About the Book: DEAD MAN RUNNING
Sentenced to death for crimes he didn’t commit, ex-cop Tom O’Brien is now a hunted fugitive. After fifteen years in prison, he’s determined to prove his innocence–but first he must convince his daughter, whose testimony helped put him behind bars, that he has damning evidence of a plot to frame him.
Claire is no longer the naïve teenager who arrived home to find her mother and her mother’s lover shot dead and her father holding the murder weapon. She’s a successful fraud investigator who assumes everyone lies. Though Claire is convinced of her father’s guilt, curiosity propels her to look into the disappearance of a law student who claimed to have proof of Tom’s innocence. But seeking answers only leads to more questions, reinforcing Claire’s belief that there’s no one left to trust.
Obsessed with the O’Brien case, FBI agent Mitch Bianchi befriends Claire under false pretenses, certain that Tom is not only innocent but in grave danger–and not just from the cops. As the three race toward the truth, a murderous conspiracy tightens its noose–and Claire becomes the target of an ice-cold psychopath who will kill to protect his secrets.
My Review: I read and enjoyed Allison Brennan’s first two trilogies and had every intention of reading this one as well, but my TBR has been miles high! So when I got this book through LibraryThing’s ER program, I was pleased.
This book is another strong romantic suspense novel. I really liked both the hero and the heroine in this novel and feel that they carried a story that was at times weak. My major problem with the plot is that I simply could not understand why Claire would be so quick to assume that her father murdered her mother. If they had a close relationship, I think she would be reluctant to believe, at the mature age of 14, that her father had killed her mother. Putting that aside, however, l really liked Claire and the whole Private Investigator bit. And I also like Mitch.
One of the things that I like about Allison Brennan’s books is that her characters make many reappearances. You don’t have to feel like you’re saying goodbye forever to your favorite characters when a book ends..they are likely to show up again in a later book and finding them is such a pleasant surprise. Additionally, her prose is smooth and easy.
I would have enjoyed seeing the story of how the killer was controlled by a secret a little more fleshed out. It was a fantastic and terrifying premise that didn’t get enough time.
But overall, Playing Dead is a great escape into a fun romance with a few thrills.
(please note there are some explicit sexual scenes in the book)
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