Lisa Jackson

Reader Comments about MALICE

Kensington Publishing Corporation
ISBN: 9780758211842
(March 31, 2009)

Here are comments from our group of Advance Readers about Lisa Jackson's MALICE.

Diane from Ellicott City, MD

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
I have not read any of her books before.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Perry O’Shaughnessy.

What did you think of MALICE?
It was very suspenseful, and not really all that romantic since the hero is away from his current wife while searching for the mystery behind his first wife’s death. There are some sex scenes --- if you can call that romantic. I liked the way the book was laid out. It's told from his perspective, and then the nemesis’s perspective in the first person. It kept me on my toes as I read.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
I think I would enjoy trying another of her books.

Jennifer from Kershaw, SC

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
This was my first book by Lisa Jackson.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I've read quite a lot of Nora Roberts and Janet Evanovich, some Karen Robards, some Heather Graham, etc.

What did you think of MALICE?
I thought MALICE was a fantastic book! It was fast paced, interesting, and full of suspense. I always enjoy books in which I feel connected to the characters, and I definitely felt that way while reading this. Even though I haven't read the rest of the series, I felt like I knew Bentz and Olivia and I wanted everything to work out okay for them. I thought for sure I knew who was tormenting Bentz, but I ended up surprised. It's always nice to be surprised when you finish a suspense/thriller novel. So many seem to follow a pattern and make you feel like you've read it a hundred times before. Not MALICE. It was fresh and new, and I loved it.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes. As a matter of fact, while reading this book, I picked up a copy of HOT BLOODED and IF SHE ONLY KNEW.

Joann from Blackstone, MA

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
I have read other books by Lisa Jackson. SHIVER and MOST LIKELY TO DIE were the most recent. I've also read DARK EMERALD and ALMOST DEAD. I do keep her on my must-read list.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I read several genres of books, but under the romantic suspense category, I read Amanda Quick, Nora Roberts, Iris Johansen, Beverly Barton, Cindy Gerard, and Suzanne Brockmann.

What did you think of MALICE?
A great book; it held my attention from beginning to end. What a chilling, riveting adventure! Bentz is an edgy character. His emotional highs and lows are very real and held the reader's interest. I could feel his pain and confusion as well as his desire to get to the bottom of his situation. I really wanted to know if his ex-wife was alive and who was behind the killings. Jackson did a great job of weaving the different storylines into one. I could not wait to finish to have some of the questions answered. The initial chapter made me aware that things were not quite what they seemed and I wanted Bentz to become aware of that also.

Jackson writes with vivid details; her scenes are visual. The mental pictures are sometimes too real.

Jodie from Commerce City, CO

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
I haven’t read any books by Lisa Jackson yet. MALICE will be my first.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I’m not a regular reader of romantic suspense.

What did you think of MALICE?
The story was intriguing. It took a little while to ramp up and get to where I was drawn in, but once I was, I really wanted to know what would happen next and what the outcome was.

Ms. Jackson noted at the outset that she bent the rules and played with police procedure to move the story forward, so I was aware that would be happening. My preference with suspense is more straightforward and for the procedure to be closer to reality. Having said that, I know that often the rules get bent in service of a story and as long as one can get past that, it's fine.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
If the description of the plot interested me, I would read a future book by Lisa Jackson.

Judy from Ukiah, CA

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
No, this was the first book I've read by Lisa.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Nora Roberts, Carol Higgins Clark and Mary Higgins Clark.

What did you think of MALICE?
I was intrigued from the beginning. I always try to figure out who the culprit is, but this book had me stumped until close to the ending. I love a book that makes me not want to put it down.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes, I would definitely read more books written by her. I will be looking for the first book she wrote about Detective Bentz and also looking forward to reading her other books.

Krishna from Charlotte, NC

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
I have not read Lisa Jackson before, but I've heard of her. She has been one of the authors on my TBR pile and I'm glad I finally got a chance to read her.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
I don't usually read romantic suspense, but I like mysteries with romance as a component, such books by J. D. Robb, Diane Mott Davidson, Deanna Raybourn, Sharon Kay Penman, etc.

What did you think of MALICE?
I liked the characters. They were believable and you felt connected to them. I think the build up to the story was good, with just enough information withheld to keep you guessing. As I read the book, I was trying to figure out who the killer was and if we had met him/her yet. There were offshoots to the story when we find out about other minor characters and what is happening in their lives. It was kind of interesting to see how others in Bentz's life view him and his actions after the accident. You got a chance to see the manipulation better when seen from someone else's viewpoint. I did think the story was a bit too long, though, and that it could have been cut short by a 100 pages. Overall, the book was well written with twists and turns that weren't expected.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes I would read another book by her --- perhaps one of her series.

Lynne from Fredericksburg, VA

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes, I've read some of her older books.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Mary Higgins Clark, Karin Slaughter, Erica Spindler, Wendy Corsi Staub, Joy Fielding, Lisa Gardner and Tess Gerritsen.

What did you think of MALICE?
I really enjoyed the book! MALICE opens with the supposed death of Rick Bentz's ex-wife, Jennifer, in an accident. Next we switch to present day where Bentz is recovering from injuries. He begins "seeing" his dead ex-wife; then, he receives pictures in the mail supposedly showing her still alive, along with a copy of her "death" certificate, on which a big red question mark was written in the middle. Bentz decides to take off for Los Angeles where Jennifer "died" to try to solve this mystery and face some demons from his past. From here on, the action flies fast and furious. This is Lisa Jackson at her best!!

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes!

Vicki from Longview, TX

Have you previously read a book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes, I have.

What other romantic suspense authors do you usually read?
Laura Griffin, Allison Brennan and Brenda Novak.

What did you think of MALICE?
I thought it was excellent and enjoyed reading it.

Would you ever read a future book by Lisa Jackson?
Yes, of course!