Language

Reported to be an American story . With the FBI agents. And DC PD.
But it was narrated in British language felt out of place.
10 s1 comment Emma Dreher46

EDIT: I can see how this review my come off as pretentious. So, I have edited a few parts as I do want to give this book a fair critique and not come off as a rant (but my opinion does slip in at times).

Here is a list of constructive criticisms (so you can skip the hassle of reading):
- Needs more varied vocabulary
- Simon and Amber are both flat characters, and require more depth
- Cliché and common analogies are overused
- Nondescriptive physical characteristics of the world seem to be intangible
- Has many coincidental plot devices

Disclaimer: This will be a long review, so beware!

After 295 highlights in this book, I can confidently say that this book is a good 2 stars, and I will explain more. I got this book for free in Apple Books. The previous book I had read by this author was called "Her Last Wish: Rachel Gift, FBI". That book was much better.

This book is about Amber Young, a puzzles editor for Washington News. She creates puzzles; her whole life is puzzles, chess, board games, etc. I highlighted every single time the word "puzzle", "puzzles", or "puzzler" was said: roughly 250 times. I repeat, 250 times. The book is almost 200 pages. I'm not that good at math, but that means the word "puzzle" was featured at least 1.25 times a page. You know, there is a thing called synonyms.

Despite the fact that I had to read the word "puzzle" over and over again, this is a recurring theme in this book. Words get repeated. the word "killer" which was said roughly 146 times. Neverminded that the serial killer's name (granted by the press) was quite original: The Puzzle Killer. I would have never thought of that!

This book critique may sound harsh, but it must be done for the good of reading. While the twist did catch me off guard, suggesting the author has a knack for surprising the reader, some of the plot devices felt too convenient and coincidental, which undermined the storyÂ’s overall impact. This is a common issue in many mass-marketed thrillers

Example 1: the entire character of Simon, the FBI agent.
Simon is boring. We have no backstory about him, and I couldn't name one interaction in which he has a little personality. Want me to name some characteristics about him? Sure, I'll try.
1. Repeats back the same question after Amber Young says something
2. Constantly nags Amber to solve the puzzles
3. Only arrives to crime scenes alone (with no backup) -- how realistic!
4. Arrests the first person he sees
5. Takes everyone's word for what it is
The reason Simon is the perfect plot device is because he's the one providing the stress and resources to take down the serial killer. But the only thing he does is sit around until Amber can solve it. Never even mentions the thought, "Hey, we should check if there were any cameras in the area!" Nope. He leaves that all on Detective Kale, the local detective in charge of the case, who of course acts the most uptight person ever (for good reason).

Example 2: the seemingly convenient Puzzle App
To solve the puzzles and catch the killer, Amber uses an app that is apparently popular among the puzzling community. This app spits out coordinates in Washington based on 3 or more words put in. Wow, how convenient... Looks this author doesn't know what Google Maps and an address is!

Example 3: Henry, Amber's boss at Washington News
Henry is another one of those characters that moves the plot along. He is constantly nagging Amber to come back to work, despite the fact that she is working alongside the FBI. The only reason he exists is to make Amber self-conscious and scared.

Example 4: the mysterious poison and antidote
I hope I am not spoiling too much of this, but at each crime scene a victim is injected with a mysterious poison. The only symptoms we know of this "poison" is that it makes the victim's throats close up, if not injected with antidote fast enough, and lethargic. That's it. What could it be? Rat poison for all I know!

This book has aggravated me to no end. No one talks to each other this. My favorite character is the literal serial killer. He has motive and seems to be a nice guy caught in a nervous breakdown. I get to hear more about his backstory and can literally provide a better synopsis on his character than any other one.

Amber Young has to be the dumbest person ever. The book is constantly explaining (in dialogue) why the characters are doing what they are doing. In short, the answers are up front. People who read this book probably already know the answer to some of these problems. why they should rush someone to a hospital, which Simon claims is something an FBI agent would think of (it's not).

When Amber is chasing down a suspect, she says she runs every day and is fast. Okay... but we never see her run ever. at all in the entire book? How convenient... Even the descriptions of buildings and places is so vague, that if you asked me to draw one of the many abandoned buildings and houses they go to, I would draw a box with a roof. Literally Amber describes one of them by saying, "The building was large and blocky". So, are we in Minecraft now?

Amber is, also, the quirkiest girl you will ever meet! She is constantly saying how many puzzles she does. She eats, sleeps, and breathes puzzles. She's stressed? She does a crossword! She has some down time? She does a chess game! It's endless, and I am so tired of the laziness in writing that this author has achieved.

Last but not least, the entire character list falls short of hitting home. You can't connect to any of these characters. You have no defining characteristics and the story is flat at it's surface. Please do not read this book if you have the choice. And if you do read it, just know that it's free for a reason.7 s2 comments Claudete Takahashi1,993 28

In my opinion, this series is among the best ones that Blake Pierce has written in the last 12 months. Amber has all normal feelings and preoccupations as the readers do: to have a job, to have money to pay bills, to love what she does, and for that reason, accept all the wrongdoings she gets from her boss. She is a bright lady who although afraid goes after what she believes is the right thing to do and she found in an FBI agent a friend who may turn her life upside down. Great story and great entertainment!
I thank the author for the ARC.5 s Klare397 1 follower

I struggled with this one. Wanted to it but it was a bit flat and simple. game-aty-fall-2023 game-turf-wars-2023-team-mork owned-kindle3 s Jenifer Mihalakis103 1 follower

Nice quick read for me. I d it. Curious to see where she goes from here now that she is joining the FBI. Will definitely be continuing the series. 2 s Cathy Black1,456 13

New and Interesting... Absent Pity... Amber Young Suspense

This turned out to be a very new and Interesting premise for an FBI profiler. I loved the fact that Agent Simon Phelps is a young good looking agent and Amber is a young lady stuck in a dead end job and her boss treats her dirt. This is the case where Amber was able to help because she could solve puzzles, all types and in the end it could of been her demise. This was a good read
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