Power Struggle: An absolutely chilling mystery packed with heart-pounding suspense

Carolyn Arnold

Nov 2017 · Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc.

About this ebook

“Gritty and emotionally jagged… Power Struggle pours on the suspense as one twisted assassin plays hide-and-go-seek with a detective who refuses to give up.” –Tome Tender Book Blog

 

He led her into the barn and locked her in a small cage, and he left her there—alone—for now. But she had a feeling he’d return and when he did… She closed her eyes, not even wanting to think about could come next.

 

Detective Madison Knight is called to investigate the murder of a man who was stabbed multiple times and found in his home. Madison arrives on scene, but it isn’t the bloody mess that shakes her—it’s the victim’s identity. His name was Jimmy Bates, and he’s the man who killed her grandfather.

 

She struggles to remain objective, but she has a gut feeling Jimmy’s past connection to the Russian Mafia might have gotten him killed. It’s the motive that’s proving elusive to her. But when a woman—also connected with the mob—turns up murdered, a picture starts forming for Madison. If she’s right about why Jimmy and the woman were targeted, there’s something very dark and sinister going on in her city, and it puts Madison squarely in a killer’s crosshairs.

 

Her suspicions are given merit when Madison receives a letter threatening her and her loved ones, and the stakes only get higher when her sister, Chelsea, goes missing. Madison takes that for what it really means: the hit man who almost killed her months ago is back, and he’s calling her out for one final showdown. Only one of them will survive.

 

Power Struggle is an absolutely chilling mystery packed with heart-pounding suspense. Perfect for fans of Lisa Regan, Angela Marsons, and Leslie Wolfe.

Readers love Power Struggle:

 

“Power Struggle is a crime television show in written form!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Arnold… writes so gritty. It’s exactly what you would expect from hard detectives that are way too overworked.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“An intense, suspenseful twisted chase to the final face-off!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Arnold’s work is definitely on par with the top writers in crime, and this book was no different.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Full of suspense.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This novel shows how much a writer can understand her genre and target audience to make sure every in and out is authentic.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A gripping story which left me wanting to read more of the Detective Madison Knight series.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Another brilliant book from Carolyn [Arnold].” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“This one will get your adrenaline as well as your blood pressure up a notch or three!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A fantastic crime thriller—very realistic and hooked from start to finish.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A page-turner; fast-paced and exciting throughout.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Arnold has created a novel that really takes the reader into the lives of her characters.” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ratings and reviews

After being almost killed by a Russian mob hit man, Madison Knight is beginning to pull herself together. She has the occasional nightmare, the more often flashbacks, a bit of PTSD, but she's getting better with the help of a therapist and the love of her boyfriend. But the hit man is back ... and he wants to finish what he started. He's brazen enough to send her a letter announcing his arrival .. and threatening to kill her family and all those she loves. Madison and the entire police department is looking for him, but when her sister goes missing, she knows the end game is in sight. This is a terrific addition to the series! The Russian mob has been a running thread through the last several books and a lot of those threads will be solved. The characters are well defined and it's been a pleasure watching as Madison has aged, has seemingly turned her personal life around and survived whatever life has thrown at her. Her devotion to her family comes through in bright lights in this story. The premise is a good one with lots of excitement, credible suspects as bodies fall, and a cold hearted villain. Although this does fine as a stand-alone, as always, I highly recommend starting at the beginning so as to not miss any of those nuggets that make this a top notch series. Many thanks to the author for the advance digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

What better way to spend a winter’s night than with a good book and the right atmosphere for a brilliant read. Carolyn Arnold has done it again. This time Madison is under threat but does not know where or when the attack will happen. The psychological mind is expertly probed and described on how we react to the fear of the unknown. Character traits and beliefs are at the forefront of this tense and absorbing thriller. When your life is challenged to the ultimate test of to survive you must kill, what would we do? A fast paced page turning tense psychological thriller which draws the reader in to the dark side of the human nature. How does the normal person react when faced with danger no-one knows until it is out to the test but Carolyn writes with an in-depth knowledge of the human psyche. Praise for Carolyn Arnold and Madison Knights trials and tribulations a great read.

Power Struggle is a murder-mystery with a thriller tone that takes the readers on a journey of action, suspense and emotions.  Madison Knight, a smart and strong detective, is not one to go down without a fight, even when the stakes are high. The nightmares haunted her ever since Constantine Romanov, a Russian hit-man, slid through the prison bars ten months ago. She tried to remind herself of how impossible it is for him to return to Stiles—the fictional city this story is set in—but when a murder case pops up, Madison knows how this all can connect back to the Russian mafia; all she needs is a proof or Constantine himself. I really liked this book. The third-person limited narration works as the strongest asset of the story. It's uncommon to find a murder mystery that not only keeps the suspense built or the killer a secret but also tags the readers alongside the protagonist. There aren't any disclosures or firm theories shoved in the face of the reader; there are possible speculations that are mentioned even if they aren't correct. This made it possible to penetrate the mind of Detective Knight and actually live the conundrum.Tiny details are mentioned and pondered over to give an insight to the way Knight worked...or thought. Another positive point is the slow disclosure of revelations; this made the story more of a progressive account rather than an information dump. Everything doesn't makes sense immediately but as things keep unraveling, the bigger picture comes into focus. It's almost phenomenal how everything is intriguing to a reader despite of being exposed to all the current happenings in the scene. Characters are quite well developed with a special, and much deserved, emphasis on the main character, Madison. She is an excellently crafted persona who isn't flawless or ideal. She makes mistakes, she regrets making those mistakes, and tries her best to correct them. Not only this, her commitment issues made her relationship with Troy, her boyfriend, difficult, leading to more turmoil to an already long list of issues. Madison's equation with her mother is another addition to a hard but realistic life of this character. Basically, the story is not just about a killer and his killing, but also dips into the protagonist's problems. The climax was good. More than the execution of it, I loved how it revolved around our fighter lady and she did what she wanted to do—what she had to do. There wasn't any damsel in distress situation set up for a man, or the SWAT team (of which Troy was a part of) in this regard, to rescue Madison or her sister, Chelsea. This definitely fueled my need for strong female characters and all in all, made my day! Another teeny tiny bit that made my feminist soul happy was how Madison wasn't resigning from this case, despite of her personal connection to the scenario, because she wanted to prove to her boss that the police force is not a boys-only-club.  Just one thing that didn't work for me—and cost a half-star—was the failure to not use the mainstream tactic that pops into one's head when there's a number code to decipher. Over the entire length of the novel, the expert team who had strained their eyes by continuously staring at the ten digits, that were meant to be something, couldn't figure out what it was. In fact, this wasn't even what let me down; it's the timing of the revelation that disappointed me. Suddenly, now that the climax is going to peak, everybody gets to this ten-digit-code and cracks it in a few minutes...what? Why didn't they try doing that all this time? And the code is apparently an important evidence and clue. I totally recommend this to those who enjoy murder-mysteries and a female detective who is keen on solving a crime as well as her own dismantled life. 

About the author

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Book Series by Carolyn Arnold:

Detective Madison Knight

Brandon Fisher FBI

Detective Amanda Steele

Matthew Connor Adventure

Sara and Sean Cozy Mystery

CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has several continuing fiction series and has many published books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy mysteries, police procedurals, and thrillers to action adventures. Her crime fiction series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining. This led to her adopting the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.

Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.

She currently lives near London, Ontario, Canada with her husband and two beagles.

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