Tainted Times 2 by Valerie J Brooks Book Review

About the Book:

Kauai. Angeline Porter is worn to the bone. Hiding out with only a rescue dog for company, the disbarred defense attorney knows killing two mob bosses makes resurfacing impossibly risky. But when an undercover FBI agent offers to exchange a shocking family secret for her acting as bait, the driven woman can’t resist the lure.

Digging into the twisted truths her parents kept hidden, Angeline is determined to save her newly discovered relative from an unthinkable fate. And as she travels down a trail of seduction and lies, she edges even closer to the vicious organization out for her head.

Will her quest to reconnect with her bloodline shatter her world forever?

My Review:

This novel felt like it was one of transition. The first novel in the series had a good deal of action and suspense. This novel contains much revelation about Angeline's childhood and family but there is little action. There are scenes threatening suspense but most of this novel seems to be laying a foundation of Angeline's background for the next novel. There are plenty of twists regarding Angeline's life history. Almost too many.

I am having difficulty finding Angeline engaging. She does not seem to be growing. She still drinks too much and gets drunk and fails to pay attention to what is happening. She is quite independent, thinking she can pursue finding out what is happening all on her own. She continues to be a flawed heroine.

There is little plot progression with respect to the crime group we were introduced to in the first book. Like Angeline, I am getting weary of Gerard's cryptic actions. I trust all will become clear in the next novel.

This is the second novel in a series and the earlier one should be read first to understand this one. Brooks does give a good recap of the first novel in this one but it is not really sufficient to appreciate the character history revelation in this one. We are left with an unresolved plot at the end so I will be looking for the next in the series.

You can read my review of the first novel in the series, Revenge in 3 Parts, here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

About the Author:

Valerie J. Brooks is the recipient of an Elizabeth George Foundation grant and the Monticello Award for Fiction. Her residency fellowships include Villa Montalvo for the Arts, Hedgebrook, Soapstone, Vermont Studio Center and Playa. She's an unrepentant Francophile, good girl-bad girl, who loves to write about strong women with lots of baggage. Sometimes the baggage leads her characters to extreme acts-like murder. But always sizzling at the core is a motive of justice and fair play. The world isn't fair, of course, but everyone knows that, don't they? Her love of noir originated during a college film course where she discovered dark times often spawned a new generation of noir. She decided to combine her interests in politics, culture, travel, psychology and women's issues into writing noir novels.

Black Leather Jacket Press, 318 pages.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Partners in Crime Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)