, indeed some of them are everything you hope you aren’t at times, but they come from normal everyday families that have similar aspirations to life and family that the average reader will have. That’s what makes this a winner - Cara Hunter is adept at getting into the minds of those intent on committing evil, and also of creating a claustrophobic atmosphere of family life - the stifling conformity and the worry of being a good parent, as well as being seen to be a good parent - protecting your kids from the bad things in life - sometimes though it’s just not enough! Cara Hunter has done it again - Unmissable!
* Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin books UK for my ARC. I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange *
Rating: really liked it
This is a cracking humdinger of an addition to Cara Hunter's outstanding DI Adam Fawley series set in Oxford. It might even be my favourite, although seeing how good the others were, I am not laying any bets on that just yet. It begins with Adam, and his wife, Alex, in a better place after the heartbreak and sorrow of losing their young son. Alex is pregnant, Adam is doing everything he can to make things as easy as they can be for her. However, this is crime fiction and their world is about to be shaken to the core. A taxi driver comes to the aid of a confused and distraught young girl left seriously injured. Faith Appleyard, a beautiful fashion student, had been abducted in a van, her head covered with a plastic bag, taken to some allotments, assaulted, only for the perpetrator to run away upon hearing police sirens. Instead of reporting the crime, Faith returns home to clean up, left an emotional mess, but she shies away from having the police investigate and her mother is backing her.
The police are baffled, why is Faith refusing to co-operate with them? Adam and his team are deeply disturbed, this is the kind of crime that rarely happens in isolation, and they are right. The mother of 15 year old Sasha Blake reports her missing after a night out with her best friends, a close knit group known as LIPS, the coolest girls in school that others crave to join. With Sasha physically resembling Faith, the police know they have a connection as they mount a desperate hunt for her. The MO of the perpetrator brings trouble to Adam's door as the past comes back to haunt him. 20 years ago Adam helped to ensure the conviction of Gavin Parry, known as The Roadside Rapist, who has remained behind bars maintaining his innocence all these years. Parry is now up for parole, and whilst Adam is certain of his guilt, uncertainties arise as it seems they either have a copycat at large or Parry really is a victim of a miscarriage of justice. The most twisted of investigations takes in the misogynist filth emanating from the distasteful Incel (Involuntary Celibate) sites, before moving into a surprisingly unexpected direction.
It's a delight to see the return of Adam's team based at St Aldate's Police Station in Oxford, the more confident DS Gislingham, Verity Everett, Erica Somer, Baxter and even Quinn, there is a new member of the team, the able and ambitious black DC Anthony Asante from London. They chase down every lead possible, hardworking, highly motivated, loyal in their support of Adam, and never giving up, even when it looked impossible to uncover the vital evidence required to charge the guilty. Hunter continues to effectively integrate her narrative with the inclusion of social media, newspaper articles, psychiatric reports, court transcripts, suspect interviews and more. This is a fast paced, intense, utterly gripping and hugely entertaining crime read. If you have never read Cara Hunter, I strongly suggest you give her try, you are unlikely to be disappointed! Many thanks to Penguin UK for an ARC.
Rating: really liked it
4 cunning but shocking stars for a book I am raging I did not pick up sooner.
A gripping thriller, and a murder that was cleverly plotted, forensically planned, and clinically executed and a story that kept the reader in suspense with the multiple suspects, red herrings, and twists.
It was so compelling; it was as close to being involved in solving your own murder investigation as you will ever get. Just brilliant. Complex, shocking, and completely addictive.
What’s the gripe with the 4 stars? It was the reading experience, personal preference, and the chapter-less approach that irked me. It felt like someone not pausing between sentences to come up for breath, or a city tour that didn’t make those all-important stops at the key tourist sights.
However, a book heavily themed with transgender, sibling jealousy, murder, rape, grief, pregnancy, misguided loyalties, violence, betrayal, press, and social media ethics.
