Thrilled to Death by L.J. Sellers

photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Novel released: September 2010

Thrilled to Death is the third book in the Detective Wade Jackson mystery series by L.J. Sellers. It's her best one yet! It's official: the rest of Sellers' books are going on my wish list.

Thrilled to Death opens in a psychiatrist's office, where a young woman named Danette Blake is discussing the possibility of giving up her infant son for adoption. When Danette suddenly goes missing, her mother-in-law Kera hires Detective Wade Jackson to investigate her disappearance. 

I love Thrilled to Death because it's fast-paced and flows with ease. I wish the novel had been just a bit longer. 

Years ago, I belonged to a book club called "Sick Sh*t," in which we read only explicit, gory, and disturbing crime procedural novels. Thrilled to Death proudly falls into this category, but lacks super explicit details that can literally make you feel ill. Yet, the horrible crimes described in this novel are enough to make any reader cringe and ponder the true sickness of psychopaths and weirdos that roam the streets.

Thrilled to Death contains several red herrings, which makes it even more exciting. As a major fan of mysteries, I can promise this novel will definitely keep you on your toes!

Book two of the Detective Wade Jackson series, Secrets to Die For, doesn't quite hold a flame to Thrilled to Death. In my review of Secrets to Die For, I had mentioned feeling detached from Detective Jackson's character, however, I found Detective Jackson to be much more personable and relatable in Thrilled to Death.

Here are the first several books in Sellers' Detective Wade Jackson mystery series:

1. The Sex Club (2007)
2. Secrets to Die For (2009)
3. Thrilled to Death (2010)
4. Passions of the Dead (2010)
5. Dying for Justice (2012)
6. Liars, Cheaters & Thieves (2011) 
7. Rules of Crime (2013)
8. Crimes of Memory (2013) 

Have you read any of these mystery novels by L.J. Sellers, and if so, what did you think?