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Valerie Hart #3
Anything For You
"The writing is sharp as the devil." —Stephen King Critically acclaimed author Saul Black returns with a heart-racing thriller in which a brutal murder forces one woman to reckon with her own past—and her future. On a hot summer night, a watchful neighbor locks eyes with an intruder and unwittingly alerts the police to a vicious crime scene next a lavish master bedroom where a man lies dead. Next to him, his wife is bleeding out onto the hardwood floor, clinging to life. The victim, Adam Grant, was a well-known San Francisco prosecutor—a man whose connection to Homicide detective Valerie Hart brings her face-to-face with a life she’s long since left behind. Adam’s career made him an easy target, and forensic evidence points towards an ex-con he put behind bars years ago. But while Adam’s wife and daughter grapple with their tragic loss, Valerie uncovers devastating clues that point in a more ominous direction. Lurking in the shadows of the Grants’ pristine life is a mysterious blonde who holds the key to a very different—and much darker—story. As Valerie struggles to forge a new path for herself, the investigation forces her to confront the can we ever really leave our pasts behind? Sophisticated and stunning, Anything for You is an unforgettable thriller that will grip readers long after turning the last page.
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 12, 2019
79 people are currently reading
2996 people want to read
About the author
Saul Black
4 books563 followersSAUL BLACK is a pseudonym used by Glen Duncan, a British author born in 1965 in Bolton, Lancashire, England to an Anglo-Indian family. In 1994 he visited India with his father before continuing on to the United States, where he spent several months travelling the country by Amtrak train, writing much of what would become his first novel, Hope, published to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 1997. Duncan lives in London. Recently, his 2002 novel I, Lucifer has had the film rights purchased, with actors such as Ewan Mcgregor, Jason Brescia, Jude Law, Vin Diesel, and Daniel Craig all being considered for roles in the forthcoming movie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 253 reviews
October 28, 2019
3.5*
This was an extremely difficult book to review. So, please bear with me as I explain...
What I liked: 👍
A captivating police procedural that was next to impossible to set down. So thoroughly absorbed in the characters, I was thrilled to see how this would play out.
Female lead detective Valerie Hart is a tough, gritty, no B.S. character. More than capable of holding her own alongside any male on her team. Valerie also carries a very dark past, touched on repeatedly throughout this book.
This is book three of the series but the author Saul Black does a terrific job of giving you enough background information that you never have the sinking feeling you missed something crucial in previous releases.
Told from two points of view. Both strong, both compelling. You become completely absorbed with the players and gain a true feel and understanding of them.
What didn’t work for me:👎
This book is highly graphic both in violence and sexuality that at times was difficult to read, maybe even a bit cringe worthy. The language was dark and crass. That said…It worked for this book. I suppose the reality of evil can make us all uncomfortable…
Overall:
Despite the fact that I may not have been the right candidate for this novel I did come away with more positives than negatives. The looming question is, will I pick up the next in the series going forward... 🤔 Well the jury might still be out on that, but right now I’m leaning towards...YES.
Thank you to St Martin’s Press for an ARC to read and review.
This was an extremely difficult book to review. So, please bear with me as I explain...
What I liked: 👍
A captivating police procedural that was next to impossible to set down. So thoroughly absorbed in the characters, I was thrilled to see how this would play out.
Female lead detective Valerie Hart is a tough, gritty, no B.S. character. More than capable of holding her own alongside any male on her team. Valerie also carries a very dark past, touched on repeatedly throughout this book.
This is book three of the series but the author Saul Black does a terrific job of giving you enough background information that you never have the sinking feeling you missed something crucial in previous releases.
Told from two points of view. Both strong, both compelling. You become completely absorbed with the players and gain a true feel and understanding of them.
What didn’t work for me:👎
This book is highly graphic both in violence and sexuality that at times was difficult to read, maybe even a bit cringe worthy. The language was dark and crass. That said…It worked for this book. I suppose the reality of evil can make us all uncomfortable…
Overall:
Despite the fact that I may not have been the right candidate for this novel I did come away with more positives than negatives. The looming question is, will I pick up the next in the series going forward... 🤔 Well the jury might still be out on that, but right now I’m leaning towards...YES.
Thank you to St Martin’s Press for an ARC to read and review.
December 27, 2019
Anything for You is the third entry in the Valerie Hart series, written by Saul Black, a pseudonym of British author Glen Duncan. The novel reads well as a standalone and I felt that I had not missed details due to not having read the others in the series. I found the first paragraph off-putting but was rewarded for sticking with it: it’s not often that a murder mystery completely stumps the reader. The book deals with sexual assault and incest, difficult subjects certainly but unfortunately, part of the world we live in. Homicide Detective Valerie Hart investigates the brutal murder of Adam Grant, a San Francisco prosecutor, and the attempted murder of his wife, during a home invasion. Because of the victim’s profession, an ex-con is soon suspected and the search is on for him and an unknown blonde woman associated with him. This is a tough book to read but well-worth the time. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 11, 2019
This thriller by Saul Black (Glen Duncan) is an urbane and muscular novel which is pretty much Black’s style. In addition to being a “who-dun- it”, the main character’s past collides with her present bringing into question her future. Self-loathing aside, I think it is difficult for a male author to effectively write about sex or sexual considerations from a feminine perspective. Being purely subjective, it seems to me that Valerie Hart’s thoughts about sex and her sexuality are derived from a distinctly masculine frame of reference. Other than this minor criticism, this is thriller well worth reading. If you haven’t read Black or Duncan do so promptly.
November 8, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.
Detective Valerie Hart is back in the third title of this series and her investigation into a recent home invasion that turns deadly. The victim, prosecutor Adam Grant and Valerie Hart almost had a one night stand a few years back. Valerie probably should tell her boss about this conflict, but decides to forge ahead with the case. When the crime soon becomes connected to a parolee and a prostitute named Sophia, the case becomes interesting.
I recall falling hard for Saul Black and his character, Valerie Hart, in " The Killing Lessons' which is the first book in the series. This book was a little more difficult to feel invested in and while I agree with my fellow reviewers that the two perspectives worked in the novel, I found it took awhile before the case gained heat. Valerie, herself is the perfect fictional detective because she has a whack of problems at home and at work. But I really didn't feel that it gave her any type of connection to any particular character, including her husband.
Overall, it was just an okay read.
