Jana DeLeon - Unseen

Madison Avery is a young woman with a huge problem. From her penthouse apartment, she witnessed a murder in the building across the street, but by the time the police arrived, the crime scene had been wiped clean. Unfortunately, Madison suffers from prosopagnosia—face blindness—so even though she had a clear view of the murder, she can’t describe the victim or the killer. With no forensic evidence that a crime was committed and no description of the victim to match to a body, the police have no choice but to close the file.
But Shaye Archer doesn’t have the same limitations.
When Shaye hears Madison’s story, she believes the young woman saw exactly what she claims, and even though Shaye knows finding the killer will be next to impossible, she can’t turn down the distraught woman. Especially when she finds out that the killer saw Madison. Soon, the killer turns his attention to Madison, taunting her to heighten her fear, and Shaye is afraid his sights are set on his next victim. 

Comment: This is the fifth installment in the Shaye Archer series by author Jana DeLeon. So far, despite the tone of the series being a little too trivial to follow considering the themes, I'm having a great time with the stories. I liked how the protagonist is savvy and determined and smart enough to consider others' feelings and their help when needed.

In this adventure, the focus is on Madison, a young woman, marginalized by her wealthy family because of a mental condition called Prosopagnosia, which means those who have it can't memorize faces or recognize people's faces, including closer family and friends. Madison lives in high located apartment for the view and because of that, she sees a murder taking place in a lower house but in her rush to call the police, she turns on the lights in her apartment, making her an easy target for the killer. However, because Madison can't remember the killer's face, he sets his sight on her.

Madison then asks Shaye to investigate for her so they can catch the guy but of course not before he terrorizes Madison and almost kills her too. Will Shaye save the day again?

First of all, I thought it was great that the author chose quite a theme to start up her story. I had never heard of the situation Madison is supposed to have but after investigating, it's very real and can, of course, lead to a huge amount of self doubt and instability for those who have it and stress for those who can't deal with it, even by proxy. I thought the idea was new enough to make the story more interesting because, after all, Madison couldn't be a reliable witness of the crime and that was the starting point for the whole "trying to find the bad guy" action. If nothing else, it was good to learn something new or becoming aware of it.

As for the story itself, as one can expect, the crime and the investigation are the focus of the whole story. If one starts to compare the investigation to other books with similar situations, then I must say this one is rather simple. We read about what they do, we see characters acting but nothing is too explicit, too detailed nor is it explained to the minimal element. This means that, overall, the feel one gets is of superficiality, meaning we get the important parts, we get what matters the most but it's all pretty basic and to the point.

I can't say it's such a bad thing and, personally, I appreciate it. But then, the same thing applies to the characters' personal lives and in this case, too little or too minimal details can give the impression of not strong enough, not enough emotions and I'd like this aspect to be different.

Another interesting element in these stories is the personal life of Shaye and her attitude in relation to what happened to her. She has suffered many things no one would wish on an enemy but she is a healthy young woman now, very driven, very focused and for me the best part is that although her past does shape some of her attitude and influences her choices, it didn't define her personality. I really like her as a character for that (even if in real life, coping can't be as easy).

As always, we have scenes of her interacting with her mother, friends and it's nice. She also has a developing romance with Jackson, a cop, and it's sweet even if quite a slow burn. It's book #5 and they only kiss and say they love one another. Well, it's also believable considering the abuse she suffered too.

The resolution of this plot was rather simplistic. I liked there wasn't a big mess, that this is never too complicated or, at least, that it's not difficult to solve but the motivation of the bad guy escalated very quickly and I don't think we were given enough psychological context for it to be realistic.

Once again, some things were left in air about Shaye's past... I'm still interesting in reading more and it's always a good thing to know what to expect in terms of style from this series.

Grade: 8/10

Jana DeLeon - Wicked

College student Tara Chatry is certain something bad has happened to her best friend Ethan Campbell. The smart, geeky student has disappeared, and when Tara tries to get the police involved, they dismiss her concerns, convinced Ethan is just another college student off on a bender.
Shaye Archer hasn’t even been back in New Orleans for a full day when Tara knocks on her door, asking for help. Shaye isn’t prepared to jump back into her old job, but knows if she doesn’t help Tara, no one else will. As she works to find Ethan, she discovers that he’s not the only victim. A serial killer is at work, playing a deadly game, and Shaye rushes against the clock to save Ethan before it’s too late. 

