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Nikki Griffin #1
Save Me from Dangerous Men
Nikki Griffin isn't your typical private investigator. In her office above her bookstore’s shelves and stacks, where she luxuriates in books and the comfort they provide, she also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love. And Nikki likes to teach those men a lesson, to teach them what it feels like to be hurt and helpless, so she can be sure that their victims are safe from them forever.
When a regular PI job tailing Karen, a tech company's disgruntled employee who might be selling secrets, turns ugly and Karen's life is threatened, Nikki has to break cover and intervene. Karen tells Nikki that there are people after her. Dangerous men. She says she'll tell Nikki what's really going on. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case—she's trying hard to stay alive.
Part Lisbeth Salander, part Jack Reacher, part Jessica Jones, Nikki Griffin is a kickass character who readers will root for as she seeks to right the world's wrongs. S.A. Lelchuk’s Save Me from Dangerous Men marks the beginning of a gripping new series and the launch of a fabulous new character.
When a regular PI job tailing Karen, a tech company's disgruntled employee who might be selling secrets, turns ugly and Karen's life is threatened, Nikki has to break cover and intervene. Karen tells Nikki that there are people after her. Dangerous men. She says she'll tell Nikki what's really going on. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case—she's trying hard to stay alive.
Part Lisbeth Salander, part Jack Reacher, part Jessica Jones, Nikki Griffin is a kickass character who readers will root for as she seeks to right the world's wrongs. S.A. Lelchuk’s Save Me from Dangerous Men marks the beginning of a gripping new series and the launch of a fabulous new character.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published March 19, 2019
399 people are currently reading
9,705 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Lelchuk
2 books315 followersS.A. Lelchuk's debut, SAVE ME FROM DANGEROUS MEN, was published in 2019 and is the first book in a series featuring bookseller and private investigator Nikki Griffin. The sequel, ONE GOT AWAY, released in spring 2021. He grew up in New Hampshire and splits his time between Oakland, CA and NH, where he teaches creative writing at Dartmouth College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 767 reviews
February 21, 2019
I am not sure if I love the title of SA Lelchuk's all action debut thriller, but I found it a pulse pounding, tense and thrilling read. For a start, the central character of Nikki Griffin is so compelling with her heartbreaking personal history. It is this background that has made her what she is today, a kick ass woman who will do whatever it takes below the radar to ensure that abused women gain safety and receive justice, a justice that Nikki has no compunction about meting out to the abusers. She rides her beloved Aprilia motorbike, and carries various items on her person to guarantee she is no victim, with the skills and expertise to fight her way out of most scenarios. Set in Oakland, California, Nikki operates out of her popular secondhand bookshop, The Brimstone Magpie, with various book groups meeting there. Nikki is a PI, taking on a raft of cases, from surveillance of cheating partners to more interesting cases, like the one Gregg Gunn has just offered her.
Gunn is a tech CEO of Care4, a cutting edge surveillance baby monitor company, and he turns to Nikki, worried that one of his employees, Karen Li, is passing on corporate technological developments to outside parties. As Nikki follows Karen, something does not make sense, Karen is meeting what looks like very dangerous men, and she looks terrified. Nikki breaks her cover when a life or death situation arises to save Karen, but tragedy ensues that has her feeling rage and guilt. As Nikki races against time to prevent a unknown predicted calamity, she decides to go it alone to get to the truth of what is going on, rejecting the notion of working with the FBI. She is going to need all the help she can get in what turns out to be a complex and highly dangerous investigation. For that, she turns to good friends and contacts that include ex-journalist Charles Miller, motorbike enthusiast Buster, and Oliver, a shadowy concerned employee of Care4, a colleague of Karen's.
Lelchuk has created a fabulously compelling central protagonist in Nikki Griffin, a psychologically disturbed woman with her heart in the right place as we see her helping Zoe, an abused woman. She is receiving counselling that she is forced to endure, although it seems to be making some progress. Nikki's past has resulted in her only family being her brother, Brandon, a heroin addict that she tries to protect from the horrors of his nightmares. She develops a budding relationship with Berkeley English graduate, Ethan, but who she is often undermines and threatens the possibility of building committed long term relationships. One of my most favourite things about this novel is the literary allusions and references littered throughout the narrative, such as the Dickens reference in the name of the bookshop. This is a wonderfully entertaining read, so okay you have to suspend disbelief, but hey, this is fiction. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
Gunn is a tech CEO of Care4, a cutting edge surveillance baby monitor company, and he turns to Nikki, worried that one of his employees, Karen Li, is passing on corporate technological developments to outside parties. As Nikki follows Karen, something does not make sense, Karen is meeting what looks like very dangerous men, and she looks terrified. Nikki breaks her cover when a life or death situation arises to save Karen, but tragedy ensues that has her feeling rage and guilt. As Nikki races against time to prevent a unknown predicted calamity, she decides to go it alone to get to the truth of what is going on, rejecting the notion of working with the FBI. She is going to need all the help she can get in what turns out to be a complex and highly dangerous investigation. For that, she turns to good friends and contacts that include ex-journalist Charles Miller, motorbike enthusiast Buster, and Oliver, a shadowy concerned employee of Care4, a colleague of Karen's.
Lelchuk has created a fabulously compelling central protagonist in Nikki Griffin, a psychologically disturbed woman with her heart in the right place as we see her helping Zoe, an abused woman. She is receiving counselling that she is forced to endure, although it seems to be making some progress. Nikki's past has resulted in her only family being her brother, Brandon, a heroin addict that she tries to protect from the horrors of his nightmares. She develops a budding relationship with Berkeley English graduate, Ethan, but who she is often undermines and threatens the possibility of building committed long term relationships. One of my most favourite things about this novel is the literary allusions and references littered throughout the narrative, such as the Dickens reference in the name of the bookshop. This is a wonderfully entertaining read, so okay you have to suspend disbelief, but hey, this is fiction. Many thanks to Simon and Schuster for an ARC.
November 19, 2019
I take notes for the review as I read the book and I’ll write the review with a similar chronology.
Love the Nikki character, strong point of view, strong writing craft. Nikki is multifaceted, three dimensional and yet flawed just enough. She has it all and might even supplant Jack Reacher.
Dangerous Men has a bookstore in it with a well-read Nikki who constantly talks about books. I love this aspect and even added a few books to my TBR pile. This book reminds me a little of Booked to Die also an excellent book. Five stars putting Lelchuk with Niki on my permanent to-be-read list
I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded, well done. Now if it only pays off.
