One of the problems coming into a series after several books have already been written is that there is an assumption that the reader already knows a lot about the relationship between the main characters. If a book is good enough I’m happy to wade through it, picking up details as I go along so that by the time I’m finished it all makes sense.

If I reach the point where I realise that I really don’t care about the characters and how they relate to each other then I know this wasn’t the book for me. Unfortunately this is exactly the effect this book had on me.

Anguished by George Encizo is a stop action thriller featuring Sheriff JD Pickens. His small town is beset with several citizens being attached from behind with no known reason or connection. It is up to the Sheriff and his small group of deputies to discover who is behind such heinous crimes and to stop these attacks from continuing. This was a very enjoyable story and I plan to read previous books in this series. Thanks to Gatekeeper Press and NetGalley for this digital copy. #Anguished #NetGalley

This book is the fourth one in the JD Pickens mystery. However, this is the first one for me. One can read it as a standalone which was very nice.

The highlight of the story was JD Pickens. I liked how the author focused on Picken’s family life in the tale more than the crime element. I enjoyed the various emotions he goes through when he finds out what happened to Russell, along with his family. The scenes he shares with Dr. Smathers and Marge are some of the highlights of the tale. Similarly, the story gets interesting when there is an attack on Pickens’s friend Leroy. As such, Leroy and Pickens share a nice friendship. Also, I was curious to see how everything was connected.

In terms of the crime aspect, the story was pretty good. As there are many assaults taking place in the tale, you never really know who is behind. There are multiple suspects, which makes the story intriguing. I liked how Amy and Billy investigate the case and study the suspects. Another exciting part that I liked was Pickens’s conflicting views with Burgess. The scenes where they both argue about how to handle the case were entertaining. However, the case in itself was predictable. It would have been nice if the author had a few more twists and turns. Moreover, the reasons provided in the end for the attacks were not as interesting as I had hoped.

Overall, “Anguished” is an intriguing crime fiction mystery novel to pick up, especially if you are a fan of the series.

Sheriff J D Pickens is beset with problems. His elderly father was mugged, hit from behind over the head and left for dead. His best friend, Leroy Jones, was shot in the back, but survived. There are other attacks causing him to bring in some outside help.

Action-packed from start to finish, suspense maintains a high level of intensity throughout. The characters are solidly drawn. A lot of the book takes a long hard look at J D 's family ... how they all relate to each other ...the dynamics are heartwarming. Although this is 4th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone.

Many thanks to the author / Gatekeeper Press / Netgalley for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

JD's father is viciously attacked, he is in a coma in the hospital. JD and his family were returning from a cruise when all this happened. Now JD blames himself for not being there, even though he has more than capable people working for him. But his father isn't the only one attacked. This story hits the floor running and doesn't stop until the very end. I was engrossed with this story from beginning to end. I am looking forward to the next installment. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.