Comment: I've been following this series since the first book was suggested in one of my book clubs and the installments after have all been part of that group's list. This is the most recent one, the fourth in the series featuring Shaye Archer.

In this new book, Shaye and her mother have returned after the scandal that affected their family in the previous book and it seems right after, Shaye is already involved in a new case about a missing college student. 

Shaye is now helping and working for a friend of that student and things get pretty complicated when the recent murders of two other students suddenly are proven to be connected. What will Shaye be able to do not only to help but to avoid more kidnapping and murders?

Well, I did like all books in this series but now that 4 books have been published I need to say I kind of expected a bigger and more obvious fluidity in the dichotomy plot/romance.

Still, overall, this is still as engaging and interesting as when the series started.

In this new book, Shaye is helping a student finding a missing friend. I think the author was very clever in keeping her plots simple. Yes, some details are a bit dramatic and unlikely but then again if no problems existed and if everyone was perfect in the world, why would we have so many issues to be solved and why would we need to think about it in the first place, so the author has material to choose from. I really like how, despite some subjects being quite melodramatic, the characters still act pretty normal and the subjects dealt with are treated as a serious and in a way, quite simplistically, which I actually like a lot.

One thing I keep hoping to see developed was the relationship between Shaye and detective Lamott, something we keep getting hints of. I know and totally understand how things have been shaped up in a pretty slow burn style, considering Shaye's past and her difficult experiences, but I think that it almost looks like a small contradiction how well leveled and sane Shaye is as a person and then it feels like she uses her past as an excuse to not be with Jackson. I'm not saying they shouldn't take time or get to know each other, which they already do. Maybe I'm not expressing myself well but I just think that after 4 books, Shaye and Jackson could be a step ahead in their relationship.

This brings me to the little detail which made me wrinkle my nose about this book. I did like the overall plot and based on that alone, this books would have been as great as the others. The problem was how the book sort of ended. I wouldn't say this is a cliffhanger, but there's one possibility left in the air which is meant to let the reader think about the "to be continued" notion we often see in continuous series but in this case I can't help but think of it as just a means to keep the overall plot going and it feels like a writing tactic and not as if this new information is a fluid part of the story. It feels like an add on just to create some drama and not a seamlessly and vital element of this story.

At the end, I can't say this was a bad book despite my words on what I liked less, but I expected a bit more in terms of details. Nevertheless, I kept reading because the murder investigation was well done, it's probably not the most complex ever, but it was done well enough.

I'm truly hoping the next one is richer in terms of personality and human interaction's development.

Grade: 7/10

Jana DeLeon - Diabolical

Nine years ago, the police found Shaye Archer wandering in the French Quarter, beaten and abused and with no memory of the previous fifteen years, not even her name. Now, at twenty-four, Shaye is a licensed private investigator, determined to get answers for her clients when the police can’t help. But her last case uncovered more than anyone anticipated, and pieces of Shaye’s missing past have surfaced with unexpected consequences.
She’s starting to remember.
Will Shaye unlock the secrets buried deep in her mind? And more importantly, can she handle the truth if she does? 

Comment: This is the third installment in the Shaye Archer series by Jana DeLeon. In this series, we follow the life of Shaye Archer, a woman with a particular past who now works as a private investigator. This series has been quite interesting and I was very curious to see what secrets were in Shaye's past...

Shaye has been investigating some cases in the past books and the last one has ended up with the revelation her biological mother might have been a link to a man who trafficked humans.

In this third book, Shaye will try to learn more details about her own past and what she finds is quite disturbing. Along with Jackson and other people to help her, Shaye will uncover what has happened to her years ago and what can be happening to a new kidnapped girl in the same conditions as she was, now.

But the truth involves many people and secrets of others who might not be ready for things to become known...

I was quite eager to read this book because this was where, apparently, we would find out about Shaye's past, how she ended up being found the way she did and why her. I liked the story but I confess I expected a bit more in terms of romance development and even the villain wasn't what I imagined. I was more shocked about an unexpected twist than the villain or his reasons.

