Review: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

My Rating: E, P, B

Published: 2010
Publisher: Ballantine Books

Author's Website: authorcarolyncrane.com

Purchase @ Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com

Justine Jones lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she was lured into the web of a mysterious master-mind named Packard, who gifts her with extraordinary mental powers – dooming her to fight Midcity’s shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Mayor Otto Sanchez, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.

as the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she test the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men – one on a journey of redemption, the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

Double Cross is the second book in the Disillusionist trilogy by Carolyn Crane. Full of mystery, intrigue and plot twists galore. This book/series will keep you on your toes.

Justine is still adjusting to her new life as a disillusionist working for Packard who is currently free from his prison as long as his team of disillusionists work for Otto by disillusioning the high-cap criminals that are prisoner by his mind. On top of this, Justine is trying to have a normal relationship with Otto Sanchez, the Mayor of Midcity, when a new team of bad-ass high-cap resistant team start targeting high-caps trying to kill them. On top of all that, Justine has to deal with dream-dropping in on the one and only person she wishes to not be linked to.

Shelby, Carter and Simon make an exceptional return. We see another side of Shelby that is really sweet as I didn’t think she had it in her what with her pessimistic attitude towards life and its’ surroundings. I also just love her character as a whole as she is so funny with her dry wit humour. Carter is still as angry as ever and remind me to never get on the wrong side of him, that would be scary and very, very, life endangering. Simon is his same old usual self; constantly taking chances and trying to find ways to escape Packard’s hold on him.

I absolutely adore his series by Mrs Crane. This book is full of suspense and there is enough action to keep you on your toe. Just when you think the suspense is coming to an end, wham, you are knocked out by a total and utter plot twist that you could never have seen coming a mile away and then it ends. It ends on such a killer cliff hanger that I physically wanted to throw the book at the wall and scream blue murder. Of course I didn’t do that as I love my books but still, the cliff hanger has definitely got me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for the release of the untitled third and final book in the series. Hopefully my sanity will have returned and I will have the guts to read it to find out what else is in store for Justine and Co.

My favourite part of the book was near the end after the long and scintillating build up where Justine gets to be with the man of her dreams. But then that cliff hanger at the end just leaves you speechless and angry. Nevertheless, I still loved this book and have thoroughly enjoyed the series so far and now I am going to wondering what in store for the disillusionists in the third and final book of the series.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book and the series to any urban fantasy fans out there. If you haven’t heard of these books already, then where on earth have you been living? Under a rock? In all seriousness, this book and its’ series is writing like nothing else I have ever read. It has everything you could want from a book/series; awesome characters, a love triangle between the “good guy”, “the bad guy” and the heroine, hard core criminals with supernaturalesque powers and a seriously amazing thrilling and suspenseful story line.

Disclaimer: I was sent this book by the wonderful Carolyn Crane herself for review. I have not been paid to review this book and everything I have said is of my own honest opinion.