Beg for Mercy

***slight spoilers***

Megan's brother Sean has been arrested for a murder that she knows he didn't commit. The worse part is that he is arrested by Cole, a man that Megan thought she had a future with and now she is out for justice. That puts Megan right on the trail of a sadistic serial killer and possibly in his path. After years in jail, Sean has given up hope that he can be cleared of the crime, but Megan has no intention of giving up. She uncovers new evidence and that puts her on the trial with more conviction now that a series of murders have occurred that are strikingly similar to the murder that Sean was sent to jail for. Cole is increasingly persuaded to see the new evidence as that Sean was framed and helps Megan find the show more truth.

PERFECT! Every character and situation is believable and you can just imagine reading this story on the front page of any paper. The chemistry between Megan and Cole really builds as they work together to solve the murder even though Cole believes Sean is really guilty. I love Megan's strength and her conviction that her brother is innocent. The fact that she is a court advocate gives her the background and knowledge of legal procedure helps her cause and her intelligence shines. I also adored the dialog and how Alden sets the scene with just a few key words. I am looking forward to hearing Sean's side of the story in Hide From Evil which will be released next fall. show less

This book reads like a movie. I always like that, when a book of this genre gives me those nail biting moments and have me figuratively sitting at the edge of my seat. It had those high-octane intense, suspenseful moments that kept me engrossed in every line and scene. There were moments where things were so intense that I felt like I wanted to put my foot on the breaks to calm my anxiety at whats coming next; and moments when things are about to hit the fan and I want to put my foot on the gas to speed it up.

Megan Flynn's brother Sean Flynn was charged and convicted of a murder she doesn't believe he committed. Megan sets out on a mission to prove his innocence no matter the cost, even putting her life in peril.

Sean Flynn's life was show more about to be forfeited because of a system we all rely on to keep us safe and lock the bad guys away. Detective Cole Williams was a cop through and through, he was dedicated and by the book. In his mind the evidence said that Sean was guilty end of story case closed. Even with his feelings for the accused sister there was nothing he could do, his hands were tied. It took Megan's determination and her unknowingly reigniting his feelings for her to get through his hard cop shell to finally offer his help, even if it will only prove to her that her brother was guilty.

What I love about Beg For Mercy was, it made me think critically. It made me reluctantly put myself in Megan's position. Would I stand up for someone I believe in no matter the consequences? I was able to connect and put myself in Megan's, Cole, and Sean's shoes. I believed Megan's determination and unwavering love for her brother. The psycho serial killer was well thought out and believable. With a truly twisted character, a good cop, and a dedicated sister, what you get is a positively riveting story. show less

Beg For Mercy
3.5 Stars

Megan Flynn and Detective Cole Williams are about to take the next step in their relationship when he is forced to arrest her brother for murder. After his conviction and death sentence, Megan dedicates her life to exonerating her brother, but is the only one to believe in his innocence until the real killer strikes again and Megan becomes his next target.

The serial killer plot is fast-paced, intense and satisfying, and the romance has potential but ultimately fizzles as the H/h are not that likable as individuals.

Megan’s dedication to her brother is admirable but her “anything goes” behavior, which may be realistic and understandable, is a turn off. She comes across as aggressive and abrasive, and the fact show more that she exposes her relationship with Cole to the press after Sean’s arrest leaves a bad taste.

Cole’s character is more ambiguous. On the one hand, he is noble and courageous but on the other his “by the book” attitude makes him closed off and inflexible. It is the latter that gets him into trouble when he dismisses his feelings for Megan after her brother’s arrest and leaves her hanging. Despite his attempts to rectify his past actions, he never quite succeeds as it is obvious that he does not believe in Sean’s innocence and is merely placating Megan for most of the book.

As a result of their characterization, Megan and Cole’s romance is not believable and their chemistry, although intense, feels forced and out of place.

In contrast, the suspense plot is exciting and the villain truly deranged. Unfortunately, his identity is glaringly obvious from the moment he is introduced, which impairs the “thrill of the chase” aspect of the book.

Despite its problems, Beg for Mercy is well written and Alden’s dark and gritty style is immersive. Moreover, the secondary characters are compelling, Sean in particular, and I look forward to seeing how he and Krista get past their mutual animosity in the next book. show less

Beg For Mercy by Jami Alden definitely has a very engrossing plot line. At the beginning of the book is a flashback from two years before the events of the book take place - Megan's brother Sean is arrested for murder, but Megan is convinced he is innocent. The kicker? The arresting officer was Megan's boyfriend. Fast-forward to the present, Megan is extremely involved in trying to clear her brother's name - her brother on Death Row. Can she finally stumble upon evidence that'll make her ex-boyfriend, Detective Cole Williams, actually take her seriously? Will she be able to handle working with him if she does?

