One Bad Thing

Doucette Mystery Series Book 3

Fiction - Mystery - Murder
345 Pages
Reviewed on 10/28/2018
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

San Francisco is a wonderful, diverse place, and the setting for most of my mysteries. A little secret about me: Unlike the fiends wandering through the text in my novels, I'm afraid of the dark.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

A page-turner, One Bad Thing by Jenny Hilborne is the third entry in the Doucette Mystery Series, a wonderful blend of crime and mystery. When a body is discovered at the shoreline in San Francisco Bay, floating face down, John Doucette is intrigued with the death and wants to find out what happened. Signs of violence are visible on the body. As he begins to dig deeper, he suddenly finds out that there are many people with a strong motive. But can he apprehend the real killer or will he get caught up in a dangerous web?

Jenny Hilborne has a gift for suspense and she knows what readers need to keep turning the pages, so she gives it to them. I was first pulled in by the crisp prose and enticed by the interesting dialogues; I knew I couldn’t stop reading until I found out what was happening. The conflict is introduced right off the bat and the red herrings keep readers turning the pages, guessing who could be the murderer. One Bad Thing is fast paced, emotionally intense, and filled with drama. The author explores themes of love, murder, relationships, and the quest for pleasure in a way that adds to the entertaining character of the narrative.

The writing is insightful and the author has the rare gift of drawing readers into the minds of the characters. For instance, here is what the narrator says about Amelia Miller: “Lovers filled an emptiness stemming from her childhood, a hollow restlessness and a sense of something that was permanently missing. Other men provided a short term connection, a thin cover over the void, temporarily making her feel wanted.” The story is filled with realism and humanity and it is easy to understand the characters. One Bad Thing is a tale that will grip you and won’t let go until you turn the last page.

Amazon Top 100 Reviewer Vine Voice

Jenny Hilborne's latest Doucette mystery is a complex and gritty crime story.

Tangled relationships leave you questioning - or maybe second guessing - each person's role. Everyone has something to hide, or at least a secret they'd prefer not to share. John Doucette is relentless as he pulls away all the layers to get at the truth.

The plot builds from a slow burn to a heart-thumping end. Just when you think you have it figured out, a twist comes along to knock you off balance. Hilborne never lets us get too comfortable in our assumptions.

While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a stand-alone. Each book reads well on its own, with Doucette investigating and the murder as the central issue.