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Damien Kaine #1
Innocence Taken
Am alternate cover edition exists here and here.
This book contains ADULT CONTENT including swear words, violence and sex.
INNOCENCE TAKEN – Pray He Kills You Quickly – is a police procedure - detective - crime thriller full of disturbing twists.
A gripping forensics-based crime thriller with a disturbing ending.
A young girl’s dismembered body is found on the side of the road in rural Illinois with no ID or clues left with the body.
Who could do this to a beautiful young girl?
Not everyone in this close-knit community is whom they pretend to be.
Lt. Damien Kaine, the recently promoted head of the Vicious Crimes Unit out of Division Central in Chicago, and his partner Detective Joe Hagan are assigned to the case. When the little evidence they have leads to the possibility that more girls have gone missing over the last ten years, and one of their own is being stalked by the killer, Profiler FBI Special Agent McGrath is brought in to assist. Having to work with the FBI agent and deal with his personal demons waging battle against him, the already stressful case, is almost unbearable for Kaine.
This book mirrors a painstaking police murder investigation, where not only are the detectives trying to figure out who is killing young girls, Lt. Damien Kaine must shoulder the weight of parents and their loss of a child. It is a disturbing look at an all too real crime.
You will be gripped from the beginning to the unsettling ending. You will also think twice about letting your teenage daughter out of your sight.
If you are a fan of CSI, CRIMINAL MINDS, and MOTIVE, then this new crime fiction series is for you.
THE DETECTIVE
Damien Kaine has been a homicide detective for over five years. However, only recently became Lieutenant in charge of the Vicious Crimes Unit at Division Central in Chicago. A specialized division that handles the worst crimes humanity has to offer. He comes from a big Italian family with deep ties to political and government entities, not only in Chicago but at the highest level. Wanting to separate himself from his family’s prominence, Damien sets his own rules. However, he is not above using his family’s influence if it means he can make sure the dead receive justice.
THE SETTING
Rural farming communities outside Springfield Illinois in mid-September set the backdrop for this crime novel.
The grass is just going dormant, and winter is knocking on the door. School has just begun, and farmers are planting their fall crops. As word spreads about a vicious crime, residents of this tight-knit community are about to have their vision of small town America ripped to shreds.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES BY VICTORIA M. PATTON
CONFESSION OF SIN: (Coming Soon!) When the Catholic Church hides secrets, those secrets get priests killed.
FATAL DOMINION: (Coming this fall!) Lt. Damien Kaine must find a killer hell bent on destroying the political fabric of Illinois; as well as Damien and Joe's life in the process.
This book contains ADULT CONTENT including swear words, violence and sex.
INNOCENCE TAKEN – Pray He Kills You Quickly – is a police procedure - detective - crime thriller full of disturbing twists.
A gripping forensics-based crime thriller with a disturbing ending.
A young girl’s dismembered body is found on the side of the road in rural Illinois with no ID or clues left with the body.
Who could do this to a beautiful young girl?
Not everyone in this close-knit community is whom they pretend to be.
Lt. Damien Kaine, the recently promoted head of the Vicious Crimes Unit out of Division Central in Chicago, and his partner Detective Joe Hagan are assigned to the case. When the little evidence they have leads to the possibility that more girls have gone missing over the last ten years, and one of their own is being stalked by the killer, Profiler FBI Special Agent McGrath is brought in to assist. Having to work with the FBI agent and deal with his personal demons waging battle against him, the already stressful case, is almost unbearable for Kaine.
This book mirrors a painstaking police murder investigation, where not only are the detectives trying to figure out who is killing young girls, Lt. Damien Kaine must shoulder the weight of parents and their loss of a child. It is a disturbing look at an all too real crime.
You will be gripped from the beginning to the unsettling ending. You will also think twice about letting your teenage daughter out of your sight.
If you are a fan of CSI, CRIMINAL MINDS, and MOTIVE, then this new crime fiction series is for you.
THE DETECTIVE
Damien Kaine has been a homicide detective for over five years. However, only recently became Lieutenant in charge of the Vicious Crimes Unit at Division Central in Chicago. A specialized division that handles the worst crimes humanity has to offer. He comes from a big Italian family with deep ties to political and government entities, not only in Chicago but at the highest level. Wanting to separate himself from his family’s prominence, Damien sets his own rules. However, he is not above using his family’s influence if it means he can make sure the dead receive justice.