Goodreads review published 08/11/19
Publication Date 12/11/19
Detective Valerie Hart is back in the third title of this series and her investigation into a recent home invasion that turns deadly. The victim, prosecutor Adam Grant and Valerie Hart almost had a one night stand a few years back. Valerie probably should tell her boss about this conflict, but decides to forge ahead with the case. When the crime soon becomes connected to a parolee and a prostitute named Sophia, the case becomes interesting.
I recall falling hard for Saul Black and his character, Valerie Hart, in " The Killing Lessons' which is the first book in the series. This book was a little more difficult to feel invested in and while I agree with my fellow reviewers that the two perspectives worked in the novel, I found it took awhile before the case gained heat. Valerie, herself is the perfect fictional detective because she has a whack of problems at home and at work. But I really didn't feel that it gave her any type of connection to any particular character, including her husband.
Overall, it was just an okay read.
Goodreads review published 08/11/19
Publication Date 12/11/19
October 18, 2019
This is one of those books where I'd like to give a rating for the first half (1 star) and then a different for the last half (maybe 3.5 stars). Warnings for rape/incest/child abuse.
I felt the beginning was just for shock factor, the language and story was extremely crude. I literally felt jarred. I persevered and the story itself got better and more interesting. I was genuinely surprised by the conclusion, which had some unique features. The last 20% of the story held my attention and I sped through to the end. The final chapter was very inconclusive...not really a cliffhanger, but it could lead into a next book.
Overall I did not relate to these characters and I wouldn't read more of this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
I felt the beginning was just for shock factor, the language and story was extremely crude. I literally felt jarred. I persevered and the story itself got better and more interesting. I was genuinely surprised by the conclusion, which had some unique features. The last 20% of the story held my attention and I sped through to the end. The final chapter was very inconclusive...not really a cliffhanger, but it could lead into a next book.
Overall I did not relate to these characters and I wouldn't read more of this series.
Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 12, 2019
No way. Crude, nasty and offensive. Reminds me of a bad 70's movie. DNF
I've never read this author and if this is a sample of all his work, I don't think I ever will.
Thanks (I guess!) to Netgalley for the advanced galley. Opinion is strictly mine.
I've never read this author and if this is a sample of all his work, I don't think I ever will.
Thanks (I guess!) to Netgalley for the advanced galley. Opinion is strictly mine.
July 14, 2019
I received a free e-copy of Anything For You (Valerie Hart #3) by Saul Black from NetGalley for my honest review.
I tried like heck to finish this book since I requested it. I just can't do it. It is very crude and sexually disgusting for my taste.
I did not finish it.
I tried like heck to finish this book since I requested it. I just can't do it. It is very crude and sexually disgusting for my taste.
I did not finish it.
Read
June 14, 2021Since discovering that I don't need to use the stars, I have begun not using stars. This only means I don't like the star method. It's no reflection on the novel I'm reviewing. Full disclosure on this one: Saul Black (the alter ego of Glen Duncan) is a writing pal of mind. Under the name Saul Black, he writes thrillers. I loved this book for its structure, its attention to detail, its expert pacing and plotting, and its beautiful writing during moments of reflection, speculation, and philosophizing. Saul/Glen is largely a literary writer, and when he lets himself go there--even in a thriller--he's a cut above everyone else. This his third Valerie Hart book, and while it reads like the final installment, I hope it isn't.
One thing I enjoyed was catching him out when he accidentally misnames something. He's an Anglo-Indian living in London but his Valerie Hart books take place in the US. He's right on the money most of the time with his vocabulary, but not always. I smile when I catch him calling a living room a lounge.
At any rate, it's a terrific read.
One thing I enjoyed was catching him out when he accidentally misnames something. He's an Anglo-Indian living in London but his Valerie Hart books take place in the US. He's right on the money most of the time with his vocabulary, but not always. I smile when I catch him calling a living room a lounge.
At any rate, it's a terrific read.
July 16, 2024
What a crock.
The "perfect murder" described in this yarn is so far from perfect that even I could poke mile-wide holes in it (and that's saying something!), let alone the lead detective of this series, who is known to be one of the best crime solvers in her city. This (at times) semi-enjoyable story turned into a dishonest, self-important cluck fest by its unbelievable and unsupportable ending.
Boooooooooooooooooo!!!
1 Spurious Star
P.S. I'm done with this series. NO MAS!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
The "perfect murder" described in this yarn is so far from perfect that even I could poke mile-wide holes in it (and that's saying something!), let alone the lead detective of this series, who is known to be one of the best crime solvers in her city. This (at times) semi-enjoyable story turned into a dishonest, self-important cluck fest by its unbelievable and unsupportable ending.
Boooooooooooooooooo!!!
1 Spurious Star
P.S. I'm done with this series. NO MAS!!! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
January 19, 2023
Book Blog | Bookstagram
Saul Black is a graphic and gritty author with dark plot points and character arcs that flow from book to book. It’s important to understand the whole character and how he writes the plot around them, so I would suggest starting with the first novel in this series. But it can work as a standalone as well if you’re okay with missing some character-building.
There’s also a lot of descriptive sex and violence.
I say to start with The Killing Lesson because Anything For You is the weakest entry in the Valerie Hart series. It was just kind of meh to me and it’s a bummer to say that. It seemed as though shocking sexual moments and graphic scenes were thrown in to punch up the drama/shock factor instead of the plot being as captivating as the previous works.
A well-known San Fran prosecutor is murdered in his McMansion, and his wife barely survives being stabbed. Elsewhere, a sex worker murders a client and buries him in the desert after chopping up his body. These things are connected, but you really have to work to find out how. The resulting pages try to be a very twisted, onion of a plot, but at times it is a little overwrought. And it pains me to say that. It really does.
Valerie is investigating the murder of the San Fran prosecutor, who she almost slept with after a drunken night out. But if you forget that I told you that detail, don’t worry, Valerie will remind you repeatedly in between worrying about pregnancy and motherhood.
I really just feel like Valerie was fucking ruined for me in this book in some ways and it's disappointing.
This still has all the things that make Valerie special – the attitude, the graphic sex and the violence – but the baby stuff is weird and the case isn’t super compelling, while simultaneously being a bit too fucking much as it’s revealed.
