No Second Chances cuts through all the competition in the vast ocean of thrillers with a sharp plot and larger than life characters wrapped in a stylized narrative that feels real and current.
Rio Youres writes a beautifully compelling story with all the bling and darkness of Hollywood we have come to love from Michael Connolly’s Bosch series. Luke Kingsley, a down on his luck actor after being accused of murdering his wife, crosses paths with a kind and wild young spirited woman, Kitty Rae, when she saves him from a suicide attempt. Kitty dreams of becoming a Hollywood icon when she is not working as a drug courier. When she runs afoul of a Nordic crime boss and social media celebrity, she has no one but Luke to help her escape from dangerous killers hellbent on punishing Kitty for her transgressions. For Luke, this offers a purpose in his life again as well as an opportunity to find out what happened to his wife.
This is not your usual run-of-the-mill thriller. It ticks all the right boxes; riveting pacing, edge-of-your-seat action, and shocking twists that flip the narrative on its head. At the same time, it’s supercharged to convey the gut-wrenching emotions in a realistic tone that resonates with readers. The characters feel like they might be your next-door neighbors. The protagonists are given their due diligence in setting up rich histories that pave the way for their well-conceived choices, good and bad.
The action is perhaps one of the finest and most realistic depictions of combat in a civilian capacity. Luke Kingsley’s weapons training for action movies gives him the advantage of knowing his way around weapons but doesn’t make him invincible. The shootouts, car chases, and fisticuffs cater to the physicality and backgrounds of the characters and are written with the cinematic flair of going the extra mile in visualization that elevates the reading experience for thriller aficionados.
Besides the fantastic heroes, the spotlight also shines on the distinctive villain. Johan Fly, an ambitious criminal with a strong social media following and a secret violent streak. His Nordic ancestry comes out in his proclivity to use a special axe in taking out his victims. Rio Youres’s bone-chilling descriptions of Johan Fly strike fear deep into readers and Luke and Kitty alike. Having a well-established and frightening villain is hard to achieve in a thriller but Youres makes it happen.
This is a once-in-a-year reading experience that actually nails every single aspect ranging from emotional depth to brutal action and transcends genres to appeal to all readers. Rio Youres’s No Second Chances is a phenomenal book from cover to cover and there aren’t many books like it. A must-read!
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