Review: Why the Devil Stalks Death by L.J. Hayward

Why the Devil Stalks Death (Death and the Devil, #2)
by L. J. Hayward
Self-published
LGBT, action, mystery, romance

Jack Reardon uncovers secrets for a living, and the Meta-State spy is pretty good at it. Or rather he thought so until he met Ethan Blade—assassin, warrior, enigma. The unlikely pair have decided to give living together a shot, but Jack’s not entirely certain what he’s gotten himself into—or exactly who he’s in it with.

Jack’s worries are compounded when he’s assigned to a police strike force hunting a serial killer. With each new puzzle piece, Jack considers the true nature of a serial killer—and how similar it is to an assassin. To one particular assassin who’s having trouble adjusting to retirement. Jack’s unsure how to help Ethan—or if he even can.

When the killer strikes close to home, Jack must race against the clock to stop another murder, despite the price someone has put on his head. Could the matters be connected? Is a certain assassin at the centre of both? Surrounded by killers, the only one Jack wants near disappears, leaving Jack drowning in secrets. He’ll have to do what he does best—unravel the secrets, including Ethan’s—to stop the killer and save the life he and Ethan have only just begun to build.

I'm supposed to write coherent and detailed reviews, but you know what, I LOVE this series. I adore Jack and Ethan (together and separately). All the action and the twists and turns are intense and captivating. Why the Devil Stalks Death has everything the other book and novellas have and naturally I devoured it.

Death and the Devil is one of my favourite series and I highly recommend everyone to pick it up. (For more detailed review of the series, check out my review of the first book in the series.)

5 of 5 stars

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Review: Prince of Killers by Layla Reyne

Prince of Killers (Fog City, 1)
by Layla Reyne
Self-published
LGBT, contemporary, romance, action, suspense

No indiscriminate killing. No collateral damage. No unvetted targets.

These are the rules Hawes Madigan lives by. Rules that make being Fog City’s Prince of Killers bearable. Soon, he’ll be king—of an organization of assassins—and the crown has never felt heavier. Until the mysterious Dante Perry swaggers into his life.
Dante looks like a rock god and carries himself like one too, all loose-limbed and casually confident. He also carries a concealed weapon, a private investigator’s license, and a message for the prince. Someone inside Hawes’s organization is out to kill the future king.

In the chaos that follows the timely warning, Hawes comes to depend on Dante. On his skills as an investigator, on the steadiness he offers, and on their moments alone when Hawes lets Dante take control. As alliances are tested and traitors exposed, Hawes needs Dante at his back and in his bed. But if the PI ever learns Hawes’s darkest secret, Hawes is sure to get a knife to the heart—and a bullet to the brain—instead.

There’s no shortage of twists and turns in this new romantic suspense trilogy from Layla Reyne. Prince of Killers is book one of three. Fair warning: buckle up, cliffhangers ahead!

Prince of Killers is action packed, full of twists and secrets, and it's fun and sexy. The story follows Hawes Madigan, who leads an organization of assassins and who is threatened by unknown opposition inside his own organization, and Dante Perry, who waltzes into Hawes's life with a warning of a traitor. There's dangerous situations and Dante offers his expertise, but Hawes is not sure if he can trust the private investigator who appeared out of nowhere.

It's a fast paced journey with fascinating characters. I like Hawes, because he's loyal to his siblings, good at what he does, but not afraid to lean on Dante when he needed help. Holt and Helena, Hawes's twin and sister, are likable too: Holt is a hacker extraordinaire and dedicated to his infant daughter, and Helena is a spitfire (you don't want to face her in a fight!). Dante's interesting, because he's laid back, reads a lot, and is very sure of himself. And yes, there's sizzling chemistry between Hawes and Dante.

I recommend Prince of Killers for everyone who enjoys romantic suspense with plenty of action and twists - both the ones you see coming and the ones that surprises you. It's a book that's easy to devour since it's very addicting and fast paced. I love a story like that - especially when there's a lot of action mixed with fascinating characters and budding romance that has all the chemistry it needs.

It'll be interesting to see where Reyne takes this series, particularly after the cliffhanger ending; the next one, King Slayer, will be from Dante's point of view, so it'll be fascinating to see if my opinion of characters and their actions change.

4 of 5 stars

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(A copy of this ebook was provided in return for an honest review.)

Review: The Traitor by Allen Zadoff

The Traitor (The Unknown Assassin, #3)
by Allen Zadoff
Published by Orchad Books
YA, thriller, action

In the third and final installment in the Unknown Assassin trilogy, Boy Nobody is on the run from The Program and uncovers a secret about his past that forces him to decide where his loyalties lie.

The Program has sent Boy Nobody on countless missions, instructed to kill whichever target he was given. But now, after going rogue, he is on his own mission to rescue his friend Howard who was captured by The Program. Boy Nobody manages to free Howard as well as Tanya, a mysterious girl who was being held with him. Howard and Tanya help Boy Nobody collect information about his father, eventually revealing a dangerous secret that teaches Boy Nobody a valuable lesson - he can't trust anyone.

I went in expecting the unexpected and got ready for a roller coaster of action and thriller, and based on the blurb, very much expecting Zach going rogue and finally question The Program like never before. The Traitor delivered on most of my expectations, yet it wasn't as good as the first two installments. I was glad that Howard got bigger role because he's just adorable and his hacking skills are mad, and finally there was more about Zach's father and the mystery behind the Program.

The Traitor's biggest problem for me was repetitiveness. I could see the twists coming, I knew who not to trust just based on what happened in the first two books. I knew the mysterious girl was not innocent and I knew Zach would fall for it, because it seemed that sassy tough girls are his weakness. The first book in the trilogy was good, captivating and surprising, but The Traitor failed to surprise me. I was still a bit captivated, mostly waiting to see everything unravel and coming to an end. However, the ending was another problem. It was disappointing ending, very abrupt and didn't offer closure at all. It felt like there was a few chapters missing! Such a shame that ending like that kind of ruins the book and trilogy as it doesn't feel satisfying at all.

I had a hard time to decide on the rating. It wasn't on the par with the first two, which I gave each four stars, and I almost gave it two stars because that's how disappointed I was at the end. In the end, I decided to settle on three stars, because The Traitor was a fast paced and it kept me captivated, even if the element of thrill and surprise wasn't so strong because of the repetitiveness.

3 of 5 stars.

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