Even still, Valerie finds the right moments in the investigation to follow her own path and do whatever the fuck she pleases to get the job done, and that’s why I fell in love with her in the first place.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book Source: The publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Saul Black is a graphic and gritty author with dark plot points and character arcs that flow from book to book. It’s important to understand the whole character and how he writes the plot around them, so I would suggest starting with the first novel in this series. But it can work as a standalone as well if you’re okay with missing some character-building.
There’s also a lot of descriptive sex and violence.
I say to start with The Killing Lesson because Anything For You is the weakest entry in the Valerie Hart series. It was just kind of meh to me and it’s a bummer to say that. It seemed as though shocking sexual moments and graphic scenes were thrown in to punch up the drama/shock factor instead of the plot being as captivating as the previous works.
A well-known San Fran prosecutor is murdered in his McMansion, and his wife barely survives being stabbed. Elsewhere, a sex worker murders a client and buries him in the desert after chopping up his body. These things are connected, but you really have to work to find out how. The resulting pages try to be a very twisted, onion of a plot, but at times it is a little overwrought. And it pains me to say that. It really does.
Valerie is investigating the murder of the San Fran prosecutor, who she almost slept with after a drunken night out. But if you forget that I told you that detail, don’t worry, Valerie will remind you repeatedly in between worrying about pregnancy and motherhood.
I really just feel like Valerie was fucking ruined for me in this book in some ways and it's disappointing.
This still has all the things that make Valerie special – the attitude, the graphic sex and the violence – but the baby stuff is weird and the case isn’t super compelling, while simultaneously being a bit too fucking much as it’s revealed.
Even still, Valerie finds the right moments in the investigation to follow her own path and do whatever the fuck she pleases to get the job done, and that’s why I fell in love with her in the first place.
⭐⭐⭐ | 3 stars
Book Source: The publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.
June 17, 2019
***Warning: There are triggers for rape, sexual abuse, and drug & alcohol abuse in this story.***
This was such of good suspense-murder-mystery!
Valerie Hart is a wonderfully imperfect, cynical homicide detective.
Detective Hart does not see the world through rose coloured glasses, if anything nothing surprised her anymore and she often expects the worst out of people.
That's what being the Police for so long has done to this investigator.
This mystery was well written with great, complex, interesting characters and wonderful twist at the end.
I loved the ending!
(I am so going to stalk Saul Black's backlist!)
I highly recommend this story!
"I voluntarily read an ARC of this book which was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review."
December 8, 2019
SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart returns in Anything For You, book 3 in the Valerie Hart series. This is the first book I've read by this author and since I'm a read-in-order reader, I was hesitate to begin with the 3rd book. However, the author does a great job interspersing background information into the story as it progresses, and I had no issue following the story. Det. Hart is called to a murder scene when prosecutor Adam Grant's body is discovered along side his wife who's near death from stab wounds. Valerie's thrown off-kilter by the scene as seeing Grant brings back a dark past Valerie buried long ago. It's evident early on through words and actions that Valerie struggles with ghosts of her nightmarish past. While I admired her grit and perseverance, her unnecessarily crude and vulgar language and actions left the impression of a character more in line with a lewd alpha anti-hero than the smart, strong cop heroine that she's supposed to be. As the story unfolds, I found it increasingly difficult to connect with her and have the empathy I needed to care for her character.
Anything For You is a good police procedural story with some great plot points that I think many crime thriller fans will enjoy. Told from two strong points of view, readers are privy to both characters' thoughts which worked great in this book. The story includes several twists and turns, ending with a great lead-in to the next book. However for me, the story went awry by going overboard with the overly graphic portrayal of violence and in-your-face blatant sexuality - especially from the "heroine". It was jarring, causing me to lose focus. While I enjoy a dark, damaged heroine/hero, Valerie Hart didn't ring true to me and some of her actions were actually quite offensive. As a result, it's unlikely I'll be continuing with the series.
*With thanks to St. Martin's Press for an hardback copy of this book.
**Reviewed at: Cross My Heart Reviews
Anything For You is a good police procedural story with some great plot points that I think many crime thriller fans will enjoy. Told from two strong points of view, readers are privy to both characters' thoughts which worked great in this book. The story includes several twists and turns, ending with a great lead-in to the next book. However for me, the story went awry by going overboard with the overly graphic portrayal of violence and in-your-face blatant sexuality - especially from the "heroine". It was jarring, causing me to lose focus. While I enjoy a dark, damaged heroine/hero, Valerie Hart didn't ring true to me and some of her actions were actually quite offensive. As a result, it's unlikely I'll be continuing with the series.
*With thanks to St. Martin's Press for an hardback copy of this book.
**Reviewed at: Cross My Heart Reviews
May 12, 2020
I almost didn't get past the first few pages of this book. It first appeared to be nothing more than pornography, and I just wasn't interested in that. However, I finished the chapter, and things got much better after that. However, be aware that throughout the book there are:
***TRIGGERS*** sexual abuse, child abuse, graphic sex and language, rape.
The story itself was well thought out, even clever, and left me guessing as to how the murder of high-profile prosecutor Adam Grant happened and why. The main character, San Francisco Homicide Detective Valerie Hart, was pretty unlikable, but she was very human. Almost too human, as her faults were many and the reader is constantly on edge wondering which former rabbit hole she's going to go down again. I had not read the first two novels incorporating this character, but this book was fine reading as a stand-alone. I am curious about her past, however, so I may check out the prequels, as long as I'm not slammed in the face with dirty sex on the first page as I was with this one.
Because of the amount of crude language and sexual situations, I was very tempted to just give this one 3 star rating, but I felt the story itself was compelling enough to push it up to a weak 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my review. Opinions are my own.
***TRIGGERS*** sexual abuse, child abuse, graphic sex and language, rape.
The story itself was well thought out, even clever, and left me guessing as to how the murder of high-profile prosecutor Adam Grant happened and why. The main character, San Francisco Homicide Detective Valerie Hart, was pretty unlikable, but she was very human. Almost too human, as her faults were many and the reader is constantly on edge wondering which former rabbit hole she's going to go down again. I had not read the first two novels incorporating this character, but this book was fine reading as a stand-alone. I am curious about her past, however, so I may check out the prequels, as long as I'm not slammed in the face with dirty sex on the first page as I was with this one.
Because of the amount of crude language and sexual situations, I was very tempted to just give this one 3 star rating, but I felt the story itself was compelling enough to push it up to a weak 4.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my review. Opinions are my own.
