Blue Valor

A still-warm heart: Threat or Offering? Promise or Plea? In Illona Haus's well written second novel, the plot twists and character development keep you enthralled until the end- even after you THINK you've figured it out! A wonderful blend of police procedural and "whodunit", Illona Haus has a real gift for presenting the reader with all the necessary clues without giving away the ending. The 'red herrings' in Blue Valor kept me distracted right until the end of the story- and I usually recognize plot twists immediately! Characters and settings leap off the pages at you and create vivid images, pulling you even further into the story. Way to go Illona Haus! I'm waiting for #3

I enjoyed this book so much that I read half of it in one night and I'm no speed reader. This book has all the elements of a good read. It is full of suspense as the detectives hunt for this vicious killer. The way Haus describes elements in the story is fresh and makes you feel a part of the drama. There is enough relationship drama to peak your interest, but not enough to make it a chick book. It has a sexual element that makes it edgy and a bit wicked. Plus the ending is unexpected and makes you wonder why you didn't make the connection. I am a huge fan of detective thrillers, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and stories that explore relationships. This book gives me all that and more. When I finished the book, I was fulfilled yet I can't wait for her next novel.

A tale of a killer, so wicked, it defies the imagination. I had to keep the night light on for several nights, and check the doors several times, to insure that I had indeed locked them, before I could sleep. This book is not for those with a weak heart.

In the second instalment of the "Blue" Kay Delaney series, Haus does NOT disappoint. In fact, she makes you wish she had dozens of titles already to her name so you could go back and read more! In Blue Valor, Detectives Kay Delaney and Danny Finnerty are partnered once again on a case that -- as the back cover says -- defies imagination. And even if your imagination is pretty wild and dark, even YOU won't guess the twists and turns this book takes. All is definitely not as it seems as the body count rises and even as they finally have a suspect. It's a wild ride from start to finish, with plenty of riveting drama, high-tension action, and edge-of-your-seat twists from foot chases to car chases to flying bullets and attacking dogs (if you're a pit bull lover you might not like one particular scene in this book). And through it all, Haus maintains the high level of scientific and forensic accuracy and reality that we've come to expect from her since Blue Mercy. This is yet another fantastic instalment in a series that definitely puts a lot of the other thrillers on the shelves to shame! Still not sure why these books aren't coming out in hardcover, but I'm certainly glad! It means they're in my hands a lot sooner!! And given the cliffhanger at the end of Blue Valor, that 'sooner' can't be soon enough!!!

I was looking forward to reading this sequel to Blue Mercy, especially after reading its preview at the end of the first book. I was not disappointed. The first book spends time building the bare facts of the characters' lives. The sequel adds depth to both Kay and Finn and also introduces some new characters in a really interesting supporting cast. Another reviewer used the word "tense" to describe the plot development and I have to agree. This book is tighter wound than the first, with even more of the details that fans of police procedurals live for. There is a great cliffhanger in the side plot that will have me eagerly looking for the next installment!