Double Cross

For me, the second book in a series is the best indicator of what the author and story is capable of, and Crane has shown that she has real talent and an interesting story to tell with Double Cross. I liked Mind Games, it was something fresh and unusual for the genre but I enjoyed Double Cross much more. Justine is no longer obsessed with her health, but her neuroses have fragmented to encompass her feelings of guilt and confusion about her abilities and her relationships with Otto and Packard. I find her conflicted personality fascinating, she is such a mess, but wants so much to be normal and do the right thing. Usually in the UF genre the woman has two men to choose between, the hero and the bad boy. In this case, just when you think show more you know which is which, Crane reveals another layer to the personalities of Otto and Packard. It's what makes the conclusion to Double Cross so stunning (and frustrating - bring on number 3!).There is more action in this installment with the 'Dorks' hunting highcaps and the Disillusionists working on Otto's captives. The tension is carefully built for both storylines and feeds the brisk pace. The writing is strong and I was relieved to see far less mention of the word minion this time around. There are so many creative touches - the naming of criminals, the glasses, the disillusionists abilities, the twisted nature of the plot threads - okay, the whole darn thing is original. Double Cross is a fantastic sequel to Mind Games and I can't wait for the conclusion. Carolyn Crane still rocks! show less

My Plot Synopsis

Justine Jones isn’t your ordinary woman. She’s a Disillusionist, someone with an intense amount of a certain emotion – in her case, extreme fear about her health – who can zing that emotion into another person. Now, Justine doesn’t run around zinging just anyone – she does have morals. Justine and gang zing their various fears, worries and emotions into unsuspecting criminals; a psychological hit squad, if you will. She is one of many disillusionists who works under Sterling Packard, a highcap human (in other words, someone with a super human power of sorts) who is out to disillusion criminals so that they can become wholesome humans once more. Packard can see people’s psychological make-up, allowing him to show more lessen the terror of his gang of neurotic crime stoppers. Little did Justine know that she would have to remain under Packard’s thumb forever because of a few details he forget to mention…

Now, Midcity is being terrorized by a group of killers, the Dorks, and they are targeting highcaps! How they are picking out highcaps from regular humans has the gang stumped, but Mayor Otto Sanchez, a very powerful highcap and Justine’s love interest, is determined to put a stop to the madness. In the interim, one of Justine’s targets, a dream invader, links her and Packard’s dreams and begins to uncover some ugly – and steamy – memories…

My Thoughts

W O W! What a book! I didn’t want to put it down and kept getting so irritated at life for getting in my way. Carolyn really knows her stuff! She is a fantastic writer who is able to pull her readers into the story, dangling the carrot (or cupcake, if you prefer) in front of our noses until we are a drooling, over-stimulated, emotional wreck. Her characterization was stellar in this book. Some past supporting characters really shined, and Justine, Otto and Packard had some serious, serious scenes!

I really enjoyed the dream invader piece of this book, as it allowed us to see into the history between Otto and Packard, and gave us Packard fans glimpses into the short-lived romance he had with Justine. Fantastic idea!

I love the whole human rights theme in these books, and it was really talked about in Double Cross. Justine is still questioning whether the disillusionists have the right to zing people and change them. She’s having a discussion with Otto and says “Isn’t it a human right to be who you’ve become"?” I have to agree. You see, Otto has taken it upon himself to trap all the powerful highcaps who have committed crimes with his ability to transform structures (into prisons, in this case). However, have they been given a fair trial to prove their guilt? Pfft. Who is Otto to gauge their innocence or guilt? Otto sprouts BS about law and order later in the book, and it got me fired up! That megalomaniac (to quote Simon, and I have to agree) thinks he’s the one and only say in law against highcaps. Sorry to break it to you, Otto, but you ain’t God!

Justine yearns for freedom from disillusioning people because she constantly questions what side she is on, yet she can’t imagine dealing with those horrifying, self-destructive thoughts about her health again. She is in a constant battle with who she really loves. Otto is quite the catch and he and Justine share some intense, deep emotions and understand one another’s neuroses. However, it is quite obvious to the reader that she still loves Packard, even though she would never admit it. We readers feel her emotional conflict and it is a wretched feeling. She begins to grow during the course of the book, and we start to see a new side of Justine. Her constant battle for freedom becomes more of a reality, and it also frees her mind to make the right decision about who she loves.

