| Title | : | Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead (Deadly Games #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062280899 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062280893 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Mass Market Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 399 |
| Publication | : | First published September 10, 2013 |
One by one the letters arrive at the FBI office in Savannah, Georgia. Inside, each bears a name—a victim of a twisted crime—and the singsong phrase Ashes, ashes, they all fall dead. Special Agent Tessa James becomes obsessed with finding the killer whose victims are crying out to her for justice.
When sexy, brilliant consultant Matt Buchanan is paired with Tessa to discover who's sending the "Ashes" letters, he discovers a serial arsonist who is leaving nothing but murder in his wake. Inexplicably, the clues point to Tessa herself, forcing her to realize that if she can't remember the forgotten years of her past, the name on the next letter will be hers.
Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead (Deadly Games #3) Reviews
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“Don't play his game. Play yours.”
----Rachel Caine, an American author
Lena Diaz, an American romantic suspense author, has penned a terrific and gripping story, Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead, which is the third book in the Deadly Games series, that narrates the story of a cop named, Tessa who opens up an investigation based on some unknown and unnamed letters that her office received, which makes her hire her previous and younger-in-age partner to solve the probable case against a serial killer. Little did she knew that those letters might take her to an unknown alley of darkness and death and her forgotten past.
Synopsis:
What she doesn't remember ... will kill her.
One by one the letters arrive at the FBI office in Savannah, Georgia. Inside, each bears a name—a victim of a twisted crime—and the singsong phrase Ashes, ashes, they all fall dead. Special Agent Tessa James becomes obsessed with finding the killer whose victims are crying out to her for justice.
When sexy, brilliant consultant Matt Buchanan is paired with Tessa to discover who's sending the "Ashes" letters, he discovers a serial arsonist who is leaving nothing but murder in his wake. Inexplicably, the clues point to Tessa herself, forcing her to realize that if she can't remember the forgotten years of her past, the name on the next letter will be hers.
Tessa James, an FBI Agent, is pretty sure that the person sending anonymous letters, with various women's name along with a dark changes and variation to the famous nursery rhyme called "Ring a Ring o' Roses", to her office is a serial killer. But with no clues to lead further or even open an investigation on the case, Tessa's boss gives her a week's notice to prove him that this is worth a case to run an investigation on and on one condition that she takes help from a consultant named, Matt Buchanan. There are two problems, Tessa doesn't like Matt based on their not so glorious history and there is just a week's time to prove the worth of those cryptic letters.
Well, I don't remember if I've read any romantic suspense before this book or not. But I suggest every crime fiction fans must take a look at this genre as well as on this author, Lena Diaz, who have spun a tale that it so thrilling that I literally felt the thrills and the chills running down my spine. Only problem is that there is lot of heat, sweat, passionate and lusty love-making scenes, so if you can handle that amount of passionate chemistry while the suspense catches up like a wild forest fire through the story, then I highly recommend you to read this book.
The writing style is very strong and it seems like the author knows how to spin a love story along with a thriller. The narration is thoroughly engaging that kept me glued till the very last page. The prose is articulate with a very fast pace.
The mystery is over-the-top, constantly thrilling, and always misleading and forever challenging. Yes the story is layered with a sensual-and-intense-chemistry soaked rag which is highly flammable and as the story started unfolding, that rag is put on a suspense-and-adrenaline-rushing-actions-filled fire. Well that's pretty much sums up my entire feeling about this book!
The characters are bit dramatic which might have put me off the edge for a little while and not at all relatable. The main character, Tessa, is not a regular type of cop or one who has typical FBI Agent kind of demeanor. Tessa is firstly very confused when it comes to the matters of heart, but oh-well a bit too much determined when it came to that anonymous cryptic letters case. Matt on the other hand, doesn't exist in real world to be fair, I mean who manages to look like he's out of the cover of GQ magazine and with an Einstein-like brain is helping the FBI to solve a cryptic letter case while hitting on an older woman, Tessa?? Matt is deliciously handsome and annoyingly sexy who understands Tessa a little too well, maybe more than even she knows herself. And that's what I liked most about him, he had a habit of putting Tessa and the case on top of his priorities. Tessa, on the other hand, felt like a dull character but with a past and back story like that, I almost fell for her sorry past.
Verdict: This is one hell of a sexy thriller, I bet all thriller lovers will love reading this book.
Courtesy: Thanks to the author, Lena Diaz and her publishers from Avon, for providing me with a copy of the book, in return for an honest review. -
Great book, but I didn't like Tessa.
I mean, she's so tight-laced, so inflexible, so I-know-everything-and-I'm-always-right!
