Three Conspiracy Theorists Collide With Reality

A character named Caterpillar just killed an agent of the pedophile cabal known as the Circle that controls the government, police, media, etc. He starts removing the teeth as a mic and GPS tracker are embedded in them. He’s not sure if the removed are the correct teeth, so he starts pulling a third tooth. Also, he is being bugged with texts from the Red Queen. He becomes frustrated and realizes a hammer would be quicker to destroy the mic and GPS tracker. From this strange start, the novel proceeds.

There two main storyline threads. The first thread has two sides. The first side is from the aspect of the Watchers primarily, Caterpillar, Red Queen and Hatter, and each has a voice in telling their side of the story. The second thread is primarily told by Abby Mullen in three roles, negotiator, investigator, and mother. Once I finished the start that seem to be a puzzling and dystopian start with persons named based on Lewis Carroll characters, the above watchers arrive at a local high school with guns to rescue the young children being auctioned off. Their situation goes south very quickly, and hostages are taken. The tension and danger go off the chart that quickly tighten the grip on my interest. The cat and mouse interaction between the Watchers and the police added an additional layer of tension and danger that ensured that I could not stop reading until the end of the novel.

The storyline threads within the high school are narrated by each of the three watchers and Samantha, Abby’s daughter. This slowed the progress of the storyline but gave me a better picture by seeing what was happening from several aspects that provided a rich view of the unfolding events and the actions of the participants. The voice switching back and forth did not hinder my understanding the action in this novel. Samantha plays a significant role in this novel that increased my reading enjoyment. As the storyline proceeds, there are several what I call literary grenades that dramatically change my understanding of the events and how they fit together.

Besides the usual thoughts, conversations, actions to portray the B-storyline, there is one major thread is a continuation from the first novel and will continue into the next novel. It involves Abby Mullen’s childhood survival from the Wilcox Cult Massacre where she was one of three surviving children while 59 others died in the fire. This aspect adds to her being a full rounded character. This thread did intersect with a main storyline thread in an interesting way and had a surprising literary grenade in it also. As the novel ends, this thread rises to a crescendo and is essential the main thread at the end of the novel.

This novel can be read as a standalone as adequate background is provided. Even the multi-novel thread can stand alone. If you have read the first novel, this thread brings a new understanding to this thread in that novel.

For the aspects that can turn some readers off, there are not any intimate scenes, but there were attempted assaults on women. There were only two vulgar words but mostly rude language mixed with some low-level impious language. Violence is presented in the more edgy as it occurs, but they are not over-the-top. I do not believe that most readers will not find any issues with this book.

What contributed to my thorough enjoyment in reading this book was the high level of suspense due to the constant threat that mortal danger could erupt and endanger the hostages. The author used the view from both the perpetrators and victims. The storyline even evoked some sympathy from me for one of the watchers. By the end, all loose ends were tied up except the continuing multi-novel thread. I have read some of this author’s works before, including his Zoe Bentley series and the first in this series. Reading this novel has kept Mike Omer in my highest category as a Must-Read author. I recommend reading this novel and am looking forward to reading further books and series from this author. I rate this novel with five stars.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Wow! This one is intense. It hit home as I know this conspiracy theory stuff is very prevalent today. Action packed and full of suspense this book will have you holding your breath. I love Abby. She's complex. And I really love Carver and his wry sense of humor. We learn new things related to the Wilcox cult. I can't wait to see where it goes from here. There were several twists and stunning revelations. I'm loving this new series!

Quite an impressive read with multiple twists keeping the reader attracted. Clever, humorous, satirical writing, contrasting with the suspense of the story line. The timeline changes back and forth, which seemed confusing, but after a bit, makes perfect sense, a clever formula to present the storyline.

Read this! If you have started and are unsure if you want to keep going, give it another chapter or two, it will grab you! I downgraded to 4 stars simply because it took me several chapters to get hooked.

This book took me a little while to get into. Possibly because the people were so crazy that they reminded me of people during this pandemic which is a frightening thought . Anyways I am anxiously awaiting the next book so we can find out more about the creepy cult guy who js alive!!!!!!!

