Sign in with Facebook
Pushed Too Far
Two years ago a woman was brutally murdered, her body burned until only ash and shattered bone remained. Police Sergeant Valerie Ryker solved that case, putting an undisputed monster Dixon Hess in prison for life, and becoming the first female police chief of her tiny Wisconsin town.
Then the original murder victim turns up in a frozen lake, all in one piece and only recent...more
Then the original murder victim turns up in a frozen lake, all in one piece and only recent...more
Kindle Edition, 203 pages
Published
(first published June 13th 2012)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
515)
Pushed Too Far focuses on Val Ryker, the first female police chief of a small Wisconsin town. As the book opens, Ryker is faced with a cop's nightmare: sudden strong evidence of wrongful conviction in the case that made her reputation. Ryker has to figure out what really happened in that two-year-old case and, even more importantly, what's going on right under her nose. Oh, and the guy she helped put behind bars? Maybe he's innocent, maybe he's not. But one thing's for sure: he's feeling mighty...more
A good solid thriller, well written and well plotted. Neat premise - a bad guy who got off on a technicality for one murder gets put away by a small town police force for a different murder - but the victim of that murder turns up years later - dead, of course, but freshly dead. Couldn't have been the bad guy. So of course the bad guy gets out of jail, and who knows what he'll do to those he feels are responsible for his "unjust" incarceration. Meanwhile, there's the mystery of who killed this w...more
May 22, 2012
Howard McEwen
added it
This book was competently written. The author spins a yarn without the usual authorly flaws of getting distracted or indulgent. You want to be taken for a ride? This author takes you on one.
But to me, it’s a ride I’ve been on a few times. I don’t read thrillers or cop books too often but something about warm weather makes me drop whatever tome I’m trudging through and pick one up.
And it’s always the same thing. A serial killer with a couple quirks killing people in unusual and highly improbable...more
But to me, it’s a ride I’ve been on a few times. I don’t read thrillers or cop books too often but something about warm weather makes me drop whatever tome I’m trudging through and pick one up.
And it’s always the same thing. A serial killer with a couple quirks killing people in unusual and highly improbable...more
Caution: Slight spoiler ahead...
For a free Kindle read, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The part I liked most was the way the heroine's "disability" was realistically portrayed. Because I have family members with the same disease, I guessed what Val's problem was early on. I thought the denial aspect and Val's actions were spot on.
The part I didn't like was the romance, the attraction seemed awkward and forced. Also, because the story didn't end with a HEA (happi...more
For a free Kindle read, I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. The part I liked most was the way the heroine's "disability" was realistically portrayed. Because I have family members with the same disease, I guessed what Val's problem was early on. I thought the denial aspect and Val's actions were spot on.
The part I didn't like was the romance, the attraction seemed awkward and forced. Also, because the story didn't end with a HEA (happi...more
1 like · like · see review
Definitely a page-turner with a relentless villain. I read it in one sitting!
Peterson does a great job creating a believable villain. The ratcheting suspense, the sheriff with a secret illness, and the mystery of the misidentified body all combine for one great read. If I had any one wish, it would have been for the story to be a bit longer so there was more time to further develop some of those interesting secondary characters. As it was, they were quite adequate for the story, and managed to...more
Peterson does a great job creating a believable villain. The ratcheting suspense, the sheriff with a secret illness, and the mystery of the misidentified body all combine for one great read. If I had any one wish, it would have been for the story to be a bit longer so there was more time to further develop some of those interesting secondary characters. As it was, they were quite adequate for the story, and managed to...more
May 08, 2012
rameau
marked it as to-read-post-ugb
Read this: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2012/05...
and download free from Amazon right now.
and download free from Amazon right now.
I liked this book much more than I expected to, given that it was a freebie on Kindle, and I understand that the author also co-writes with someone else.
The story was well plotted, and although you know who the bad guy is pretty much straight away, I'm not giving anything away when I say it's the bloke in prison, there are still lots of discoveries to be detected, and surprises to be had. I'm usually pretty good at seeing where a story is going to end up, but with this one I am delighted to rep...more
The story was well plotted, and although you know who the bad guy is pretty much straight away, I'm not giving anything away when I say it's the bloke in prison, there are still lots of discoveries to be detected, and surprises to be had. I'm usually pretty good at seeing where a story is going to end up, but with this one I am delighted to rep...more
This was a fantastic book. So much mystery and so much suspense. The author did a wonderful job of detail, description, and dialogue. I was able to put myself into the setting and story. Even though you knew who was committing the murders, you sat on the edge of you seat trying to figure out how they were going to catch the murderer, but there was a twist and surprise when it did happen. I never saw it coming and I liked that.