OK, so she's adopted, she's having nightmares, but why she doesn't want to want Matt? OK, she's 30 and he's younger, but he's not 18 years old for God's sake!!!!
And why is she so afraid what other will think about her? It's almost an obsession for her. I wanted to throw my reader I was so angry with her!
Matt was such a good guy. Way to much good for her.
He's intelligent, smart, funny, tender, sexy... what more could you ask from a man?
His mind works in a logical and clever way. He offers explanations to a seemingly unexplainable that are brilliant. I loved his mind! (And not only his mind... *wink*)
And she keeps secrets since the beginning, even if the information she withheld could have enormously helped the investigation. And she knows it and still doesn't talk! WHYYYY???
I gave it 4 stars because of Matt and the mistery which is good and convoluted in an unexpected way. -
I have been hooked on Lena Diaz’s Nursery Rhymes series ever since He Kills Me, He Kills Me not. I love these books, and Ashes, Ashes They All Fall Dead did not fail to achieve to hit that status. I was captivated and hooked by the end of the first chapter.
Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead, is the third book in the series. It is easy to fall in love with Tessa and Matt as they fall in love while following the clues left by a serial killer. Tessa is an amnesiac FBI agent who must remember her past before another person dies; a budding personal and work relationship develops with a Matt who proves that he is more than just another pretty face. Diaz writes a very addictive thriller that leaves readers wanting more.
This book has everything a reader could want in a romantic suspense and more. Diaz once more proves that she can write a face paced romantic thriller that ranks right up there with the greats like Sandra Brown, Linda Howard and Allison Brennan. Ashes to Ashes They All Fall Dead can be read on its own, but I’d highly recommend reading all three as they do build upon the previous books in the series. -
What a pulse-pounding, thrill-a-minute, sexy ride of a novel! FBI Agent, Tessa James is convinced that the person sending anonymous letters to the Savannah field office--letters inscribed with one person's name and a creepy variation on the children's nursery rhyme Ring Around the Rosie--is guilty of something. But with nothing but the letters and the names to go on, she can't convince her boss to let her investigate further. Finally, though, he decides to give her one week, provided she takes consultant, Matt Buchanan along with her. Since she and Matt have a not so great history together, she's not thrilled but at least she gets to investigate the creepy letters. The mystery itself is an intricate Russian nesting doll of a case, each discovery more shocking than the last. And the chemistry between Tessa and Matt is near flammable. I loved this book, not only because it kept me guessing until the last page, but because it gave me the romance + mystery fix I was craving. If you like Karen Rose or Laura Griffin, you'll love this one.
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This book was recommended to me by a friend and I'm going to have to give her a seriously big public thank you. So, THANK YOU Cindy for guiding me in the direction of this author!
This book was one of the best suspense stories I've read recently. It has more twist and turns than a back country road...and I like that! Everything about the story from the characters to the situations were realistic and didn't make you feel like it was over the top. I won't go into great detail about what the story was about because if you're reading this review, chances are you've already read the book description and it sparked an interest. Just know that you really should pick this one up. Now, I'm off to download the first two in the series!:) -
bu yazara ve kitaplarına bayılıyorum...
hem polisiye hemde aşkı çok güzel işliyor!
bu kitapta heyecanla okundu :)
hala denemediyseniz yazarı çok şey kaçırıyorsunuz :)
seri ayrı ayrıda okunur lakin
sıra ile takip ederseniz çok daha keyifli olur...
1-ÖLÜM FALI
2-GÖLGELERİ KOVALA
3-KÜLLER VE ANILAR
sırası ile seriyi takip ederseniz
hem heyecana hem gerilime hem de aşka doyacaksınız :)
yayınevi de fazla geciktirmeden kitapları çıkarıyor...
bu hızla giderse 4. kitapta çok yakında gelir diye umuyorum... -
What a compelling, terrifying, and wonderful book this is. If you love thrillers loaded with a scary villain and a wonderful relationship between a sexy PI hero and smart FBI agent heroine, then this book is well worth reading. Lena Diaz's books just keep getting better and better!
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3.5 Stars. I liked the suspense in this one and the writing was good. My biggest problem was that I didn't like Tessa all that much. She came across as really arrogant in places and yet insecure in others. So for me the romance aspects just didn't work but the suspense parts were very well done.
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The author does a fabulous job of taking us on a journey to figuring out who a serial killer is throughout this book that is both shocking and disturbing.
