The Naturals

Fact: I'm slightly obsessed with books and movies about serial killers. Fact: I love good audio book narrators. Bring these two things together, and you have The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It's likely that I was just in the right frame of mind to appreciate this book, but I loved every minute of it! It's been a long time since a book kept me guessing until the end, but this one did just that. That, in itself, is a win.

Cassie was a stellar protagonist. I loved being inside her head, and seeing the world from the point of view of a case profiler. To Cassie, the world is easy to read. She can see the motivations behind what people do as easily as she can see the clothes they wear. It's an interesting talent, and one that pushes the story forward. Even before she joined up with The Naturals, Cassie was the type of character I love to follow. Strong, intelligent, and a cool head on her shoulders. My kind of girl.

Let's talk romance, shall we? I'll be the first person to admit that I'm not generally a fan of love triangles. I feel like so many books out there believe the only tension a book needs is love triangle based angst. While The Naturals does include this tension, it didn't really bother me. I barely noticed the fact that Cassie was torn between two guys because, honestly, who has time to worry about romance when you're hunting down a killer? I liked Dean. I liked Michael. In my eyes, she could have ended up with either one and I wouldn't have cared. Just catch the killer while you choose, okay Cassie?

Best of all, this book kept me guessing right up until the end. It's brilliant really, how easily the stories dupes you into thinking you know who the killer really is. I probably changed my guess at least twice while reading and, I'm happy to note, I ended up being wrong anyway. That's the kind of tension I love in a story. That's the build up that makes me want to keep reading on. By the time the ending actually came, I was so ready to find out the truth. There wasn't one moment of this story that didn't have me wide eyed and reading on.

It's entirely possible that I'm a little biased right now, since it's been so long since I've experienced a book like The Naturals. Still, I can't deny that it was a really fun ride. If you have the chance, I'd definitely pick up the audio book! The narrator is fantastic, and really brings the characters to life. Five stars from this bookworm. I can't wait for book two!