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Mex Anderson #1
The Sacrifice
***THE SACRIFICE is a finalist for two literary awards in 2014. Colorado Book awards in the Suspense/Thriller category and Colorado Authors' League in the Adult Fiction category.***Former lawman Mex Anderson is trying to cope with the horrific murders of his family as best he can. Moving from his small, Mexican town to the snowy mountains of Colorado has helped, however it seems nothing can ever take away the gut-wrenching pain of his loss. When the head of the drug cartel responsible for the killings approaches him with an offer that would reveal the individuals behind the murders, it might lead to the one thing that would allow Mex to revenge.The a novel of guilt and redemption that proves there is always hope for tomorrow even in the midst of unconscionable evil.
297 pages, Paperback
First published October 21, 2013
87 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Peg Brantley
10 books143 followersAn award winning atuhor, Peg Brantley is proud to be a member of Sisters In Crime and Colorado Authors' League. She and her husband make their home southeast of Denver, and have shared it with the occasional pair of mallard ducks and their babies, snapping turtles, peacocks, assorted other birds, foxes, a deer named Cedric and a bichon named McKenzie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
January 27, 2014
I just had a pleasant experience - I read Peg Brantley's novel The Sacrifice. Due to a glitch in the publishing process this was an uncorrected copy, and so when I recount gripes y'all need to keep in mind that any, many, or all of those gripes might be missing from the finished product. Certainly I made greater allowances for them because of the nature of the copy I read - and I'm not sorry I did, for I enjoyed the book. :)
Mex Anderson's father was an Anglo, while his mother was Mexican. And he lived in Mexico for years, serving as an officer with the police in Agua Prieta. But upon a day there came a breaking-and-entering call, which seemed suspicious when Mex got to the scene and began investigating. And while he was at the scene, thugs from the Senora-Ciento drug cartel murdered his pregnant wife and his children, leaving only his sister alive. In his grief Mex left the police force, moved to Colorado, and built the house that he and María had planned together, becoming a sort of unofficial law enforcer for the Hispanic community in Aspen Falls.
Then out of the blue the head of the cartel, Vicente Vega, wants to hire Anderson. Vega's daughter, Dia, is missing, and he wants Mex to find her. At first Mex is reluctant - this man, after all, heads the gang which murdered he family - but in the end he agrees, for a large fee. After all, if he can use the search for the girl to find out more about who ordered the murders, he can finally have his revenge. But Vega's son, Vicente Jr. - whom everyone calls VV - interferes, kidnapping Mex's sister Sedona, and threatening to kill her if Mex doesn't return Dia to the family.
The search leads him to Monterey, Mexico; and then to the swamps outside New Orleans, Louisiana. Along the way he learns that Dia has gotten mixed up in Santería, the Hispanic equivalent of voodoo, and might even become a human sacrifice at the hands of the rival La Familia cartel. With the aid of his reporter friend Darius Johnson (with that first name and that last initial I couldn't help remembering Isaac Asimov's investigator, Darius Just), and the help of a very smart and very tough lady named Cade LeBlanc, he tracks down Dia, and rescues her just as a hurricane and the sacrifice are about to fall at the same time. Even with the gripes - which you'll find below - I couldn't put the book down; as dry as the story may seem when I recount it here, I was interested from the first and couldn't wait to see what came next.
As to those gripes...
I'll list them here in the order in which I thought to make note of them in preparation for this review.
There's the handling of Spanish. I'm by no means fluent in the language, but what little I do speak, I speak with a Hispanic accent; indeed, I've had people whose first language is Spanish think I'm Hispanic. And I know that accents are crucial in the written language. It always, therefore, irritates me when Anglos don't take care to get the accents right. In this book there are few accents, and unless I missed them, none are on Spanish words that require them. Santería always appears as Santeria, and the pronunciations differ. The correct pronunciation, which the accent over the I indicates, is sahn-tare-EE-ah, but the lack of an accent changes it to sahn-TARE-ee-ah. And in Spanish an accent can actually alter the meaning of a word - tu and tú are different words. So are el and él - the former is the definite article, while the latter is the third person masculine pronoun, with only the accent differentiating between them. There's also the matter of two Spanish letters. The name of the cartel appears in the book as Senora-Ciento, but I'm not familiar with the first word, nor does it appear in my Spanish-English dictionary. I conclude that the author meant Señora - N and Ñ being separate letters in Spanish. But it's also possible that she meant Sonora instead, that being the name of a Mexican state. The lack of proper accenting, and the possible spelling error, jar me, and will jar anyone who's familiar with Spanish.
