Book Review: Deadly Sins by Kylie Brant

An unknown assassin has appointed himself judge, jury, and executioner, brutally taking out high-level human targets citywide. It's just the kind of case that will test the resolve of a tough FBI agent like Jaid Marlowe. Especially when her new partner is Adam Raiker, Jaid's former colleague-and ex-lover.

As a life-long fan of CSI-type television shows and the like, finding a book series that satisfies that particular itch for me is a pleasure. Kylie Brant's Mindhunters fills all the requirements: brilliant minds solving heinous crimes along with enough romance to entertain but not so much that it takes the focus away from the plot.

Deadly Sins is a book that I have most certainly been looking forward to as it delves into the mystery that is Adam Raiker, former FBI agent and owner of Raiker Forensics, home of the Mindhunters. In each book, enigmatic Adam is dangled in front of the reader without divulging many (if any) of his secrets. How did he lose that eye and why does he walk with a cane? Why did he leave the FBI and start his own company? Who will be the lucky woman to catch his eye and steal his heart? And most importantly, does he wear boxers or briefs? Do tell.

In the interest of keeping this review as spoiler-free as possible, though, there shall unfortunately be no real telling. However, I do have some opinions to share. For instance, I liked Deadly Sins and was quickly wrapped up in the story. Deadly Sins wraps up a multi-book arc involving the aftermath caused by the man who led Adam to leave the FBI and a killer who is enacting revenge against people who have wronged him using a theme from the movie "Seven." Is the killer sending them on a wild goose chase or is the mastermind behind everything seemingly beyond their reach? I was happy to see that the killer wasn't painfully obvious but if I had been using my "There are no extra characters" rule, I probably would have figured it out early on.

As for the romance part, considering the type of man that Adam Raiker is - clever, close-mouthed, and driven - I thought it wise of Brant to have a love interest reenter his life now, rather than having him meet someone new. Adam had been gravely injured and is still recovering; the only way I could see him letting someone close would be if he knew her (and was vulnerable to) when he was still whole. Jaid Marlowe is a good match for him as she has enough spine to stand up to his bullying nature and a big enough heart to not hold it against him (for long). I was relieved when the mystery of her son's father was revealed; I had hoped that Brant wouldn't go there and was pleased when it went in another direction than the obvious.

When's the next book? Hopefully, not too far away. (B)


Kylie Brant's website

Other reviews:
Errant Dreams Reviews
Smexy Books
Love to Read For Fun
Fiction Vixen Book Reviews

Review: Waking Nightmare by Kylie Brant

FIRST HE LEARNS YOUR DARKEST FEARS...THEN HE MAKES YOU LIVE THEM.

With a serial rapist loose on the streets of Savannah, hotshot detective Ryne Robel needs all the help he can get for his task force. And he needs it now, before another woman falls victim. But Abbie Phillips isn't what he bargained for. Sent from an exclusive group of the best criminologists in the country, she's smart, fierce...and distracting. She may be a brilliant forensic profiler, but Ryne needs answers, not psychobabble and head games.

However, Abbie convinces him that head games are exactly what this elusive suspect is all about. The seemingly random acts of torture are actually calculated to match each victim's darkest fears. And the stakes are rising. While they study the devious psychopath, he's watching them - the next objects of his horrifying obsession.

Well, hello Kylie Brant! I think we'll be having a long and entertaining relationship :) In case you missed it, Jane recently reviewed the third book in The Mindhunters series, Waking the Dead, and very much enjoyed it. That gave me the incentive to go ahead and try out the first book, Waking Nightmare, and I have to say that I agree with Jane about pretty much everything. Ryne and Abbie were interesting to watch as they worked together on the case but fought their chemistry. The setting was descriptive and realistic and made me decide that I could never ever live in Georgia since I hate to sweat. I didn't pick the right person to be the villain this time so congrats to Ms. Brant for tricking me. What I found most surprising about this book was that while it was a bit formulaic - the sequence of events in this book is quite similar to Waking the Dead - the bad guy wasn't a murderer but a demented rapist who made sure his victims survived their attack. That was something I wasn't sure I had seen before. I was extremely disappointed to discover this morning that my local B&N didn't have a copy of book two, Waking Evil. I hate when that happens.