BETRAYALS (Cainsville #4) by Kelley Armstrong-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 9, 2016

When Olivia’s life exploded–after she found out she was not the adopted child of a privileged Chicago family but of a notorious pair of convicted serial killers–she found a refuge in the secluded but oddly welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois. Working with Gabriel Walsh, a fiendishly successful criminal lawyer with links to the town, she discovered the truth about her parents’ crimes in an investigation that also revealed the darker forces at work in the place that had offered her a haven. As if that wasn’t enough, she also found out that she, Gabriel and her biker boyfriend Ricky were not caught in an ordinary sort of love triangle, but were hereditary actors in an ancient drama in which the elders of Cainsville and the mysterious Huntsmen who opposed them had a huge stake.

Now someone is killing street kids in the city, and the police have tied Ricky to the crimes. Setting out with Gabriel’s help to clear Ricky’s name, Olivia once again finds her own life at risk. Soon the three are tangled in a web of betrayals that threatens their uneasy equilibrium and is pushing them toward a hard choice: either they fulfill their destinies by trusting each other and staying true to their real bonds, or they succumb to the extraordinary forces trying to win an eternal war by tearing them apart.

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REVIEW: BETRAYALS is the fourth installment in Kelley Armstrong’s contemporary, CAINSVILLE paranormal/fantasy series. BETRAYALS should not be read as a stand alone as each consecutive installment builds upon the events of the previous books. BETRAYALS advances the series approximately four months.

SOME BACKGROUND: Olivia Taylor-Jones aka Eden Larsen is a twenty four year old woman whose biological parents-Todd and Pamela Larsen- were accused of multiple murders and they currently sit in prison awaiting retrial. Discovering she was adopted and not knowing the truth behind her early years, Olivia finds refuge in the small town of Cainsville where mysterious omens, visions and portents of doom focus their power and intensity at Olivia Taylor-Jones. The people of Cainsville are just as perplexing with their secrets, double speak and touch of magic-everyone in Cainsville is connected and everything happens for a reason.

Told from first person point of view (Olivia) and dual third person perspectives (Ricky and Gabriel) BETRAYALS is a story line steeped in Celtic lore where the Fae rule the town of Cainsville, and Olivia’s portents and visions reveal the past, the present and the possible future. When several young women go missing, and are presumed dead the finger of guilt is pointed at Olivia’s boyfriend Ricky. The connection to Olivia brings our heroine front and center, along with Gabriel, her boss and lawyer, into a paranormal investigation that pulls our trio between the past and present; where specieism and the supernatural powers pit themselves against one another; where revenge and betrayal are at the heart of so much death and destruction.

Cainsville is a town of magical folk whose glamor hides the truth about the people who live there; where dreams and nightmares are controlled; where visions blend the past and the present betraying a possible future that is likely to unfold. Omens, visions, and harbingers of doom become an every day occurrence as our heroine must read the signs for directions and clues.

The Celtic lore and mythology focuses on a love triangle that is represented by our present day trio: Olivia (aka Matilda), Gabriel (Gwynn) and Rickey (Arawn) wherein the past Matilda had to choose between Gwynn or Arawn. The love triangle continues in present day whereby our heroine is in love with both men, and both men are in love with Olivia. History continues to repeat itself, with each successive generation; Olivia, Gabriel and Ricky each have a role to play and fulfill; the possible future is foretold and Olivia is struggling with her emotions and feelings. There is plenty of personal growth for each of the three leading characters-some is resignation and acceptance, while most is a willingness to go forward and explore. The people of Cainsville have chosen their ‘victor’ and continue to push Olivia in the direction they choose.

BETRAYALS is a wonderful and enchanting story line where the past becomes the present, and history continues to replay and repeat. The premise is dramatic, intriguing and suspenseful; the characters are energetic, passionate and fascinating; the mythology and lore are entertaining and inventive. As with all of Kelley Armstrong’s books and series, the romance is secondary to the main story line but the potential for heartbreak makes the reader vulnerable to sorrow-one way or another.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Omens
Visions
Deceptions
Betayals

Reviewed by Sandy