BOOK REVIEW

SIMON SAYS DIE #2 by Lena Diaz

www.lenadiaz.com

(Product description from Amazon)

Simon says: I'm watching. Simon says: I'm coming. Simon says: Die.

Madison McKinley knows someone is stalking her. The police tell her she's imagining things, and they're too busy trying to find the "Simon Says" killer to investigate. But day by day, hour by hour, Madison's terror grows stronger, and not even the return of FBI Special Agent Pierce Buchanan into her life can calm her fears. Besides, how can she ask Pierce for his help after the way she ended things between them? 

Pierce still wants Madison's love, and his drive to protect her is more powerful than ever. He believes she's in danger, even if the cops don't. Finally, as more people start dying and the evidence mounts, the police turn their attention to Madison—as a suspect. Was Pierce a fool to trust her again, or are they both caught in a complex game that neither will survive?

REVIEW

I’ve been looking forward to this book as I read Lena Diaz’s debut last year namely ‘He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not’, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I had hoped it would be Pierce and Madison’s book next, asked the author as much and she replied that it was. So, as soon as I received the e-mail from Amazon stating that it was available, I bought it.

Glad I did as it was another entertaining read. I liked Pierce and Madison before and now like them even more. Madison is a hoot, really, and I’m surprised people don’t disperse and run the other way when they are in her vicinity! She’s a gun toting pint sized female whose arguments – with herself – make sense, to me that is. Gosh, she made me laugh on more than one occasion. Heck, I’d be terrified of carrying so many guns because as accident prone as I am, I’d probably shoot my own foot off including other body parts.

Book #2 continues or starts off with Pierce, an FBI agent, on the verge of proposing to Madison, without her knowing, when she breaks off their relationship. She has reason to do so as there are things in her past he doesn’t fully know about. One of them was her strained relationship with her husband, Damon McKinley. Strained may be a mild word as she described him as evil. Damon died in a car accident but not before Madison had shot him – with no intention to kill either, only to stop him leaving after she came across certain irregularities. Really, if she’d wanted to kill him, she would have. She’s left New York and moved to Savannah – not without mishap. Her brother Logan doesn’t call her ‘trouble’ for nothing and you'll see why throughout the story. She’s being threatened, strange things start happening such as notes being left and in particular, she seems to have acquired a stalker. Giving chase after spotting this stalker on more than one occasion, fully armed of course, she’s saved by Pierce who takes a bullet for her. Now, Pierce happened to arrive at the right time as Logan had asked him to check up on his sister. You see, Pierce had moved to Savannah too a few months prior. Tsk Tsk, not only woman like to play matchmaker - Logan couldn’t resist as he was instrumental in coercing Madison to finally leave the big city lights behind. He probably thought she'd get into less trouble in Savannah. He was sadly mistaken.

You can just imagine the chemistry that bounces back and forth between these two (Pierce and Madison) especially as everything that’s happening to Madison kind of sounds like it’s all made up. It seems that whoever is playing this game with her, knows exactly what he’s doing and which particular buttons to push. Pierce believes her, but has moments of doubt too. The police department, including Lieutenant Hamilton, all think she's somehow deluded and that she's the one fabricating it all. It's extremely frustrating and Madison feels like it's all caving in on her. Lies and truths are so closely woven together, one wonders what on earth is going on or who to believe. The twists and turns in this story are plenty which in turn kept me continuously trying to guess – what next? – is it or isn’t it? or what now? I love being in a situation where I'm (or believe) 100% sure that it’s who Madison says it is, but as a multitude of spanners are thrown into the works, I found myself gasping and wondering what the hell was going to happen next.

The plot was very clever indeed and it always amazes me when an author manages to come up with whatever it is a villain is willing to do and go through to reach his goal, no matter what. A highly entertaining cast of characters which includes Pierce’s brothers and stepfather Alex. This isn’t just a story revolving around Pierce and Madison's romance, albeit a lovely one at that, it’s also the story of both their families with Pierce’s in the forefront. Hmm, me thinks that maybe the next book could be about Matt and Tessa? *wiggles eyebrows*.

Ms. Diaz is an author who has impressed me with both her books, and will be one I will permanently keep on my TBR list. Great stuff! Looking forward to the next installment.

RATING: 4 STARS