Customer Reviews

One Deadly Sin

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Author Annie Solomon is a native to New York , a RITA-winner, and has been dreaming up stories since she was ten. After a twelve-year career in advertising, where she rose to Vice President and Head Writer at a mid-size agency, she abandoned her professional life for her first love, romance. Other titles include: Dead Ringer, Like A Knife, Dead Shot, Tell Me No Lies, Black Out, and Blind Curve. An avid knitter and soap opera fan, she now resides in Nashville , Tennessee with her husband and daughter.

Edie Swann has hungered for revenge ever since her family was forced to flee from their small town when she was a child. More than anything, she just wanted answers. Did her father really kill himself? Was he murdered? If so, why? By who? Armed with a list of names, Edie returns to her hometown, leaving each suspect a sign that they have her father's blood on their hands. Except, one by one, the men she has targeted begin dying- leaving her the ample suspect, and still with no answers. Sheriff Holt Drennan knew the minute Edie stepped foot in his town that she was hiding something. She has a haunted and saddened look to her eyes, despite the tough, defiant exterior. Torn between the town he loves and is sworn to protect, and the woman he's falling in love with, Holt can't help but admit that all the evidence points to Edie. As the body count rises, and long-buried secrets begin to emerge, nothing is as it seems...Except the sins of the past are ready to be paid in full- with Edie's blood.

I have to bow down and give credit where credit is due. Annie Solomon knows how to pace a story better than any other author I know. With the perfect elements of romance and suspense, she takes you on a ride that leaves you guessing until the very end. With realistic and relatable characters, flaws and all, even their responses to stress and surroundings were genuinely convincing. The small town gave credible true-to-life scenarios, making the book all the more powerful. The secondary characters added energy and endearment to the storyline. Without having to issue a spoiler alert, I didn't see the end coming. Bravo!

One Deadly Sin is a well-written, enthralling, and fascinating read- One that won't disappoint from this rising author!



Kelly Moran,

Author and Reviewer

There are several good synops reviews, so I'm just adding a quick "nutshell" review:

The characters are very well written. Plenty of depth to their personalities:

~The lead male is definitely heroic. He's a single dad who is working as the town police chief. To help raise his daughter after his wife's death, Holt is living with his parents in the same home he grew up in. No one has awakened his soul in the five years since Cindy died. Now, a dark angel rides into town and shocks both his body and soul to attention.

~The lead female is a self-made misfit. She'd rather die than be like the carbon- copy blondes, wearing pastels and fussy hairdos, around the sleepy town of Redbud. She has returned to this, the town of her birth, for one reason: revenge upon those who caused her mother's and father's deaths. Riding in on a Harley, wearing black leather, black hair, and tattoos, Edie is quick to receive local scorn. The people don't want her type around... Too bad. She's not leaving until she gets what she came for. Armed with a big city attitude and a list of her enemies names, she can't wait to stir things up.

~Many other characters are involved and most are just as well fleshed out. A couple ended up being a little too 80's- horror- film- cliche, but that didn't happen until the end of the book.

~The scenes and situations are very well told. When the heroine is thrown in prison, you feel as if you are there with her. Great writing.

~All told, the mystery and suspense are terrific throughout the book. The romance is intense and deep, but the love scenes are mild. The first chapter, which was only a couple pages long, made no sense at all. Then the second chapter kicks in with the real story.


My reasons for making this a 3.5- star rating are listed below, but note the spoiler alert. In the end, it's a worthwhile read.


SPOILER ALERT:
Unfortunately, the author lets the reader down in the end. She had spent hundreds of pages keeping us guessing between a few possible suspects. All of them made sense, and any of them would have been a great choice for the murderer. Sadly, the author copped-out and threw in the old "psychotic killer you never suspected" ending from out of nowhere. The killer proceeds to then spell out how everything happened in a matter of a couple of sentences. Instead of being a shocking/ chilling answer to the mystery, it was an eye-rolling "oh please" ending.