There's Dia herself. First - to continue with the matter of Spanish - is it properly Dia, or Día? The latter is the Spanish word for "day," while I've never previously encountered the former and it doesn't appear in my dictionary. But more important is the girl's age - which doesn't appear in the book. There are repeated references to her as a little girl, but her dialogue had me thinking of her as being in her teens; indeed, my mental picture of her, which I could never shake, has her at 18 years old.
There's the overuse of the word "get" to mean "understand, comprehend." Some people may "get" everything, but I've never met such a person, and certainly I've never met a group of people all of whom did so. Some variety in verbs would be better.
There are incomplete sentences. After all the emphasis on writing complete sentences in school, and after years of reading books which use complete sentences, the recent phenomenon of writing hosts of sentence fragments always jars me out of the story. An incomplete sentence is an incomplete thought - it starts me along a line of cogitation, and then stops me dead before I reach the end. Why on earth anyone would write that way I have no clue, and why it's become so common is even more baffling.
There's the hiding place in the swamp. I'm no expert on Louisiana geography, but upon consulting a map of the state I decided that it just doesn't make sense for the kidnappers to secrete Dia in a swamp near Slidell, which is near the Mississippi state line. It's just too developed there - too many towns, too many roads, and if the map is accurate, just not enough swamp. Were I writing the book I'd send the group west, into the large swampy basin of the Atchafalaya River, where there are few roads and few towns, and plenty of room in which to hide.
There's Mex's constant delaying when there's opportunity to actually locate and rescue Dia. He seems to think that the only way to operate is with perfect intelligence, a perfect plan, and perfect execution, and he seems willing to wait till the need of the world to act, if it takes that long to achieve perfection - and never mind what happens to Dia in the meantime. A healthy concern for not barging into a situation he doesn't understand would be one thing, but as he appears here, he seems more callous toward Dia than concerned with knowing the situation; he comes across as willing to hold Cade back for eternity and never mind what happens to to the girl. He needs to study George S. Patton, Jr., who said that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week - meaning that you don't have the luxury of waiting for perfection when the enemy is preparing to move against you.
My next gripe is more a matter of personal taste than of an actual mechanical defect. I would have preferred to omit the sections from Sedona's and Dia's viewpoints. The book is Mex Anderson's story, and ought to be from his point of view - exclusively if possible, but if not, as close to that as possible. There's little if any benefit to the story in the Dia and Sedona sections, and by not showing us what they're experiencing, the author could have heightened the suspense a great deal.
And finally, there's the ending. I didn't want or expect a massive Hollywood style shootout with the expenditure of truckloads of ammunition, but neither did I expect the suspense to just end. It was as though we were racing along toward the edge of a cliff...and then we weren't. Also, it just didn't work for me when it turned out that Sedona had betrayed Mex's family to the cartel. I didn't skip anything - I read every word, including the sections from Sedona's point of view, and there wasn't a hint of Sedona's perfidy. It came out of nowhere, and simply doesn't fit.
Now as I said above, and as I want to reiterate here, this was an uncorrected copy of the book, and it may be that when the final version issues from the publisher these gripes will be nugatory. And as I also want to reiterate, I greatly enjoyed this book. I'm not griping because I hated it - I didn't hate it. I'm glad I read it, and I'll reread it again some day. Peg Brantley's a good writer, and she gave us a very good story here. No one should allow my gripes to turn him away from this book. On the contrary, y'all should read it in spite of the gripes. Wait for the corrections, get a copy, and enjoy it - you will, I'm sure, though of course tastes differ and what I like someone else might not. This is good stuff, and once the corrections are in place, it'll be very good stuff. Mex Anderson is an interesting character, and even better is Cade LeBlanc, who strikes me as just the sort of woman I want to see in this sort of book - it's a relief to find a woman in mystery/suspense fiction who isn't constantly griping about and displaying distaste for guns, but simply uses one as a tool in her business.