June 3, 2020
I won this book through a giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was actually a really good read! I have never heard of Saul Black prior to this book...and after reading about 3/4 of it, I realized that it is number 3 in a series. However, I was far enough along that I didn’t think it made sense to stop and read books 1 and 2 before continuing, but with that being said, I do still plan on reading them since i enjoyed this one so much! I found book one on Hoopla for free as an audiobook, so that’s where I’m going to start!
5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was actually a really good read! I have never heard of Saul Black prior to this book...and after reading about 3/4 of it, I realized that it is number 3 in a series. However, I was far enough along that I didn’t think it made sense to stop and read books 1 and 2 before continuing, but with that being said, I do still plan on reading them since i enjoyed this one so much! I found book one on Hoopla for free as an audiobook, so that’s where I’m going to start!
June 1, 2019
***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of ANYTHING FOR YOU by Saul Black in exchange for my honest review.***
High class hooker Sophia kills her john. Elsewhere Adam is murdered, his wife Rachel, also stabbed survives. Valerie is charged with investigating the crime and hides she once cheated with Adam. Sophia’s story connects with the murder in a surprising ways.
Saul Black creates an intricate mystery spanning from Philadelphia to San Francisco with a few twists and turns I never saw coming. Told from Valerie’s third person point of view, readers will see she’s a cop who is ethically challenged with her failure to disclose her one-night-stand with Adam to drinking too much to questionable investigation tactics like flirting with suspects not as an investigative tactic, but in a sexual manner for her own pleasure.
My biggest criticism of ANYTHING FOR YOU is that I constantly was aware a man had written the book, mostly by the way he described how women think about sex. I’ve never met a woman who calls her vagina a cunt, for example. Most of the sexual references appeared early in the book, and if I wasn’t reviewing an ARC I might have abandoned the book. I’m not a prude, the content didn’t bother me nor the words. My issue was the references didn’t feel feminine, not that women are monolithic or stereotypes.
The ending of ANYTHING FOR YOU, while unexpected, felt unsatisfying. Still, the mystery is complex and well laid out.
ANYTHING FOR YOU will appeal to many readers.
High class hooker Sophia kills her john. Elsewhere Adam is murdered, his wife Rachel, also stabbed survives. Valerie is charged with investigating the crime and hides she once cheated with Adam. Sophia’s story connects with the murder in a surprising ways.
Saul Black creates an intricate mystery spanning from Philadelphia to San Francisco with a few twists and turns I never saw coming. Told from Valerie’s third person point of view, readers will see she’s a cop who is ethically challenged with her failure to disclose her one-night-stand with Adam to drinking too much to questionable investigation tactics like flirting with suspects not as an investigative tactic, but in a sexual manner for her own pleasure.
My biggest criticism of ANYTHING FOR YOU is that I constantly was aware a man had written the book, mostly by the way he described how women think about sex. I’ve never met a woman who calls her vagina a cunt, for example. Most of the sexual references appeared early in the book, and if I wasn’t reviewing an ARC I might have abandoned the book. I’m not a prude, the content didn’t bother me nor the words. My issue was the references didn’t feel feminine, not that women are monolithic or stereotypes.
The ending of ANYTHING FOR YOU, while unexpected, felt unsatisfying. Still, the mystery is complex and well laid out.
ANYTHING FOR YOU will appeal to many readers.
November 20, 2019
"The reasons, the motives, the hows and whys -- they were all drawn from the same small human pool: greed; anger; envy; lust; vengeance. Every murder sprang from ordinary sources."
This crime thriller defied my usual expectations in both good and bad ways. At the half-way point, I actually wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was put off by the personality of SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart -- she takes "messed up" to a whole new level. The way she thinks, talks and acts is so deliberately crass and it's true that she's the picture of a narcissist. On the other hand, I finally came to believe that it's all just one huge defense mechanism. And, she's afraid. But, enough about her innermost thoughts and angst, because it so happens that she's a pretty darn good cop. She's got good instincts, works hard, and doesn't stop until she figures it all out.
The plot -- a former star prosecutor, Adam Grant, in the San Francisco DA's office who had subsequently gone into private practice -- is discovered dead in his bedroom alongside his wife who has been stabbed, is barely breathing, but still alive. An intruder was spotted by an insomniac neighbor next door and forensics finds plenty of physical evidence allowing the police to identify the killer. A manhunt for the suspect goes nowhere -- the ex con, Dwight Jenner, has done a runner. Nor can the beautiful, blonde woman seen with Jenner, known as Sophia, be located. Although the police effort is intense and detailed, that is really not the main story. Grant's wife, Rachel, eventually recovers from her injuries well enough to go home to be with her teenaged daughter, Elspeth, who fortunately was sleeping over at a friend's house the night of the intrusion and murder. Valerie Hart follows the clues but she has no way of knowing where this complicated case is going to lead. NO SPOILERS.
I'm sorry to hear that some don't finish this book because the last third of it really made up for the earlier slog as the author dangles out bits and pieces of this and that, all the while luring the reader in for the climax. Do I like or understand Valerie Hart any more at the end? Not really, she's way too cynical and crude, too self-absorbed, too focused on wrecking her life -- but she gets the job done. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but I find myself curious as to what the next installment might offer and I'm hoping for some sort of redemption and, dare I say, some good decisions? So she could be a little content maybe? I really enjoyed the writing style, well, when I wasn't offended by the constant sexual references and again, Valerie seems to act more like an alpha male than a woman. Anyway, upshot -- I did end up liking this and how it ended. "The truth was the law didn't work. It was nothing more than the best failure civilization had on offer."
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'd left it languishing on the TBR but was reminded of it when I saw it sponsored in a Facebook post. I'm glad I made time to read it.
This is Glen Duncan writing as Saul Black. Triggers abound but to list them might give things away.
This crime thriller defied my usual expectations in both good and bad ways. At the half-way point, I actually wasn't sure I'd finish it. I was put off by the personality of SFPD Homicide Detective Valerie Hart -- she takes "messed up" to a whole new level. The way she thinks, talks and acts is so deliberately crass and it's true that she's the picture of a narcissist. On the other hand, I finally came to believe that it's all just one huge defense mechanism. And, she's afraid. But, enough about her innermost thoughts and angst, because it so happens that she's a pretty darn good cop. She's got good instincts, works hard, and doesn't stop until she figures it all out.
