REVIEW

Review - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, Patricia Kristensen

Reviewed By
Karen Chisholm

The second of the Jennifer Shot series I've read, SHOT THROUGH THE HEART is Australian crime fiction of the humorous, slightly dippy female protagonist kind. The sort of girl (and that's appropriate in this case) that lives a quirky alternative lifestyle (this time in an old multi-storied mansion type house in Tasmania - with a view and, I think, a turret or something). She shares that house with a bunch of eccentric types, and they all live one of those slightly breathless, wise-cracking, funny chats, ribbing each other constantly, all good friends together scenarios that's full to the brim of friendship, joking and harmless japes.

On reading an earlier book in this series, THE FIRST SHOT, this reader had some reservations about that whole heavy-handed humour thing, although that book did seem to show some promise, particularly in the set up for the central character, Jennifer Shot.

Whilst SHOT THROUGH THE HEART does continue firmly down the path of the heavy-handed humour, and is still very much from the softer, sillier side of crime fiction, alas the jokes don't seem to work as well. The banter this time out is in the 75kg+ weight-lifting category and seems to have taken over.

To be fair, this sort of style is most definitely not my preferred reading material. Although those that have worked, tend towards a better balance between plot and character and are less caught up in the whole "cleverness" of the chatter between the characters. There is a fundamental element - the crime - that gets a lot more focus. Particularly when you are dealing with killers of the serial variety and a startlingly rapid pile up of bodies.

None of this was helped by the rather predictable elements of an international drug ring, a couple of romantic interests in the persona of an American mercenary and the policeman old flame, with a dollop of handsome millionaire complicating matters for the heroine who, it seems, is the centre of all attention. All of which probably goes to say there's likely to be an audience out there that's a lot more receptive than this one.

BOOK DETAILS
BOOK INFORMATION
ISBN
9781631354731
Year of Publication
Series
Book Number (in series)
3
BLURB

Summer sizzles as Jennifer Shot, law student and private detective, begins her end-of-year vacation. But serial killers don’t take holidays. The bodies of beautiful dead women are washing up on Tasmanian beaches. Hunter, an American mercenary, who Jennifer has worked with on other cases, is tracking an international drug trafficking ring and enlists her help.

Jennifer finds herself spying on her first love, the devilishly handsome, Antonio Italiano, who arrives in Tasmania on his super yacht, The Sea Princess, and in the middle of a murder case involving the serial killer known as The Seaside Strangler.

The lead investigator is Jet Damon, a local police officer and old flame, who Jennifer has known since primary school and who stole her first kiss.Hunter and Jet jostle for Jennifer’s affections, while Jennifer still struggles with her feelings for Antonio. But things are about to get even hotter for Jennifer as she finds herself following a trail of drugs, money, and murder. The Strangler is also hunting… one of them.

Review Review - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, Patricia Kristensen
Karen Chisholm
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
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