Overkill (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Linda Castillo (Author)

Book Description

Series: Berkley Sensation | Publication Date: January 5, 2010

Marty Hogan was a good cop until she crossed the line . . . Now someone wants her to pay . . .

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

It started with a case so horrific it sent Chicago cop Marty Hogan straight over the edge. Unable to put the past behind her, she lost her job and was forced to flee to small-town Texas and the only police department that would hire her.

She's about to learn you can't outrun the past...

Police chief Clay Settlemeyer knows something about making mistakes, which is why he was willing to give Marty a second chance. But when her ex-partner is brutally murdered, it's clear that Marty's past has come back to haunt her.

And she's the next intended victim...

About the Author

Linda Castillo lives in Texas and is currently working on her first thriller which will be released in hardcover in Fall 2008.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; First Edition edition (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425218295
• ISBN-13: 978-0425218297
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #382,016 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Linda Castillo lives in Texas with her husband and is currently at work on her next thriller set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder. Her first novel in the series, Sworn to Silence, was a New York Times bestseller.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whew and WOW!!! 4-1/2*, January 19, 2008

By 

M. Rondeau (West Springfield, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Overkill (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Marty Hogan was a good cop, one of Chicago's finest, until the day a horrific murderer pushed her over the edge. That day, Marty not only lost her job she had worked so hard for but incurred the wrath of the murderer's relatives who were out to exact revenge.

Having such a marked reputation Marty was lucky to find work in a small town in Texas, from Clay Settlemeyer, a police chief who believed in second chances. What Clay wasn't looking for was the attraction he felt towards the feisty curly headed officer carrying a huge load of baggage. But when Marty's ex-partner was brutally murdered, evidence started to unravel indicating Marty was next on a vicious killer's hit list.

*** I have two words that are wholly indicative to describe the impact of this story - whew and wow! Castillo has the reputation of writing some powerfully passionate and thrilling romantic suspense novels, and the imagery she captured in OVERKILL definitely held me spellbound.

Marty was a multifaceted heroine who had lost it after she witnessed the horror of what had happened to a nine year old child who had been raped and murdered by a sadistic monster. Her reaction was over the top, but (IMHO) in most peoples minds the beating she gave the man in custody was no more than what he deserved. The aftermath of her actions and how Marty reacted to it, making her hard as nails with a soft heart helped in creating this memorable heroine as well as creating a totally believable plot line.

Clay was a perfect match for Marty a survivor of the war in Iraq, he knew the signs of PTSD having been there himself and recognized them in her. Although, he believed in second chances he worried that he'd made a mistake in giving Marty a chance, when she called in an ambush that his department couldn't see any signs of.

Castillo played on the budding attraction as news of Marty's ex-partner's bizarre murder came to light and other attempts on her life continued, the pieces came together. Clay knew anyone near Marty could be in danger when they understood it was coming from the Russian mafia. Working on Clay's dilemma, the author played his passion for Marty and keeping her safe, while he attempted to protect his cherished daughter at the same time.

The tension and suspense held up remarkably well through the entire story making this a very fast paced book that was hard to put down. Marty, Clay, and the cast of memorable secondary characters all add up to making this one powerful story with thrills and chills aplenty!

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Explosive!!, February 28, 2008

By 

B. Jordan-James (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Overkill (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Linda Castillo has hit another homerun!! From the very beginning this book fills you with intrigue and suspense. Once you begin reading, you cannot put it down until it's complete. Ms. Castillo is an excellent story writer who has put together a great story of committment to the "cause" and romance. The characters come alive and she makes you feel as if you know them personally. Read this book. You won't be disappointed.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good read, October 14, 2007

By 

Elaine C McTyer "avid reader" (Dawson, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Overkill (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book but it was abit slow in the middle. The beginning was great and so was the ending, but bogged a little in the middle. I am glad I stayed with it because it really was good.

Marty Hogan is a burnt out cop from Chicago. She lost it on video, with a child killer. She beat him almost to death and she is a small woman. But the fallout aka Rodney King, cost her the job and her reputation. Now the only one who will hire her is a small town PD in Texas.

Chief Clay Settlemeyer has been there himself, and without a second chance he wouldn't have made it either. So he takes a chance on an unknown cop. He knows the rest of the story, about the killing of the child. However, he doesn't expect to be attracted to Marty who is suffering from PDST. He has a young daughter to raise.

Marty tries to settle in but shortly is notified that her partner in Chicago has been murdered. She doesn't connect it to herself until almost to late. She is shot at and almost kiddnapped before the pieces start to come togather.

The story held my attention and as I said the beginning and the end were great.