For me there are four parts to a story arc, the conflict, complication, crisis and conclusion. The whole book hums along at five stars until we hit the crisis. The scene in the apartment (still in the complication) rescuing her brother far is better drawn and more dynamic than the crisis. I did not care the old trope, “meet me tonight I’ll tell you everything.” It was not motivated at all and I didn’t buy it. It was used to ramp up tension and didn’t work.
A scene needs five things to make it work. If too many of these five things are missing the scene is flat. This is the case where Nikki goes to pick up a motorcycle. The entire chapter can be excised and the novel can still stand on its own. This stopped the forward motion of the story.
The story is in first person which has its pros and cons. Nikki finds out what is motivating all the killings. She finds out how; “People are going to be killed.” She reads it on some papers but doesn’t tell the reader. We are in first person. Then later (much later) the crisis is drawn out for pages and pages of dialogue that is really exposition explaining how everything that happened in the book fit into the story.
There is a “ticking clock,” structure, which is great but if we don’t know what Nikki knows the tension drops off. There are two chapters after she finds out how, “People are going to be killed, where nothing happens to advance the ticking clock. The reader is in limbo just waiting and not knowing what is going on.
The conflict, the complication and the overall concept of this book is wonderful and because of it I would still recommend this book. I will also definitely pick up the next book with Nikki, she’s wonderful character who is easy to spend time with.
Love the Nikki character, strong point of view, strong writing craft. Nikki is multifaceted, three dimensional and yet flawed just enough. She has it all and might even supplant Jack Reacher.
Dangerous Men has a bookstore in it with a well-read Nikki who constantly talks about books. I love this aspect and even added a few books to my TBR pile. This book reminds me a little of Booked to Die also an excellent book. Five stars putting Lelchuk with Niki on my permanent to-be-read list
I enjoyed how the mystery unfolded, well done. Now if it only pays off.
For me there are four parts to a story arc, the conflict, complication, crisis and conclusion. The whole book hums along at five stars until we hit the crisis. The scene in the apartment (still in the complication) rescuing her brother far is better drawn and more dynamic than the crisis. I did not care the old trope, “meet me tonight I’ll tell you everything.” It was not motivated at all and I didn’t buy it. It was used to ramp up tension and didn’t work.
A scene needs five things to make it work. If too many of these five things are missing the scene is flat. This is the case where Nikki goes to pick up a motorcycle. The entire chapter can be excised and the novel can still stand on its own. This stopped the forward motion of the story.
The story is in first person which has its pros and cons. Nikki finds out what is motivating all the killings. She finds out how; “People are going to be killed.” She reads it on some papers but doesn’t tell the reader. We are in first person. Then later (much later) the crisis is drawn out for pages and pages of dialogue that is really exposition explaining how everything that happened in the book fit into the story.
There is a “ticking clock,” structure, which is great but if we don’t know what Nikki knows the tension drops off. There are two chapters after she finds out how, “People are going to be killed, where nothing happens to advance the ticking clock. The reader is in limbo just waiting and not knowing what is going on.
The conflict, the complication and the overall concept of this book is wonderful and because of it I would still recommend this book. I will also definitely pick up the next book with Nikki, she’s wonderful character who is easy to spend time with.
July 16, 2019
A vigilante heroine who loves books? Heck yeah.
This was as suspenseful as it was thrilling, with a badass heroine who did what needed to be done to get the bad guys.
If you love thrillers but have yet to read this book, then you’re in for a great time.
This was as suspenseful as it was thrilling, with a badass heroine who did what needed to be done to get the bad guys.
If you love thrillers but have yet to read this book, then you’re in for a great time.
September 23, 2022
3/5 Estrellas
Pues la verdad es que el envoltorio no puede ser más atractivo. Una librería, citas literarias por doquier, amor a los libros, un gato ronroneando entre los clientes que curiosean y leen tranquilos entre las estanterías, degustando un buen café que te ponen los atentos libreros...que gozada, yo también quiero ir a esta librería de Berkeley, California.
Sin embargo empiezas a leer y te encuentras un personaje que quiere ser original, pero que no acaba de serlo, ya que tiene todos los traumas habituales en el género y que, además, inviertes medio libro en descubrir. Y tampoco te lo acabas de creer, porque es una especie de superwoman, defensora de las mujeres, que está muy bien, pero hay situaciones un poco inverosímiles, que no sabes muy bien cómo va a salir de ellas, pero sale...bueno es literatura, aceptamos pulpo. Esta es Nikki, bibliotecaria, detective, heroína, feminista, nuestra protagonista, vaya. No se parece en nada a Lisbeth Salander, como comentan en la sinopsis.
Y luego está la historia, que se intercala entre los eventos vitales que permiten desplegar la personalidad de Nikki. Historia que vale para poco, con algunas escenas de acción destacable, ni hay una investigación digna de tal nombre, no te enteras demasiado bien porqué pasan las cosas, el desenlace no aclara nada.........habla de tecnología, pero no lo desarrolla en absoluto, lo cual resta interés y profundidad a la trama....en fin, que por aquí se va 1.5 estrellas......trama trivial.
Resumiendo personaje principal que no está mal, en el que el autor invierte mucho esfuerzo, para darle empaque y personalidad, pero que acaba compartiendo muchas de las características de sus congéneres literarios. Supongo que mejorará en siguientes entregas.
Trama muy mejorable. Buenas escenas de acción, eso si. Los amantes del género lo disfrutarán más que yo.
Pues la verdad es que el envoltorio no puede ser más atractivo. Una librería, citas literarias por doquier, amor a los libros, un gato ronroneando entre los clientes que curiosean y leen tranquilos entre las estanterías, degustando un buen café que te ponen los atentos libreros...que gozada, yo también quiero ir a esta librería de Berkeley, California.
Sin embargo empiezas a leer y te encuentras un personaje que quiere ser original, pero que no acaba de serlo, ya que tiene todos los traumas habituales en el género y que, además, inviertes medio libro en descubrir. Y tampoco te lo acabas de creer, porque es una especie de superwoman, defensora de las mujeres, que está muy bien, pero hay situaciones un poco inverosímiles, que no sabes muy bien cómo va a salir de ellas, pero sale...bueno es literatura, aceptamos pulpo. Esta es Nikki, bibliotecaria, detective, heroína, feminista, nuestra protagonista, vaya. No se parece en nada a Lisbeth Salander, como comentan en la sinopsis.