The book was very graphic...the violence and sexytimes both. I don't mean that as a critique, just an observation. It gave the show more book a deep sense of very raw emotion. Grittier than a lot of other romantic suspense. Megan's very real feelings of both guilty lust and still-churning anger when is around Cole is very realistic and intense, definitely made their interactions and growing intimacy feel legitimate.

Megan's intensity and desperation to clear her brother's name reached the point of near-madness. But hard on the heels of my twinges of annoyance was the question: can I really blame her? So, even though the repetitive theme of her constantly throwing herself into unbelievably crazy situations wore on me a little, I couldn't actually fault her character's intentions.

I'm extremely relieved that the author had a developing relationship between Megan & Cole even before her brother's arrest. Normally I strongly prefer getting to experience the MCs meeting for the first time, with no baggage between them before the book starts. In this case, however, their relationship would have made zero sense if they'd just met because of Sean's case. The desperation bordering on lunacy I already described basically dominated Megan's personality post-arrest. No way could their relationship have believably developed from scratch under those circumstances. Since they'd already had a strong connection previously, Cole's willingness to deal with her not only made sense, but made him strong swoon-candidate material.

The actual mystery in the book - having current murders that possibly tie in to the past requires a tiny bit of suspension of disbelief in the beginning - but just go with it. It quickly becomes very interesting and complex. Even though it isn't too difficult to figure out whodunit, my interest never lagged in the steps it took the characters to get there.

So, overall, I definitely recommend reading this if you're a fan of romantic suspense. Jami Alden has another completed trilogy published, and I will be checking into it while I wait for the next book of this series! show less

Megan and Sean Flynn are sister and brother that have survived losing their parents as children. Now they must survive Sean's death penalty conviction for rape and murder. Megan knows that her brother is innocent but even Sean's best friends have their doubts and attest to this in court. It doesn't help that Megan's boyfriend, Cole Williams, a detective on the Seattle Police Department, is the arresting officer. Sean finally gives up on the entire appeal process and is determined to stoically face the death penalty. Megan refuses to give up and knows that there is more to this murder than meets the eye. Just when it seems like things couldn't get any worse, Megan's juvenile advocate client comes across a dead body and Cole re-enters show more Megan's life. Sparks fly between the two old lovers but is it love or hate? Will she uncover the truth in time to save Sean’s life? The clock is literally counting down...

Intrigue abounds in this romantic thriller by Jami Alden. Most of the thrills are centered around Megan's amateur investigation into her brother's conviction. Her investigation stumbles upon an underground prostitution ring with loose ties to a serial murderer and this provides most of the suspense. Megan's actions are credible because most of us are willing to do whatever it takes to legally protect and fight for family. The romantic aspect of this thriller is only truly apparent in the beginning of the story with the burgeoning romance between Cole and Megan. Regrettably their romance dies a sudden and horrible death when he arrests her brother. The mystery and suspense aspects were somewhat predictable towards the end, but this did not detract from the overall storyline or my reading pleasure.

As a romantic thriller, this was a little light on the romance but the thrills were abundant. Ms. Alden has provided a well-written and quick read that I expect will be perfect for weekend or summer beach reading. show less

Be prepared for the action to start off immediately! It doesn't stop all the way through either.
I loved the suspense aspect of the book, much more than the erotically hot romance. And man, it was hot!
There was a creepy factor throughout the whole story that I loved, but I got to admit, I figured out pretty early who the bad guy was.
That aside, I loved this book!
Looking for to the next in the series.

Megan Flynn was in the midst of falling hard for Detective Cole Williams, until he arrested her brother Sean for murder. Now three years later Megan is doing everything she can to get Sean off death row. When Sean suddenly decides to give up the fight, Megan must race against the clock to find out the truth, before it's too late for Sean. Will her anger toward Cole be a burden or a help? Will Cole help her save her brother from certain death?

Jami Alden has created the most incredible characters in this impeccable story. Megan is a determined woman fighting for the only family she has left, while trying to hold back her feelings for the man who helped put her brother in jail. Cole and Megan have unbelievable chemistry, but the past show more continues to haunt them. The complexity of all the characters, including the villians is remarkable. I can't wait to read the remainder of the series, it will be interesting to see how this tangled web unravels. show less