Intent to Harm

I've just discovered this author and will certainly go search out other books in the series. The characters were well developed (which is not always the case in this genre) and the story fast paced but believable. There are several viewpoint stories that all converge once we are into the the story and I thought it worked very well. I found all three of the women characters appealing in their own right. Highly recommended.

Gotta hand it to writer Jonnie Jacobs. Her 5th novel in the Kali O'Brien series, "Cold Justice", was such a winner, I went back in time and read the first four. In this 6th outing, Kali's still running her own small legal firm in San Francisco, but much of the action takes place around Lake Tahoe, where Kali has a mysterious new client, and in Las Vegas. (Some minor plot details, below, no big spoilers!)The plot opens with a bang as Kali never gets to find out what her new client, Betty Arnold, needed her to do, and why she was maintaining such secrecy. Kali and Betty become targets at their meeting place, and Betty is killed. Over time, Kali's vague memories of the shooting and Betty's words lead her to continue to probe what her client was hiding, and why she was a target. O'Brien shows the mettle and instincts we've seen her develop over the series to chase down people from Betty's past, and to follow it home, despite the danger that might await her. An active second subplot that seems well-written and true to life involves sheriff's deputy Kim Wong, who is assigned to the case, helps to wrap up a plausible suspect, and then follows her own instincts (with help from Kali), to undermine the "false case" and focus on the real killer. Jacobs goes out of her way to present a fair synopsis of how the police feel pressured to lock down a case for trial, even though loose ends are bothersome. If Jacobs' interest in O'Brien is waning, she's certainly set an interesting new character to follow in Deputy Wong, who feels a fish out of water as the highest ranking woman in the department, a transfer from LA and an outsider..."not only was there a glass ceiling, but glass walls, too"....let's hope Kim Wong returns to Jacob's dance card in the future.By page 130, you are wondering how a contract kill "arranger", Sid Mertz, and a Las Vegas waitress, Irene Thompson, will tie in to the plot. Jacobs admits excerpts from both their storylines, and although you are making a connection, your suspicions don't start to crystallize until around that time. The rest of the book is a fast-paced roller coaster, with more surprising twists at the end.Bryce, the SFPD offier that Kali became interested in, in "Cold Justice" is back, and the relationship between the two of them stays interesting...Kali "doubted she'd affected his heart so much as assaulted his ego". Jacobs gives us the right mix of professional and personal, and the right stuff with her heroine, Kali O'Brien.There's intensity in the plot of "Intent to Harm", and you'll want to get to the bottom of it, as soon as possible.Highly recommended....best if you've read the books in series, though.

This is the best yet in a great series. I've always like Kali, and Jacobs does a great job with secondary characters too. There are several storylines, each with its own driving mystery, and it's only as we get further into the story that we see how they are connected. There's mystery, intrique, suspense and humor. Highly recommended.

As a reader of Jonnie Jacobs' Kali books from the beginning, I really looked forward to Intent to Harm, and it lived up to my expectations. The characters were superbly realized--the hit man was so human, so understandable, but no less evil. The variouis viewpoints really engaged me.The plot kept me guessing untilthe end. And the relationship between Bryce and Kali was just just right. I love where it ended and can't wait for the next one.

I picked this book up on the recommendation of a friend, and I'm glad I did. I'm happy to know there are earlier books in ther series for me to catch up on. Kali is a lawyer, and we know from the start that someone is after her, that a potential client (who is killed at the start of the book) needed her help about a highly confidential matter, and that a young woman is living a secret life in hiding. We assume they are related, but don't know how initially. As Kali looks for information, the cops (lead by an interesting young female cop) work the murder of Kali's client. I found the story moved along and kept me interested and the characters were believable. Highly enjoyable.