The plot -- a former star prosecutor, Adam Grant, in the San Francisco DA's office who had subsequently gone into private practice -- is discovered dead in his bedroom alongside his wife who has been stabbed, is barely breathing, but still alive. An intruder was spotted by an insomniac neighbor next door and forensics finds plenty of physical evidence allowing the police to identify the killer. A manhunt for the suspect goes nowhere -- the ex con, Dwight Jenner, has done a runner. Nor can the beautiful, blonde woman seen with Jenner, known as Sophia, be located. Although the police effort is intense and detailed, that is really not the main story. Grant's wife, Rachel, eventually recovers from her injuries well enough to go home to be with her teenaged daughter, Elspeth, who fortunately was sleeping over at a friend's house the night of the intrusion and murder. Valerie Hart follows the clues but she has no way of knowing where this complicated case is going to lead. NO SPOILERS.
I'm sorry to hear that some don't finish this book because the last third of it really made up for the earlier slog as the author dangles out bits and pieces of this and that, all the while luring the reader in for the climax. Do I like or understand Valerie Hart any more at the end? Not really, she's way too cynical and crude, too self-absorbed, too focused on wrecking her life -- but she gets the job done. I haven't read the first two books in the series, but I find myself curious as to what the next installment might offer and I'm hoping for some sort of redemption and, dare I say, some good decisions? So she could be a little content maybe? I really enjoyed the writing style, well, when I wasn't offended by the constant sexual references and again, Valerie seems to act more like an alpha male than a woman. Anyway, upshot -- I did end up liking this and how it ended. "The truth was the law didn't work. It was nothing more than the best failure civilization had on offer."
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-book ARC to read and review. I'd left it languishing on the TBR but was reminded of it when I saw it sponsored in a Facebook post. I'm glad I made time to read it.
This is Glen Duncan writing as Saul Black. Triggers abound but to list them might give things away.
August 10, 2019
I think this was not a bad mystery or "whodunit" book. It was a big case and I think there were some great twists and turns in it for me. The author goes into detail in the book, so this book is for adults only in my opinion. I still enjoyed this book for the most part. Valerie Hart is a good character for a detective. "This book was given to me for free at my request from NetGalley and I provided this voluntary review."
May 21, 2019
A smart and robust thriller from Saul Black, Anything For You is the third novel in his Valerie Hart series. My favourite of these – by far – is his debut, The Killing Lessons, which was creepy, atmospheric and crazy good at building tension.
In Anything For You, Valerie is investigating what, at first glance, is your standard issue home invasion. High flying attorney Adam Grant is found – stabbed and bludgeoned in his bed. On the floor next to him is his wife, Rachel, clinging to life after a stab wound to the chest. Their daughter Elspeth, who was at a sleepover, narrowly escaped being the third victim. Fingerprints found all over the scene belong to convicted felon, Dwight Jenner, who’s disappeared in the bloody aftermath.
Through her search for Jenner, Valerie turns up photos and sightings of his mysterious girlfriend, blonde and beautiful Sophia, a known prostitute and seeming accessory to murder. Black flips back and forth between Sophia and Valerie’s perspectives, giving us glimpses of both women – on dark but opposite paths.
Though I appreciate Black’s gritty and sensual writing, I think there is a certain element to his portrayal of Valerie that just doesn’t ring true. Constantly thinking about and fantasizing about sex, one step away from flinging herself on most men she meets – Valerie reads to me, as a male fantasy of what men hope women are truly like. Her thoughts are stereo-typically masculine, and she’s also annoyingly aware of her own beauty, and seems to measure other women (and their worth as human beings) against it. Ick.
That aside, Black’s portrayal of Valerie’s alcohol consumption – and the refreshing change to see an author building a portrait of someone who chooses moderation rather than abstinence – is very well done. Valerie is always hovering on the avalanche of bad decisions, just a whisper away from plunging her life into chaos. While I think her character could use a female editor, I still enjoy reading about her.
The book is an electrifying race to find out whodunit, and there is a wham-bam shocker that hit me like a punch. Wow. Saul Black is an extremely talented author, and I look forward to more of Valerie Hart – or perhaps a male detective? I’d love to see Black conquer his own gender in that way – just my opinion, but I think his writing style would produce a fantastic male lead.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciated it, as always!
In Anything For You, Valerie is investigating what, at first glance, is your standard issue home invasion. High flying attorney Adam Grant is found – stabbed and bludgeoned in his bed. On the floor next to him is his wife, Rachel, clinging to life after a stab wound to the chest. Their daughter Elspeth, who was at a sleepover, narrowly escaped being the third victim. Fingerprints found all over the scene belong to convicted felon, Dwight Jenner, who’s disappeared in the bloody aftermath.
Through her search for Jenner, Valerie turns up photos and sightings of his mysterious girlfriend, blonde and beautiful Sophia, a known prostitute and seeming accessory to murder. Black flips back and forth between Sophia and Valerie’s perspectives, giving us glimpses of both women – on dark but opposite paths.
Though I appreciate Black’s gritty and sensual writing, I think there is a certain element to his portrayal of Valerie that just doesn’t ring true. Constantly thinking about and fantasizing about sex, one step away from flinging herself on most men she meets – Valerie reads to me, as a male fantasy of what men hope women are truly like. Her thoughts are stereo-typically masculine, and she’s also annoyingly aware of her own beauty, and seems to measure other women (and their worth as human beings) against it. Ick.
That aside, Black’s portrayal of Valerie’s alcohol consumption – and the refreshing change to see an author building a portrait of someone who chooses moderation rather than abstinence – is very well done. Valerie is always hovering on the avalanche of bad decisions, just a whisper away from plunging her life into chaos. While I think her character could use a female editor, I still enjoy reading about her.
The book is an electrifying race to find out whodunit, and there is a wham-bam shocker that hit me like a punch. Wow. Saul Black is an extremely talented author, and I look forward to more of Valerie Hart – or perhaps a male detective? I’d love to see Black conquer his own gender in that way – just my opinion, but I think his writing style would produce a fantastic male lead.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciated it, as always!
November 13, 2019
Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Marla Warren
As gritty and dark as always, Saul Black again drags Detective Valerie Hart through the worst of humanity in order to give the reader another incredible, heart-pounding, tension-filled thriller.
