December 1, 2018
After escaping an attacker, a young woman teams up with a sexy FBI agent to bring him down in this series opener.When Sacramento radio personality Daisy Dawson is pulled into an alleyway by a gunman in disguise, she manages to escape, but not before pulling a locket off his neck. The locket is distinctive and draws the attention of FBI Special Agent and linguist Gideon Reynolds. Gideon recognizes the design, and to his horror, he knows the girl whose picture is inside the locket. Turns out that Gideon was a member of The Church of Second Eden until the age of 13, when he escaped after killing one of the leaders in self-defense. He's told most of his story (minus the killing) to his boss and has repeatedly tried to get the FBI to reopen his case, but the group moved soon after he escaped and hasn't turned up since. Until now. Sparks immediately fly between Daisy and Gideon, and Gideon isn't too upset to find out he'll need to be her bodyguard until they can neutralize her attacker. Daisy also proves to be a big help in tracking down other surviving members of the cult. Unfortunately, Daisy's attacker, who fancies himself a master of disguise, hasn't given up on her yet, and he has a basement dungeon waiting just for her, as detailed in lurid passages in which Rose attempts to fashion a background explaining the origins of the man's bloody proclivities. Unfortunately, he never really rises above serial killer central casting and at times devolves into caricature. Refreshingly, however, Daisy isn't set dressing, and she's no wilting flower: She's trained in self-defense, offers plenty of help during the investigation, and is a genuinely kind human being. Additionally, Daisy and Gideon's romance, while quick in developing, still evolves naturally, and Rose gets kudos for emphasizing safe sex. However, it's made clear early on that Daisy is in AA, but her alcoholism doesn't seem to serve any other function but to make her more sympathetic, and her background, with its many, many convolutions, will stretch reader credulity. It's too bad that two such likable characters are dropped into the middle of such a ho-hum story.There's a ton of filler but too few chills in this by-the-numbers thriller.
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January 1, 2019
Radio personality Daisy Dawson is walking home from an AA meeting when she fights off an abduction. Her landlord happens to be a cop, and his foster brother, Gideon, is an FBI agent. Gideon is brought into the case because Daisy ripped a locket off her attacker as she was getting away. The locket is one that was given to child brides in the cult compound where Gideon was raised. He was driven out at 13 and has never been able to bring to justice the men who ran the so-called Eden. As Gideon searches for the transient cult that destroyed his family, Daisy's would-be abductor takes his revenge on more women. Acting out against his predatory stepmother, he makes his victims apologize as he tortures them. The story of the cult that Gideon has survived is more compelling than that of the psychosexual serial killer stalking Daisy. At more than 500 pages, this is a lengthy introduction to a projected series set in Sacramento. Fans of best-selling Rose (Death Is Not Enough, 2018) will appreciate getting what amounts to two stories in one in this fast-paced read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)
February 1, 2019
A six-time New York Times best-selling author, Rose goes hardcover with a new series. Her players: FBI Special Agent Gideon Reynolds, smuggled out of a cult at age 13 by his mother, and Daisy Dawson, who grew up rigorously protected by her father owing to a mysterious threat. Now she's been attacked, and seeking the culprit might lead Gideon to his roots.
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