Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Devious (New Orleans #7)

3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 · rating details · 1,664 ratings · 190 reviews

When New Orleans detective Reuben Montoya is called to investigate a murder with his partner Rick Bentz, he's shocked to recognize the victim. Camille Renard, an old high-school friend, was found on the altar of St. Marguerite's cathedral, dressed in a yellowed bridal gown and viciously garroted. .
Valerie Houston's younger sister, Camille, had a knack for making bad choice...more

Paperback, 540 pages

Published February 2012 by Zebra Books (first published 2011)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 2,986)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

Aug 01, 2012 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

4 months ago

This was a very good read. Complicated, multi-layered murder mystery with a number of interesting elements and plenty of excitement.

When one of the nuns at St. Marguerite's is found garroted on the alter of the cathedral, wearing an old and yellowed bridal gown, the New Orleans police detective who catches the case is stunned to discover he knows her - went to high school with her right there in New Orleans.

It soon comes out that not only was the nun pregnant, she had been having an...more

4 months ago

This was a very good read. Complicated, multi-layered murder mystery with a number of interesting elements and plenty of excitement.

When one of the nuns at St. Marguerite's is found garroted on the alter of the cathedral, wearing an old and yellowed bridal gown, the New Orleans police detective who catches the case is stunned to discover he knows her - went to high school with her right there in New Orleans.

It soon comes out that not only was the nun pregnant, she had been having an affair with one of the priests at the same church.

The victim's sister, with whom there was a strained relationship, is also living in New Orleans, and since she's also a former homicide cop - though in Texas not New Orleans - she is determined to investigate the murder on her own to make sure the killer of her sister is brought to justice.

And underlying all this, is the spectre of a another killer of women in New Orleans - one everyone thought, prayed had been killed by the police, his body sucked down by the Bayou for the gators to finish off years ago. The method of the new killings is terrifyingly similar to the old killings. Copycat? Coincidence? or is "Father John" back from the dead and killing once again??

The book has a lot going on. There are a large number of characters and the story is told in rotating chapters from the varying perspectives of all the characters. The story is complex with a lot going on, but is well-constructed and easy to read and follow along. There is a high "creep-factor" as some of the chapters are from the killer's perspective, so you really get a 360 degree view of the story and it is an interesting approach.

One thing I should mention is that it is obvious this book is sort of the continuation of a previous book, and there are a number of references to the previous murders which were investigated by one of the cops investigating the new murders. The ending also leaves the door open for a continuation of the original murders, but the current book can and does stand-alone as its own self-contained story. The references to the previous book might whet your appetite to read it, but they don't impact your ability to read and enjoy this story all on its own.

Definitely a good read, recommended for those liking psychological murder mystery/thriller-type stories.
(less)

like 2 likes · see review

Jul 04, 2012 Melanie Adkins rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

New Orleans has always been a place where anything seems possible, but no one expected to find nuns dead in a chapel. It seems someone has a grudge. Rick Bentz and his partner Reuben Montoya are called to St. Marguerite's church and the site of the first murder. Unfortunately, Montoya knows the deceased and several others at St. Marguerite's. He should let someone else work the case, but this is personal. These people were from his past. The investigation starts off rough and just gets rougher....more

like 1 like · see review

Sep 16, 2011 Amy Lignor rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Valerie Renard, an ex-policewoman, is in the process of divorcing her husband Slade and has moved back to New Orleans where she grew up. She has bought a partnership in a Bed and Breakfast in the city and is settling in. Not too far from her is the St. Marguerite's Cathedral where her sister Camille resides as a novice nun.

