If It Bleeds

IF IT BLEEDS turned a day on packed flights between three airports into a pleasure. Bonnie Hearn Hill has another great read. After enjoying CUTLINE, DOUBLE EXPOSURE and INTERN I thought I'd be able to figure this one out, but again the bad guys snuck up on me-- just like the time to put those seatbacks in the "upright and locked position" for landing.

I didn't want it to end. That's a silly thing to say about a thriller. Naturally, I was glad everything was resolved, but I had fallen in love with Corina and wanted to walk along with her a while longer--hoping she would stay out of harms way, of course, and find the happiness she deserves. I had read other books by this author, but I was surprised by the depth of this one. International intrigue and more (I don't want to give away everything). I was also surprised to learn who the bad guys were. Great suspense...right up to the end. Not a dull sentence in the book.

I loved the book. I couldn't put the book down. In my opinion it was not a thriller. When I read a thriller I want to feel the chills myself. Not one time did I feel frightened for Corina or any other character in the book. If you like a suspenseful mystery this for you. If you want a thriller, look somewhere else.

Bonnie Hearn Hill has produced another riveting thriller in IF IT BLEEDS. Ms. Hill has a clean, no frills style of writing that gives enough detail to keep it interesting without distracting from the plot and characters with excessive description and needless items. I'm impressed with the way she blends empathetic characters with excellent scene development along with a healthy dollop of action to keep you engrossed in the book. I completed it in three readings because it was so difficult to put down. I'm going to move on to CUTLINE next to see what else Geri LaRue gets involved in. Buy it - you won't be disappointed!

The San Joaquin Valley, California Valley Voice business reporter Corina Vasquez is proud of her promotion to assistant to investigative reporter Matthew Henderson though he is demanding. With Matthew off, Metro Editor J.T. Malone sends Corina to cover the story of the alleged murder of Mayor Tina Kellogg, who has been missing for three months. Corina knows this will be her break as the newspaper mantra "If it bleeds it leads" will put this story on the front page. A business source of hers Skin Burke leaves her a message that he knows more about Tina's death. When she goes to see Skin, who claimed Eugene Belmont killed the mayor, she finds him dead. Corina begins to dig into the connected homicides, which leads to her beginning to believe a dark conspiracy of power is behind the murders. Now a target to be silenced, only her former lover, who broke her heart, acting Mayor Wes Shaw, can help her while her boss Henderson wants her taken off the story for selfish reasons. This is an action-packed suspense thriller that stars a likable twenty-eight years old reporter trying to do the right thing while navigating her way through a complex dangerous case in which her boss is a shark, who wants her off his team before she proves her worthiness. Corina is a fabulous protagonist as she has doubts that she can make it as an investigative journalist, but refuses to allow her odious boss or other cynics to stop her from trying. Readers will root for this delightful protagonist as her inquiry turns frighteningly dangerous, her boss tries to backstab her at every opportunity, and though she relies on Wes she ponders if he she can trust him as everything seems to lead to and from the mayor's office. This is a fine opening thriller that will have the audience anxious for the next cutting tale. Harriet Klausner