Killer Descent

A Shandra Higheagle Mystery, Book 5

By: Paty Jager

Narrated by: Ann M. Thompson

Book five in the Shandra Higheagle mysteries.

Abuse.... Power.... Murder.

Once again, Shandra Higheagle finds herself a suspect in a murder investigation when an ex-lover is found murdered on a Huckleberry ski run. A past she'd planned to never divulge now must be shared with the first man she's trusted, Detective Ryan Greer.

Ryan puts his job in jeopardy when he's booted from the case and uses all resources plus a few extra to prove Shandra is innocent. The information leads them down a road of blackmail and betrayal of the ugliest kind.

©2016 Patricia Jager (P)2018 Patricia Jager

Murder at a ski resort..

This story is intriguing with lots of twists. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out it surprises. Shandra’s past comes back to haunt her, however Ryan stands by her side even at the risk of his own career. Through it all their relationship deepens and yet Shandra still holds Ryan at arms length. Along with murder there are plenty of suspects, gossip and humor.

Kissed the Girls and Made Them Cry

This is a great story, plumbing Shandra's past and shedding some light on the murky world of abused women while solving a murder. (Well, you knew that--"Killer" is right there in the title.) I suspect the detectives would ultimately have figured things out even without Shandra's dreams but those do add a dimension to the tale. This is the first of the Higheagles I've heard narrated and audio is a great format for the action. The only other I've read is later in the series and each stands alone but, combined, add richness to the narrative.

mystery done well

Any additional comments?

Killer Descent, by Paty Jager, is an engaging romance mystery. It is the fifth book in the Shandra Higheagle Mystery series and while reading the others may give some background to some of the characters, this can easily be read as a stand-alone novel. There's lots of action, a good murder mystery, and of course, a lovely romance. The author tackles the gritty subject of abuse with tact and there are twists to the plot that keep the reader's interest high. I look forward to reading more of this author's works. The narrator, Ann M. Thompson, does a good job giving voice to the characters as she reads the story which made for an enjoyable listening experience. I was given a copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.

Great Mystery

This book keeps you guessing until the end! Full of twists and turns til the very end! This is the first in the series that I have listened to and now I am going to have to get the rest in the series. Ann M Thompson does a great job with the narration. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I Loved It!

Any additional comments?

Shandra finds herself once again a suspect in a murder when her past returns to haunt her. The body of her ex-boyfriend and art professor turns up at the huckleberry ski run near Shandra’s home. Shandra finally has to deal with the ghosts of this relationship. She has to share the details of her past relationship with this controlling man with Ryan. Ryan puts his job in jeopardy as he tries to clear Shandra’s name.

This is a very exciting addition to this series, but can still be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. We finally learn why Shandra has trouble trusting men and has reservations about being in a relationship. The characters are wonderfully complex. Great mystery with a sweet love story interwoven within the storyline. The mystery has several twists and turns to keep you guess. A great series can't wait to read more of this series.

The narrator for the audio version of this book Ann M Thompson is a gifted storyteller. She is able to bring this book to life. She has a pleasant voice, great accents, pace, and timing. Her storytelling is a wonderful addition to an already great book.

I received an audio copy of this book in hopes I would give a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have no way been influenced.

Enjoyable Mystery, Suspensr

I had issues with the narrator and when that happens, it causes conflicts with the story. This a enjoyable clean mystery with twists, turns and red herrings. I will definitely read another book by Paty Jager

Killer Descent

This is an interesting story that keeps you guessing until the end. Just when you think you know who the villain is another suspect turns up. Shandra is a strong character and in this story parts of her past are brought to the forefront. Her relationship with Ryan is put to the test with this latest murder.

I enjoyed the way Ryan and Shandra work together and trust one another. The two make a good team and their relationship blossoms with the trust that is shared between them. There are a lot of suspects and a lot of characters in general to keep track of and I would have liked a bit more depth to the two detectives investigating the murder in place of Ryan. As we go through the twists and turns of all the information that Shandra and Ryan uncover we get to see their relationship begin to build a good foundation. Both Ryan and Shandra have good strong personalities and their trust in each other shows in everything that they do. Narrator Ann M. Thompson does a nice job of bringing this world and its characters to life and I was quickly immersed in their story.

The best in the series yet!

In Killer Descent by Paty Jager, Shandra Higheagle goes to visit a reunion at the school in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she studied pottery. There she glimpses the professor with whom she once lived for three years as a student and who dominated and abused her throughout that time. Happy to return to Idaho and be away from the professor, Shandra does some soul- searching and discovers inner strength she hadn't known she possessed.

Her boyfriend, Deputy Ryan Greer, who meets her at the airport and stays with her for the next two nights, does a lot to help her gain confidence. This gentle man eager to help Shandra get over a past he knows nothing about actually sleeps on the sofa and not with Shandra. Despite dating her a year, Ryan sees that she has some unknown-to-him fear of a physical relationship.

Early on the morning when Ryan is supposed to return to work, he gets a call that a frozen body has been discovered at the bottom of the ski lift. He sends the body of Carl Landers to the pathologist, his sister, who finds a gunshot in Landers's head. Landers's current girlfriend, who has convictions for her work as a con artist, accuses Shandra of committing the murder, talking about supposed tapes. Shandra's past with Landers and the clues left by an enemy to incriminate her cause the police to put Ryan on leave, though he still works hard to get to the bottom of the case and clear Shandra's name, while helping her to heal from her past with Landers.

Killer Descent follows the personal journey of Shandra, who has shown a past she is running away from from the start of the book. However, despite our having seen that she has been injured and is working to recover from the pain of her past, neither we nor Ryan have learned what this pain has been. In the midst of fighting for her life, Shandra finds her own life and freedom from her past. This book serves as an inspiration for us all and helped me personally to face my own past sexual abuse publicly instead of keeping it to myself and only a couple close friends. Just as Shandra gains freedom in telling Ryan her most shameful secret, I too find myself starting to gain freedom in sharing my past, so I can keep the chain moving and enable another woman to express herself and gain freedom.

The plot in this book was strong, with so many clues pointing to Shandra, clues which obviously have been planted by her enemies. However, what adds to the drama is the knowledge that Landers videotaped against their knowledge his sadistic sessions with many of the women he abused. Does such a tape exist of Shandra? All of these details work together to make a dramatic storyline with an even more exciting denouement.

Ann M. Thompson performs the audio version of this book most ably. I especially like the voices that she gives to the characters. Shandra seems particularly realistic in the voice Thompson gives to her. Thompson uses strong expressions and timing, making this book very effective.

I really appreciated Killer Descent. The story runs strongly, and the characters show both strong images and good growth. This is illustrated in the vase that Shandra made for the Women's Center in Albuquerque. It contains a woman with chains on her feet that fall free as it gets to her hands. This book mirrors that but ends on a slightly cliffhanger ending using itself, making me eager to listen to the next book in this series, since each book seems to get better than the previous. I give this book five stars!

Disclaimer: I was given this audiobook by the author, but it in no way affected the content of my review.

lots of twists and turns

This book has lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. I didn't expect the ending as it happened. The characters were written well, and developed to where you are drawn in. The narration was ok, you could tell the difference between the characters. I think this would have been better with both a Male and female narrator.