Sadly, Camille is killed by an unknown assailant in the church. She was found, strangled viciously, and dressed in an old and tattered wedding dress. Her body was arranged wi...more

like · see review

Jun 20, 2011 Glenajo rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romantic-suspense, murder-mystery

The proprietors at Roma’s Preread Books, in Rockwall, TX were kind enough to give me an advance uncorrected proof to Devious in April. From the moment I picked up the book, I could not put it down. I have read many books by Lisa Jackson, but Devious: A Bentz and Montoya Novel is by far the best. The plot twists and turns, the characters have many facets, and the book does not rely on sex to fill in the gaps.
Valerie Radnar, a one-time police detective, is now a woman torn by the actions of her...more

like 1 like · see review

Apr 19, 2011 Karielle Stephanie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: blog

Blurb: Detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya return in Devious. The crime scene at St. Marguerite's cathedral in New Orleans is shocking. A novice nun has been found dressed in a yellowed bridal gown and viciously garroted, her body covered with an alter cloth.
For Montoya, the brutal crime scene is disturbingly familiar -- his aunt, also a nun, was murdered. And the connections don't end there. Montoya knew this victim in high school. But the deeper the investigation goes, the more twisted th...more Blurb: Detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya return in Devious. The crime scene at St. Marguerite's cathedral in New Orleans is shocking. A novice nun has been found dressed in a yellowed bridal gown and viciously garroted, her body covered with an alter cloth.
For Montoya, the brutal crime scene is disturbingly familiar -- his aunt, also a nun, was murdered. And the connections don't end there. Montoya knew this victim in high school. But the deeper the investigation goes, the more twisted the case becomes. St. Marguerite's is far from the tranquil retreat many believe, and everyone, from handsome Father Frank O'Toole to the mysterious Mother Superior, has their own agenda...

What Stephanie Thought: Being a Lisa Jackson fan, I was more than happy to get to review her newest Bentz and Montoya novel. True, I haven't read the first seven (or eight? She has so many books, it's hard to keep count) books in the series, but like most good books should, Devious makes a fine stand-alone novel. Actually, it's better than a fine stand-alone novel; it's the kind of sequel that makes me want to go back and read all the previous titles too.
Camille Renard is your typical party girl: gorgeous, smart, a little deceptive...okay, make that a lot deceptive. Notorious for getting around and stealing husbands (specifically, her sister, Val's), it's to everyone's shock that she decides to enter a convent and become a nun. But this is not her story. Devious is not Camille's story, because she is brutally murdered within the first chapter -- ironically, right in the church.
No one else is more devastated than her sister, Valerie Renard. Though the two have been on edge with each other for the past few months (I mean, that is what will happen if you try to sleep with your sister's husband), Val's ready to forgive and forget -- after all, her divorce with Slade is now nearly final. But of course, that can't happen now, because well, Camille's dead. Beautiful, vivacious, rambunctious Camille is dead.
Which is the perfect time for Val's soon-to-be-ex to show up at her doorstep, right? Slade Houston is in New Orleans, hotter and feistier than ever, and Val's not sure she can handle his company. But it turns out, she just might not be completely over him...and him over her, for that matter.
The story gets weirder, though. One of the detectives assigned to the murder case, Reuben Montoya, happens to be Camille's high school boyfriend; her first, in fact. It's probably not best for him to deal with the issue since it's so personal, but he can't help but desire to solve this deranged murder mystery.
Even worse? An autopsy reveals Camille was pregnant -- and suspicions arise that Father Frank O'Toole, the charming but suspect priest at St. Marguerite's, is the dead baby's father.
The case gets more and more screwed up as the book goes on, to the point where some things are utterly shocking -- others, entirely inconceivable.
Lisa Jackson never fails with the suspense. I didn't have to sift through Devious, wondering when I'd be finished with it, at all; the pages seemed to turn themselves. Even better, romance (read: steamy love scenes!) is incorporated into the story's cutting tension, making it all the better, and entertaining, of a read.
No question goes unanswered in Devious, which says a lot, because it begins raw, millions of questions sprouting out to know what's going on at St. Marguerite's. I enjoyed the relationship developments, specifically the romances, between the various characters: Camille and Reuben; Reuben and his wife, Abby; Camille and Father Frank; Camille and her murderer; Val and Slade; and other minor relationships throughout.
Though Jackson's writing is easy to follow and well-written, it isn't without flaw. Her similes are painfully cliché ("Outside, it was as dark as night") and her details, annoyingly repetitive. Maybe she was just trying to give reader cues throughout the novel to keep confusion to a minimum, but I feel there were too many scenes that were repeated unnecessarily. Her ideas however, are completely genius. The plot she comes up with gets better and better by the sentence, and the story she creates is one not any reader will be able to predict or even possibly imagine.
Devious will thrill your senses, and keep your eyes wide and spine tingling throughout the night. It will make you tremble in fear at times, but also keep you eagerly reading on, awaiting the fate of the murder case, as well as the vindication of Camille Renard.

Stephanie Loves: "'Hey, boy,' Val said, her heart melting as she squatted down to pet the dog's sleek head and receive exuberant licks on her face and hands. 'Yeah, I missed you, too.' The hound couldn't get close enough to her, and for a second she remembered bringing him home from the pound, a small black and tan puppy with bright eyes and ears that nearly hung to the ground.
'And me? You miss me, too?' Slade asked as he slammed the truck's door shut ...
'You're kidding, right? Miss you?' She almost laughed, except nothing about their meeting was funny. 'Like I miss the plague.'"

Where Stephanie Got It: Kim at SOS Aloha for review.

Radical Rating: 9 hearts- One of my all-time favorites! (less)

like 1 like · see review

Mar 20, 2011 Bookaholics rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devious by Lisa Jackson
Romantic Suspense - March 29th, 2011
3 ½ stars

In the heart of New Orleans, St. Marguerite’s Cathedral is the site of the shocking tow murders of novice nuns. Detectives Rick Bentz and Reben Montoya are on the hunt, but Montoya has a history with one of the victims and also went to high school with the main suspect, handsome and charismatic father O’Toole. Montoya tries to use his connections with some of the novice nuns to solve the case.

Meanwhile, Valerie is an ex-detec...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2011 Vivian rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Let me tell you this was a really good, if not great, example of romantic suspense. The action takes place in New Orleans with some familiar detectives at the helm, Montoya and Bentz. As with previous stories involving these members of New Orleans finest, there is some personal interest.

Montoya dated the first murder victim, Camille Renard, back in high school. If that's not personal enough, his younger brother Cruz dated the lady that found that body. What makes this all the more interesting is...more Let me tell you this was a really good, if not great, example of romantic suspense. The action takes place in New Orleans with some familiar detectives at the helm, Montoya and Bentz. As with previous stories involving these members of New Orleans finest, there is some personal interest.

Montoya dated the first murder victim, Camille Renard, back in high school. If that's not personal enough, his younger brother Cruz dated the lady that found that body. What makes this all the more interesting is that both ladies are now nuns. Camille's sister, Valerie, is shocked over the murder especially since she knew that Camille was planning on leaving the church due to a pregnancy. What is even more surprising, is that Sister Camille was evidently having a relationship with one of the priests? Is it possible that Father Frank is the murderer? Both the Catholic Church and New Orleans have been hit hard in recent years, but can the Church survive a murder spree of nuns and novitiates that all appear to have had relations with one of its priests? There's a lot more going on that meets the eye with this story. The heat gets turned up a notch when Cruz Montoya returns to New Orleans and tries to restart a relationship with Sister Lucia. The heat gets even hotter when Valerie's estranged husband, Slade Houston, shows up on the very night that Camille is murdered. Slade's presence forces Valerie to re-evaluate her belief in her sister's word, namely that Slade attempted to seduce her rather than vice versa. (Hard to believe that someone so focused on sex that she’s willing to attempt seducing her brother-in-law wanted to be a nun? Oh yeah, that probably explains her pregnancy and affair with the priest!) Thankfully there's a diary that reveals almost as much as it hides.

The twists and turns in this story are just as devious as the actions of the murderer. Just when you think you know who the culprit is or where the story is going there's another unexpected twist to shake things up and keep you guessing. It is for these reasons that I enjoyed reading Devious. If you're into romantic suspense or just suspense then this is probably a good book for you.
(less)

like · see review

May 05, 2012 Linda Bsss rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Val Houston, Was On The Verge Of Making Her Divorce Final, Had Lost Her Job As A Detective In Texas, Her Business One Step Away From Bankruptcy, And Now Her Young Party Girl Sister Was Entering A Convent!! They Had Been Placed In An Orphanage In New Orleans When Their Parents Died When She Was Five And Cammie Was Just A Baby. Both Had Left The City Only To Return Again. She Had Agreed To Buy Into A Bed And Breakfasts With Her Long Time Friend While She Tried To Figure Out What To Do About Her Si...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 09, 2012 Lesley Anne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I somewhat enjoyed the mystery aspect of the story, and I was able to connect to the 2 detectives. On the other hand, I was thoroughly unable to stop my deep-seeded annoyance with Val and Slade Houston (Ugh. Yes, that's his name). After losing her sister in a grizzly murder plot, Valerie is still having difficulties with having sexy-times ideas about her wayward husband. The reader is constantly being bombarded with former bedroom romps in, what most normal people would think, the most inopportu...more

like · see review

Oct 22, 2011 Tonile {My Cup and Chaucer} rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lisa Jackson is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, plain and simple. Devious is only the second novel of hers that I have read, and while I did not enjoy it as much as Without Mercy, I love her writing style and her ability to maintain suspense over 400+ pages. Some may feel that the novel is longer than necessary and although there is some agreement from me there, the rich back story allows you to get to know the characters and develop an understanding and appreciation for the issues th...more Lisa Jackson is fast becoming one of my favourite authors, plain and simple. Devious is only the second novel of hers that I have read, and while I did not enjoy it as much as Without Mercy, I love her writing style and her ability to maintain suspense over 400+ pages. Some may feel that the novel is longer than necessary and although there is some agreement from me there, the rich back story allows you to get to know the characters and develop an understanding and appreciation for the issues they deal with.

The novel opens, as so many do, with a gruesome murder scene. A young nun in New Orleans, Camille, has high hopes for the festivities of the evening, but her night goes horribly wrong when she is brutally killed in a church. On the other side of town, her older sister Valerie is battling her own demons, but can’t shake an eerie feeling that all is not well with her sister. Estranged after Camille and Valerie’s soon-to-be-ex husband Slade had a ‘moment’ together, the two women had recently attempted to reconcile their differences. Both adopted from orphanage St. Elsinore’s after their biological parents were killed, Val had softened towards her sister once Camille told her she was pregnant and ready to leave the convent. However, the promise of a brighter future is shattered when two detectives (Jackson’s long-standing duo Bentz and Montoya) arrive with the horrible news that Camille has been murdered.

Camille was a nun at the rigid and orthodox St. Marguerite’s, a parish with some dark secrets. The prime suspect is Father Frank O’Toole, a handsome young priest who seems to find the celibacy gig a bit tough. He seems to be the man with everything to lose, but as Bentz and Montoya dig into the history of St. Marguerite’s, they start to think something far more sinister is at work behind the walls of the parish. When another nun is found dead, the pressure is on the detectives to make some progress to catch the sadistic killer. Another victim turns up, with a creepily similar MO from a serial killer who is presumed dead (from Jackson’s previous novel Hot Blooded), and the detectives must re-assess everything they thought they knew about the case and the terrifying killer known as Father John.

Full of mystery, secrets, and revelations, Devious takes a little perseverance to get in to, but once you’re there, it gets you good. Jackson is a master at leaving you hanging right till the very last page, and while this book didn’t wrap up as neatly as others have (there are quite a few loose ends), I will eagerly await her next Bentz and Montoya novel as I firmly believe a writer of her calibre wouldn’t leave ends loose unless they were to be tidied up in the future.(less)

like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Melanie Chabrol- rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

FANTASTIC! My first book by Lisa Jackson. An unpopular guy grows up to be a cop, the man of the hour in high school is suddenly a priest, the woman Reuben dated is found dead, and his brother dated her sister, the deceased sibling. Reuben Montoya is called to investigate the murder of Camille, a nun and died at the cathedral, made news very fast.
Knowing a few victims is the case comprimised? Camille was known to make bad choices and lying did she lie about her brother in law hitting on her and...more

like · see review

Aug 12, 2011 Alison rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What can be more intriguing than a murder, or two or three, that takes place at a convent? When a young nun, who hasn't yet taken her final vows, is found dead at the church, in a yellowed wedding gown, with droplets of blood around her neck the mystery begins. Add to this her older sister, an ex-cop, who feels it's her responsiblity to "help" the investigation along. And, was it kismet that her soon to be ex-husband comes riding into town and helps her with the investigation? Are the priests wh...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Rachy rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-didn-t-like

I traded a book I really liked for this. I had nothing in my house I wanted to read at the moment and so I traded with a colleague who was looking for something good to read. I don't think she liked the book I gave her. I try not to take it personally because I really hated this one.

The author cheats. The story drags. Plot elements are forgotten in the rush to deepen the mystery. And the resolution, when it comes, has little bearing on everything that's happened.

For a detective story, there's v...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2011 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-books-read, 2011-new-authors, arc

This was the first book by Lisa Jackson I have read. As a mystery/suspense lover I will be reading more of her books in the future. But I was not totally happy with this one. It was very well-written and the story was engaging and made me want to find out who did it. But I didnt really think we got all the answers in the end.

I really liked the Detectives assigned to the case, and I am looking forward to going back and reading more of the books they are in. I love the New Orleans setting. It real...more

like · see review

Apr 15, 2012 Deedee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Withholding judgment until it's finished. Don't have as much time to read these days, but trying....forever trying....

**********SLIGHT SPOILER***********

Finally finished this one after putting it aside for a couple of weeks. It was a page turner for sure. Lots of little plot twists and turns, but the ending is left open for another story line featuring a villain who just won't die despite being shot and presumed dead in a swamp.

The Bentz/Montoya partnership is not so much in the foreground as t...more

like · see review

May 16, 2011 Amber (buriedbybooks) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

as much as I love Lisa Jackson's Bentz and Montoya books, the newest installment, Devious, should be titled Déjà Vu.

In other words, it's another book about two detectives in New Orleans investigating priests, nuns, and a scandal or three involving the Catholic Church.

The surprising thing for me is even with the 'haven't I read this before?' vibe, I enjoyed the book immensely. But there are a few problems...

As with many of Ms. Jackson's books, there is a romance inside the suspense. This time, i...more as much as I love Lisa Jackson's Bentz and Montoya books, the newest installment, Devious, should be titled Déjà Vu.

In other words, it's another book about two detectives in New Orleans investigating priests, nuns, and a scandal or three involving the Catholic Church.

The surprising thing for me is even with the 'haven't I read this before?' vibe, I enjoyed the book immensely. But there are a few problems...

As with many of Ms. Jackson's books, there is a romance inside the suspense. This time, it's between Valerie and her estranged husband, Slade. Valerie, a former cop, has moved from Texas to New Orleans to start over after leaving her husband (whom she believes slept with her sister). Slade travels to New Orleans determined to sort out the mess of his marriage. He arrives right before the police, who notify Valerie that her sister, Camille, has been murdered.

I had some serious issues with Valerie's character. Valerie is supposed to be a former cop. But she doesn't really act like one. There's no observational skills, no awareness of her surroundings, no real indication that she'd ever been a cop other than a passing reference or two to things she "should know because she's a cop."

I also had some issues with how choppy the whole book was. We jumped from one point of view to another, then another. We see things from at least 10 different character's viewpoints. Which means we never get to spend time in any one character's head, getting to know them and learning their quirks. One particular irritant is the use of first person, present tense to show a killer's POV. I am not a fan of 1st person present. Especially when the rest of the book is told in the 3rd person.

Loose ends: I hesitate to count the number of loose ends this story has. Aside from some obvious sequel baiting, I'm not really sure why the book ended where it did. Several characters, both good and bad, are left in a bit of limbo. If those threads get tied up in another book, I can only hope that it's not another one set in or near a Catholic anything. Because I'm honestly getting more than a bit fed up with the same basic premise/setting/plot.

In spite of all of the flaws the book had, I found myself sucked in. I enjoyed the mystery, but I felt like Ms. Jackson didn't take enough time and care with this story. It's not one of her better books, but fans will probably enjoy it anyway.

My Grade: C

(less)

like · see review

Apr 29, 2013 Nura rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-and-mystery-reading-challenge, work-related

Sinopsis:

New Orleans kembali dikejutkan dengan sebuah pembunuhan yang terjadi di dalam Katedral St. Marguerite. Sister Camille ditemukan tewas dalam balutan gaun pengantin dan bekas jeratan di lehernya. Kakak Camille, Valerie Houston, yang mantan polisi, tidak puas dengan kelambatan polisi menangani kasus pembunuhan adiknya. Ia memutuskan untuk menyelidikinya sendiri ditemani suami yang sebentar lagi akan ia ceraikan, Slade Houston.

Detektif yang ditugaskan untuk menyelidiki kasus ini tak lain d...more Sinopsis:

New Orleans kembali dikejutkan dengan sebuah pembunuhan yang terjadi di dalam Katedral St. Marguerite. Sister Camille ditemukan tewas dalam balutan gaun pengantin dan bekas jeratan di lehernya. Kakak Camille, Valerie Houston, yang mantan polisi, tidak puas dengan kelambatan polisi menangani kasus pembunuhan adiknya. Ia memutuskan untuk menyelidikinya sendiri ditemani suami yang sebentar lagi akan ia ceraikan, Slade Houston.

Detektif yang ditugaskan untuk menyelidiki kasus ini tak lain dan tak bukan adalah Reuben Montoya dan Rick Bentz. Dan yang mengejutkan, ternyata Montoya pernah berhubungan dengan Sister Camille ketika di SMA. Bagi Montoya, kasus ini agak mirip dengan kasus kematian bibinya, yang juga seorang suster, yang dibunuh dengan cara yang sama.

Kembali ke Valerie. Ia menelusuri kematian adiknya kembali ke panti asuhan tempat mereka berdua pernah tinggal setelah kedua orang tua mereka tewas dalam kecelakaan. Di sana ia menemukan buku harian Cammie, yang tidak juga memberi titik terang siapa gerangan pembunuhnya. Sebaliknya, Val malah terkejut mendapati sisi lain adiknya yang tidak pernah ia sangka.

Kemudian seorang suster ditemukan tewas di pemakaman St. Marguerite. Kali ini korbannya adalah Sister Asteria yang juga ditemukan oleh Sister Lucia, biarawati yang menemukan mayat Camille, yang juga mantan kekasih adik Montoya, Cruz Montoya. Selain itu, seorang pelacur berambut merah ditemukan tewas terjerat rosario dan terdapat uang seratus dolar yang dihitamkan matanya di TKP.

Opini:

Ceritanya saling tumpang tindih. Trus POV-nya gonta-ganti, jadi agak nggak enak. Dan yang paling nggak banget dari cerita kali ini karena ada ESP segala. Beberapa kali sempat keliru menebak tersangka. Terutama waktu Sister Lucia melihat seorang pria berpakaian pendeta di taman ketika dia bertemu Cruz Montoya. Trus ditambah MO pembunuh pelacur wanita berambut merah itu mengacaukan analisis juga. Hmm... apa Father John masih hidup? Apa dia juga yang menghabisi para biarawati St. Marguerite? Well, you’ve got to read it yourself. Edisi bahasa Indonesianya terbit bulan Mei 2013.

Buku ini adalah buku ketujuh dari seri New Orleans. Dan sepertinya masih akan dilanjutkan lagi.
1. Hot Blooded
2. Cold Blooded
3. Shiver
4. Absolute Fear
5. Lost Soul
6. Malice
7. Devious

ps. additional star for a pretty cover(less)

like · see review

Dec 01, 2011 Linda rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I love Lisa Jackson's books! You think you know who is the guilty one and then a twist throws you! In this book, New Orleans police detectives Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya are investigating the murder of a nun at a local convent. During the investigation, another nun turns up dead. Both were wearing old wedding gowns and both had been garroted. Then a prostitute is found murdered. This murder has all the earmarks of murders committed years ago by a man called Father John, a man thought to have...more

like · see review

Apr 13, 2011 Connie Grover rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Aaargh! This was the second Lisa Jackson book I have read, and it will be the last. This felt like a shameless rehash of elements from "Without Mercy". The deceitful sister, the cowboy husband/boyfriend, the heroine's nightmares from something in the deep dark past; how unoriginal can you be! How many times can she paraphrase "sexier than any man has a right to be". And the climax scene where the baddie has to explain to the innocent why they are doing what they do could have been written by a t...more

like 3 likes · see review

Feb 11, 2013 Janet rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Having read several Lisa Jackson novels in just the past year, I've become a fan of her exhilarating plots. This book is no different, though I can tell it is one of her earlier works (at least I think it is). There is a lot of repetition in thought that gets a bit cumbersome, but not so much that I wanted to chuck the book. Jackson has improved as a writer in her later works, which is something we all hope to achieve. Nonetheless, this book shows her talent as a spinner of tales, and tales with...more

like · see review

May 17, 2012 Pamela rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would recommend this to all of my reading friends who love a really good mystery (the sex doesn’t hurt either!). This book is filled with twists and turns that solve one mystery but lead into the next. The omniscient viewpoint used in the novel is a bit different for a mystery, but it works beautifully as each character becomes important to the intricate plot. In fact, the characters are probably the strength of the novel. Because the multiple characters in this have very intriguing pasts and...more

like · see review

Mar 07, 2012 Marguerite rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Val is a ex-cop who was betrayed by her sister. The sister subsequently became a novice nun and was killed in the cathedral at her parish. Val, of course, wants to investigate the murder -- and subsequent murders of nuns at that parish. In the meantime, Val's estranged husband, Slade, arrives in town with every intention of convincing Val to save their marriage. Good murder mystery. Good character development. Plenty of twists and turns. How can Val possibly resist Slade? The conclusion of Devio...more

like · see review

Aug 15, 2012 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mystery, thriller

“Devious” is a page-turning murder mystery that follows two detectives as they investigate the murders of nuns from the St Marguerite Convent in New Orleans. Besides the detectives, a former cop, Valerie is also looking into the murders since one of the nuns was her sister.

Lisa Jackson’s finely detailed writing places readers into the thick of New Orleans and the hunt for a murderer. She teases you with small narrations from the murderer and the curious clues left behind from the victims. For e...more

like · see review

Sep 23, 2011 Victoria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, fiction

I find out from Goodreads that this is the 7th book of New Orleans detectives Montoya and Bentz; that this is at least the second time the same murderer is killing women victims including several nuns; and that he gets away at the end so he can come back--again. I shan't read more of this series, if I remember. It was good enough, engaging enough, dealt with an interesting adoption issue, but I believe it didn't improve my life any at all. Anne Rice's novels about fictitious vampires, on the oth...more

like · see review

Jan 17, 2013 Martin Horner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My very 1st exposure to Lisa Jackson... and I find myself in New Orleans...WOW!!!