I really loved Packard’s forwardness in this book. My heart burns for that man. I am definitely team Packard, and I feel a billion times stronger after this book. He may have made some ugly decisions in the past and lied to people, but I truly feel he cares and isn’t only looking out for himself. He finally drops some of his bravado and we get a glimpse of his human side. *swoon* However, as with Mind Games, it is quite difficult to know who is good and who is evil. The ending brings with it harsh scenes of betrayal, coupled with killer emotions of love and loss. We finally get to see the true colors of some of the characters, and it is an overwhelming discovery!

YOU KILLED ME WITH THAT ENDING, CAROLYN!! *sobs* However, it was about as genius as an ending could be. Quite the cliffhanger and disgustingly brilliant. So, I forgive you. show less

Double Cross is much more of a love story than the first Disillusionists book, Mind Games, but man is it good. It’s fast-paced and exciting, with an entertaining plot and dynamic characters. There’s a lot of relationship angst as deep, dark secrets are slowly revealed, adding drama and suspense. I couldn’t put it down. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the awesome (yet horrifying) twist ending. Even though I could sense it coming, it was still like watching a car crash in slow motion. Just when you think everything is finally going to work out, the author blows it all to pieces. It tears me up just thinking about it, a testament to the strong emotions running through the story as well as my personal investment in a show more positive outcome for these characters. Indeed, the shocking conclusion is what bumps this book up from a four to a five star rating. Of course, it also means I’m that much more impatient for the release of the third and final installment in this fantastic series. As much as I love twists, I’m sincerely hoping for a happily ever after. show less

The Good: Carolyn Crane has continued the Disillusionists series with same uniqueness that set it apart from the sea of sameness that has overtaken urban fantasy. The Dorks are killing Highcaps and Justine gets caught up in the search for them. Everything about this is cool. From naming criminals disparaging names in an effort to keep them from "celebrity" status to how Highcaps are being spotted to how the entire investigation goes down. So much transpires in this novel. So many questions, so many reveals. You don't know who to trust from start to finish.

The Bad: Justine remains a difficult character to read. Even with her ability to pass the hypochondria on to others and relieve her own suffering, she's still a basket case most of the show more time. This girl cannot handle a love triangle. She can barely handle living. She's willfully blind to everything going on around her, just because she's certain one man is evil incarnate while the other is god. Because the dude who she thinks is god said so. Her issues make her an interesting character, but her inability to think like a rational human being at any point, regardless of whether or not she's dealing with her illness, completely dumbfounds me. show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

Urban fantasy is a genre largely dominated by vampires and werewolves. Occasionally we get a witch or a demon, or rarer still a creature mined from a more obscure mythology. Apparently Carolyn Crane didn’t get the memo because you won’t find a single fang or furry fellow in her Disillusionists Trilogy. Like Mind Games before it, DOUBLE CROSS is an urban fantasy with a retro comic book twist featuring a ragtag band of crime fighters suffering from crippling paranoia. Different? Absolutely. But in the hands of Carolyn Crane, never has being crazy been so much fun.

Tricked into lifelong minionhood by the (villainous?) mastermind Packard in Mind Games, DOUBLE CROSS picks up with the same motley show more crew of hypochondriacs, gamblers, and fatalists turned unwilling super heroes as they begin working for Midcity’s new Mayor by ‘zinging’ their particular psychosis into Hicap (X-men types) criminals and disillusioning (essentially resetting them back to neutral) them. If you’ve already read Mind Games, you’ll slip right back into this world and these characters like a spandex jumpsuit. If you haven’t, Crane does a decent job of bringing newbies up to speed, but you’ll have missed out on a lot of crucial back story and character development if you jump right into DOUBLE CROSS.

Whether you’re new to this series or not, I’m sure you’ll once again be shocked at how fun it is to be a voyeur amongst these characters in the throes of their deepest fears and neurosis. Throughout DOUBLE CROSS, Crane dropped little paranoid thoughts for her characters into random scenes to remind the reader how close they always are to falling back under that fear. It’s fascinating and perversely funny.

And let’s not forget the love triangle between Justine, Packard and Otto. Initially, Justine was powerfully drawn to Packard, but his betrayal drove her into the arms of the man she had idolized for years. Otto shares Justine’s Vein Star paranoia (you can’t imagine the conversational foreplay these two have about brain aneurisms), and she lives for his adoration. Packard, not one to back down, constantly challenges her to examine her feelings for Otto and compare them to the intensity she felt with him. Meanwhile, the animosity between Packard and Otto comes to a head as their disturbing history is finally revealed.

