Another Edition of the Sunday Salon

My feature today is on two books Shadow Man and The Face of Death by Cody McFadyen.

For anything who likes suspense/thrillers will enjoy these books. While reading these books I can't belive that a man wrote them. You will understand when you read them as the way he writes the females characters and their personalites is just like a woman. I can't wait to see what Mr. McFadyen comes up with next.

Here's a little bit about the book.

Once, Special Agent Smoky Barrett hunted serial killers for the FBI. She was one of the best -- until a madman terrorized her family, killed her husband and daughter, and left her face scarred and her soul brutalized. Turning the tables on the killer, Smoky shot him dead–but her life was shattered forever.

Now Smoky dreams about picking up her weapon again. She dreams about placing the cold steel between her lips and pulling the trigger one last time. Because for a woman who’s lost everything, what is there left to lose?

She’s about to find out.

In all her years at the Bureau, Smoky has never encountered anyone like him -- a new and fascinating kind of monster, a twisted genius who defies profilers’ attempts to understand him. And he’s issued Smoky a direct challenge, coaxing her back from the brink with the only thing that could convince her to live.

The killer videotaped his latest crime -- an act of horror that left a child motherless -- then sent a message addressed to Agent Smoky Barrett. The message is enough to shock Smoky back to work, back to her FBI team. And that child awakens something in Smoky she thought was gone forever.

Suddenly the stakes are raised. The game has changed. For as this deranged monster embarks on an unspeakable spree of perversion and murder, Smoky is coming alive again -- and she’s about to face her greatest fears as a cop, a woman, a mother . . . and a merciless killer’s next victim.

This was my first book by Cody McFadyen. It is a winner! The plot lines were intense, the characters had depth as well as very believable. Shadow Man is somewhat gory but if you don't mind that gore like me than you will really like this book. Smokey could really stand her ground throughout the who story. Talk about women empowerment. Remember this is coming from a book about a serial killer that was written by a man! That is saying something wonderful about Mr. McFadyen's writing style. You will not be sorry you picked up this book but instead will be sorry when it ends.

I rate this book 5 stars!

This is the second book. Here's a little tid bit about it.

“I want to talk to Smoky Barrett or I’ll kill myself.”

The girl is sixteen, at the scene of a grisly triple homicide, and has a gun to her head. She claims “The Stranger” killed her adoptive family, that he’s been following her all her life, killing everyone she ever loved, and that no one believes her.

No one has. Until now.

Special Agent Smoky Barrett is head of the violent crimes unit in Los Angeles, the part of the FBI reserved for tracking down the worst of the worst. Her team has been handpicked from among the nation’s elite law enforcement specialists and they are as obsessed and relentless as the psychos they hunt; they’ll have to be to deal with this case.

For another vicious double homicide reveals a killer embarked on a dark crusade of trauma and death: an “artist” who’s molding sixteen-year-old Sarah into the perfect victim -- and the ultimate weapon. But Smoky Barrett has another, more personal reason for catching The Stranger -- an adopted daughter and a new life that are worth protecting at any cost.

This time Smoky is going to have to put it all on the line. Because The Stranger is all too real, all too close, and all too relentless. And when he finally shows his face, if she’s not ready to confront her worst fear, Smoky won’t have time to do anything but die.

The Face of Death is the second book that features Smokey Barrett. I really enjoyed this book. The characters were great and they had wonderful dimensions, which is hard to find in books. Not to say Shadow Man wasn't good too but I have to say I liked The Face of Death a little more. I think the reason was because I had got to know Smokey and was rooting for her to come on top again. Plus the ending was a huge surprise! I love when the endings are not what I expected.

I rate this book 5 stars!