I got hooked on author Carolyn Arnold when I read her shocking book
Eleven
. The evil spawned by a diabolical killer is on par in intensity and horror with "Silence of the Lambs." That's why I decided to try her Madison Knight series...and am I ever glad I did.
Even though
Ties That Bind (A Madison Knight Novel)
is lighter in mood, with laugh-out-loud vignettes of humor, it's just as interesting and well-written as "Eleven." This author certainly knows proper crime procedures and gets right into the action from the very first page.
Talk about getting hooked on a book! With an opening line like: "Someone died every day. Madison was left to make sense of it," who wouldn't? In other words, Carolyn Arnold is so adept with her scenes and pacing she grabbed me from the "git-go."
The book opens with the main character, Detective Madison Knight, investigating a crime scene where a woman is strangled with a designer necktie. At first she deducts it's an isolated incident, but when another woman's body is found strangled by the same brand of necktie, the case heats up.
And the case isn't the only thing heating up: Madison, true to her feisty, outspoken nature, defies her superiors who are eager to close the case, even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars. And when her partner, Terry Grant, seems more interested in saving his marriage than getting the job done, he gets a dose of her scorching tongue too. But nothing will stop this strong, determined detective in her quest to find the killer, even if she has to do it alone.
Is Madison in danger of losing her job because of her fierce independence and defiance of authority? Why do they disregard the valid clues she finds? Could it be political shenanigans? Does her partner help or hinder her? How does she keep her cool when unexpected things happen, like faulty lab equipment and missing evidence? But most important, who is the killer, why does he "pose" the victims, and how can they find him before he kills again?
And in a lighter vein, what does Madison's all-too-real obsession with chocolate and her partner's focus on cute, cuddly puppies have to do with anything?
Well, you'll find out when Carolyn Arnold answers these questions and more, while skillfully weaving a realistic crime story loaded with likable main characters surrounded by not-so-likable superiors and evil villains. And you'll love the light-hearted "fisticuffs" between Madison and Grant; just the kind of partners who enjoy each other, but know when to be serious and when to lighten up.
Arnold delivers clean, crisp writing that flows throughout the entire story. I couldn't put this exciting book down, so I raced to the very satisfying, yet realistic, ending. I truly related to Madison; she brings to mind another feisty heroine that I adore: Natasha Chamberlain from the "Bodyguard" series by Christy Tillery French.
I highly recommend this novel and all the works of the very talented Carolyn Arnold. I'm delighted to report that the second book in this series,
Justified (A Madison Knight Novel)
, is now available. Can't wait to read it and get to know our independent heroine a lot better. I wonder what she's up to now?
Endnote: Some reviewers complained about a few question marks that seem like typos and other similar "errors." While punctuation errors and carelessness bother me, too, these didn't interrupt the reading flow at all. I tend to be a bit more lenient with e-Books because I understand the complexities of their formatting. Believe me, errors like this are a problem with formatting and not the author's lack of knowledge. Hopefully, everyone will solve the formatting issues soon. Meanwhile, reviewers must learn to distinguish between true errors and formatting...what with hypertext and other things coming into play with e-Books. Thanks for your attention.
Reviewed by Betty Dravis, February 15, 2012
Author of award-winning "1106 Grand Boulevard"
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Popular Highlights in this book
Cynthia Baxter. She was the Crime Scene Investigations Supervisor, but more importantly, a good friend.Highlighted by 74 Kindle readers- The extra few inches of exposed forehead could have served as a solar panel.Highlighted by 66 Kindle readers
- Terry Grant was her on-the-job partner of five years and three years younger than her thirty-four.Highlighted by 51 Kindle readers
- Fine for a woman didn’t mean everything was glossed over and hunky dory, it meant simply that—fine. Translation: put it to rest as I don’t have the energy to fight about it as much as I’d love to.Highlighted by 46 Kindle readers
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Top reviews from other countries
Kindle Customer
A most enjoyable book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 9, 2022
Pontiki
Nice Introduction to the Knight series
Reviewed in Canada on January 31, 2017