THE SETTING
Rural farming communities outside Springfield Illinois in mid-September set the backdrop for this crime novel.
The grass is just going dormant, and winter is knocking on the door. School has just begun, and farmers are planting their fall crops. As word spreads about a vicious crime, residents of this tight-knit community are about to have their vision of small town America ripped to shreds.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES BY VICTORIA M. PATTON
CONFESSION OF SIN: (Coming Soon!) When the Catholic Church hides secrets, those secrets get priests killed.
FATAL DOMINION: (Coming this fall!) Lt. Damien Kaine must find a killer hell bent on destroying the political fabric of Illinois; as well as Damien and Joe's life in the process.
291 pages, ebook
First published July 1, 2020
2015 people are currently reading
2939 people want to read
About the author
Victoria M. Patton
18 books73 followersI'm a writer, herder of cats, and whiskey drinker.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 229 reviews
May 7, 2021
Stopped reading at 20% through. The level of conversation between the two investigating officers is so unremittingly juvenile that I couldn't take any more. I need more intelligent characters than this pair.
April 23, 2021
This book was painful to read. I kept reading it waiting for the twist or for anything interesting to happen but it never did. Not only is it written poorly (stop putting commas in the middle of sentences that don’t need them) but I wasn’t sure if I was reading a mystery or a romance novel. It’s crazy how every single character is out-of-this-world good looking. I didn’t like that one minute I was reading about a man raping, torturing, and murdering teenage girls and the next minute I was reading graphic sex scenes. Pick a lane! Definitely not reading another book by this author.
March 11, 2018
This is a must read if you are into serial killers, detectives, and FBI! I didn't want it to end. Third chapter in and I thought I was reading an episode of Criminal Minds. I seen another review also stated this. If they followed the book there could be a damn great movie made. I have been reading some awesome books lately but this one has topped them all. I can't wait to read more by this author.
August 13, 2017
Some books suck you in from the first page and you know you'll enjoy reading them. The time you spend with their plots, in their settings, spying on their characters, eavesdropping to their conversations and witnessing their dramas is just too short, no matter how long the book is you are reading, how many pages you still have left before you reach the end.
This is the case with Innocence Taken: Pray He Kills You Quickly by Victoria M. Patton. This police procedure—detective—crime thriller signed by an author with BS in Forensic Chemistry and a former Coast Guard doing Search and Rescue/Law Enforcement, was a promise from the start and remained a great read until the end.
No spoilers except for the mention of Lieutenant Damien Kaine, Detective Joe Hagan and Special Agent Dillon McGrath with the FBI on their frantic hunt for a handsome serial killer, a psycho and a sexual sadist who takes slow and great pleasure in abusing and punishing his young female victims. The bright lights showed every drop of blood, every piece of skin, and every other horror. The walls had more space covered with blood than without. Pieces of flesh and bone draped almost every surface.
Patton balances gruesome scenes of pain, torture and suffering with the scenes of infatuation, fatal attraction and passionate lovemaking; criminal and forensic investigation and psychological profiling with the scenes of common and undisturbed everyday life of rural farming in Illinois.
My biggest kudos, though, go to the protagonists' characterization whose strong, fluent, entertaining and real dialogues I consumed with gusto. I didn't miss a single word, I couldn't, because I was there with them all the time!
We are lucky Innocence Taken: Pray He Kills You Quickly is just the first book in The Damien Kaine Series; Patton signed us up for good crime stories in its sequels as well!
Bernard Jan
www.bernardjan.com
Join my mailing list, subscribe to blog Muse!
This is the case with Innocence Taken: Pray He Kills You Quickly by Victoria M. Patton. This police procedure—detective—crime thriller signed by an author with BS in Forensic Chemistry and a former Coast Guard doing Search and Rescue/Law Enforcement, was a promise from the start and remained a great read until the end.
