Blood Stained

The second installment of the Lucy Guiardio Series. For my review on the first book of the series "Snake Skin" go here. <br /><br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/283702232">http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...</a> <br /><br />I'm not going to write a lot about this ... at least I hope not...<br /><br />I am going to move this series up to a 4 star series. There is a warning here. Lucy Guiardio is an FBI agent who chases down people who perpetrate crimes against women and children. There is no way to write a novel like this without discussing some difficult to stomach subject matter. <br /><br />Having said that, this is not a one dimensional story. Lucy is not Jack Daniels, in a lot of ways, though she's surely going to be compared to the tough Chicago detective from J.A. Konrath's books. Because of the dark segments where we look through the villains eyes and get a peak at his or her mind, it is likely going to be compared to Patrick Bowers from the Bowers Files written by Steven James. All comparisons are likely grounded in some fact of similarity, but all unfair. Lucy is a strong, female in her own right and, very different in than Jack Daniels. Nor is she anything like Patrick bowers, other than also an FBI agent. <br /><br />Nor should the presence of violent acts towards women and children in this book be taken as sensationalizing such acts of violence in anyway. Lyons uses a gentle hand, and casts these crimes in an appropriate light. Yet we are still talking about some twisted criminal acts. <br /><br />This is a darker read than the first book and, though I tend to penalize dark reads, I rate this one as better, though different in some significant ways than the first one, which was also good. There is also some kernels of good hope buried in the pages here that reward the diligent reader who, like me may squirm uncomfortably when reading details of violence and ugly people. There are some wonderfully unexpected moments of redemption for some characters, and moments where the most unlikely characters surprise and show something good underneath an ugly mean exterior. <br /><br />Though it's buried under a mountain of police procedural crime story, this is also a story of Lucy overcoming the own fear and trauma left over from the last book, Snake Skin, and a career of hunting the worst people who do the worst thing to their fellow human beings. As in the last book, Lucy is a lot of things, but, in this series, she is first and foremost a dedicated, compassionate human being, to quote the last scene (yes, spoiler alert coming) <br /><br /><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="f95aa7af-9d87-48cb-bc14-065d0db67df0" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="f95aa7af-9d87-48cb-bc14-065d0db67df0"> "(one of the bad people) is a monster, but we are not." This after she ruined the aim of her partner when he could have shot the a fleeing felon in the back. To fully understand this, you have to read it. </label> <br /><br />One thing that I really like about her is that Lucy handles victims and perpetrators with compassion, even at the same time she's as hard nosed as they come. She's not a twenty something, single with dating problems, nor a forty something with a divorce under her belt. She's a wife and a mother and does not sacrifice her humanity to bring down the bad guys. <br /><br /><br />Warnings<br /><br />1) In this story more than the first one, bad things happen to people and Lyons gives more details. In the first book, the bad things were either passed to us as back story, therefore gentled and watered down before packaging, or mentioned as a threat of what might happen to the victim. In round too, Lyons presents these details in a much more observable way. The violence is not gratuitous, meaning that it does have a purpose or place in the story. It's not just added to shock for shock's sake, but the details are not pleasant by any stretch of the imagination. Know yourself. If you don't like grizzly details, this read may not be for you. <br /><br />2) More a continuation of the first warning. Much of the violence in this story is perpetrated against women and children, and it involves some long term cruelty and a very twisted agenda. <br /><br />3) <input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="c7c3ded8-f44f-4260-b7b4-a07391c7525b" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="c7c3ded8-f44f-4260-b7b4-a07391c7525b"> If you don't like loose ends, you won't like this ending. I grin, because, loose ends in a series don't bother me. Lyons could have used the villains from Snake Skin, the last book, and used those to further this plot, but Lyons didn't. Instead Lyons used events only hinted at in the first book so he could present a new story from start to finish rather than making us relive the old story again. That earns the benefit of the doubt from me when it comes to trusting Lyons to let one of the felons to escape at the end of this book. If and when the person does come back in the story, I'm betting that it will be handled in a way that is unique, and it's own story rather than rehashing past laurels from this book. Some proof of that comes in Lucy's own healing where he uses the escaped felon as one of the factors to show us how Lucy has overcome her demons and is not living in fear of them as she was when she started the book. </label> but don't take my word for it, read it yourself. <br /><br />Bottom line - A four star read. Though it is dark and violent, it is well written, and, either intentionally, or unintentionally, allows human themes of strength and courage to slowly grow as the story moves on until they become more powerful than the darker things that get chased away. An avid reader who manages the more difficult parts will get rewarded with surprise moments where, even in the most unlikely of people, the good in their hearts shows itself. The surprise is, that everybody is not evil at heart, but good. Only villains are evil and there are fewer villains in truth than our pesimism over the darkness in the world allows. <br /><br />Good book. 4 stars...recommended but... of course...Start with <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/10084223.Snake_Skin" title="Snake Skin by C.J. Lyons" rel="noopener">Snake Skin</a> or you'll be lost in this one.

