Spiraled

By: Kendra Elliot

Narrated by: Nick Podehl, Amy McFadden

Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's Summary

FBI Special Agent Ava McLane solves crimes; she doesn't witness them. When she's trapped in a mall without her weapon as a shooter picks off victims, she hides with a wounded teen and prays for her survival.

But that's only the beginning....

An epidemic of mass shootings has has swept across Oregon. The young shooters terrify the public, committing random murders before taking their own lives. The task force assembled to solve the case - which includes Ava's boyfriend, detective Mason Callahan - remains stumped. And on top of this chaos, Ava's troubled twin sister reappears, throwing Ava's already-tumultuous life into a tailspin.

An old-fashioned cop with a strong sense of duty, Mason struggles to find the cause of the shootings as workaholic Ava spins ever closer to breaking down. But can one detective save the lives of countless innocents - and prevent the woman he loves from going over the edge?

©2015 Kendra Elliot (P)2015 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Great Series But...

If you could sum up Spiraled in three words, what would they be?

Another good story, BUT the main woman character, Ava, got accidentally shot in the first book, Vanished. So, ok she's an FBI agent, comes with the territory. Then in the second book, Bridged, she gets taken by the bad guy and is in danger. It could happen. BUT now in this book she is in danger again, TWICE. She is in a random mall shooting at the beginning of the book and in danger, then the bad guy sets his sights on her and goes after her and she's in danger AGAIN. This book just crossed the line on reality for me. No one is that unlucky.

Would you ever listen to anything by Kendra Elliot again?

Yes.

What about Nick Podehl and Amy McFadden ’s performance did you like?

Great performances!!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Don't get me wrong, I would recommend this series. And the plot in this book was very original and interesting.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Almost Good

Kendra Elliot is a very talented writer; she has a talent for getting the details right and creating an intricate plot line with strong psychological insights. Unfortunately much of what is positive in her books is negated by a few badly contrived aspects more reminiscent of lame modern network television detective shows.
First off is Ava's dreadful twin Jayne who has become a badly formed cliched train wreck who invariably slows the narration to a crawl. Then there is Ava's overreaction to her sister's actions; anyone who has reached the level in the bureau that she has would not react in the overwrought overly involved way that she does. Second is totally entertainment driven cliche of the out of control killer who turns his anger on the unsuspecting law officer. This is a turn of events that I've yet to read about in any type of material regarding law enforcement. A stalking or any type of concentrated attack on a police officer is usually predicated on a general anger against either police officers as a group or authority in general. In the all the works of the author that deal with law enforcement some criminal always has a strong personal grudge against a specific officer. In the case of Ava McClain however a criminal with a personal vendetta has now threatened and almost taken her life in all three books in this series. Number four is the female protagonist often reacts in ways that would shame any academy rookie. I'll try not to give too much of the story away but any law enforcement who is continually caught without their firearm; well it's just difficult to believe. It's a shame since there are so many facets of her books that I like, but I think that this is my last Kendra Elliot novel.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Nice thriller!

This book is the third and final novel in the Callahan and McLane series. Ava's twin sister Jane continues to cause problems as the police and the FBI investigate 3 mall shootings followed by suicides by collage age young men only to find out they are linked. The real stars continue to be the narrators.

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

I Really Spiraled Into This Listen

This Elliot novel is another edge-of-your-seat thriller. It may dwell a little longer than necessary on Jane, Ava's sister. Still, the characters were interesting and the plot was novel. Again, the cost of this listen made it an excellent value. Keep up the good work Ms. Elliot.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

If you like dysfunction in the extreme with action you will like this book

I found this book fast-paced it kept my interest yet I found the main character to be frustrating in the fact that she had such poor personal boundaries. I found that the killer in this audio book very very demented so much so that I almost stopped listening to it a couple times. With that said we will see if I purchase another book in the series although I must say the author of this book writes very well I'm just not happy with all of the characters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Good But A Bit Predicable

The good is that Elliot has created two characters that are easy to care about. And isn't that why we read series rather than choosing unique works whose characters are set aside forever when the book is done? If you haven't read the previous titles in the series I would suggest that you hold off on Spiraled and start with the first book in the series (Vanished.) That book gives an excellent background on the Callahan and McLane characters. Spiraled will be more enjoyable if you have that background.

The bad is that Spiraled doesn't really break much new ground for the characters. No new information about their pasts is revealed, McLane's relationship with her sister is still precarious, the plot is once again driven by one of the lead characters being placed in jeopardy. I hope that Elliot continues the series but reduces the reliance on this formula. I would really like to see a story where Callahan and McLane use their diverse talents to solve a crime in which neither they nor their families are directly involved. And I would like to see some of the secondary characters fleshed out a bit more. McLane's partner Zander is a fascinating character in his own right - though I do wonder how much he was based on Marshall Marshall from "In Plain Sight." He has played a significant role in all three novels. Let's learn more about him.

While I have written more about the weaknesses than the strengths of the novel, Sprialed is really very enjoyable and I encourage you to listen to it.

Nick Podehl , Amy McFadden were fabulous with the delivery of the story.

The book a bargain at $7.34

8 of 12 people found this review helpful

Missing It creates frustration

i have enjoyed the series but this one was frustrating. Without spoiling- the super experts miss a major obvious clue (and the author seemed to put it out there then forget to tie it back in) and Ava's self-destructive enabling of her sister is becoming hard to sympathize with. There is just nothing in the relationship building that makes her self-flagellation relatable. Gonna try the next one but I hope it doesnt continue on its current path.

Great

Sick twisted man who was abused. Shootings in multiple places. Police stumped. Why would well adjusted men all of a sudden kill themselves after slaughtering others?

More of the Same, But That Works Well

This book is, essentially, the same as what you get from the previous books in the series. As Ava and Mason's relationship continues to develop, a new series of crimes awaits for them to solve, before more people die. The two leads are very likable, the supporting characters are framed well, and the conspiracy at work in the crime is compelling to watch unravel. These are gripping reads, and this is a worthwhile third installment in the series, holding its own against the previous volumes while still working as a standalone work as well.

Great listen but sappy at times

I love the foundation of this story. The concept of the 'bad guy' is one I've chewed on before and it is executed well. The angst in the love story and the sisters gets trying at times as it distracted from the books story. I realize it is core to the series, so it doesn't ruin an otherwise solid book.

Enthtallibg

I really enjoyed this audio book and believe it or not so did my husband. He had it playing all night because he wanted to know how it ended. He doesn't do books!!! I have read many of Kendra's books and this doesn't disappoint. Well written and thought out. Loved it.

Know yourself

Another really good tale in this series . Exciting , twisting and packed full of incidents. Clever plot and fluid dialogue make this a good book to read or listen to .