The PlotFaith Appleyard is viciously attacked and sexually abused but refuses to talk about it or make a statement to the police, citing an April fools prank. An attack that bears all the same hallmarks of the brutal murder of Sasha Blake. A copy-cat, of the roadside rapist, or coincidence in that the perpetrator used the same plastic bags and cable ties to subdue their victims. Only some got away.
Review and CommentsThis book felt like an authentic murder investigation using interview recordings, transcripts from court, crime boards, and newspaper clippings, while social media played a menacing and sometimes vital role.
I loved how small clues were revealed, some resulting in a dead end, while others took the investigation in a new direction, but all the time it felt just as you imagined a real murder investigation to be with the different lines of enquiry and following up all possible leads.
The story itself was superb, gripping, and unpredictable. I guessed some of the plot but was thrown by not making the connection between the people, events and attacks, and also the past and present. All of which made this such a great multilayered plot.
The characters also felt real, each bringing their own brand of menace in this lurid theatre of evil, whilst many felt vulnerable and flawed in their own way, bringing such emotion and deep insight into the minds of the victims, their families, and the aggressors.
What I didn’t likeMy preference is to read chapters that introduce sub plots, a particular theme, or focus on a particular character, and a means of setting the pace, with a beginning and an end. This book was missing those pauses for reflection. The flip between the narrators then felt disjointed as we meandered through the story (not always clear who was narrating) which made this a frustrating read for me personally. So much so I knocked off a point in what was otherwise a fantastic book.
Riveting, complex, cunning and immersive but please more structure to the book.
Rating: really liked it
VindictiveA modern police investigation thriller full of dark suspense and intrigue, with moral dilemmas that will rightfully propel this book to bestseller status.
All the Rage is a crime drama that conjures a complex plot with crafted layers for puzzle solvers, facing surprise and misdirection at every turn.
Faith Appleyard is a teenager who was abducted in a van and brought to an allotment where she was physically abused with a bag pulled over her head and a clump of her hair dragged from the back of her head. It seems that the only way she survived was when police sirens disturbed the attacker. Such a brutal unprovoked attack leaves deep scars and psychological turmoil that has its own unique context. Not long after the attack on Faith, another teenager, Sasha Blake goes missing. Sasha is part of a close-knit group of friends that have known each other most of their lives. Leah, Isabel, Patsie and Sasha make up this popular group, often referred to as LIPS. The despair and heartbreak from Sasha's mother are delicately and masterfully written with fantastic emotional awareness.
DI Adam Fawley and his formidable team of detectives are brought into the investigation of both young women. The team of DS Gislingham, DC Everett, DC Somer, DC Baxter and DC Quinn are joined by a new member, DC Anthony Asante. As the investigation into Sasha continues there is an emerging link between the two abductions and Fawley’s apprehension is mounting and clearly causing him distress. A previous case involving a sexual predator, Gavin Parry, haunts Fawley as he was the DS who managed to secure a conviction. The anguish is that Parry, known as The Roadside Rapist, had the same MO of forcing a plastic bag over the women’s heads, dragging them into a white van and pulling hair from their heads as souvenirs. Parry is still in jail but has always contested his innocence and accused Fawley of framing him. The uncertainty and suspicion mount that perhaps they have sentenced the wrong man and perhaps contrived the evidence. The uneasiness is that either the real killer is still at large, a copycat killer has started or it's just coincidence.
Cara Hunter delivers the perfect balance in a crime series where the background stories of many of the characters continue to intrigue while the crime and its multiple subplots are always handled with purpose. Try skipping a few pages and you’ll find yourself either lost or missing something important, which shows just how effectively she maintains a riveting momentum throughout.
Cara’s observations create little shades of personality that contribute to the plot and the theatre of interactions. The attention to detail that she shows in the character development and their subconscious reactions within discussions and relationships draws such appealing multi-textured characters that are enthralling.
All the Rage integrates the mechanisms than Cara’s other books have engrained in our expectations – a first-person perspective from Adam Fawley, and the use of social media and other formats for recording chatter, news, interviews, telephone transcriptions etc. It’s like watching a master weave all the elements that breathe life into a fully formed treasure. I enjoy her stories immensely and I hope she continues on this mesmerising path.