This is a good book! :)
Mex Anderson's father was an Anglo, while his mother was Mexican. And he lived in Mexico for years, serving as an officer with the police in Agua Prieta. But upon a day there came a breaking-and-entering call, which seemed suspicious when Mex got to the scene and began investigating. And while he was at the scene, thugs from the Senora-Ciento drug cartel murdered his pregnant wife and his children, leaving only his sister alive. In his grief Mex left the police force, moved to Colorado, and built the house that he and María had planned together, becoming a sort of unofficial law enforcer for the Hispanic community in Aspen Falls.
Then out of the blue the head of the cartel, Vicente Vega, wants to hire Anderson. Vega's daughter, Dia, is missing, and he wants Mex to find her. At first Mex is reluctant - this man, after all, heads the gang which murdered he family - but in the end he agrees, for a large fee. After all, if he can use the search for the girl to find out more about who ordered the murders, he can finally have his revenge. But Vega's son, Vicente Jr. - whom everyone calls VV - interferes, kidnapping Mex's sister Sedona, and threatening to kill her if Mex doesn't return Dia to the family.
The search leads him to Monterey, Mexico; and then to the swamps outside New Orleans, Louisiana. Along the way he learns that Dia has gotten mixed up in Santería, the Hispanic equivalent of voodoo, and might even become a human sacrifice at the hands of the rival La Familia cartel. With the aid of his reporter friend Darius Johnson (with that first name and that last initial I couldn't help remembering Isaac Asimov's investigator, Darius Just), and the help of a very smart and very tough lady named Cade LeBlanc, he tracks down Dia, and rescues her just as a hurricane and the sacrifice are about to fall at the same time. Even with the gripes - which you'll find below - I couldn't put the book down; as dry as the story may seem when I recount it here, I was interested from the first and couldn't wait to see what came next.
As to those gripes...
I'll list them here in the order in which I thought to make note of them in preparation for this review.
There's the handling of Spanish. I'm by no means fluent in the language, but what little I do speak, I speak with a Hispanic accent; indeed, I've had people whose first language is Spanish think I'm Hispanic. And I know that accents are crucial in the written language. It always, therefore, irritates me when Anglos don't take care to get the accents right. In this book there are few accents, and unless I missed them, none are on Spanish words that require them. Santería always appears as Santeria, and the pronunciations differ. The correct pronunciation, which the accent over the I indicates, is sahn-tare-EE-ah, but the lack of an accent changes it to sahn-TARE-ee-ah. And in Spanish an accent can actually alter the meaning of a word - tu and tú are different words. So are el and él - the former is the definite article, while the latter is the third person masculine pronoun, with only the accent differentiating between them. There's also the matter of two Spanish letters. The name of the cartel appears in the book as Senora-Ciento, but I'm not familiar with the first word, nor does it appear in my Spanish-English dictionary. I conclude that the author meant Señora - N and Ñ being separate letters in Spanish. But it's also possible that she meant Sonora instead, that being the name of a Mexican state. The lack of proper accenting, and the possible spelling error, jar me, and will jar anyone who's familiar with Spanish.
There's Dia herself. First - to continue with the matter of Spanish - is it properly Dia, or Día? The latter is the Spanish word for "day," while I've never previously encountered the former and it doesn't appear in my dictionary. But more important is the girl's age - which doesn't appear in the book. There are repeated references to her as a little girl, but her dialogue had me thinking of her as being in her teens; indeed, my mental picture of her, which I could never shake, has her at 18 years old.
There's the overuse of the word "get" to mean "understand, comprehend." Some people may "get" everything, but I've never met such a person, and certainly I've never met a group of people all of whom did so. Some variety in verbs would be better.
There are incomplete sentences. After all the emphasis on writing complete sentences in school, and after years of reading books which use complete sentences, the recent phenomenon of writing hosts of sentence fragments always jars me out of the story. An incomplete sentence is an incomplete thought - it starts me along a line of cogitation, and then stops me dead before I reach the end. Why on earth anyone would write that way I have no clue, and why it's become so common is even more baffling.
