Customer Reviews

Deadly Laws

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Deadly Laws is the fourth title in Jim Michael Hansen's scintillating Laws series.

Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry has been called to a railroad yard to investigate a shooting death. He found more than just a man's body. There was evidence that an unknown person had been held captive (by a dog collar) and escaped from the boxcar where the murder victim had been found.

Third-year law student Kayla Beck receives a chilling telephone call. A man challenges her to a game: follow his directions and save a woman's life, or ignore the call and the woman dies. Kayla believes the caller and follows his directions. She came upon Aspen, tied up in the boxcar, as she was being raped.

Kayla helps Aspen escape and is told a chilling tale of a serial killer that involves seemingly random citizens in his maniacal game of death. And if the `helper' doesn't help him, they eventually become the targets.

Coventry, Aspen and Beck are after the killer and once again, Hansen neatly intersects the stories of the victims and the police. The women are the hunted, but are determined to control their own fate and become the hunters. Their investigation parallels the police's.

Deadly Laws is a thriller that won't let the reader shake the terror of the story. Long after you close the book, you'll be looking over your shoulder, wondering if you're in the `crosshairs' of a nameless, faceless, monster who is only interested in the thrill of torture and murder--yours.

Hansen's plots are masterful and terrifying because they could be real life. His characters are rich, multi-dimensional and deeply flawed. Sometimes you love them and sometimes you don't.

My only criticisms of Deadly Laws are Det. Bryson Coventry's `skirt chasing' comes off as juvenile and unprofessional. It makes him less likeable than in the previous books in the series. Hansen also litters the landscape (in all of his books) with what I feel is too much gratuitous sex. Toning it down would add to the richness of the story.

Armchair Interviews says: Deadly Laws, while flawed, is a page-turner that leaves you scared, wary of strangers and breathless.

"DEADLY LAWS is the fourth book in the LAWS series by Jim Michael Hansen. Hansen continues to expand the high tension drama that is the life of Bryson Coventry, a Denver homicide detective.

While investigating the death of a drifter, Bryson Coventry has only a single clue to go on. Kayla Beck, a third year law student who is overloaded with her studies, Law Review and life in general becomes the pawn in a wicked game of life and death. They share the same goal to find out who is behind the savage serial murder of young women. An out of the blue phone call to Kayla challenges her to her moral core; "do as I say and you can save the life of an unknown women or else she dies." Her decision unleashes a chain reaction that keeps the reader glued to 400+ pages of electrifying tension. How Coventry and his colleagues put all the pieces of the puzzle together will keep you guessing and the masterful twist at the end is stunning.

Coventry is still battling his demons; he drinks way too much coffee, falls too easily into bed with so many beautiful women and tries to squeeze in time for his passion to paint. Hansen's characterizations are what draw you into the core of each of his books. Coventry faces his own moral deliminas - the professional cop, who has a strong drive for justice, but just as easily can fall in bed with a beautiful suspect involved in the his investigation. Can he control is libido and still be objective in solving the crime?

There is more to the series than just Coventry. Hansen carefully surrounds his protagonist with a strong cast of characters who support Coventry and lovingly give him a hard time about his carefree lifestyle. Even Denver is a character in the books providing a contextual and atmospheric backdrop for these horrific crimes. If the good guys are this complicated, Hansen is among the best at getting into the heads of the vicious killers; men of no moral fabric who as easily smile at you or kill you depending on their disposition.

DEADLY LAWS is face paced and well plotted novel. Hansen has once again demonstrated that he a gifted wordsmith and he able to balance the thriller, crime, romance and violence aspects of writing and develop them into a well written novel. In each of the novels of this series Hansen is able to draw the reader in quickly and hold them captive until the satisfying ending is at hand. For the uninitiated, this is a caffeinated, high tension tour de force."

[...].