Another thing that bothered me was that fact that Holt's father never had to pay any consequences for his part in destroying Edie's family. Nor was he prosecuted for trashing her hotel room in an effort to frighten her into fleeing... which would have lead to her being thrown in jail. He was totally stoic about it, only giving a quick apology after he was caught in his lies. Edie suddenly became the queen of forgiveness, while Holt stood strong in his disapproval of his dad's actions. So Edie threatens to leave Holt if he won't forgive his dad? A man and a woman died, a child's life was devastated, and an innocent woman almost spent the rest of her life in prison for murders she didn't commit... but Holt's dad said nothing. I'm with Holt. Dad deserves his son's scorn.
END SPOILER ALERT


Hopefully, as the author gets more books under her belt, the she'll get more gutsy about her endings. I'd love to read more from her. There were also a couple of bad editing errors... one minute Edie sees a guy lying asleep on the couch, the next she is wondering where he is...but I still enjoyed the book.



If you like romantic suspense, here are a few I love:

Unlawful Contact (I-Team Series, Book 3) (You don't need to read the two books before this one. They are good, but not as good as this third in the series.)

Thread of Fear

Bodyguard

Cry No More

I LOVED this book! It was a great book that had me totally sucked in from the beginning. Once I picked this up, I didn't want to put it down. Besides, when you build a story around a big, hunky cop, you can't go wrong! (My hubby was a big, hunky cop when I met him!!)

Edie is set on revenge. So, she takes on the role of the bad guy in her pursuit of the truth about what happened to her father who died when she was young. When some of the folks that Edie is hoping to get answers from begin to die, she is quickly considered the likely suspect. Plus, she's the new kid in town. When Edie starts to fall for Holt, it gets a little messy considering that he's the town police chief, and his dad is on Edie's list of suspects in the cover up that killed her father. As Edie is trying to keep herself from becoming a victim, she's also trying to protect Holt and keep herself out of jail.

I liked that the villain of the story was female. That left the hero to be the hunky cop, Holt. Going in I knew that Holt and Edie would eventually hook up, but it was still interesting how it all came about. When Edie and Holt finally shared their first kiss, I found myself actually smiling! I love a good mystery thriller that has just a little romance/smut to it. They are my favorites and this one really hit it!

Throughout the book I tried to figure out who the real killer was, and just as I'd figure it out, my mind would be changed with a new twist in the story. The author kept me guessing all the way to the end. Each and every character that was a part of this story had a story of their own, so it was interesting trying to figure them all out. I loved Holt's character. He was loyal, dependable and a total gentleman. He was the good guy! He's a widowed father to a young girl and I liked this about him. It fit with the story and made him believable. He was painted as such a nice guy that as a reader I wouldn't have liked him being a divorced man. Edie was wild! She rode a Harley, had several tattoos and was stubborn. She had such a great attitude and personality! I couldn't help but want Holt and Edie to get together.

Overall, I really liked this and have already ordered another book by this author. I plan to keep my copy of this book. It's one that I would definitely read again and share with friends!

As A little girl Eden Swanford and her mother left Redbud, Tennessee after her father's tragic suicide. As a grown woman she returned as Edie Swan to get her revenge on those responsible for pushing her father to his death. To prove to them that someone was on to their secret, she leaves them a black angel. A symbol they're sure to understand... and fear.

When one of the men who receives the black angel turns up dead, Edie is almost glad but when the next man dies she begins to wonder if there's more to the legend of the black angels than she realizes.

Believing the deaths are accidents Sheriff Holt Drennen doesn't have any reason to suspect Edie but as the spark between the two grows bigger he uncovers information that causes him to see her in a new light. Can she really be a murderer?

This was a perfect combination of mystery, suspense and romance. Solomon certainly knows how to keep a reader turning pages. With all the intrigue I was pointing my finger at several different suspects but was never able to figure out who was killing people right under Edie and Holt's nose.

Edie, Holt and his daughter Miranda were such a great characters. I was rooting for Edie right from the beginning and I thought it was adorable the way Miranda called Edie's tattoo a "fattoo". For the most part you know that romance books will almost always end in a happily ever after but One Deadly Sin wrapped everything nicely and I was genuinely happy for the characters (cheesy, I know). This is a must read for romantic suspense lovers.