No spoilers except for the mention of Lieutenant Damien Kaine, Detective Joe Hagan and Special Agent Dillon McGrath with the FBI on their frantic hunt for a handsome serial killer, a psycho and a sexual sadist who takes slow and great pleasure in abusing and punishing his young female victims. The bright lights showed every drop of blood, every piece of skin, and every other horror. The walls had more space covered with blood than without. Pieces of flesh and bone draped almost every surface.
Patton balances gruesome scenes of pain, torture and suffering with the scenes of infatuation, fatal attraction and passionate lovemaking; criminal and forensic investigation and psychological profiling with the scenes of common and undisturbed everyday life of rural farming in Illinois.
My biggest kudos, though, go to the protagonists' characterization whose strong, fluent, entertaining and real dialogues I consumed with gusto. I didn't miss a single word, I couldn't, because I was there with them all the time!
We are lucky Innocence Taken: Pray He Kills You Quickly is just the first book in The Damien Kaine Series; Patton signed us up for good crime stories in its sequels as well!
Bernard Jan
www.bernardjan.com
Join my mailing list, subscribe to blog Muse!
April 8, 2021
Don’t waste your time
It read like it was written by a horny fourteen year old boy. The characters are all over the place. Banter between the characters is childish, crude and moronic.The author throws in some Italian that doesn’t make sense. I don’t know where the heck they got the translation from but it was terrible.
Do not waste your time with this book.
It read like it was written by a horny fourteen year old boy. The characters are all over the place. Banter between the characters is childish, crude and moronic.The author throws in some Italian that doesn’t make sense. I don’t know where the heck they got the translation from but it was terrible.
Do not waste your time with this book.
April 5, 2017
Couldn't put it down
This book is Criminal Minds meets Fifty Shades of Grey with better writing. The characters are strong and pull you into their world. The details the author uses help turn this piece of fiction into reality in your imagination. I could easily see this picked up as a tv series. Maybe amazon or Netflix will pick it up so the story won't have to be diluted for mainstream tv. I can't wait for the next book.
This book is Criminal Minds meets Fifty Shades of Grey with better writing. The characters are strong and pull you into their world. The details the author uses help turn this piece of fiction into reality in your imagination. I could easily see this picked up as a tv series. Maybe amazon or Netflix will pick it up so the story won't have to be diluted for mainstream tv. I can't wait for the next book.
February 12, 2021
Pray You Read Quickly
When a young woman's dismembered body is discovered two Chicago detectives and a beautiful FBI profiler must out aside their personal demons and work together. But their adversary is relentless and well practiced.
While the serial killer storyline was good the foul language and general unprofessionalism of the main characters was grating. Too mush time was wasted with them expressing their outrage st the crimes. That a potential victim would seek safety in the bed of one of the detectives was unbelievable, especially since she worked for another police agency. The writing was amateurish and the romances cheesy. The one detective's cat served up some amusement though.
When a young woman's dismembered body is discovered two Chicago detectives and a beautiful FBI profiler must out aside their personal demons and work together. But their adversary is relentless and well practiced.
While the serial killer storyline was good the foul language and general unprofessionalism of the main characters was grating. Too mush time was wasted with them expressing their outrage st the crimes. That a potential victim would seek safety in the bed of one of the detectives was unbelievable, especially since she worked for another police agency. The writing was amateurish and the romances cheesy. The one detective's cat served up some amusement though.
January 31, 2021
Disappointing
Could have been a very good read indeed. However, the author's apparent infatuation with the sexual activities of the main characters borders on obsession,much to the detriment of the main storyline. Some of the verbal exchanges between the two detectives is infantile to say the least. Victoria M.Patton make up your mind. Do you want to write thrillers or soft porn ? In my opinion the two don't mix.
Could have been a very good read indeed. However, the author's apparent infatuation with the sexual activities of the main characters borders on obsession,much to the detriment of the main storyline. Some of the verbal exchanges between the two detectives is infantile to say the least. Victoria M.Patton make up your mind. Do you want to write thrillers or soft porn ? In my opinion the two don't mix.
January 29, 2021
This is the first in the Damien Kaine series of books.
