Review: Dead Game by Jennifer Chase Added Chase to My Must-Read Author List!

Dead Game:

An Emily Stone Novel

By Jennifer Chase
Outskirts Press
ISBN: 9781432751289
370 Pages


I was pleased to receive the notice in the mail from Jennifer Chase that her second book, Dead Game, had been published! Having read her first Emily Stone novel, Compulsion, I was immediately involved with the main character. But her second book, Dead Game, shows not only Chase’s growing expertise as a serious writer, but by partnering Emily with a wonderful male lead/romantic interest, Rick Lopez, she has expanded the potential for a series that I predict will only get better and better!

Emily Stone developed a compulsion—she tracks child victims of pedophiles, kidnappers or others out to harm children. Her resources have been so well developed that she is always way ahead in any investigation and normally has determined the location of the child and submitted everything needed by the police so that they can quickly work to close the case and return the child home.

But this time, Emily’s compulsion to help children is set aside as Rick needed her support when Milt, a long-time friend and mentor was killed, apparently as a result of some type of private investigation he was making concerning serial killers.

But this serial killer is like no other—he does not participate, he only watches the victims as they die...over and over and over...
Two young men, who had been like sons to Milt, both wanted to help find out what had happened. An amusing sidebar to the primary story is that one of them, Jordan, becomes interested in Emily while jealous Rick hovers. This reader hopes that Jordan comes back as a regular character, not only because of the personal relationships, but because of who and what he was at the beginning of the story!

Solving Milt’s murder soon leads directly to the company for which Jordan and Derek work and who were both involved in the creation and utilization of the “Dead Game.”

One thing I love about thrillers that involve use of the Internet is that there is always something “potential” that is part of the suspense. In this case, somewhere—out there—is a secret social networking site—you guessed it, for serial killers! Yes, the opportunities for using the Internet for bad as well as good have always been and will continue. But I love to have authors show the potential and how the good guy wins out! In this book, I especially enjoyed how the police worked with those who were experts in solving the crime. This may not actually happen in real life...but who knows, if we read enough books with that theme, somebody in our bureaucratic nation might pick up the idea and do some really great “stuff” for the country!

The tension, twists and turns in Dead Game are perfect! This thriller was truly a “read through in one sitting” for me and I loved everything that Jennifer Chase put into this, her second novel. I’ve just added Jennifer Chase to my Trackle list of “must-read authors!”

Need I say more...

G. A. Bixler