Evil Intent: a SERIAL KILLER carving PENTAGRAMS into women's chests... HE HAS TO BE CAUGHT!
By Jane Isaac
4.5/5
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About this ebook
‘Ingenious’ Merilyn Davies
‘Kept me guessing until the end’ Joy Kluver
‘A real adrenaline rush’ Kate Rhodes
‘Compelling’ Sarah Ward
‘Unforgettable’ Louise Beech
When a series of women’s bodies is discovered in the heart of rural Hamptonshire with a pentagram carved on their chests, DCI Helen Lavery is forced into a cat-and-mouse chase with a murderer who ultimately turns the tables and targets her.
Meanwhile, she is shocked to discover that her younger son’s new best friend is the nephew of organised crime boss Chilli Franks – the man who has held a grudge against Helen’s family since her father first put him away in the 1990s.
As her personal and professional lives collide, Helen finds herself in mortal danger as she races to track down the serial killer and restore safety to the streets of Hampton.
BOOKS BY JANE ISAAC
DCI Helen Lavery
Book 1: An Unfamiliar Murder
Book 2: The Truth Will Out
Book 3: A Deathly Silence
Book 4: Evil Intent
Book 5: In the Shadows
DI Will Jackman
Book 1: Before It's Too Late
Book 2: Beneath the Ashes
Book 3: The Lies Within
Jane Isaac
Jane Isaac is married to a serving detective and they live in rural Northamptonshire, UK with their dogs, Bollo and Digity. In The Shadows is Jane’s twelfth novel and the fifth in the highly acclaimed DCI Helen Lavery series. Twitter and IG: @JaneIsaacAuthor
Read more from Jane Isaac
One Good Lie: A gripping psychological thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Truth Will Out Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Truth Will Out (The DCI Helen Lavery Thrillers Book 2) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsEvil Intent Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Deathly Silence: a MUTILATED WOMAN, a TWISTED KILLER, and a RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK... Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Deathly Silence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Deathly Silence (The DCI Helen Lavery Thrillers Book 3) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Fatal Secret: A compelling psychological thriller you won't be able to put down Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In the Shadows: the chilling chase between a female detective and a hidden shooter that will keep you up at night Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
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Reviews for Evil Intent
6 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Evil Intent is an engrossing read, a solid police procedural / mystery in dual-narration format. Although I haven't yet read any of the preceding books in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this fourth instalment and will be returning to the earlier books to familiarise myself with the character backstories.
The book opens with the harrowing scene of a young woman, Shauna, being pursued through a dark wood by an unknown predator, desperately searching for a place in which she can seek cover. Immediately, the scene is set and the reader immersed in the gritty crime-mystery. Our attention and sympathies are also focussed upon the impact of violent crime on victims and their loved ones.
The remainder of the narrative shifts between the perspective of the senior investigating officer, Acting Detective Superintendent Helen Lavery, and that of Marnie O'Hennessey, Shauna's mother. We follow Lavery's investigation into the attack on Shauna as she balances the administrative pressures of her current more senior role with her own home life and the appearance in Hampton of a close relative of a notorious gangster who's previously threatened Lavery and her family. Meanwhile, Marnie and her husband Darren must deal with the devastating loss of their only surviving child, while ensuring the wellbeing of Shauna's young children and confronting some challenging realities uncovered by Lavery's investigation into Shauna's death.
As the action races towards the dramatic conclusion, the book enters thriller territory, as Lavery puts her own safety on the line in a last-ditch effort to stop a clever and vicious villain.
I felt that Evil Intent was a step up from the usual run of police procedural mysteries, in the sensitive handling by author Jane Isaac of issues surrounding the impact of violent crime on those left to pick up the pieces. In DSupt (Acting) Lavery, she has created an intuitive and relatable main protagonist and an evocative, though fictional, setting in the central midlands county of Hamptonshire. The supporting cast, comprising Lavery's police colleagues, her mother and two sons, and the witnesses and family members with whom she comes into contact, are all convincingly depicted. The mystery itself is twisted, throwing up several unexpected developments as the plot unfolds. Isaacs explores some confronting issues surrounding the challenges facing young single mothers and others who struggle to make ends meet. Short chapters and punchy dialogue make this a read that is hard to put down once started.
I'd recommend Evil Intent to any reader who seeks well-written and complex crime-mysteries. Helen Lavery is a strong female protagonist, whose demanding work and family responsibilities enhance a realistic and stimulating reading experience. I look forward to reading further titles from the series. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Evil Intent by Jane Isaac is the fourth instalment in the DCI Helen Lavery series but reads quite well as a stand-alone. The police procedural takes place in Hamptonshire, where the DCI and her investigators are on the hunt for a serial killer of young women. His gruesome signature is the upside-down pentagram that he carves on his victims’ chests. The book deals with Helen’s personal life and the day-to-day investigative work done to solve these horrid crimes. Jane Isaac brings a humane touch to this violent story by showing that the victims’ families are treated with compassion and personal attention. The characters are varied and interesting and the resolution of Evil Intent is developed slowly and logically but remains a surprise for the reader till the end. This police procedural is a great way to spend a winter day. I look forward to reading more mysteries written by Jane Isaac. Highly recommended. Thank you to Legend Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.