As serial killer stories go this was a pretty good one. It flowed very well and I enjoyed how it carried on showing what goes on after they’ve arrested the killer which a lot of books don’t do. The capture of said killer was good too, a lot more realistic than how many books do it. And by that I mean there wasn’t a massive show down between the main character and the killer, he was apprehended how I imagine it happens.
All in all a good read. The only reason I’ve given it four and not five stars is because I really could’ve done without the whole love story and sex scenes that took up a lot of the book. I’m really not interested in ‘dog in heat’ partner or the main characters sex life in a blow by blow account (excuse the pun!)
I’d have preferred just the story of the killer and how they caught him and leave out the sex and antics of the cops. That was quite annoying and did somewhat spoil what was otherwise a really good story. Not that I’m a prude, I just like my serial killer books to be about serial killers and not half crime and the other half mills & boon.
I’d like to read more from this author but not sure I will just yet, not sure I want to have another book that has a lot of redundant side stories in.
As serial killer stories go this was a pretty good one. It flowed very well and I enjoyed how it carried on showing what goes on after they’ve arrested the killer which a lot of books don’t do. The capture of said killer was good too, a lot more realistic than how many books do it. And by that I mean there wasn’t a massive show down between the main character and the killer, he was apprehended how I imagine it happens.
All in all a good read. The only reason I’ve given it four and not five stars is because I really could’ve done without the whole love story and sex scenes that took up a lot of the book. I’m really not interested in ‘dog in heat’ partner or the main characters sex life in a blow by blow account (excuse the pun!)
I’d have preferred just the story of the killer and how they caught him and leave out the sex and antics of the cops. That was quite annoying and did somewhat spoil what was otherwise a really good story. Not that I’m a prude, I just like my serial killer books to be about serial killers and not half crime and the other half mills & boon.
I’d like to read more from this author but not sure I will just yet, not sure I want to have another book that has a lot of redundant side stories in.
April 3, 2017
Prepare to glue yourself to the chair for an emotional roller coaster. This nail-biter will keep you on edge. Amazing character development and engaging dialogue.
January 5, 2024
25% in and I'm still bored stiff since the beginning. It's so lame and boring. I just can't get into it. I usually read every day but with this book I am avoiding my Kindle altogether lately. It feels like a chore to read it. The main character is boring and the way Damien and Joe are feeling and thinking is very much feminine. I know it's written by a woman but I get the feeling the author has no clue about men altogether. She also tries to throw in some hot sex scenes but it feels more like Joe's a horny street dog than a person. Even if a man is obsessed with sex he'd not drool like this over everything and everyone with breasts. If these people were my friends I'd cut contact with them forever. So boring and unrealistic. I usually finish a book to give the author some respect as a lot of work went into writing a book but I just can't waste my time any longer. I want to enjoy reading. If I want to be bored like this I'll read my daughter's uni assignments instead.
February 28, 2024
i feel like donald trump would love this book
April 4, 2025
Dumb fine read!!
Oh Wow. That was just flippen great. The characters are outstanding. They have there own secrets to deal with. They deal with the worst of the worst in this story. A sick individual that rapes and murders young innocent girls. Damien and his partner Joe of the VCU along with Dillon from the FBI have to fine a sadistic killer. This read hit all the marks for a great read, if you like a good detective story this is for you.
Oh Wow. That was just flippen great. The characters are outstanding. They have there own secrets to deal with. They deal with the worst of the worst in this story. A sick individual that rapes and murders young innocent girls. Damien and his partner Joe of the VCU along with Dillon from the FBI have to fine a sadistic killer. This read hit all the marks for a great read, if you like a good detective story this is for you.
July 23, 2023
Damn, what a book! As a lover of true crime this was fascinating to read from both the good guys and the bad guys perspectives. Definitely helped that the writing was superb. Will grab the next book in the series… hooked 😊
Want to read
May 26, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/26/2021)! 🎁
January 15, 2024
DNF. Had to stop reading when I realised the only women in the book are either victims or are sexualised in everything they do.
February 3, 2024
Love a good serial killer book!
August 23, 2023
Great read!4
This book was glued to my hands the whole time. Couldn't put it down. I can see why these two ladies fell for the two detectives. The guys were so different, but they were both so caring for the girls, each in their own ways. I couldn't wait for them to catch this monster before he took another life. Well done Victoria.
