Mindy Mejia's *A World of Hurt* is an engaging thriller that merges fast-paced action with emotional depth, though it occasionally stumbles in its execution. As a sequel to *To Catch a Storm*, it stands on its own but benefits from familiarity with its predecessor.

The story revolves around Kara Johnson, a former drug trafficker dealing with profound guilt and grief, and Max Summerlin, a determined police officer struggling with chronic pain. Both characters are well-crafted, and their partnership is fraught with tension, mistrust, and a shared sense of desperation. Mejia’s exploration of pain—both physical and emotional—adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, making it more than just a standard thriller.

However, while the book excels in character development and suspenseful moments, the pacing can be uneven at times, with some parts dragging slightly before the action picks up again. The twists are compelling, but not all of them land as effectively as they might have, leaving some plot threads feeling a bit underdeveloped.

Overall, *A World of Hurt* is a solid follow-up that will satisfy fans of the first book and those who enjoy thrillers with emotional and psychological depth. It's a gripping read, even if it doesn’t quite reach the heights it aims for, earning it a respectable 3.75 stars, rounded up.

A world of hurt is the follow-up to to catch a storm. The story alternates between Kara, a grief stricken former drug dealer, and max, the cop assigned to Kara. Karas girlfriend Sam died in her place and Kara has spent the rest of her time not forgiving herself for the loss of Sam. Even though they don’t trust each other, Kara and Sam join forces when Kara is given an ultimatum, either go to jail to become an informant for the dea to bring down a king pin drug dealer. The two don’t trust one another but they must work together to find the ringleader of the cartel who killed Sam. With danger lurking after them, the two learn that they can only trust one another to survive.

A page-.turning thriller with likable characters, this will
Hopefully become a continuing series for Mejia. The dynamic of criminal and cop working together is fun and the short chapters with alternating points of view will keep readers turning the pages.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I haven't read the previous book in the series but that did not impair my understanding of A World of Hurt. Kara and Max are opposites and do not trust each other until they have to do so and discover they had much more common ground than seemed possible. He is an outcast Police Detective because of his working methods and acquaintance with a psychic. Kara was a drug dealer, who does not feel any pain and is not shy of violence, and has been forced to become an informant. They thought they could trust a few people but discover they couldn't and that may cost their lives. Good entertainment!
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Oh dear lord I accidentally just erased my whole review and I may need to lie down for several hours. So here we go again in a more condensed version: I did not read the novel before this and this reads well as a stand alone. Although I think that I would have probably engaged with Kara and Max earlier in the story if I had read the previous book.
As it was, I found Kara to be a complex character and her medical contrition to actually be an interesting piece of the novel. Max himself isn’t super interesting but he definitely grew on me.
I did see the bad guy coming but that may be because I read way too many police procedurals/mystery/thrillers.
This book is a solid 3.5/5 for me and I think a really good read for fans of police procedurals with a bit of thrill.
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this sequel with parallel characters to the previous novel, To Catch A Storm. I think you could easily read this novel, A World of Hurt, as a stand alone,

I like that the book has split perspectives and both male and female protagonist. Also having gone through 2020 on the east coast it was interesting to see how the pandemic impacted Iowa and yet some of the same pro/con shutdown arguments existed everywhere.
I hope this series continues.

A World Of Hurt by Mindy Mejia tells a story through the eyes of Max Summerlin, an Iowa City policeman and Kara Johnson a former drug dealer, now turned informant. They are reluctantly brought together as members of a drug task force led by Agent Morales of the DEA in cooperation with the local Police Department. It is difficult for me to write an objective review as I didn't really care for either Max or Kara, and struggled finishing the book. Despite that I believe it is a well written book- just not my cup of tea. I found some of the characters intriguing including Kara's elderly landlord Phyllis Reed and Max's college friend, Jonah Kendrick. Jonah is a PI possessing powerful psychic ability. Jonah was featured in Mejia's first book To Catch A Storm; I think I may have enjoyed A World Of Hurt more had I read it first.. All in all, A World Of Hurt is a fine book, suspenseful with a very satisfying ending. Thanks to NetGalley, Atlantic Monthly Press and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of A World Of Hurt; this review reflects my honest opinion. 3 stars.

I"m so lost I can't enjoy this one. I think I should have read the first book before this one.
I'm truly sorry.
It also seems like it is for a younger audience than me.

Thank you for the ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Grove Atlantic, and Recorded Books Media for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by Mindy Mejia, with the audiobook wonderfully narrated by Justis Bolding and Brian Hutchison. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4 stars!

Kara Johnson is grieving the loss of her girlfriend, who sacrificed her life to save Kara's. Kara has a unique disability that allows her to feel so physical pain, and she's lived accordingly. The DEA offers Kara a choice to go to prison or to become an informant to find the last of the drug trafficking ring that killed her girlfriend. Max Summerlin is a cop who struggles with chronic pain after being shot twice. He becomes part of the DEA task force, which puts him in the job of working with Kara. The cop and the criminal have to find a way to work together.

