Filled with twists and turns, duplicity and miscalculations, A World of Hurt is a dark tale with emotional depth that will keep you guessing to the end. Heart pumping, anxiety inducing and thought provoking stuff from Mindy Mejia.
Kara Johnson is on the run from law enforcement when a DEA agent catches up to her and offers her a deal – become an informant or go to prison for her role in an illegal drug operation. Max Summerlin, the cop who made the biggest drug bust in Iowa history, joins a DEA task force set up to root out the remaining elements of the drug empire he disrupted. But everyone involved has their secrets and their true agendas are unknown. Now criminal and cop must work together to figure out the end game before they become the next victims of those lurking in the shadows who will do anything to come out on top.
The most compelling aspects of A World of Hurt both have to do with the characters actions in the story. First, they all have an agenda and seem to be keeping secrets that once exposed have the potential to dramatically change events. So trying to figure out each character’s agenda injects intrigue throughout the story. Second, there’s a great bit of soul searching that occurs. Especially with Kara and Max, who are both trying to figure out who they are and how to live their lives. Kara is trying to reconcile how her dark past led to the death of her true love and whether she’s worthy of love again. Max has prioritized work ahead of his family and friends and it’s putting a strain on his relationships that he must reckon with. These are thoughts that are highly relatable and humanize characters with whom we may not have a ton in common with. Then throw in car chases, gun battles, physical confrontations and a tad bit of poison and you’ve got a thriller with both action and depth that will keep you entertained to the end.
One last note – while A World of Hurt can be read as a standalone, it’s a better reading experience if you read To Catch a Storm first. This second book in the series picks up right where the first one ends, so knowing what took place previously will allow you to seamlessly dive headfirst into this one.
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Purchase A World Of Hurt
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Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
