Synopsis:
Two
men, two different generations, both initiated into a powerful organisation
that throughout history has sought control and use their power for destruction.
Two
men leaving behind a wake of murder, revenge and vengeance. Two men that will
stop at nothing, playing a game that only they know the rules.
One
man roams the dark London streets for his victims, preying on women of the
night. While the other stalks his victims in Seville, Spain; knowing that only
he could uncover the true motives of one of the world’s most infamous serial
killers – Jack the Ripper.
Book Review
Initiated to
Kill by Sharlene Almond is a historical thriller and mystery alternating
between modern day Spain and late 19th century Britain, the time of the
notorious Jack the Ripper.
The book is
good but not a light read; the reader has to be one that doesn't mind being
confused at times.
There are two
types of narration in the novel, third person for recounting events and
sometimes the thoughts of certain characters, as well as the first person for
who we later discover is Annabella, a student at Seville University. There are
also letters written by Jack the Ripper.
Annabella has
a scar on the back of her neck, while she doesn't have complete memory of how
she got the scar; she knows that on that day she lost her ability to hear.
There are
several mysteries in Initiated to Kill, some are major and some minor. Sharlene
Almond constantly gives the reader bread crumbs of information, keeping the novel interesting at all times.
One of the
things I enjoyed about the novel was Annabella's insights. Being deaf, she has
to rely on her other instincts and observations of facial expressions, enabling
her to decipher more than what people actually hear. She is able to decipher
tiny gestures that can easily be invisible to the average person but not to
her.
I also liked
the short chapters in Initiated to Kill, which, along with pace, help
the novel progress quickly especially since it's a long novel.
"But
now, something was approaching. Something that felt like a train hurtling along the
tracks, unable to stop or slow down. A train that would end in a wreck, lives
ruined and lives lost."
The novel opens
with a scene from the past related to masonic events and rituals. Shortly after,
we are introduced to the mystery of a missing girl and the detectives Valero
and Rivero, who despite trying hard to find the culprit(s), are always a step
or two behind.
Until chapter
87, the perpetrator is a mystery, only referred to as "he" and
"him". From one side, the investigators don't know who he is, and
from the other, we as readers see him luring the girls, who see him as someone
they trust but we don't get his name.
The novel has
a lot of characters, but each of them has a role to play. At first, I thought
there was no need to mention the names of the prostitutes from the Jack the
Ripper scenes, but later I realised that these names were the actual names of
the victims from that period, highlighting the historical aspect of the novel.
"A
glass smashed, a door banged closed. Silence filled her ears. An unwanted tear
ran down her cheek. She peered at the sun, wishing the magic that would turn the
moon to the sun would take her away. But nothing would rescue her, and she
could not leave."
Usually when
the reader feels that an answer to one of the many questions has been revealed,
several more arise.
One of the
things that didn't go well with me in Initiated to Kill was the going to
and back in the timeline. There is the time of Jack the Ripper, which is clear,
but there are references to Annabella's childhood, other events in the past and
events in the present. There is a lot of jumping between the present and the
past, which in turn is divided into several periods, some are from the late
1800s and some are from the 20th and 21st centuries.
I would have
preferred that the going in back in time parts were clearer, especially for
Annabella and in order: 1999, 2000, 2001 and so on.
I also did
not enjoy not knowing who was speaking or who the character in front of me was
in several chapters. There was a lot of he/she that caused more confusion than
suspense – for me at least.
There are
parallel assassins across time; there is Jack the Ripper and a modern day
psychopath with similar traits. I liked making a kind of compare and contrast, especially
after delving deeper into the novel.
Once the
reader feels they've got a grip on things, the author catapults us backwards or
forwards in time and things become confusing once more.
"Another
night of dreams left a nauseous feeling in my gut. That something was going to
happen. I never believed in psychics, never believed I had any ability. But the
overwhelming sense that something bad was going to happen intensified every
night."
An interesting
and new element in Initiated to Kill was the introduction of a new
character towards the end of the novel, which added to the mystery and
overgrowing list of suspicious characters.
The overall
pace of the novel is quick, but it picks up significantly towards the end with
a lot of action and chasing of the culprits or more victims. However, this rise
in pace brings in additional confusion, especially when the police discover
that there seems to be several perps.
My copy has
several typos and spelling mistakes – that bothered me, a lot. There was also a
lot of repetition in certain places like:
"Stepping
back, he allowed them into his spacious office. Mahogany furniture dominated
the spacious office."
Furthermore,
two other mysteries arise at the end of the novel, namely: the identity of
Annabella's father and the reason why the perpetrator wants her dead.
I both liked
and disliked Almond's way of leading – or misleading – the reader in thinking
who the perpetrator is and guessing at other events and character in the novel.
"Celestina's
absence was like a hot coal refusing to extinguish."
A reader of Initiated
to Kill would also need to be strong enough to handle some gritty and
grotesque scenes, particularly those related to Jack the Ripper. The novel also
requires a lot of patience and thinking. It's not a book you can read before
you go to sleep (it's gritty in some parts) and it needs someone who is alert
and ready to think.
Sharlene Almond, is applauded for the massive amounts of research carried out
for Initiated to Kill, as well as the beautiful descriptions used with a
variety of places, especially the University of Seville.
The confusion
aspect in the novel was tiresome for me; hence, my overall
rating is 3 stars.
Note: I received
a free copy of Initiated to Kill from author Sharlene Almond in exchange
for an honest review.
Note: Although I
finished this novel a couple of months ago, it's taken me a while to write my
review due to the complexity of the novel and the massive amount of bookmarks
and notes I've put in and written. (My apologies for the delay)
Teresa currently lives in beautiful Sacramento, CA with her husband, three adorable children and a dog named Parker that her son convinced them to adopt. When she's not at her day job or running around with her kids, you can find her in front of the computer writing, or with her head buried in another book. If you'd like to find out more about her, she can be found at www.teresaromanwrites.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive book release information.