Y luego está la historia, que se intercala entre los eventos vitales que permiten desplegar la personalidad de Nikki. Historia que vale para poco, con algunas escenas de acción destacable, ni hay una investigación digna de tal nombre, no te enteras demasiado bien porqué pasan las cosas, el desenlace no aclara nada.........habla de tecnología, pero no lo desarrolla en absoluto, lo cual resta interés y profundidad a la trama....en fin, que por aquí se va 1.5 estrellas......trama trivial.
Resumiendo personaje principal que no está mal, en el que el autor invierte mucho esfuerzo, para darle empaque y personalidad, pero que acaba compartiendo muchas de las características de sus congéneres literarios. Supongo que mejorará en siguientes entregas.
Trama muy mejorable. Buenas escenas de acción, eso si. Los amantes del género lo disfrutarán más que yo.
January 15, 2019
I was so set to love Nikki and her double life... bookseller by day, badass PI and righter of wrongs by night, but this book was just OK for me. Sometimes it's so obvious (and not in a good way) when a male author tries to write a female character... this was definitely one of those times. All the characters needed flushed out more. I love Ethan, give me more of him. Nikki has potential, so does Jess. I just need more. I want more about their backstory, and what makes them tick.
The mystery was good... I saw the "twists" coming a mile away. And everything just fit a little too easily for me to really enjoy this book. I definitely have some complaints
I still think it was a decent book, especially for a debut author. Not sure if I would continue with the series, but I think I'd give Nikki one more chance.
**I received this book as an ARC**
The mystery was good... I saw the "twists" coming a mile away. And everything just fit a little too easily for me to really enjoy this book. I definitely have some complaints
I still think it was a decent book, especially for a debut author. Not sure if I would continue with the series, but I think I'd give Nikki one more chance.
**I received this book as an ARC**
July 20, 2022
Una vengadora feroz que me recordó bastante a Lisbeth Salander pero sin la profundidad de ese personaje.
Nikki es una ruda detective, versada en el manejo de distintas armas pero también es la propietaria de una librería y una lectora voraz. Esta ambivalencia es lo que me ha gustado del personaje.
No tolera el maltrato hacia las mujeres y dedica su vida a aplicar sus particulares métodos de justicia. Aviso: Todos con dosis altas de violencia. Un ojo por ojo en toda regla.
Lo que no me llegó a convencer del todo es el personaje en sí y es que tenemos la visión del autor (hombre) sobre Nikki, sobre como sería una mujer vengando a otras mujeres. Y aquí es donde no se me hizo nada creíble.
Está muy bien que haya personajes femeninos distintos a los que habitualmente nos vende la literatura en general. Pero construir un personaje femenino que replica casi exactamente a los masculinos que vemos en las películas de venganza (sí, exceptuando que lee mucho) no me parece a mí muy acertado.
En definitiva, libro de fácil lectura, bastante acción y mucha caña a los "hombres malos" que sin ser nada excepcional es entretenido, a ratos.
Nikki es una ruda detective, versada en el manejo de distintas armas pero también es la propietaria de una librería y una lectora voraz. Esta ambivalencia es lo que me ha gustado del personaje.
No tolera el maltrato hacia las mujeres y dedica su vida a aplicar sus particulares métodos de justicia. Aviso: Todos con dosis altas de violencia. Un ojo por ojo en toda regla.
Lo que no me llegó a convencer del todo es el personaje en sí y es que tenemos la visión del autor (hombre) sobre Nikki, sobre como sería una mujer vengando a otras mujeres. Y aquí es donde no se me hizo nada creíble.
Está muy bien que haya personajes femeninos distintos a los que habitualmente nos vende la literatura en general. Pero construir un personaje femenino que replica casi exactamente a los masculinos que vemos en las películas de venganza (sí, exceptuando que lee mucho) no me parece a mí muy acertado.
En definitiva, libro de fácil lectura, bastante acción y mucha caña a los "hombres malos" que sin ser nada excepcional es entretenido, a ratos.
March 26, 2022
So glad I was fortunate in winning a giveaways copy of 'Save Me From Dangerous Men'. Nikki is a tough, smart, beautiful and resourceful bookstore owner who delves out justice for abused women as a side job. She gets mixed up in something much bigger than she has faced in the past and what follows is a high-intensity mystery filled with thrills and intrigue.
I’m in for this series, and cannot wait for book #2. Highly recommend.
I’m in for this series, and cannot wait for book #2. Highly recommend.
September 15, 2022
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I was totally ready to fall head over heels in love with Nikki Griffin, bookseller and badass P.I. with some serious anger issues.
But, unfortunately, this didn’t totally live up to everything I wanted it to be. Call it a victim of my high expectations if you want, but I found this to be a just okay, middle-of-the-road thriller.
The highlight for me was the main character of Nikki Griffin. She was complicated but real. She came with a dark backstory and a closed-off, tough-as-nails personality that didn’t slip away the moment she met a guy. For being a female-led novel written by a man, I am happy to report she doesn't talk about how her nipples feel or how she walks around boobily.
Nikki gets into mob-esque danger with smarmy goons and tries to teach the reader about international espionage-ish technology that required way too much page time to explain. There was even a tired bad guy monologue scene. “Do you want to know all my reasons for doing what I did, instead of having naturally figured them out during the investigation? Let me tell you before I kill you. We got time!”
It was a strange direction to go and ended up feeling convoluted. It was an odd direction to take a story about a lowkey PI and book nerd. I was a bit disappointed in how we went from a violent, girl-powered story to one about guys in suits doing shitty things for money.
If you like subterfuge and tough female leads this might be a 5-star read for you, but I didn’t totally connect with the direction of the storyline. The writing is good, the character building is on-point, but the “thriller” parts of the story were not for me.
⭐⭐⭐½ | 3.5 stars rounded up
I was totally ready to fall head over heels in love with Nikki Griffin, bookseller and badass P.I. with some serious anger issues.
But, unfortunately, this didn’t totally live up to everything I wanted it to be. Call it a victim of my high expectations if you want, but I found this to be a just okay, middle-of-the-road thriller.
The highlight for me was the main character of Nikki Griffin. She was complicated but real. She came with a dark backstory and a closed-off, tough-as-nails personality that didn’t slip away the moment she met a guy. For being a female-led novel written by a man, I am happy to report she doesn't talk about how her nipples feel or how she walks around boobily.
