Violated by Carolyn Arnold – a Review

Violated
Brandon Fisher FBI series – Book #5
by Carolyn Arnold
Release Date: April 28, 2016

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Description:
Sometimes the past should stay there…
 
The murder is one of the most heinous Brandon Fisher and his team have ever seen, but that’s not why it has their attention. The FBI is interested because the prime suspect is one of their own, Paige Dawson.
  
But Paige didn’t go to Valencia, California to kill anyone. She had set out on “vacation”–her new lover in tow–only to confront the man who raped her friend twenty-some years ago. While the hands of the law are tied, she wants him to face the fact that he destroyed a young woman’s life and know that, as an FBI agent, she’ll be watching his every move. But instead of accomplishing her goal, she wound up in the back of a police cruiser.
  
Now Paige must face off with a hard-nosed detective determined to stick a murder charge to a fed. But with the trained eyes of the FBI on the case, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the evidence lends itself to a serial killing, not an isolated incident. And as long as the local authorities are focused on Paige, the real murderer is still out there, possibly waiting to strike again…

Review:

Violated by Carolyn Arnold is the 5^th book in her Brandon Fisher FBI series. Once again Carolyn Arnold gives us another exciting thriller. Violated was a bit different, as Paige Dawson, one of the main characters of this series, finds herself in jail, accused of murder.  Brandon, Jack and the rest of the team head to California to help Paige.  Jack, who is the leader of the team, is determined to get Paige released, but comes up against a hard-nosed mean detective, who is also bent on proving Paige committed this  heinous murder.  To give you a refresher;  we have known how Paige was determined to avenge her best friend, who 20 years ago, was raped, destroying her friend’s life in the process.  Paige has been privately investigating who the culprit is, and her trip to California, on the guise of a vacation was to come face to face with the rapist.

Unfortunately, the rapist is brutally murdered, and Paige was seen at his house trying to find evidence.  The detective puts her in jail, and it will take Jack to get her out by having the FBI take over this case, which is now designated as a serial killer on the loose.  Brandon, who still has feelings for Paige, which they both hide, works closely with Jack; while Paige works with Zach.  Rather than to give out spoilers, what follows is an exciting nail biting thriller that will prove Paige’s innocence, but after more violent murders,  the team will race against time to stop the killer before another murder takes place.  It will also place one of theirs in the eyes of the murderer.

Paige is also in the middle of a new relationship, and trying to come to terms with her failed romance with Brandon.  Somehow in future books, I sense they will find away to come together. However, the romance is truly just part of the background, as this series if fully about the violent crimes they must investigate.  I have said this before, not sure why, but I really do not care for Brandon.  Jack is a good leader, and all the members of the team, including Brandon make a great ensemble cast.  Violated is a great mystery that has us on the edge of our seat throughout the book.  Carolyn Arnold proves over and over that her knowledge of police procedurals and her writing makes for exciting flawless stories.  If you are a fan of murder mysteries, difficult tense crimes, and a great team, then this series is perfect for you.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Author