There's the hiding place in the swamp. I'm no expert on Louisiana geography, but upon consulting a map of the state I decided that it just doesn't make sense for the kidnappers to secrete Dia in a swamp near Slidell, which is near the Mississippi state line. It's just too developed there - too many towns, too many roads, and if the map is accurate, just not enough swamp. Were I writing the book I'd send the group west, into the large swampy basin of the Atchafalaya River, where there are few roads and few towns, and plenty of room in which to hide.
There's Mex's constant delaying when there's opportunity to actually locate and rescue Dia. He seems to think that the only way to operate is with perfect intelligence, a perfect plan, and perfect execution, and he seems willing to wait till the need of the world to act, if it takes that long to achieve perfection - and never mind what happens to Dia in the meantime. A healthy concern for not barging into a situation he doesn't understand would be one thing, but as he appears here, he seems more callous toward Dia than concerned with knowing the situation; he comes across as willing to hold Cade back for eternity and never mind what happens to to the girl. He needs to study George S. Patton, Jr., who said that a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan next week - meaning that you don't have the luxury of waiting for perfection when the enemy is preparing to move against you.
My next gripe is more a matter of personal taste than of an actual mechanical defect. I would have preferred to omit the sections from Sedona's and Dia's viewpoints. The book is Mex Anderson's story, and ought to be from his point of view - exclusively if possible, but if not, as close to that as possible. There's little if any benefit to the story in the Dia and Sedona sections, and by not showing us what they're experiencing, the author could have heightened the suspense a great deal.
And finally, there's the ending. I didn't want or expect a massive Hollywood style shootout with the expenditure of truckloads of ammunition, but neither did I expect the suspense to just end. It was as though we were racing along toward the edge of a cliff...and then we weren't. Also, it just didn't work for me when it turned out that Sedona had betrayed Mex's family to the cartel. I didn't skip anything - I read every word, including the sections from Sedona's point of view, and there wasn't a hint of Sedona's perfidy. It came out of nowhere, and simply doesn't fit.
Now as I said above, and as I want to reiterate here, this was an uncorrected copy of the book, and it may be that when the final version issues from the publisher these gripes will be nugatory. And as I also want to reiterate, I greatly enjoyed this book. I'm not griping because I hated it - I didn't hate it. I'm glad I read it, and I'll reread it again some day. Peg Brantley's a good writer, and she gave us a very good story here. No one should allow my gripes to turn him away from this book. On the contrary, y'all should read it in spite of the gripes. Wait for the corrections, get a copy, and enjoy it - you will, I'm sure, though of course tastes differ and what I like someone else might not. This is good stuff, and once the corrections are in place, it'll be very good stuff. Mex Anderson is an interesting character, and even better is Cade LeBlanc, who strikes me as just the sort of woman I want to see in this sort of book - it's a relief to find a woman in mystery/suspense fiction who isn't constantly griping about and displaying distaste for guns, but simply uses one as a tool in her business.
This is a good book! :)
April 9, 2014
I wasn't sure I would really get into this after I read the synopsis...but I loved it. I found myself not able to put it down after I started it. I definitely will be checking out more of her work.
September 1, 2023
Two stars until the very end, when the main character forgave his sister for causing the death of his wife, children, parents, because “she’s faaaaaaaaaamily”. Seriously?!?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2017
I liked this and I really would gobble up a Mex series. I like the story, dark as it was, behind Mex and his family. This was a really good solid start to a series that I WILL read
August 16, 2017
Cover awful, book very good.
Good writing, good story with different twist at the end. Guess going to be a sequel, maybe a series. Recommend your time to read this one - you will find it hard to put down.
Good writing, good story with different twist at the end. Guess going to be a sequel, maybe a series. Recommend your time to read this one - you will find it hard to put down.
June 6, 2016
The Sacrifice by Peg Brantley is an edge of your seat crime thriller which captured my attention from the very beginning. It’s the kind of book that, had I had the time, I would have loved to devour in one sitting.
The main protagonist is Mex Anderson, a complex character so called because he is half Mexican. He was a law enforcement officer who refused to be bought off by drug cartels and paid the ultimate price when his family was murdered. The story begins when he is approached by Vincent Vega, the leader of a cartel and a man who Mex suspects could have played a role in the slaying of his family. Vega convinces Mex to try and locate his missing daughter.
What follows is an exciting journey full of twists and turns that takes us from Mexico to New Orleans. One of the things I really like about this book is the way Brantley brings the settings alive. She creates places of vivid colour and culture but steeped in danger.
The conflict within the story comes from the explosive combination of Mexican criminals and a religious cult. Brantley describes the cult of Santeria in such a way as to make it seem totally believable. As the plot develops, the cult becomes more and more chilling until the tension is almost unbearable.
I really like the characters in the book and the relationships they have with each other. Mex is a flawed hero, crippled by debilitating depression whilst trying to do the right thing. His friend Darius is almost his mirror image, symbolising what Mex has lost with his own perfect family. Vincent Vega, the villain of the piece, pays for his sins through his dysfunctional relationships with his own children.
My favourite character however is Cade Le Blanc, a native of New Orleans who can hold her own in any situation. Having lost her sister as a result of her involvement in a religious cult, Cade devotes her life to rescuing and deprogramming cult members. She is the driving force in helping Mex and Darius to launch a plan to retrieve Vega’s daughter. Both Cade and Mex are damaged by their pasts but they are clearly attracted to each other and Brantley cleverly leaves the reader with the hope that their relationship might develop.
The Sacrifice is a page turner that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who likes crime thrillers with lots of action. It would be the perfect holiday read as I guarantee once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down.
The main protagonist is Mex Anderson, a complex character so called because he is half Mexican. He was a law enforcement officer who refused to be bought off by drug cartels and paid the ultimate price when his family was murdered. The story begins when he is approached by Vincent Vega, the leader of a cartel and a man who Mex suspects could have played a role in the slaying of his family. Vega convinces Mex to try and locate his missing daughter.
What follows is an exciting journey full of twists and turns that takes us from Mexico to New Orleans. One of the things I really like about this book is the way Brantley brings the settings alive. She creates places of vivid colour and culture but steeped in danger.
The conflict within the story comes from the explosive combination of Mexican criminals and a religious cult. Brantley describes the cult of Santeria in such a way as to make it seem totally believable. As the plot develops, the cult becomes more and more chilling until the tension is almost unbearable.
I really like the characters in the book and the relationships they have with each other. Mex is a flawed hero, crippled by debilitating depression whilst trying to do the right thing. His friend Darius is almost his mirror image, symbolising what Mex has lost with his own perfect family. Vincent Vega, the villain of the piece, pays for his sins through his dysfunctional relationships with his own children.
My favourite character however is Cade Le Blanc, a native of New Orleans who can hold her own in any situation. Having lost her sister as a result of her involvement in a religious cult, Cade devotes her life to rescuing and deprogramming cult members. She is the driving force in helping Mex and Darius to launch a plan to retrieve Vega’s daughter. Both Cade and Mex are damaged by their pasts but they are clearly attracted to each other and Brantley cleverly leaves the reader with the hope that their relationship might develop.
The Sacrifice is a page turner that I would thoroughly recommend to anyone who likes crime thrillers with lots of action. It would be the perfect holiday read as I guarantee once you pick it up you won’t want to put it down.
March 23, 2017
So nice to know Mex a bit better but what a turn around with his sister showing her true colours
April 4, 2015
Mex Anderson made a fortune by investing in an internet startup. He also earned a living as a cop. When his entire family, except his younger sister Sedona, were killed by members of a drug cartel, he left the police force and tried to find the murderers. His search was unsuccessful and he fell into a deep depression. Eventually he built the dream house he and his late wife had planned, and made a new life for himself in a small Colorado town. It is there that Vincente Vega, the head of the Louisiana tamily responsible for his great loss, contacts Mex to find his daughter, who has gone missing, whether a runaway or a kidnapping victim nobody seems to know, except that her nanny has also disappeared. Mex, out of compassion for the young girl, just about the same age as his son would have been, accepts the case with two provisos: a million dollars is to be deposited into his account before he starts, and the names of the men who did the actual killing are to be left in a safe deposit box, with the key given to Mex's trusted friend. The tension builds slowly but soon we learn that Vega's son, Vicente Vega, Jr., called VV by family and friends, has kidnapped Sedona to ensure Mex's cooperation. Mex's depression deepens but he continues his search, with the help of his friend Darius, a journalist, who manages to find a deprogrammer named Cade in the New Orleans area who might be able to help. Her knowledge of Santería is crucial to solving the mystery. This was an uncorrected copy provided by the author so there were lots of grammar and continuity errors, but the gist of the story was strong enough to keep my attention. I really wanted to know what happened to that little girl. Interesting twist ending, too.
December 25, 2013
THE SACRIFICE By: Peg Brantley is an engrossing read. It is Peg Brantley's third novel in a series, but it was my first experience reading any of her work and the novel stands alone. It is not necessary to read the first two books before reading THE SACRIFICE.
Mex Anderson used to be a police officer in Mexico before his family was murdered by a drug cartel six years before this novel takes place.
Mex now lives in Colorado and is battling severe depression. Fortunately for him, some good investments have left him financially secure, so he does not have to find employment.
When approached by a Mexican Drug Lord who wants Mex's help to find his missing daughter, Mex has a decision to make.
Dia (the Drug Lord's daughter) ran away but trusted the wrong people and her life is on the line.
Will Mex save the girl? Will depression overwhelm him at precisely the wrong moment?
These are just some of the questions that arise as you read this book. Peg Brantley has created characters whose flaws are what make them so believable.
Her writing is fast paced, but still evocative of the lush locales she has chosen for her settings.
The reader will find themselves cheering on the good guys and despising the bad.
This thriller is exactly that ... Thrilling. I highly recommend adding THE SACRIFICE to your list of "Must Read" books. Peg Brantley is an author with a bright future.
I am now a fan.
5 out of 5 Stars.
Mex Anderson used to be a police officer in Mexico before his family was murdered by a drug cartel six years before this novel takes place.
Mex now lives in Colorado and is battling severe depression. Fortunately for him, some good investments have left him financially secure, so he does not have to find employment.
When approached by a Mexican Drug Lord who wants Mex's help to find his missing daughter, Mex has a decision to make.
Dia (the Drug Lord's daughter) ran away but trusted the wrong people and her life is on the line.
Will Mex save the girl? Will depression overwhelm him at precisely the wrong moment?
These are just some of the questions that arise as you read this book. Peg Brantley has created characters whose flaws are what make them so believable.
Her writing is fast paced, but still evocative of the lush locales she has chosen for her settings.
The reader will find themselves cheering on the good guys and despising the bad.
This thriller is exactly that ... Thrilling. I highly recommend adding THE SACRIFICE to your list of "Must Read" books. Peg Brantley is an author with a bright future.
I am now a fan.
5 out of 5 Stars.
December 14, 2013
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
I've seen quite a lot of fictional things involving the mob/cartel/etc., so I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book when I first started reading it.
I have to say, I was pulled into the storyline and the characters fairly quickly. I felt for Mex almost from the start and he was the kind of character I could really get behind - a true hero who still has realistic flaws and makes me care about what happens to him.
The other characters were really interesting and well-written, too. I really liked Darius' friendship with Mex. I've seen journalists portrayed as really bad people in a lot of fiction, so it was nice to see one who was a good guy for a change.
The whole cult thing added a twist that made me keep reading the book, wanting to see what would happen. The book definitely wasn't boring to read.
I found it really difficult to get my head around one of the things that was revealed at the end. I think that there wasn't enough set-up for that twist.
I did think that most of the book was well-written, but I did notice some minor errors in the writing - nothing too bad, but I did notice them.
I would definitely be interested in looking at more books by this author. I'm glad I was given a chance to read this.
(This review may contain spoilers).
I've seen quite a lot of fictional things involving the mob/cartel/etc., so I wasn't really sure what to expect of this book when I first started reading it.
I have to say, I was pulled into the storyline and the characters fairly quickly. I felt for Mex almost from the start and he was the kind of character I could really get behind - a true hero who still has realistic flaws and makes me care about what happens to him.
