Review: Original and Dark with a Hint of Humour
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 2, 2013
3.5 StarsEngaging, well-paced, with a dark undertone and a hint of humor, this is a solid debut for author Mia Thompson.I'm a big fan of Buffy (best show ever ❤) and Veronica Mars (can't wait for the movie), so naturally I love witty, ass-kicking heroines. I was really excited to get to know Sapphire and her reasons for putting her pampered life at risk. Plus, I'm always a sucker for a good whodunit mystery.Heiress Sapphire Dubois leads a double life. She's a rich, shallow, spoiled brat by day and a crime-fighting vigilante by night. She traps serial killers and forces them to confess their crimes using the most imaginative ways possible and for the past two years, she has been successful in doing so. But what she doesn't know is that she is being watched by one of them... and he is planning to turn the tables on her and make her pay.I like the multiple POV. I think this book would never have worked if done differently. We get to be inside different characters' heads, including the stalker, among others. We also get to meet Aston Ridder. Think of the ruggedly handsome detective that we always read about in romance novels -- only make him an absolute jerk. He uses women, including Sapphire at one point, then kicks them out the morning after. Even he admits to the fact that he's one big SOB. I may not like being in his head at times because he can be really whiny, but it was refreshing to have a male lead so different from the norm.I like how Aston and Sapphire interact and their dialogues are snarky and funny. I especially like how Sapphire dealt with Aston when they were thrown back together because of the case. The romance between Sapphire and Aston is very, very subtle so if you're looking for tortured, lovelorn looks between these two characters then this is not for you. I like how their relationship developed though; in Aston's eyes she went from a predictable one night stand to an enigma.At times Sapphire's Beverly Hills world seem to be a little too over the top for me, and some of the supporting characters, mainly Sapphire's family and friends, are annoying, narcissistic, and vapid. But then I guess that's how they're supposed to be for us to understand how fake and shallow Sapphire's world is and how she struggles to pretend to be one of them.The author is also very effective in keeping you in suspense. Although the true identity of the stalker was in my list of suspects, I wasn't 100% sure that it was him until it was actually revealed. Plus, I love how the book came full circle but I won't dwell on that because I don't want to give that big twist away.It is still unclear to me what Sapphire's reasons are for doing what she's doing and I wish the book delved more into that. I think I would've empathized more with her if I was provided a deeper backstory. Also, as much as I like Sapphire and Aston's subtle relationship, I hope it also develops more in the next book.All in all, I enjoyed Stalking Sapphire and this is a solid start of a series. I will definitely be back for more.I received a copy of this book from Diversion Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.This review is also available at: [...]