Title: Deep Down Dead
Author: Steph Broadribb
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Format: E-book
Date of Publication: October 15th 2016
Publisher: Orenda Books
ASIN: B01F3F4480
Lori Anderson is as tough as they come, managing to keep her career as a fearless Florida bounty hunter separate from her role as single mother to nine-year-old Dakota, who suffers from leukaemia. But when the hospital bills start to rack up, she has no choice but to take her daughter along on a job that will make her a fast buck. And that’s when things start to go wrong. The fugitive she’s assigned to haul back to court is none other than JT, Lori’s former mentor – the man who taught her everything she knows … the man who also knows the secrets of her murky past.
Not only is JT fighting a child exploitation racket operating out of one of Florida’s biggest theme parks, Winter Wonderland, a place where ‘bad things never happen’, but he’s also mixed up with the powerful Miami Mob. With two fearsome foes on their tails, just three days to get JT back to Florida, and her daughter to protect, Lori has her work cut out for her. When they’re ambushed at a gas station, the stakes go from high to stratospheric, and things become personal.
The story starts off great and it immediately pulled me in too. There is great pace and edge of the seat action in the plot. But after the mid-point, I found the pace to slow down a bit. Also, there were some plot twists I could guess beforehand, which was a bummer. But what kept me glued to the book were the three main characters – Lori, JT and Dakota. I was invested throughout in Lori’s story and wanted to know more. I also wanted to know what role does JT play in Lori’s life and how does it matter. And, as for Dakota, I was worried for her safety till the end. Lori Anderson as the female protagonist of this story stands out than the rest of the female protagonist we see these days in novels. She is tough, strong, quick, bad-ass and can kick butt anytime. And at the same time, she is emotional, loving and caring. Both these contrasts make Lori a real person and I appreciated it.
Final Verdict –
Deep Down Dead by Steph Broadribb gets 3.5 stars out 5 stars from me.