First rule of gunfights: Avoid gunfights.
Second rule: Bring a gun. Preferably two.
Kendra Elliot
And all your friends who have guns.
Spiraled
Format:
Audible. Available to borrow via Kindle Unlimited with audio included. If you don’t have KU, this is one of those audios that’s less expensive to buy the ebook & add audio. Less than $6 for both at the time of this review.
Publisher’s Synopsis:
FBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn’t witness them. When she’s trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival.
But that’s only the beginning….
An epidemic of mass shootings has has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives. The task force assembled to solve the case – which includes Ava’s boyfriend, detective Mason Callahan – remains stumped. And on top of this chaos, Ava’s troubled twin sister reappears, throwing Ava’s already-tumultuous life into a tailspin.
An old-fashioned cop with a strong sense of duty, Mason struggles to find the cause of the shootings as workaholic Ava spins ever closer to breaking down. But can one detective save the lives of countless innocents – and prevent the woman he loves from going over the edge?
Point of view:
3rd person. Alternating perspectives, not always by chapter, but it’s clearly defined. The majority of the book is either from Mason or Ava’s perspective. There are several from the killer(s)’ and a few from Zander’s (Ava’s partner).
Rellim’s Thoughts:
This is the third book in the Callahan & McLane series. I enjoyed this one as much as the last. While a romance, Elliot spends a significant amount of time on the suspense/mystery aspect and it’s a balance that works well for me. There are one or two sex scenes between Mason & Ava. One is particularly intense while still being appropriate for the story. Mason & Ava’s relationship is moving forward, but poor Ava is again thrust in the middle of crime spree. These often feel like an episode of Law & Order (which I love), in that it does become evident who the killer is well before the end, but the thrill comes from listening to it all play out.
Narration:
Duet narration! This is a change from the first two which were in dual narration. I feel like it really helps immerse the listener in what’s going on ~ more like a play/production than a book. Amy McFadden is one of my favorite narrators and pairs wonderfully with Nick Podehl in this series. They both do an excellent job of giving each character their own unique voice as well as remain consistent throughout the series.
Trigger Warnings (possible spoilers):
Mass shootings. Ava is present and her POV describes fully in “real time” what is going on. Other similar incidents are discussed from a law enforcement procedural aspect.
My Favorite Quotes
“First rule of gunfights: Avoid gunfights. Second rule: Bring a gun. Preferably two.” – Spiraled by Kendra Elliot, #DuetNarration @amymcnarrator & Nick Podehl #CallahanMcLane
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“Her past was like a partially healed scar. It’d been ripped open too many times, and she’d discovered the only way to let it mend was to completely avoid it.” – Spiraled by Kendra Elliot, #DuetNarration @amymcnarrator & Nick Podehl #CallahanMcLane
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Rellim Reads 