The other characters were really interesting and well-written, too. I really liked Darius' friendship with Mex. I've seen journalists portrayed as really bad people in a lot of fiction, so it was nice to see one who was a good guy for a change.
The whole cult thing added a twist that made me keep reading the book, wanting to see what would happen. The book definitely wasn't boring to read.
I found it really difficult to get my head around one of the things that was revealed at the end. I think that there wasn't enough set-up for that twist.
I did think that most of the book was well-written, but I did notice some minor errors in the writing - nothing too bad, but I did notice them.
I would definitely be interested in looking at more books by this author. I'm glad I was given a chance to read this.
March 18, 2017
Great read.
Easy to read, relating to characters easy to do. Reward it in several hours nice novel for an airplane flight
Easy to read, relating to characters easy to do. Reward it in several hours nice novel for an airplane flight
January 6, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways)
A story of Mex Anderson a "retired" Mexican police officer with a very violent past and about to face not only a violent and dark future but one that holds extremely shocking surprises.
This story revolves around the Santeria Religious cult that is a mutation of voodoo and other dark Southern religions.
This book is a non stop blast of adventure from start to finish with characters so well described that to feel as if you know them personally is quite often the norm - well it was for me.
Descriptions of places and rituals are so well researched that no one should be left without distinct and detailed images forming in their mind as they progress through the ever inviting chapters.
The process that Mex has endured and never comes to terms with regarding his family and the unwholesome drug cartels is a truly tough one man battle with life and death
All in all this book was a brilliant read and Peg Brantley is on my to read further list. I highly recommend you give this a read as I assure you it won't be time wasted
A story of Mex Anderson a "retired" Mexican police officer with a very violent past and about to face not only a violent and dark future but one that holds extremely shocking surprises.
This story revolves around the Santeria Religious cult that is a mutation of voodoo and other dark Southern religions.
This book is a non stop blast of adventure from start to finish with characters so well described that to feel as if you know them personally is quite often the norm - well it was for me.
Descriptions of places and rituals are so well researched that no one should be left without distinct and detailed images forming in their mind as they progress through the ever inviting chapters.
The process that Mex has endured and never comes to terms with regarding his family and the unwholesome drug cartels is a truly tough one man battle with life and death
All in all this book was a brilliant read and Peg Brantley is on my to read further list. I highly recommend you give this a read as I assure you it won't be time wasted
October 23, 2013
Peg Brantley has written another winner in my opinion! The Sacrifice kept my attention from the minute I started reading it until the very end. The suspense and intrigue will not let you down, and I was constantly waiting to see what would happen next. A kidnapping, drug cartels and the practice of Santeria keep the story at an exciting and enjoyable pace throughout the book! I loved being a part of the journey that the character of Mex Anderson had to travel in solving this case, but also in his journey to forgive those who wronged him, and equally important, his need to forgive himself. It's a great read, I highly recommend it!
May 13, 2017
This book has a serious and intense message about the worst kind of vicious loss possible and how with the right kind of support, it can be overcome and a productive life regained. Disabling depression can leech all the color out of the world, but loving relationships and hope in a brighter tomorrow are the theme in this suspenseful book where a lonely little girl trusts the wrong friend and her life hangs in the balance. I loved the Louisiana setting and found the heroic characters admirable. Ms. Brantley is a good writer and I recommend readers who like to think and learn buy a copy and read it.
I received an advance copy of this eBook in exchange for my honest review of it.
I received an advance copy of this eBook in exchange for my honest review of it.
November 13, 2013
My View:
Lies, secrets and a reveal you won’t see coming!
Another outstanding read by author Peg Brantley; I am really pleased I discovered The Missings (and earlier book); it introduced me to this author who writes a captivating narrative intricately woven around fully developed characters. This story had kidnapping, voodoo, opportunities for revenge, a big twist in the end and the hint of a potential romance; it has all I need in a good read.
I didn’t like the cover.
Lies, secrets and a reveal you won’t see coming!
Another outstanding read by author Peg Brantley; I am really pleased I discovered The Missings (and earlier book); it introduced me to this author who writes a captivating narrative intricately woven around fully developed characters. This story had kidnapping, voodoo, opportunities for revenge, a big twist in the end and the hint of a potential romance; it has all I need in a good read.
