SOURCE: Author Sent Copy
TYPE: Paperback
TITLE: Demolition Queen - Champagne, Murder & Chaos
AUTHOR: Betsy Cook Speer
SERIES: --
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
PAGES: 332
GENRE: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Suspense
RATING: 2/5 Stars
Blurb:
Knocking down walls, fencing like a pro, and guzzling champagne is all in a day's work on Sam Albany's demolition-action TV show.
So, life for this American in England is pretty darn great, until...
The 'love-of-her-life' fatally crashes into a Swiss mountainside and she marries Conrad who loves three things, a glittering aristocratic lifestyle, his successful anti-fraud company, and jealously controlling his new wife, Sam.
That's not the worst of it. Someone hijacks the life-saving bio-technology her brilliant Mom developed, and when people start dying, Sam sets off on the most bizarre and perilous scavenger hunt of her life. She kidnaps, demolishes and shoots her way through Europe, determined to save the day.
That's if she manages to stay alive...
What I Liked:
- The story-line was very well-written. As expected of a good thriller, it was full of twists and turns, and some of those twists were completely unexpected. I really enjoyed that aspect, it was good to see some original ideas in the book. Particularly in the latter half of the book, I was totally gripped by the going-ons, constantly bombarded with new developments to keep my attention! I loved the clues, and trying to work them out. They were pretty clever and I managed to get a couple, but not all of them!
- Speer's writing style was very consistent. I liked it a lot, it was filled with personality and told the story well. I found her Main character, Sam, for the most part feisty and fun to read! She was clever too which was refreshing to read. I found that all of Speer's characters were unique and memorable, which made it much easier to keep track of who was who, and their involvement in the action.
- The romance, my favourite part of the book! I really don't want to give too much away, as there are some big plot twists with this one, but the pairing I loved! The chemistry was very good, and I always looked forward to their frequent reunions. At the end of the book, after another twist, I found myself giving a big cheer of victory. In terms of the romance, it was a very satisfying ending.
What I Disliked:
- So there was so much going for this book, but I found it really difficult to get into in the beginning. I was thrown into a massive plot development straight away which seemed so promising, and then the first third of the book just didn't grab me. This didn't last, and as I've said, from about halfway I was hooked! I just wish the whole book had grabbed me like the end did. I felt like too many things were thrown at me from the beginning, and there should have been a bit more of a build to get to know the characters a bit more.
- Although I liked Sam as a character, she did irritate me too! I didn't hate her, but at times I found her a bit too angry and determined. She rarely exposed a vulnerable side and some of her actions were a bit questionable. Perhaps the reason that I enjoyed the latter half of the book was because she became a little more human to me, but keeping the feistiness that I loved about her.
Overall Conclusion:
So my reaction to this book was a bit mixed. At first, I confess that I was a bit disappointed with the fact that I wasn't enjoying the book as much as I'd hoped. But then as the book progressed, oh my goodness, I loved it! I was completely hooked and every twist in the plot-line just sucked me further in. The book ends hinting at a sequel, and now that I know the characters better I would really love to read it if there was one!
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