Fourth in the Laws series, drawing us again into the life and work of hard charging, coffee drinking, womanizing, homicide solving Denver detective Bryson Coventry. A man is abducting women, and then calling other women to go rescue them. If the proposed rescuer refuses, the abducted woman dies. One such rescue leads to the killing of a rapist, which brings Coventry onto the scene. A security camera video leads him to the "rescuer" and the most recent victim. They don't want to cooperate, because of the circumstances of the rapist's death, and because they have vowed to find and kill the abductor themselves. So Coventry begins a long, drawn out investigation/ assignation, the latter of which is thoroughly enjoyed by all concerned. In the meantime, the ladies are trying to use to get more information on the abductor, as well as....... Crisp as a Rocky Mountain morning and as exciting as a new powder run at Vail, this is the best "Law" yet.

How would you react if you received a phone call and the caller said if you didn't do what you were told a woman would die and it would be your fault? Would you hang up and forget it as a prank or take it seriously?

Law student Kayla Beck feels coerced to take on the task of rescuing the woman and goes armed. She finds the woman wearing a locked steel collar chained to the floor of a boxcar and things get ugly from there.

At the same time this rescue is taking place, plans are made for the kidnapping of another woman for other purposes. Here, the question arises if these two things could be connected? How? The crimes aren't the same.

Detective Bryson Coventry is drawn into chasing a murderer and kidnapper when a body is discovered in a boxcar. He's wondering who had worn that collar and if the dead man was killed by the kidnapper because he raped the captive.

Talented author Jim Michael Hansen keeps the many subplots and characters moving in a delicate balancing act that tightens the noose around a serial killer as victims, killer and Bryson Coventry cross paths, often missing each other. This is a thriller that will have you looking in one direction while the killer is doing something else. A tale that readers something different.

I'm pleased to recommend this tale to any thriller or mystery fan. The imaginative departure from the time-tried plotlines will satisfy and have readers looking for other books by this author

It always amazes me how author Jim Hansen writes a book that is filled with the actions of terrifying un-godly murderers, detailing their hideous and repulsive acts of violence , yet pens his words in such a way that you are propelled into a story that locks you in until the final page. I sat glued to the pages reading his latest work, " Fatal Laws," hating the horror poured upon helpless victims, yet desperately needing the conclusion I knew awaited me at the end of the read. Indeed the mark of a great writer.
Unlike our author's other works, that focused mainly on the life of a Denver Homicide Detective; this story takes us more into the lives of two young woman, Kayla Beck and Aspen White. Our story begins as Kayla receives a phone call from a serial killer telling her that Aspen is tied up in an old railroad car; if Kayla can get there in time she can save her life; if not, she will die.Kayla does save her life but not before Aspen kills a man who has stumbled upon her and assaulted her while she lay helplessly tied-up. After the rescue the two women become fast friends and set off to try and find this serial killer before he decides they both need to die.
Not to worry, there is still plenty written about our beloved Bryson Coventry, 34 year-old head of Denver's Homicide Unit. He is drawn into the story as he investigates this man's murder. Getting a line on a car seen at the scene of the murder that matches Kayla's car he investigates, meets the two woman and becomes involved with the beautiful Aspen. Soon young girls turn-up missing and end-up dead and Aspen and Kayla step up their search for this killer knowing they may well be next.
In the meantime, Coventry finds out that he may be searching for a serial killer as well but does not know the two woman are doing the same.
I cannot begin to tell you the entire storyline as it has more twists and turns than a mountain road. Characters upon characters are added in, some bringing spice, others bringing fear, some bringing romance and more than one serial killer suspect rises up leaving you totally at the mercy of the author to bring this mountain of mystery to its final conclusion. Just when you think you maybe starting to travel on a straight road more is added to the mix as there are some hidden motives behind some actions taken by our characters and your mind will totally explode when you find out the secret that Aspen has been hiding and who the real killer is. An unbelievable conclusion awaits you; or is this really the end of this story? Somehow I'm suspicious that it is not. However we will have to wait and see.
To bring my review to a close I would have to say this is one top-notch read. Again, Mr. Hansen adds just the right amount of mystery, suspense, romance, horror and nail-biting adventure to keep you turning the pages. Be warned, there is some rude-talk and sexual content to be aware of. However, for those who love the hair standing-up on your neck fear; the delving into the mind of a heart-less killer and the challenge of solving one outstanding who done it read ; you will love this book.It is a murder mystery that you will never know or even imagine what lies around the next turn; I promise you that. Excellent read!

