Author Unpublished

Title: Rogue Alliance

Author: Michelle Bellon

Genre: Thriller, Science-based Paranormal

Rating: 5 stars

Description/Synopsis: Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough, sassy cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding, she is thrown into a world of organised crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood.

As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, an unwitting and troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong.

Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it.

WARNING - SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT - REVIEW BELOW

This book was FANTASTIC. Thrillers and crime dramas are always 50/50 with me usually. Sometimes they're great, other times they're boring as heck. Luckily, this one is one of the great ones. I honestly don't know if there's anything negative I can say about this book.

The writing was clear, well-paced, and descriptive. The characters were unique, memorable and had depth. The voices were all unique, and really, the whole story was just fascinating. I am actually baffled by how amazing the writing was.

Michelle Bellon was able to do something for me that most authors can't; She took a seriously flawed main character with an addiction, and made me not sneer in disgust. I don't usually enjoy characters with drug or alcohol addictions - I find it unappealing to read about, and certainly don't usually find myself on  a level  with the character where I can even like them. In this book not only did I like the main character, I was cheering her on whole-heartedly. Bravo Ms. Bellon. Bravo.

This story is definitely a solid crime-drama / thriller type of book but also has a unique element: One of the characters is a science-driven paranormal creature. In fact, he's a man-made vampire, or at least as close to a vampire as he can get with genetic engineering and microchips. What's absolutely wonderful about this book though, is that it took a supernatural monster that we're all familiar with (and now sneer at due to all the media over vampires lately) and created something new. He's a vampire in the sense that's important: he does drink blood and actively feed on people, but, he's also very human and dare I say: endearing. I was rooting for Brennan from the first moment he made an appearance in the book. He was the perfect mix between hard-headed male ego and a lost child that wasn't sure where he fit in world, or who he could trust. I just wanted to give the man a hug.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good thriller or crime-drama, but I'd also recommend it to anyone who's just looking for an engaging, endearing love story. You will not regret this buy. I know I'll be looking for more of Ms. Bellon's books in the future.