I highly recommend reading this book and I would like to thank Cara Hunter, Penguin Book UK and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC version in return for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 (not my fave trope tho) | Ending: 3/5 SYNOPSIS A teenage girl is attacked but hesitant to report it. And then another teenage girl goes missing shortly after. Could they be connected?!?
MY OPINION Yesssirrrr that's another 4 stars you see. In August, I gave TWELVE books a 4 or 5 star rating... just call me GIRLWITHTHEPOSITIVEREVIEWS LOOOOL.
Ok anyways... I'll start off by saying this isn't my fave trope. I really don't like the whole Pretty Little Liars/Mean Girls clique-y vibe shit that focuses a lot on teenage drama. I just don't care for it. Give me adultery all day long. But since this is a personal preference and Cara Hunter doesn't design plots around my likes or dislikes, I didn't factor that into the overall rating. If you like this trope, you'll prob love this book more than I did.
Once again–no chapters. But lots of short scenes to keep the pace moving along. Hunter dropped a bomb on me early in the book; I did not see that coming. Once again she shows her skill in taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary. I love the use of mixed media in this series. I know some people are impartial to it, but my lil squirrel brain eats it up.
Yes, suspension of disbelief required. Yes, the ending is over the top. Yes, this is a long one. I still really enjoyed it and am on the hunt for the rest of the series. The only comment that annoyed me was Gis saying "someone remind me about this, will you, when I say I want daughter." As if men aren't out here violently wilding with chest???? No one reads a story about a man annihilating his entire fam and is like: thank god I don't have sons!!!!! but god forbid a girl acts a lil vicious or wears a short skirt and it's pearl clutching season for fathers everywhere. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk 😂
PROS AND CONS Pros: well-written, interesting premise, fast paced, loved the use mixed media
Cons: OTT ending, a bit too long for my tastes
Rating: really liked it
I loved the previous three books in the Adam Fawley series so I was thrilled to receive this ARC and I was not disappointed. It is perfectly possible to read this novel as a stand-alone though. This case covers a some current issues such as gender reassignment and is handled very sensitively and with care. Young girls are being targeted and attacked. Faith Appleford fortunately is left alive but Sasha Blake is not so lucky. This intriguing case tests Fawley’s team and Adam in particular as it also cast a spotlight on a case from 1999 of The Roadside Rapist which Fawley was involved in. Gavin Parry was convicted but always maintained his innocence and these new cases either reveal a copycat killer or Parry’s innocence.
One of the things I like about this series is that although Adam Fawley is the main character and part of the inquiry and his own personal life is told by him in the first person, the storytelling shows how teamwork in police investigation is vital and how all their various skills are utilised to seek out the truth. All the old team are here and they feel like old friends now! DS Gislingham is growing into his new role and showing confident leadership, Erica Somer and Ev(erett) are intuitive and thoughtful, Quinn is still being Quinn but maybe with some softening edges but still capable of a cringeworthy comment, while Baxter doggedly works his magic with IT. There are several wow moments as they pursue the truth and it’s full of twists and turns.
I feel the way the story unravels is like a documentary as it seems to unravel in real time as different pieces of evidence are put together to achieve a breakthrough. We have first and third person accounts from the team, some recounting of the victims lives and their families, interviews with suspects or witnesses, vlogs, tweets from people who bandy opinions with no basis of prove, trial transcripts, voicemails, and incel forums where celibates spout misogynistic filth. What this all this adds up to is a very realistically told story which unfolds more in the manner of an actual police investigation.
There are some real shocks as the case reaches its conclusion and I genuinely didn’t see that one coming! I really like the ending too as it looks like aspects from this story could re-emerge in the next instalment which is very intriguing. Cara Hunter is a talented writer and I highly recommend this series and this book.
Rating: really liked it
Wow, what masterful storytelling! This was a multi-layered complex Gordian knot of a puzzle and I challenge anyone to pick the culprit, or culprits, in advance of the reveal. I felt like I was in one of those front loading washing machines - tumbled one way, then then other over and over and all that’s before the high speed spin cycle!
