May Online Book Club: Desperate Creed by Alex Kava
As if killer tornadoes weren’t scary enough!
Alex Kava, known for twisty psychological thrillers, unleashes a series of storms in Desperate Creed, further complicating a murder investigation by series characters Ryder Creed and Maggie O’Dell.
We often have tornadoes in the Midwest, but I had no idea about Dixie Alley which stretches across a large area of the lower Mississippi Valley where there are frequently strong, high-speed tornadoes. Fans of either series will love the nonstop action beginning with a murder in Chicago, then on the road through Nashville, Alabama, and Florida all in one heart-stopping week of murder and mayhem.
I loved learning more about Ryder Creed’s scent dog training center in Florida where he teaches rescue dogs to be working K9s, especially his own dog, Grace. She has as much personality as the perky Jack Russell terrier on the Wishbone TV series. I’d never considered how dangerous it is for those dogs on rescue jobs where they might search piles of glass and debris in the heat or bad weather.
Kava’s skill at making us care about Creed’s family and friends going about their everyday lives, then throwing them into –in this case– the eye of the storm, made for a page-turner that kept me up past my bedtime several nights in a row.
If you’ve never picked up Nebraska native Alex Kava’s books, you shouldn’t miss them. Even though there are 13 books in the Maggie O’Dell series and 6 in the Ryder Creed series, each one can be read as a stand alone book.
Who needs sleep, right?
Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.
Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.
A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.