Review: Behind The Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski

Behind The Hands That Kill by J.A. Redmerski

Series: In The Company Of Killers #6

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: J.A. Redmerski on May 6, 2016

Format: Kindle

Pages: 204

Source: Bought

Amazon / Goodreads

Even professional killers need vacations, but for Victor Faust, his vacation in Venezuela is about more than relaxation and time alone with Izabel Seyfried. It is a chance for him to come clean to Izabel: to tell her the truth about why he sent her to Italy with his brother, the truth behind his interest in Nora Kessler, and about his knowledge of Izabel’s child with her former captor. But before Victor can spill his soul, reality proves that for some killers, vacations are just pipe-dreams.

Attacked and kidnapped, Izabel finds herself stuffed in a suitcase, while Victor later wakes up imprisoned in a cage. In any other situation, Victor would find a way out and save himself and the woman he loves—but not this time. When the identities of their kidnappers are revealed, Victor loses all hope, and begins the mental process of accepting his and Izabel’s last moments together. And Izabel’s final moments of life.

As if his circumstances are not complicated enough, members of Vonnegut’s Order are finally closing in on Victor. And when they do, he comes face-to-face with someone else he once knew and loved, who could either help him, or make a grave situation much worse. Victor’s past has finally caught up with him: the women he has cared for, loved, and killed; the families he has destroyed; the unforgivable crimes he has committed. And now he must face the consequences, and pay the ultimate price for absolution.

But when it is all over, Victor may not have the strength to pick up what is left and move on. Because the event changes him. Because love changed him. And because, unlike before when he thought it is was for the best, he cannot imagine a life without Izabel in it.

Thoughts: I needed to know all about the man Behind The Hands That Kill. I got that and so much more with present to past through out that fit perfectly with the plot. I loved that I got to experience his past instead of being told.

Not only is Victor and Isabel love tested but also my love for his character as well. He has done many bad things I was able to look past but one particular scene I had a hard time with. As a huge fan of In The Company Of Killers I know J.A. Redmerski is not one to hold anything back with her characters. I should of known she could never be that cruel.  I also should of known that not everything is what it seems to be when it comes to Victor. He always has a reason for his doings. Thankfully the scene I had a hard time with was handled. Because right along with Izabel I would of not been able to look past that.

 

I had a serious girl crush on Izabel. She has come a long way since the beginning of this series. Her character shined and showed some growth that I understand why Victor loves her.

 

There are a some new characters introduce. I am not sure about one of them but the other did catch my attention. There was a lot going on in Behind The Hands That Kill. This does leave different directions this series can go in the future.  Best read in order.

Rating: 4 Stars - Loved It

Series Order / Rating
#1 - Killing Sarai - 4
#2 - Reviving Izabel - 4
#3 - The Swan & The Jackal - 5
#4 - Seeds Of Iniquity - 5
#5 - The Black Wolf - 3

Review: The Black Wolf by J.A. Redmerski

Rating: 3 Stars - Liked It

The Black Wolf by J.A. Redmerski

Series: In The Company Of Killers #5

Genre: Suspense

Publisher: J.A. Redmerski on August 29, 2015

Format: Kindle

Pages: 302

Source: Bought

Amazon / Goodreads

Since devastating secrets were uncovered by Nora Kessler, Niklas Fleischer and Victor Faust have been divided as business partners and brothers. But ultimately Niklas is persuaded to lead a mission to Italy, and he sees it as an opportunity to set in motion forgiveness—or retribution—for his brother’s betrayal.

The mission: play the role of a wealthy German investor and kidnap a beautiful, notorious madam named Francesca Moretti. No stranger to these types of roles, Niklas is the best man for the job, but this time the risks will be much greater as he will not be doing it alone. Izabel Seyfried, still fresh out of a life of imprisonment and sex slavery, could be negatively affected by the things she will see in Moretti’s mansion, and Niklas must keep her in line so she does not blow their cover and get them killed.

But Niklas isn’t the only one who must play a role—Nora takes on the humiliating task of playing Niklas’s slave, and Izabel must play the role of his lover.

On one hand, Niklas couldn’t be enjoying himself more. On the other hand, the emotions that continue to rage inside of him may be too much for him to control, and it may be Niklas—not Izabel—who needs to be kept in line. He cannot forget what Victor has done, and this mission may just be the beginning of his downward spiral.