Really liking this author's writing, great story line and a really likeable main character.his <br /><br />This time Lucy heads back to a small town where she chased a serial killer into a cave, got injured, watched the killer and a hostage go over a cliff and presumably die in a deep chasm within a cave. She is lured back there by a threatening note, which is a federal offence to send through the mail and why we meet a new character. The new character is young and ambitious and of course she questions and doubts Lucy at every turn.<br /><br />Once the story gets going, it keeps up a good pace with twists and turns. The only thing I found questionable about this book was one of the children characters (13 year old girl) and her ability to both outsmart and physically get the upper hand on trained FBI agents.<br /><br />So 4 stars and 2 thumbs up for this book.<br /><br />

Book 2 in the Lucy Guardino series was just as thrilling as book one! When Lucy gets a threatening letter against her daughter, she will stop at nothing to hunt down the person responsible even if it means going against orders. This leads her down a path to an old case that she may have gotten wrong the first time around. Last time Adam was the victim but is he a suspect this time? Where's his missing father and who took three children from a tiny town? How does it all fit together and link to her old case? So many questions, so many twists and turns!

Another great read from CJ Lyons. FBI agent Lucy Guardino has been promoted to a desk job but hungers for the action in the field. A new agent, Jenna, is responsible for postal service crimes and gets involved when Lucy receives threats to her family, specifically her daughter,in a letter from someone believed to have been dead. Details of a supposedly closed case from 4 years ago come unraveled. Innocent victims are kidnapped, and more victims are claimed. Meanwhile, Jenna tries desperately to outshine Lucy and be the hero in this page-turner. <br /><br />Well written with main characters we love and despise. More psychological intrigue as we see how the sins of the fathers impact young and impressionable children.<br /><br />WARNING: sex, violence, and profanity, but only in minimal doses in order to support the characters and story line.

<strong>More Risk Taking in New Hope</strong><br /><br />Meet the Guardino family. (No, I guess since they are Callahans, two to one, the Callahan family.) <br /><br />Nick Callahan is a therapist dealing with trauma patients.<br /><br />Megan Callahan is a 13 year old with mean soccer skills.<br /><br />Lucy Guardino is the mom with typical, “I am not there enough for my family” working mother.<br /><br />Only Lucy is not a typical working mother. She is Supervisory Special Agent Lucy Guardino, supervising the FBI’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Squad. This is the group, which among other crimes, the squad is called for a child abduction for ransom. <br /><br />Lucy excelled and thrived in this job. Although her bosses think her job should be at her desk, Lucy believes she is a better supervisor with her troops, in the field. <br /><br />For the moment, bosses have won. <br /><br />Then Lucy gets a letter. One that chills her to her core. It mentioned the incident in New Hope. Unfortunately the letter was scanned and read; it was flagged for follow up to the United States Postal Service postal inspector for the arrest of the author before Lucy ever saw it. <br /><br />Enter Jenna Galloway, the postal inspector assigned to Lucyʼs unit. Jenna and Lucy are in no way meant to be partners. One is younger, more recently out of the Academy, and has all the tools. The other is old school, pounding out leads as fast as her spidey sense (hair on the back of her neck), good old fashioned police work, who seemingly has more lives than an entire kindle of kittens can solve cases. No partner material here, folks, move along. <br /><br />The letter Lucy received is Jenna's case. Lucyʼs boss told Lucy point blank not to get involved. <br /><br />Waving a red flag of “I dare you to punish me,” Lucy voluntarily returns to the place of all her nightmares... <br /><br />Lucy is becoming more fleshed out, as are Megan and Nick. The closeness of her family is the reason she gets up in the morning to do her job. <br /><br />Jenna as a foil for Lucy makes sense. After thinking about it, Lucy having another woman to argue with is brilliant. They are much more entertaining than the usual man and man duos. <br /><br />Paying attention, I noticed the tic Lucy had regarding her wedding rings is here again, only passed on to others; she's not the one playing with her rings, it's other characters who play with their rings. Rings are important. Why? <br /><br />This second in the series is what makes readers such as myself read the entire series. <br />

