Birds of Prey Donāt Sing by Joe Cary
An L.A. Assassination Thriller
~ Wild roller coaster ride that had me wondering if perhaps the car might derail or if the detective, killer and I would make it to the end in one piece ~
What I liked:
* Reading an entertaining, thought-provoking, interesting debut author
* Knowing the setting and being able to easily visualize the locations ā grew up in Los Angeles
* That both the killer and the detective were, to me, dark gray bordering on black characters ā it was hard to root for either of them at times
* Being intrigued by Michael and finding out a bit more about what made him who he was and why he did what he did
* That the story didnāt pull any punches or sugarcoat situations
* Being able to feel sorry for Michael and wishing he could have had a different backstory
* Trying to figure out what part Chesea really played and why Michael was so taken with her
* Thinking about Beckerās son, Jay Junior, and hoping that he might end up with a better moral compass than his father
* The intricacy and research that went into the murders for hire that Michael carried out and also what he did with the money that came in from his āworkā
* The sneaky clue provided by the priestās corpse during autopsy
* Being conflicted about how to feel but knowing that I had become immersed in the story and had to find out what would happen
* Wondering if the ending will provide a second book and if so, who will star in it if it becomes a series
What I didnāt like:
* Michaelās father and the impact he had on so many that he came in contact with
* What happened to Michaelās mother
* Thinking about corrupt policemen and hoping that most go by the book ā not bend the rules
Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Judy Press for the ARC ā This is my honest review
A prolific assassin lands an inconceivable job: kill a pedophiliac priest and frame the job as Divine Judgment.
Who to kill? Who to frame? These questions define Michael Harrier, a singular assassin whose clients choose two one to assassinate and a second to frame for the murder. This two-for-one approach has kept him and his clients undetected and above suspicion until this, the toughest job of his careerākill a pedophiliac priest and pin the murder on God.
The improbable job fuses like a twisted miracle until Harrierās life and livelihood splinter. First, a tough, intriguing woman fleeing a violent past entangles him in her own survival. Then a grisly, unplanned murder shatters his moral high ground and threatens to expose him.
Harrierās schemes rouse the hunter in Jordan Becker, an LAPD homicide sergeant who secretly fears his own judgment day. As Becker sees it, taking down the assassin and quashing the divine judgment angle is his sole shot at redemption. Trouble is, clues are sparse and all Beckerās investigation seems to reveal is that heās outmatched. But with his salvation on the line, heāll drop a level and break any rule to try to collar Harrier.
