Despite all that was revealed about Ian Ramseyâs crimes during the Hope Kane criminal trial, Ian Ramsey is still walking the streets as a free man. Prosecutors are hesitant to indict a powerful man like Ramsey, unless they are presented with irrefutable evidence that will guarantee a conviction. Until Ramsey is tried and convicted of his crimes, Hope and her friends, Edward Miller and Annie Sharpe, must live each day in fear of Ramsey taking revenge against them.
In this sequel to A Killerâs Tears (book 2 of 3), Edward forms a new law firm with a surprising new partner to protect his friends from Ramseyâs attacks by resuscitating a prior lawsuit he had commenced against Ramsey for his crimes. He and his partner join forces with a mysterious woman, Jackie Sire, to dig into Ramseyâs world of crimes, only to uncover an unforeseen conspiracy filled with death and deception, and an unimaginably powerful man known as Odin who will do whatever is necessary to protect Ramsey.
Their winner-take-all fight against Ramsey and Odin unfolds in a federal courthouse, where the juryâs verdict unwittingly will determine the life and death of the litigants.
Despite all that was revealed about Ian Ramseyâs crimes during the Hope Kane criminal trial, Ian Ramsey is still walking the streets as a free man. Prosecutors are hesitant to indict a powerful man like Ramsey, unless they are presented with irrefutable evidence that will guarantee a conviction. Until Ramsey is tried and convicted of his crimes, Hope and her friends, Edward Miller and Annie Sharpe, must live each day in fear of Ramsey taking revenge against them.
In this sequel to A Killerâs Tears (book 2 of 3), Edward forms a new law firm with a surprising new partner to protect his friends from Ramseyâs attacks by resuscitating a prior lawsuit he had commenced against Ramsey for his crimes. He and his partner join forces with a mysterious woman, Jackie Sire, to dig into Ramseyâs world of crimes, only to uncover an unforeseen conspiracy filled with death and deception, and an unimaginably powerful man known as Odin who will do whatever is necessary to protect Ramsey.
Their winner-take-all fight against Ramsey and Odin unfolds in a federal courthouse, where the juryâs verdict unwittingly will determine the life and death of the litigants.
Jackie Sire stood at the edge of the cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. A gust of wind or a slip of her foot could send her down hundreds of feet to the sand and rocks below. A certain death. But such thoughts didnât concern Jackie. She stared out into the distance, not much caring about what she was seeing. She sensed movement to her left. She wanted to stay in this moment of emptiness. But once she noticed him, her mind couldnât let go. He was the same dark-haired man taking his morning walk to the rock formations high above the ocean. He never missed a day. His pace had quickened over the months heâd been here, but he never wavered from the path that took him to that spot. He hadnât spoken a word to anyone from the moment he arrived. He never went to the cafeteria for meals. Everything was delivered to his room. He avoided eye-contact with others in public spaces. He ignored everyone who tried to speak to him. Heâd just go about his business. Alone. Silently.
Her mind now was consumed with the dark-haired man. She wondered why he walked to that same spot every morning and always at the same time she chose to come here. Was it the fear that she might jump? Did he have some strange sense of duty to try and save her? Or maybe it had nothing whatsoever to do with her? He may not even have noticed her standing on this ledge. But she noticed him and knew who he was. She also knew exactly why he was here at the facility. It was in February when the windowless van pulled up and she saw a bunch of medics pushing a gurney into the emergency room. She recognized the face of the patient from the television broadcast of the trial. FBI agents formed a perimeter around the entrance, obviously protecting him from a potential threat. They refused to identify him by name. He was called patient 241 because they happened to have stuck him in room 241.
Jackie turned back toward the ocean. The desire to stare out into nothing no longer interested her. She slowly made her way off the large rock she was standing on to head back to the facility. She noticed patient 241 had left his spot. She took another step toward the facility when she saw patient 241 standing a few feet away from her, staring at her. She could see he had put on some weight since completing his treatments. His emaciated body appeared healthier, fuller. His chiseled face seemed to be filling out.
He didnât move. He just stared at her. She tried to walk around him when he gently touched her arm. She turned to him. She noticed his deep-set dark eyes that looked intense, yet kind. âAre you okay?â he asked.
It was the first time sheâd heard his voice, in person anyway. She didnât respond. A moment later, he gave her a smile and started walking back to his spot.
She stared at him for a while. A part of her wanted to say something to him, but she couldnât think of anything to say. She had no idea what to say to a person who was supposed to be dead.
This book is part of a series with the overarching theme of political corruption and power. Tom Rose, a brilliant attorney, needs more than a win in the courtroom. He is determined to shield the people he cares about from a ruthless, connected criminal obsessed with fanatical revenge.
The story begins in a moment of quiet and contemplation, interlacing scenery and conflicted emotions:
He stared out into the ocean, watching the waves roll in and then out. There was a simple predictability that he liked. That brought him to this spot every morning. Why couldn't his own life be predictable?
The author effectively balances action, emotion and mystery. Those elements combined with multidimensional characters enthralled me as I anticipated the next chain of events. The depositions and courtroom drama are intense. At the point when the conclusion seems obvious, surprise elements, such as the revelation of a character's past, step it up by changing the course of the story.
The dialogue reflects the complexities of love and loss:
She had been carrying around a weight she hadn't before noticed - weight of the two men in her life. The thought that she'd be alone brought a smile to her face. She promised from that moment on, she would decide what happiness meant.
I recommend the book to legal thriller fans. However, keep in mind that the book is part of a series. Some authors encapsulate each book of a series so that each adventure has closure before the protagonist moves on to the next. In this case, I think I would have appreciated the book more had I read the prequel. Also, there is a lack of closure in how the ending compels you to read the next book in the series. However, you may want to do just that.