The plot followed several predictable steps but what I appreciated the most was how one or two characters, good ones I mean, managed to not let themselves be caught by the bad guy. How rare this is in suspense stories! The twist actually has two aspects, the identity of a person of interest from the past which affects Shaye today and how that influenced another situation which - in my opinion was more of a plot shocker than a necessity. I know I'm being vague but reading the books in order will give more impact to this little detail I'm talking about without specifying.

This was a truly addictive book to read, always something happened and because of this it felt kind of a letdown how Shaye herself was just a piece of a puzzle, not the answer to the whole thing. I kind of imagined that considering she's the heroine...it was also too convenient how the bad guy's identity was created...his existence just doesn't make any real sense, I think, especially when it comes to the set of characters we've known since book #1 but whatever...

Shaye is a fascinating character and of course her vulnerable side makes us see her as more "human". I kind of expected all that happens in this book in terms of plot would affect her more heavily emotionally. A romance would be a cliché but welcome manner to allow her to have a "personal" time or something but the relationship never gets to the point...maybe after... well, it's not that the books would be worth only because of that but it would certainly be a cute side element. If only we got more romance sparks happening but no. They feel something they almost get to the point where they discuss it but attention quickly diverges to something else so it feels this aspect is rather dragging. I understand the idea of letting it simmer but a kiss at least would be welcome already.

The next book is coming out or is out recently and I'm looking for to read it as well. At least I can count of a time well spent even with some minor personal quibbles.

Oh and what a creepy cover, isn't it?

Grade: 8/10

Jana DeLeon - Sinister

Street kids are disappearing, but how do you report that to the police when, from their standpoint, the missing people didn’t exist to begin with? Hustle is certain that something bad has happened to his friend Jinx, and the only person he can turn to for help is private investigator Shaye Archer.
Because Hustle helped the young PI while she was investigating her first case, Shaye has already formed an opinion as to his character and believes he’s telling the truth. As she digs deeper into Jinx’s disappearance, she discovers that Hustle’s friend isn’t the only one missing. As a frightening pattern emerges, Shaye wonders if she can find the missing kids…before it’s too late. 

Comment: This is the second installment in the Shaye Archer series by author Jana DeLeon. Having enjoyed the first book, I was curious to see how I would like this one and if it would keep up the good elements from the first story. I was also curious to see if the little glimpses of romance would also be developed further.

In this story, Shaye is asked to help find Hustle's friend Jinx, who is missing. Hustle is a homeless teenager who helped Shaye in her latest case so now he only want her to look for Jinx because the police certainly won't help him. The problem is that homeless kids are disappearing and something or someone must be behind it, especially after one of them is found dead.

Things get even more worrisome when someone tries to get and drug Hustle but he manages to run away and tell Shaye. Will she be able to find what's behind the kidnappings and disappearances of several kids?

I liked reading this story, it was very easy and fluid and it didn't require much thought because the author has given us all the necessary information. If I can fault something is that it wasn't as emotional as I imagined it would be and it certainly didn't advance any hints of romance as I also expected.

The focus of this story is definitely the investigation of the missing teenagers. I think this was an interesting case but there's something in the author0s writing that gave me the impression it wasn't developed as well as it could. It almost felt the writing was a bit too unsure and vague when it came to the investigation process. I feel rather conflicted because I tend to not enjoy too detailed suspense books and here it's the opposite...maybe I'm too picky after all.

Shaye is the key character and I wanted to know her a bit more. I'm sad she has had a bad childhood experience but she did get the upper hand and she got a woman who did the best to offer her stability, so I can understand why Shaye isn't always depressed or detached as often happens in books that are mostly suspense, featuring female main characters. But I also thought I'd be able to get more layers on Shaye, that she would present us with more about her. I'm glad she will eventually solve the mystery of her childhood but I kind of wanted her to show her vulnerable side more at times, to better contract to her public image.

All this to say, I obviously would love her to interact with Jackson a lot more. He is the apparent male protagonist and supposedly they will become a couple? (I hope to see it and not just hear about it on the page)

But their interactions, despite polite and professional, aren't enough in my opinion. No, I don't want them to insta-love or insta-lust one another but I think the romance, if it will indeed be a part of this, is lacking. So much could be seen simply using sexual tensions scenes here and there but the level is way too bland at this point. Maybe the next book will be more obvious.

The plot is solved rather easily, we don't get much motivation from the villains, which I didn't mind not having, but yes, it also means things got a slightly too superficial layer and that means this story didn't feel as passionate or as mysterious as I think the intent was.

