After the Evil (Jake Roberts #2)

Jake Roberts is a cop battling PTSD. With a long way to go before healing his head, he’s called back to duty. Mika, a former lover and cop, returns with a FBI profiler’s badge. She’s hunting a serial killer who’s slaughtered Jake’s psychiatrist, among many others. Investigating the crime puts Jake’s life in danger when he falls for the killer. 

When the flight attendant asks, “Coffee, tea or me?” readers of “After the Evil” will consider taking the standby seat on the next flight! This gritty thriller weaves sex, brutality, and mental anguish to keep this tale draped in a dark shroud. The main characters are cold, efficient and maintain their attitude and placement in the story. In tune with the plot’s abrasive edge, there’s a very callous vision of love. It keeps shifting but never rises above zero degrees. Carnal thoughts of sex are predominant in every male character. Written in first person omniscient POV, too many perspectives cause confusion. Using dialogue and description to relay secondary characters would have created a tighter story. The head hopping made it extremely unsettling to read. With the exception of two scenes, the drama vaults to cruising altitude and propels the story.

 “After the Evil” comes to an end but not a tidy one. The “who” is never in doubt. The “will they get caught” is answered in this spiny thriller, but readers will need a blanket because the chill and dark corners probed in this novel never cease! 

Natasza Waters