FBI Special Agent Tessa James has become obsessed with letters the FBI office has received over a 3 year period. Not much is in the letters but a name, part of a nursery rhyme and a symbol. When the FBI can find nothing tangible about the names they decide it’s a hoax and to put it to rest. But Tessa cannot let go of the feeling there is something about these names. When her boss catches her looking over the letters again after he forbade her to he gives her a warning saying you have 7 days to figure out if these letters are of any significance and after that you let it go or else. He also said she had to work with a PI during those 7 days, one she isn’t so happy to work with.
Matt Buchanan is the 24 year old brother of Pierce who we met in the previous two books. He’s a genius that has created the coolest inventions, most not yet patented. He has a lot of businesses and one of them is a Private Investigation firm. He’s always liked Tessa who was his brother’s partner for years but she looked at and always treated him like a child since she was 6 years older than him.
When the first murder happens that they can tie to the letters and a second right after the story really takes off. The author creates this maze with so many twist and turns and at each turn there is a revealing that as the book goes along gets more shocking and at time revolting. Once I was engrained in the investigation and each clue it revealed I couldn’t put the book down for wondering what sick and twisted thing the author was going to throw at Tessa and Matt next.
I really liked the previous two books in this series but I have to say this is now my favorite almost for the shock factor alone of the subject matter. -
I was hooked after reading the half page prologue. The structure of the book is set up so the first few chapters set up the background for the primary characters. The rest of the book goes day by day thru the investigation of a cold case.
What a wonderful story. Great characters, the struggle of a woman trying to make her mark in the FBI, and the there's the crime.
This story really captured my attention; twists and turns, is he or isn't he, I was very surprised at the end.
I highly recommend this book, it can be read as a standalone, there are two others before this one and I'm going to read them next. -
OMG, I couldn't put this book down! I love Lena Diaz books, and this one was as good if not better than all the others. The plot traces an amnesiac FBI agent who must remember her past before another person dies and a budding relationship with a guy who is the absolute definition of hunk.
I am so lucky to have been able to get an advance copy. I would't wait to preorder, this is a wonderful read!. -
There is so much I enjoyed about this story. I found it to be well written, with wonderful returning characters. The story is fast paced and keeps you rushing to the end so you can find out who's who. I only had two slight issues with the story, one is that it lacked the humor in the other two books in the series. I also got tired of the older "woman" aspect of the book.
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I missed the prior book in the series so I felt like I was missing something BUT it didn't lessen my enjoyment of this book.
Great characters and a creepy killer (what an opening scene!). This was another fast paced romantic suspense from Ms. Diaz that was enjoyable and proves why she's great at what she does! -
Terrific read with fast-paced action, searing chemistry between hero/heroine and twists I am in awe of. Read in a day!
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Loved the twists and turns, and Matt is definitely swoon-worthy. :-)
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A terrific suspense novel and a pretty good romance to boot. An FBI agent named Tessa has been researching a potential serial killer who has been sending letter about his victims, ones who have had letters about them sent to the FBI but who apparently are not recorded S murder victims. Her boss gives her a deadline to prove there’s a serial killer but on the condition she accept the help of a consultant named Matthew, who is younger than she is and has a history of crushing on her. His methods do reveal some potential crimes, and the duo starts to investigate. Of course they start to come together as a couple, and as they do the investigation reveals there is quite a bit about the crimes that affects Tessa personally. I thought the suspense plot was better than the romance, for Tessa was a little wushu washy for my taste.
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Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead is a Must Read
Anyone who has not read Lena Diaz's The Nursery Rhyme Series is missing out on thrilling, pulse-pounding Romantic Suspense! Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead, Book 3 in the series, is the best yet.
Over the past three years, the Savannah, Georgia field office of the FBI has received 23 letters, one at a time, each containing a name and the message “Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead,” a twisted version of the line from the nursery rhyme, “Ring Around the Rosie. The problem is that the FBI cannot find any of the persons claimed to be dead. Additionally, the Cold Case Unit of the office has found nothing.
Special Agent Tessa James is convinced that they have a serial killer case and stubbornly refuses to give up. For some reason she cannot identify, she is unwilling to let the case go even though no other agent in the office agrees with her. Despite being warned by her boss, Casey Matthews, Tessa continues to work on the case. Casey is furious when he finds out. He thinks it's a hoax. But, he strikes a bargain with her. Tessa has seven days to find a solid lead and she must work with cold case Private Investigator/Consultant, Matt Buchanan. Three years ago, Tessa and her former partner, Matt's brother, worked on the Simon Says case. Unfortunately, Matt, six years younger than Tessa and still in college at the time, enjoyed proving Tessa wrong. He also developed a serious crush on her. Tessa hates him as a result.
