Customer Reviews

Taken By The Wind

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by Susan Tam

Taken by the Wind is only a novella but wow, does it pack a punch!! Brenna Collins is in the wrong place at the wrong time. She witnesses a murder. A brutal serial killer has been running loose. Dubbed the Gemini Killer, he has been murdering pairs of twins. The killer becomes fixated on her - she has made an impression on him, especially by fighting back, since most of his victims rarely put up a struggle. The killer pursues her across several states and over time. Kylan Cree, a cop, is one of many who are trying to catch him. He and Brenna become close, but details of his past slowly come to the forefront. I can't add more or else I would be giving the entire story away. But there is a twist at the end that had me shaking my head!!

I thoroughly enjoyed this novella!! It could have been expanded into a longer book, but I felt the length was just perfect for it. It was a suspenseful, quick and very satisfying read. The characters were well developed for such a short story. Brenna is the kind of heroine I love - strong, smart and brave. The author has come up with a riveting story. I look forward to reading her next book!

Every once in a while a book crosses my path that is truly amazing. This was one of those books. It was engaging, sexy and exciting. I have very little to complain about other than I think the author could have expanded the story a little by developing the get away scenes a little better and then it could have been a full sized novel. Otherwise, the plot was great and the ending couldn't have been more perfect.

After witnessing a murder, Brenna becomes the obsession of a serial killer. He's known as the Gemini Killer and is on the FBI's Most Wanted list, but it's Brenna who's at the top of his list. He has never had someone fight back at him the way she did. There is something about Brenna that intrigues him so he lets her escape, telling himself that "he would find out who she was, learn everything he could about her then go after her. When he had time to play."

And he toys with Brenna for two years. Like a cat with a mouse, as she runs away from him, he always chases after, completely fixated on her, vowing never to let her go. As this killer hounds her every move, enjoying the game, a cop also joins the chase, and you soon realize he has his own motives and secrets. This story is full of dark motive and ambiguous character that will have you thinking and thinking again, making you wonder if all is exactly as it appears.

This is one of those stories that you may want to read twice. No kidding. If you're reading it and something feels off, be sure to bookmark it because you're going to want to go back to those pages, looking for clues and nuances you may have missed. I certainly did. This novella isn't your typical, traditional romantic/suspense type of story. There is no easily understood hero, no easily identifiable bad guy, and no clear-cut ending. In fact, the ending might leave you a little confused and maybe even chilled, depending on how you perceive it.

For me, this story is dark and disturbing; it's also suspenseful and psychologically fascinating. Nothing in this story is easily done. The author never shows you the easy path; she makes it as rocky and as interesting as possible. This story forces the reader to doubt and to question almost every aspect of it, every action and word, all the way up until the very end. That's how much this story messes with your mind, forcing you to rethink all your suppositions. If you want a story to provoke you and give you a complicated, original and exciting read, this story will do that. You'll be thinking about it long after you've finished it.