This book was glued to my hands the whole time. Couldn't put it down. I can see why these two ladies fell for the two detectives. The guys were so different, but they were both so caring for the girls, each in their own ways. I couldn't wait for them to catch this monster before he took another life. Well done Victoria.
March 9, 2025
This was so hard to finish. I didn’t like how the two detectives spoke to each other and that the book was trying to focus on the relationships, rather than the actual crimes.
September 15, 2018
If this is the kind of writing the author has for her first book...i can't wait to see what she has next. Great characters..and not just the main one. She gave everyone else a life of their own. So much so that I'd want to read a book on them. The story is heavy and it feels so real. It gripped me and I didn't want to put it down.
Trigger warning- violence, sexual abuse.
Trigger warning- violence, sexual abuse.
September 18, 2024
⭐ - i'm shocked that this book has over 1k five star reviews. i wish i could take back the time it took me to read this book. i don't know if the author was trying to do something by making it a thriller mixed in with an adult romance, but it didn't work. i don't want to be reading about a teenage girl being raped to the point that she's bleeding, and then in the next chapter reading about the main characters fucking. it made me feel sick. how the main characters could witness something like that then go back to their lives and make jokes and stuff is beyond me.
even beyond that, i found the conversations juvenile (literally the words "ass juice" was used between the two male detectices) and couldn't stand any of the main characters. they all had no personality beyond some "trauma" that was barely even considered outside of a couple of conversations, and they were all "painstakingly beautiful" and had everyone around them dropping their underwear.
i liked the idea behind the actual thriller part but everything else was so bad i wish i could erase it from my memory
even beyond that, i found the conversations juvenile (literally the words "ass juice" was used between the two male detectices) and couldn't stand any of the main characters. they all had no personality beyond some "trauma" that was barely even considered outside of a couple of conversations, and they were all "painstakingly beautiful" and had everyone around them dropping their underwear.
i liked the idea behind the actual thriller part but everything else was so bad i wish i could erase it from my memory
May 10, 2021
2.5 stars which is me being generous. I didn't find the characters likeable - a cop who starts his morning by smashing his alarm clock against the wall, gets irrationally angry at a woman for lying to him about her job when he equally lied about his, and who was surprised to speak to a woman who liked sports and was "somehow" blonde and smart was never going to be someone I took to. His and Joe's interactions with each other and banter was just so childish. Women felt very second place in this book - almost every interaction with a woman talked about her tits and it's like they were there to be ogled, damsels in distress, or victims, and barely anything else. I found it hard to believe the three main characters, Damien and Dillon especially, were just *so good-looking* that every professional person they came across just couldn't help their eyes popping out of their sockets when they walked into the room. As if waitresses flirt with men who are at a table with a lone woman then get very bitchy attitudes on when the man doesn't take the bait lmao. And don't get me started on how Taylor ~wasn't like other girls~. At least it's refreshing that a man was willing to uproot his life and move for a woman's work for once. I couldn't stomach all the cop characters reassuring him "no it's totally fine that you abused your power as a cop and almost shot your horrid cheating fiancée because you never actually did it" either. Oh and how could I forget Damien peppering his speech with shite Italian?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2022
Mild spoilers, but not really. I’m at about 25% into the book, and I just had to complain. Does the author think men turn off their brains and think with their penises every time a woman is concerned? I’d have been okay if it was written by an introverted, hormone-driven twelve year old who has never interacted with grown ups properly, but if you know even one, ONE decent adult male, you know they don’t just think ogle at asses or imagine women naked or get surprised if women know/like sports. Look, either the author is, or the two man leads are twelve. One of this has to be true.
I know some people prefer one-night stands, and they’ve had a large number of partners and I’m completely fine with it. But do they always, always talk or think about only their breasts and butts and nothing else? Was nothing else about this woman appealing other than how good her “full lips would look wrapped around something else”?
The one extra star is only for the murder-mystery part, mind you, which is something I can’t even focus on because of how this immaturity is disgusting me. Why does this book have such good ratings? Do I need to stop trusting goodreads now?
Please don’t read this book if you like decent, mature leads, who may love/have sex in the book, but at least don’t think like porn characters all through the day.