While this is a follow-up to Mejia's, To Catch a Storm, which I thoroughly enjoyed, this is easily read as a stand alone, although I loved catching up with some great characters. It's an action-packed story and police procedural, even including once again the psychic visions of Jonah. Plus, it's set in the time of Covid and that plot element was very well done. It also included police protests and BLM as relevant themes for a book involving law enforcement. I hope this continues to be a series and we get more stories from this ensemble!

A World of Hurt by Mindy Mejia is a recommended thriller and the sequel to her novel To Catch a Storm.

Kara Johnson is a former dealer who turned to an DEA informant to end a drug trafficking empire. Kara is still grieving and wants revenge since her girlfriend Celina died protecting her. Max Summerlin is a cop who accepts an invitation to work with the DEA task force. He’ll be the liaison for Kara Johnson as they try to take down drug kingpin Sam Olson. The two aren't thrilled with their partnership but in their situation they are forced to rely on each other.

I would recommend reading To Catch a Storm before A World of Hurt as it will provide you with a whole lot more background information and insight into the characters. I could feel the lack of important background information as I scrambled to pick up some of the essential knowledge. Also it is set during the pandemic so there are all sorts of references to social distancing, masks, and lock downs. Generally I avoid any and all novels set during this time. Moving the timeline out of 2020 could have easily been done and would have been preferable.

The narrative alternates between the point-of-view of Kara and Max. The two are fully realized characters but are very different people, which is clearly shown in the insight into their private lives. The plot moves at a fast pace and will hold your attention. There is plenty of action, drama, and a few twists along the way in this suspenseful crime thriller. Thanks to Grove/Atlantic for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

4.5 stars

A World of Hurt is a great crime thriller that keeps you on your toes throughout most of the book. By the time you are halfway through, you realize that you have no idea who has good motives or who the real villains are.

It follows a local police detective who joins a task force and is ultimately given the job of keeping an eye on an untrustworthy informant who has her own motives for signing up for the job. Soon he sees she may be the only person he can actually trust.

When I started reading this, I wasn't aware that this was a follow up book to To Catch a Storm. While, I would have liked to have read it first, A World of Hurt stands on its own just fine. The main characters from the first book only play bit parts in this one so it isn't essential to know their backstory.

Overall, if you haven't read any of Mindy Mejia's books, I'd start with To Catch a Storm and immediately follow it with A World of Hurt. I read this in one sitting and if I had the opportunity, would have binge read them both back to back.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Release date August 6, 2024

I cannot put into words how much i loved this book! I couldnt put it down! good will always come to those who wait and this book is exactly that! cannot wait to read more by this author!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug. 6, 2024
“A World of Hurt” is the sequel to Mindy Mejia’s novel, “To Catch a Storm”. It follows Iowa Police officer Max Summerlin, who is paired up with young, tattooed, Kara Johnson in order to take down a drug ring, or so they both think.
It has been quite awhile since I read, “To Catch a Storm”, and that story focused mostly on Eve and her psychic partner, Jonah. However, they do make more than a casual appearance in “Hurt”, and I was pleased to see them! Unlike most other novels of this genre, “Hurt” should be read by those who enjoyed, “Storm”, as reading out of order will lead to confusion and less enjoyment than Mejia deserves.
Kara and Max alternate narrating the novel. Kara is young, tattooed and caught up in a circle of drug traffickers that she can’t seem to shake. It’s only with the promise she makes to her girlfriend that she decides to turn a new leaf and work with the police, instead of against them. Max is a long-time police officer with a wife and teenage son and is reluctantly paired up with Kara as part of a covert operation. Both are the exact opposite of each other in every way, yet both are likable and human. Once they learn to trust each other, both Kara and Max make one heck of a team and I loved working the case alongside them!
Although it had been some time since I read “Storm”, Mejia’s creative and skillful writing brought it all back. The seamless flow and character development made her newest novel easy to read, and even harder to put down.
“Hurt” is action-packed and dramatic, with twists and turns on nearly every page. Dead bodies, gun fights and secret identities, “Hurt” has it all. Those who have been waiting for this eagerly anticipated second instalment will not be disappointed- Mejia delivers!

This was a quick read that kept me interested and turning pages. I found the main characters likeable and could absolutely visualize this being an action movie. I did sort out the twist, but I wasn’t disappointed when I realized I was right. And that’s a good thing!

Kara is a former drug trafficker, who lost her girlfriend when the operation goes wrong. Now, she wants redemption; for herself and Celina. Max is an agent charged with keeping an eye on Kara during the investigation. It was a good ride :)

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I got off to a rough start with this one and it didn't get any easier.

I hadn't realised this was a sequel, which meant I was very disoriented at the start and it took a good 10% for me establish who the characters were and more or less what had taken place in the past.

