Power Struggle by Carolyn Arnold

My Rating: 5 Stars.



Date read: 23/11/17



Date published: 28/11/17




Synopsis from Goodreads: 





One hit man who’s back for revenge.
One detective who’s not going down without a fight.


It’s been ten months since Detective Madison Knight almost died at the hands of Russian Mafia hit man Constantine Romanov. She hasn’t seen hide nor hair of him since he escaped police custody and fled to Russia soon after his arrest, except now her latest murder investigation gives her reason to believe he’s back in town. Seeing as the victim is the man who killed her grandfather, her perspective may be a little skewed, but with the MO smacking of Constantine and the victim’s connections to the mob, she finds it hard to be objective. Still, she’s doing her best to consider all the evidence.


When she receives a threatening letter from Constantine, however, her suspicions are confirmed. And he’s made it abundantly clear that not only does he plan to finish what he started but he has her family and loved ones in the crosshairs, too. Madison vows to do whatever it takes to save them, but as the hours race by, the body count rises. And the stakes only get higher when Madison’s sister, Chelsea, goes missing.


Now, Madison’s only play is to take Chelsea’s disappearance for what it really means: Constantine is calling Madison out for one final showdown. And they won’t both survive…

My review: 

I recently read Arnold's latest book in the Brendan Fisher series and I absolutely loved it. Arnold's work is definitely on par with the top writers in crime and this book was no different. I haven't read the books in this series before and I want to start by saying that I still found this book easy to understand without reading the previous. Arnold does a great job of giving the reader enough information as you read along of how the events in previous books relate to this one. 

This was such a page turner; fast paced and exciting throughout. Although Arnold gives the reader plenty of scene setting from the synopsis, there is so much more packed in there. As Madison works a homicide and has her suspicions on who the killer is, everything that goes on with the other characters, working the ins and outs of the case, keeps you guessing throughout. The almost only constant throughout the book is that Constantine is back; but how, why and what he wants is a complete guess until the end. I had no idea how and where this book was going to go which is what I really love in a great book. I don't to try to guess myself too much, I really enjoy finding out and being led through. The book has a very realistic feel as well; Arden has definitely done her research which is another really great aspect for me. Sometimes, crime books can feel a little bit over the top or unrealistic to follow. 

I really enjoyed the characters in this book as well. They felt very relatable and I did feel a bit sorry for Madison at times. With everything that's going on with her family and friends, she does seem to have quite a tough time of it from them all. It was good to see this side in a police procedural, rather then just getting on with the crimes. 

Overall, this was a great book. I am really hoping to go back and read the other books in the series. Anybody who likes a good police procedural should pick up a book by Arnold. I cannot recommend it enough! 

Happy reading :)