4.5⭐

Damaged Intentions may be the second in the Abby Mullen thriller, but it's my first introduction to the series and author and what a thrilling page turning introduction it was, and honestly I never once felt like I was missing out having not read the first.

But it's now firmly on my list of books to read. As this was such a gripping, detailed, at times horrifying yet totally convincing tale, and as the story progressed the tension really ramped up, which I loved, and it made it such a rush to read. Which is why I would happily recommend Damaged Intentions to others.

This was a great sequel with the same suspense and humor that marked the first one!

Book One, Deadly Influence, left us on a cliffhanger (Uh… I just started writing hangover, maybe that’s how it left you, who’s to say…) and this book picks up two months later.

As with the first book we have two plot lines.

The first is the continued thread of Abby Mullen, cult survivor, trying to figure out what happened the night of the infamous fire and who she’s been communicating with via text, having just discovered it’s not the person she thought it was.

The second is the driving force of the book— a group of conspiracy theorists known as The Watchers is convinced a sex-trafficking ring is happening at a high school and attempts to ‘rescue’ the kids but find themselves in a standoff with the police, holding hostages, and slowly spiraling into chaos.

Hence- damaged intentions. Good intentions can help people but they can also kill all of mankind. (That is a dramatization that does not depict any scene in this book but is nonetheless worth pondering.)

Abby Mullen is their negotiator and we are reminded that Mike Omer has been subtly equipping us as readers on how to become fluent in negotiating techniques. Thanks for looking out! I’ve been practicing on my kids and if I could just get the ‘keeping my voice calm’ aspect down, I think I could give Mullen a run for her money!

Omer has created great characters, his humor is spot-on, and he continues to throw in surprises at just the right times!

My one critique is some of the content— swearing and some descriptions of the perv’s activities. Don’t really like reading that.

But overall I’ve really enjoyed this series and am looking forward to more of his books!


BONUS:

Also, using my powers of observation I have figured out his method of titling his books and have taken it upon myself to offer suggestions for his next books that I think he will find most helpful should he ever read my phenomenal review.

- Destroyed Identity (boring but compelling)
- Dissected Imposter (this could get gruesome)
- Dented Impala (I’m envisioning an epic car chase which may make a better screenplay than a book)
- Deducted Income (hello white collar crime)
- Dedicated IRS (a surprise look into the real people behind the curtain of hate)
- Delineated Integers (a math genius murderer?)
- Dropped Icees (the biggest disaster I could think of)
- Disgusted Idiots (I have no ideas for this one but I’m sure we could come up with something worth reading)

**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

I received a free digital ARC from Thomas & Mercer via NetGalley. This second book in the Abby Mullen thrillers continues to expand on Abby’s history growing up in a cult, however it also puts Abby front and center in her profession as an NYPD hostage negotiator. Abby is in the middle of a negotiation that spans most of the book and it quickly becomes quite personal involving her daughter’s high school as well as her history in the Wilcox Cult.

I quite enjoy Abby Mullen’s characterization as well as the secondary characters, including Abby’s daughter and the conspiracy theorist Watcher’s attacking Abby’s daughter school. I’m thoroughly intrigued by the descriptions of the hostage negotiation process. I found this second installment more forced in intertwining major plot points, but I was so invested in the characters that I can let my issues slide. I’m now anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before it is published.

FYI - I might get slightly ~political~ in this review. Full disclaimer: I did not read the first book in this series, but that didn't impact my understanding of the characters or plot.

THE PLOT

NYPD Hostage Negotiator Abby Mullens is back. Her mission: get her daughter Sam back from a group of unhinged conspiracy theorists who have kidnapped Sam and are holding her hostage at her school. To free her daughter, Abby must dig deep into the ring leader's background and discover what's REALLY going on. And while all this is going on, Abby is still dealing with keeping her ties to the Wilcox cult in the past, but someone doesn't want her to let go.

MY OPINNI

When I finished this book, I wanted to kiss my Kindle. Brave Mike Omer. I'm usually not a fan of books by male authors (idk why... the writing style doesn't appeal to me), but this book was fantastic. My original rating was to give it a 4.5/5, but I couldn't decide if I wanted to round up or down, so I slept on it. And when I awoke after a crazy dream, I decided to round down.

