So yesterday night, I read Hard Evidence by Pamela Clare and here is what I thought:
Hot cover right? :D I don't know why, but ever since I saw this cover (I think it was on KristieJ's blog), I always thought that they were in the rain... but in the shower makes more sense ^^;
Tessa couldn't get coffee from her favorite coffee shop because she got off work too late. So instead of some high quality coffee, she gets something slurpy and muddy, coffee from a gas station. She was about to pay when a young Latino girl runs in, asking for help in Spanish and saying that they will kill her. Few seconds later, a black car stops by, shoots the Latino girl and leaves. While giving her statement to the police, she sees a man, with long hair tied into a ponytail and wearing a black leather jacket, hang out outside of the station... then, the next second, he has vanished.
Tessa is an investigative reporter and of course, this murder is news to her. As a result, she shares her view in an article with the population about what she witnessed... As she investigated on her own, she writes some more dangerous articles such as street gangs and human trafficking. All this of course brings her close to danger and the only person able to keep her safe is that stranger she saw at the station after the shooting.
Julian is an undercover cop. He used to work for the FBI, but resigned when 2 other agents got killed and another got shot during an operation he was supervising. During the same operation, the target also managed to escape and Julian has spent the last few years of his life trying to bring Burien down. Burien deals with human trafficking: extremely young girls that he forces into the prostitution witness. Now, Julian is working with Denver Police Department to catch Burien, demantle his network and protect Tessa.
Okay, so I liked the book :) and I really want to read Extreme Exposure. Anyhow, I liked the story and the characters. Tessa really sounds like a tough cookie, but she's really soft in real life and as for Julian, after years of undercover work and his background, he doesn't believe that he'll be able to get the house with wife and kids and white fence. I really like how Julian was described and what he had to do in his undercover work and how he was disgusted by it. Made him feel real to me. I also liked Tessa... it's quite understandable why she was ashamed of her family and need to get away. Although she hasn't spoken with her mom, she's been sending her money and that came as a surprise and it quite redeemed anything else she's done to change her past.
I seriously don't have many complaints, as the story was well written and suspensful, I like the slight twist, the epilogue and so on. But of course, if this book was perfect, it would have gotten a 5 instead of a 4. So what's my issue? I know Tessa is an investigative reporter... I know that the public has a right to know, but when is it going too far? I mean, by writing her articles, Tessa has put her life on the line quite a number of time... and not just her life, but others too. Is having the public know the truth, understand, get sensitized or whatever more important than your life or other's? I'm sorry if any of you are reporterséjournalists, but I think not. Tessa mentioned the power of the press, well I think that most of the time, it is bad ^^; So that's what annoyed me and at one point, I really wonder if Tessa was bright or TSTL... but turns out she's bright of course.
So that's it for Hard Evidence... I wonder if the author has another book from this 'series' coming out... hmmm. and anyone here who has read her historicals?
