Avenged by Janice Cantore

About the Book:

When Officer Carly Edwards finds three young gangbangers shot execution style, she and her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, head of the gang unit, fear Las Playas may be on the verge of a gang war. The Las Playas PD is put on high alert as tensions escalate between rival gangs, especially after Carly confiscates weapons from a gang leader and learns they were stolen from a military base along with explosive devices.

But something isn’t adding up, and Carly suspects there might be more going on. As she prepares to testify at a major trial, Carly’s reputation is shredded by a reporter apparently trying to discredit her professionally. Facing pressure on all fronts, Carly must rely on faith and trust God in a deeper way during one of the biggest struggles of her career.

My Thoughts:

It says a lot when you don't want to tell characters goodbye.  "Avenged" is the last book in a trilogy by Janice Cantore, and I've grown attached to Carly and Nick.  And Joe, Londy, Ned, Erika, Mary Ellen...you get my point.

Janice's experience as a law enforcement officer makes the novel richer in detail, but it's her knack for crafting believable characters that draws me to her books.  Carly is a strong female officer, but she's also flawed and feminine. 

Her love for Nick keeps her on edge as he goes out on patrol in gang territory, and she has to fight her need to keep him safe and distracting him with her needs.  I could relate, even though my husband isn't a cop...he's a pastor.  But sometimes I tell myself to keep my needs to a minimum because he deals with the needs of an entire church...he doesn't need mine added to the heap.

And, like Nick, he tells me to be open and to share.  Nick is in his element with the gang task force, enjoying being out in the field.  He too is strong but flawed.  His faith is still fairly new, and sometimes he still relies on his own strength first.  But his wife reminds him of who is actually in control.

While Carly has her times of being needy, she's always aware and working to surrender her fears and expectations to God. But it isn't easy, and she illustrates that struggle beautifully.

Then there's Joe, Carly's partner.  He takes a back seat in most of the book, but I still enjoy his scenes.  Like Carly, I'd trust Joe to have my back.  I'm going to miss him.  I'm going to miss all of the characters created by Janice.

This has been an amazing series, and "Avenged" provides a satisfying conclusion.  The story has some twists and turns, opening with a supposed gang instigated triple homicide, but nothing ever totally adds up.  Old foes come back to even scores, and by the end, each book is neatly connected to the other.

I'm eager to see what Janice writes next.  She has earned a spot on my 'must read' list with "Accused", "Abducted" and now "Avenged".  My husband knows how much I love her novels, so he bought me a copy for my reading pleasure.  This entire series is highly recommended.

Happy Reading!





Sell Used Books - Have Your Books Shipped To Us For Free And Get Fast Cash Back!