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Customer Reviews for Tyndale House Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3

Tyndale House Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3

Officer Carly Edwards finds three young gangbangers shot execution style. This alerts Carly and her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, head of the gang unit, fear Las Playas may be on the verge of a gang war. The Las Playas Police departmentD is put on high alert as tensions escalate between rival gangs, especially after Carly confiscates weapons from a gang leader and learns they were stolen from a military base along with explosive devices.

However, something doesn't add up,and Carly suspects there might be more going on than is on the surface. As she prepares to testify at a major trial, Carly’s reputation is shredded by a reporter apparently trying to discredit her professionally. Facing pressure on all fronts, Carly must rely on faith and trust God in a deeper way during one of the biggest struggles of her career.

Average Customer Rating:
4.462 out of 5
4.5
 out of 
5
(13 Reviews) 13
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12 out of 1392%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Review 1 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

Enjoyable

Date:May 6, 2013
Customer Avatar
Ruth
Location:Upstate SC
Gender:female
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Another good read by Ms. Janice!Usually I have a 'sticky' handy to note things. This time I either didn't or there was nothing to note! Great. It means no euphemistic cussing etc! Sorry to see the end of the series, but three books is a good lot.
I am looking forward to more.
CRITICAL PURSUIT is previewed as the next book. Deja vu for me. Sounds and reads just like THE KEVLAR VEST, a previous book. If it IS re-package / re-write, I hope the editors do a better job than in the original. (confusion of lay & lie, laying/lying, hear and here, may & might, and cussing!) But most importantly: MAKE SURE THE READER / BUYER KNOWS IT IS A RE-DO?!
I recently started reading a "new" book --- and what a disappointment to find it was re-titled and had a different cover. No mention whatsoever about previously published etc. Very sad.
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Review 2 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Great story

Date:April 29, 2013
Customer Avatar
deanna13
Location:Jonesboro, LA
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Avenged by Janice Cantore is a well written, extremely suspenseful, and just an all around very good book. As Office Carly Edwards is beginning her graveyard shift with the Las Playas Police Department, she finds three young gang bangers that have been shot execution style. Her husband, Sergeant Nick Anderson, who is head of the gang unit for the LPPD, agrees with Carley that the city may be on the verge of a gang war. Carley is involved in a high speed chase and when she finally stops the car being driven by a gang leader, she finds the car is loaded with weapons that have been stolen from a military base. To make matters even worse, the thieves have also stolen several explosive devices. This incident and the heightened tensions between rival gangs puts the LPPD on high alert.
While Carly is preparing to testify at a major murder trial, a very militant reporter is trying to discredit Carley and destroy her professionally. This problem along with the threat of a gang war causes Carley to rely even more on her faith and trust in God. She has had problems before in her career but this one is more serious than any of the others. During the search of an abandoned building, Carley comes face to face with one of the men who wants her dead and he causes her to fall about fifteen feet from the balcony where they are standing. When the paramedics arrive they find the man dead on the balcony and Carley’s gun in her hand with two missing bullets.
The author does a fantastic job with the development of the plot, characters, and dialogue. The action scenes were so real that I was holding my breath part of the time and thinking that maybe I should hide to be safe. There were several sub plots in the story and each had a few twists and turns in the plot line and when I would think I had the puzzle solved, there would be another twist to the story. The author definitely knows how to hold the interest of the reader and keep them guessing how the story will end. The story had a great ending but you will have to read the book to learn all the solutions to all the problems that the police had to solve. Janice Cantore is a retired police officer and her twenty-two years of experience add greatly to the authenticity of the story. For me this makes the story more enjoyable and definitely believable. I also like the way the author had the two main characters seeking God’s guidance in their work and all parts of their lives.
I highly recommend this book to everyone who likes a great police drama with lots of suspense, a little romance, characters with a strong faith in God, and a happy ending.
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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Review 3 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Another winner by Janice Cantore

