A(nother) Year of Orenda – Deep Down Dead by Steph Broadribb

Today Mandie finally joins #TeamLori with her review of the first book in the Lori Anderson series by Steph Broadribb, Deep Down Dead. I loved this series about a female bounty hunter who proves time and again that she will do anything to protect her family. If you’d like to find out what I thought about this book, you can find my review here. Before we see what Mandie thought, here’s what it’s all about:

About the Book

Lori Anderson is as tough as they come, managing to keep her career as a fearless Florida bounty hunter separate from her role as single mother to nine-year-old Dakota, who suffers from leukaemia. But when the hospital bills start to rack up, she has no choice but to take her daughter along on a job that will make her a fast buck. And that’s when things start to go wrong.

Breathtakingly fast-paced, both hard-boiled and heart-breaking, Deep Down Dead is a simply stunning debut from one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.

Mandie’s Thoughts

Lori Anderson is a feisty female bounty hunter who will do what it takes to get the job done so that she can support her young daughter Dakota. With past hospital bills and rent building up she agrees to take on a job that will give her enough money to get them back on an even keel. The only problem with this is that she will have to take her daughter with her, and it will bring her face to face with someone from her past, her mentor.

On the face if it a book about a female bounty hunter is probably not something I would consider picking up as I am not usually a fan of action type books, but Lori Anderson is a character that really draws you in to her story. Although from the start you are aware of there being a history between Lori and JT it is only during the story that you really find out what that connection is and at times you can see how it may be colouring her judgement. If she had just picked up JT and returned him to collect her fee as intended, then it would have been a very short and very dull book and dull is certainly not a word that can be associated with Deep Down Dead in anyway whatsoever. From the moment she goes to pick up JT from the agreed place things go wrong and it sends them down a dangerous path dealing with not only the person who caused JT’s predicament but also the Miami mob, inadvertently putting Dakota in the firing line as she is used as a bargaining chip.

The chemistry between Lori and JT is almost as gripping as the story itself. You can feel the unresolved issues between them that they are going to have to confront at some point, but for two self-confessed lone wolves they certainly make a formidable team as they work to find Dakota and clear JT’s name. Although you would expect some violence due to the nature of the book none of it is in your face but there may just be a moment that has you grimacing a little. The pace of the book really was determined by the action taking place and I have to admit I found it hard to believe that I managed to race through the book within a couple of days, but l love books like that, the ones that have you so engrossed in them that time just flies by.

There is one benefit to getting to this series so late…. I don’t have to wait ages for the next instalment to see what lies ahead for Lori and JT and I just know whatever it is, its going to be complicated.

About the Author

Steph Broadribb was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego – Crime Thriller Girl – she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at http://www.crimethrillergirl.com, where she interviews authors and reviews the latest releases. Steph is an alumni of the MA in Creative Writing (Crime Fiction) at City University London, and she trained as a bounty hunter in California. She lives in Buckinghamshire surrounded by horses, cows and chickens. Deep Down Dead is her debut novel. Watch out for Deep Blue Trouble in 2018!

The Lori Anderson Series: