Illona Haus

Illona Haus has done it again. I loved this book. Blue Justice is the third in the Kay Delaney series. When Kay discovered her pregnancy at the end of Blue Valor, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. Would she tell Finn? Would they get back together? Or, would she have an abortion? When I started reading Blue Justice I was just itching to find out what was going to happen. I kept reading and reading, waiting for some indication. Was Kay a mother? Was she a few months pregnant? Then It was finally revealed on page 72."She had cried that evening, alone in her dark apartment. When she was done, Kay sworn she wouldn’t cry for Finn again. And she hadn’t. At least, not for another four months, when she’d lost that last precious piece of him."I was sad when it was revealed that Kay had lost the baby. I was really looking forward to Kay becoming a mother. I thought Kay becoming a mother would make her character a little softer. She is such a hard-ass sometimes. But I love her character anyway.I was really glad that Micky had a bigger role in Blue Justice. I like her character. I think she’s a younger version of Kay. I hope that she will make appearances in future books. What I enjoyed most with the book was the ending. It looks like Kay might actually settle down with Finn. I hope that she does anyway. It’s just sad that it had to take the thought of losing Finn, because of his medical condition, for her to realize she belongs with him.Overall Blue Justice was action-packed and so-very-hard to put down. It took me all of 8 hours to finish. I really recommend it and the whole series. Now I have to wait, not too long I hope, for the 4th installment.… (altro)

Blue Mercy is a Masterpiece!

In Illona Haus’ debut novel Blue Mercy, she pits her protagonist, Kay Delaney, against serial killer Bernard Eales, who had gunned down her partner and savagely beat her the year before. Although Eales is awaiting trial and all the evidence points to his guilt, a shadow is thrown over the case when a new murder spawns some serious questions.

Paired with her ex-lover Finn, Kay investigates the murder of their star witness against Eales, and is shocked to find similarities between Eales’ past victims and the fresh case. Could they have made a mistake? Could Bernard Eales possibly be innocent? Or is there a darker explanation? These are the questions you’ll find yourself asking while reading Haus’ breakneck-paced plot.

As a fellow Canadian author, I must bow to Illona Haus’ firm grasp of forensics, pathology and crime scene investigation, as well as her expertly carved character development and pacing. Kay Delaney comes across as feisty, smart but jaded, while her partner Finn has enough uncertainty to keep him real, and not just another hotshot cop character.

What I liked most about Blue Mercy was that there were enough twists and turns to keep me satisfied and questioning my own predictions. For an avid mystery reader and a mystery writer, this is hard to come by. Too many plots are predictable and tame compared to Haus’ Blue Mercy. She has added a potpourri of fascinating characters to a steaming cauldron of murder, resulting in a book that is appetizing and fresh.

Kudos, Illona! Fantastic, frenetic fun! Can’t wait to read the next one.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
Canadian suspense author… (altro)