Date:April 15, 2013
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Vicky
Location:Lafayette, Indiana
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Finished number 3 in the Pacific Coast Justice series and this too was a "winner". I have enjoyed each one of Janice Cantore's books immensely. She is a retired police officer and her books hint at the type of work she did and I can see Carly Edwards as her in these books. They are written to entertain as well as show you the backstage of law enforcement and she throws in suspense to boot.
Carly Edwards comes upon three gangbangers shot execution style and fears that her city might be on the verge of a gang war. To compound the tension Carly finds weapons from a gang leader and finds out they were stolen from a military base. She and her husband Nick, head of the gang unit, are trying to find out the culprits behind all of these problems. In her investigation, her reputation is questioned by a reporter trying to discredit her professionally.
I found myself thinking I knew the culprit, then he was murdered off, so I went after another one and guessed wrong again. Loved the cat and mouse of the storyline, but loved that Carly's faith and trust in God had grown since the last book. She was fighting God for control in her life and finally figured out to "let go and let God". Loved how Nick and Carly have grown as individuals and a couple since the last book. I hate to see this series end since Nick and Carly were such great characters with lots of flaws that all of us have. Pick up her Pacific Coast Justice series and you will not be disappointed-promise
Thanks to Tyndale publishers for this free copy for my honest opinion.
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Review 4 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

A good police suspense

Date:April 9, 2013
Customer Avatar
jnjdet
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Avenged is the third book in the Pacific Coast Justice Series. I haven't read the others in the series so I jumped right into this novel. The author does a good job re-capping events that happened in the previous books so I didn't feel to out of it. There was obviously major tension between Carly and her husband, Nick which had since been resolved. The storyline kept my attention and the suspense was well done. If you enjoy police drama, this would be a good series.
I received this book free from Tyndale Pulishers in exchange for my review
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Review 5 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

Avenged

Date:April 5, 2013
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Julie Graves
Location:Oklahoma
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Value: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Carly and her partner Joe are the first on the scene of 3 gang members shot execution style. One is still alive but barely holding on. With all of the unrest by the Ocean’s First group protesting the renovation of the wharf area the town of Las Playas does not need a gang war to start, but that is exactly what it looks like is going to happen.
Carly is constantly in a state of worry for her husband Nick’s safety. With Nick and his team trying to find out what is going on with the two major gangs in the city he is in danger on a daily basis. Carly knows she needs to trust in the Lord for both of their safety, but knowing that and practicing trust are very difficult.
When Carly meets an ex-con looking for trouble she makes an enemy in him and his journalist girlfriend. The girlfriend is determined to smear Carly’s name and portray her as a crooked cop. Things don’t look good for Carly when her partner Joe is hurt on the job and several confrontations with the ex-con make it look like she is harassing him.
When it looks like so many things are being orchestrated by unknown people Carly, Nick and their fellow co-workers know that they need to find the perpetrators behind all of the happenings before it is too late. Who is out for revenge and what is the reason?
One of the things about Janice Cantore’s stories that I like is the attention to detail as far as police procedure goes. I like reading all of the technical stuff or “inside” stuff. Add in a bit of suspense and it all makes for a well-written adventure that I have enjoyed in each story. While I like Carly and Nick’s characters very well I find that Carly’s partner Joe could almost be a non-character. In each book he has had something happen that causes him to not be able to be a part of whatever investigation is going on at the time. The poor guy really needs a break! Avenged was an exciting read and I look forward to other books by Janice Cantore.
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Review 6 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Loved AVENGED--and I expect you will love it, too.

Date:April 3, 2013
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Anonymous
Location:Willows, CA
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This is the third book in The Pacific Coast Series, and if you are like me, you might like to start with the first two, Accused and Abducted. Also very good, I might add. Great reading for a rainy weekend.
Carly is a dedicated, honest patrol officer under scrutiny from the public and from coworkers. She's fighting for her career on the Las Playas police force at the same time trying to decide whether to accept an offer for a Homeland Security task force. More money and fascinating work--but more travel, too. More time away from home, from Chris, her husband. She might love the work and the increase in pay, but would it be worth the price?
The matter might be taken out of her hands. Someone is doing a great job in discrediting her. You know the type of person who looks at you and your skin crawls? What happens when you are a police officer and you get the crawlies? He seems to be the culprit, and Carly fights the urge to pull her gun on him whenever she sees him.
Carly is caught in so many quandaries she isn't sure which way to go. She knows God has the answers, but He doesn't seem inclined to share.
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Review 7 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Gripping Suspense in this Police Procedural