This one was good but it bothered me because there were children involved, ie. being taught to be killers by a wasted piece of flesh. Other than that it was a good story, good flow, good character build up. Lucy is Lucy....tenacious, gets the job done regardless of how. On to the next.

Another amazing read from C J Lyons. Loved this messed up, depraved and gruesome roller coaster ride, through the minds of some very unbalanced characters. This could be a nightmare inducing experience for people who are a little sensitive, so be warned.

FBI agent Lucy Guardino was in New Hope 4 years ago. Trying to save a kidnapped woman she comes face to face with a serial killer when she is stabbed/ The serial killer plunges to his death in a cave and takes a woman with him. Now Lucy is back in New Hope trying to find Adam Caine who she believes sent her a threatening letter. While she is there strange things are happening and now she isn't so sure the serial killer is dead after all. A fast paced suspense with characters you can connect with.

Primarily it was a very good read, but....I have my limits of tolerance for gratuitous and sickening horror being described, but there were just two spots that, when they started, I just skipped over. It's basically a police procedural mystery...I just don't appreciate dipping into horrible and torturous aspects. I do not like being in the mind of really bad people, nor in the mind of the people to whom really really bad things are being done!...just my personal limits! But, like I said, they were infrequent and easily skipped over so I kept the 4 stars rather than dropping it to 3.5<br />Other than that it's a great story, and I do enjoy her writing style. I've got the next one ready to go, so we'll see!

Ridiculous. And the narrator is terrible! Her voices and expressions weren’t bad, but it was all ruined by the frequent mispronunciation of words—made me laugh out loud SO many times—IT MATTERS, people. She sounded careless and dumb. <br />Minor spoiler:<br />The kids being involved, especially the girl, and her being so into it and so conniving and all-the character isn’t scary, or at all believable—she’s laughable and annoying. No one would notice this girl was missing for years and link anything?? No one noticed a boy buying tons of stuff in Walmart with cash, especially after 3 kids go missing? NO. That would not fly in reality. Even more annoying when you consider the boy was taught to look for and avoid cameras-? But we know they’re all over Walmart stores and lots..but poof -it’s never mentioned…<br />As for the girl-although they try to make her so smart and freakishly murderous-no one panics when she escapes, or even when she’s spotted, after threatening the family she’s spotted near-seriously??? <br />After the crimes-…”a little girl couldn’t have done that…” even with videos, and witnesses, not to mention the agent’s ever-present and infallible gift of insight, they have proof she did…<br />The rapport between the two female agents rang true at times, but then the author just made up aspects of their personalities that didn’t fit and it made me itch. The “get things done, by-the-book” postal agent has a casual sexual escapade with a co-worker, and we’re supposed to buy it’s because she’s an easy, breezy city girl? Ugh. <br />the fact that the main character was already under watch for previous mistakes, but she suddenly isn’t in any trouble because things worked out (but they didn’t…)? It’s just more of the same typical unoriginal, completely predictable, “clean up the loose ends by pretending the readers are too dumb to question it” mush that makes me wonder who is paying these authors?