To sum up, DOUBLE CROSS has accomplished what few books ever do: it blows its excellent predecessor out of the water. Crazy characters, maniacal villains, twisted romance, and an ending that is scream out loud good. I was thinking about it for days afterwards and I still can’t believe the devious double cross (yeah, the title works on many levels). Part of me seriously hates Carolyn Crane for leaving me like this to wait in agony for the conclusion to The Disillusionists Trilogy when it comes out sometime next year. I just hope my Glory Hour lasts till then.

Sexual Content: A graphic sex scene. A semi graphic sex scene. show less

First off: If you are tempted enough to read the reviews for DOUBLE CROSS, do yourself a favor. Stop. Buy the book. Read it. It’s awesome, better than the first. And you don’t want to spoil the surprise ending. I avoided most of the reviews but I still picked up a hint or two and it was enough for me to predict what would happen. Knocked me off my feet just the same, but I’d rather have had a blank slate.

Second…um. Wow. I liked the first book in the Disillusionist series quite a bit. I liked it, I remembered liking it, and yet I didn’t snap up the sequel until it had been out for months. I wasn’t sure why, either. I’d see the cover come up on Amazon’s recommended purchases list and browse past and think, “Huh, why am show more I not jumping on that? The first in the series was so good.”

I think I know why now. Carolyn Crane is too good. DOUBLE CROSS is perfectly paced, with just the right mix of big action and intense emotion and quiet spaces in between, but no matter what is actually happening in the story Justine’s narrative voice is so pitch-perfect that she had me feeling all jittery, like there was anxious little ants crawling underneath my skin. I was completely wrapped up in Justine’s head, in her paranoia and fears. This was wonderful because, man, what a reading experience – I felt connected to everything, I didn’t see a single twist or turn coming – but almost too intense.

I think I was a little afraid to jump back into the world, and for good reason – the ending here, especially, hit me like a great big sucker punch to the gut. I’m still reeling. But at the same time I’m absolutely dying to get my hands on the next book in the series to see what happens next.

I don’t think I can say anything else without avoiding spoilers. It looks like #3 in the series is coming out via Samhain rather than the original publisher, Spectra, which makes me wonder if Spectra didn’t have the faith that Carolyn Crane so clearly deserves. These books are a huge cut above the average urban fantasy and they deserve recognition and praise.

I'd love to discuss the surprise ending between spoiler tags, hint hint... show less

4.5 to 5 stars. I loved this book. I love this series. Double Cross begins where Mind Games ends. What makes this book and this series are the characters. The world is nifty and the powers are unique, but ultimately it is a character driven story. The characters in the Disllusionist series are likeable. For readers of this series, you will be excited to know that we see more of Shelby and Simon, both are such funny and interesting characters. Justine's friendship with both characters deepen.

Crane writes quirk so well. But not just quirk, she excels at writing characters who are real people, who do silly things motivated by personal insecurities and personal goals but are also so gosh, darned funny. Crane is Funny with a capital F. The show more cast of characters are a bizarre brand of super hero that we met in Mind Games -- they have the ability to inflict other people with their own personal demons.

The main character is a hypochondriac, she has the power to "zing" other people with her fears and potentially change how the "zinged" person acts and makes choices. But the insecurities are not always funny,

"He puts on his sunglasses. Mirrored glasses, and I get a pair of distorted Justine images -- two long pale faces, long dark hair, dark eyes, I hate my reflection unless I'm steeled for it."

Like in Mind Games, in Double Cross the gang of disillusionists have identified more "targets" that need to be disillusioned. Justine continues to debate the morality of what she is doing; she struggles with the idea of inflicting her own personal demons on others.

Mind Games was a strong beginning to the series, but Double Cross is just better in almost every respect. The mystery and suspense are tighter and the reveals are even more shocking. As the story develops we learn more about Otto and Packard’s past. I am not going to lie, the ending of this story is a wham – it is shocking and painful. When I first read Double Cross, its sequel, Head Rush, was not yet published. And I could only hope that it would all work out eventually. But the wait was painful, just painful! The good news for all those starting this series, is that now the trilogy is complete. You can go into Double Cross knowing that the ending will be a whammy, but you can rush right off and read Head Rush. show less