Tessa agrees to work with Matt if that is the only way to work on the case 24/7. When she meets Matt again, he has matured physically and Tessa is immediately attracted to him. Moreover, he is a genius who has developed technological gadgets and a lab that nearly surpasses those of the FBI.
Since most of the gadgets he uses are patent pending, they assist Tessa and him in ways standard equipment cannot. Soon, Tessa and Matt find that there is a serial arsonist who pins notes on the burnt bodies that say “Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead.” Then, although the FBI takes over the investigation, it continues to use Matt as a consultant.
While Tess and Matt's relationship progresses physically and emotionally when they are alone, Tessa acts as if Matt is just a brilliant consultant when anyone else is present. She is afraid of what her colleagues at the FBI will think and the teasing that will ensue if she is involved with a man six years younger than her. Needless to say, this is extremely detrimental to any future they may have together.
As the case draws near to a close, Ms. Diaz ups the ante for a thrilling ride with one incredible and creepy development after another that will have you staying up late to finish the book. I know that I did.
Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead is a stand-alone book. However, I prefer to read books in a series in order. Accordingly, I think that you will enjoy it more if you read the two earlier books He Kills Me, He Kills Not and Simon Says Die first.
Ms. Diaz is a wonderful writer with a great future. I highly recommend Ashes, Ashes, They all Fall Dead and its predecessors in The Nursery Rhyme Series, to anyone who enjoys genuine Romantic Suspense, that is, an equal balance of the two genres.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. -
Title: Ashes, Ashes They All Fall DEAD
Author: Lena Diaz
Series: Nursery Rhyme
Genre: Romantic Suspense
This nursery rhyme will keep you awake.
What she doesn't remember ...
One by one the letters arrive at the FBI office in Savannah, Georgia. Inside, each bears a name--a victim of a twisted crime--and the singsong phrase Ashes, ashes, they all fall dead. Special Agent Tessa James becomes obsessed with finding the killer whose victims are crying out to her for justice.
Will kill her ...
When sexy, brilliant consultant Matt Buchanan is paired with Tessa to discover who's sending the "Ashes" letters, he discovers a serial arsonist who is leaving nothing but murder in his wake. Inexplicably, the clues point to Tessa herself, forcing her to realize that if she can't remember the forgotten years of her past, the name on the next letter will be hers.
Review:
I love to watch thriller and scary movies so when I can find a book that can give me chills along with keeping me on the edge of my seat as much as a movie can I am absolutely thrilled. That's absolutely what Lena Diaz did with Ashes, Ashes, They All Fall Dead. This book is pulse-pounding, a thrill-a-minute and has a sexy man to go along with it.
Tessa James an FBI agent in Savannah, Georgia is obsessed with a cold case. The Savannah office has been receiving anonymous letters inscribed with only a person's name and an evil twist on the children's nursery rhyme Ring Around The Rosie which Tessa believes the person sending these letters has a dark and deadly reason for sending these letters. The only problem is she is the only one who believes their is a serial killer out there and that more bodies are going to be found and she can't convince her boss to let her investigate but he finally gives her a week to come up with some evidence that there is a case or lose her job. The only problem is she has to work with Matt Buchanan the younger brother of her old partner. They have a history which isn't a good one. The friction between Tessa an Matt can be felt and it builds until it has to be released one way or another. This book was a page turner and grabbed me from the first page. If you like Karen Rose or Allison Brennan then this book is for you.
Grade A+
Review by: Danita
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com -
A pretty good book, plot-wise, but I had difficulty with the main female character, Tessa James. When we meet her, she is presented as an FBI agent with 8 years of experience, a stellar record, and an obsession with a cold case. Presumably, this 30-year-old woman earned her status and promotions by being smart, professional and collected in the face of horrible crimes and confusing evidence. After all, FBI agents are known for their poker-face reactions when dealing with the public and with other law-enforcement agencies and sources. But Tessa's reactions to personal matters and even to the mere mention of the other main character, a private investigator named Matt Buchanan, reveal her to be emotionally volatile, with a hair trigger and thin skin.
Because of these two wildly different characteristics in the person of one 30-year-old woman, I found it very hard to suspend my disbelief and immerse myself in the story. I kept thinking that Tessa would never have succeeded in the FBI if she couldn't control herself better. Her thoughts and behavior are those of a teenage girl with both a crush on and a grudge against Matt, whose sole offenses seem to be that he's only 24 years old, he's gorgeous, and he helped her solve a case several years before. She's so afraid of being perceived as a cougar or cradle-robber that she behaves very unprofessionally and even cruelly, many times, toward him. And she can't hide her thoughts and emotions, as her fair skin flushes quickly and frequently, and her mouth falls open in surprise several times. She also whirls around in anger or surprise, pushes or jerks away from physical contact of a romantic or sensual nature, and vents her spleen at Matt whenever he tries to help her investigate their case without waiting for her explicit instructions.