I know some people prefer one-night stands, and they’ve had a large number of partners and I’m completely fine with it. But do they always, always talk or think about only their breasts and butts and nothing else? Was nothing else about this woman appealing other than how good her “full lips would look wrapped around something else”?
The one extra star is only for the murder-mystery part, mind you, which is something I can’t even focus on because of how this immaturity is disgusting me. Why does this book have such good ratings? Do I need to stop trusting goodreads now?
Please don’t read this book if you like decent, mature leads, who may love/have sex in the book, but at least don’t think like porn characters all through the day.
January 4, 2019
Dissapointed
The story base was good police procedural, but give me strength, the rest was pathetic. Supposedly hard ass detectives talking like15 year old school girls, no way. To me this is the first/ last book, more a sex manual, than detective novel.
The story base was good police procedural, but give me strength, the rest was pathetic. Supposedly hard ass detectives talking like15 year old school girls, no way. To me this is the first/ last book, more a sex manual, than detective novel.
December 12, 2023
This book was brilliant. Will be looking to read the second one in the series
January 9, 2024
Como se dice…. Awful
Oh my gosh, I feel so mean leaving a bad review. This is somebodies work! They poured so much time and effort in to this.
The pacing of the story was great. Even though there were things that really pissed me off about the book, I was able to continue reading it because I was intrigued by the mystery and the pace was good enough to keep me moving.
But here’s what I have to say otherwise.
The banter and conversations in this book are INCREDIBLY juvenile. Really inappropriate, misogynistic, immature, and annoying. And it’s literally constant. Like they can’t talk to anybody without making an annoying or disgusting comment or joke.
Aside from the banter, the conversations are just so unbelievable. A stranger is laughing to the point of TEARS because the guy showed him a picture of his cat in a costume?
Oh and my como se dice opener was a nod to the 2 main guys constantly using Italian and Irish language as forms of expression. It felt like an attempt to give them some sort of background. It was weird.
Why is everybody so sexy?? It felt like I was reading a vampire series.
As freakishly annoying and never ending as the banter was, the only thing truly worse was this one lesson I learned….
Rape and murder books shouldn’t also be horny books.
Like I cannot stress enough how uncomfortable and inappropriate it was to read about a raped and dismembered girl only to have the main character having sex in the next paragraph.
Or for them to be shaking from the sexual tension when they’re on the scene of a crime???
Or when they’re saying things like “do I still have my legs?” After sex. When they, again… are actively on the case of someone who rapes and dismembers women. I mean that is such bad taste lol.
I really kept pushing through because I thought the mystery was going to make it all worth it, but honestly, it didn’t.
I finished this book because my goal this year is to have no DNF’s. I guess I’m being tested by this being my first read of the year.
Again, ya I feel bad leaving this review 😭 to the author: your writing style and pacing really is good. I was drawn in to the mystery. I think you could really write something amazing, but for me personally, this wasn’t the one!
Oh my gosh, I feel so mean leaving a bad review. This is somebodies work! They poured so much time and effort in to this.
The pacing of the story was great. Even though there were things that really pissed me off about the book, I was able to continue reading it because I was intrigued by the mystery and the pace was good enough to keep me moving.
But here’s what I have to say otherwise.
The banter and conversations in this book are INCREDIBLY juvenile. Really inappropriate, misogynistic, immature, and annoying. And it’s literally constant. Like they can’t talk to anybody without making an annoying or disgusting comment or joke.
Aside from the banter, the conversations are just so unbelievable. A stranger is laughing to the point of TEARS because the guy showed him a picture of his cat in a costume?
Oh and my como se dice opener was a nod to the 2 main guys constantly using Italian and Irish language as forms of expression. It felt like an attempt to give them some sort of background. It was weird.
Why is everybody so sexy?? It felt like I was reading a vampire series.
As freakishly annoying and never ending as the banter was, the only thing truly worse was this one lesson I learned….
Rape and murder books shouldn’t also be horny books.
Like I cannot stress enough how uncomfortable and inappropriate it was to read about a raped and dismembered girl only to have the main character having sex in the next paragraph.
Or for them to be shaking from the sexual tension when they’re on the scene of a crime???
