Deadly Determination – Review
Written By: I.D. Jackson
Ok, first I’ve just gotta say, Deadly Determination is for adults. There are explicit scenes of violence, sex and language so I would not recommend this to younger readers. Ok, I should also mention that I have been reading a ton, and I mean a ton, of YA books recently. Most YA books are on the shorter side and the “adult” books I’ve read recently have all been on the shorter side as well. Now that I’ve gotten those disclaimers all out of the way, I feel like I may begin my review!
This is not light reading. This is dense, action-packed, multi-layered reading. If you love thrillers and mysteries and getting the most bang for your buck, then this is the book for you! The first couple of chapters feel a little all over the place because you are introduced to a number of characters. It can seem a bit overwhelming but stick with it, there’s a method to Mr. Jackson’s writing. It will all become clear as you continue to read.
It took me a bit longer to get into this book than I think it will for others. I blame this on my own frame of mind. As I mentioned, I’ve been immersed in Young Adult books so it was hard for me to switch gears. But I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. The pieces start to fall into place and all the seemingly separate pieces turn out to interlock in unexpected ways which is highly desired in this genre.
The story opens with the brutal murder of two young lovers. Enter Karen Bellows, the detective in charge of investigating the murders. She must navigate the treacherous path that her investigation leads her down while attempting to keep her personal life on track as well. Neither task will be easy, but the passionate and ambitious detective is determined to succeed on both fronts.
The characters are well written, there are no two-dimensional good guys and bad guys here. Even the “good guys” have their skeletons. Without giving too many spoilers, you find out relatively quickly that one of the police officers is “dirty” and though I usually despise dirty cops, Jackson does such a magnificent job of developing the character that by the end of the story I actually felt sorry for him and thought he got a raw deal. I can’t remember the last time a character earned my sympathies so begrudgingly.
The twists and intrigue pick up their pace after the first few introductory chapters and will leave you turning page after page to see what happens next. The only qualm I have with the ending and I feel a bit nit-picky even saying it, but I would have liked to see a bit more foreshadowing throughout the book. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the ending was unbelievable or completely out of left-field because it absolutely wasn’t and it still felt satisfying which is what you want in an ending.
We’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing Mr. Jackson here on The Writing Piazza, you can read it HERE. And I’m so glad he reached out to ask me to read this book.
I’ll give it
out of five ink pens.