Fiona Appleford is a transgender teenager who has not yet had the surgery but is living as a girl. She is abducted one morning on her way to college and subjected to a vicious attack. Her attacker only running off when sirens are heard from an approaching police car (unrelated). With no murders currently on their books DI Adam Fawley’s team dives into the case but Fiona doesn’t want to be examined or to press charges. Although traumatised, she is understandably very private.
Soon though another teenager, 15 year old Sasha Blake disappears on her way home from a pizza evening with her three besties. A couple of days later she is found dead. The MO mirrors a lot of what was done to Fiona. Unfortunately it also mirrors the MO of Gavin Parrie, the so-called Roadside Rapist from 20 years ago who is up for parole again soon. Adam Fawley was a DS at the time and involved with the conviction. Now the team must face the very real possibility (one of a few) that Parrie was wrongly convicted and the real culprit is still at large. And Parrie never stopped maintaining his innocence.
But since nothing is ever as it seems there are many more revelations to come - and that’s before you jump into the washing machine! What clever plotting. I don’t know how authors manage to keep all those balls in the air. This story was very complex and detailed. My head is still spinning. The narrative is told in an interesting way - first person by Fawley, some third person and excerpts of social media, interview transcripts, court transcripts and excerpts from newspaper articles. This story highlighted some of the uglier aspects of social media where sites for incels exist solely to abuse and demean women, this is very troubling. There is also an illustration of the nastier aspects of teenage competitiveness. So this was another very sad story that also provides some lessons to us all.
Rating: really liked it
EXCERPT: When the minicab driver first spotted the girl, he thought she was drunk. Yet another bloody student, he thought, getting pissed on cheap cider and staggering home at all hours. She was a good hundred yards ahead of him, but he could see she was lurching unsteadily from side to side. It wasn't until the car got closer that he realized she was actually limping. One strappy shoe was still on but the other had lost its heel. That's what made him slow down. That and where she was. Out on the Marston Ferry Road, miles from anywhere. Or as close to it as Oxford ever gets. Though as he signalled and pulled over alongside her, he still thought she must just be drunk.
But that was before he saw her face.
ABOUT THIS BOOK: A teenage girl is found wandering the outskirts of Oxford, dazed and distressed. The story she tells is terrifying. Grabbed off the street, a plastic bag pulled over her face, then driven to an isolated location where she was subjected to what sounds like an assault. Yet she refuses to press charges.
DI Fawley investigates, but there's little he can do without the girl's co-operation. Is she hiding something, and if so, what? And why does Fawley keep getting the feeling he's seen a case like this before?
And then another girl disappears, and Adam no longer has a choice: he has to face up to his past. Because unless he does, this victim may not be coming back . . .
MY THOUGHTS: I didn't enjoy All the Rage by Cara Hunter as much as I did the previous book in the series, No Way Out. Although full of twists and turns, it lacks the breathtaking tension of No Way Out which, admittedly, is a hard act to follow.
Having said that it was still a good solid read. I like Adam Fawley's character. Things don't just fall into his lap. He has to work for his results, and work hard. His life is complicated by by he and his wife still trying to come to terms with their son's suicide, a pregnancy, and an old case rearing it's ugly head. Added to this is an attack on a teenager, and the murder of another with a supporting cast of bitchy hormonal teenage girls.
This is a complex story told over a single timeline which culminates in a cliffhanger ending that has me eagerly awaiting the next in the series.
😊😊😊.5
#AllTheRage #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: Cara Hunter is a writer who lives in Oxford, in a street not unlike those featured in her series of crime books.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of All The Rage by Cara Hunter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Rating: really liked it
Fascinating, addictive, and riveting!*
UPDATE: Now available to buy on kindle.*
*
Paperback Release Date: 23rd January, 2020. Mark your calendars*Teenager, Faith Appleford, is discovered by a minicab driver stumbling along the side of the road in a distressed state – muddy, clothes torn, one shoe missing, with marks on both wrists indicating that her hands have been tied. She refuses to go to the police or a doctor, so the driver takes her home, and then phones in the crime.
