Book Review: Don't Look for Me by Mason Cross ... fast paced, electric and all consuming!

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From the minute I read Mason Cross' first Carter Blake book, The Killing Season, I knew I was going to be in for the long haul.  Now, with the fourth in the series, Don't Look For Me, read and placed neatly by the bed I feel quite bereft.  



What really piqued my interest with  Don't Look For Me is that we get to find out more about the mysterious Carol who has popped up more than once in previous books ... well that and the breakneck speed of the plot and the way Cross takes us to nooks and crannies of the states we don't normally see. Then, of course there's the fact that Don't Look For Me isn't only a fast paced thriller ... it's also a mystery or puzzle , and I just love puzzles.  There's lots of why's and what if's and slotting clues together ... all the hallmarks of a good murder

Book 1
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mystery ... albeit one on speed!

In a small suburb of LA, Sarah makes friends with her neighbour, Rebecca.  When Rebecca and her husband disappear Sarah is convinced there's something strange about it. This feeling is intensified when some armed strangers break into their house in the middle of the night.  Curious, ex- journalist Sarah, fobbed off by the police, sneaks into the house and finds a mysterious journal containing sketches and an email address ...

Book 2
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Blake, having taken a long sabbatical on the coast of Mexico, is getting antsy when he receives a mysterious message via a very old email address. The contents of the email compel him to re-visit his past and he sets off to help Sarah find her friend.
And, have I mentioned the 'baddie'?... no?... well Trenton Gage is fantastic.  Threatening, huge, immoral and really, really scary ... oh and I nearly forgot he's got an Achilles heel of his own!

From the title  to the very last page, Don't Look For Me is chock -full of suspense and has all the ingredients to keep you hooked.  Carter Blake is as enigmatic a character now as he was in book one.  The intensity of the plot drives you forward at breathtaking speed, so hold onto your breeches. The action scenes are as convincing and well described as any of Simon Kernick's.  Cross skillfully manages to imbue

Book 3
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Blake with just enough emotion to keep us invested in his character without detracting form the action.  I find Blake totally intriguing.  His moral code, his skill set, his understated humour and his solidity  combined with his inability to share and his enforced secrets, make him deliciously appealing.
In a recent creative writing workshop I delivered I used the prologue to Don't Look for Me as an example of suspense ... I could have used almost any chapter from the book with the same effect.  This series is still one of my favourites.  

If you want to find out more about the enigmatic Carter Blake look out for my Detectives In The Dock series in a few days time where the man himself will reveal some of his many secrets!