Tuesday, December 9, 2014

The Kill List by Nichole Christoff (4 stars)

About The Kill List

Pages: 270
Published by : Alibi

In this taut debut thriller, Nichole Christoff introduces a savvy private investigator with nerves of steel—and a shattered heart.

As a top private eye turned security specialist, Jamie Sinclair has worked hard to put her broken marriage behind her. But when her lying, cheating ex-husband, army colonel Tim Thorp, calls with the news that his three-year-old daughter has been kidnapped, he begs Jamie to come find her. For the sake of the child, Jamie knows she can’t refuse. Now, despite the past, she’ll do everything in her power to bring little Brooke Thorp home alive.

Soon Jamie is back at Fort Leeds—the army base in New Jersey’s Pine Barrens where she grew up, the only child of a two-star general—chasing down leads and forging an uneasy alliance with the stern military police commander and the exacting FBI agent working Brooke’s case. But because Jamie’s father is now a U.S. senator, her recent run-in with a disturbed stalker is all over the news, and when she starts receiving gruesome threats echoing the stalker’s last words, she can’t shake the feeling that her investigation may be about more than a missing girl—and that someone very powerful is hiding something very significant . . . and very sinister.


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Review

Jamie Sinclair is a no-nonsense, get-the-job-done kind of gal. Raised by a strict military father and working as private investigator, she's determined to see justice and protect the innocent. And she's tough.

When her ex-husband calls, she's wary--that is, until he says his three-year-old daughter is missing. To make matters worse, the girls is diabetic and time is running out. Now, if only her ex-husband would stop telling lies, she might find the girl before it's too late.


As a fan of strong female characters, Jamie did not disappoint. From page one, I was invested and rooting for her. She didn't shy away from difficult situations, nor did she hide from her past mistakes and failures. Although there is some romance for her in the book, I was left hoping for more and disappointed it didn't materialize.

The focus of the story is the mystery surrounding the girl's disappearance. There are several subplots going on, and I found them interesting but sometimes distracting. Until the very end, I was left guessing about what happened to the girl and enjoyed the twists and turns. However, the conclusion felt rushed and a bit of a letdown. I was wanting a bit more grit throughout, and it always seemed just beyond my reach.

Still, The Kill List was entertaining, and I was really invested in the main character. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy mystery and don't mind it being romance-light.


Rating: 4 stars

About Nichole Christoff 

Nichole Christoff is a writer, broadcaster, and military spouse who has worked on air and behind the scenes producing and promoting content for radio, television news, and the public relations industry across the United States and Canada. Christoff is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the Jane Austen Society of North America. She also belongs to the Private Eye Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, and three of RWA’s local chapters where she’s served as an officer and a member of the board. In Christoff’s first year as a member of RWA, her first manuscript won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements. Her second manuscript won a 2011 Helen McCloy Scholarship from the Mystery Writers of America. Her latest work, The Kill List, is a 2014 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense nominee.


Thanks to TLC for my review copy.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

Please visit other stops on The Kill List blog tour page.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this book for the tour.