When DI Fawley and DC's Everett and Somer arrive at the Appleford’s to investigate the alleged assault, Faith says it was nothing, just an April Fool's joke that got out of hand. Faith's mother is just as dismissive and unconcerned, and when DC Quinn and Somer ask questions at the college Faith attends, the school principal is just as evasive. What is going on? What is everyone hiding that takes precedence over Faith's attack? Adam and his team had better find answers soon, because a second girl has been reported missing, and this one might not be coming home.
Just like 1-3, book 4 immediately pulled me into the storyline, and my interest never wavered. What always keeps me coming back for more of this series are
Cara Hunter's fantastic set of characters, headed by
DI Adam Fawley. They are constantly changing and developing and all of them have vibrant, varied, interesting personalities. A close second are the author's complex, captivating crime plots. I am continuously left speechless by
Hunter's cleverness, particularly when it comes to implementing the big twists. And
All the Rage was littered with ingenious ones, as well as shocking revelations.
As usual the policing kept me glued to the pages – the investigation process, clues and hints, the interactions, politics and conflict between the CID team, and the personal lives of the detectives.
The atrocities committed in
All the Rage, at times hit me hard. Being grabbed off a busy street in broad daylight with no one noticing freaked me out and had me looking over my shoulder on more than one occasional. But, it's the plots that get to you that make for the best reading, and
All the Rage definitely accomplished that. Oh, and when I say disturbing I don't mean gratuitously or graphically violent, sexually or otherwise, but it is emotionally affecting.
Fans of this series will be immensely satisfied with this installment, and like me, left craving more. My recommendation for new readers would be to start at the beginning with
Close to Home for continuity purposes. The crime plot is a standalone, but there's crucial backstory regarding the characters that is relevant to this one that you will have almost no hope of following. Start your binge-read now in time for this release.
I'd like to thank Netgalley, Penguin Books UK, and Cara Hunter for the e-ARC.
Rating: really liked it
The driver was shocked to see the young girl staggering as if she was drunk; but what he found was far worse than that. At her insistence he drove her home but ignored her entreaties not to call police. Detective Inspector Adam Fawley knew they had to tread carefully, but the witness was concerned and that was enough for him. Faith’s ordeal was horrifying but baffling while Fawley and his team were struggling without her cooperation.
As the parallels to a case some twenty years prior started to add up, Fawley knew he had to inform his team. But it was when another young woman went missing in exactly the same manner that the shock and uncertainty set in. Could it be possible he had got things so terribly wrong all those years ago? He was positive the right person was behind bars – so what was this about? Was it some copycat event? Or was it something far worse?
All the Rage is the 4th in the DI Adam Fawley series by Cara Hunter, and another intense and gripping psychological thriller that I enjoyed very much. Twists, red herrings, sly maneuvers – this one had it all. I’m looking forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
I have read and loved the other books in this series, so I was looking forward to engrossing myself in this instalment.
Faith is found wandering by a taxi driver, she had been kidnapped, pushed into a van, had a bag forced over her head and her hands bound with cable ties. She is terrified but manages to escape and is taken home by the concerned taxi drive. Strangely she does not want to press charges or talk to the police about what happened.
Unfortunately the next victim is not so lucky. D.I Adam Fawley and his team have their hands full with this case. This investigation is complicated for Adam as 20 years ago he helped put away Gavin Perry the “Roadside Rapist.” Perry is up for parole, but the recent victims show the same MO as Perry which puts doubt on his original conviction!!
I loved this book, it’s fast paced and has plenty of twists that I did not see coming.
If you haven’t read a Cara Hunter book before, then you are missing out. I am looking forward to the next instalment!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Rating: really liked it
The DI Fawley series has become one of my favourite police procedurals of late, the unique way that Hunter tells the story through various written interviews, tweets and maps gives these books a real time feel about them.
It makes them so addictive!