Wow! such gripping, on-the-edge-of-the-seat tension! Are you ready for another thrill ride into crime and suspense? Allow the number one thriller writer, Jim Michael Hansen, to lead you through a world of hidden boundaries and shear panic.

Kayla Beck, a sympathetic character, is on a mission. She is about to put her own life in danger to try and save someone who might already be dead. Will she make it to the captured girl in time? She was told not to involve the police. Will she seek out, Denver homicide detective Bryson Coventry, a gorgeous hunk of a man, for help? Or will she follow through on her own, even though she feels she is about to walk into a trap and might become the next victim? As the tension mounts in the nail-biting, romantic event, prospects of escape look slim to not at all. I was filled with awe as I read each shocking page of the fast-paced, excellent read! which I highly recommend. DEADLY LAWS, a 5 star keeper if there ever was one.

Deadly Laws is not as good as the excellent Jim Michael Hansen novel Shadow Laws: it is better.

Wow.

In my review of Shadow Laws I wrote about how much I enjoyed the great characters, the suspense, and the roller coaster plot of that great novel. What makes Deadly Laws superior is that all of the great elements found in Shadow Laws are to be found in Deadly Laws--but bigger and better.

Talk about a bad guy: Vance Lundeen of Deadly Laws would kick the butt of Shadow Laws Nathan Wickersham . . . and then go have sex.

It's apparent that sex is and will continue to be a major mover in the Law novels. Cool. I don't turn my head during sex scenes in movies--have you seen a James Bond movie?--and I'm not going to blush at these. Sex and money--getting it-- are two major motivators in real life. They should be in fiction too. The characters in the Law series are alpha, A-type personalities. Check with Bill Clinton.

Sex makes these characters human, or inhuman, depending on the character. You love Bryson Coventry and despise Vance Lundeen all the more for the way they approach sex. Sex can show vulnerability and coarseness. Sex can make people (and characters in a novel) do things they might not have otherwise thought themselves capable of, whether it is an act of bravery or an act of inhumanity.

Anyway, my copy of Bangkok Laws just came in the mail. Please pardon me while I go and read it. I'm probably going to be up all night.

I'm truly not sure what any reviewers see in this book. The characters are shallow and poorly developed, the plot is similar to "Kiss the Girls" but minor league - maybe pee wee league - in comparison and there are very few redeeming characteristics in any of the book's characters. Talk about unrealistic; a woman who is raped, who kills the rapist immediately makes a date and almost as quickly starts having sex in the back seat of the investigating detective's car? Not even the original James Bond moved that quickly (or with less conscience). By page 40, about the only remaining suspenseful(?) question is whether all of the book's characters will have sex. Ycch.

This one is guarenteed to impress just as much as the others in the "Laws" series. Hansen has done it again. I highly recommend this thriller!

Kayla Beck is a law student. Life is going along well until she receives a strange phone call where the voice is distorted. The caller tells her there's a woman being held in a box car, and she's the only one who can save her and only if she acts quickly and follows the directions exactly. Kayla does so and is able to save Aspen White, but not before Aspen kills a man. They become friends and pair up to try to find the serial killer who called Kayla.

Denver Homicide Detective Bryson Coventry is called to the murder of a man in a box car. Then later a law student is found dead by the tracks. Bryson feels in his gut these cases are related, but he can't find what ties them together.

Tracking down a car seen at the first crime scene, Bryson arrives at Kayla's apartment only to find Aspen White. He is drawn to her because she is so beautiful, and they become involved.

When more young women go missing and end up dead, Bryson realizes he is on the trail of a serial killer. An FBI profiler, who is also Bryson's friend, comes to help with the case. She's been tracking this guy for years. What neither of them knows is that Kayla and Aspen are also looking for the same guy. Can they find him before he kills again and without putting themselves in danger?

I have to say this is one book you will have trouble putting down from page one. The author has done a fabulous job of pulling the reader in and keeping them there. He has a great knack at switching from one part of the story to another at just the right time. He will keep you wondering what is going on until the last page. There are lots of twists and turns and suspense.

This is the first book I've read by this author. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more. I highly recommend this book! Just remember, start it when you have lots of time to read. You won't be able to put it down!