La Chasse (Book #2)

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 La Chasse: A Marie Perdita Suspense by Charles D'Amico continues the story of Marie as she catches Cappelano’s trail and discovers carving her own path may prove to be harder than she ever anticipated. Neil tells Marie that Cappelano’s plane went down near Morton, Mississippi, which is very close to where she is. Her years of working together with Neil kick in, and soon she finds the trail to Cappelano. But he is a tough man to find, and Marie knows her work is cut out for her. Believing that she owes Neil, she makes it her mission to find Cappelano, even if it takes her to the other side of the world. She will need the help of others though and she may have to take responsibility to lead the said team. As she traces Cappelano’s steps, she figures out that there are bigger fish to catch, and she needs to catch them before it is too late. 

 Author Charles D'Amico never disappoints. Marie’s story is packed full of action, suspense, and emotions. Marie has always been the character who thinks with her mind while also following her heart. She values her emotions and she pays attention to them, which is the reason why she is one of my absolute favorite characters. As always, the tension is thick from the moment the story begins. There is constant action that doesn’t end, the plot flows seamlessly until the end, and we also get a new protagonist in Marie. Marie’s growth is tremendous. At the beginning of the story, Marie is confident and emboldened by her desire to make Neil proud. She loses that confidence but she doesn’t let herself stop. Even when she is at her lowest, she has hope and that hope is what drives the story forward. As always, the research for the background is impeccable, and character-building is off the charts! Kudos! 

 Author Charles D’Amico has crafted another fantastic thriller for fans of the existing world of crime, mystery, and drama which he has so skillfully created. One of the things which I enjoyed especially about this work, which brought another new layer to the character of Marie, was the foregrounding of a strong, smart woman standing on her own two feet. Even though I started this series with Neil and his highly enjoyable methods, psyche, and dialogue, the more I read of Marie and the more she’s put to the test, the more I see her as a breakout star of the series and an admirable protagonist in her own right. And in this high-stakes, deep-mystery plot with no much history, it’s all the more impressive to see. Overall, I would once again recommend La Chasse and Charles D’Amico to crime, mystery, and suspense fans everywhere for storytelling with style. 

 I loved the narrative from the very first sentence. The writing gripped me with the opening sentence: “I’m used to being hunted, not the other way around.” This statement speaks a lot about the protagonist, a woman who has learned through hard times to trust her instincts, to be smart, and to stay out of danger. Now, she is taking the lead in a chase that involves so many high stakes. The way the author develops this character is exceptional and I enjoyed watching her as she gets into a new town, a town that isn’t very accommodating to outsiders, and as she moves through complex situations and unfamiliar terrains to track criminals. The author writes the setting in a competent manner, allowing readers a clear understanding of the way the places and environment affect the characters, especially the protagonist. The relationship between the characters and the relationship between the characters and setting are unmistakably described. La Chasse: A Marie Perdita Suspense has so many strengths — the skillful handling of character, the clever plotting, and the strong conflict that moves the story forward. This is a must-read entry for fans of Neil Baggio's suspense series. 

 I am always fascinated by Charles D'Amico’s gift for character and how he effectively uses the first-person narrative voice to entice readers. While the voice allows the point of view of the protagonist to come out clearly, it also brings focus to the narrative. The characters are real and Marie is easy to connect to; she is a character who is multi-layered and who has a lot to deal with in her personal life. While she is tough, it is hard for her to work in a team, and I loved the way the author handles this part of her personality. The stream of consciousness is a technique the author uses to fill in provide background information to the story, beef up the plot, and provide depth to the characters, and the backstory is deftly crafted to give readers enough information from other books in the series. This makes it easy for anyone who hasn’t read any of the books to follow the narrative. The prose is beautiful and littered with vivid descriptions. The emotions of the characters as well as their states of mind are competently written. La Chasse: A Marie Perdita Suspense is fast-paced, packed with action, featuring multi-dimensional characters who are genuinely flawed.