Nikki gets into mob-esque danger with smarmy goons and tries to teach the reader about international espionage-ish technology that required way too much page time to explain. There was even a tired bad guy monologue scene. “Do you want to know all my reasons for doing what I did, instead of having naturally figured them out during the investigation? Let me tell you before I kill you. We got time!”
It was a strange direction to go and ended up feeling convoluted. It was an odd direction to take a story about a lowkey PI and book nerd. I was a bit disappointed in how we went from a violent, girl-powered story to one about guys in suits doing shitty things for money.
If you like subterfuge and tough female leads this might be a 5-star read for you, but I didn’t totally connect with the direction of the storyline. The writing is good, the character building is on-point, but the “thriller” parts of the story were not for me.
⭐⭐⭐½ | 3.5 stars rounded up
February 15, 2021
Re-read as I have an ARC for the next book: definitely choppy at the start, but as mentioned settles down 1/3 to 1/2 in. This book really claimed a space in my brain since I read it, and for all the best reasons - The Brimstone Magpie and associated characters have stuck with me hard, so I'm quite excited to get a chance to read the sequel
Save Me from Dangerous Men is S.A. Lelchuck's debut novel, and while I had a couple of quibbles with it, for the most part we got along very well.
Nikki Griffin, our heroine, is cool, edgy, and in the tradition of all the best detectives, deeply, deeply troubled. She's got a penchant for motorcycles, leather, weapons, and books, as well as a fiercely protective side and the skills to back up the trouble her mouth gets her into. Between running a bookshop and looking after a brother who never met a needle he didn't like, she still somehow finds the time to operate as a private detective and...we'll call it problem-solving.
Now, granted, particularly at the beginning of the book, there's moments where she's just a little too cool and sexy-in-a-dangerous-way, but by about halfway that settles down a bit. It's the kind of thing that hopefully will rub off by the time the second novel comes out, so it was easier to tolerate as temporary. And maybe it was the name, but I couldn't stop thinking of Aud, Nicola Griffith's absolutely fantastic character, star of some of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading. They're similar characters, though (sorry S.A.) obviously there's no-one else who writes like Nicola Griffiths does. So it's a bit of an unfair comparison, but it was one my brain just wouldn't stop making.
That said, though, the fact that I'm comparing a debut novel to books that would make my top 5, shows that even coming off second-best left Nikki Griffin sitting in some rarefied air. And once the book settled into itself and stopped trying quite so hard, there's some really great stuff in here. No-one gets killed just to show how dangerous of a situation the heroine is in , there's a doozy of a central mystery, women help women all over the place, and there's even a boatload of literary references thrown in (it might be pandering, given people reading a book are pretty likely to like books, but DON'T CARE IT WORKED).
This has all the signs of being a great foundation to a really excellent series, so while there were a couple of minor issues, I both really enjoyed this, and will be hanging out for the next. I'd recommend it to anyone (and there seem to be a few of us around) who like their literary murders mysterious.
Save Me from Dangerous Men is S.A. Lelchuck's debut novel, and while I had a couple of quibbles with it, for the most part we got along very well.
Nikki Griffin, our heroine, is cool, edgy, and in the tradition of all the best detectives, deeply, deeply troubled. She's got a penchant for motorcycles, leather, weapons, and books, as well as a fiercely protective side and the skills to back up the trouble her mouth gets her into. Between running a bookshop and looking after a brother who never met a needle he didn't like, she still somehow finds the time to operate as a private detective and...we'll call it problem-solving.
Now, granted, particularly at the beginning of the book, there's moments where she's just a little too cool and sexy-in-a-dangerous-way, but by about halfway that settles down a bit. It's the kind of thing that hopefully will rub off by the time the second novel comes out, so it was easier to tolerate as temporary. And maybe it was the name, but I couldn't stop thinking of Aud, Nicola Griffith's absolutely fantastic character, star of some of the best books I've had the pleasure of reading. They're similar characters, though (sorry S.A.) obviously there's no-one else who writes like Nicola Griffiths does. So it's a bit of an unfair comparison, but it was one my brain just wouldn't stop making.
That said, though, the fact that I'm comparing a debut novel to books that would make my top 5, shows that even coming off second-best left Nikki Griffin sitting in some rarefied air. And once the book settled into itself and stopped trying quite so hard, there's some really great stuff in here. No-one gets killed just to show how dangerous of a situation the heroine is in , there's a doozy of a central mystery, women help women all over the place, and there's even a boatload of literary references thrown in (it might be pandering, given people reading a book are pretty likely to like books, but DON'T CARE IT WORKED).
This has all the signs of being a great foundation to a really excellent series, so while there were a couple of minor issues, I both really enjoyed this, and will be hanging out for the next. I'd recommend it to anyone (and there seem to be a few of us around) who like their literary murders mysterious.
March 28, 2020
3 Stars - a debut novel with potential
From the book jacket:
With this book jacket synopsis, I picked up Save Me from Dangerous Men (SMfDM) in the hopes of finding a female protagonist for my very limited (not for want of effort on my end!) collection of favorite women main characters in the crime fiction genre. After finishing this debut novel, the verdict is still pending.
Nikki, the lead character, is a composite of wildly contradictory, dichotomous elements. As a booklover, she’s expected to be mild-mannered and likely an introvert, which is in direct opposition to the adjectives which come to mind from her self-appointed role as avenger of abused women.
Nikki is a complex character whose backstory provided a plausible explanation for her psyche and her actions in the present day. I liked her, but I didn’t love her. Why my reticence? Nikki Griffin feels like a carefully and deliberately constructed character designed for a target market. This sensation reminds me of how the music studio executives strategically crafted the popular boy and girl bands of the 1990s. She doesn’t feel organic but synthetic. Her inner thinking process is reminiscent of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in the staccato, short sentences rhythm, her assessment of her fight strategies, and in her justification of use of commensurate effort. Her court-mandated therapy sessions force her to be an articulate version of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander. In case you didn’t get that reference from your reading of the novel, she’s nicknamed “Lisbeth” by one of her regular customers, she rides a motorcycle, and she boxes.
The opening chapters depict her in the aggressive hunting mode for an abusive man, but sounded like a male fantasy of an attractive (rated “10”) woman walking into a testosterone-heavy dive bar. This scenario elicited an instinctive “ick” feeling from me and I immediately went online to check the author’s gender. As I suspected, S.A. Lelchuk is a man. Now I’m not saying that authors cannot create a successful main character of the opposite gender, but an author’s gender will nevertheless impact a character. As written, Nikki dances on the fine line between being a vigilante and a stone cold killer. Indeed in one scene in which she has the help of a true friend , the author did a fade to black which made me question her level of cold-bloodedness.
On to more positive aspects of SMfDM, the story is set mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as the author lives in Berkeley, he had depicted the U.C. Berkeley denizens and the Oakland grittiness quite well. Nikki freely shared recommended titles and writers, which was novel. There was a cast of characters of many and varied ethnicities, which reflects Californian realities. The mystery was original and timely but the scope of its ambition immediately made me suspect something bigger was afoot given that Nikki, a lone operator, had been retained. I did successfully guess the identity of the mastermind and the true issue shortly before the end of the book. The solution to the mystery seemed to wrap up a bit too quickly. I would have to say that I felt more tension from the multiple scenes of violence than with the unraveling of the mystery, which ostensibly had a drop-dead timeline.
From the book jacket:
Nikki Griffin loves books. They provide refuge and comfort from her tragic past. But Nikki isn’t a typical bookseller. In her office above her bookstore, she takes jobs as a private investigator to pay the bills. She also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love.
With this book jacket synopsis, I picked up Save Me from Dangerous Men (SMfDM) in the hopes of finding a female protagonist for my very limited (not for want of effort on my end!) collection of favorite women main characters in the crime fiction genre. After finishing this debut novel, the verdict is still pending.
Nikki, the lead character, is a composite of wildly contradictory, dichotomous elements. As a booklover, she’s expected to be mild-mannered and likely an introvert, which is in direct opposition to the adjectives which come to mind from her self-appointed role as avenger of abused women.
Nikki is a complex character whose backstory provided a plausible explanation for her psyche and her actions in the present day. I liked her, but I didn’t love her. Why my reticence? Nikki Griffin feels like a carefully and deliberately constructed character designed for a target market. This sensation reminds me of how the music studio executives strategically crafted the popular boy and girl bands of the 1990s. She doesn’t feel organic but synthetic. Her inner thinking process is reminiscent of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher in the staccato, short sentences rhythm, her assessment of her fight strategies, and in her justification of use of commensurate effort. Her court-mandated therapy sessions force her to be an articulate version of Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander. In case you didn’t get that reference from your reading of the novel, she’s nicknamed “Lisbeth” by one of her regular customers, she rides a motorcycle, and she boxes.
The opening chapters depict her in the aggressive hunting mode for an abusive man, but sounded like a male fantasy of an attractive (rated “10”) woman walking into a testosterone-heavy dive bar. This scenario elicited an instinctive “ick” feeling from me and I immediately went online to check the author’s gender. As I suspected, S.A. Lelchuk is a man. Now I’m not saying that authors cannot create a successful main character of the opposite gender, but an author’s gender will nevertheless impact a character. As written, Nikki dances on the fine line between being a vigilante and a stone cold killer. Indeed in one scene in which she has the help of a true friend , the author did a fade to black which made me question her level of cold-bloodedness.
On to more positive aspects of SMfDM, the story is set mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area, and as the author lives in Berkeley, he had depicted the U.C. Berkeley denizens and the Oakland grittiness quite well. Nikki freely shared recommended titles and writers, which was novel. There was a cast of characters of many and varied ethnicities, which reflects Californian realities. The mystery was original and timely but the scope of its ambition immediately made me suspect something bigger was afoot given that Nikki, a lone operator, had been retained. I did successfully guess the identity of the mastermind and the true issue shortly before the end of the book. The solution to the mystery seemed to wrap up a bit too quickly. I would have to say that I felt more tension from the multiple scenes of violence than with the unraveling of the mystery, which ostensibly had a drop-dead timeline.
March 29, 2020
I loved this one! Nikki is a morally gray character, but I was definitely rooting for her. Can’t wait to see what she does in the next book!
Want to read
April 2, 2019This hardcover copy is signed by S. A. Lelchuk.
June 15, 2022
No es Lisbeth Salander.
November 23, 2019
Intriguing female detective and an interesting, relatively credible backstory. Yet, this modern detective thriller suspense novel, with its early promise, ultimately faces the dreadful predicament of predictability as well as what seemed to me a few too many implausible jumps and gaps in time.
I am still searching for depth, cunning and precision in the modern detective novel. I am beginning to wonder if the combo is nearly extinct besides Harry Bosch who is getting a little less credible the further into retirement he goes.
I am still searching for depth, cunning and precision in the modern detective novel. I am beginning to wonder if the combo is nearly extinct besides Harry Bosch who is getting a little less credible the further into retirement he goes.
January 13, 2021
Needed a female editor
Nikki Griffin, is a gun-toting, motorcycle-riding, karate chopping, private eye who owns a bookstore.
Just good enough to finish but it took me too long to finish.
A little too dry a little too cliche a little too violent.
Just ok
When a female protagonist is written by a male author he should rely heavily on a female editor.
Nikki Griffin, is a gun-toting, motorcycle-riding, karate chopping, private eye who owns a bookstore.
Just good enough to finish but it took me too long to finish.
A little too dry a little too cliche a little too violent.
Just ok
When a female protagonist is written by a male author he should rely heavily on a female editor.
Read
May 8, 2019I only made it two pages before checking to confirm my suspicions that the author is a man.
For starters, "stone washed hip hugger jeans". That was the first thing that distracted me. Stone washing is a very common technique and doesn't need to be clarified to that level. Second, no one wears hip hugging jeans anymore. I saw that reference and started skimming for a year because the book obviously isn't set in the current time period.
Secondly, why would the main character order a drink, take a sip and then go to the bathroom? All women know that you can't leave your drink unattended because someone will mess with it. Did she take it to the bathroom with her?
Third, she was riding a motorcycle but also carrying a purse? A purse doesn't go with the whole look of motorcycle boots, leather (bomber? Not the right kind of leather jacket either) jacket, halter, etc. At that point, most women just shove everything in their pockets.
Plus, the descriptions just felt icky. One that stood out was "Could feel the whole bar staring at my ass in the tight jeans". It felt very male fantasy.
I'm not going to give this a star review because that isn't fair to the author since I didn't make it very far. But he needs to do much better. And get a woman to read the book and make notes before it gets published.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
For starters, "stone washed hip hugger jeans". That was the first thing that distracted me. Stone washing is a very common technique and doesn't need to be clarified to that level. Second, no one wears hip hugging jeans anymore. I saw that reference and started skimming for a year because the book obviously isn't set in the current time period.
Secondly, why would the main character order a drink, take a sip and then go to the bathroom? All women know that you can't leave your drink unattended because someone will mess with it. Did she take it to the bathroom with her?
Third, she was riding a motorcycle but also carrying a purse? A purse doesn't go with the whole look of motorcycle boots, leather (bomber? Not the right kind of leather jacket either) jacket, halter, etc. At that point, most women just shove everything in their pockets.
Plus, the descriptions just felt icky. One that stood out was "Could feel the whole bar staring at my ass in the tight jeans". It felt very male fantasy.
I'm not going to give this a star review because that isn't fair to the author since I didn't make it very far. But he needs to do much better. And get a woman to read the book and make notes before it gets published.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
November 7, 2018
Move over Jack Reacher, Nikki Griffin is on the job. Like Reacher, Nikki doesn’t go looking for trouble. She owns a bookstore and loves to help customers find just the right book and loves to banter about book trivia with the groups that meet at her store. However, she has a dark past and can’t just stand by and watch women be abused when she is smart enough, strong enough and fierce enough to convince the men in their lives that she is their worst nightmare and they need to get lost, permanently. Her reputation as a fixer has gotten around and when she reluctantly accepts a job to follow a woman suspected of corporate espionage, Nikki encounters some truly dangerous men. Murder and mayhem follow Nikki as she attempts to unravel a mystery beyond her comprehension and get justice for a women who she could not protect... Intelligently written and fast paced, I dug into this book, couldn’t read it fast enough, and then didn’t want it to end.
April 1, 2019
Save Me from Dangerous Men was an outstanding read with an excellent main character and an engrossing mystery.
Nikki Griffin doesn’t usually take normal PI jobs, but instead focuses on tracking dangerous men who hurt the women they love and teaching them what it’s like to be hurt. Nikki’s goal is to ensure her clients are free from their abusers forever and Nikki is very good at her job. After she is offered a large cash payment to follow a tech company employee who may be selling secrets, Nikki finds it hard to pass up what looks like easy money. But after the life of the woman she’s following is threatened, Nikki is forced to reveal herself and she attempts to help the woman. When a rendezvous with the woman goes wrong, Nikki isn’t just trying to solve a case anymore, she’s trying to save her own life.
I found Nikki to be a fascinating main character and I was easily drawn in by her story, eager to know how she came into her line of work. After learning Nikki’s backstory, I understood why she did the work she did and I fully supported her endeavor. One aspect of her work that I found interesting was how Nikki tailored each job based on the experiences of the client. For example, if her client received a broken wrist from her abuser then Nikki made sure said abuser was given a broken wrist during her interactions with them. It was very much an eye for an eye mentality and I found myself supporting her brand of justice.
The work Nikki does for the tech client was quite different from her normal work but there was some overlap in the skills she used. Through her normal jobs, Nikki has become an excellent observer as she often needs to follow people for extended periods to learn their routines. Nikki relies heavily on her ability to observe while surveilling Karen and I found myself enjoying the different techniques she employed. Nikki had a few contacts that have helped her in the past and I enjoyed the supporting cast in this book as they’re all quite unique. The story did ultimately end up going in a few directions I didn’t expect and I was quite surprised by the ending as I had a different theory as to who was behind everything.
Overall I found Save Me from Dangerous Men to be an exciting read from start to finish with plenty of action to keep the plot moving. I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
Nikki Griffin doesn’t usually take normal PI jobs, but instead focuses on tracking dangerous men who hurt the women they love and teaching them what it’s like to be hurt. Nikki’s goal is to ensure her clients are free from their abusers forever and Nikki is very good at her job. After she is offered a large cash payment to follow a tech company employee who may be selling secrets, Nikki finds it hard to pass up what looks like easy money. But after the life of the woman she’s following is threatened, Nikki is forced to reveal herself and she attempts to help the woman. When a rendezvous with the woman goes wrong, Nikki isn’t just trying to solve a case anymore, she’s trying to save her own life.
I found Nikki to be a fascinating main character and I was easily drawn in by her story, eager to know how she came into her line of work. After learning Nikki’s backstory, I understood why she did the work she did and I fully supported her endeavor. One aspect of her work that I found interesting was how Nikki tailored each job based on the experiences of the client. For example, if her client received a broken wrist from her abuser then Nikki made sure said abuser was given a broken wrist during her interactions with them. It was very much an eye for an eye mentality and I found myself supporting her brand of justice.
The work Nikki does for the tech client was quite different from her normal work but there was some overlap in the skills she used. Through her normal jobs, Nikki has become an excellent observer as she often needs to follow people for extended periods to learn their routines. Nikki relies heavily on her ability to observe while surveilling Karen and I found myself enjoying the different techniques she employed. Nikki had a few contacts that have helped her in the past and I enjoyed the supporting cast in this book as they’re all quite unique. The story did ultimately end up going in a few directions I didn’t expect and I was quite surprised by the ending as I had a different theory as to who was behind everything.
Overall I found Save Me from Dangerous Men to be an exciting read from start to finish with plenty of action to keep the plot moving. I highly recommend this book and I’m looking forward to reading more from the author in the future.
**I received an advance copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
November 13, 2018
Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this arc.
Please buckle your seat belts and make sure your tray tables are in their upright position... "Cause this is one wild ride! Other reviewers have compared Nikki Griffin to Jack Reacher and/or Lisbeth Salander. She is also described as kickass. My interest was piqued. Hyperbolic over-hype? I had to read it to find out. I was not disappointed.
Nikki is a great character, unreal sense of personal responsibility and incapable of quitting while she's a head. I liked her a lot in her role as bookstore owner, but the rest of her just made me dizzy. The action in this book was fast and furious and overrode (for me) the overdone plot line of David v. Goliath. Hard to believe this is the author's debut as the rest of the characters were so very well developed. I will definitely be looking for more from S A Lelchuk!
4.5 stars rounded up.
Please buckle your seat belts and make sure your tray tables are in their upright position... "Cause this is one wild ride! Other reviewers have compared Nikki Griffin to Jack Reacher and/or Lisbeth Salander. She is also described as kickass. My interest was piqued. Hyperbolic over-hype? I had to read it to find out. I was not disappointed.
Nikki is a great character, unreal sense of personal responsibility and incapable of quitting while she's a head. I liked her a lot in her role as bookstore owner, but the rest of her just made me dizzy. The action in this book was fast and furious and overrode (for me) the overdone plot line of David v. Goliath. Hard to believe this is the author's debut as the rest of the characters were so very well developed. I will definitely be looking for more from S A Lelchuk!