Or when they’re saying things like “do I still have my legs?” After sex. When they, again… are actively on the case of someone who rapes and dismembers women. I mean that is such bad taste lol.
I really kept pushing through because I thought the mystery was going to make it all worth it, but honestly, it didn’t.
I finished this book because my goal this year is to have no DNF’s. I guess I’m being tested by this being my first read of the year.
Again, ya I feel bad leaving this review 😭 to the author: your writing style and pacing really is good. I was drawn in to the mystery. I think you could really write something amazing, but for me personally, this wasn’t the one!
August 5, 2020
*** NO SPOILERS ***
This is book one from the Damien Kaine thriller series. He's a detective whose just had a life changing incident rock his world. Uncertain as to whether he even wants to continue with the police, he is unexpectedly promoted to Lieutenant and put in charge of the Vicious Crimes Unit in Chicago taking over from his previous boss. He and his partner are immediately sent off to a small town to investigate the discovery of a human remains. Their friendship and years of experience together play well off each other as they start with no leads and little to go on to search for the monster responsible. With the aid of a profiler sent from the FBI in Quantico the three of them are faced with some heartbreaking discoveries as the story goes on. We are introduced to the killer and the horrible thins he does. We ache with the victims and their families. This is not a mystery where we are given enough clues to solve it on our own but much more of a police procedural that takes us along some dark paths until we reach the end.
There are some pretty steamy scenes among some of the characters but tough descriptive they fit the narrative and problems in the respective lives. I thought they were well handled and in context, not just some sex for the sake of the story.
I think this is a good but dark story, well written, good characters, wrinkles in the plot throughout. The author does a great job at what she is trying to do. At the same time, there is some significant darkness in the book. I'll read others in the series in the future, but readers need to understand this is not a nice "cozy mystery" or an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" but rather much more akin to a very dark episode of "Law and Order ; Special Victims Unit." For those looking for that sort of crime story, I think the author has done an excellent job and I recommend it on that basis.
This is book one from the Damien Kaine thriller series. He's a detective whose just had a life changing incident rock his world. Uncertain as to whether he even wants to continue with the police, he is unexpectedly promoted to Lieutenant and put in charge of the Vicious Crimes Unit in Chicago taking over from his previous boss. He and his partner are immediately sent off to a small town to investigate the discovery of a human remains. Their friendship and years of experience together play well off each other as they start with no leads and little to go on to search for the monster responsible. With the aid of a profiler sent from the FBI in Quantico the three of them are faced with some heartbreaking discoveries as the story goes on. We are introduced to the killer and the horrible thins he does. We ache with the victims and their families. This is not a mystery where we are given enough clues to solve it on our own but much more of a police procedural that takes us along some dark paths until we reach the end.
There are some pretty steamy scenes among some of the characters but tough descriptive they fit the narrative and problems in the respective lives. I thought they were well handled and in context, not just some sex for the sake of the story.
I think this is a good but dark story, well written, good characters, wrinkles in the plot throughout. The author does a great job at what she is trying to do. At the same time, there is some significant darkness in the book. I'll read others in the series in the future, but readers need to understand this is not a nice "cozy mystery" or an episode of "Murder, She Wrote" but rather much more akin to a very dark episode of "Law and Order ; Special Victims Unit." For those looking for that sort of crime story, I think the author has done an excellent job and I recommend it on that basis.
February 26, 2024
I had high hopes for this book--the characters were interesting & the storyline was good...in the beginning. Long before I was halfway through, though, I had to wonder if it was a crime story or a romance novel.
The fact that the author felt the need to interject chemistry between two of the leading characters is understandable; flesh out the characters, make them more human, etc. What wasn't understandable is why she felt the need to make it a main part of the story. I see that it's a series, so maybe it has something to do with the long game? Regardless, the sexual tension was trite and overwhelming to the point that I didn't even care how the story ended, I just wanted to be done with it.
And then there's the sexual escapades of the other lead character--whose conquest seemed to play a bigger part of the whole story, for a short time, anyway. She was being stalked, but did I miss the part where her storyline was tied up nice & neat? There was no mention of her 'closure' or even whether she was really being stalked by the protagonist; or did I miss that part?
