Unique and edgy
Series: The Artist's Trilogy
Author: Karina Halle
Publisher: Headline Eternal, UK
My ratings: 4 out of 5 stars
Released: 20th August, 2014
To some Karina Halle may be a new author on the block, but for me she was a delightful discovery I made nearly 4 years ago when I stumbled upon her Experiment in Terror series. I have followed that series after tens of books I am so pleased that she has been published under Hodder and Stoughton. The Artist's Trilogy was highly acclaimed when it came out and it also shot her to fame, which got bought in the US and UK soon after. Unfortunately, I never had the chance to pick this series by her which arguably has been her best-selling series so far. .
Shooting Scars is the second book in the Artist's Trilogy which follows the life of a con artist on the run with a string of drug lords and dangerous men behind her. Scarred and out for revenge, she meets her childhood friends, Camden, who brings back memories. Now after so long, the friendship develops into something else when the past catches up with Ellie and she had to leave Camden and go back to the bat shit crazy ex-boyfriend who also is a drug lord hell bent in seeking revenge. .
This series has a unusual story line and its appeal lies in the morally ambiguous characters. The story is narrated in a first person narrative with alternating POVs which helps us keep in track of the events unfolding in both sides of the fence. This series and its characters are not in any way black or white. In fact the readers have to choose which character to root for by judging on the various degrees of darkness. .
On one hand Ellie, who is smack dab in the middle, thinks Camden is a wonderful human being where a Camden thinks that the cheating con artist is has a beautiful heart. The darkest of them all and undoubtedly my favourite of the trio, Javier. Some readers may enjoy the nerdy sexy tattoo artist with his piercings and his gentle way and even ship him with Ellie, my firm favourite remains Javier. He is everything I despise in a human being because he is a drug lord, and a murderer. He is a criminal master mind and people like him should be in theory locked up but they make for riveting reading. He sees Ellie the way I see her, broken and dark and I feel they are intrinsically connected. Which means my ship is certainly going to sink. .
I enjoyed the breathless pace this book sets and how the character development is not ignored in this high octane ride fuelled with lust, revenge, murder and lust. The relationships between the characters are well fleshed out and I enjoyed how much growth we see in Camden on this journey to the dark side. .
Shooting Scars lives upto its expectations after its predecessor left a hard to follow act. This series is fast paced, with the right amount of darkness, revenge, murder, romance and smexy times mixed to give the reader an experience that will leave them asking for more. .
A unique and edgy romantic thriller which will leave you asking for more. .
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