{Book Review} All In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

{Book Review} All In by Jennifer Lynn BarnesAll In by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: The Naturals #3
Published by Disney-Hyperion on November 3, 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Suspense, Young Adult
Pages: 378
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Synopsis:

Three casinos. Three bodies. Three days.

After a string of brutal murders in Las Vegas, Cassie Hobbes and the Naturals are called in to investigate. But even with the team's unique profiling talents, these murders seem baffling: unlike many serial killers, this one uses different methods every time. All of the victims were killed in public, yet the killer does not show up on any tape. And each victim has a string of numbers tattooed on their wrist. Hidden in the numbers is a code—and the closer the Naturals come to unraveling the mystery, the more perilous the case becomes.

Meanwhile, Cassie is dealing with an equally dangerous and much more painful mystery. For the first time in years, there's been a break in her mother's case. As personal issues and tensions between the team mount, Cassie and the Naturals will be faced with impossible odds—and impossible choices.

The Naturals (The Naturals #1) Review | Killer Instinct (The Naturals #2) Review

Wow. This is a gripping and fast-paced series, and All In blew the first two out of the water. Mysteries are being tied together, and the Naturals are learning that maybe there’s something much, much bigger going on than they could have imagined.

Bodies are turning up at Vegas casinos; they have all been murdered in different ways, different places, but they all have a series of numbers marked into their wrists. It’s up to the Naturals to figure out who, what, when, where, why.

This book really made me love the ragtag teens that make up the Naturals team. Cassie is a great main character; you really feel her struggle as she deals with the break in her mother’s case, and how hard she works to compartmentalize so that she can focus on the serial killer terrorizing Vegas. And then there’s Dean, who is so perfect for Cassie. They just go together so well. I loved seeing them profiling together, trying to crack the case. It was almost like they could read each other’s minds. Sloane gets the most development in this one, since she has deeper ties to Vegas than the others, her character arc was quite sad, though it was great to see the other Naturals protecting her and taking care of her. Michael spent his break at home, which is never good, and you see him go slightly over the edge. He’s so likable, but he deals with so many demons. And then there’s Lia. Lia is quickly turning into my favorite character. She’s quite mysterious, and very clever, and I just want to know what makes her tick. I’m hoping the next book is more about her.

The way Jennifer Lynn Barnes tied everything together blew me away. It’s extremely clever, and I don’t want to give anything away so that you can enjoy the development. Every time the Naturals thought they had everything figured out, something happened that made them realize they were only at the tip of the iceberg.

Cassie and Dean’s romance is sweet, and I like that Cassie isn’t alone anymore and that she can lean on Dean, but their relationship is fairly inconsequential. I’m certainly glad it’s there, but the plot, character development and the friendships are by far more important than the romance.

This series is perfect for fans of Ally Carter; the premise is very unrealistic, but fun to read nonetheless. Definitely dark, since it’s dealing with getting into a serial killer’s head. Not for the faint of heart.

Content: Kissing, slight language, violence, disturbing images, serial killers. Recommended for 16+.

Book Review #2

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