Customer Reviews

Special Interest (Angela Bivens Mystery)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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I like this novel and I think it is a well developed and suspenseful murder mystery. When I thought I had narrowed down who the murderer might be, another element was added that made me re-think my position. I was immediately taken into the story; Chris has a way of writing that makes you want to know more about the characters and how they interact with each other. I especially wanted to know more about the main character (Angela). What was her driving motivation? Even after losing a job in Peoria for relying on one source--how she found the courage to dig deeper into this story when she was yet threaten with another dismissal. What had she experienced to make her such a determined person?" What happened in her earlier years that made her the person she had become? I feel the book was definitely worth the read and would definitely suggest others read it.

Chris Benson's, Special Interest is a political page-turner. When reporter, Angela McKenzie, relocates to Washington D.C. she is given the inside track into Washington politics by her old friend and political mover-and-shaker, Veronica Sutton. Angela notices changes in her once radical friend but does not believe Veronica is the sell-out that others are accusing her to be. When Veronica is found dead, Angela refuses to accept suicide as the cause of death. As Angela sets out to find the truth, she soon discovers Veronica's suicide is just a small part of a larger, dangerous story.

Benson's story is thick with details and plot twists that engage readers from the first page. The characters are well-developed and flawed within reason. Short chapters and journal style formatting keep the story moving. Readers will be pleased with Benson's first novel and will eagerly await Angela's future endeavors.

Reviewed by M. P. McKinney
APOOO BookClub

The female protagonist is a young journalist in D.C. plying and being plied by sources in a highly competitive environment. A suspicious death of an associate becomes the central theme of the book after several chapters of character development. That is typical of Chris Benson, it seems, in that he feeds elements of the plot to the reader at a measured pace. Almost all of the characters, including the heroine, have secrets and Benson divulges them in a manner well-timed to advance the story. By the end of the book, a whole raft of characters have become real people with multiple and intersecting agendas. The deceased character, in particular, is so full of life, yet beset with enigmas, that it is especially tragic that Benson kills her. But it is what makes for an excellent mystery.

The author is clearly familiar with "special interest" politics and journalism. The characters' dialogue is just right; the defense offered by the tobacco company PR person during the TV station roundtable interview is letter perfect. The author has a good ear for what makes a credible PR statement somewhere between artificially true and blatantly false. This is not the snappy patter of a Fletch novel or an exercise of the the "little grey cells" by Poirot, but professional people sounding professional.

All in all, an absorbing book.

This is an intense high stakes puzzle--a powerhouse, political mystery thriller. Rich characters and plots kept me up well into the night. It kept me guessing right until the explosive ending. A speactular read!

An exciting spin that keeps you on the edge of your seat till the unexpected, and shocking conclusion. I must say that Chris Benson has a way with women, as a writer that is. The depth he takes the protagonist, Angela, to---hits home with a womans point-of-view. Finally, we are portrayed with sophistication and wit, without having to shed our clothes to get there. With that said, Benson certainly knows how to capture the sizzle, as well. I read another story this author wrote called Click that I found in a recently released book, Brown Sugar: A Collection of Erotic Black Fiction, edited by Carol Taylor. And, I must say that Benson adds just the right amount of brown sugar to Angelas [Special Interest] character, flavoring the story with perfect tasteand pulsating passion....