Thursday, December 10, 2015

All in by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

All in is the third book in The naturals series so this review contains ***SPOILERS*** if you have not read the first books in the series.  This is one series where you really need to read the books in order so make sure you read The naturals and Killer instinct before you read All in.

Life has been rather interesting for Cassie over the past year, mostly because she has finally found an "honest" use for the skills her mother taught her when she was growing up.  Becoming part of the Naturals programme has given Cassie a new family, one that has just as many quirks as she does, and while she may have been kidnapped by more than her share of psychopaths things are starting to feel right.  That balance and sense of calm vanishes when her father tells her that they have found a body, a woman's remains buried with her mothers necklace and a shawl soaked in her blood.  

It couldn't have happened at a worse time either, because a new killer has appeared on the scene and the Naturals are going to need all their wits about them if they are to discover who is at the centre of the current case of mad genius serial killer.  There are rocky times ahead for the Naturals and all of them seem to be dealing with their personal demons at a time when they should be focused on the calculating killer who is leaving their mark on Las Vegas.  As they rush towards the killer Cassie tries to deal with her own problems, but as she soon discovers the world is never black and white, and sometimes what you see (or think you see) isn't what you get - or what you want.

All in is the latest offering in The naturals series which has been moving from strength to strength with each new book.  I have very high expectations for this series because of how well the first two books were written and All in makes a very welcome addition to this series.  While each of the books is written as it's own unique case, there are storylines which weave the wider story arc together - most notably in this book the loss of Cassie's mother and her search for answers.  This time we also learn more about Sloane and her background, as well as expose more of the complicated story (and walking contradiction) that is Lia.  These are characters that live and breath on the page, mostly the teenagers that are the core of the story, but we are slowly learning more about Judd and the FBI agents that round out the cast.

This is one of those horrible series to review because the parts that make the series so amazing are the little twists and turns that keep you wondering if you have unraveled the clues correctly - the little hints and clues that test your ability to sort the truth from the lies.  Jennifer Lynn Barnes has made a real niche for herself over the past few years, writing books that blend human psychology with action and thriller elements that keep you hooked from the first page.  The only betrayal I feel is that there has not been a sequel to Every other day - but I hope that she will return to that world one day for another adventure.  This is an amazing series that defies being placed in a gender or age specific box, although because it deals with serial killers mid to older teens are probably the best market.

I have one word to finish this review; ENJOY!

If you like this book then try:
  • I hunt killers by Barry Lyga
  • Acceleration by Graham McNamee
  • Hate list by Jennifer Brown
  • Guy Langman, crime scene procrastinator by Josh Berk
  • A girl named Digit by Annabel Monahgan
  • The Christopher killer by Alane Ferguson
  • Nickel plated by Aric Davis
  • Dead to you by Lisa McMann
  • Crime seen by Jenny Pausacker
  • Burning blue by Paul Griffin
  • Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
  • Such a pretty girl by Laura Wiess
  • Living dead girl by Elizabeth Scott

Reviewed by Brilla

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