HallowREADS Review : Betrayal by Gregg Olsen
PUBLISHER
This series came to my attention because of “blogger buzz” . I saw a number of positive reviews for the previous book in the series Envy:
What a gorgeous creepy cover! Envy is still on my wishlist, but I received a complimentary copy of Betrayal at ALA annual so I decided to take a chance and read it first. I believe series novels should also have the capacity to stand alone reads, but there is a risk in reading them out of order due to cliffhangers. What I liked about Gregg's book was how quickly he catches the reader up on past events without losing momentum in the current story.
In chapter one of betrayal we meet Olivia, a foreign exchange student. Olivia’s experiences in America haven’t really it her fantasies of American life. Halloween night however has turned out to be a blast. Olivia is getting closer to party host Brianna, queen bee of the in crowd. After the initial excitement of costumes and flirting, Olivia finds the few drinks she has had are having a dizzying effect on her.
Olivia decides to lay drown in her hostesses bedroom. It’s the last bed she will every sleep in. Olivia’s body is found on the floor early in the morning by a very put out Brianna. Olivia's death has greatly inconvenienced Brianna. There is the pesky police questioning her, she has to stay at the local Port Gamble four star hotel since her house is a crime scène and she has to go shopping for new clothes before any of the local townspeople see her in yesterday’s clothes!
For twins Haley and Taylor Ryan Olivia’s death is more deeply felt. The twins feel something is off even though they are home when the murder occurs. When their best friend Beth is drawn into the case as a possible suspect the girls know they have to use their intuitive gifts to help.
Betrayal is a wonderful combination of YA, Mystery, and True Crime stories blended into a narrative that keeps you turning the page,and trying to guess who the killer is. Really nicely done, I’m looking forward to reading Envy and the next book in the Empty Coffin series guilty.
This is my 5th book for the R.I.P. Peril The First Challenge
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