Tea & Read: Fear No Evil

Title: Fear No Evil

Author: Robin Caroll

Rating: One Cup of Tea

This book introduced me to Robin Caroll books, even though she has authored more than twelve books. Fear No Evil is the second book in Caroll’s Evil series.

Synopsis:

With his father in a nursing home and his mother needing support, former Great Smoky Mountains park ranger Lincoln Vailes moves to the bayou town of Eternal Springs, Louisiana, to become a police officer. Recent college graduate and eager social worker Jade Laurent has also moved there to try and right the wrongs of an abusive past. But someone is running her car off the road and pointing guns in her direction. As Lincoln investigates her case, he uncovers ties to big-city gang warfare up north that appears to be making its evil way down south.

Books like this are hard to review. It was neither great nor horrible. It had equal parts of things I like and things I didn’t. I liked Lincoln and Jade’s characters. Even thought Lincoln was a little bit stereotypical with is good cop demeanor and his view on God, I have a big soft spot in my heart for law enforcement. I also enjoyed Jade’s quirky habits. I also loved the effect she had on the other characters in the book.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the plot. With the characters as likable as they were, they didn’t seem to fit the storyline. Like something else should be happening to them. At a few places I had to will myself to suspend my disbelief and accept them in their setting. I had a difficult time keeping myself engaged in the events of the plot. There were a couple of places of interesting head-hopping (POV changes) that left me confused.

Another issue I had with this book is the antagonist. I had figured out who it was before I’d read half of the book. Once I figured out who the villain was, all the suspense was gone. Certain points of the plot were very predictable and at times cliché, which was a shame because I liked the characters.

I would read another one of Caroll’s books (I’m not sure but I think I already own Deliver Us From Evil).  Fear No Evil  wasn’t bad enough to keep my from reading another one of her books.