Before I get into why I rounded down, let me focus on what the author did well—really well.

1. Storyline. I'll admit, that scene at the old cop's place had a bit discouraged when two entire pages were used to describe his dog's behaviour, but the book quickly found its pace from there. The storyline was executed beautifully; I loved the alternating POVs in ONE scene to describe how everyone felt. It was like watching a movie. This is tricky to do, but Omer somehow made it clear who's POV it was without using sub-headers. Props to him... This is proof he created specific voices/behaviours for each character that were discernible; not an easy task by any means.

2. SOCIAL COMMENTARY ON POINT. I lived in the US when Trump got elected/alt-right really started gathering momentum, so reading about the Watchers (fictional QAnon) was a treat. He nailed it. Without SAYING it, Omer artfully revealed WHY people get involved in conspiracies. For example:

"...Then he found the videos. Talking not just about FEMA but about Big Pharma and child slavery and rising unemployment, and it struck a cord with him. His mom had died from cancer. He'd lost his job because it had been outsourced to India. Things clicked together. It all made sense."

Also... without giving too much away, but one of the final scenes aptly demonstrated how suffocating it is to believe in conspiracy theories. It's an endless black hole... You suspect one thing will happen, and then when it doesn't, your reaction is to think up ANOTHER conspiracy theory to explain why your first conspiracy theory didn't materialize. Omer did a FANTASTIC job at getting in the head of conspiracy theorists and explaining their behaviour. The social commentary alone is 5 stars.

3. Writing quality was good. Well above average. He cracked some jokes, and the dialogue between characters was efficient and effective. No monologuing or using overly flowery language that no regular degular person would use. I loved how he used dialogue to show personality... NYPD cop Mitch is a great example. I could just picture Mitch without having to read 10 lines describing his appearance. Kudas, Omer.

4. The ending wasn't annoying. Most authors seem to walk toward the ending and then sprint through it, leaving much to be explored and explained. Omer wrapped it all up nicely, and then took a sharp left turn to set up a cliffhanger for the third instalment of this series. I will definitely be picking up book #3 because of the cliffhanger.

Whoaaaa Nelly, this review is turning into a book report. Anyways. Here's why I knocked this down to 4 stars:

1. Sam is 14 but had her shit way too together. She was going all Abby Mullen, and it was just too unrealistic. Also, one of the final scene was a little too Rambo for me. I hope she gets some therapy.
2. The underlying storyline with Wilcox cult seemed like an afterthought until the very end. When Abby received a concerning message from fake Isaac... maybe you want to share that with your colleagues??? No??? Ok, cool. Good choice. Also, the revelation of fake Isaac's identity felt a little anti-climatic and flat, considering.... No spoilies so you're gonna have to read for yourself.
3. Not major but the gratuitous sex scene at the end. K. Unnecessary and just felt like I was reading some teenager's wet dream fantasy. It was awkward and I skimmed through it.

WHEW. We're almost there... It's time for...

PROS AND CONS
Pros: Main storyline, characters, social commentary, ending
Cons: Sam's character being a little TOO mature for 14, underlying storyline barely touched on until the end, some male gaze-y scenes

If you've made it this far... READ THIS BOOK!!!!!

I read the first book in this series, A Deadly Influence, back in November. I couldn’t wait for this one to come out, I was hooked on Abby Mullens story. In the last couple months I haven’t been able to get that book out of my mind, so I requested an Arc from NetGalley. Now I have the dilemma of already wanting the third book before the second book is available for purchase. NYPD negotiator Abby Mullens is back. Her daughter’s school was attacked by a group of paranoid conspiracy theorists. She must remain calm and dig up as much information on them as she can to negotiate the safe return of the several hostages, including her 14 year old daughter. All while Abby’s past is creeping into her present. Damaged Intentions is well written, keeps you on the edge of your seat, and has wonderfully developed characters. The way each character is written, I feel as if I’m experiencing every thing along side them. The references are genius. These are the first books I’ve read by this author. I am curious to check out his other works, but my TBR is already so long as it is.

