I was asked to consider reading and reviewing Jordan Antonacci's The Killed Conscience due to having reviewed similar titles on this blog. While I love free books as much as the next book nerd, I actually end up passing on quite a few for whatever reason. Usually it is because they fall too much in the thriller category for my taste, or they are just a little more chick-lit or romance than I care for. But The Killed Conscience caught my attention with an interesting synopsis and the tag line "Nothing is as it seems."The Situation: Emilee Weathers is a journalist in Texas who longs for the story that will finally get her away from writing about restaurant safety hazards. She wants the story that will crack a case wide open, bring justice, and perhaps put a serious criminal behind bars forever. She even has her own blog where she writes about cold cases; it is the kind of writing she wishes she could do at work, for a living. It is because of the blog and her proven ability to do the research that she receives a call from a Detective Nichols in Knoxville, Tennessee. He wants to offer her the chance to interview the Valentine's Day Killer, a serial killer who brutally murdered several women and was now serving a life sentence. It also does not hurt that Emilee is originally from the area where the murders took place. Now that the man convicted has been granted an appeal, Detective Nichols wants Emily to talk with him, and maybe use her skills to find something that would guarantee he stays in jail. It is the opportunity she has been waiting for, and the chance for her to reconnect with a childhood friend.
The Problem: The interview with the VDK does not go quite as Emilee thought it would, and now that she is looking closer at the case, things are not adding up. The more she looks at the details, the less it seems like the man who is currently in jail is the real killer. Plus, while Emilee is grateful for the reunion with Sebastian, her childhood best friend, and the chance to hang out with him in his family's cabin in Pigeon Forge, the situation is actually less than ideal. For one, Emilee had to drag along her worthless boyfriend James, who was not all that excited about his girlfriend leaving town to visit an old, male, friend. Sebastian has his own girlfriend, Morgan, who seems impossibly perfect, and also a little wary of Emilee. And then there is the cold climate that is the Tennessee mountains in December. And finally, there is the dead body that Emilee stumbles across one day while walking through the mountains. The more Emilee finds out about the murders, the less she is sure of, and now it seems there is a killer on the loose in the area.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a suspense/thriller novel set in present day Tennessee. At the center of it is journalist Emilee Weathers and her desire for her big break. The opportunity is practically handed to her by Detective Nichols, when he picks her out as the person to interview the man currently serving a life sentence as the Valentine's Day Killer. For the most part, the story follows Emilee and her thoughts through a third-person narrator, but there are also a few jumps into the past that show Emilee and Sebastian's childhood together before Emilee's family moved away. Even after having spent years away from each other, the two manage to reconnect seamlessly. Having her return to a familiar place may have been enough to set the scene for a suspense thriller, but Antonacci ups the anti by having Emilee and her friends go to a cabin in the woods for a few days, and then the snow begins to fall in earnest. With voluntary, and then forced, isolation and seclusion, and mounting tensions inside of the cabin, everything is set for an uneasy and often eerie atmosphere. Mistrust, unanswered questions, and potential danger just outside of the door make this the suspenseful thriller that readers have labeled it as.
My Verdict: The characters are solid. The setting is well chosen and described with incredible detail. The plot is interesting. And perhaps most important for a suspense thriller, the tension is there and continues to grow right through to the final scene. This novel has everything going for it; my only wish is that it was a little more put together. There are connections that are made that are eventually forgotten or fade away, and there are moments when the other characters are pushed to the side to the point that they become invisible, so when they show up again it is somewhat surprising and a little jarring. There are also a few loose ends that are left hanging by the end. But the thing is, the ending and the journey getting there are good enough to where most of this can be forgiven, and the overall story is still compelling enough to make this a good story. I look forward to seeing other stories Antonacci comes up with.
Favorite Moment: When Casey wakes up Emilee by jumping on her bed while wearing an adult reindeer onesie.
Favorite Character: Casey is Sebastian's best friend, and while he may appear to only be the good-time-useless-party-guy, he is also a decent friend who does what he can to make sure everyone has a good time and things do not get too crazy.
Recommended Reading: I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara is the true account of one woman's obsession with the Golden State Killer, who was arrested for his crimes two years after the author herself passed away.
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