However, the biggest problem for me was I found the characters to be unrelatable, unrealistic and clichéd. It wasn't even clear to me in the beginning which I should be rooting for. I love thrillers and crime novels but it's harder and harder to find one that feels fresh and surprising. I'm always looking for more but I think I've exhausted the supply.

I should mention that there are elements of supernatural and psychic powers in this story, which may be the X factor other readers are looking for but I found it to be an odd mix that didn't blend well.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the chance to read this ARC, unfortunately it wasn't for me.

This book is the sequel to a book I read and very much enjoyed last summer, “To Catch A Storm”. This has a similar plot line and format, but instead of Eve, we have Kara. She’s one of the many characters who were in the first book, though she had a much smaller role in that one.

This starts off with Kara waking up in a Des Moines hospital, which is odd, because her regular doctor is a discreet veterinarian named Jillian. Kara is different when it comes to medical things; she has CIP Disorder, a condition that affects the nerves that signal pain. Yes, she’s one of those people who constantly have to make sure they aren’t injured, because she could break a bone and not even feel it. I thought this was a really cool thing to put in the story, as the condition has always fascinated me!

Then, without giving away too much of the first book or this one, this turns into another action-packed mystery/thriller, once again involving police in Iowa, the DEA, and the opioid epidemic. We also have the story of Celina, the niece of Jonah, the psychic private investigator from the first book. Celina was Kara’s girlfriend before her death, and the hole in Kara’s heart is big.

I’m not sure if this was as much of a page-turner as the first book, but it was still a good story and I liked “seeing” many of the old characters again. I definitely recommend reading the first book before this one; you’ll have a better appreciation for the characters. Not only a thriller, this is a story of friendship, love, trust and an issue that is plaguing the world right now. 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Atlantic Monthly Press, Mindy Mejia and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on August 6, 2024.)

I might have given higher then 3 stars if I had read the first book. There were quite a few aspects to kinda get you up to speed I guess but I still would have preferred to read it in sequence. If you like the typical cop drama story this might be a book for you. But if you don’t want to relive Covid you might choose not to pick this one up. A few good twists and turns tho.

Filled with twists and turns, duplicity and miscalculations, A World of Hurt is a dark tale with emotional depth that will keep you guessing to the end. Heart pumping, anxiety inducing and thought provoking stuff from Mindy Mejia.

Kara Johnson is on the run from law enforcement when a DEA agent catches up to her and offers her a deal – become an informant or go to prison for her role in an illegal drug operation. Max Summerlin, the cop who made the biggest drug bust in Iowa history, joins a DEA task force set up to root out the remaining elements of the drug empire he disrupted. But everyone involved has their secrets and their true agendas are unknown. Now criminal and cop must work together to figure out the end game before they become the next victims of those lurking in the shadows who will do anything to come out on top.

The most compelling aspects of A World of Hurt both have to do with the characters actions in the story. First, they all have an agenda and seem to be keeping secrets that once exposed have the potential to dramatically change events. So trying to figure out each character’s agenda injects intrigue throughout the story. Second, there’s a great bit of soul searching that occurs. Especially with Kara and Max, who are both trying to figure out who they are and how to live their lives. Kara is trying to reconcile how her dark past led to the death of her true love and whether she’s worthy of love again. Max has prioritized work ahead of his family and friends and it’s putting a strain on his relationships that he must reckon with. These are thoughts that are highly relatable and humanize characters with whom we may not have a ton in common with. Then throw in car chases, gun battles, physical confrontations and a tad bit of poison and you’ve got a thriller with both action and depth that will keep you entertained to the end.

One last note – while A World of Hurt can be read as a standalone, it’s a better reading experience if you read To Catch a Storm first. This second book in the series picks up right where the first one ends, so knowing what took place previously will allow you to seamlessly dive headfirst into this one.

My goodness. First time reading this Author and will not be the last. Run....don't walk....to get this amazing book!!!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing this digital copy in exchange for a review.

A World of Hurt is the sequel to To Catch A Storm, and the story is picked right up from the conclusion of the previous book. This story focuses almost solely on Iowa City Detective Max Summerlin and trafficker turned informant Kara Johnson (both secondary characters in the first book). Summerlin has joined a DEA Task Force, searching for a hidden cache of drugs, and the task force enlists Kara to assist them. There’s a lot of introspection in the private lives of Max and Kara, while central to the characters’ actions here, it slows down the flow of the book and becomes repetitive. But Kara’s character saves the day, with her brash, take-no-prisoners badassery carrying the plot. While you could read this as a standalone, it would be beneficial to read the first book (although there are enough references to get new readers up to speed and refresh the memories of those who read the earlier book). I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the second installment of Mindy Mejia's characters (new series alert? yes please!) in "A World of Hurt". I liked the happy ending of her characters from "To Catch A Storm" and the continued plot of a massive drug ring in the midwest. 5 starts