Can the blood bond that Niklas and Victor share as brothers be stronger than resentment? Or will vengeance dig the blade so deep that their bond be eternally severed?

Thoughts: Love this series and  Niklas was a character that was slowly growing on me through out. He really caught my interest in Seeds Of Iniquity #3. I really want to get to know more about him than what I got with his book. The begining started out amazing learning how much he really has always looked up to his brother Victor since they were kids.

The mission started out good in the begining and enjoyed the rolls that they had to play. The plot did go down hill from there for me. For a bunch of bad ass assassins more so Niklas they were dumb. I knew right away who they were looking for it was obvious. I could not grasp how they could not of known. Knowing right away who they were after was a shock for me because J.A. Redmerski is so talented with never knowing what is happening. While on their mission the story just never moved foward. Loved that a few things happened that was not expecting with the characters and of course this is J.A. Redmerski. Who is known to not hold anything back when it fits the plot.

The story did pick up again the last 15%  and was back to being amazing. The Black Wolf was still a good read but it was for me the weakest in the series. As always you never know what kind of read you are going to get In The Company Of The Killers series. My dear Niklas what have you done.

Sweet Temptation: Spiders In The Grove by J.A. Redmerski

 

Sweet Temptation is a feature on Wickedly Delicious Book Blog. That centers around books that have caught my attention. Whether it be a quote, snippet, teaser, excerpt, synopsis or a review.

Lusting for Covers is a weekly meme, held on Sunday, that allows bloggers to share their current cover obsession with fellow book lovers. This meme is hosted by TBQ @ TBQ'S Book Palace

Spiders In The Grove by J.A. Redmerski

Publisher: Author

Series: In The Company Of Killers #7

Genre: Suspense

Goodreads

Izabel and Naeva find themselves right where they wanted to be in Mexico: captured and held in the slave compounds owned by the Ruiz family. But the two are soon separated and forced into very different—but equally dangerous—situations. Izabel spends the next three weeks playing a role she never expected she would get the opportunity to play, but her luck runs out when Naeva’s life hangs in the balance, and only Izabel can save her. But at a terrible cost. If Izabel chooses to help Naeva, it will expose a lie she has been carrying on her shoulders since she met Victor Faust. A lie that will not only potentially make everyone in Victor’s Order distrust her going forward, but one that will also blow her carefully constructed cover In Mexico, and that could get her killed.

Fredrik, still looking for his serial killer, does not have to look long—the killer finds him. And Niklas’s past catches up to him when an old enemy comes back for revenge. But it will be Victor’s actions that shake up those left in his Order, and ultimately, be its downfall.

Thoughts: I am combining My Sweet Temptation Feature and Lusting For Covers Meme from  TBQ @ TBQ'S Book Palace.

I have loved all the covers for this series. They have all portrayed the characters with each of their books and the plot. I like the black and white with some red font.

I am a huge fan of this series and get excited with each new book. I am not one to read Suspense other than the sexy hero Roarke from In Death Series by J.D. Robb. I felt when In The Company Of Killers first came out with Killing Sarai it was more of a Romantic Suspense but by the third book Fredrik story I defiantly seen the turn in the series to more of suspense. I was happy with the way she went with the series.  As J.A. Redmerski states in Fredrik story, this series can be categorized as Crime, Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller and sometimes Romanic Suspense. It does have the elements of love and romance but not enough to actually fall into those categories.  That is the best part with each book I never know what I am going to get. J.A. Redmerski is not afraid to shock readers with any crazy twist, that for me have never been over the top, eye rolling ridiculous. She does not throw crazy things in there to just make it a shock factor. No, she is a brilliant writer that all of the  twist and turns have been true to plot. If anything  in some cases if she would of written them different it would of felt off in the plot. Now I am eager for book #7 because the plot has been leading up to this moment for a few books. Can not wait to see how everything plays out.

YA Review: Don't Look Back By Jennifer L. Armentrout

Young Adult Suspense 

Rating: 5 Stars - Amazing  

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: April 15, 2014 

Format: Kindle

Pages: 384

Source: Bought

Amazon / Goodreads

Synopsis By Goodreads

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all - popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.

Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.

But Cassie is still missing, and the truth about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory - someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Review: Seeds Of Iniquity by J.A. Redmerski

Seeds Of Iniquity (In The Company Of Killers #4)

By J.A. Redmerski

 

Synposis

Victor Faust’s new Order is growing. Business is good as there is no rest for the wicked in an underground world of hardcore criminals and contract killing. Relationships among the operatives have changed little over the past year—but things are about to change now, and all six high-ranking members of the new Order will be blindsided by an unlikely enemy.

Loved ones whose only ties to Victor’s organization are their relationships with its members, are abducted. The price to get them back safely—the six must confess their deepest, darkest secret to this mysterious young woman named Nora, who is as deadly as she is beautiful, and who seems to know more about each of them than they know about each other. And although no one has any clue about who Nora really is, it becomes clear that she also isn’t who she appears to be.

So much more is at stake than secrets and the lives of innocent loved ones; with each member that Nora forces to confess, the truth about their dark pasts and their present objectives will cast suspicion, pit some against each other, and may tear others apart.

Before the game is over everyone will know who this woman is and why she is here, but the damage she will leave in her wake could be the beginning of the new Order’s destruction.

Whose dark secret will be the darkest of all? And can Victor’s Order survive any of them?

 

 

 

Rating: 5 Stars - Amazing

Genre: Suspense/Romantic Suspense

Source: Bought

 

J.A. Redmerski story telling is extraordinary.  Once again she wrote an amazing novel that  I was pulled in the beginning and could not put it down.  The twist and turns were once again edge of your seat and of course some  What The Fuck just happened moments. I never knew what direction the book was going. What has been so great about this series is not one book is the same.

Review: The Swan And The Jackal by J.A. Redmerski

The Swan & the Jackal (In the Company of Killers #3)

by J.A. Redmerski

 

Synopsis

This is not a romance in any sense of the word. If that's what you're looking for, don't read it.

Fredrik Gustavsson never considered the possibility of love, or that anyone could ever understand or accept his dark and bloody lifestyle—until he met Seraphina, a woman as vicious and blood-thirsty as Fredrik himself. They spent two short but unforgettable years together, full of lust and killing and the darkest kind of love that two people can share.

And then Seraphina was gone.

It’s been six years since Fredrik’s lover and sadistic partner in crime turned his world upside-down. Seraphina went into hiding and has eluded him ever since. Now, he’s getting closer to finding her, and an innocent woman named Cassia is the key to drawing Seraphina from the shadows. But Cassia—after sustaining injuries from a fire that Seraphina ignited—suffers from amnesia and can’t give Fredrik the information he desperately seeks. Having no other choice, Fredrik has been keeping Cassia locked in his basement as he not only tries to get her to recall her past—because she and Seraphina share it—but also to protect her from Seraphina, who clearly wants her dead.

But Cassia is a light in the darkness that Fredrik never believed existed. After a year subjected to her kindness and compassion, he finds himself struggling with his love for Seraphina, and his growing feelings for Cassia—because he knows that to love one, the other must die.

Will light win out over darkness, or will something more powerful than either further destroy an already tortured soul?

(Note: THE SWAN & THE JACKAL is NOT a New Adult title. It, and all other books in the series are categorized as Suspense/Crime/Thriller.)

Review: Reviving Izabel by J.A. Redmerski

 

Reviving Izabel (In The Company Of Killers #2)
by J.A. Redmerski

Synopsis
Determined to live a dark life in the company of the assassin who freed her from bondage, Sarai sets out on her own to settle a score with an evil sadist. Unskilled and untrained in the art of killing, the events that unfold leave her hanging precariously on the edge of death when nothing goes as planned.

Sarai’s reckless choices send her on a path she knows she can never turn back from and so she presents Victor with an ultimatum: help her become more like him and give her a fighting chance, or she’ll do it alone no matter the consequences. Knowing that Sarai cannot become what she wants to be overnight, Victor begins to train her and inevitably their complicated relationship heats up.

As Arthur Hamburg’s right-hand man, Willem Stephens, closes in on his crusade to destroy Sarai, she is left with the crushing realization that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. But Sarai, taking on the new and improved role of Izabel Seyfried, still has a set of deadly skills of her own that will prove to be all she needs to secure her place beside Victor.