Date:April 1, 2013
After reading the final book in the Pacific Coast Justice series, Janice Cantore may just have jumped on to my "favorite authors" list. I've been reading a TON of romantic suspense novels recently, and Avenged is one of the best I've read in a while!
I really loved Carly and Nick and their relationship in this book! Just as they would think they had things all figured out, another challenge would pop up. It was refreshing to read about characters who were struggling personally (at times) but were really trying to respond differently than in the past and love each other well. That seems to be a hard balance to strike—in real life AND in fiction—but Janice pulls it off.
The suspense in this novel is gripping. The book is definitely stronger for all of Cantore's real-life experience as a police officer. The details of dealing with crime scenes, investigations, and other cops had me wondering if a career change might be in order. [Grin!] And I was glad to finally have answers to some of the loose ends from earlier in the series.
As much as I loved the plot and the characters, my favorite aspect of the book was how the author wove Christ throughout the book. Without being preachy, she tells a very gospel-centered story and I was encouraged throughout to look to Christ when things get tough.
I'm sad to see this series come to an end but look forward to reading Janice's next series. Who knows, maybe some of our old friends will show back up in future books?! If you enjoy suspenseful stories with a dose of romance, you're sure to enjoy the Pacific Coast Justice series! [5 stars]
I received a free copy of this book from Tyndale House in exchange for my fair and honest review.
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Review 8 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Made me want to write a mystery novel this good.

Date:March 26, 2013
Customer Avatar
Sufficient in Jesus
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I was not a reader of mysteries. Not until I met the phenomenal Ollie Chandler Series by Randy Alcorn. Deadline, Dominion and Deception opened up a new kind of books for me, and I have been looking for another mystery series ever since. In God's Providential timing, I joined Netgalley this month and Tyndale was offering Avenged by Janice Cantore. This book is the third book in The Pacific Coast Justice series, which follow the life of police officer Carly Edwards and her husband Nick. A series with a title like that sounds so good...and it is.
After putting away a man who murdered his wife, Theresa Burke, who was the mayor of Las Playas, Carly is considering moving to detectives division. She loves patrol and her partner Joe is a brother to her, but maybe it is time for a change.
Then comes the night Carly finds herself and Joe responding to the sounds of gun shots, and discover three young gangsters shot in the head. Only one of them is alive.
When Joe is injured during a foot pursuit of a gang leader, military weapons taken from an Army base where a reservist was killed are found in the gang leaders stolen car. The gang leader insists he didn't buy the weapons. They were given to him by a man who says he just wants to even the score after the three shootings.
Nick, Carly's husband, is now working in gang division after recovering from a shooting that left him wounded around a year before.
When he is caught in the middle of a gang-style drive-by shooting in which his partner Mickey is wounded, Nick thinks this is not all gang war as it seems. Someone is behind this. Who wants to start a gang war, and why? The Army base where the guns were stolen from lost explosives in the same theft, enough explosives to blow quite a big crater out of their city.
Who wants that much explosive? Is it "Oceans First," a radical environmentalist group that has created a tent city in Las Playas to hamper construction?
To Carly it seems there is one place that stays the same, Half Baked and Almost Grounded, the local coffeeshop where Ned and Ericka work. Until Ned's brother arrives, fresh out of a ten year sentence with covered with prison tattoos and evidence of some serious prison weight training.
He is Trouble with a capital T, and he threatens that one day he is going to hold all the cards.
When Londy a reformed gang member and employee at Half Baked disappears and is left bound to a newly made bomb in the back of a van in Carly and Nick's driveway, they know that someone with murderous plans is watching them.
Carly is a strong and feminine character. In book three she has remarried Nick, whom she had divorced after he had an affair. As Christians now they have committed to a godly marriage and partnership. I love their relationship- very realistic, with him wanting to protect her and her admiring him so much as he works the job he loves. I also appreciate Nick's desire to start a family, something that neither one wanted before they were saved. I can picture Carly being a good mother to children. She has a softness and a strength to her.
This book picks up to a quick pace and has a good bit of intensity. There are plot twists in it that I could not imagine untangling in one book...and this book is 378 pages long, giving us time for things to develop.
I read Avenged without reading either Accused or Abducted, and that only made me want to read the first and second books more! I am looking forward to reading books one and two, and I see a preview in the back of this book for Janice Cantore's next book....which I hope I will have the pleasure of reviewing! I can honestly say- I loved this book, including the adventure of reading it aloud to eager family who was listening!
As G. K. Chesterton said, "The detective story at its best allows the full range of human motivation, from hatred and greed to a desire for redemption, to play out in limitless ways. Moreover, given the universality of human emotion, the settings for a good detective story can be just as varied, from country houses to urban offices."
"Both the crimes and the confessions can be as catastrophic as lightning. Indeed, The Ideal Detective Story might do some good if it brought men back to understand that the world is not all curves, but that there are some things that are as jagged as the lightning-flash or as straight as the sword."
Makes me want to write a detective novel.
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Review 9 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5