I'm still hopeful, though, for the next story.

All in all, a good enough story, it was good to see the recurrent characters again but the writing and the story needs to pack a bit more intensity for it to reach the full potential. My opinion, of course.

Grade: 7/10

Jana DeLeon - Malevolent

Everyone wondered about Shaye Archer’s past. Including Shaye.
Shaye Archer’s life effectively began the night police found her in an alley, beaten and abused and with no memory of the previous fifteen years, not even her name. Nine years later, she’s a licensed private investigator, with a single goal—to get answers for her clients when there aren’t supposed to be any.
And maybe someday, answers for herself.
Emma Frederick thought her nightmare was over when she killed her abusive husband, but someone is stalking her and tormenting her with mementos from her past. With no evidence to support her claims, the police dismiss her claims as post-traumatic stress, but Shaye is convinced that someone is deliberately terrorizing Emma…playing a cat and mouse game with only one goal in mind.
To kill Emma.

Comment: This is the book chosen for this month's pick in the book club I'm more active at the moment. It wasn't my suggestion but like I said before, I try to read the books chosen as much as I can, that's the goal after all. I was a bit doubtful, because I had read something by the author before and wasn't up to my tastes, but I trusted this title wouldn't be like the one I've read and gave it a go.

This is the story of Shaye Archer, a PI just starting her business. She is contacted by Emma Frederick, a woman who thinks she's being stalked by her ex-husband. The problem is she killed her ex when he tried to attack her in the past. But she saw him and it's someone that looks just like he did and now she's getting little things that prove someone knows her very well and her husband too.

Shaye is a recent professional, just out of internship with another PI agency and she also hides a dark past. She was found at 15 with countless marks of abuse but with the help of her foster mother, she grew up to be comfortable, independent, smart, dedicated...and now she wants to help others in a way she was helped too, but in her own way.

Shaye tries to help Emma and it seems she can manage that but then the killer turns his eye on her too...

I was quite surprised by how the author can give this story the right amount of serious tone, something that really doesn't exist in the other book I've read, which I get it's supposed to be comical, but only felt silly to me. This proves the author does structure and does serious tones well.

I still get the feeling this could have been slightly darker with some scene contention... but it turned out to be good enough like this. It has the thriller parts that add suspense and it has more quitter moments to balance and let us rest too.

The story focus on the two women, so we basically follow Emma and Shaye in their different daily steps. There are other important characters and we do have the POV of more people other than Shaye and Emma, which, in a way, is actually good, because we get to experience different takes on things and that shifts the balance and makes it easier to keep reading because we aren't always focused on the bad things or the more darker scenes.

Of course some people might say it's too much and the thriller part looses steam over this. I noticed it here and there, where I thought a more dramatic telling would have increased the story's feel which would suit, but it didn't happen, so... I have mixed feelings about it, but overall I appreciated the multiple POVs.

The intensity of the story probably is one of the things that could have been worked out better. Not that it doesn't give us suspense because it does, but in some moments it feels like we can detach ourselves from the story easily and it seems something is missing. Still, I can't say it's a bad story but it had room for improvement.

The characters are intriguing. Of course Shaye is the most fascinating one due to the way she was found and how she can't remember her past or what happened to her. She has nightmares but she can't remember who hurt her and why... I foresee a gradual increase in her personality development, I can bet she will learn a bit more in every book and that will bring her closer to the truth. She is a strong person, she has some flaws and the mindset of someone who obviously was hurt and is wary but still maintaining a certain intransigency about certain issues that I'm looking for to see developed in further plots.

Emma is interesting too but from the way the story ended, despite understanding why, I still feel she could have turned out to be more important in the big scheme of things, especially in developing a friendship with Shaye, for instance. As for the thriller part, I think she played her part well.

Shaye's family matters too, not only her mother but those she considers family by proximity. This added an interesting support to the structure of the plot because it gave us the idea Shaye isn't just a lone wolf, she has issues but also people to help her.

There are other character, the villain is quite the surprise I thought I had him at some point but in the end I was completely surprised by his identity!

There's also a suggestion of a love interest for Shaye, which I hope will happen because it will be another layer to develop in her character.

