Review: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

From the author's website:
SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT.
OTHERS COME TO KILL...

Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

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I loved the first book in this series, Mind Games (my review here), and was impatiently awaiting this second book in the series. OMG - was it soooo worth the wait! If you haven't read it yet (what are you waiting for?!?) I would recommend reading Mind Games before you read Double Cross.

*This review contains spoilers for Mind Games*

Justine is still working for Packard and dating Otto. She's disillusioning but is starting to have second thoughts about it, especially when she learns one of her targets might be innocent. This target seems to have a certain sway over her though, and her dreams are suddenly not her own.

There's a gang on the loose, targeting highcaps (people with special mental abilities) - I laughed throughout the book at the name of the gang - The Dorks. It seems the mayor had decided that the press was not allowed to give serial killers cool names, thus "The Dorks". The list of names they're allowed to use was hysterical :)

As this story moves on, the past catches up to Packard and Otto, and Justine is caught in between their uneasy truce. She's convincing herself she's happy with Otto and mad at Packard, but the tension between Justine and Packard is HOT! (Notice he's made the book boyfriend list!)

There's a revelation in this book that shakes Justine and her other disillusionists to their very core. There's also a revelation at the end of Double Cross that shook this reader to the core - the ending slayed me!

I really can't do justice to how amazing this book was. I was on the edge of my seat, I didn't trust any of the characters and couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what was coming next. Ms. Crane's writing made this story feel real; I found myself thinking of cheesy 80's pop tunes in the elevator to ward off mind-readers! I'm already tapping my fingers impatiently, waiting for the next book; I've got to know what comes next!


Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Spectra
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-10: 0553592629
ISBN-13: 978-0553592627

My Rating:

I won this book from Not Really Southern Vamp Chick in exchange for an honest review.