Cover Image: Unexpected Partners

Unexpected Partners

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I loved the author's debut book, the dark supernatural thriller Mercy so picking up her second book should be a no-brainer. Except that the blurb sounds like a lot of other cop thrillers--another variation of an overdone theme? To be honest, it's getting harder and harder to tell them apart. Even the names of the main characters have a tendency to run together when you've read a dozen or more of them. (well, except for Sanne and Meg, you can't ever confuse those two)

So, is this yet another forgettable, run-of-the-mill crime thriller? Fortunately, no. There's enough different here to actually make an impression. And worth picking up.

Chloe is a behavioral profiler with the Boston PD known for her uncanny ability to get victims to talk. What no one knows is that her special 'talent' might have come from a very dark place--from being a victim herself, of a crime so horrific even her mind refuses to remember most of it.

Dana is a detective in the "family justice" unit of the Boston PD. Four years ago, she lost her wife to an unsolved murder. Life has to go on. But her love life doesn't.

A chance cafe meet and mutual interest in running sets up possibilities. But before anything has a chance to start, Chloe comes face to face with her bogeyman. In her own police station....striding in confidently and smiling coldly at her, as if he owns the world, which he probably does. And thus begins a tale of a thrilling and chilling cat and mouse chase. But who's the cat and who's the mouse?

Despite the very dark subject matter, the author strikes a good balance between dread and despair, humor and sweetness. The good gals are smart and capable. And so is the bad buy. They're pretty evenly matched throughout. There is no damsel in distress here. Well there are, but they both give as good as they take. There's a dog who must have been a cop in a previous life, or a wrestler. Lots of twists and turns, some more believable than others.

But here's the thing I really liked about the book. The main characters are damaged and they've suffered greatly but they're not incapacitated or beat down by it. Not when it matters anyway. Chloe in particular. She may seem like the distressed damsel in this situation but there's a reason she lived. She's an incredible fighter and go-getter. Whether it's because she's faced down death before and knows the fragility of life, or she's just the type of person to grab the bull by the horns, there's not much beating about the bushes when it comes to what she wants. Well, not that there's any opportunity to indulge, what with psycho running loose. :) Readers expecting a deep dive into the women's emotional issues will need to look elsewhere. These women have had years to deal with it and it's not the main subject of the book. They're doers. And getters. And when everything is on the line, nothing is off the table, not even their lives.

Overall the book is a very entertaining thriler, with emphasis on "entertaining". Good pacing and sustained tension throughout. It spends just the right amount of introspection to get us inside the characters but doesn't dwell too long there to bog down the pace. A slew of interesting characters support our leads, most notable of which is the K-9. The only negative I can think of is probably the extended ending. Now that went from thriller to rom-com territory fast. Fan service time? Lol. The romantic reader in me loved it though.

4.5 stars

P.S. Couple of loose ends I noticed, despite the extended ending attempting to close every single one. Who owns the finger? And why was the bad guy in the station in the first place?

Also, there's a bit of an issue with the blurb. A single extra letter. Chloe had, a fiancé, not fiancée.

Was this review helpful?

This story has been a little inconsistent and quite incoherent, as if the author was not clear on how to develop it.  Neither the title makes sense.

On the one hand is Dana, who at the beginning of the book is presented as blocked against any relationship because of the traumatic loss of her wife. On the other hand is Chloe, who at the beginning is presented as an excellent professional in the field of police psychology, recently arrived in Boston to work in the same police station as Dana.

And suddenly and because of a situation that ignites Chloe's seemingly dormant post-traumatic syndrome, she becomes a different woman, terrified and insecure and Dana suddenly overcomes her reluctancy with trying a new romantic relationship.

From here, the changes in the behavior of the two protagonists are a bit dizzying. And it does not help that the plot is inconsistent and at times surprising in a not very positive way.

Without going into many details, in my opinion, in the romantic side the book has no special interest because of its lack of meaning in many moments. And the police plot is completely incredible and very poorly developed, from start to finish. Neither the dog, Taz, with all its weirdness, has seemed totally interesting.

I'm very sorry but I can not recommend this book. Definitely the previous book of this author is infinitely better and much more advisable.

Was this review helpful?

I usually only give 4 stars to a book I’d possibly re-read, but I’m breaking that rule here, because I will not be re-reading this. I haven’t read this author before, and the book itself is well-written, but just too dark for me. I knew it was a cop drama, but the psycho in this book was too much for me. I loved both main characters and how they connected despite (though probably because) of what they’d been through, but there was way too much Silvio in this book for me.

Maribel, Charlie and Taz are also great characters (though I agree with Dana, Taz is a weird dog), and the way they work together to get justice was great, and I loved how strong both women were (especially Chloe given what happened to her) but like I said, the rest was just too dark. Maybe it’s a reflection of all the “me too” stuff going on, but I can’t take reading about this stuff in my down time. It feels like is everywhere else already.

That said, Michelle Larkin is a great writer, and the characters were compelling and totally deserved the HEA. I’d read something by her again, but will have to wait and see if she branches out from cop stories. If you like thriller cop stories, this one should suit just fine

Was this review helpful?

I did not know what to expect from this book as I had not read any books by Ms. Larkin, nor a book about two women who fall in love. The attraction and love that slowly developed between the two women was done in a tasteful and caring manner. Dr. Chloe Maddox had been a victim of a serial killer. When she was abducted, her husband was killed and she is the only victim that survived. Chloe was a police officer at the time and has since joined the Boston Police Department as a behavioral profiler. She meets Boston P.D. Detective Dana Blake whose wife was also a victim of the same killer. The police believe they know who the serial killer is, but have not been able to get enough evidence against him. When the killer comes after Chloe to finish what he started, her police trained dog, Taz, Dana and the department will be there to make sure he does not succeed. I really enjoyed this book, the strength of the characters, the action and unique storyline. I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to give an honest review. (by paytonpuppy)

Was this review helpful?