Customer Reviews

Chosen To Die

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Doesn't anyone read the manuscript before it's published? Two examples: Elyssa's car is found, and the police talk to her parents, but several chapters later the neither of the cars of the two missing women has been found and the police postpone talking to their parents. Second example: Regan's kid is on the ridge watching the tow truck pull his mother's car out of the ravine. Several paragraphs later he spots a tow truck.... The previous reviewer's comments about the inconsistency between the death of the copycat in the last book and her miraculous return to life in this book is an indication of how quickly popular books--multimillion makers--are rushed to print. And how little the authors and the publishing industry respect readers. And can't she come up with any other adjective other than "damned"?

Having read Left to Die (the first book), I was pleasantly surprised to find this book is written better and is more in line with what Lisa Jackson fans expect. It's still not at full potential.

Pros: Regan's story deserved its own novel. I wanted more backstory on her relationship with Nate, but Lisa gave enough sketches that my imagination could gnaw on the missing pieces. It was also a setup for Alvarez & Grayson -- hopefully they'll get their own book soon! And Lisa avoided tying up the kid/parent relationship too neatly, so bravo for that. It's always nice, too, to see women with some brains and brawn, even if they sometimes revert.

Cons: I still didn't feel that the motivation for the characters to behave in a certain way was there or that it was consistent. It always seemed to take the characters a long time to get around to doing what the reader thought they should be doing 2 chapters ago. The killer's motivation, too, is still sketchy, but I think Lisa's holding back for the next book. And poor Regan kept forgetting how to be a cop at crucial moments. There were some contrivances to try & "up" the suspense level.

Overall, if you're a fan of Lisa Jackson, pick up this book. If you're new to her work, skip this in favor of older choices. If I could have given it 3.5 I would have. I decided to round up because I'm a long-time fan.

I heartily agree with "Where's the editor." Sloppy work. I got tired of stomachs in knots, clenched jaws and obsidian eyes. Pass the Tums for anyone, which was everyone who had knots in stomach. Can't believe that after several storms author would have Regan and Billy running through snow. More like wallowing through drifts. And in late December lakes would not be likely to have ice thin enough to crack and break though. I understand these were literary devices but not credible ones. The chase was what mattered but it ended with no explanation of how the killer selected victims or how he knew when they would be on highway. Let's just drop the details. Too much internal dialogue also. Is she like Dickens, being paid by the word?

This is a really long book, way too long. The story drags on and on. The main character spends 2/3 of the book in captivity. The characters are not interesting, the plot drags and it is a struggle to want to even finish this book. The idea of the "star crossed killer", who we don't ever really find out why he has the MO, isn't a believable plot.

Save your money.......its too late for me!

I also read Left to Die last year and have been waiting for this sequel. I was not disappointed. Lisa Jackson has once again written another "can't put it down" novel. And, also in Ms. Jackson's style...she left some things "unsaid" and "undone" so maybe we can look forward to a third in this series.

I love "whodunits" and once again she got me.....I love that....
I read this in one day and I don't normally find too many "can't put down" books, but I can always count on Lisa Jackson for that....thank you Ms. Jackson..keep doing what your doing.....

I would highly recommend reading Left to Die first. Although, this novel can stand alone, reading the first book will be greatly beneficial. it is great also. So get both books and enjoy.

As a devoted Lisa Jackson fan, I couldn't wait to read her latest, Chosen to Die. Unfortunately it was rather disappointing. The story moved too slow and it did not get even marginally exciting until the last 30 pages or so. I also wish Ms. Jackson would have spent more time in developing the romance between Reagan and Nate.

I didn't realize this was the second book but I thought it worked as a stand-alone book. Regan was a strong character, determined and resourceful. Nate was a great hero, never giving up trying to find her. There was also some chemistry between Alvarez and Grayson and these were both strong supporting characters. Despite all this, I only felt lukewarm about the book. Maybe I've read too many of these types of books, it just seemed rather cookie-cutter to me and I've read other books by this author that I enjoyed much more. There were several scenes that could have been left out, they added nothing to the story but vulgarity. The story was suspenseful but also left a few questions unanswered.

"Chosen to Die", by Lisa Jackson is an adult, fast-paced, action-packed thriller. This was my first time to read a Lisa Jackson book and I was not disappointed. Detective Regan Pescoli, twice divorced, workaholic, and typical police detective of a Montana Sherriff's department is caught by a serial killer who has been terrorizing the rural county. Add in a romance with a no-account cowboy, an ex-husband who is taking her two teenage children, a multi-millionaire, various eccentric local types and you have a great story.

I liked how Jackson slowly developed the characters, revealing enough along the entire story so there is always a bit of surprise. Her descriptions of the area and weather ring true, bringing a touch of realism to the story. The length was long enough to bring depth and build suspense. The ending was good, effective resolving the major issue, but leaving a little on the table for another Pescoli story.

Its a great book - can't put it down that easily, not any boring pages to skip. This book kept me reading, interested and thinking. Sure there are flawws but nothing too huge to dampen the story. All and all this "damned" book was "damned" great and I'd be "damned" to not buy this "damned" book. Damned!!! hahahaha!

First of all....I LOVED the book and it will, as have all Lisa Jackson's books, be kept on my book shelf.

I DO have a question, however. In "Left to Die" at the end of the book, Jillian's attacker, who was originally thought to be the Star Crossed killer, was killed in a fight with Jillian in the hotel room but in the sequel she is mentioned a number of times as "being in custody" or "being questioned". I thought maybe I misread the first book so I went back and read it again and there is no question Falda was dead as on page 492 the author says "From the glassy stare of Falda's eyes, she knew it was over" and on page 494 Falda's husband says "I'm dying. Falda's gone. She won't hurt you ever again".

Am I losing my mind? Did anyone else notice this?

It is a minor detail, especially considering what a riveting book it was, but things like this bug me. I also felt Padgett's story was left hanging but perhaps she will reappear in a future book.