A LIFE REMOVED by Jason Parent_Review

A Life Removed by Jason Parent
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review of A LIFE REMOVED
by Jason Parent

I found this mystery/thriller novel riveting. Jason Parent has quite a talent for writing complexity, and truly I did not see the twists this novel would take. Everything fit together quite well, though, and the tapestry is tautly woven and ultimately horrifying. It's easy to dismiss such a story as fiction, but the discerning reader is left pondering, “But what if--?”

This is not a good-guys vs. bad guys simplicity. This plot is complicated, as are the characters (even though some of them persist in denying their complexity) and some aspects were quite revelational to this reader. Granted, the story is quite violent and gory; again, this is not done for prurient satisfaction, but is an integral part of the characterization and plotting. For writers, there is a definite character arc and character evolution; for readers, enthrallment and “can't put the story aside” focus.

Synopsis of A LIFE REMOVED Detectives Bruce Marklin and Jocelyn Beaudette have put plenty of criminals behind bars. But a new terror is stalking their city. The killer’s violent crimes are ritualistic but seemingly indiscriminate. As the death toll rises, the detectives must track a murderer without motive. The next kill could be anyone… maybe even one of their own.

Officer Aaron Pimental sees no hope for himself or humanity. His girlfriend is pulling away, and his best friend has found religion. When Aaron is thrust into the heart of the investigation, he must choose who he will become, the hero or the villain.

If Aaron doesn’t decide soon, the choice will be made for him.

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it's harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody's head off - he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonParent?ref=hl, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.