I didn’t like the cover.
September 24, 2016
Great book - interesting and captivating! Well written.
I liked this book from the first page. it captured my interest and kept it throughout. It ended different than what I expected though. Definitely should've used a different face on the cover because the story portrayed Mex to be really handsome and the character on the cover is very ugly. All in all it's a really good book.
I liked this book from the first page. it captured my interest and kept it throughout. It ended different than what I expected though. Definitely should've used a different face on the cover because the story portrayed Mex to be really handsome and the character on the cover is very ugly. All in all it's a really good book.
March 24, 2014
Well written, knowledgeable on the subjects involved, fast paced, and very believable characters. This story was like a breath of fresh air. The ending held a nice twist. It is not my intention to sound sexist, but I was intrigued by the male approach to this story from a female author; well done! I will definitely read more by this author.
May 20, 2014
Exciting, suspenseful!
Author Peg Brantly almost caused me to be late for work . . . it was hard to put her book down. Her characters are lively and graphically real as they exhibit very individualistic personalities that make the reader want to hug one and handcuff another! Thanks for a great, entertaining story. I look forward to reading more of Brantly's work.
Author Peg Brantly almost caused me to be late for work . . . it was hard to put her book down. Her characters are lively and graphically real as they exhibit very individualistic personalities that make the reader want to hug one and handcuff another! Thanks for a great, entertaining story. I look forward to reading more of Brantly's work.
July 26, 2015
Great suspense
I love Peg's writing. She knows how to tell a really good suspense story with interesting characters. Mex is a character you can't help but to root for. His hands are tied by the Cartel and he has already lost his family. It is not fast-paced action, but enough suspense to keep you turning the pages.
I love Peg's writing. She knows how to tell a really good suspense story with interesting characters. Mex is a character you can't help but to root for. His hands are tied by the Cartel and he has already lost his family. It is not fast-paced action, but enough suspense to keep you turning the pages.
June 10, 2018
Woo-woo evil
Don't start this book if you have something to do in a few hours! I just couldn't put it down until the end. Evil, twisted evil, exists in this world and Brantley takes us deep into one form of it. Great character development, clean writing style, story paced well, accurate details. Looking forward to reading the next one about Mex!
Don't start this book if you have something to do in a few hours! I just couldn't put it down until the end. Evil, twisted evil, exists in this world and Brantley takes us deep into one form of it. Great character development, clean writing style, story paced well, accurate details. Looking forward to reading the next one about Mex!
March 24, 2014
This was a good read. The only real criticism I have is that there is a lot of flash back and self reflection of the characters which I find a cheap page filler. That being said it is an enjoyable read with a happy ending.
July 30, 2014
Nice twist on cults
Nice twist on cults
well written and would like to see more of the character. Especially Cade. Mexican is a Google guy, and we should see more to the story.
Nice twist on cults
well written and would like to see more of the character. Especially Cade. Mexican is a Google guy, and we should see more to the story.
April 8, 2014
very good
July 11, 2014
2014 Suspense Thriller Already Seeing 34 Amazing 5-Star Amazon Reviews!
July 7, 2015
Exciting
Another book I couldn't put down. Unexpected ending. Very good writing. The author didn't sex to keep readers interested. Also a look into what some people believe.
Another book I couldn't put down. Unexpected ending. Very good writing. The author didn't sex to keep readers interested. Also a look into what some people believe.
July 30, 2015
good characters
July 8, 2015
The Sacrifice
Good read. More mystery than paranormal but with interesting undertones of Cajun magic. I recommend it for both genre fans.
Good read. More mystery than paranormal but with interesting undertones of Cajun magic. I recommend it for both genre fans.
July 31, 2015
Good
the way that drug cartels fight each other for power.the way. that people are murdered and kidnapped.the they are evil.
the way that drug cartels fight each other for power.the way. that people are murdered and kidnapped.the they are evil.
October 6, 2015
Book 3 in the series but doesn't have anything to do with the first 2 books.... Quite the twist at the end...
June 20, 2016
good book
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