Editorial Content for No Bad Deed
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Reviewer (text)
In NO BAD DEED, debut author Heather Chavez presents readers with the thought that making one wrong move or one poor decision may change our lives.
In fact, Cassie Larkin has always regretted not helping a victim of abuse she witnessed when she was in college, and has tried to make up for that in her current life. She is a veterinarian whose heart is bigger than her pocketbook as she helps her patients with their beloved pets, even when they can't afford her skills. She also is a loving mother to her two children and a devoted wife to Sam, who is every woman's idea of a perfect husband. He understands when she has to work long hours and can't be home for dinner or attend their children's events.
"If you enjoy books that keep you on edge, wondering how things will work out, then NO BAD DEED is perfect for you. There are twists, followed by more twists, and plenty of excitement and mystery."
But all that changes when Cassie stops one dark night to help a woman she sees being attacked by a large man on the side of the road. When she inadvertently gets too close to the attacker, he tells her that if she lets the woman die, she will get to live. But Cassie isn't going to let someone else suffer because of her refusal to get involved, and she manages to keep the woman alive until help comes. Maybe she shouldn't have done that.
From that moment on, Cassie's life is upended in almost every way. Her husband disappears while trick or treating with their young daughter, and she starts to hear rumors about an affair that he might have been having. It quickly becomes apparent that Cassie doesn't know what to believe, or what she can believe. Her husband responds to her text by admitting that he is having an affair. But is it really him doing the texting?
Cassie is an admirable woman. Despite her doubts about her marriage, her husband and what is going on, she is determined to try to save him. The police don't seem to believe that the incidents are unrelated. Do they think she is lying? Do we think she is lying? People are dying, and Cassie knows that time is running out. She has to keep her children safe, but she must find her husband. Who can she trust?
This book is truly difficult to put down. While Cassie acts in some ways that will make readers cringe (like when someone goes down into the dark, boarded-up basement, and you just know there's going to be something bad at the bottom of the stairs), she's only human. And stress and emotion make people act in ways that are occasionally not completely logical. Cassie doesn't give up, and we are rooting for her the whole time.
If you enjoy books that keep you on edge, wondering how things will work out, then NO BAD DEED is perfect for you. There are twists, followed by more twists, and plenty of excitement and mystery. It's like riding a rollercoaster --- you really don't want to get off until the whole terrifying ride is over.
Teaser
Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name and address, and knows about her children. The next day --- Halloween --- her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare?
Promo
Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.” A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name and address, and knows about her children. The next day --- Halloween --- her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare?
About the Book
Packed with the electrifying pacing and pulse-pounding suspense of Harlan Coben and Lisa Gardner, a thrilling debut about a mother desperate to find the connections between her missing husband and a deadly stalker who knows too much about her own dark family history.
Driving home one rainy night, Cassie Larkin sees a man and woman fighting on the side of the road. After calling 911, the veterinarian makes a split-second decision that will throw her sedate suburban life into chaos. Against all reason and advice, she gets out of her minivan and chases after the violent man, trying to help his victim. When Cassie physically tries to stop him, he suddenly turns on her and spits out an ominous threat: “Let her die, and I’ll let you live.”
A veterinarian trained to heal, Cassie can’t let the woman die. But while she’s examining the unconscious victim, the attacker steals her car. Now he has her name. Her address. And he knows about her children. Though they warn her to be careful, the police assure her that the perpetrator --- a criminal named Carver Sweet --- won’t get near her. Cassie isn’t so sure.
The next day --- Halloween --- her husband disappears while trick-or-treating with their six-year-old daughter. Are these disturbing events a coincidence or the beginning of a horrifying nightmare? Her husband has been growing distant --- is it possible he’s become involved with another woman? Is Cassie’s confrontation with the road-side attacker connected to her husband’s disappearance? With all these questions swirling in her mind Cassie can trust no one, maybe not even herself. The only thing she knows for sure is that she can’t sit back while the people she loves are in danger.
As she desperately searches for answers, Cassie discovers that nothing is as random as it seems, and that she is more than willing to fight --- to go the most terrifying extremes --- to save her family and her marriage.
Audiobook available, read by Megan Tusing