The plot is clever but at some points it seems to lack steam or polish enough. I can't tell if it's because it's a first book or just the writing style, but it's there even if doesn't take anything out of the concept. I still think it was an interesting study of what a human person can do and say if "brainwashed" enough. It can be scary how easily affected people can be in the wrong environments.

All in all, this was a good story. I feel very curious about the next one and will try to get it soon to read. As for this one, a nice surprise and a good read for me.

Grade: 8/10

Jana DeLeon - Louisiana Longshot

It was a hell of a longshot...
CIA Assassin Fortune Redding is about to undertake her most difficult mission ever--in Sinful, Louisiana.
With a leak at the CIA and a price on her head by one of the world's largest arms dealers, Fortune has to go off grid, but she never expected to be this far out of her element. Posing as a former beauty queen turned librarian in a small, bayou town seems worse than death to Fortune, but she's determined to fly below the radar until her boss finds the leak and puts the arms dealer out of play.
Unfortunately, she hasn't even unpacked a suitcase before her newly-inherited dog digs up a human bone in her backyard. Thrust into the middle of a bayou murder mystery, Fortune teams up with a couple of seemingly-sweet old ladies whose looks completely belie their hold on the little town. To top things off, the handsome local deputy is asking her too many questions. If she's not careful, this investigation may blow her cover and get her killed.
Armed with her considerable skills and a group of old ladies referred to by locals as The Geritol Mafia, Fortune has no choice but to solve the murder before it's too late. 

Comment: I knew about this book on one of the message forums I belong to. At the time the book was available for free in its kindle format on Amazon and I decided to get it, despite the real annoyance of reading on the PC - because my e reader isn't a kindle. 

Still, it was free and I decided to read it as one of the people who recommended it to me liked it a lot.

By the way, it's still free at this moment.

This is the story of Fortune, a CIA agent that needs to hide because she did something that uncovered her identity to a dangerous man who will want to kill her. She is basically deported to Sinful, Louisiana  where she is supposed to stay hidden, and out of notice. She has a fake identity and needs to stay out of problem until the man after her is caught or killed.

However, things aren't as simple and quiet in small town Sinful and Fortune gets herself in the middle of a murder investigation, she attracts problems everywhere and needs to deal with two old ladies that are more trouble than peacefulness. But what is really happening in such a small town?

Before anything else, this book is meant to be funny. To present a far-fetched plot and a funny/silly development based on some clichés about both CIA agents and small town pace. I get this. I understand the purpose and the techniques used to make it so.

But I don't know how to explain it but this book didn't sound funny at all to me. It just seemed silly and ridiculous.

I mean, I can understand why it's described as funny but I didn't think so.

I don't know if it's me, if it's my state of mind that isn't wired for funny books these days, if the humor used didn't reach me or if I'm just not in the mood, or if it's more an acquired taste than free-for-all, but the truth is, I did not find it funny. 

I just couldn't go past the ridiculousness of things nor the lack of personal development for the main characters. Because this book hits on many clichés and doesn't really aim for evolution, change, growth. Ok, maybe this isn't the goal here, but I still wanted it.

I think this was too aloof and pointless for me.

The characters are meant to act funny but I didn't think so. I just can't explain why my brain couldn't find this funny. Something about it put me off.

The characters are meant to exaggerate the usual things we know about the types of people they meant to represent, thus the clichés. The old ladies should be quiet and fragile but they act so stupid and the final explanation didn't convince me.

Fortune, the main character, gets herself in all kinds of silly situations to emphasize her training as CIA office vs the challenges of rural Louisiana, but frankly, the whole thing sounded stupid. I know, I know there's the intention to bear in mind, but I needed something more, I needed more seriousness, more character growth, more explanations and better plot devices. I don't know, it just didn't work.

The plot was also silly, despite simple. I don't know if it was intended like that or if it's another thing I need to fault in my own taste, but the plot seemed rushed and too indifferent to matter.

All in all, this wasn't the experience I imagined I'd have by reading this book. There are many books that are labeled funny and they actually are so and many aren't described that way but end up being funny. But apparently my taste isn't up to it at this point of my reading habits because recently I tend not to find funny books so. Or maybe what I think is funny isn't and vice versa. 

Anyway it is, this didn't work for me and all aspects, plot, characters, writing and tone weren't up to my taste and unfortunately I can't pretend I liked it, so...

Grade: 3/10