Face of Darkness

I read the blurb for this book and instantly fell in love with the idea. When I looked at the book in more detail I realised that this was in fact the 6th book of this series. I didn't let it put me off and honestly, it could have been a stand-alone as much for the reason that everything was well explained and the author didn't leave you guessing for what had happened previously for you to enjoy it. The characters were complex enough to keep you interested yet not too complex that they were hard to relate to. It was well paced and had enough red herrings to keep the pages being turned furiously. I did guess the break-though in Ezekiel's connection well before the protagonist did which had me egging her on as well. Well worth a read! I'll definitely be going back to read the previous books in this series and exploring more by the same author too.<br />I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Good suspense thriller. Have enjoyed all the Zoe Prime mysteries I have read. Blake has a way of telling a story that it keeps you reading. Zoe gets a new partner. They must learn to trust each other for them to be able to work together successfully. Each, has a secret in their personal lives, can they trust enough to share those secrets? They are after a serial killer, can they find out who it is before a 4th person is murdered? What do the victims have in common, that they are being targeted? Can Zoe and Aiden figure it out before it is to late? The murders take place in Salem, Mass, home of the famous witch trials, could witchcraft be behind the murders? Read to find out. You won't be disappointed. Recommend. Received an ARC and this is my voluntary honest review.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.<br /><br />Face of Darkness is the 6th book in the series for Agent Zoe Prime, so while I don't have the full background on Zoe's synesthesia for numbers it didn't detract from the overall story. I haven't read the first 5 books yet however after this I may well go back to the beginning.<br /><br />Stepping into Agent Prime's world as she returns to work, navigating an urgent case for the FBI with one time, new partner, Agent Aiden Flynn we're taken straight to Salem and the Witch Trials watching the bodies stack up and racing against time to find the killer and or the final victims before it's too late. The writing was fast paced and got me hooked from the start, while it wasn't initially clear why Zoe's speech pattern was stilted it was soon explained and I was able to let it go and go with it. The relationship between the two Agents kept me hoping they could keep their antagonism to one another at bay so that they could solve the case, soon starting to trust each other enough with their own secrets to get the job done. Their skills and abilities quickly demonstrated that they complimented each other as every great detective partnership needs to.<br /><br />I did feel empathy for Zoe - she was in a bad place from an event that shattered her previous working partnership and from the stigma of her 'ability' that haunted her from people she should have trusted the most. I think the writer wrote her character well and I did feel compassion for her and willed her to confide in Flynn so that she could rejoin the living and do what she loved and was so good at, seeing the numbers and solving crimes and with that the acceptance to move on in her personal life too.<br /><br />This was a good book that I would happily recommend, it only lacked the final 5th star as I don't feel I need to read it again and it wasn't a wow book but I did enjoy it and was keen to read to the end. I would happily read more in this series and look out for more from this author. Definitely one I can recommend!

<strong>Well Scripted Thriller</strong><br /><br />Another brilliantly written thriller in the sixth series of Zoe Prime by Blake Pierce. Having read all the previous five books, I was looking forward to reading this one for two main reasons - First being a thriller involving numbers, and second to see the direction of professional bonding between Zoe and her new partner Aiden Flynn. After Zoe's erstwhile partner Shelly is killed, Aiden joins the FBI and is assigned as a partner to Zoe. In the fifth book of the series, there were professional differences between the two leading to Zoe likely lose her partner. This plot spirals about mysterious deaths in the small town of Salem which the residences believe correlates to the infamous witch trials. Zoe and Aiden have only 24 hours before they can avoid another murder and nab the perpetrator. But this time, Zoe's instinct of seeing through numbers does not seem to help much. However, once she is convinced of the connection between the killings to the witch trials, she uses her gifted ability to trace back the victims to their ancestral roots during the witch trials and manages to evade another casualty. During the entire investigation process, Aiden is convinced of a special ability of Zoe which he finally convinces her to speak about. As the relationship unfolds, Zoe slowly comes out of the cocoon more so in her personal life where she promises to continue her therapy and move on with her long-time relationship with John. A well-scripted end to the disturbing life of Zoe Prime and a new dawn awaits her with a new partner Aiden whom she can now trust as much as Shelly. A well-recommended read for all thriller lovers who love number games.

