Review: Serial Killer With Comic Relief
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 17, 2013
On the basis of the first Ethan Justice book a few months ago, I was primed to pick up the sequel. To my surprise, I liked this one even better.Recovered now from their last showdown with evil (book 1), Ethan and his detective (and sometimes romantic) partner Savannah Jones are just plain two of the nicest yet most interesting private detectives I've had the pleasure of encountering. Their insecurities with each other, and when facing off against some really nasty enemies, are both endearing and maddening, at times.Unfortunately, Ethan may be a first-class fighter, but he's a lousy shot. This makes for some welcome comic relief more than once in the novel. Gorgeous, dark-haired Savannah comes from the wrong side of the tracks, compared to prep-school graduate Ethan, but she's plenty smart and plenty resourceful. It's a pleasure watching these two try to sort out their own relationship, with an awkwardness that's downright comical.Crime thrillers, it's often said, stand or fall on the depth and complexity of the villain. Ethan's nemesis in "Relentless" could hardly be more gruesome or sadistic and yet at the same time brilliantly manipulative. I like to read while eating, but not the descriptions of this villain as he disposes of the bodies! Epic battles result in the London borough of Twickenham. The book builds to an extremely satisfying ending which contained several surprises. Highly recommended!