This romantic thriller was definitely a page-turner, one that kept me guessing right until the end. The writing was crisp, and the evolving relationship between Holt and Edie was compelling. The only weak spot for me was eventual revelation of the identity of the killer- I didn't feel there were any clues to help the reader solve the mystery along the way and so didn't appreciate the deus-ex-machina feel of the solution. That said, reading this book reminded me of an early Kay Hooper or Iris Johansen thriller and I would definitely read other books by this author. Would have been four stars if I hadn't felt like the solution came out of nowhere.

Edie Swan has returned to her small hometown of Redbud, dead set on revenge. When she was a child, her father committed suicide after being involved in scandal and soon after her mother had a breakdown. Her possessions consist of her motorcycle, a few pieces of clothing, and a list of names. The individuals on the list were the last people her father spoke to before killing himself. She wants to scare these men into turning themselves in, admitting their deceipt. So, she sends them small, plastic black angels. A black angel decorates her father's grave and Edie is certain the small trinkets will send a message the guilty will not misinterpret.

But then the recipients of the black angels start dying, one by one. Redbud's Sheriff Holt Drennan is certain Edie is involved somehow. When he and Edie become romantically involved, Holt is torn between protecting his town or protecting the life of the woman he has grown to love.

ONE DEADLY SIN is an amazing character-driven romantic thriller. The romantic aspect isn't overwhelming, which is one of the many reasons I enjoyed this book. While there are a few steamy moments, the suspense can hold it's own. I can typically figure out most "whodunits" but ONE DEADLY SIN kept me guessing, literally, to the very end.

Annie Solomon has written a contemporary suspense with just the right balance of romance and an amazing chemistry between her two principal characters. Very real, very well paced, a superb read. I will want more from this author!
Love Will Follow

Edie Swann heads back to her hometown, Redbud, with one intention only - and that is revenge. She has a list given to her by her dying aunt that has the five names of the men that her father had dealings with shortly before his tragic death. Her only problem is that someone starts off-ing these men making her the main suspect in their murders.

Local lawman and the man that makes Edie's heart race - Holt Drennen is handling the death cases of these prominent Redbud residents... but are they accidental deaths or murders? As his feelings for Edie grow so do his suspicions of her somehow being involved.

This book can be emotional when it delves into Edie's insecurities and fears. Although on the outside she might look tough riding a Harley, tattoos all over and wearing leather - she is rather fragile on the inside. She is a strong character that has to overcome her past and learn to live for herself and her future.

While spine-tingling is not a word that is usually associated with romance Annie Solomon makes it so by her masterful descriptions of these crimes. The not over descriptive intimate love scenes are frequent and varied throughout this read - add in a mysterious murderer, and you have a true page-turner.

There were some interesting plot lines, and the narrative was good enough to keep me intrigued, sometimes to push me to go to the next chapter when I know I should stop and go to bed. It definitely had me guessing as to the twists and turns it was going to take and I was never able to guess whodunnit until the very end. Overall, I enjoyed the book as a nice little romantic suspense read and would definitely recommend it.

This was a great read. From the first sentence, I could not put this book down. The mystery and the romance played well together and the conclusion had me shedding a tear.

I love Annie Solomon's books, they are always different and filled with truly unforgettable characters. This one is no different, from a bike riding, tattoo wearing, boot stomping heroine to a buff, virile country boy, turned city cop who has come back home we feel the heat and the need for answers to a question of murder or suicide.

Edie Swan has come back to a town she left at the age of 10 when the death of her father, who was accused of embezzelment, sent her mother into a mental hospital and her into her aunt's home. Alone and shifted from pillar to post she has survived and now she wants answers.

Sheriff Holt Drennen has returned to town after the death of his wife, five years ago. He needed help to raise his young daughter. From the first time he sees Edie, he is attracted to her. The more he sees her the more he wants her. Edie feels the same but how can she get close to the Sheriff when she is sending black angels to the five men she blames for her father's death.

Whether thay caused his death or not, she doesn't know but she wants answers. When the men start to die one by one, she is frightened. It seems she has opened a can of worms and now someone else may be using her to settle old accounts.

The story is fast paced. The romance is hot and the story is filled with twists and turns. Can Holt save the woman he loves from her own actions? The answers are so totally out there, I had no idea who was doing what until the end. Very good read.