Wicked Ways

From Amazon:

New York Times bestselling authors Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush join forces to craft this spine-tingling thriller in which one woman's birthright holds the key to a rash of brutal murders.

Elizabeth Gaines Ellis is an ordinary suburban wife and mother. That's what she tells herself as she flits between her realtor job, yoga class, and caring for her daughter, Chloe. But for months now, Elizabeth has worried that she's far from normal…that she's somehow the cause of a series of brutal, horrible deaths.

Her mean-spirited boss. A bullying traffic cop. Her cheating husband. Elizabeth had reason to be angry with them all. She didn't mean for them to die. No one will take her fears seriously—except the private investigator prying show more into her past. The more scared and angry Elizabeth becomes, the higher the death toll grows. But those who wrong her aren't the only ones in danger. Because others have secrets too, and a relentless urge to kill without mercy or remorse.

My Thoughts:

I've read many books by these two ladies, both singly and together and have always enjoyed them. This book started out with a bang and it never lost it's momentum...however, some of the characters were a little hard to be believable and there were a lot of questions that really had no satisfying answers but overall it was an intriguing story line and certainly worth the time to read it. show less

This was my first Lisa Jackson novel, I enjoyed her writing, the story not so much. I found the characters flaky. Seriously, who goes out on a set up (date) get together after their husband is killed and they are a suspect, and these are your best friends. I didn't enjoy her child either...maybe if she had a part that wasn't so bratty all the time, I would have liked her better also. I found the story a little out there not so much the obvious but the murders and the murderer. I don't know I didn't mind the esp aspect as much as the characters seemed flat and not really realistic in their choices. I will, however, pick up another novel of Jackson's, I will be more careful to choose one that is more my liking. I do like her writing style show more and I am not ready to give up on her because this one book didn't hit a home run with me. show less

This book is #4 in a series about a dysfunctional family of which the women have supernatural powers. Even though I am not a big fan of paranormal books I have read 2 or 3 from this series and enjoyed them all. The books revolve around a 'normal' type mystery with a dash of paranormal thrown in. They are fast reads with enough action and plot twists to keep you involved to the end of the book. A recommended light read.

This is my first book by both Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush and I am wondering whose writing style this book falls under. To me it was long and tedious. So many pages with nothing happening!

Let's start with the biggest issue in the book. Elizabeth. We spent so much time in her head I really wanted to gouge my eyes out with a dull pencil. #1)This woman apparently spends a lot of time wishing bad things to happen to a lot of people. Not just bad things but death. What kind of person wishes evil things onto people? Not a good one in my eyes. Which leads us to #2) She thinks she has a psychic ability to actually make people die if she wishes it so we spend a lot of time reading about how guilty she feels because she made it happen. What kind show more of person truly believes they can wish someone to death? Oh wait...she believes it because #3)When she was a child she could see bad things happen before they actually did. Oh wait...she really didn't remember that for the most part so I guess she's just a nutball. #4) After a week trying to get used to her husband being dead she falls in lust with someone else. #5) Her well meaning friends worked hard to engage Elizabeth to get out of the house and have some fun. Once Elizabeth accepted the invites we then had to read her internal musing on how much she hated it and couldn't wait to ditch her friends. Yes I hated Elizabeth.

Let's talk plot: Well, the secondary storyline with Elizabeth's cousin Ravinia going on a journey to find Elizabeth was actually better than the one with Elizabeth, herself. The hunt for Elizabeth (who had been adopted as a baby) was faster paced than the primary mystery. Not a whole lot faster but some. However, the addition of a romantic interest for Elizabeth 2/3 into the book was a mistake as there wasn't enough time to see a relationship form let alone something as complex as love. Especially since Rex and Elizabeth do not spend more than a few minutes together over the course of several days. The ending seemed rushed as it finally wrapped up the plot thread introduced in the prologue in what felt like an afterthought. Seriously, the beginning is not mentioned in any way for over 400 pages other then we readers could speculate if Elizabeth was that stolen baby or not. Who the stolen baby was seemed a total stretch even factoring in the paranormal psychic stuff into the equation.

