Review: Poison by Jordyn Redwood
Five years ago, Keelyn Blake’s armed, mentally ill stepfather took her family hostage in their house in rural Colorado. She and her half-sister Raven made it out alive, but others did not. Authorities blamed the father’s frequent hallucinations about a being named Lucent, but in the end, even the best of the FBI’s hostage negotiators failed to overcome the man’s delusions and end the standoff peacefully.
Now, Lucent is back, and he’s no hallucination. In fact, he is a very real person with dangerous motives. He has kidnapped Raven’s daughter, and–Keelyn worries–maybe has hurt Raven as well. Though she is estranged from her sister, Keelyn feels the immediate need to find Raven and save what family she has left. But when others who were involved in that fateful day start dying, some by mysterious circumstances, Keelyn wonders if she can emerge unscathed a second time.
Can I say how much I LOVE the covers of Jordyn’s books? So much cover-love out there these days! [I have three more book reviews to write today – one of the covers is good – I like it a lot, but the other two? LOVE them!]
Poison picks up about five years after Proof leaves off. If you’ve read Proof, I’d recommend a quick reread or scan of reviews/synopses just to remind yourself of who is who, but if you haven’t you’ll be just fine. I have a hard time remembering names in real life and in fiction and then find myself going, “who is that again?” instead of just reading, so a reread would have been a good plan.
Keelyn is still scarred from the day her step-father killed her mother and most of the rest of her family. Only two escaped – Keelyn and Raven. She tried to get custody of her younger sister, but young and without good income, it simply wasn’t possible. Now, Raven’s daughter has been found abandoned outside the restaurant where Keelyn and her fiance, Lee, are having lunch – and her step-father’s psychiatrist dead in the front seat.
Keelyn and Lee must work together – along with Nate and Lilly from Proof – to figure out who’s killing all the people involved in that fateful day. Other police officers (Lee was on the scene and Nate was the FBI negotiator) are dying. Doctors. Psychiatrists. Is Lee next? Keelyn? Is Raven safe? And what about the man claiming to be Lucent – the supposed hallucination that “forced” him to kill his family?
It’s a race against time when people start dying and the threats get closer and closer to Keelyn and her niece, Sophia – and to Lee and Nate. Can they figure it all out in time? And can Keelyn and Lee’s relationship stand the tests – and the secrets – coming their way?
Once again, Jordyn hits it out of the park. A fast paced thrill ride that keeps you on the edge of your seat from page one until the resolution at the end. Don’t read this at night for two reasons – random noises in the yard will make you jump as you’re immersed in the story world and you’ll be up way too late.
Book three, sadly the last book in this series, is too far away.
Overall rating: 8.75 out of 10 stars