4.5 stars rounded up.
September 21, 2021
I adore Nikki Griffin's character. She is definitely someone who can handle herself in any given situation, even when the odds are totally stacked against her. She's not a raging maniac, but her personality is smart, witty, and quite likeable... as she sets out to protect those who can't protect themselves, and/or pays karma back to those who have suffered abuse (or death) at the hands of abusive men. (This is fueled by childhood memories of 3 men who broke into her home and killed both her parents leaving her and her younger brother to grow up in foster homes.)
I absolutely love January LaVoy as the narrator! She has amazing character range and breathes vibrant life and emotion in this story. I wholeheartedly recommend the audio version of the story (which was free on my library overdrive).
5 Stars
I absolutely love January LaVoy as the narrator! She has amazing character range and breathes vibrant life and emotion in this story. I wholeheartedly recommend the audio version of the story (which was free on my library overdrive).
5 Stars
June 29, 2019
If you crave mundane plot development lacking sophistication that reads like it’s been hatched by a 13-year-old boy composing his first sexy female fantasy piece, I’ve got a recommendation for you. Sure, I was beguiled by the clever title, but quickly realized that this book was not worth the effort spent skimming through it. I only stuck with it to verify this belief (which mercifully lasted a few hours).
With a protagonist in high black boots, tight jeans, long auburn hair, green eyes, and expertise involving every type of defense and weaponry available, this is a book someone must be waiting for. By the way, this character also reads books, quotes Kierkegaard, helps victimized sisters, and knows when to effectively throw in the phrase “I can’t tell you now” at the end of every three-page chapter.
If I haven’t written enough yet to warn you off this first novel in a projected series, just consider if this author isn’t perhaps the real dangerous man by creating such an outdated stereotypical female character for readers today.
With a protagonist in high black boots, tight jeans, long auburn hair, green eyes, and expertise involving every type of defense and weaponry available, this is a book someone must be waiting for. By the way, this character also reads books, quotes Kierkegaard, helps victimized sisters, and knows when to effectively throw in the phrase “I can’t tell you now” at the end of every three-page chapter.
If I haven’t written enough yet to warn you off this first novel in a projected series, just consider if this author isn’t perhaps the real dangerous man by creating such an outdated stereotypical female character for readers today.
April 4, 2019
This book is, more or less, an illogical mess. The character is like some sort of amazingly talented spy/Sherlock/ninja who never gets caught or hurt somehow. There are like two weird, nonsensical plots throughout the entire book and then a dumb romantic one that is utterly unnecessary.
The main character, Nikki, is cocky as hell and she is somehow never caught or punished for anything. She is omniscient and omnipresent somehow. Oh, and she’s BANGING hot. That’s made clear in every other chapter. Everyone wants to fuck Nikki!
The book seems like it was written by someone who has no sense of how the law or crime scenes actually work. All of the characters, plots, and action scenes were deeply unimpressive and dry as hell.
This could’ve gone in a non-FBI/non-terrorist plot direction that could’ve been interesting. It did not, something I realized a few chapters in. No thanks.
The main character, Nikki, is cocky as hell and she is somehow never caught or punished for anything. She is omniscient and omnipresent somehow. Oh, and she’s BANGING hot. That’s made clear in every other chapter. Everyone wants to fuck Nikki!
The book seems like it was written by someone who has no sense of how the law or crime scenes actually work. All of the characters, plots, and action scenes were deeply unimpressive and dry as hell.
This could’ve gone in a non-FBI/non-terrorist plot direction that could’ve been interesting. It did not, something I realized a few chapters in. No thanks.
March 15, 2019
Opening chapter has Nikki being a pool shark and I was loving EVERY SINGLE BIT OF IT. As a woman who has competed in pool and has gone through that gambit of men being dicks until they realize you can play... well, let's just say that this scene was very realistic and I loved seeing it come to life on these pages.
I was captured from the very beginning and this was quite the ride. Nikki is damaged and has a pretty terrible past that led her to help women who are being abused and to be a somewhat amateur detective. Her skill set is outstanding and this woman can FIGHT. I actually was grinning at some of the things that she did to those who deserved it. Then she gets pulled into a case that basically explodes and she has to try and find a way out, but on her own terms. It's action upon action and the short chapters keep this book moving at a fairly fast pace.
The author does a good job of not only keeping us in the present but then giving us Nikki's past so we get an understanding of why she is the person that she is. Her relationship with her brother is a bit torrid but underneath her steely exterior is a soft heart and anyone who crosses those she cares about - well, you don't want to be on the bad side of this woman. She deals with her demons but she wants to be loved just like everyone else in the world. Ethan is more understanding than any man I've ever met and I really liked him for Nikki.
Look, I love books with strong female leads. I'm that girl who will order the lumberjack breakfast so it's nice to see that side in a read. While some things were a bit too good to be true and questionable, I did not care. The ending was a bit too tied in a pretty bow for my taste but that did not take away at all from my enjoyment of this book. I will absolutely be continuing the series as I think that this debut novel is just a hint as to what Lelchuk will be giving us and I can only see it getting better moving forward.
Thank you Flatiron Books for this copy.
I was captured from the very beginning and this was quite the ride. Nikki is damaged and has a pretty terrible past that led her to help women who are being abused and to be a somewhat amateur detective. Her skill set is outstanding and this woman can FIGHT. I actually was grinning at some of the things that she did to those who deserved it. Then she gets pulled into a case that basically explodes and she has to try and find a way out, but on her own terms. It's action upon action and the short chapters keep this book moving at a fairly fast pace.
The author does a good job of not only keeping us in the present but then giving us Nikki's past so we get an understanding of why she is the person that she is. Her relationship with her brother is a bit torrid but underneath her steely exterior is a soft heart and anyone who crosses those she cares about - well, you don't want to be on the bad side of this woman. She deals with her demons but she wants to be loved just like everyone else in the world. Ethan is more understanding than any man I've ever met and I really liked him for Nikki.
Look, I love books with strong female leads. I'm that girl who will order the lumberjack breakfast so it's nice to see that side in a read. While some things were a bit too good to be true and questionable, I did not care. The ending was a bit too tied in a pretty bow for my taste but that did not take away at all from my enjoyment of this book. I will absolutely be continuing the series as I think that this debut novel is just a hint as to what Lelchuk will be giving us and I can only see it getting better moving forward.
