★★★★
A fan of the Eve Duncan series, the Kendra Michael series is a must read. I remember when I first read of Kendra in the Eve Duncan books. I thought she was spunky girl who was amazing. For some reason, I missed that there was an entire series spin-off dedicated to Kendra who is now grown up. As what I always do when I find a series I love, I get caught up on it. In roughly 4 days, I am now up to date. Hope you guys enjoy going along for the ride with me. I'll space out the reviews so it doesn't become boring.
This first book dives right into the mystery. Kendra's ability to notice every little detail and then interpret it is amazing. It is also inspiring. This make her ideal to help out with homicide cases. I'm a little baffled by the lack of monetary payment for her help, but she does have a real job - music therapist to reach out to those who are unable to communicate for various reasons. Kendra is the kind of person who doesn't mean to make people look bad or be a slacker, but she does just by being who she is. This can rub people the wrong way. For me, I'd love to learn from her and become more observant. Just by reading about how she notices things and puts two to two together, makes me want to try to do it too.
If you ever watched Sherlock on BBC with Benedict Cumberbatch and you loved how he solved mysteries, then you will love this series. Kendra's character predates the way Cumberbatch plays Sherlock and it makes me wonder if possibly if the screen writers read this series.
What I like about this book is that it is focused on the mystery instead of the romance. This is more suspense and forcing people to think harder and try to draw the same conclusions as Kendra makes. Basically, it demonstrates critical thinking which is sorely lacking in today's society. I love it.
The serial killer aspect can be gruesome for some, but I am quite jaded so it was fine for me. The tension created by racing against time to save a former lover and friend adds an element of urgency to the story. And it also makes the book flow at a faster pace. For me, it's a nice rush and enjoyable. This suspense is recommended to readers who enjoyed shows like Sherlock, Hannibal and Dexter.