Thrilling Police Novel!

Date:March 23, 2013
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Grace
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Avenged by Janice Cantore is the third book in the Pacific Coast Series. Although this was the first book I read by this author, the plot of this book stands alone, but is a continuation of the lives of the characters created in the two previous parts of this series. Janice Cantore is a retired police officer and brings the realism and accuracy of this profession to her writing. I found this book fast paced, exciting, and riveting while also being clean and appropriate for any reader of any age.
Officer Carly Edwards and her husband Sergeant Nick Anderson work for the LasPlayas PD. When a gang war escalates, Carly finds herself in the midst when she confiscates weapons from a gang warlord. When an over zealous reporter shreds her reputation, Carly questions her motive and innocence. Only her faith in God and support of her husband will lead her from this situation
I appreciated the insight shown in the personal relationship of Nick and Carly. The author reveals early on that they have recently had a re commitment to their marriage, but the struggle with this challenging career is far from easy. The periods of physical separation due to long shifts, the dangers of this job, and the mental stress is a continual struggle strengthened only by their faith in God and dedication to each other.
I always enjoy the opportunity to read the work of a new author. I will be reading Accused and Abducted, the first two books of this series.. If you enjoy drama, mysteries, and thrillers, this series is for you. I look forward to the next book from this author.
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Review 10 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5

Might be a good read if you're a 15 year old girl

Date:March 16, 2013
Customer Avatar
Mike
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Value: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
After I finished reading "Avenged", I visited a retailer website to read other reviews of this book. Honestly, I wanted to read what others had to say because I thought so little of this book. I find it interesting how two different people can read the same book or watch the same movie and walk away with entirely different opinions of it. Well, here goes nothin'.
I'll sum up my opinion of the book in one word: LAME. You're free to spend the $10 on the book if you want, or you could simply take my word for it. I think the target audience for Avenged would be more appropriate for teen-age girls, to be completely honest; it definitely wasn't a GUY book. Sure, there were guns, explosions, police chases, etc, but the main-main character was a chick, and the main characters were married -- not exactly a combo to grab a guy's attention (see the cover photo for a better idea). I thought is was rather minor league compared to today's popular suspense authors.
The author, Janice Cantore, is a retired Long Beach police officer, so there's no doubt she has the experience to write a good police novel. Unfortunately, that didn't come out in this. Now, maybe I have a low opinion of it because I, too, am a police officer and maybe I happen to judge "cop" books and shows rather critically. But I don't read Flynn or Baldacci in that way, so maybe I expected Cantore to be similar. She wasn't. Or maybe it's that I didn't read the first two books of the trilogy and was missing something with the character development. In any case, I wasn't enthralled in the book's plot.
I found there were many times Cantore wrote in "cop lingo" without explaining the lingo to her readers very well, if at all. Maybe she expected her readers to know the lingo already. But even as an officer myself, there was lingo that I don't use, have never used, and have never heard used by other officers. So, it makes me wonder if she was trying to push the cop thing just a little too hard rather than simply letting it happen.
But I digress. I did like the fact that her characters struggled with realistic issues of faith and practice. They experienced realistic stresses and pressures, and faith-talk was intertwined into the story well.
Beyond that, there's not much bragging I can do for the book. I give it just 2 stars out of 5.
Disclaimer: I received this book free of charge from Tyndale House Publishers in exchange for my unbiased review of it. All opinions are mine. I was not threatened or coerced to provide a positive review.
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Review 11 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Review from a Man's Perspective