In a Nutshell: I didn't like this book at all. I'm character driven and I just didn't like many of the enormous cast of characters in this book. To tell the truth the only character I was intrigued by was more of a ghost of a character as they are mentioned within the book but no one is really sure if they were actually there or not. When coming up with my 2 star/cup of coffee rating I factored in whether or not this book could be read as a standalone or not. This is the only book I have read to date in this series. I do not think that I would have enjoyed this book more if I'd read the first three. To tell the truth if the first 3 are similar to this one I probably would have quit the series after book 2 and never got to book 4 to begin with. I think there probably is some background on the Colony and the women who live there that may be of interest to readers, in addition to some plot details of earlier books that had been mentioned in this one briefly but I'm really not interested in going back and reading the first three. Except I also have the 3rd book (Something Wicked) from NetGalley which I feel obligated to read and review, which I will do....someday. show less

Wicked Ways (Wicked #4)
by Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush

Well this one did not disappoint! I read the first three books in the wicked series and really looked forward to this one. I think it was the best one yet. And I am so looking forward to the next one!

This book I found to be more chilled as in not as much "evil" as the first ones which allowed for more of a story with the characters I think. Don't get me wrong there is still that lurking of something scary about to happen but without the gory details maybe is what I found.

Can't wait for the next book about Siren Song.

A special thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WICKED WAYS, (The Colony Book # 4) by sisters, Lisa Jackson and Nancy Bush with their latest suspense with the death count mounting, when dark secrets of the past surface.

The Colony was apparently first introduced in Wicked Game, #1 in the series, about a group of women who live together at a lodge called Siren Song on the Oregon coast in the fictional town of Deception Bay. These women possess special gifts and the local people think they are strange.

The story opens briefly with a scene for years past of a girl named Lena and she and her boyfriend were the ones who had stolen Lost Baby Girl. Much later seeking absolution she turned to show more the witches of Siren Song. (will not get into the other details which tie the stories together).

Then you have Elizabeth, wife and mother of five year old Chloe, busy realtor with a cheating husband, Court of six years, about to make partner at the firm. Soon after the police comes to the door stating there has been an accident and Court has been in an accident (with another person in the passenger seat), with a hotel receipt at a hotel and a married woman as the husband was following them in order to use the affair as leverage in the pending divorce. However, Elizabeth knew it was going to happen, but she could not say anything to the police.

And then there is Mazie’s death, (she was her assistant), three months earlier; they both died in car accidents, though Mazie had apparently been driving while under the influence and Court had lost control of his car while stone-cold sober. She is afraid she is willing people to die. It was her fault Mazie was dead, and also Officer Daniels, before her—after she wished them dead.

What happens next is a series events, with an array of other characters, Ravinia, the youngest Colony member, Catherine, Nadia, Rex, an array of relatives, a past dark history, an adoption, an evil father, and the Lost Baby Girl, and more history. Honestly, I was a little lost, and not an enjoyable read. Was unaware until afterwards this was part of a series, so I did not have the background of the other three previous books.

From the summary of the book, I was unaware of the witches and paranormal aspect, as not type of genre; as I prefer more crime thrillers and mystery. It started out OK; however, got a little weird and I was not invested in the characters nor the storyline. However, those who enjoyed the previous books in the series may appreciate.

Also included, a sneak preview of Lisa’s latest book, Close to Home, a novel of a woman renovating an old Victorian haunted mansion where she grew up. Now she and her daughters uncover secrets buried within the house of a mother and a half-sister who vanished. Then in the same town teenage girls are disappearing and she thinks her memories are the key to solving the mystery.

I have read some earlier books of Lisa Jackson and only a couple of Nancy Bush. Appears they are crossing over to more paranormal, and this just isn’t my thing. show less

Better than the previous book in the series. Now waiting for the next int he series to be written