Blown Away

Crimes of Passion

Fiction - Suspense
242 Pages
Reviewed on 06/02/2020
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite

Blown Away (Crimes of Passion) by Charlene Johnson is a suspenseful thriller. Zack Daniels learned early how to protect himself and his family but after his sister is raped and kills herself, he joins the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police to get justice. Zack is assigned to find the killer of a high-profile executive; there was just one witness – an escort. To work this case he has to let go of his vendetta against the man who raped his sister, a man with connections to the Russian mob. The escort claims she doesn’t know the murderer but she does and Zack knows it. He will employ any trick in the book to get the truth from her, even if it means falling for her in the meantime. When someone attempts to kill her, it's all-out war and Zack will stop at nothing to win it.

Blown Away (Crimes of Passion) by Charlene Johnson is a cracking thriller, full of suspense and twists along the way. This is a combination of intrigue, suspense, sizzling action, and tragedy with some strong, likable characters. Each character has their own story to tell and those stories are inextricably weaved together as the story runs its course. There are plenty of twists and turns in this high-octane, high-action thriller that will keep you hanging on to the very end. Have some tissues handy, you will need them at some point but I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy this story. It grabbed me from the very first page and was one of those stories that just would not let go. Highly recommended for anyone who wants a great story to get their teeth into, one that will transport you away from your own life for a few hours.

Heather Osborne

Blown Away by Charlene Johnson is the second standalone novel in the romantic suspense Crimes of Passion series. Sonnet Banks has never had it easy in life. After her stepfather murdered her mother when she was sixteen, she fled her former life, eventually ending up in Las Vegas. With no prospects and a sleazy landlord demanding her rent (by any means necessary), Sonnet takes a job as a high-class escort. However, her past comes flying back to haunt her when she witnesses a murder in one of the illustrious Las Vegas hotels. Detective Zachary Daniels runs security for his friend Marc’s hotel. When a murder occurs on the premises, he charges himself with protecting the only witness, a young woman. However, he feels she’s not telling him everything and he’s determined to find out his answers. What he doesn’t expect is starting to fall for the beauty in his care. Will he find answers, or will Sonnet fall victim to a killer?

Fast-paced and steamy, Blown Away by Charlene Johnson is all I expected of a romantic suspense novel. I found it a quick read, perfect for an afternoon of escapism. Sometimes, I found Sonnet a bit naïve and stubborn in her unwillingness to reveal what she knows, but it was believable that she would want to protect herself. Zack had many sides to him and his emotional range tended to rise and fall rapidly. The pair definitely had a whirlwind romance instead of a slow burn. However, on the whole, I did enjoy the novel and would look for books by this author in the future.