Date:March 12, 2013
Customer Avatar
Rick
Location:Middleburg, FL
Age:35-44
Gender:male
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
This is the third book in the "Pacific Coast Justice" series by Janice Cantore. I have already read the first book, "Accused" and already read and reviewed "Abducted", so grabbing this one from the store shelf was a no-brainer. If you haven’t read the other books in this series, go buy them now. Go read my other reviews too so that you can see what a great reviewer I am 
Carly is preparing for the upcoming Burke trial where she will be the star witness. It’s because of her involvement that several corrupt officials have gone to jail, and hopefully Burke will be put away for murder. Nick is now the sargent of the homicide division, so they are juggling their work life, personal life and spiritual life. The atmosphere in their town of Las Playas is bristling with tension as environmental protestors have setup camp in Sandy Park to protest changes to the marina and new development along the shoreline. As if that isn’t enough, a gang war appears imminent between the two biggest gang rivals in town. On a chance encounter with the head of one of the gangs, Carly’s partner is sidelined with a knee injury. Carly is offered a job with a Federal Taskforce, so maybe Joe getting hurt is a sign. A recent parolee arrives on the scene along with a woman blogger who seem bent on discrediting Carly and her credibility. Then there’s a bomb at the local coffee shop, a protestor killed along the water, Carly is involved in another shooting and Nick is kidnapped! Do any of these things tie together? Will Carly be thrown off the force for complaints lodged against her? Where is Nick and will she find in him time? Yep, you guess it….. Go buy the book!
Since this is the last book in the series, it’s rather bittersweet. Carly and Nick have been such great role-models for not only top notch police officers, but as a great example of what communication should look like in a marriage. These two characters provide time for themselves together, separately and for Christ. I read a review that said her characters aren’t very believable because they appear to always be on a honeymoon. Well, if we turn it ALL over to Him, I believe that that is exactly what He wants us to look like as we go through out day to day lives. The constant theme I found through this book is that we must always remember the He is in charge and that if we turn it over to Him we have a better outlook on our lives. Will we have a perfect life to lead with no struggles or problems or cares? Not a chance. But we will know that He is there to protect us and to care for us through all those times.
Is this a "guy's book"? Most certainly! This books again is littered with police chases, bomb threats, gang killings and more. This was a very fitting end to two great characters that Ms. Cantore has been gracious enough to introduce us all to.
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Review 12 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Excellent suspence novel!

Date:March 10, 2013
Customer Avatar
Kristie
Location:upstate NY
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
I have been eagerly awaiting the release of the third book in Janice Cantore's Pacific Coast Justice series and "Avenged" is here and will be released on April 1st! I loved "Abducted" and "Accused" and this one did not let me down in the least bit! Carly and Nick finds themselves in the midst of gang fighting and tensions are running high between rival gangs. However, this is not the only danger and problems they are facing as Carly's reputation and career is put on the line when a reporter makes things difficult for her. Carly is struggling overall, and must trust on God as she has been learning to do over and over again.
Carly and Nick return in this fast-paced novel and I fell in love with them all over again and found myself rooting for both of them both in their professional lives as well as their personal lives. This is a must-read book for Cantore fans and suspense readers both! Cantore's style of writing makes it so easy to get into the story and involved in the characters' lives. This is one book you will be staying up late to read and finish!
*Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.*
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Review 13 for Avenged, Pacific Coast Justice Series #3
Overall Rating: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5

Date:April 8, 2013
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Jved267
Location:Detroit, MI
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Value: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Meets Expectations: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Someone is trying to start a gang war in Los Playas. Two gangsters are dead and one is in critical condition. Carly's husband, Nick, just transferred to gangs to lead the unit. Meanwhile, an eco group is protesting the renovation of the coastline, and their protests are becoming more and more violent. A new reporter is trying to discredit Carly in the press as she prepares to testify in the trial of a big crime boss. What else could go wrong? This fast paced action thrilled is well worth reading.
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