I must admit to skipping over the sexual tryst parts because there were so many of them. I don't like romance novels, so I didn't think this one would turn out to be one, especially with the subject matter. I stand corrected. I actually skipped 2 complete chapters (53 & 54) because each one focused solely on the sex between the main characters--one chapter devoted to Joe & Taylor, the other for Damien & Dillon. Really? Anyway, the story was good as long as it focused on the crime, but closure for the victims and their families wasn't really there. Closure for the romance storyline, however, was tied up fairly neatly, complete with the proverbial bow.
While I generally love to read a series more than a stand-alone book, I won't be persuing this one.
The fact that the author felt the need to interject chemistry between two of the leading characters is understandable; flesh out the characters, make them more human, etc. What wasn't understandable is why she felt the need to make it a main part of the story. I see that it's a series, so maybe it has something to do with the long game? Regardless, the sexual tension was trite and overwhelming to the point that I didn't even care how the story ended, I just wanted to be done with it.
And then there's the sexual escapades of the other lead character--whose conquest seemed to play a bigger part of the whole story, for a short time, anyway. She was being stalked, but did I miss the part where her storyline was tied up nice & neat? There was no mention of her 'closure' or even whether she was really being stalked by the protagonist; or did I miss that part?
I must admit to skipping over the sexual tryst parts because there were so many of them. I don't like romance novels, so I didn't think this one would turn out to be one, especially with the subject matter. I stand corrected. I actually skipped 2 complete chapters (53 & 54) because each one focused solely on the sex between the main characters--one chapter devoted to Joe & Taylor, the other for Damien & Dillon. Really? Anyway, the story was good as long as it focused on the crime, but closure for the victims and their families wasn't really there. Closure for the romance storyline, however, was tied up fairly neatly, complete with the proverbial bow.
While I generally love to read a series more than a stand-alone book, I won't be persuing this one.
January 29, 2026
Okay, so Innocence Taken promises CSI meets Criminal Minds vibes — and yes, there’s Lt. Damien Kaine frantically trying to solve the case of missing and murdered girls while juggling his disdain-to-attraction arc with quirky FBI profiler Dillon McGrath. There are bodies, clues, and enough twists that could have been thrilling.
But here’s the thing: the whole thing feels like it’s trying to be edge-of-your-seat tense while secretly begging for a nap. The pacing is so slow it could be mistaken for a retirement plan, and by the time you hit the halfway point you start wondering if the killer ever does anything besides leave ever-so-artful patterns of doom. I mean, I get that it’s a mystery, but even mysteries deserve forward motion.
The characters try. Damien has that broody, tortured hero vibe, and Dillon’s meant to be the brilliant wildcard… but at times they both felt like cardboard cutouts auditioning for Detectives: The Musical. The romantic tension was supposed to be spicy, but instead mostly felt like lukewarm office flirtation thrown in between forensic chatter and alarming numbers of identical victims.
Final Verdict:
This had potential — a grim, gritty thriller with personality and punch — but it moves at the pace of a sleepy town on an actual sleepy day, and the characters never quite sparkle enough to pull you along. Some nice elements here and there, but overall it left me shrugging more than gripping. Not my vibe
But here’s the thing: the whole thing feels like it’s trying to be edge-of-your-seat tense while secretly begging for a nap. The pacing is so slow it could be mistaken for a retirement plan, and by the time you hit the halfway point you start wondering if the killer ever does anything besides leave ever-so-artful patterns of doom. I mean, I get that it’s a mystery, but even mysteries deserve forward motion.
The characters try. Damien has that broody, tortured hero vibe, and Dillon’s meant to be the brilliant wildcard… but at times they both felt like cardboard cutouts auditioning for Detectives: The Musical. The romantic tension was supposed to be spicy, but instead mostly felt like lukewarm office flirtation thrown in between forensic chatter and alarming numbers of identical victims.
Final Verdict:
This had potential — a grim, gritty thriller with personality and punch — but it moves at the pace of a sleepy town on an actual sleepy day, and the characters never quite sparkle enough to pull you along. Some nice elements here and there, but overall it left me shrugging more than gripping. Not my vibe
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