The case revolves around 15 year old Faith Appleford who'd been snatched off the street with a bag placed over head head and hands cabled tied together.
The difficulty for Adam Fawley and the team is that the crime is eerily similar to the 'The Roadside Rapist' case 20 years previously, with Faith not wishing to press charges and the perpetrator of the old crime is up for parole - could Gavin Parry who has always pleaded his innocence have been wrongly convicted after all?
Whilst this wasn't as strong as the previous outings in the series, it was still a good solid case for Fawley and the team to tackle.
By far the most interesting aspects of this novel was Faith and the reasoning why she didn't want the police involved.
Both the manner that this crime was solved and the manner that Fawley had been effected by the old case helped make this an enjoyable addition to the series.
Rating: really liked it
First Cara Hunter - won't be the last :-).
In full
I'd not read any Cara Hunter books when I got this one so I wasn't sure quite what to expect. This is a tale about a teenage girl who is found wandering in a distressed state by a taxi driver. She claims that it was just a prank but the story she tells suggests something rather different. She refuses to press charges so one of the first things is to find out why. When another girl goes missing the case takes on additional dimensions. Is this a serial offender and could it possibly be linked to an old case that DI Fawley was involved in.
The book follows DI Fawley and his team as they try to make sense of the events surrounding these cases. The book successfully drags you this way and that. It allows you to say - "Ah maybe it's xxx" and then promptly reverse the thought which is decent enough in this sort of story. The involvement of the old case worked well for me too. It kept me wanted to return to the story.
I confess I found this fairly readable with interesting characters involved in it. There were twists, turns and red herrings enough to keep me entertained. I think maybe I would have got into the story more quickly had I read the previous books but it works well enough as a standalone book for me. My slight irritation was with the writing style. I found the sections rather disjointed and often found that I had no idea who the section I was reading was about. The use of modern aspects in the text such as webchats and twitter was something I'd not really come across much before but didn't particularly bother me.
I'll certainly read another earlier Cara Hunter when I get the chance as overall, I enjoyed it. It's a decent enough "police thriller". However, other than the style of presentation ,I'm just not quite sure how long the book will stay with me. I guess it never quite got under my skin.
Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
https://viewson.org.uk/police/all-the...
Rating: really liked it
The word suspenseful is an understatement for this brilliant book.
Another 5 star read by Cara Hunter full of twists, great character development and a riveting plot.
It is not only the twists and shocks that make this a 5 star book, but also the way the story is unraveled and the truth is revealed. The author doesn’t repeat herself and definitely does not make a fool of the reader.
A young girl is assaulted by an unknown individual. There are undeniable similarities between this case and another one from 20 years ago. But the culprit of those crimes is still in jail albeit claiming to be innocent.
While the detectives are busy finding answers, the body of a teenage girl is found, the perpetrator using the same method of the previous crimes.
Did the police arrest the right person? Is the present crime a copycat? Are the crimes even connected to each other?
Rating: really liked it
In spite of the fact that I have nearly 3,000 books on my TBR, many of which are available at the library, once again I found myself waiting impatiently for the library to get copies of the fourth book in this series and once again I finally ordered a copy which arrived pretty quickly from the Book Depository via amazon.ca. As an aside, the library still doesn't have Book 3 let alone Book 4 so I'm glad I didn't wait any longer.
Teenager Faith Appleyard is viciously attacked but doesn't want to report it to police or the police to investigate once they get wind of it. DI Fawley's team begins an investigation anyway and uncovers some shocking realities; when another girl disappears they need to find the perpetrator as soon as possible.
Another fantastic addition to this series. Every time I picked the book up I didn't want to put it down. I love the use of mixed media in this book as in some of the previous books in this series and the story flowed very smoothly. There are many familiar characters as well as some new ones and it took me a while to remember who everybody was. A very convoluted storyline but very realistic and believable. This book could probably be read as a standalone but I recommend the entire series. 4.5 Stars rounded up!
I guess I better order a copy of Book 5 if I want to read it anytime soon. And I do!
