OPEN SEASON STORY LINE:
Detective Sarah Kingsley’s career has taken a bit of a left turn after the shooting death of her partner and the shooting death of the suspect at her hands. A young black youth has died. Racial tensions are spinning out of control thanks to the good Reverend Billie Norton and a self-serving news reporter. The review board finds it a good shoot, but still there are political, departmental, and community issues to overcome. Meanwhile, partnered with a Black female cop, tensions are spiraling between Sarah and Angel.
Bodies are dropping, Sarah and Angel are at each others throat, Angel’s family is against the pairing of their black daughter with a white cop, and the department high-ups wants Sarah’s head on a plate.
Come along for an action adventure in a skillfully written thriller which will keep you on the edge of your seat.
CHARACTERS, PLOTTING, AND DEVELOPMENT
From the time I read the prologue, I knew this would be an intense crime thriller. Author Maryann Miller skillfully penned both sides of the race issue in this excellent book. Seen from the perspective of the main characters, as well as Angel’s family, each must deal with their preconceived ideas and racial prejudice. Pertinent to today, Open Season, could have occurred in any city.
Author Maryann Miller maintained the high peak of racial tensions as well as the “who done it” throughout the story-line. Ms. Miller does not reveal the culprit until the end of the story. Also, Ms. Miller skillfully developed and presented the black/white racial issues showing prejudice can run both ways. I received better understanding of these issues from the black perspective. Furthermore, Ms. Miller’s depiction of the partner relationship and how the surviving partner deals with the others death was excellent. Partner’s are as close as spouses which Ms. Miller aptly portrayed.
The pace of the story was correct for the length of the book. The story-line does not bog down or lag. I did feel we should have had a more in-depth look at the psyche of the killer. I felt the cause of the murders and the killer’s reasoning a tad rushed. However this did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.
In concluding my review of Open Season, I found an intriguing story fill of action and emotion. The character development and pacing of the story were skillful. The premise of the story was perceptive and well presented. Furthermore, Open Season hooked me in the prologue and never let go.
OPEN SEASON RECOMMENDATION 4 STARS:
In conclusion, I do not hesitate to recommend this book for hours of entertainment. Anyone who enjoys a police procedural drama will love this book. The story-line is emotional and intense and the writing style of the author was clear and refreshing. I look forward to book 2 in this series.
Final Note: I received this book by way of Online Book Club and the publisher in return for an honest book review. All book reviews of any novel are dependent on the book review author’s opinion, consequently, all book reviews on line and on my blog under my name are my opinion.
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