Review: Kept me bobbing and twisting at every turn!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 01 17, 2012
A roller coaster ride of a story! Adam Pepper had me bobbing and twisting at every turn- I had no idea where the next scene would take me- I loved it! The majorly flawed protagonist, Hank Mondale, is a true hard-boiled `character.' He drinks, he gambles, he ignores his mother and abuses his kleptomaniacal secretary.  Pepper did an amazing job of setting the plot- tons of surprises; he left me feeling angry at characters I thought I'd be cheering and cheering on characters I felt I should be rooting against. While I definitely could have used more backstory on all of the characters, I still felt like I had enough to understand character motivation and keep my interest.Hank Mondale is a low class detective, but finishes what he starts. Amidst all of his non-redeeming qualities, it is what makes Hank a great detective. It is his penchant for getting the job done that leads his latest client to his door. Hank is hired by millionaire Thomas Blake to find the monster that is out to kill his daughter. Hank thinks the daughter more likely has an active imagination from doing too many drugs, but who is he to pass up a fat paycheck- especially when the landlord is threatening eviction?  More and more people tied to Blake and his daughter McKenzie, are disappearing- including staff and McKenzie's best friends.  Hank is thrown into a situation that isn't ever what it seems- people who do unbelievable things, and a creature that somehow has managed to remain virtually undetected in the world around him, hell-bent on seeking revenge on the one who betrayed it.There were things about the book I wasn't overly thrilled about- for instance- the book cover left me thinking this would be a terribly gruesome horror story, and in my opinion doesn't represent the story in the least. Also, while I loved the perspective of the monster, I was a bit disappointed at where it came in- I was left dangling on the precipice of Hank's discovery, only to go fully into the story from the monster's point of view.  Overall, however, I really enjoyed Pepper's writing and (even with his numerous faults) the Hank Mondale character.Reviewed by Kathy LaMee for Tracy Riva Books and Reviews @ TracyRiva.com