But there is one test that Izabel must face that has the potential to destroy everything she is working so hard to achieve. One final test that will not only make her question her decision to want this dangerous life, but will make her question everything she has come to trust about Victor Faust.

(NA) Review: Killing Sarai by J.A. Redmerski

Killing Sarai (In the Company of Killers #1)

by J.A. Redmerski

Purchase Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble

 

Blurb by Goodreads

 

From the author of the New York Times, USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling novel, THE EDGE OF NEVER, comes a story of passion and survival… Sarai was only fourteen when her mother uprooted her to live in Mexico with a notorious drug lord. Over time she forgot what it was like to live a normal life, but she never let go of her hope to escape the compound where she has been held for the past nine years.

Victor is a cold-blooded assassin who, like Sarai, has known only death and violence since he was a young boy. When Victor arrives at the compound to collect details and payment for a hit, Sarai sees him as her only opportunity for escape. But things don’t go as planned and instead of finding transport back to Tucson, she finds herself free from one dangerous man and caught in the clutches of another.

While on the run, Victor strays from his primal nature as he succumbs to his conscience and resolves to help Sarai. As they grow closer, he finds himself willing to risk everything to keep her alive; even his relationship with his devoted brother and liaison, Niklas, who now like everyone else wants Sarai dead.

As Victor and Sarai slowly build a trust, the differences between them seem to lessen, and an unlikely attraction intensifies. But Victor’s brutal skills and experience may not be enough in the end to save her, as the power she unknowingly holds over him may ultimately be what gets her killed.

This is their story…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killing Sarai for me started off a bit slow. I love J.A. Redmerski writing voice but this is the second novel I have read by her that takes a bit for something to happen that "wows" me. In Killing Sarai  when the wow moment hit boy does it hit hard with an edge of your seat, nail biting moment readers do not know what is going to happen next or who to trust.  From there on out it is a hard novel to put down.

 

Sarai has seen and been through a lot in her life that has left her numb to danger.  She is unstable and is good at hiding it from everyone and herself. She is a ticking bomb ready to explode. She is not discipline and is more dangerous than Victor who is a killer.

 

I am crushing on Victor at this moment. I do love those dark heroes and Oh My he is on the darker side. With him you never know if he wants to kill her or fuck her. He has lived a dark lonely life with solitude and death. He is emotional unattached to anyone and anything. He just might have met his match with Sarai.

 

I loved both characters as individuals and adore them more together. They are perfect for each other and can relate to each other considering what have they have been through in their lives. I did fine the sexual tension not as steamy has I have read another novel by J.A. Redmerski but it did fit well with their situation and the plot line. Their intimate time together is hot fan your self and fit well with Victor's dark side.

 

Love the ending, it is not a HEA or jaw dropping cliffhanger but a good way to start the next novel in the series. I do look forward to see what J.A. Redmerski has in store for her fans,

 

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Add To Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

Quote-Tastic: Naked In Death by J.D. Robb

 

Quote-Tastic is a meme hold on Mondays by Herding Casts & Burning Soup.  Join them  every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed ya for one reason or another.

Fell in love with Roarke with his button fetish. He is a mysterious yummy alpha male hero with a sweet side and have yet to find another character who comes close to him. He is one of a kind.

J.D. Robb (In Death series #1)

by Nora Roberts

"You got a button fetish, Roarke?"

 

"I've been carrying this around like a schoolboy carries a lock of his sweetheart's hair."

 

"That's weird."

 

"I thought so, myself. Do you know what else I think Eve?"

 

"I don't have a clue."

 

"I think I'm in love with you."

You Had Me At: Naked in Death

Roarke you had me with your button fetish.

"You got a button fetish, Roarke?"

"I've been carrying this around like a schoolboy carries a lock of his sweetheart's hair."

"That's weird."

"I thought so, myself. Do you know what else I think Eve?"

"I don't have a clue."

"I think I'm in love with you."

Naked in Death (In Death series #1)

J. D. Robb

Suspense is really not my cup of tea but will read it for the mysterious sexy alpha male Roarke. He is Wickedly Delicious.