Zoe Prime is a troubled soul. She’s an FBI agent who can’t seem to keep a partner. Her last one however was murdered, and Zoe is still struggling to cope with the loss. Shelley Rose was the first partner she’d had who understood her. Because Zoe sees everything in numbers and patterns. It makes her difficult to work with and Aiden Flynn, her new partner, has already found this out.<br /><br />In Salem, it looks like someone is trying to make the town more infamous than it already is, by starting killing on the dates of the notorious witch trials. It’s a race against time for the FBI agents to find the killer before more people die.<br /><br />This is the 6th instalment in this particular series about the FBI. The main character, Zoe, has synesthesia, where numbers and patterns are always in her heard. It is written in such a way that you can empathise with her, as her mind never seems to be quiet and is always making calculations. It makes for a flawed personality but one that you can empathise with. Zoe finds it hard to connect with people and is unable to understand ordinary human reactions which can make her job so much harder. As always with Blake Pierces novels, it is well written and researched, with characters who grow into people you want to read about. It would probably be better to have read previous books in this series, however it’s till one I would highly recommend.<br /><br />I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Zoe and Flynn are sent to Salem to investigate two hangings that have happened in two days. With little to go on, they are fighting against the clock, and in some ways against each other. Flynn and Zoe are both battling their own demons and trusting each other does not seem to be an option. But as the case progresses, they both realize the need to share some of their secrets in order to solve the case.<br /><br />I enjoyed the background of this story and watching Zoe become more confident as she struggled with hiding her abilities from Flynn. What I didn't like was some of the repetitive phrases and awkward explanations that I feel could have been addressed with careful editing. I was most confused by the scene involving the 4th victim. I'm usually pretty good at visualizing scenes, but this one confounded me.<br /><br />In this book, Zoe is also able to reconcile some of her past issues. She is becoming a much more hopeful individual, able to acknowledge her own worth. She is a fascinating character and I hope there are more stories to come. I received and ARC of this book and have given my review voluntarily.

Zoe And Aiden Are Partners, Will They Share Their Secrets?<br /><br />Zoe is partnered with Aiden after her former partner is killed. They are assigned to find a serial killer in Salem, Massachusetts before another person dies. The problem? The murders are similar, but there is no obvious connection between the victims that gives any clue to the motive or the killer. Every lead turns into a dead end even as the killer plots the death of another victim. As the tension builds to find the killer the tension also builds between the partners. Zoe has reverted back into her secret self, the numbered world she shares with no one. Aiden is young and ambitious and clueless as to why Zoe acts so different from “normal” people. <br /><br />Blake Pierce is masterful at building characters. It makes the story real as you experience theirs frustrations, fears, and triumphs. Face of Darkness is an excellent example of this as Zoe learns how to accept her secret ability and work with her new partner.<br /><br />I received a free advance copy of this book from BookSirens and this is my honest review<br />

Zoe Prime, an FBI agent keeps her synesthesia a secret, affecting her partnerships and friendships. She shares her condition with an FBI partner who is killed in the line of duty. Zoe sees the world as numbers....and as a result her gift allows her to do lightning fast calculations and to see patterns in events, which can be very useful as an special agent. Zoe and her new, aggravating partner are sent to Salem, Massachusetts when a man is found hanging in a very public way. Is the murder related to the old Salem witch trials? Who is the next victim and who is the murderer? Zoe and her partner must learn to work together and trust each other as they begin to share their secrets. I enjoyed Zoe’s character and the mystery was good...full of red herrings and as confusing as it must be when faced with a crime and searching for the motive. This was a very good mystery and I definitely will be going back and reading the previous novels in this series.

When I began reading Face of Darkness, I immediately felt comfortable, because I recognized Zoe and enjoyed being with her. Blake Pierce does an excellent job of developing characters and writing about their adventures. Although I haven’t read all of the Zoe Prime series, I have been able to pick up the story because Pierce does a good job of creating a series that can stand alone. Also because I like the series so much, I don’t think I will mind going back to earlier episodes.<br /><br />I really need 4.5 stars for this book. I felt that the investigation was a little too well-constructed. The reader could guess a lot of what would happen. I didn’t mind, but I am sure that some readers would prefer not to be able to guess so much.<br /><br />I recommend this book and this series.<br /><br />I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Terrific book with a fascinating protagonist<br /><br />This is the first book I’ve read in this series and I’m putting the rest on my TBR list right away. Even though events in earlier books are referred to, the book worked fine as a standalone and focused on a new case. Zoe sees the world through numbers and the author does an excellent job of showing us how she sees things, the problems this causes her and the confusion it causes her new partner because he is unaware of it. The plot is an interesting mix of town history, multiple murders and a mentally disturbed killer. The tension ramps up until the end and the mystery kept me guessing. A very well-written book with a nice balance between character development and plot.<br /><br />I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.