I quite liked Matt, although I couldn't understand why he was so attracted to Tessa or why he put up with her verbal abuse and derision. And after finishing the book, I still don't get it.
That said, the story itself is interesting, with plot twists to keep you guessing, but not so many that the story didn't make sense once the pieces were in place. -
If I could have given this 10 stars, I would have.
What a suspense ride this one is..I don't think very many can figure this one out. I know it kept me surprised and shocked all the way through.
Tessa James is an FBI agent in Savannah, GA and it is her whole life.
When the FBI began receiving letters 3 years prior, with names and a nursery rhyme, they investigate but can't link the letters to actual people or any missing.
Tessa just can't let this one go and she wants to reopen the case.
Her boss, Casey, gives her 7 days to find something linking these letters to missing persons..But she must work with Matt Buchanan, a PI, who has solved numerous cold cases. Tessa was in love with Matt's brother but he married someone else. Tessa is just not happy about
working with Matt, but to get the case she has to!
Matt owns his own company which deals with high tech toys, which I loved.So they are off together to solve the mystery. I loved Matt and would like to read more about him and Tessa.
This case will hit close to home to Tessa!
This one will keep you awake reading all night. So many twists and turns you can't count them. I love it and off to read the 1st one in the series. -
As always Lena Diaz makes me love her books. The 3rd book in the series.
FBI Special Agent Tessa James is on to something, but her boss FBI Special Agent Casey Matthews doesn't want to believe the letters she's getting have any warrent. But decides he'll give her seven days to prove to him there's something there. The only thing is she has to work with someone she can't stand. Matthew Buchanan. Tessa thinks he's cocky and arrogant. How is she supposed to work with him?
The more they work together on the case the more things don't add up. Not sure and can't really explain why this is so important to her things start coming back. She has to admit once they start on the case she is seeing Matthew in a different light. At one point he almost ruins something, but it all works out.
Will Matthew and Tessa find out who is behind the Ashes, Ashes letters? How are they connected to Tessa? Why did she get the letters?
Well you need to buy the book to find out?
Fast paced action that Ms. Diaz brings to all her books. Highly recommend. Start at the beginning.
He Kills Me, He Kill Me Not- -
I was hesitant to register to win this book because, well, my OCD hates when I read books out of order. However the book setting is Savannah GA and that is one of my favorite places to go. What a dilemma ! Tossing caution to the wind, I entered and won ! I LOVED this book !! And I cannot wait to get books 1 & 2 of the Nursery Rhyme Series. Lena Diaz roped me in right away with her writing style. Truly, it was hard to put down. Fast paced, interesting story, great characters. Definitely a great read. I like a good movie going in my head and this book delivered that for me. Everything was relatable and current with nothing that's "beyond belief". If there is anything at all negative to say, it is simply that I didn't read the first two books in the series, although this book stands on it's own. There is some but little reference to the previous books. I just think that it would help with the storyline if you read them in order.
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Ring around the five star book
This was a page turner, full of action and excitement. It kept me guessing until the very end, with all kinds of plot twists. The characters were well developed, and a little sexual tension only added to the mix. When FBI agent Tessa starts investigating a cold case, she discovers that she is involved somehow. With the help of a private investigator named Matt, who has all kinds of advanced technology and a sexy body to boot, Tessa works to find a serial arsonist, and a past childhood she had almost totally forgotten. I recommend this book for anyone who loves a good action story. -
This book has seriously everything an romantic suspense geek like me can wish for. You get scorching hot characters, a mystery story you think you can foresee but really dont and romantic in the way that it feels like you are actually reading a book. Not an erotic novella where the goal is the sex and everything around it is just a story leading up to the sex. No, here it is so much more. More feelings and relationships that just makes the whole story complete.
Read more :) -
I am continuing to love this series. Lot of action and intrigue and a good helping of romance. I love that you never know how things will unravel. Even though you kinda know that there was something major that happened in the heroine's past, I would never have guessed what it is. I hope these books keep on coming!
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Another fabulous book by the talented Lena Diaz. The beginning started off slow compared to her other two Nursery Rhyme books, but once it picked up, it was exciting! Thrilling! With a twist at the end that shook me upside down and backwards this way til Sunday!