This is Saul Black’s third book (following The Killing Lessons and Love Murder) that features Detective Valerie Hart, but these are three separate stand-alone novels. If you have read all three, you’ve gained just a little extra insight into Valerie’s personal growth over time, but it is in no way necessary to read either of the previous books before jumping into Anything For You.
And “jump in” is exactly the right phrase when discussing Black’s work. Anything For You immediately has the reader speeding down the freeway at sunset, just north of San Francisco, in a top-of-the-line vehicle with an ex-con, and a woman named Sophia, who he perfectly describes as “soft as mink and smart as the devil.” Black gets the twists and the action started quickly and never lets up.
San Francisco homicide is called in late one evening when, what started with a burglary call from an insomniac neighbour, turns out to be a murder of former Assistant District Attorney Adam Grant, and the attempted murder of his wife, in their plush suburban home. It’s Valerie Hart’s case, but she has a tiny bit of history with the victim, that causes her to struggle with whether she should be running this investigation and forces her to consider whether we really can leave our pasts behind. Clues from the scene lead firmly in one direction, but more and more questions arise along the way, leading the investigation in a darker, more insidious direction.
Not for every suspense-lover or thriller-reader, Anything For You goes dark – even in comparison to Black’s other work. There is no one unscathed when the dust settles. The most horrific crimes against people and the darkest, ugliest parts of humanity are all unearthed and explored – and that’s just not for everybody. Fans of M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series would feel comfortable in Valerie Hart’s world. (In fact, Valerie and Helen are pretty close to even on the ‘badass women’ scale, in my personal opinion.)
This tightly-wound, brilliantly paced thriller will keep the reader engaged, excited, and glued to the page. This isn’t the kind of book you spread over a few weeks – you read until your eyes can’t focus, sleep, and then read some more!
As gritty and dark as always, Saul Black again drags Detective Valerie Hart through the worst of humanity in order to give the reader another incredible, heart-pounding, tension-filled thriller.
This is Saul Black’s third book (following The Killing Lessons and Love Murder) that features Detective Valerie Hart, but these are three separate stand-alone novels. If you have read all three, you’ve gained just a little extra insight into Valerie’s personal growth over time, but it is in no way necessary to read either of the previous books before jumping into Anything For You.
And “jump in” is exactly the right phrase when discussing Black’s work. Anything For You immediately has the reader speeding down the freeway at sunset, just north of San Francisco, in a top-of-the-line vehicle with an ex-con, and a woman named Sophia, who he perfectly describes as “soft as mink and smart as the devil.” Black gets the twists and the action started quickly and never lets up.
San Francisco homicide is called in late one evening when, what started with a burglary call from an insomniac neighbour, turns out to be a murder of former Assistant District Attorney Adam Grant, and the attempted murder of his wife, in their plush suburban home. It’s Valerie Hart’s case, but she has a tiny bit of history with the victim, that causes her to struggle with whether she should be running this investigation and forces her to consider whether we really can leave our pasts behind. Clues from the scene lead firmly in one direction, but more and more questions arise along the way, leading the investigation in a darker, more insidious direction.
Not for every suspense-lover or thriller-reader, Anything For You goes dark – even in comparison to Black’s other work. There is no one unscathed when the dust settles. The most horrific crimes against people and the darkest, ugliest parts of humanity are all unearthed and explored – and that’s just not for everybody. Fans of M.J. Arlidge’s Helen Grace series would feel comfortable in Valerie Hart’s world. (In fact, Valerie and Helen are pretty close to even on the ‘badass women’ scale, in my personal opinion.)
This tightly-wound, brilliantly paced thriller will keep the reader engaged, excited, and glued to the page. This isn’t the kind of book you spread over a few weeks – you read until your eyes can’t focus, sleep, and then read some more!
November 12, 2019
3.5 Stars
I read the first book in this series, The Killing Lessons back in 2015 and really loved it - I wish I had written actual reviews then so I could remember exactly WHY but I do remember thinking Black was an author to watch. I somehow missed out on book 2 of this series but here I am with book 3 - Anything For You. It took a while but as I continued reading, I started remembering Valerie and why I loved her so much in book one.
To be honest, I almost DNF'd this one around the 37% mark... but I'm so glad that I didn't. I have a feeling a lot of readers are going to take issue with this book - it's graphic, sexual and a bit much at times. Personally, it didn't bother me in the slightest but I'm my own special breed of person. I could've done without the repetitive reminder that OMG, Valerie ALMOST slept with the victim. I get it - I don't need this repeated over and over again. Nor do I think readers need to see that Valerie is always thinking about sex. HOWEVER, this is just who she is. A human person, a cop who has been through the gauntlet herself, became a sex addict, still found love and is now dealing with yet another change in her life. As a matter of fact, all the women in this book have issues and it gets a bit insane.
Once we get into the background of the Grants, the book starts to soar. I was captivated and disturbed and very curious about how it would all play out. Especially as Valerie, while an excellent detective, follows the beat of her own drum most of the time.
While I had some small issues with the book overall, I really enjoyed the grittiness and visceral journey Black took us on. This is going to be a love/hate type of read - for those who actually finish it. I can see the comments now. For me, give me more Saul Black.
I read the first book in this series, The Killing Lessons back in 2015 and really loved it - I wish I had written actual reviews then so I could remember exactly WHY but I do remember thinking Black was an author to watch. I somehow missed out on book 2 of this series but here I am with book 3 - Anything For You. It took a while but as I continued reading, I started remembering Valerie and why I loved her so much in book one.
To be honest, I almost DNF'd this one around the 37% mark... but I'm so glad that I didn't. I have a feeling a lot of readers are going to take issue with this book - it's graphic, sexual and a bit much at times. Personally, it didn't bother me in the slightest but I'm my own special breed of person. I could've done without the repetitive reminder that OMG, Valerie ALMOST slept with the victim. I get it - I don't need this repeated over and over again. Nor do I think readers need to see that Valerie is always thinking about sex. HOWEVER, this is just who she is. A human person, a cop who has been through the gauntlet herself, became a sex addict, still found love and is now dealing with yet another change in her life. As a matter of fact, all the women in this book have issues and it gets a bit insane.
Once we get into the background of the Grants, the book starts to soar. I was captivated and disturbed and very curious about how it would all play out. Especially as Valerie, while an excellent detective, follows the beat of her own drum most of the time.
While I had some small issues with the book overall, I really enjoyed the grittiness and visceral journey Black took us on. This is going to be a love/hate type of read - for those who actually finish it. I can see the comments now. For me, give me more Saul Black.