This was the first book of Ms. Peterson's that I have read, but it won...more
This was the first book of Ms. Peterson's that I have read, but it won...more
Murder, mystery, and a cover-up... I found this a great read, with nice pacing and just the right amount of detail into the lives of firefighters and the police that it wasn't too overwhelming. Plot aside, the story revolves around our heroine, Val Ryker, police chief in a small Wisconsin town. From her personal problems to the case-at-hand, Ann Voss Peterson weaves an interesting and engrossing tale (and throwing in Jack Daniels from JA Konrath's world for good measure). At times, the plot did...more
I'm a huge fan of Ann Voss Peterson's Harlequin Intrigue novels and more recently, of the Chandler series she is writing with J. A. Konrath. In Pushed Too Far, the author has written another page-turner novel full of twists, turns and suspense. Police Sargeant Valerie Ryker believes she's already faced her worst nightmare. Two years ago, she tracked down murderer Dixon Hess and put him behind bars. But now Hess is out on a technicality and he's gunning for Valerie this time. This story is non-st...more
I've read the three books in the Codename: Chandler thriller series Ann Voss Peterson writes with J.A. Konrath and enjoyed them, so I thought I'd give her standalone thriller a shot. And I was not disappointed. "Pushed Too Far" is an extremely well-crafted novel that keeps you flipping the pages all the way to the end. I can't say I'll be checking out any of her Harlequin Intrigue stuff any time soon, but anything else she writes in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre will be on my Kindle as soo...more
This was an incredibly great book. I love the twists, thrills, suspense and horror this book portrayed. A well written book. The story was, to say the least, awesome. A small town, with a small population, added to the feelings of the characters. Val, a female chief of police, her colleagues and her friends were included in the thrilling plot. So many questions are brought on, yet, through it all, Val had prevailed. Highly recommended.
Great book! I tend to gravitate more toward thrillers than to police procedural books, but this combines the two elements perfectly creating a fast paced book with non-stop action. There are many twists to the plot and several red herrings are thrown in to keep you on your toes. If you are looking for something dark and exciting with some disturbing twists, this book will definitely not disappoint you.
Wow! Wow! Wow! That was a great story. One of those amazing mysteries that keep you up all night reading, because you just can't put it down. And that was my opinion even before I got to the cameo of Jack Daniels. Usually I'm not much of a procedural mystery reader, but this story hooked me in the first few pages and never let me go. This author is being added to my list of a handful of must buy authors.
Got this book for free and was quite impressed. Valerie Ryker must deal with a killer from a past investigation after the body of the victim shows up several years later. The previous man convicted has a huge grudge and things start to get dangerous for everyone involved as the investigation gets closer to the end. The book was just the right length and moved along at an excellent pace.
Things get really complicated when the woman Dixon Hess is accused of burning to ash suddenly turns up whole, frozen and dead. Now Police Sergeant Valerie Ryker who has her own medical issues, has to dig deep or set Dixon Hess, a crazy serial killer loose. I liked David Lund - he was the husband of the woman who turned up dead. Overall the story was a good one.
A solid suspense thriller with a breathtaking pace. If anything, the pace is a little TOO breathtaking - the backstory comes fast and furious in the first two chapters, and the case of mistaken identity that propels the mystery can make it tricky to keep track of names. But it's got a solid protagonist, a creepy villain, a burgeoning romance and a high body count.
This was a well written thriller. Where the protagonist is a female Police Chief in a small Wisconsin town. A few years earlier a man was convicted of the brutal murder of a town woman and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was brutal and frightening. Suddenly the body of the woman he was convicted of murdering turns up frozen in a local Lake. The man is released and a whole new investigation starts. He then (this is not a spoiler) begins to murder everyone who participated in his conviction. I...more
Not my usual cup of tea, this was a nice diversion. A protag with a progressive degenerative disease was new for me. Like Val, I fell for David Lund, too. Part of me wished for a more defined ending, but I was okay with the one we got. Cover kind of confuses me. I don't think Val ever dressed up in a skirt (Wisconsin in an ice storm-who would?)
I needed something light to read, and this book treated me well. It could have benefited from less plot, more character development, and more nuanced relationships between the characters. But the author has a good grasp of the mechanics of writing, and I was entertained. What more do you want for the price?
Pushed Too Far wasn't the page turner I had expected but it's worth the time. It is enjoyable and Ann brings out the fact that even police officers have rough things happen in their lives but still attempt to carry on no matter what. Pushed Too Far incorporates home-life reality with occupational hazards and how one must continue onward no matter what happens. It's a good story, like I said. It's just not the page turner I was expecting, although the author did make a pretty good attempt at it b...more
This is one of the best books I'd read in a while. With believable characters that drew me in from the first paragraph and a plot that kept you turning pages at the speed of light, I can recommend this book to any fan of thrillers and police procedural.
If you like fast paced, edge of the seat thrillers, this book is for you. I could barely put this book down from the start. It is a quick read.
Warning: Extremely graphic (violence)
If I were to give this an age rating, I would say R-18.
Warning: Extremely graphic (violence)
If I were to give this an age rating, I would say R-18.
The book was alright. I found it predictable and not very gripping. The story did not pull me in and grab my attention. I had higher expectations for it. I gave it 2 stars because its not the worst book I've ever read.
So far I'm having trouble with this one due to grammatical errors. The one particularly bad one that sticks out in my mind is, "She thought about her phone laying on the bottom of the river." Laying what? Tile?
No idea what the cover image has to do with anything, as the main character is a cop and it takes place in the middle of Wisconsin. Other than that, it was pretty decent mystery.
I like mysteries so I am a frequent reader. I do agree with Howard on many points. It is always good to allow the good guys to have growing room. I enjoyed the book.
I was pleasantly surprised with Pushed Too Far. It had a great plot line. The twist and turns kept me wanting to read more. And I was definitely happy that it didn't end with "happily everafter".
Gives you that elusive thrill of knowing when you are reading something that is in a class apart. Taut, fast moving, great characters and scary as all hell in parts.
A fairly short book, but one that keeps you on edge from the beginning to end. Author ties the character storylines together excellently at the end.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
May 13, 2012 08:48am