I'm so intrigued by cults so this series was always going to be a winner for me. I did go back and make sure to read book 1 first and I would definitely recommend reading them both just to get more of Abby's history. Plus I did prefer book 1. I found this one a bit slow to get going and some parts of the hostage situation dragged, but it is still a great read that kept me engaged until the end. I had no idea how or if they were going to be able to diffuse the situation.

Abby is such a badass and her daughter has obviously inherited some of that. I enjoyed getting to see more of her family. We also got more of an insight into the Wilcox cult and it's leader as well as how difficult it is to get out of a cult and what she had to go through as a child.

I really hope the ending means we are getting an Abby Mullen & Zoe Bentley crossover. I definitely need more from this series

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

As someone with a relative that believes the QAnon theories, Damaged Intentions hit a little close to home. Because “the Watchers” in the story are obviously based on the QAnon nut jobs. And Omer totally gets how they think. I’ve heard some of the exact same phrases that are used here in the book.
But the real draw of this story is Abby Mullins. She’s overcome a past that also centered on a cult of nut jobs. And now, she’s not only a police detective, she’s the mother of a high schooler being held hostage by a few Watchers. She is just a great main character - doing her best and stressed to the max that every decision is the wrong one. Sam is another great character. She’s her mother’s daughter. Scared but able to maintain a level of cool.
This was a well crafted mystery with some great twists. I will be looking forward to the next in the series. The way the book ends, I’m thinking the next book may include Zoe Bentley. I would advise starting with the first book in the series to get the full flavor of Abby’s background.
My thanks to Netgalley and Thomas &Mercer for an advance copy of this book.

With all due respect to Mike Omer, this was not one of my favorite reads. I didn't feel that it was similar to the books I've read by him in the past. I honestly tried giving it a chance. I would pick it up, read a bit, and put it down.

I was totally lost! Thank you NetGalley for the A/C.

This was a great story with an intriguing plot and an appealing main character. I found it well paced and it held my interest.

I wanted so badly to love this one. I am a HUGE Mike Omer fan but this one just wasn't my favorite.

The whole idea of this dark web type online group was just a miss for me. I totally understand that these crazy groups exist, but this one was just so crazy and so bizarre that it seemed highly implausible, and I had a really difficult time getting into it.

It started out good and then there was a bunch of jumping around. Like 4 different points of view in one chapter. No names to connect just a possible mental hallucination or 3 different secret groups. I wasn't really sure what was going on. I did not finish it.

Not the twistiest book of Mike Omer's that I've read, but there were still plenty of turns along the way. We follow Abby Mullen, a trained negotiator and former cultist, as she deals with questioning her own memory, rescuing her daughter from a hostage scenario, and infiltrating the Watchers conspiracy group. This book reads realistically, as I could imagine all of this happening in real life. The added detail of having the members of the Watchers be nicknamed after Lewis Carroll characters was amazing. The most interesting thread of this series remains - that of the Wilcox cult - and I can't wait to see more of it in the next book.

*Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This author has woven a story of mystery and mayhem with family included. This is an unusual story told with the authority of what is really happening in this family...along with the intrigue. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. It is an unusual story that is difficult to put down. Maybe a few too many real details.

I will preface this by saying, I really wanted to like this book. I greatly enjoyed the first book in the series, so I looked forward to learning more about Abby and her backstory. Unfortunately, this book went on just a bit too long. I was disappointed that a majority of the story centered around the hostage/negotiation situation, and I found myself wanting it to just end already. That said, the last 10% made me glad that I stuck it out, and I'll give book 3 a try once it comes out...cautiously.

Mike Omer does it again. Damaged Intentions: Abby Mullen Thrillers (2) is a great book. I could not get enough of this story. At first, I wasn't too sure, but as the story progressed, the action had some heart-pounding scenes and non-stop action. The characters were interesting and written with depth and were realistic.
The story is well-paced and provides more insight into Abby's background and storyline. Readers new to Mike Omer and this series may want to start at the beginning.

Damaged Intentions is a good book and series for those who like police procedural and crime thrillers.

#DamagedIntentions #NetGalley

So I thought this story was going one way and then it took an entirely different direction with the focus on a hostage situation at a school. but more of Abby’s backstory comes out along with its own mysteries. Fun ride.

I was given a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.