June 9, 2019
I received this advance copy from St. Martin's Press via a Goodreads giveaway. Many thanks to both of them for a nice surprise that also turned out to be an awesome read.
This psychological thriller begins with the violent murder of a respected attorney. His wife is badly injured but survives the attack. The case seems to be an easy slam-dunk for Detective Valerie Hart, but there are some nagging questions and pieces that don't fit. Hart's relentless search for evidence and motive turn up the existence of a mysterious, sexy blonde who seems to connect the victim and the killer.
Valerie is a many-layered character. She has the dogged determination of any great detective, but also enough past struggles of her own to color her understanding of the people she must contend with, and, in some cases, pursue. She is currently dealing with the challenges of marriage and her ambivalence about what that relationship should look like in the future.
Black writes women well, at least women I can relate to. I only know that I greeted some of the female characters' thoughts (and their nightmares) with surprised recognition. It's too bad one is not supposed to quote from an advance copy. I'd love to.
This book "ain't for the faint of heart," as it includes prostitution, kinky sex and violence, just for starters. The murder and its aftermath are graphic. Black furthermore completely fooled me with a sidestep in time and an unexpected twist. I love that kind of writing. I'll be going back now to re-read the first two Valerie Hart books with even more respect for this author.
This psychological thriller begins with the violent murder of a respected attorney. His wife is badly injured but survives the attack. The case seems to be an easy slam-dunk for Detective Valerie Hart, but there are some nagging questions and pieces that don't fit. Hart's relentless search for evidence and motive turn up the existence of a mysterious, sexy blonde who seems to connect the victim and the killer.
Valerie is a many-layered character. She has the dogged determination of any great detective, but also enough past struggles of her own to color her understanding of the people she must contend with, and, in some cases, pursue. She is currently dealing with the challenges of marriage and her ambivalence about what that relationship should look like in the future.
Black writes women well, at least women I can relate to. I only know that I greeted some of the female characters' thoughts (and their nightmares) with surprised recognition. It's too bad one is not supposed to quote from an advance copy. I'd love to.
This book "ain't for the faint of heart," as it includes prostitution, kinky sex and violence, just for starters. The murder and its aftermath are graphic. Black furthermore completely fooled me with a sidestep in time and an unexpected twist. I love that kind of writing. I'll be going back now to re-read the first two Valerie Hart books with even more respect for this author.
October 13, 2019
Managed to get through a third of this before abandoning it. The gruesome first chapter had me doubting I would like this, but I hate to give up on an ARC when I’ve committed to reviewing it. In this case I had no desire or the stomach to continue.
This was my first by this author but it will be my last. I didn’t like any of the characters, not even the detective Valerie and her husband Nick. The writing did not seem realistic to me as far as the females were crafted. I really don’t believe working policewomen have the time or energy to wallow in sexual fantasies. The raw and offensive language reeked “male” and personally there is nothing as off-putting as a wife and mother with a potty-mouth.
I apologize to the publishers for not finishing this digital ARC. There’s just too many good books waiting for me to waste my time on something I'm disliking so vehemently. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to voice my opinion, but this was not for me.
This was my first by this author but it will be my last. I didn’t like any of the characters, not even the detective Valerie and her husband Nick. The writing did not seem realistic to me as far as the females were crafted. I really don’t believe working policewomen have the time or energy to wallow in sexual fantasies. The raw and offensive language reeked “male” and personally there is nothing as off-putting as a wife and mother with a potty-mouth.
I apologize to the publishers for not finishing this digital ARC. There’s just too many good books waiting for me to waste my time on something I'm disliking so vehemently. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to voice my opinion, but this was not for me.
December 26, 2019
The link from past to present to future can vary from a fine line to a solid cord, but when it is shattered by a murder, tying the loose ends together becomes an impossible task. Enter homicide detective Valerie Hart whose job it is to figure out “whodunit?” Mix in her own history and the task makes for a great read. I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 22, 2019
A murder investigation turns into three cases.
A mixture of spiritual and demonic, the murderer used a symbol on the chests of the victims.
Valeria Hart in investigating officer finds evidence of a mysterious blonde who, she thinks she knows.
The details were shocking.
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads.
A mixture of spiritual and demonic, the murderer used a symbol on the chests of the victims.
Valeria Hart in investigating officer finds evidence of a mysterious blonde who, she thinks she knows.
The details were shocking.
I won this free book from Goodreads First reads.
September 1, 2019
DNF. I just couldn’t do it. Totally not for me. Too crude and just made me feel gross.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 22, 2019
Too dark for me. If you like dark sexual issues, this is a 5-star. It’s more like porn.
I don’t think that people are this obsessed with sex. Valerie was very unlikeable. Ick.
Author is very talented.
I don’t think that people are this obsessed with sex. Valerie was very unlikeable. Ick.
Author is very talented.
December 17, 2019
Anything for You is Saul Black’s third novel in the Valerie Hart series, in which the San Francisco Homicide Detective must revisit her past to solve a gruesome murder.
In my opinion, if you’ve read the first two books, you already understand that to know Valerie is to love her, even if she doesn’t think you should. And she certainly doesn’t think you should. Valerie is a tangle of self-destructive and narcissistic tendencies, along with a very healthy libido. Whether she wants to admit it or not, there’s also a good heart underneath all that. She knows she’s a bit of a hot mess, but right now, life is good. And Valerie is doing her very best to be good, which means not messing things up with her husband Nick, a fellow cop who works on the IT side of things. Nick knows what lurks in Valerie’s dark corners, and they’ve moved past the bad stuff, even if some things still hide in the shadows, waiting to pounce. They’re trying for a baby, which is a very complicated proposition for Valerie. But then, it is for a lot of women.
Valerie is also a very good cop and she knows it. She feels like she was born for the job, and once a case gets under her skin, she’ll bend a few rules to get her perp. When she responds to a scene at the home of Adam and Rachel Grant, Valerie feels a bit of her dark past come back to haunt her when she recognizes that the dead man, Adam, is someone she knows.
