Friday, October 3, 2014

Review of 'Code Runner (The Amy Lane Mysteries #2)' by Rosie Claverton

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CodeRunner-FinalCoverBook Two of The Amy Lane Mysteries

Ex-con Jason Carr has faced down the toughest thugs in Cardiff, but being assistant to a brilliant, eccentric hacker who hasn’t been outdoors in ten years has its own challenges. Still, he and Amy Lane can solve cases even the cops can’t crack. And when a corpse washes up on a beach, Jason can’t resist chasing the clues—or defying Amy by infiltrating the very gangs he once escaped.

Amy is distraught when Jason’s pursuit gets him framed for murder. He’s thrown back in prison where he’s vulnerable to people who want him dead. He needs Amy to prove his innocence. Fast.

But Amy hasn’t been honest with him—her panic attacks aren’t getting better. And now, with everything that makes her feel safe ripped away, she must stand alone, using her technological skills to expose a baffling conspiracy and a new kind of online crime. Can she clear Jason’s name before danger closes in?

**My thoughts**

Amy and Jason have been through a lot together since the last time we saw them. Poor Amy's anxieties aren't much better. In fact, now she is highly dependent on Jason and has a hard time functioning without him around. She can be a perplexing character, because she is so smart and yet so vulnerable. That also keeps her intriguing as she navigates her investigation from the comfort and security of her own home.

Jason makes you want to just shake him as he gets himself into trouble by taking unnecessary risks. Yes, he needs to do whatever it takes to find out the truth, but just look at all the trouble he gets himself into. At the same time, he is showing a lot of maturity since the first book as his own knowledge base expands. 

This unlikely duo continues to keep me glued to the Kindle as they sort out their mystery and ride the roller coaster of a case, with plenty of plot twists. I think I preferred the first book just a little bit more, but still really enjoyed this one. I like this series and want to read even more of them.


About book 1:

Police detectives rely on Amy Lane to track the digital debris of their most elusive criminals—when she's not in the throes of a panic attack. After two students disappear in Cardiff, Amy uncovers photographic evidence that they've been murdered. From the safety of her computer, she looks through the city's digital eyes to trace the steps of a killer.

Amy's investigation requires footwork, however, and the agoraphobic genius can't hack it alone. She turns to her newly-hired cleaner, ex-con Jason Carr. Jason is fascinated by both Amy and the work, and can't refuse even when she sends him into situations that risk returning him to prison.

The killer strikes again and again, and Amy and Jason are the only investigators closing in on him. But Amy's psyche is cracking under the strain, and Jason's past is catching up with him. To stop the next murder, they must hold their unconventional partnership together at any cost.

**My thoughts**

I have been in the mood for a good murder mystery lately, and this book did not disappoint. What I liked the most about it was the unique take it took, with the unlikely pair of former felon and agoraphobic who hasn't left her house in years. Amy's ability to hack into any account, security camera, or website is both awe-inspiring and scary. I also have mixed emotions about the availability of information via so many cameras on the streets. Amy can present as a bit of a stalker as she tracks people, including her new friend Jason. At the same time, you are just grateful that she is on the side of the good guys!

Jason has been a bit of a mess. He really is a good guy deep inside, despite his sordid past. He got lucky that he got arrested when he did. Otherwise, he could have gone down an entirely different road.

The two of them are so different, yet fundamentally the same, as they seek stability, security, and companionship. Throw in their desire to do good and to solve this perplexing mystery, and you have what could be an unstoppable powerhouse for solving crimes. They may not do things in an orthodox fashion, but they can get results.

A serial killer is always a scary situation that makes for great mysteries and thrillers. This story was one of those that you just couldn't put down, with its twists and turns and unique characters.



About the Author:

rosieclaverton-authorRosie Claverton grew up in Devon, daughter to a Sri Lankan father and a Norfolk mother, surrounded by folk mythology and surly sheep. She moved to Cardiff to study Medicine and adopted Wales as her home.

Her first short film Dragon Chasers aired on BBC Wales in Autumn 2012. She co-wrote the ground-breaking series of short films The Underwater Realm. Her debut novel Binary Witness was published by Carina Press in May 2014.

Between writing and medicine, she blogs about psychiatry and psychology for writers in her Freudian Script series, advocating for accurate and sensitive portrayals of people with mental health problems in fiction.

Currently exiled to London to train in psychiatry, she lives with her journalist husband and their pet hedgehog.

Find Rosie on Social Media
Twitter: @rosieclaverton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amylanemysteries
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8119549.Rosie_Claverton
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/rosieclaverton


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