Thank you Flatiron Books for this copy.
July 16, 2022
El libro tiene una premisa muy llamativa y un título que invita a la lectura. Nikki, su protagonista, es una mujer fuerte, luchadora,capaz de todo, intuitiva y con una personalidad muy marcada por la tragedia. La novela tiene unos aspectos que podían ser muy potentes, pero se quedan a medio camino, no terminan de arrancar con el ritmo que esperas en este género ni con los personajes,conocer más a los secundarios hubiera añadido valor a la obra.
Es una novela policial, inicio de una saga de libros, muy detallada en todo, demasiado para mi gusto, a veces se pierde en descripciones que no suman a la trama, más bien pausan la lectura y hace que pierda ritmo.
Cuando leo este género, espero algo de acción o velocidad, pero este libro solo lo consigue en algunos capítulos, y se hace incluso largo. Otro punto que no me ha convencido es el misterio hacia la protagonista, repetitivo, y solo sabremos qué sucede en las últimas setenta páginas y tampoco es para tanto. Da la sensación de que vas a encontrarte con una vengadora y nada más lejos de la realidad.
Cuando aguantas la tensión hacia alguna hipótesis, esperas que la resolución de la misma te rompa los esquemas, te sorprenda de algún modo, pero en este libro no sucede eso. Lo narra igual que narra lo que desayunan. Mehhhhh. Demasiadas cosas que se quedan a medias, sin profundizar ni conocer del todo.
Sí que me ha gustado la mención a diferentes obras literarias, y la pasión de Nikki por la literatura.
Ya os digo que el inicio pintaba muy bien, pero ni casa el título con lo que encuentras dentro, ni las primeras impresiones. Da la sensación que es un libro que se ha escrito sobre la marcha, como una tormenta de ideas, sin tener en cuenta hipótesis anteriores.
Es una novela policial, inicio de una saga de libros, muy detallada en todo, demasiado para mi gusto, a veces se pierde en descripciones que no suman a la trama, más bien pausan la lectura y hace que pierda ritmo.
Cuando leo este género, espero algo de acción o velocidad, pero este libro solo lo consigue en algunos capítulos, y se hace incluso largo. Otro punto que no me ha convencido es el misterio hacia la protagonista, repetitivo, y solo sabremos qué sucede en las últimas setenta páginas y tampoco es para tanto. Da la sensación de que vas a encontrarte con una vengadora y nada más lejos de la realidad.
Cuando aguantas la tensión hacia alguna hipótesis, esperas que la resolución de la misma te rompa los esquemas, te sorprenda de algún modo, pero en este libro no sucede eso. Lo narra igual que narra lo que desayunan. Mehhhhh. Demasiadas cosas que se quedan a medias, sin profundizar ni conocer del todo.
Sí que me ha gustado la mención a diferentes obras literarias, y la pasión de Nikki por la literatura.
Ya os digo que el inicio pintaba muy bien, pero ni casa el título con lo que encuentras dentro, ni las primeras impresiones. Da la sensación que es un libro que se ha escrito sobre la marcha, como una tormenta de ideas, sin tener en cuenta hipótesis anteriores.
December 1, 2018
Yay! A really great new female character that totally kicks butt! I am hoping Nikki Griffin has the staying power to show up in many more novels. She is a great character with a very dark past who is living her best life but also dealing with that dark past in very dark ways. Condonable ways? I'm not so sure. But, entertaining ways? Definitely! I found this book to be a very compelling read and really couldn't get through it fast enough to satisfy me.
But, let's talk about that last star I'm leaving off. Ladies, how tiring is it that men continue to write these perfect 10 women - and always with the auburn hair? How many of those do you know? Me? Not a single one. I am absolutely certain this main character did not need to be a complete number 10 knock out in her looks. And I am absolutely, 100% certain she did not need to have long, flowing auburn hair. Listen up - women can be beautiful with regular ol' brown hair. And it can be curly too. I completely understand her character needs to lure men, but come on, we woman know that men do not need a perfect 10 to be tempted. We all know men have much lower standards than that - but let's not even get into how low... :)
Many, many thanks to Goodreads and their amazing giveaway program for providing me with an advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest opinion.
But, let's talk about that last star I'm leaving off. Ladies, how tiring is it that men continue to write these perfect 10 women - and always with the auburn hair? How many of those do you know? Me? Not a single one. I am absolutely certain this main character did not need to be a complete number 10 knock out in her looks. And I am absolutely, 100% certain she did not need to have long, flowing auburn hair. Listen up - women can be beautiful with regular ol' brown hair. And it can be curly too. I completely understand her character needs to lure men, but come on, we woman know that men do not need a perfect 10 to be tempted. We all know men have much lower standards than that - but let's not even get into how low... :)
Many, many thanks to Goodreads and their amazing giveaway program for providing me with an advanced copy to read in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 11, 2019
Well Nikki might be my favorite new badass! Quite the well rounded woman between her love for books, people, her brother and struggling women! This is going to be an excellent series that will have women cheering Nikki on!
July 24, 2019
We don't talk about it. But things we don't talk about still happen.
I loved this. Great cast of colorful characters, intricate plot with sub-plots that held my attention, great story. Feminist af.
In a way it reminded me a little bit of the Mindf*ck Series - kickass female character on the road to revenge.
He deserved to die. Which left only one question. Who did I want to be?
I made a decision. Pushed the doubt away.
I pulled the trigger.
July 22, 2019
Nikki Griffin is one tough chick. A Berkeley grad and a local book store owner...she is not what you’d expect. She moonlights as a do-good vigilante, and a private investigator just outside San Francisco, California. Her work definitely speaks for itself...and her next job is unlike any of the others...An unknown tech company reaches out to her to do a little recon work. In true Nikki fashion she dives in with everything she has. But, this time she may be a little too good at her job. This was a great debut novel! Fast-paced and a highly intelligent plot!!
3.5 stars rounded up! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5 stars rounded up! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 14, 2019
I didn’t really enjoy this one. I thought it would be more of the main character helping protect women, but it morphed into something else. I also didn’t really like the main character at all. She was smart but she made awful decisions and was a huge enabler for her drug addicted brother. It was hard to keep all the characters straight. Overall I just wasn’t a big fan of this one.
August 14, 2020
A solid 4 star read - but I added another star for the main character is a female who can kick some ass - AND she is smart too. So looking forward to reading number 2 - and I can only hope that the series lasts even longer!
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