Valerie probably should pass the case on, but they didn’t actually have sex, after all, and this one looks to be a doozy. She just can’t pass it up. Adam Grant used to be a star prosecutor for the DA’s office then switched to private practice. Now he’s been stabbed and bludgeoned to death and his wife, Rachel, has also been stabbed leaving her clinging to life. Luckily, their 13-year-old daughter Elspeth was at a sleepover. Shockingly, the killer left fingerprints all over the scene, and they match up to Dwight Jenner, an ex-con that Adam prosecuted years ago. What seems like an open-and-shut case becomes more complex when Jenner proves difficult to find. Finding Jenner means digging into Adam’s life, which of course means digging through their home. The basement, where amateur photographer Adam’s darkroom is located, is where Valerie finds the most compelling evidence. Read the rest of Kristin Centorcelli's review on our blog!
In my opinion, if you’ve read the first two books, you already understand that to know Valerie is to love her, even if she doesn’t think you should. And she certainly doesn’t think you should. Valerie is a tangle of self-destructive and narcissistic tendencies, along with a very healthy libido. Whether she wants to admit it or not, there’s also a good heart underneath all that. She knows she’s a bit of a hot mess, but right now, life is good. And Valerie is doing her very best to be good, which means not messing things up with her husband Nick, a fellow cop who works on the IT side of things. Nick knows what lurks in Valerie’s dark corners, and they’ve moved past the bad stuff, even if some things still hide in the shadows, waiting to pounce. They’re trying for a baby, which is a very complicated proposition for Valerie. But then, it is for a lot of women.
Valerie is also a very good cop and she knows it. She feels like she was born for the job, and once a case gets under her skin, she’ll bend a few rules to get her perp. When she responds to a scene at the home of Adam and Rachel Grant, Valerie feels a bit of her dark past come back to haunt her when she recognizes that the dead man, Adam, is someone she knows.
Four years ago she slept with Adam Grant. Ergo, pass the case to a colleague. On the other hand, she’d slept with him literally. Both of them had been drunk, and halfway through the blurred preliminaries he’d had a change of heart. He’d told her that he’d never cheated on his wife, and despite him and Valerie having boozily made out and gotten half-naked in her bed, it turned out he couldn’t bring himself to start cheating on his wife right then, either.
Valerie probably should pass the case on, but they didn’t actually have sex, after all, and this one looks to be a doozy. She just can’t pass it up. Adam Grant used to be a star prosecutor for the DA’s office then switched to private practice. Now he’s been stabbed and bludgeoned to death and his wife, Rachel, has also been stabbed leaving her clinging to life. Luckily, their 13-year-old daughter Elspeth was at a sleepover. Shockingly, the killer left fingerprints all over the scene, and they match up to Dwight Jenner, an ex-con that Adam prosecuted years ago. What seems like an open-and-shut case becomes more complex when Jenner proves difficult to find. Finding Jenner means digging into Adam’s life, which of course means digging through their home. The basement, where amateur photographer Adam’s darkroom is located, is where Valerie finds the most compelling evidence. Read the rest of Kristin Centorcelli's review on our blog!
May 28, 2022
Great book!!! Valerie is a detective who finds herself investigating the death of a man she was close to sleeping with. She battles this dilemma while trying to piece her relationship back together and solve the case. This book was great! I thought I had it solved a couple of times, but was honestly shocked at the end. I loved how it was resolved though. Valerie definitely does have some issues she needs to work through in future books, and I need to go back and read the first two, and look forward to reading more. I received this book in a backlist book sub box and was so glad I did. One of the best they sent me. I highly recommend.
August 7, 2019
Usually I can read anything and enjoy it, but I will say this book has some triggers including rape and sexual abuse. I personally don’t really need to hear the graphic details, but if you like things more explicit you will enjoy this book. I’ve always thought that great writers can use more than vulgarity to describe a story, and this book definitely overuses the word “cunt”.
Anything For You has sex, lies, murder, and a great twist. A San Francisco prosecutor is murdered and his wife is left barely alive in a horrific attack. Valerie Hart, a detective, is put on the case and she realizes she’s connected to Adam, the victim. There are many secrets and twists, and Valerie is forced to confront her past. The story flips between points of view and you get good details about what’s going on, but still are left with surprises.
I am happy that I had the chance to review this book, but it wasn’t necessarily a great fit. As a woman, I think Saul Black writes what he wants a woman to be thinking, but not what she actually would be thinking or saying. Not that this is a rule, but women generally don’t think about themselves as they were written in this book. I like stories that can seem real, and this one missed the mark for me. If the main character was a male, perhaps this style of writing would be a better fit.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. While I wouldn’t recommend it, everyone likes something different so this may be for you.
Anything For You has sex, lies, murder, and a great twist. A San Francisco prosecutor is murdered and his wife is left barely alive in a horrific attack. Valerie Hart, a detective, is put on the case and she realizes she’s connected to Adam, the victim. There are many secrets and twists, and Valerie is forced to confront her past. The story flips between points of view and you get good details about what’s going on, but still are left with surprises.
I am happy that I had the chance to review this book, but it wasn’t necessarily a great fit. As a woman, I think Saul Black writes what he wants a woman to be thinking, but not what she actually would be thinking or saying. Not that this is a rule, but women generally don’t think about themselves as they were written in this book. I like stories that can seem real, and this one missed the mark for me. If the main character was a male, perhaps this style of writing would be a better fit.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book. While I wouldn’t recommend it, everyone likes something different so this may be for you.
November 12, 2019
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a free e-arc for review, and to St. Martin's Press for a physical arc as well.
After tearing through the first two books in the Valerie Hart series, this one took me a bit longer to get into - I'm not sure if I was hooked until around pg. 150. That might be partially because I mostly listened to Killing Lessons and LoveMurder. Saul Black's mysteries tend to be a bit wordy; I think I'd have rather listened to this one too.
That having been said, Anything for You was so totally worth the read. It was more suspenseful than the first two in the series, and I also think less predictable. It was the kind of mystery that made me go "whoa."
Valerie continues to be a fantastic, flawed, realistic main character.
Lots of content warnings for this one:
After tearing through the first two books in the Valerie Hart series, this one took me a bit longer to get into - I'm not sure if I was hooked until around pg. 150. That might be partially because I mostly listened to Killing Lessons and LoveMurder. Saul Black's mysteries tend to be a bit wordy; I think I'd have rather listened to this one too.
That having been said, Anything for You was so totally worth the read. It was more suspenseful than the first two in the series, and I also think less predictable. It was the kind of mystery that made me go "whoa."
Valerie continues to be a fantastic, flawed, realistic main character.
Lots of content warnings for this one:
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