I was thrilled and sometimes even a little terrified... one of America's Oldest and Mysterious cities... a creepy"Old School"-type convent... murdered nuns... what more could a mystery aficionado ask for in a novel???!?!?!?

Devious may have been my First Lisa Jackson novel BUT it will NOT be my last!!!!

Detectives Montoya and Bentz, I shall see you again very soon!!

Lisa Jackson... thanks for the Thrill ride... see...more

like · see review

Mar 31, 2011 Cynthia (aka Artemis) rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Cynthia by: SOS Aloha

Shelves: arc, suspense

Won from SOS Aloha.

An average murder mystery/romantic suspense book that is 100+ pages too long. The blurb states this is another Rick Bentz and Reuben Montoya (murder mystery/suspense) novel, but it also centers on Valerie Houston and her estranged husband, Slade (the romance).

Valerie's sister, Camille, a novice at St. Marguerite's Cathedral, is found murdered. The finger-pointing begins and everyone at the Cathedral is a suspect. Slade shows up (wanting to work things out) just as Valerie is n...more

like · see review

Aug 10, 2011 Kari rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 2011

Devious is the latest "Bentz & Montoya" romantic suspense that came out in the spring. I am a big fan of this series, so I was happy when I was finally able to get the audio of this one from the library. I loved it! Despite the length of the book, it went rather quickly and I was never bored with it. The killer was hard to pin down and I was a bit surprised in the end. The epilogue leaves the reader hanging with a sort of cliffhanger. I hope it is resolved in the next book.

Val and Slade were...more

like · see review

Jun 16, 2012 Lynne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the first Lisa Jackson book that I have read. Maybe thats part of the problem. I found that while I wanted to know who the murderer was, given the choice between reading or sleeping I chose sleep. I don't know any of the back story with the detectives, which is referred to several times but not explained (I've started series in the middle before and haven't been so frustrated). With so many engaging characters I will try one of the author's earlier books, but wouldn't recommend this one.

like · see review

Sep 04, 2012 Stephanie Dahlberg rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I found myself just wanting to get through this book for my book club, skipping through descriptions and dialogue that were juvenile and boring. Holes in the story that were never explained added to my frustration. I felt like the author was throwing in story elements as a sort of formula to promote sales instead of crafting a truly good story...like she thought, "I need hot sex here and now a bit of the supernatural and, oh yeah...some blood and guts now."

like · see review

Oct 19, 2012 Joan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Devious is a VERY slow starter. I kept thinking I'd just give up on it, but I began skip-reading and made it through a hundred or so pages. At that point I had begun to mentally theorize about the killer and was interested enough to want to solve the crimes. I continued skip-reading throughout and finally reached the not-too-satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed meeting Montoya and Bentz again; but overall, the book was a disappointment.

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Is there gonna be any more in the series?	4	19	13. Januar, 13:04 Uhr

combine
Other Editions (21)

More editions...

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Genres

Mystery

29 users

Suspense

21 users

Thriller

17 users

Romance > Romantic Suspense

14 users

Romance

13 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

7 users

Mystery > Detective

4 users

Mystery > Crime

3 users

Drama

2 users

Adult

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Lisa Jackson

Lisa Jackson and her sister, Nancy Bush, grew up in a small timber town in Oregon. She attended Oregon State University and later worked in the banking industry.
In 1983, Jackson's first novel, A Twist of Fate, was published by Silhouette Books. Currently, Jackson writes contemporary romantic suspense novels for Kensington Books and medieval romantic suspense novels for Onyx Books. Her books regul...more

More about Lisa Jackson...

Books by Lisa Jackson

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Devious

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Devious
avg rating	preview: Devious Goodreads rating: 3.80 (1664 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13576164-devious?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333471478l/13576164.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13576164-devious?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Devious by Lisa Jackson[/url]

Devious (New Orleans #7)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website