Dangerous Passage

Title: Dangerous Passage
Series: Southern Crimes
Author: Lisa Harris
Publisher: Revell
Published: September 1, 2013
Pages: 320
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Avery North, detective and behavioral specialist for the Atlanta Police Department, is on the hunt for what she believes to be serial killer when she finds two Jane Does with something in common, a magnolia tattoo in their shoulders. If these two deaths are connected, Avery knows she only has a limited window before her killer strikes again and she’s determined to catch him before he gets another girl.

Jackson Bryant, a medical examiner, teams up with her to stop a killer. Finding anything substantial seems unlikely, but when he finds an interesting clue it might just crack this case wide open and possibly uncover something even more sinister than a death. But Jackson becomes even more determined to take down the criminal when he tries to scare off Avery from the case.

As Avery struggles with taking on yet another responsibility that will stretch her even more thin, a relationship with Jackson, Jackson is trying to show her that what they have is worth the risk and strain. But with them close to discovering what’s behind this death and the connection it holds to a rich neighborhood, their relationship will have to take a backseat. At least until they catch their killer.

Can Avery catch what might be a serial killer or will she have to investigate yet another murder? What will they discover as they dig deeper into the dark side of Atlanta? Will Avery be scared off by a threat or will she be even more determined to go after her criminal? Can Jackson convince Avery to give him a chance or will she just deny him? Can Avery and Jackson catch a killer before another person ends up dead or will someone else die at the clutches of evil?
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Lisa Harris has captivated me with this one. Though it’s not perfect, I still enjoyed this book. It had a very relevant topic that had a different method, so to speak, and I wasn’t aware it was even about that topic until I dug further into this unique story. Mrs. Harris has made it so that I have to read more and conclude this cliffhanger series. I had no idea what I was getting into with this story but I’m glad I started it.

The romance in this book takes a bit of a backseat to the suspense and I didn’t mind at all. In fact, it seemed to fit the story fairly well and has a promising future in the next few books of this series. I loved how supportive Jackson was and how he completely made me reevaluate what my perception of what a medical examiner was like. I look forward to seeing how this romance concludes in books to come.

The suspense in this book is a very interesting combination of secrets and reality. I loved how this author was able to make this book suspenseful not on how fast paced it was, though it was that, but by the subject matter. It plays on your heart strings and makes your heart hurt for the injustices that are taken place to these women and that is what the main felling of the book is, at least for me. I loved this suspense even though I would’ve liked to have seen Avery’s behavioral specialist skills utilized more in the book.

This story is a huge mixture of emotions and feelings. Not to mention there is a plethora of things that can be in the next book. It even ends on a cliffhanger that isn’t huge but enough for you to be dying to know how it ends. I have a love-hate relationship with cliffhangers and I always seem to pick them, but I look forward to seeing how the cliffhanger is resolved in the next book and whether that one will end on a cliffhanger too.

This author captivated me with this book and I look forward to seeing what else she can come up with for the next one. This book touched a very sensitive and touchy topic that isn’t really talked about and I would love to see another one similar to it at least in the sense of it’s something we try not to think about. I loved that this author wasn’t afraid to go “there” and can’t to see if she will again.

Overall, I was captivated by this book and despite the lack of behavioral specialism used and the use of a cliffhanger I truly enjoyed this take on a very real topic. This book is perfect for those who want a different kind of suspense novel. This book is best left to the adults. I give this book a four out of five.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*