OMENS by Kelley Armstrong

A Cainsville Series Novel, Book One

Dutton Publishing
August 20^th, 2013
978-0-525-95304-3
Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense
Hardcover
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Library

4 Hearts

 

For Olivia Taylor-Jones, her life couldn’t be more perfect. The only daughter of a wealthy family, Olivia finds she is content with the life she has. Until she finds a shattering secret that will change her entire world. Now as the truth reveals itself that her biological parents are serial killers, Olivia is determined to figure out who she is and what happened so long ago. Her journey takes her to Cainsville, a small sleepy town outside Chicago that holds more secrets than even Olivia knows about. Aided by a local lawyer who has his own agenda on why he is working with Olivia, she finds that the more she uncovers the more questions she has.

Wow is all I can say after turning the last page of OMENS. Ms. Armstrong delivers an enthralling introduction into this new series with a spine tingling, edge of your seat story that leaves you breathless. I finished OMENS in less than two days and was completely captivated by it. I just could not put it down. Fast paced storyline delivers one twist after another as the reader is taken on a journey alongside Olivia as she searches for the answers she needs. The writing is tight and with this author’s trademark style, delivers a complex cast of characters to really fall in love with. What really cemented this book for me was how Olivia figured out one mystery only to find herself with several more to untangle. Ms. Armstrong really delivers a suspense filled story to get lost in.

Meet Olivia Taylor-Jones. Only daughter to a wealthy Chicago family, she finds her life shattered when she is told she is adopted and her biological parents were notorious serial killers, Todd & Pamela Larson, who are serving life sentences in prison. Needless to say, what charmed life Olivia enjoyed is now in pieces. I loved this main character. As Olivia tries to figure things out and deal with one betrayal after another, the reader finds themselves rooting for her to win the day as Olivia races to solve her past in order to find who she really is in the present. With a diverse cast of characters, Ms. Armstrong delivers multi-dimensional characters to enjoy while you flip the pages of this first Cainsville Series. From spooky powers that seem to haunt Olivia to people who have their own agenda; the author captures each of the characters personalities perfectly. I really loved the dynamics between Olivia and Gabriel, her biological mother’s former lawyer. One minute it is just business, the next they both are fumbling around trying to make heads and tails over things. The residents of Cainsville are at times spooky, magical and downright creepy yet the reader gets a hint at who some may be within the story. I really liked that aspect. The characters themselves keep the story flowing smoothly as one more piece of the puzzle fits and as more pieces tumble out.

OMENS are a wonderful lyrical story that draws you in from the first page and doesn’t let go until the very last page is read. If you are looking for a different sort of paranormal suspense/mystery to enjoy, I highly recommend OMENS to you. The story will keep you glued to the pages until the very end. Now all I can ask is, when will book two come out? I can’t wait to see where Ms. Armstrong goes with this series in the future.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement