I had been looking for this book for a number of months; ever since I read a review of it last year. Ho boy… this was one very scarce book, but when I did manage to snag a copy I was thrilled. The story was excellent… and more and more I, along with many of the other bloggers here, mourn the loss of the Bombshell line. So while I have read other Bombshell books, Stephanie Doyle is a new-to-me author… another plus for this month’s challenge!
RATING:
Excellence: Great to Excellent ~ 3.5 stars
Steaminess: Sensual
BOOK READ:
Stephanie Doyle; Possessed; Silhouette Bombshell #116; Nov 06
FROM the BACK:
WHEN THE DEAD WANT TO SPEAK SHE IS THEIR VOICE
Cassandra Allen’s gift is so uncanny that even the skeptical police now consult her on murder investigations. But when she’s called in to investigate a rash of serial murders, her mind is assaulted by a terrifying being from beyond….
Cass believes the evil force attempting to possess her is involved in the killings. But how? Then she meets Malcolm McDonough, brother of the first victim. He’s successful, attractive, unsettling…and he doesn’t believe that Cass hears the dead. Yet even as Malcolm denies her claims, he is counting on Cass to lead them to the killer.
Because all the victims have one thing in common ~ her.
MY NOTES:
I was so pleased to finally come across a copy of this story and it certainly lived up to the promise of the review that I read last year. An excellent suspenseful story with a strong and self-reliant heroine; the one thing that Cass could use was someone to lean on from time to time and, although he didn’t appear to be the one she could depend on, Malcolm was definitely her equal. He too had never learned to allow others into his life and it was a lesson that both of them needed to learn. Great action, well-fleshed out characters and a spookiness that really struck at the heart. Wonderful story ~ I’m so glad that I finally found it ~ definitely worth the wait.
Books read in March: 12
Har / Sil ~ 10
Others ~ 2
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kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
Hi Kathy
I was not a big Bombshell follower. I want a HEA and you don't always get that with the Bombshells. However, there were certain authors that I did not miss in this line. And new authors that I discovered because of their excellent books in the Madonna Key series. I thought this one was excellent too. I also really enjoyed her other Bombshell (can't remember the name) that was about a Survivor type of contest that turns deadly.
Margie :)
That's interesting that you mention that...
Margie, 'cause I forgot it. I guess because the stories that I did read ran more along the HEA lines... mostly because I went by recommendations and other's reviews.
As for the title that you're thinking of I'm guessing it was called The Contestant. At the front of the book where it lists titles released by the author, it lists two other Bombshells:
#36 ~ Calculated Risk and #52 ~ The Contestant and I think that somewhere I remember reading a review for the first one ~ Calculated Risk... but obviously it didn't make as big an impression as the review for Possessed did.
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kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
Hi Kathy
Maybe it is not the HEA that was missing but more for me, it was the lack of a romance mixed into the story. That is just one of my personal preferances. And you are right about the title. It was The Contestant. I also read Calculated Risk. It was my first by her and I liked her style enough to want to read another by her. I really liked the concept of that book and I liked the heroine. The hero was hard to like and made me mad but in the end I think she had the upper hand.
Margie :)
Hmmmm
I have Calculated Risk and I have the Contestant however I am not sure if I have this one. I will have to check.... when my computer works again. It is not booting and the guy who built it for me did not give me the Operating System disks..... and he is out on disability. Oh my.... the world without a computer....
Jeannie
Yes I am a readalholic and I don't want the 12 step program!!!
re: Possessed
Really glad you enjoyed this one, because I loved it (might've been my review you read last year...I remember raving about it quite a bit). As you mention, the spookiness in this one was fabulous...some wonderfully creepy scenes.
Bombshell was a great line...for me it was perfect because I don't tend to like a lot of romance or HEAs in my reading.
I love HEA's... and romances are very likely...
...my favourite genre. For me, though, an HEA doesn't always have to be part of a romance... if it's a thriller, then the good guys have to win... as long as the ending is a happy one, then I'm happy.
Margie, the more I hear about Calculated Risk, the more I think that it's another book that I'd like to get... and I'm pretty sure that I've seen one, or both, of Stephanie Doyle's other Bombshell books at the one UBS that's got a lot of harlequins.
Jeannie, our computer was down for a day and a half and I was going starkers! They sure do have a way of becoming a big part of our day.
Amalthea, I think you could very well be right... I think that you prefer the more fantasy / sci-fi / paranormal books? There's not much that I don't like, but as I said, it does have to have a "happy" ending... where everything works out *right*... by my standards I guess.
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kalyko ~ Reading: One of life's little joys and a much needed reward!
LOVED
I loved this one last year! It was one of my top reads, I think. Keep in mind that I like more fantasy/urban fantasy type books however. What I loved about the Bombshell line was that they DIDN'T all focus on the romances! LOL
The D2K Paranormal Junkies 2008 Challenge
re: Stephanie Doyle
Calculated Risk was an interesting one...parts of it I liked a lot, but one thing about it I just hated. Definitely worth a read though. The Contestant was a fun read, too...I'd probably recommend that before Calculated Risk, but I am curious to see what you'd think of the latter. Calculated Risk also had a really neat cover--very pretty.