JDCMustReadBooks

By: T. R. Ragan

ISBN: 9781477819654
Pulisher: Amazon/Thomas & Mercer
Publication Date: 2/3/2015
Format: Other
Series: Lizzy Gardner Series Book #5

My Rating: 5 Stars

A special thank you to Amazon Publishing, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

ALMOST DEAD (The Lizzy Gardner Series Book # 5) by T.R. Ragan, another kick-ass group of strong women, for a cleverly written, fast-paced, and complex multi-layered winner! The mix of humor and evil, strongly reminding me of talented, Karin Slaughter, for a suspenseful action-packed crime thriller.

After PI Lizzy’s wedding was interrupted by gunfire and her husband to be, Jared was shot, he is now in a coma and his estranged family is fighting Lizzy to take control over his future. However, Lizzy wants to carry out Jared’s wishes.

With bad memories, Lizzy is left to stay with her sister, which is short lived due to all the violence with her sister's abusive husband. So now Lizzy and Haley are living with Kitally, in a huge house she inherited from her family, and the three girls are working together with the PI firm – Lizzy Gardner Investigations.

Wow, the girls are dealing with a number of complex cases, dogs, kidnapping, a fraud workman comp case, murders, and a serial killer out for revenge, stalkers, and ex-cons being released from prison to kill again. Lizzy has a number of enemies, and someone is following her.

In the meantime, business as usual. She is hired by a woman who suspects her high school classmates are being targeted, killed off one by one. They all have a common interest – they belonged to the Ambassador Club at a Sacramento High School, an elite group with a favorite pastime of bullying, raping, and tormenting students (these guys were pure evil). You better be careful, as your enemies will track you down years later.

Now decades later, someone is out for revenge and is quite clever; as each person is killed off and the list is getting shorter, as the bodies pile up. Before the client dies, she leaves Lizzy a list with the names of the students they tormented, and the members of the club. The killer has to be a chemist, as often there is food involved and poisons - always one step ahead. The killer likes to stick to her list as OCD, striking through each name as they are eliminated with careful and precise execution.

In addition to all the drama, one of Lizzy’s girls in her protection class is missing and she thinks the kidnapper, is using Shelby to lure her out, in order to move in for the kill.

The killer and the girls may have more in common than they think. Taking out the bad guys- for justice when the legal system, does not always work. They are tired of people hurting them and being the victim. Now the Lizzy Gardner girls are developing ten known criminals to watch . . Leading us into the next book.

As always, there are many cases which connect for a heart-pounding race against time, full of wit, humor, sarcasm, and evil. I loved the banter between the killer and her conscience, making you laugh out loud.

After reading, OBSESSED (Book 4), was excited to catch up with Lizzy and the gals -was not disappointed; racing to finish before bed. I really enjoy TR Ragan's style and her wit. Love the three gals living and working together (Charlie's Angels).

Lizzy, Haley, and Kitally may need to recruit, Jenny to help them out with their mission, to rid the world of the bad guys-- "she definitely has some tricks up her sleeves".

Looking forward to the next in the series. Evil Never Dies (The Lizzy Gardner Series Book #6). Cannot wait to see what is next for this group! This series is so good, may have to back and read books 1-3, which I missed.

Highly recommend, if you love fast-paced complex crime thrillers.